Gl be “And so we waited. But we didn’t see any change.” Unlivable Wages By Owen Auston-Babcock
VOLUME 94. ISSUE 4. CLAYTON HIGH SCHOOL. CLAYTON, MO. DECEMBER 2021.
Contents
NEWS Loop Trolley
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FEATURES History of Monuments in STL Socializing at a Distance College Debt Ralph Clayton Portrait Chuck Cohn: Alumni Success Story
10 14 16 18 20
OPINION The Killer Concert Devil’s Advocate Festival of Lights Critical Race Theory
29 33 35 36
E-Sports
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SPORTS Winter Sports Preview
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REVIEW Voyage Adele Eternals
41 42 43
STAFF EDITORIAL
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ON THE COVER: UNLIVABLE WAGES
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A proposal to revamp the Learning Center and raise the wages of its staff, who earn less than a living wage, remains delayed. Owen AustonBabcock tells the story of the proposal and the people behind it.
DECEMBER 2021 VOLUME 94, ISSUE 4
Pict of S the R
G EDITORS-IN-CHIEF
Ella Cuneo Shane LaGesse Ivy Reed CHIEF DIGITAL EDITOR
Kaitlyn Tran SENIOR MANAGING EDITORS
Owen Auston-Babcock Vivian Chen Seraphina Corbo Kate Freedman Alexandra Hagemeister Kaia Mills-Lee Ana Mitreva FEATURE SECTION EDITORS
Pictured: King Louis IX of France, namesake of St. Louis, Missouri, located in front of the Saint Louis Art Museum in Forest Park. Reporter Charlie Meyers writes about this monument and others across St. Louis on page 10. Photo by Owen Auston-Babcock
Emma Baum Daphne Kraushaar NEWS SECTION EDITORS
Dheera Rathikindi Alex Slen REVIEW SECTION EDITORS
Rachel Chung Moriah Lotsoff SPORTS SECTION EDITOR
Alex Cohen OPINION SECTION EDITOR
Enoch Lai Sophie Yoshino
Isaac Millians Naveed Naemi Iris Park Sophie Srenco Sofia Mutis COPY EDITOR
Ruby Nadin ART EDITOR
Sonali Dayal STAFF REPORTERS
Stella Bishop Alison Booth Samantha Braidwood Zoe Daniels-Sankey JiaLi Deck Kenneth Gould Norah Gross Riley Kerley Charlotte Meyers Caitlin Kuhlmann Micah Lotsoff Sidra Major Sam McDonough Omeed Naemi Poppy Orchard Caleb Park Ezri Perrin Spencer Pompian Abby Rosenfeld Ivy Slen Samuel Smith Samuel Sun Leo Taghert Charlie Thompson Kipp Vitsky Chloe Wolfe Santi Vaqueiro-Espinosa
PRO/CON SECTION EDITOR
Sasha Keller
PHOTO EDITOR
Lily Kleinhenz
PUZZLE MASTER
Thomas Gustafson STORY IDEAS SECTION EDITOR
Max Hagemeister PAGE EDITORS
Isabella Bamnolker Chloe Creighton Izzy Erdmann Maya Goldwasser Sahi Gokaraju Isra Kayani Sophia Lu Charlie Miller Kirby Miller
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Angela Wirthin Ava Marsden Esther Wang Gabrielle Thomas Kendall Turner Maci Klaus Maya Richter Sofia Klein Owen Wohl Paige Conrad Sophie Matiszik FACULTY ADVISER
Erin Sucher-O’Grady
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! The Globe is an entirely self-funded publication. We receive no funding from the school district for printing. Each issue of the Globe costs approximately $2,000 to print. We are deeply grateful to our sponsors for their support of our publication. They make our work possible. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please email us at globe@claytonschools.net
Issue Level Sponsors ($2,000+ level) Gail Workman Clayton Education Foundation Dr. and Mrs. Barry Berlin
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The LaGesse Stanton Family Bob and Betsy Cuneo Christy Auston Peter and Sheila Nadin The Chung Family Gita Krisnaswamy Angela and Troy Quinn The Erlin Family The Family of Lary Baker Kay Quinn Malone Marica and Josip Kos The Slen Family Lan Yang
Enoch Lai Bill Moore The Bassnett Family Laura Pierson Alicia Espe Allison Creighton Bill Dupor Jennifer Baer Michael Reed and Julie Layton Marci Boland The Cuneo Family Jill Moran Emily Rosenfeld
From The Editor
The Globe’s Shane LaGesse tackles the existential crisis of being a senior halfway through the school year.
I
’ve been told my whole life that high school would fly by—that the days are long, and the years are short. Now, about halfway through my senior year, I believe it. Right now might seem like a slog, and for those in my grade waiting on acceptance letters, an especially tense moment. For all of us, finals are coming up, as they always do, and semester projects are nearing their deadline. After those wrap up, I think all of us deserve a break. Though I’ll enjoy having a few weeks off from school, that doesn’t cut away from the existential dread I, and I’m sure at least some oth-
er seniors, feel when thinking about what that break signifies. We’ve finished our fall sports seasons for the last time; this set of finals will be the last we take with a chill in the air (for better or worse), and never again will we compete for the Golden Greyhound. Juniors, sophomores, freshmen: you still have some time but you’ll be in our seat sooner than you think. Now, as the clouds turn grey and the cold sets in for the next long, dark winter we’ve all heard too much about these past few years, I don’t mean to further dampen everyone’s spirits. Though you might not believe me from
my opening few paragraphs, the uplifting stuff is coming. Yes, I’m halfway through my last year here at Clayton. And yes, so is everyone else in my grade, and the rest of you have at most three and a half, unless we’re doing a better job of hitting the Wydown Middle School demographic than I’m aware of. But this moment of adolescent panic has heightened my awareness of what the past three and a half years have been for me, especially on this staff. It’s hard to remember what the Globe was like when I joined but it’s also easy to forget that not everybody else currently on staff was there when Jacob LaGesse and Michael Bernard headed the paper. As we bade farewell to the old and let in the new, the Globe has been all but static: the voices change, the designs fluctuate, and sometimes we even switch up the logo when we’re feeling especially adventurous. All that dynamicity has shaped our publication from where it began my freshman year to where we are now. And it’s still changing, and will likely continue to change when I round out the last eighth of my time on staff. But I’m more than optimistic about the future; each year brings new talent to the staff, and a new wave of hardworking reporters. I’m sure every winter break, the seniors on staff have a similar crisis, and a similar realization. So, at this halfway point in my final year, I’m not concerned about the span of time I have left, nor do I worry for the future of the Globe when I’m gone. Things will continue to change, for the better or for the being-undone-next-issue. I’ve had a sensational experience as a member of the staff, and alongside other driven individuals, hopefully done some pretty good journalism. When it comes down to it, we all still have a semester left to make the most of high school. There’s no point in brooding over its finiteness, or getting too nostalgic to freshman year. For now, I’ll keep living out my high school days to the fullest, and finish out this existential crisis when I’m old enough to buy a sports car.
SHANE LAGESSE CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF PHOTO BY OWEN AUSTON-BABCOCK
EDITOR’S LETTER 5
My Body My Choice Organized by Teens for Choice STL, a rally advocating for abortion rights was held outside of the Planned Parenthood in Downtown St. Louis on Saturday, November 13th. In 2021, the US saw the highest number of abortion restrictions enforced in a single year. Currently, the US Supreme Court is hearing a case challenging Roe v. Wade. Many pro-choice advocates are concerned that the court is poised to overturn the landmark case.
PHOTO BY LILY KLEINHENZ
Is The Loop Trolley Back?
Recent developments have stirred debate among St. Louis residents and politicians about the future of trolley.
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he Loop Trolley, at its inception, was hailed as one of the most significant new additions to Saint Louis in decades. What followed was years of controversy, financial struggles, and failure. The Delmar Loop gained its name from the original trolley system that ran through it. The first streetcar system in The Loop closed in 1966. Since then, that area has ballooned into one of Saint Louis’ most popular neighborhoods for tourists and locals alike. The story of the new loop trolley begins much later thanks to one man: Joe Edwards Joe Edwards is the man singularly responsible for the loop as is known today. His first venture was in 1972, when he opened the now legendary Blueberry Hill. Blueberry Hill began Edward’s long career in developing The Loop into the cultural juggernaut it is today. He has since gone on to develop The Pageant, The Moonrise Hotel, The Tivoli Theater, The Peacock Diner, and more. He has, since 1997, been the most visible figure in the push to rebuild The Loop Trolley His vision started to become reality when in 2010 The Loop Trolley received 25 million dollars from the Federal Transit Authority to begin construction. Additional funds came from private donations, Washington University, St. Louis County Transportation fund and the special loop trolley tax district. In total The Loop Tolley cost 51 million dollars, most of which came from federal and local taxpayers. The Loop Trolley tax district, where a good portion of money came from, is not exactly transparent in the amount of money raised for the project. In total, local taxpayers paid around 13 million dollars raised by the special tax district. With this much money going to the project many hoped that it would bring a much needed economic boost to the region. With funding secured, construction later began in 2015. During construction many businesses on the loop noticed a decrease in foot traffic and patronage into the businesses, a grim foretelling of the future of the trolley. By 2016 the trolley had finished construction, however it took nearly two more years of added delays and costs before the trolley was unveiled to the public in November of 2018. Six months later the trolley had only a dismal twenty-two thousand dollars in revenue. The pattern of low ridership continued as costs continued to mount. It was in December of 2019 when the loop trolley announced it would
8 NEWS
close. That year, according to IRS Form 990 filed by The Loop Trolley Company, they lost close to 330,000 dollars and had 14 million dollars in liabilities. The story of the Loop Trolley does not end there however. Recently a new effort to revive the trolley has emerged. The plan consisted of around 1.26 million dollars worth of federal tax payer money plus an additional 540,000 dollars from the special tax district. The plan was supported by both the County Executive Sam Page and Saint Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones with a few conditions. First, they wanted dissolution of the 501(c)(3) organization, The Loop Trolley Company, as well as the redirection of all revenue generated by the operation of the Loop Trolley toward Bi-State Development to oversee its operation and that no further City or County funds will be used
to fund the Loop Trolley. This plan ultimately was voted down by the East-West Gateway Council of Governments. To make matters more complicated, the federal government has threatened to sue The Bi-State Development for around 25 million dollars if they did not go through with a plan to keep up the Loop Trolley. They also threatened to block any federal money for transportation projects in the region. If a compromise is not reached, it could lead to even more issues as the region might be denied much needed federal funding. At this point, many Saint Louis residents are frustrated with how The Loop Trolley turned out. What was billed as a much needed boost to the Delmar Loop and Forest Park area turned out to be a more than 50 million dollar taxpayer funded quagmire with no resolution in sight.
ALEX SLEN NEWS SECTION EDITOR
The Delmar Loop is a well established St. Louis attraction. The tracks that run though Delmar are a visual reminder of the failed venture to run a trolley from The Loop to Forest Park. PHOTO BY AVA MARSDEN
ACROSS 1. Cuban capital, to locals 7. Famous pop group featured in last month’s GET 11. Figure of the Cuban Revolution 14. ___ Rift (VR headset) 15. Driven Souls? 16. Vienna’s home, for short 17. It’s not a victimless crime 18. Leading 20. [1st step] Method of practicing a math concept 22. €: abbr. 23. Proofreading directive 24. Maruchan competitor 29. Eminem rhymed it with “porridge” 33. Like loud crowds 34. Choice between two options 36. Space 37. Downfall 39. Earl Greys 41. Colorful card game 42. [2nd step] Method of solving a math problem 45. Suffix with gator 47. Slang for an instrument with a slide 48. Joe’s vice 51. Creamy cheese 53. Certain constrictors 55. Up to 56. Earthquake prefix 58. Clown costume parts 60. Adz or ax 62. Green ___ Deal
63. [3rd step] Last resort in solving a math problem 69. Container that holds audiotape 70. Fooled (around) 72. This, for a baobab might reach 1500 73. The abominable snowman, perhaps 74. Less moist, as bread 75. Existed 76. Kylo ___ 77. Bronte or Dickinson DOWN 1. Move like a rabbit 2. It makes you trip 3. “Hamilton” charactor Aaron 4. Jai ___ (rhyming sport) 5. Reactor powered vessel, informally 6. Safe space 7. Similar 8. Tricks Mr. DelaPaz uses to get unresponsive yoyos to come back up 9. Consecutively 10. Nearer to the eruption at 26-Down, perhaps 11. Astronomer Sagan 12. A “bear” one might be tight 13. Opposite of WNW 19. Marriage vow locale 21. Something Mr. Kleinberg calculates with an integral 24. Little bit 25. Lode bit 26. City famous for an eruption that happened there
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I got the idea for this puzzle’s theme brainstorming in one of my favorite classes. The title was suggested by none other than Tudor Belean. When solved, unscramble the circled letters to reveal three words that answer the question “What is Mr. Kleinberg’s favorite drink, according to the mug that sits on his desk?” Submit your answer using the QR code below to enter a drawing for a $15 gift card to Clementine’s Creamery. T.G.
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What is Mr. Kleinberg’s favorite drink, according to the mug that sits on his desk? (1st word)
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57. Meander 27. Guide for a train wheel 59. 150 million of these for 28. Far (somewhat 41-Across have been litotically) 30. Confectionary candy sold 61. Italian coffee drink bar fillings 63. Lady ___ 31. Suffix for 64. Applies pentacontakaipenta- or 65. German, “NO!” octacontakaiocta66. Babybel cheese 32. Goth relative 67. 451, to those living in 35. Color of a liberty apple 38. What might give you a 26-Down 68. Boat stabilizer big head? 69. Sound from a crow 40. Legendary 71. Arid snowboarder 43. Mexican year (Scan for a chance to win a $15 gift 44. “Hmmm... nah” card to Clementine’s Creamery!) 45. Core makeup? 46. Beats by ___ 49. Fib 50. Gore and Yankovic 52. ___ Park, Colorado 54. Issue (forth) THOMAS GUSTAFSON, PUZZLE SECTION EDITOR PUZZLES 9
3rd word
CRACKEDMATICS
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Part One:
The History of St. Louis Mo S
t. Louis may be well known for the Cardinals, Forest Park, or even gooey butter cake, but no one can deny the fact that within the community that lies behind the Arch, there are endless monuments and memorials of substantial historical significance. These monuments have and continue to impact our city, and the future it holds. Monuments of great historical impact tell us about not just the importance of what is being depicted, but also about what our city and society valued in the past, and what we will continue to admire and value today.
Apotheosis of
St. Louis One of the great symbols of St. Louis is the Apotheosis of St. Louis, an ornate bronze statue depicting King Louis IX of France, lying at the top of Art Hill in Forest Park. The statue was created by sculptor Charles Henry Niehaus and it was donated to Forest Park by the Louisiana Purchase Expedition Company in October 1906. “This statue is more [representative of] the symbolic success and power of St. Louis as a city, then it is Louis the IX,” said David Glossenger, who teaches AP Economics and History of St. Louis at CHS. This statue doesn’t just display the memory of the 1904 World’s Fair, or the importance of Louis the IX as the city’s namesake, it also has caused some controversy, criticism and protests over the recent years — even as early as the summer of 2020 — calling for the removal of the statue. Groups protesting — though small — may believe that this statue symbolizes white supremacy. Glossenger, however, stated, “The notion of white supremacy in a racialized, classist system in the United States is pretty far removed from King Louis IX.” As many figures in history have, Louis IX definitely did some bad things by 21st century standards as a white, Christian, male king in the 1200s, and we need to be aware of the symbol this statue communicates — in other people’s eyes as well as ours. This statue, to many St. Louisans, symbolizes a “thriving St. Louis, and pinnacle to St. Louis’ power and success while to others, they read a little more deep into the meaning behind it, a little more than what the people that put it up actually intended for,” said Glossenger. Though this statue is definitely not as controversial as others, it should be taken into consideration what this statue means and symbolizes for all groups of people, even as a pinnacle monument of St. Louis.
10 FEATURE
Monuments Botanical Garden When you walk into the Missouri Botanical Garden in Tower Grove, three rather striking statues catch your eye. Front and center, in the entrance of the garden, lay 3 pillars, with one statue atop each of them, a bronze angel playing a musical instrument. Resting in a lily pad-spotted pond, and surrounded by the floral and natural feel of the Garden, these statues are the perfect centerpiece for this beautiful location. The Garden’s sculpture collection began in 1883, and it has continued to prosper and will always remain as one of the key places in St. Louis. Missouri Botanical Garden’s website states, “The Saint Louis Art Museum, Washington University Gallery of Art, and private collectors lent a broad representation of sculpture to the Garden, including 30 pieces in 1965 and 35 pieces in 1972.” These statues, along with many others in the entrance of the gardens, were commissioned by Botanical Garden founder, Henry Shaw, and created by Carl Milles. Two photographers at the gardens, one of whom had been shooting the gardens for 15 years, had a lot to say about the statues in the entrance. “A lot of [the statues here] are pretty wistful, and I like the grace of a lot of them,” said one of the photographers. “ It’s like there’s no theme whether it’s couples of males, or females, it’s almost like a ‘Pans Garden’ type of thing.” The other photographer said, “When I’m shooting the statues here, I kind of feel like [I’m being] transported into somewhere else. Which I think is the main reason why I come here, especially in the spring and fall time.” Whether or not you’re a skilled photographer, historian, or local community member, these gardens and statues symbolize an idea of beauty and historic value to St. Louis.
Tower Grove House If you decide to walk a little further in the gardens, take a left from the Three Flying Angels statues and continue to walk along the blooming trail, you’ll come across an old-fashioned white, 9,000 square foot historic house. Trees surround the right of the estate; it is the perfect place to visit to truly feel that you’ve stepped back in time. This is Henry Shaw’s house, located in Tower Grove. Today, staff and volunteers encourage visitors to take a step back in time to learn more about the people who made the Garden grow. The house is located in the Victorian District of the Garden, and served as Henry Shaw’s house until he died in 1889. According to the Missouri Botanical Garden, this house is in great condition, considering the Garden’s first appointed director, Dr. William Trelease lived in the house after Shaw’s death until 1912. The house would later serve as a classroom for “The Shaw’s School of Gardeners,” until 1953. From then until today, it has been used as a historic house museum, achieving what the Botanical Garden’s website describes as “beginning its legacy of sharing the Garden’s history and offering a glimpse back in time.” The Garden’s website stands corrected, because as you walk through his gardens today, you do truly feel as though you’ve stepped back into time.
FEATURE 11
The
Naked Truth Located in the Compton Hill Reservoir Park, a striking memorial lies at the foot of the reservoir’s water tower. This bronze statue depicts a nude woman holding two torches with linens draped around her, sitting at the foot of a memorial for German-American influence in St. Louis. The torches she holds in her hands symbolize the “enlightenment of the German and American alliances,” according to the St. Louis City website. This statue serves as a memorial as well as a symbol of truth; three journalists were commemorated in the statue: Dr. Emil Preetorious, Carl Schurz, and Carl Daenzer. The monument was shortly taken down after being put up in 1914, because only seven weeks later after it was put up, World War One began. With the country in a sweep of German hate, this statue was forgotten by St. Louisans. The Water Tower and Park Preservation Society rededicated the statue, exactly 100 years later in 2014. This statue may have been forgotten by World War One, but it was initially created for efforts made in the Civil War, by German-Americans. “In St. Louis, the Germans were an enormous part of the Union forces that kept St. Louis in the state of Missouri, and a part of the United States,” said Glossenger. “Without the German-American community in St. Louis, there would’ve been a very different war. And it’s possible that St. Louis and the state of Missouri would’ve fallen to the Confederacy pretty early in the war, and that the war would’ve turned out quite differently. Maybe even to the loss of the North.” The statue shows the historical value of the German-American alliance in the Civil War, which continues to impact St. Louis to this day. Glossenger said, “More broadly this statue was focused on the contributions to our community, and it comes out of a time of reckoning, of what we think about the past 50-60 years, and how we tell this story of the Civil War to future generations.” The German-American alliance and influence on St. Louis in the Civil War displayed with this memorial, helps commemorate the historical value of this war on St. Louis, in a way that — controversial or not — helps preserve a moment of time in our history.
12 FEATURE
MLK Statue in
Fountain Park Located in Fountain Park, and created by sculptor Rudolph Torrini in 1977, this bronze statue was built in Florence, Italy. The St. Louis American describesd the statue’s pose as “heroic, with the subject’s right arm outstretched and his face expressing concentrated equanimity.” King was a leading figure in the Civil Rights Movement across America, and though he spoke in St. Louis a few times, we are left to wonder why this specific image was chosen for representation. “This statue in particular in Fountain Park celebrates the achievement of political empowerment in St Louis, in ways that we hadn’t really seen before,” Glossenger said. Similarly, the location in Fountain Park also may seem random, though there is a history with this specific location. This setting for MLK, according to the St. Louis American, “enshrines the changes in housing equality wrought in St. Louis’ west end neighborhoods in King’s lifetime.” In the mid 19th century, Fountain Park was developed as a middle-class suburb, on the edge of Central West End. Segregation occurred in real estate until 1948, when a ruling was issued by the Supreme Court in Shelly v. Kramer, to drop racially-based housing restrictions. This ruling brought more African-Americans into the community, providing for a more welcoming and free feeling to the area. Glossenger said, “The King statue in Fountain park is very symbolic of progress we’ve made, but it’s also symbolic of progress that needs to happen.” And, especially considering the injustice of the history of the area, the symbolism of the statue for the community couldn’t be more fitting, and hopeful for the future.
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here is a lot of symbolism and meaning behind statues and as a city, we need consider the ideas, qualities and the values we want to memorialize, rather than the personal achievements of an individual. Whether our city’s historical significance is located in Forest Park, Tower Grove, Fountain Park, or at the foot of a water tower in the Compton Hill reservoir, we will always continue to show the values and the importance of what we’re memorializing in our city, and our society for the future. There are many prosperous factors within these monuments, but also a good amount of work to be done, and efforts to be made, which will be further explored in the next chapter. “In terms of going forward, I think if we understand what values people had, and what they admired back in the day, I think it allows us to understand, maybe a little bit better, where we can go from there,” said Glossenger. “We have to know where we’ve been, to know where we’re going.”
CHARLIE MEYERS, REPORTER ELLA CUNEO, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
FEATURE 13
Socializing at a Distance
A portrait of how Clayton teenagers have adapted to life in the next phase of the pandemic.
Two masked CHS students share a bench while engrossed in their phones
PHOTO TAKEN BY MAYA RICHTER
M
arch 12, 2020 was the last day of normal school for most Clayton students. It was the last day of face to face conversations, unmarred by face masks. It was the last day of students and staff sitting right next to each other, with no regard for physical distancing. It was the last day of field trips, kids talking and laughing excitedly as they crowded onto yellow school buses. Yet this last day was also a first day, containing an air of anxiety, one that would become ever more dominant over the next 20 months. As cancelled spring break trips turned into stay-at-home orders and excessive hand washing became the norm, the social lives of teenagers moved online. Lunch table conversations moved to group chats and teens began to spend greater amounts of time on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Discord, and Snapchat. The isolation that teenagers experienced during the early part of the pandemic was very harmful to their mental health. “Being alone during the pandemic was so hard,” said CHS freshman Rayna Everett. Teenagers experienced record high rates of anxiety and depression due to social distancing and isolation practices. Social and physical isolation led to increases in
14 FEATURE
time spent on social media. Over 50% of CHS students surveyed reported that their time spent on social media increased during the pandemic and is still higher than prior to the pandemic. Increased usage of social media had negative effects on people of all ages, but especially teenagers. “The rate of eating disorders really shot up during the pandemic because people felt they needed to come out of quarantine looking better and being thinner than when they entered,” said Kara Friedman, Licensed Professional Counselor. According to the Harvard School of Public Health website, Instagram’s algorithms pull teens into spirals of harmful content and reward negative emotions. Both of these factors can cause negative effects on the mental health of teens. “During quarantine, I used social media a lot more just because it was the way that I connected with people, since we couldn’t see each other face to face,” said CHS freshman Anna McAndrew. Teenagers bond through similarities in their lives and interests. “Social media helped kids have shared experiences and shared memories during quarantine,” said Friedman.
Some types of social media were used differently during Covid than others. “Once summer hit, we created the Discord. I used it for socializing. We played games on it, like Gartic Phone, and we also did voice calls,” said Sam Evra, CHS freshman. FaceTime was also heavily used by many teenagers, to replace the typical interactions of spending time in the same space as their friends. FaceTime more directly simulates traditional socialization, as it provides the combination of voices and facial expressions of the people that are talking. However, it is by no means the same as in person socialization, especially with the disconnect in words and facial expressions caused by poor cell service or WiFi. CHS sophomore Sam McDonough found a space for interaction on Twitter. “I’m on Twitter a lot more now. I started using Twitter to interact with people online, talking to my mutual friends and posting. I also got into the left side of Twitter, where I could share my opinion a lot,” said McDonough. Some of the most popular forms of social media include Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. “I use Snapchat, just as a way to communicate with people,” said CHS freshman Anna
McAndrew. Many teens use Snapchat for its texting or chat features, or to view and share stories, which can be limited in number for a user to only share content with a select group of friends. Instagram and TikTok include a lot of consumption of content made by other people, not unlike the stories feature of Snapchat. In addition to consuming content made by their friends and celebrities, many teens find a niche of content they like, such as baking, running or dog videos. Most teenagers are now almost a semester into an entirely in person school year. However, the interactions that people have with one another have permanently changed. There is a persistence of preference for virtual communication among many teenagers, as that is what has consumed their lives for the previous 20 months. “A lot more communication is done on group chats. And many conversations center around things that are online, like games we play on our phones or videos we saw,” said CHS junior Olivia Nafzger. According to a survey of CHS students, 2 times as many students spend more than 3 hours a day socializing online when compared to online socialization time prior to the pandemic. Many students struggle to remain focused during in person interactions. “I feel like people feel the need to be on their phones more than they used to,” said McAndrew. This trend is quite alarming, as in person communication skills are vital not only for returning to school, but also for future social and career prospects. Skills such as eye contact, making phone calls and interacting with new people have been lost or underdeveloped. Other aspects of in person communication have changed due to the pandemic. “Even though I wasn’t able to talk to my friends in person, it really helped to have my younger brother Michael next to me. To keep those social skills,” said Evra. Due to months spent inside homes with their siblings, many teens report stronger connections with their families. Many teens are also continuing to spend more time with their friends outside, as infection rates remain high, and as that was what they became accustomed to prior to the availability of vaccines. “I have a friend that during Covid, we would always get coffee and go on a
walk together. I wouldn’t say we do that all the time now, but it’s another option that we have,” said Nafzger. Many students and teachers have reported a social regression, or awkwardness in peer to peer interactions, that stems from a significant dry spell in traditional socialization. “People have been saying that freshman are way more immature than we would’ve been. I would definitely agree with that,” said McAndrew, “Our last full school year was sixth grade, and that was a really long time ago.” Only
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If everyone is set back, no one is set back.” seniors at CHS have experienced a full year of high school prior to Covid. “I have severe social anxiety. So the pandemic really set me back, because I barely spoke at all,” said McDonough. Many teenagers now struggle to order food in restaurants, talk to adults or have difficult conversations with their friends face-to-face. The continued implementation of universal masking has also impacted teenagers, though to a much lesser extent than young children. “I think people are going to lose practice recognizing facial expressions. It’s a skill that we take for granted with older children. But I also think high school students have enough social experience pre-mask to do ok. It’s the younger kids where we might have more challenges,” said Friedman. Due to the availability of vaccines for adolescents, many high school students have been able to interact with their peers without masks
for several months over the summer and fall. But masks are still required in indoor public spaces and at school. And as cold/flu season approaches, many people may return to masking indoors with others, even in their own homes. This amplifies the challenges that many teens are experiencing as they return to school and more normal forms of socialization. “I feel like masks are a big issue because you never know if somebody is comfortable with your mask off, yet when you wear a mask it conceals your emotions,” said CHS senior Jack Blase. Especially in school hallways, students and teachers are reduced to scanning eyes, eyebrows and foreheads for facial cues. Even with vaccines now available to most of the population served by the School District of Clayton, fear and anxiety around Covid remains a part of life. “Though everyone I know is vaccinated, we still carry some of that same fear of interaction,” said CHS freshman Hannah Yurkovich. Yet, there is a great importance to pushing through that fear and re-learning how to interact with peers. “Push yourself into the uncomfortable, take risks and practice the skills that you may not have been able to practice before,” said Friedman. Having conversations with peers and adults without the aid of technology is vital, even in today’s digital world. “If everyone is set back, no one is set back,” said McDonough. The awkwardness of social interactions is nearly universal among teenagers. Which further emphasizes the need to practice those interactions and for teenagers to be among their peers. Much was lost in the almost 18 months of virtual and hybrid school. Teenagers lost learning, social skills and valuable time in one of the most important phases of their lives. Many teens also struggled with anxiety and depression during this time, problems that persist today. Yet teenagers, developed a sense of awareness about their social needs. Due to isolation, they also learned things about themselves and their coping mechanisms. “Teenagers are really resilient. I think there were a lot of lessons learned about themselves and their families and their needs. But my greatest concern is mental health challenges,” said Friedman.
ALEX COHEN SPORTS SECTION EDITOR
FEATURE 15
COLLEGE DEBT
The Globe examines how the dramatic increase in college tuition over the last 15 years has left many Americans drowning in debt.
$
103,456. That’s three times the median-annual salary of an American adult. That’s half the cost of the median-valued home in the U.S. That’s four times the amount an adult must make annually to live above the poverty line. $103,456 is the average cost to attend four years of college in the United States. Going to college in America is expensive, and it isn’t getting cheaper. In the past decade or two, college tuition has skyrocketed, whilst the salaries of US citizens have not grown fast enough to keep up. The rise in the cost of college education is disproportionate to the earnings of the majority of Americans. Millions of adults across the nation depend on student loans to navigate the steep prices. As a result, millions of graduates are starting their adult life drowning in debt. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), tuition has recently increased the most at public and private non-profit institutions, for which tuition has gone up 65% and 50%, respectively, since 2000. At Washington University in St. Louis, the undergraduate tuition in 2005 was a total of $31,100 for the academic year. During the 2021 school year, tuition totaled at $57,750. In contrast, the average family income was $55,832 in 2005, and $67,521 in 2020. In less than 15 years, the tuition of Washington University almost doubled, whereas the average household income only went up by 17.21%. This radical disproportionality is making college education a more unrealistic option for lower income families, widening the chasm of socioeconomic inequality. “I qualified for taking out loans with FAFSA , but I chose not to because the
interest rates are incredibly difficult to deal with,” said Fiona Galinsky. Galinsky is a college freshman at Barnard College where the current price to attend is $78,044 annually. “I don’t think any education is worth this much money,” Galinsky said. “The fact that there are so many people that leave college with so much debt that they cannot support themselves, shows how big of an issue this really is.” The tuition at private universities is decided by the university itself, and no legal price restrictions exist. This means that the sky’s the limit when it comes to tuition prices. Recently, a few different methods of managing expenses have grown in popularity. Financial aid is a common resource that most universities offer, allowing students to attend college with a tuition more proportional to their income. According to The Education Data Initiative, 86% of college students in America benefit from some form of financial aid. “Of students receiving aid, our average scholarship is $50,000, and to put things in perspective our tuition is almost $60,000.” said Mike Runiewicz, assistant vice provost and director of student financial services at Washington University. On average, Wash U students that receive financial aid are granted almost full tuition. With a contribution that sizable, the opportunity for a private education is much more in reach for its applicants. “At Wash U we would never ask for any student to take more than $5,500 in student loans,” Runiewicz said. “And for any student who receives a Federal Pell grant or comes from a family of $75,000 or less in income, we wouldn’t provide loans for that student at all.”
PHOTO FROM WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
16 FEATURE
Financial aid programs at universities may be a gamechanger for some, but they can also be opportunities for disaster. “I heard many stories of students who were given financial aid last year but not this year, so now they either have to take a gap year or take out tremendous amounts of student loans,” said Galinksy. For a student whose financial situation changes during their time in college, it is very likely that they will lose their qualification for aid. In that case, their only options are paying in full, or taking out student loans. “It is a very common narrative that many people are left abandoned with tremendous amounts of debt that they cannot manage.” Galinksy said. According to a 2019 poll conducted by the opinion and market research company (SSRS), almost 20% of the nation’s 43 million federal student loan borrowers are in default—meaning they have gone at least 270 days without a payment—and remain thousands behind on their payments. A fifth of student debtors are drowning in their own bills, and with total college expenses averaging at over $100,000, post college programs can become the largest monthly expense. Despite this, many different payment plans exist to offset the enormous cost of an advanced graduate degree. “Currently I am in the Student Loans Forgiveness Program (PSLF), which means after 20 years of paying off my student debt, my outstanding balance will be forgiven.” said Barry Gorlitsky, nephrologist at the University of South Carolina. In the US, there are currently 41.2 million users of the PSLF. But is a program this forgiving too good to be true? “So far, over 90,000 people have applied for forgiveness, but just 845 applications have been approved,” Forbes said. “It’s hard not to think of a program with a 99% rejection rate as an absolute failure.” With its extremely competitive pool of applicants, this dream-come-true program may be too unrealistic. To even be qualified for the program, one must work a full time job. For many, being a full time parent or caregiver doesn’t allow one to access such a payment plan. And for the slim number of accepted applicants, the program might not be so forgiving when circumstances, professions, or living situations change.
“It is a very common narrative that many people are left abandoned with tremendous amounts of debt that they cannot manage.” -Fiona Galinksy
Another big factor for these payment plans is the current pandemic. “[PSLF] paused interest during this past year which was very helpful, and I am very grateful for it,” said Gorlistsky. “But I risked my life during COVID… and I think that [PSLF] could do a lot more for borrowers than they currently do.” Although COVID changed the circumstances for many, payment plans did not always change with them. Despite the numerous programs and aid services that exist, it is actually rare to benefit from them due to the fact that if specific requirements are not met, acceptance is impossible. The majority of young Americans see college education as the only avenue for success and future happiness, but many continue to pay the price years later. In all, Americans owe a total of 1.71 trillion dollars in federal and private student debt combined. This massive quantity affects both the borrower and society in many unforeseen ways. “Economic disparity has led those with advanced degrees, such as medical doctors and legal professionals, to avoid practicing in low-income areas,” said the Education Data initiative. This widens the socioeconomic divide because lower-income communities lose access to resources and knowledge provided by professionals—such as healthcare. Many post-graduates cannot afford to lower their rates or donate time to those in need because they are forced to make payments on their student debt. In all, college debt is an issue facing the students of CHS, and it isn’t getting solved quickly. Individuals are struggling decades later in their adult lives because the US does not provide enough accessible resources to those in need. Unregulated price increases are causing the cost of universities to rise disproportionately to incomes across the nation. Tuition aid and payment plans exist, but are selective and not available to everyone in need. Possible solutions will have to come through the universities and government authorities coordinating a wider range of manageable aid and payment plans in order to educate the next generation of American adults, and not leave them with considerable burden of debt.
SIDRA MAJOR & KIPP VITSKY, REPORTERS FEATURE 17
Removal of Ralph Clayton’s Portrait Photo Editor Lily Kleinhenz examines the history of Ralph M Clayton, and why the City of Clayton has decided to relocate a portrait of the City’s founder.
R
alph Clayton, the man responsible for the formation of the City of Clayton and its role as the seat of St. Louis County was also a slaveholder and Confederate sympathizer. Because of this complicated history, the current Mayor’s Commemorative Task Force and the Board of Aldermen have determined it would be best to relocate and contextualize the portrait that hung in City Hall. Beginning just a little over a year ago in October of 2020, the Mayor’s Commemorative Task Force was created in hopes of bringing Clayton’s rich history to its citizens, and making the information more accessible to the people. One of their first projects was removing and relocating the portrait of Ralph Clayton from the city hall, which was commissioned in the 1930s for honoring Clayton’s accomplishments in the City Hall building. “It is important that he be recognized for those things, but the other side of Ralph Clayton was that he was a Confederate sympathizer, and he was also a slave owner. Because of that, you have to ask yourself, does that portrait have a place of honor in our legislative chambers, where we are enacting laws and making decisions that affect people’s lives and is that the heart of city government? Is that where it belongs?” said Mayor Michelle Harris. Moving to St. Louis from Bath County, Virginia in 1821, Ralph Clayton established himself as an entrepreneur, hard worker, and a pillar of the community. According to Clayton historian Sarah Umlauf, Clayton built his two-story log home near present-day Clayton Road and Brentwood Blvd. He used his farming skills to plant cherry trees on his 700 acres of land and used the wood to make furniture. As well as his farming skills, he also cured leather on his property for the manufacture of shoes, and made and sold coal. Religion was also a huge part of Clayton’s life, “while Ralph Clayton was an industrious man, he was also a very religious man. He was a devout Methodist and was said to have memorized the bible. He also hosted Methodist tent revivals on his property,” said Umlauf. Unfortunately, coming from the South, Clayton was a slaveholder. Although Umlauf hasn’t been able to connect Clayton with spe-
18 FEATURE
Ralph M. Clayton, founder of the City of Clayton. cific incidents during the Civil War, it is clear that there were Confederate military recruiters staying in the area. Evidence of a camp of Confederate soldiers was found off what is now Clayton Road. It is reasonable to presume that Ralph Clayton not only knew about these illegal activities but was supportive of them, especially considering that his son William D. Clayton fought for the confederacy. Further research Umlauf conducted from the Slave Schedule of 1860 showed that Clayton held one enslaved person, a 35-year-old black man. Clayton also had a “servant” in his home but since that person was listed on the census, they were considered a free person and
not enslaved. After he donated a large amount of land and played a critical role in securing the City of Clayton as the county headquarters, the City of Clayton was named after Ralph Clayton. Because of his influential decisions made over 200 years ago, the city of Clayton has become a center of economic development. “We certainly do have a lot of attorney offices because the county courts are here. A lot of people come to and fro to see people at the county and they may get lunch or dinner, so he had a lot of foresight. He knew at the time that Clayton, being the county seat, would bring prosperity to the area,” said Mayor Michelle Harris. The Board voted unanimously to rehome
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the portrait and recontextualize it. Mayor Harris says the response from the community has been by and large positive but that there has been some pushback on the removal. “I have had a few emails from people who really question if this is something we should be doing and to those folks, I would simply say we aren’t really taking anything away from the community and we aren’t erasing any part of our history. What we are doing is adding, adding a more full and rich story to our history for everyone to see and hear,” said Mayor Harris. Harris also believes that as well as honoring Clayton for his contributions, we also need to make his history more accessible to the community. “We want to tell his whole story and we can’t do that when the portrait is hidden away in the council chambers above the Mayor’s chair. No one can get up there to see or read anything about him, it needs to be in an accessible place for the community to see and be informed about.” Now that the portrait has been removed, the question now is what will replace it? “There have been some suggestions thrown around. One is to use a piece of art from the St. Louis Art Fair that is held in Clayton, another is to put a big logo of the City of Clayton with our mission statement underneath it”, said Mayor Harris. Some, like Umlauf, believe it should remain empty. The Mayor’s Commemorative Task Force plans on looking for other ways to bring Clayton’s rich history to the citizens. They will be looking at traditionally black neighborhoods that were moved, as well as the Osage who occupied this area for many decades, the Filipino population that was here for the 1904 World Fair and more.
LILY KLEINHENZ PHOTO EDITOR
You have to ask yourself, does that portrait have a place of honor in our legislative chambers? - Mayor Michelle Harris
ARCHIVES FROM SARAH UMLAUF
Ralph. M. Clayton’s slave schedule, used in the U.S Federal Census. FEATURE 19
A Conversation with Dr. Patel Sofia Mutis sits down to talk with Dr. Patel about her education and her hopes for the Clayton community.
Dr. Nisha Patel posing for a portrait.
PHOTO BY LILY KLEINHENZ
“I
was actually born over 8,000 miles away from here across the ocean in a small town called Eldoret, Kenya,” said the new Clayton District Superintendent Dr. Nisha Patel. “I was born there, and I stayed there until I was about 10. Years prior to moving, my parents sat my three siblings and I down, and they told us someday we were going to move to the United States and the only reason we are moving there is so we could get a great education.” Patel instilled education as a core value for herself from an early age. After reflecting on finishing 6th grade in New Jersey and the rest of her secondary education in Kansas City, Kansas, Patel said, “I loved my middle school experience. I loved my high school experience. I was that student that was involved in every activity you can think of. I was STUCCO president and the editor of the school newspaper. I was not athletically inclined, so you would not find me in sports, even though I wanted to be. However, I did manage to become the girls basketball manager. I just loved school, and I think, no I know, the reason I loved school so much was because we had really amazing teachers who cared about me.” Patel sees similarities in her own educational experiences with the quality of education The Clayton School District offers. “We have great teachers in the School District of Clayton, transformational ones. If we want to make real change and transform our
20 FEATURE
district, it is essential to have those teachers who make connections with students and make them feel like they belong, believe in them, and challenge them all at the same time. It is the teachers who make their students achieve more and be more than they ever thought they could be.” Patel attributes her connection with her high school newspaper teacher as the biggest factor in her love for her schooling experience and success in high school, and maybe even today. “It changed who I was,” Patel said. “He [her journalism adviser] believed in me. He inspired me. He would encourage me by saying ‘Nisha write this story, you’ll be perfect for it.’ and I ended up getting an award at a university for it. Later he made me the editor-in-chief.” She didn’t see that in herself at the time, and needed a great teacher like him to help her reach her full potential. “This is what great teachers do,” Patel said, “I got a bachelor’s degree in Biology and my masters in Science Education from Kansas University. My first teaching job was at the high school I graduated from. My newspaper teacher had retired a few years earlier. After that, I moved to St. Louis and taught at Eureka High School for a few years,” Patel said. She explained she didn’t recognize that administration was her calling right away. Other respected teachers and colleagues saw the potential in her and encouraged her to
strive for more. “There wasn’t one defining moment where I knew this is what I was meant to do, but there were a lot of small moments where people saw something in me and believed I could achieve more. I coupled this sentiment with my own desire to always keep learning. So while I was a teacher, I was in school taking administration classes working toward my degree.” Patel believes the Clayton community has a drive for excellence and always strives to be better which positively impacts the education Clayton students receive. “I always want to balance academic excellence or becoming transformational with knowing where students and staff ’s social-emotional needs are. There has to be a balance there.” She explains everyone needs a trusted adult they can talk to if they need to. “When a student leaves Clayton High School, of course we want to make sure they leave with all the skills content wise so they can achieve any greater education they wish to have or whatever path they choose, but the student also has to be a kind human being. They have to know empathy, compassion, and collaboration. To me those skills are just as important.” With these key values and ideas Patel carries, her past background, and love for education, she is very excited about the future of the Clayton School District.
SOFIA MUTIS, PAGE EDITOR
UNLIVABLE
WAGES By Owen Auston-Babcock Senior Managing Editor
I. Every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, for a year, Andrew Roberts would get off work at his job as an intern in the Learning Center at Clayton High School and go to St. Louis Lambert International Airport — but not to catch a flight. Instead, he would clock in at about 5pm to start a shift at his second job at Avis Car Rental, and would clock off at about 11pm. “So for about a year, I didn’t have weekends or evenings,” Roberts said in an interview. “Social life was really an impossibility.” Roberts teaches humanities and general support classes in the Learning Center. Now, Roberts drives for Lyft on his time off, but he says it’s awkward when he picks up a student. When that happens, Roberts said, “It’s like, ‘Oh, Mr. Roberts, you’re also driving for Lyft?’” He said he doesn’t think that students understand that, in his job at the high school, he doesn’t earn a liveable wage. Even still, Roberts borrows money from his parents. “Usually, every month, it’s often $200 to $300. Sometimes it’s been as high as $700,” said Roberts. “Going to your parents as a 30-plus-year-old for money, even if they do give it to you and say, ‘We support you’ and everything, it makes you feel like you’ve made really bad decisions.” Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Living Wage Calculator estimates that a single St. Louis County adult with no children has annual expenses of over $29,500 — $3,500 more than the Learning Center staff makes this school year. A single adult without children has the least expenses of any category on the calculator. Tony Arnold, the district’s assistant superin-
tendent of human resources, said the concept of a liveable wage was subjective because the wage depends on location and the number of adults and children in a household. For a working couple with three children, those expenses top $110,000. Brenton Jamison, another Learning Center intern, is married with three kids, and he also works a second job “because of the salary I earn here,” he said.
A single St. Louis County adult with no children has annual expenses of over $29,500 — $3,500 more than the Learning Center staff makes individually
“I should be able to leave here and then spend that quality time with my family. I’m not able to do that,” Jamison said. “The fact that I can’t spend time with my family because of the lack of pay is really what I struggle with most.” When Justin Seiwell, now CHS’s video
production teacher, teacher’s union representative and speech and debate coach, worked in the Learning Center 11 years ago, he struggled, even though he earned more than his counterparts. Seiwell worked half-time in the Learning Center, spending the other half teaching English classes for a teacher who suddenly needed a long-term substitute, and earned half of an intern’s salary plus half of a teacher’s salary. Seiwell said when his car was stolen while working in the Learning Center, “I spent approximately a semester doing a one hour commute each way on the Metrolink because I couldn’t afford a car.” Seiwell noted, “I think the current interns that we have have it far worse than I did.” The Learning Center serves as an instructional resource for students, mostly by providing individual and small group support and what its director, Carroll Lehnhoff-Bell, describes as “individualized support in a positive, academic environment where students feel at home,” through its classes. English Department Chair Deana Tennill said that the program helps students generate ideas and plan essays for their English classes, which would otherwise take several conferences — time that English teachers with packed schedules don’t necessarily have. Seiwell said that while the Learning Center interns are full-time employees of the school district, “[their] job objective can change depending on the needs of a day, a week, a month, a semester, a school year ... That provides a real luxury to the school district to address acute needs as they come up.” “They’re teaching executive functioning. It’s the hardest thing in the world to teach,
Cost of Living for St. Louis County Families* $125,000
Single Adult
Two Adults (One working)
Two Adults (Both working)
$100,000 $75,000 $50,000 $25,000 No Children
One Child
Two Children
Three Children
*Data sourced from Massachussets Institute of Technology Living Wage Calculator
how to have a kid figure out how to think for themselves,” Seiwell said of the Learning Center staff. “They’re doing the hardest teaching in the building.” Students and parents concurred with teachers: “The Learning Center teachers have been pivotal in helping my children who are student athletes to learn time management, staying on track and [staying] focused,” said one parent, Kerry Vetter. “The Learning Center teachers have been essential in helping the freshman class that were not familiar with the rigorous expectation of CHS. The program continues to be extremely helpful for students who need the in-person and hands-on help to excel in school and participate with sports activities after school.”
“The Learning Center helped me with all my classes through the four years I’ve been in high school,” said Gabriella Broussard, a senior at CHS and her class’ president. “I built a very good relationship with Mrs. [Lehnhoff-Bell] and Mr. Jamison, who helped me battle tough college prep classes such as Algebra, Chemistry and English. Now that I am in my senior year, I still spend a lot of time in the Learning Center to get work done, such as college applications. Ms. Richards has been a big help with college essays, applying for scholarships or just being there for a hug on a rough day.” Safari Sanders, another parent, said the Learning Center “has gone to great lengths to make sure all the students are learning, building
strategies and communicating effectively, and they inform the parents of what works best for the students. Without the staff in the Learning Center department, many students would be suffering.” Sanders, referring to district leadership, said, “I challenge you to make the necessary adjustments to our Learning Center teachers’ salaries, so we can keep the qualified and credentialed teachers that love their jobs and our students.” In a district where almost 90 percent of teachers are paid over $60,000 a year, it’s anomalous that the Learning Center’s staff, who have an average of nine years’ service with the district, are paid only $26,000.
Learning Center intern Nino LaMadrid works with a student. LaMadrid has been with the Clayton School District for 14 years. Prior to working at CHS, LaMadrid was an actuary and a college math instructor. During his 14 years in the school district, LaMadrid’s $26,000 salary has remained largely unchanged. Photo by Lily Kleinhenz
II. Lehnhoff-Bell outlined a number of issues she identified with the interns’ current position: first, that the title of intern itself “doesn’t clearly define what it is that the Learning Center staff does.” She explained that the intern title in education typically refers to what the position originated as: a way for new teachers to “get their feet wet,” but that the position “definitely isn’t that anymore.” “The ... problematic thing with the title is, it keeps being compared to other positions in other districts when we talk about like, ‘Well, we pay our interns more than other districts,’” said Lehnhoff-Bell. “I have reached out to some of the surrounding districts who have intern/ aide positions and the interns or aides in those districts do not have comparable responsibilities. We are proposing that we do away with interns to staff the Learning Center. The support students, families and teachers are looking for from the Learning Center is more of a coach or advisor type position, and I would love to see the Learning Center staff be paid a salary that matches their value and role.” Arnold explained that when the district looks to change the pay for a position, they look to market districts — nearby school districts with similar socioeconomic statuses — to get
an idea of the pay for comparable positions. In this case, Arnold said, Clayton’s interns earn more than the ceiling pay — the highest in a range of starting salaries — for interns in other districts. Arnold added that the role that interns play in the Learning Center “has shifted,” but he said, “I think the title needs to shift along with that.” He said the district is “definitely reviewing the possibilities of renaming the position for the future.” Lehnhoff-Bell said that the administrators offered another justification for the pay: if they were 12-month employees, they would be making a living wage. “But they’re not,” Lehnhoff-Bell said. “It feels like we don’t use that rationale for other positions such as teachers, reading specialists, library aides, and departmental assistants,” Lehnhoff-Bell said. “But we do use that rationale for this position.” As 9-month employees, Learning Center staff have to find jobs over the summer, while maintaining the same expenses they would have during the school year. The staff said that it is difficult to find jobs for only three months. SummerQuest, the school district’s summer day camp program, only hired certificated teachers — and Roberts is the only Learning Center
intern with a teaching certificate. Arnold said some teachers get jobs over the summer, working at summer school or tutoring. He said when he was a teacher and an assistant principal, he worked over the summer, too. He said that for programs like SummerQuest, teachers must have a teaching certificate for the program to comply with state requirements. “Mr. Poole — he’s the director of diversity and inclusion for our district — has shone a light on the need to humanize marginalized members of our school community so that we can better understand people which can, in turn, lead to a more equitable experience for these groups of people,” Lehnhoff-Bell said. “So, this group of people in our community who don’t make a living wage, we have to understand them and humanize their experiences more so that we truly understand the impact the intern salary has on the Learning Center staff,” she said. Lehnhoff-Bell wondered “why we as a district have not made the move to give employees, who work with so many of our learners, a living wage,” and “what [she] might need to do to help administrators and the Board of Education better understand what it’s like to,
Learning Support Director Carroll Lehnhoff-Bell works with a Learning Center student in her office. Photo by Lily Kleinhenz
Andrew for this extended period of time, not make a living wage.” Like classroom teachers, Learning Center interns do have benefits including health and leave benefits that other districts do not offer interns. Unlike the typical salaried teacher position, interns are required to clock in and out, Lehnhoff-Bell said. Lehnhoff-Bell explained that the decision for interns to become hourly was in compliance with employment regulations under the Obama administration aimed at protecting workers. The Learning Center does receive a yearly pay increase of $500, or about 2 percent, according to Board of Education documents from 2019, 2020 and 2021. An intern listed as a new employee in the document from 2019, would
have earned $25,000 when their salary is adjusted for a full-time intern position. Documents suggest the intern only worked part-time in the Learning Center. Unlike teachers, the documents suggest that Learning Center interns do not move up a step on their salary schedule for each additional year in the district. Learning Center interns are classed as “instructional interns,” according to Board documents, however the salary schedule for interns is not publicly available on the district’s website. Despite serving for 14 years, Learning Center intern Nino La Madrid earns the same as Brianna Richards, who is in her second year in the district. “I just got out of school in 2019; there’s no way I should be getting paid anything near any of them,” Richards said of her colleagues.
32K
According to MIT, in 2020, $32,000 was considered a living wage in the United States.
Roberts
Roberts started working at CHS in 2017 after working as a substitute teacher in the Clayton and University City School Districts. He grew up in University City and graduated from University City High School in 2005; with the exception of a semester at Truman State University in Kirksville, he has lived in the St. Louis area his whole life. Roberts received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Webster University in 2009. After getting his undergraduate degree, Roberts said, he had a hard time finding work and aspired to be a professor, so he volunteered in a psychological research lab at Washington University in St. Louis to network and get experience. “We were studying how people conjugate verbs, which involved me sitting at a monitor with a participant for three hours as they spoke the past-tense of a present-tense verb on a screen,” Roberts said of his time at Washington University. “Turns out I don’t like doing research. And since that’s most of the job of a professor, I went back to school to become a high school teacher.”He received a Master of Arts in Teaching from Webster and a subsequent teaching certificate in 2014, and started substitute teaching in the University City School District, then later moved to Clayton, where he worked as a substitute teacher, then to his current position as a Learning Center intern. Across 7 colleges in St. Louis and the surrounding area, Roberts has studied philosophy, religion, psychology, history and education. He said he is proud to have a long list of institutions he has attended.
Brianna
Richards
St. Louis native Brianna Richards grew up in North County and attended the Ferguson-Florissant school district, where her mom was a teacher. In 8th grade, she moved schools to Westminster Christian Academy, which she described as a “culture shock” to go from a predominantly Black school district to a predominantly white, Christian private school. Richards went on to study psychology at Fisk University in Nashville, TN. “It felt great to be back in an environment where I felt I would thrive,” she said. However, while at college she realized psychology was not her passion and changed course after graduating. “In search of a new beginning, fresh out of college (2019), I came across a position I was interested in,” said Richards. “I became a paraprofessional through the Miriam Learning Center of St. Louis. I was contracted to Confluence Academy South City. I worked one-on-one with a third grade boy who has autism. He was wonderful! I loved my job. That job made me realize that a school setting was where I belonged. I hadn’t come up with the role I wanted to play yet, but I knew I had to be a part of a school.” But in March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic derailed Richards’ paraprofessional career and left her in search of a job again. She took the opportunity to go back to school and obtain her Masters of Teaching in Middle School Math (grades 5-9) at Lindenwood University. In November 2020, she received a job offer from the School District of Clayton. She was a campus supervisor for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year, until she was offered the position of a learning center instructor. “I knew I wanted more classroom experience and I also was aware that I would be able to build even more relationships with students,” said Richards. “One of the best decisions I’ve ever made! I was so excited to become a part of what Carroll and crew were doing before I got here and everyone embraced me as family.” Richards is continuing work on her degree while at Clayton, and is looking forward to see where it takes her.
III.
In March, 2021, the Globe published a feature article about the Learning Center. Lehnhoff-Bell said that article came out at the same time as a proposal that included changes in the title and pay of Learning Center interns was being finalized and she was having discussions with district administrators. The proposal and the article elicited a reaction from both administrators: “Both Dr. Doherty and Dr. Arnold were genuinely excited about the proposal and its potential student impact. They shared that they had not fully realized how special the Learning Center had become,” said Lehnhoff-Bell. On Apr. 13, Lehnhoff-Bell in a meeting put forth the proposal, which included several items that would change the function and operations of the Learning Center. The document, which became known simply as “the Learning Center Proposal,” opens with a “why” statement, outlining the core values of the learning support department and how its redesign fit in with the “Profile of the Graduate,” the strategic goal and its vision for graduates of the school district. Under the umbrella of the learning support department, the proposal would improve the peer tutoring program (which was known as “Helping Hounds,” in reference to the school’s mascot); gifted and reading support programs w ould enter the umbrella of the department, as would new restorative practices for students who receive an in-school suspension. Lehnhoff-Bell explained that while intervention is needed for students who are suspended, the new program would support them in getting back into the classroom and help them stay caught up in classes. She also said the proposal would serve to further the district’s initiatives for mental wellness and equity. Learning Center students would be assigned a “point person” who would be the main point of contact for that student and would create a plan for growth, track the student’s progress and educational performance and provide feedback to the student, as well as communicating with the student’s family and other faculty members. In partnership with other areas of the high school, the Learning Center would establish liaisons with each department to improve learning support in that department’s content. Working alongside the athletics department, the Learning Center would open an after-school study hall for student athletes, who could come to study between the end of the school day and the start of sports practice. Lehnhoff-Bell said that a key part of the proposal was that the Learning Center staff would not be required to hold teaching certificates, in order to allow for a more diverse pool of candidates. “There are people who have a great passion and a huge heart for our students who aren’t certified teachers, but have other certifications, backgrounds and experience that make them highly qualified to support our students,” Lehnhoff-Bell said. The nature of the role not being a certificated position also allowed the department to become the most diverse across the school, Lehnhoff-Bell said. Educators across the country are majority white, according to the Washington Post. A 2016 US Department of Education report found that “Elementary and secondary school educators in the United States are relatively homogeneous racially.” In public schools since the late 1980s, 82 percent of teachers were white. From 1987 to 2011, the proportion of teachers of color only grew 5 percent across the country from 13 to 18 percent. Finally, the document proposes some aesthetic redesigns: in
Nino
La Madrid place of “intern,” it suggests “coach,” or “instructor,” or “specialist” or “advisor.” Although the Learning Center is the physical space, it recommended calling the classes something different. At the end of April, there had been no agreement on the proposed pay increase, but the interns were told to sign their employment contracts. The interns were told at that time that if their position was changed, they would provide a new letter of employment. Ultimately, however, the changes still have not come. At some point after the first meeting with administrators, Lehnhoff-Bell said she ran into Doherty in the hallway of CHS. “I asked him, like, ‘What do we think?’ ... And he’s like, ‘You’re not going to get everything, but I promise you guys will get something,’” Lehnhoff-Bell said. “And so we waited. But we didn’t see any change.” On May 5, a letter signed by the chairs of every department at CHS was sent to Doherty, Arnold and Gutchewsky, endorsing the proposal. “The district’s commitment to the Learning Center staff should match the commitment the Learning Center staff has for our students. And they are fully committed to our students; let’s fully commit to them in return,” the letter said. “Minimally our Learning Center staff deserves a living wage, but we believe that they are worth more than that.” Tennill said that “we have several people in [the English] department who have taught in the Learning Center at different points in time. And those who have that first hand experience know very well how difficult the position is and how difficult it is to make ends meet with the compensation for that role.” Following the receipt of the Department Chair letter, the district administration indicated that things were looking positive for the future of the proposal, but as the school year came to a close, that momentum hit a dead end.
“And so we waited. But we didn’t see any change.”
Doherty was on his way out, having announced his plans to retire in September of 2020, and the Learning Center interns remained in limbo. With a new incoming superintendent, the process would have to be reevaluated. Arnold explained that, oftentimes, a decision like this one would be left for a new superintendent because, “the new leader is the one that will need to own the responsibility of that decision.”
Serving the district since September 2007, La Madrid has worked as a college mathematics instructor and an actuary. In addition to Learning Center classes, La Madrid gathers data and tracks stuents’ grades for school administrators and counselors. He also manages the school’s Edgenuity system, a virtual learning alternative.
Patel said in an interview that she needed to delay the implementation of the proposal because she had just arrived in the district. “My thoughts on it were, being the new superintendent, I understand a process has already started, but I just asked that we kind of put a pause on it for now and use this year to really research other learning centers and other school districts.” In Lehnhoff-Bell’s eyes, the proposal was put on pause for this school year. “What I do feel like happened in these meetings is that the level of understanding about what we do grew,” Lehnhoff-Bell said. “There’s a piece of me that needs to own that
more. I need to be making sure I’m communicating our roles and purpose more as the director of learning support.” Patel said that moving forward, “the proposal itself may change over the course of the year and that new proposal would have input from the building level leadership first.” She said, ultimately, “We will collectively make the decision with input from all parties.” While the interns wait for administrators to lay down the final decision, Roberts will continue to drive for Lyft after he finishes his day job supporting students at Clayton High School. He said that when he gets a
Brenton
Jamison
Brenton Jamison and his son, Jayden. (Photo by Lily Kleinhenz)
better-paying teaching job, he wants to pursue a Ph.D. in environmental and educational psychology. He said wants his research to help schools improve their physical spaces, by coming up with “simple, cheap tweaks ... that will have a subtle impact on the entire student body.” Roberts said he also wants to continue learning: he wants to remain a student at community colleges to learn all their “weird things,” he said. “I still want to learn about physics, abstract math, international diplomacy and the history and methods of espionage, to name a few.”
Jamison received his Bachelor’s in English at Rockhurst University in 2008 with an emphasis on creative writing. Hoping to get his foot in the door as a writer, he then went on to work at a publishing company, where he realized that rather than actually writing he was primarily selling scientific books and journals over the phone. From there, Jamison went on to earn his first teaching job as an English intern at Parkway Central High School in 2011. He discovered his love for working with students more closely. Unfortunately with budget cuts, PCH’s version of a learning center was put on the chopping block and again he found himself on the hunt for a new job. At the time, Jamison’s brother-in-law was working for the Special School District and suggested that he should apply to be a paraeducator, which he did and “was absolutely blown away by the direction of education which was much more individualized and focused on the learner as opposed to curriculum.” From 2013 to 2016, Jamison worked at Meramec Elementary School as an applied behavior analysis paraeducator and earned the Building Block award, an award given out each year to a select few paraeducators for their excellence in support of students. Also during that time, he began his Masters in Education with an emphasis on special education and continued his educational career with the School District of Clayton as an instructional intern. Jamison took his own learning seriously, as well. He obtained his master’s in 2018 with an extra certification in autism studies and in 2019 earned another graduate degree in applied behavior analysis. Currently, Jamison is studying to take his licensure exam to become a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst.
GOING
TOO S I C KO MODE?
A KILLER CONCERT The Astroworld festival ended in tragedy as ten concertgoers died, the big question is: who is to blame? Travis Scott performing to a crowd during one of his concerts. ALL PHOTOS FROM WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
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top the show! Stop the show! Stop the show!” screamed fans at Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival in Houston, Texas on November 5. Panic consumed the crowd of 50,000 as people crammed against the front barricade while Scott continued energizing the crowd. Concertgoers were trapped, trampled and traumatized as 10 people were killed. Unconscious bodies were lifted through the crowd to find ambulances and more than 300 people were treated at a field hospital for injuries. “People were literally grabbing and pinching at my body trying to get up from the ground,” said Chris Leigh, 23, in an interview with the New York Times. “I was fighting for my life; there was no way out.” The event was doomed from the start. Darius Williams, a security guard hired for the concert said that the organizers took important shortcuts in hiring and training. In an interview with TMZ, he said, “It was pretty vague exactly what the roles would be.” When discussing the exam that all the candidates had to pass in order to be hired, Williams said, “the teacher, he was actually giving us the answers as we were going through the books ourselves and trying to hurry up and fill out the answers.” He felt as if the conditions were too unsafe and decided to leave the event saying, “from what I saw, I would say there was probably one
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security guard for every 500 to 1,000 people,” also adding that the organizers required virtually no security experience for the applicants. The Astroworld Festival took place at the NRG Stadium and was organized by Travis Scott and Live Nation. This is not the first time a crowd has become out of control during one of Scott’s concerts. At the Astroworld Festival in 2019, fans without tickets broke the barrier wall
“He could have easily helped the situation by stopping the concert, which quite possibly could have saved more lives.” -Lauren Hill around the concert causing a mass stampede into the crowd. This stampede caused three attendees to be hospitalized because of their injuries. In 2015, Scott was charged and jailed for reckless conduct when he called out to his fans at Lollapalooza to climb over the barricades and join him on stage. Scott’s fans, known as “ragers,” are not condemned by the rapper for their actions, but
instead, encouraged to perform these reckless and dangerous actions. While Scott was encouraging his fans to join him on stage in 2015, he was quoted in the L.A. Times saying “everyone in a green shirt [referring to the security guards] get the f--k back,” and “middle finger up to security right now… We want rage.” Due to his past history with inciting violent behavior and reckless conduct at his concerts, it is safe to say that the dangerous pattern of Scott’s concerts is a defining feature of his performances. At the festival, Scott continued playing his music set as the chaos ensued. Live Nation stopped the concert about 30 minutes early but that was not soon enough. The “mass casualty event,” as city officials classified it, began at 9:30 p.m. The concert ended 40 minutes later, at approximately 10:10 p.m. Had Scott decided to stop the show when the crowd began getting out of control, injuries and possibly deaths could have been prevented. Clayton High School seniors Lauren Hill and Sophia Martin went to the Travis Scott concert in February of 2019 but have since stopped supporting Scott’s music. Martin said, “I was extremely disappointed in Travis Scott and really all of the other people on stage who saw what was happening but did not stop the show or try to help the people.”
On November 18, a $2 billion dollar lawsuit was filed against Scott, Drake, Apple Music, Live Nation, and NRG Stadium representing 282 victims. Thomas J. Henry, the attorney that filed the suit said that Scott, “chose to cut corners, cut costs, and put attendees at risk.” This lawsuit is the largest of hundreds, which also includes a different $750 million suit. Part of what makes the event so important and complex is there is a lot of debate over who is to blame for the events that took place, for the lives that were lost. Do we blame the security, Live Nation, the crowd? Do we place fault on Scott? A large debate now is happening between Scott and the Houston Police Department which have blamed each other for the unresponsiveness towards the emergency. The HPD says Scott had the full power to end the show but chose not to. Scott denies those claims and his lawyers point out the actions of the HPD at the Astroworld Festival in 2019 in which they “shut down the power and sound...when the performance ran over five minutes.” “Although the crowd full of heartless people should take some blame for the situation, I think Travis Scott should definitely be held
accountable because by just stopping the music and his singing, he could have allowed people to stop and look around for those who needed help,” said Hill. Another argument is that Live Nation and Apple Music, the organizers of this event, did not establish proper crowd control procedures and that they were more focused on the profit from the festival. “I feel like it’s impossible to blame one person for the situation,” said Martin. “There were various mistakes made by various people, so to blame Travis Scott alone would be illogical. I think the event planners, event promoters, crowd control, backstage personnel, Travis Scott, etc… are all at fault.”
“I
think the best thing Travis Scott can do now is deliver a real effort to ensure that nothing like this happens again,” said Martin. “[The John Hilgert lawsuit] is centered on guaranteeing this does not happen again and I think that should be the same approach that Travis Scott has from here on out.” Now, a month after the event, it is our responsibility to reflect on what happened and
what we can do going forward to hold people accountable and prevent situations like this from happening again. Scott released an apology video, talking about the destruction and fatality of the concert, to which people on many platforms of social media have called “fake” or a “PR apology,” as the authenticity of the video is criticized. Scott claims that he would have never thought anything bad like that would ever have happened, though many of his past concerts could have shown him otherwise. To make up for his negligence, Scott has offered to pay for the funeral of a 10-year-old victim’s funeral, though the family has refused. Scott has also volunteered to pay for a month of mental health services through ‘Better Help’ in order to compensate for the trauma many of the concert’s attendees have experienced. The victims of the Astroworld concert did not expect to trade their life or health for a ticket. The disastrous events that led to the death of 10 innocent fans should never have taken place, or escalated to the extremes they did; the series of fatal decisions and actions that led to the death of these victims could have been avoided. Between the disturbing history of violence
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at Travis Scott’s concerts and the charges the rapper has faced for endangering the lives and the safety of other people, this disaster could have been avoided. It could have been stopped. And ten more innocent people who fell victim to horrible planning and event execution could have been alive today.
“I found out about the tragedy from story-times on TikTok where people who went to the concert were telling their stories,” said Martin, later expanding and describing the disturbing videos of people in the crowd being pushed together and how some continued singing and “they had no way to know people were dying in the very same crowd.”
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he day after the Astroworld tragedy, our TikTok “for you” pages became flooded with videos that, at the least, could be described as disturbing. In particular, a video of someone on the ground trying to stand up, while screaming is heard in the background, has stuck with me. We were utterly confused by the first video but after spending 20 minutes scrolling, we had exposure to all different viewpoints of the story. But our experience is not unique, many other social media indulgers found out about the events the same way. “Social media completely exposed me to the event,” said Hill. “Specifically, I saw a video of one of the paramedics at the scene sharing about the horrors of the incident.” Watching the first-hand videos from the concert are bound to create an emotional response. Part of what makes the situation so impactful and unique is that the majority of Scott’s fan base is younger people, the same demographic who flock to TikTok. So much of the chaos was documented that the severity of
the events are able to be interpreted by us not present and we are given the unique opportunity to decide how to place blame. After a few days, our “for you” pages changed from videos from the Astroworld festival to videos from other concerts where the performer stopped their concert. In 1993, Kurt Cobain stopped a Nirvana concert, jumping out of his seat, to stop a man who was reportedly trying to sexually assault a woman. Adele stopped in the middle of her hit track “Rolling in the Deep,” at London’s Hammersmith Apollo theater packed with 95,000 people in 2011 when she saw a fan pass out, refusing to continue the show until she ensured someone was there to help. During a concert in Argentina in 2018, Niall Horan stopped mid-song to say, “We don’t want anyone getting hurt or squashed. This swaying is very dangerous,” referring to the crowd growing very rowdy. Before starting again Horan said, “Let’s organize this before we go any further, OK? ….Your safety is my responsibility.” A$AP Rocky stopped his concert in 2019 when he saw fans piling on top of each other, crushing against the barrier. “Everyone back up,” he yelled. “Pick them girls up,” he added while pointing to a group of women who were almost crushed. He confirmed fans’ safety before continuing. Even in 2021 artists are stopping their shows. Harry Styles stopped his concert in Los Angeles, asking for the lights to be turned on in the house, questioning, “You okay? Would you like us to wait for a second?” before continuing singing to the crowd of almost 18,000 fans. So, Scott, it’s really not that hard to stop performing and check up on everyone. Claims can be made that he did not see the events taking place but how could one miss the flashing lights of ambulances in the crowd? Or the fans chanting “Stop the show! Stop the show! Stop the show!” So, Scott and other artists, we plead that next time you see your fans struggling, you will do exactly that; stop the show!
ELLA CUNEO, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MAX HAGEMEISTER, SECTION EDITOR ALEXANDRA HAGEMEISTER, SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR
If you would like to support the families of the victims from the concert, search https://bit.ly/3IilfHC for a twitter thread by @gofundme for links to donate.
Speak of the Devil Is being the Devil’s advocate always a good thing? SAMANTHA MCDONOUGH, REPORTER
We frequently see people being the Devil’s Advocate to jusitfy things, even unjustifiable things. How can Clayton avoid justifying things like imperialism?
ART BY SAMANTHA MCDONOUGH
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arlier this year, I was sitting in my world history class doing an independent PearDeck because my teacher was out for the day. The unit was American imperialism, and we were watching videos, reading excerpts and highlighting important text. It covered how and why Hawaii, the Philippines, and other countries were imperialized by the US. I was going through the PearDeck pretty quickly, until one of the slides caught me so off guard I had to screenshot it. The slide had an excerpt from a speech talking about the Philippines and the reasons behind it’s imperialization by the US. There were two different instructions: one being to highlight the speaker’s justification behind it, and the other was to highlight the sentence or phrase that best justifies the imperialization. It’s really hard to highlight the defenses of Philippine imperialism when you are Filipino. This got me thinking: why was this question here? As weird as it was, I ignored it and tried to push it out of my mind, but on the second to last slide we were asked yet another question: Are we pro or anti imperialism? I couldn’t just ignore it now. Imperialism has its roots in extreme racism so why would the question “Are you pro or anti imperialism” be asked? Kids are going to say racist things, and they did. I understand the point of these questions; it’s important to see both sides of an argu-
ment, but is it necessary in all cases? I’ve been in discussions where the topic was gay rights, and have heard someone say “Just being the devils advocate here; They [the LGBTQ community] shouldn’t be allowed to get married because it’s just wrong.” And that’s the issue with playing the devil’s advocate: people use it as an excuse to say bigoted things under the pretense of “showing the other side.” But the other side doesn’t always have to be seen -- playing the devil’s advocate in a conversation about fascism where it’s not needed doesn’t excuse you from the title of “fascist.” Not only that, devil’s advocacy can just be cruel. Being LGBTQ+ and hearing someone say that you don’t deserve certain rights or that your existence is wrong is one of the most damaging things to happen in a classroom environment. Having to justify slavery to understand the South’s point of view in the 4th grade for a grade isn’t the “make sure you listen to all sides of an argument!” lesson people may think it is. Being told you barely count as a person because somebody decided to “show the other side” does not explain the effects of saying or doing those things anyway. In the middle of writing this article, we had a debate in history class where about half of us had to defend traditionalism. Again, a little iffy, but not so bad that it needs to be talked about, but we didn’t get to choose the teams. The pro-traditionalism
team ended up being all of the people of color and assigned female at birth people in the class. We spent 2-3 class periods defending why we don’t deserve human rights, culminating in a period long debate where my (pro-traditionalism) team said some heinous things. Our team had bi-racial people defending eugenics, women talking about how they don’t deserve to vote, claims that mental illness isn’t real, and multiple allusions to how people of color don’t deserve rights. Regardless of whether the team of white boys or the team of all the women and people of color were assigned traditionalism, it would be insanely uncomfortable. Even when we expressed this to our teacher, she seemed confused on why we would be uncomfortable claiming that we don’t deserve to be treated as humans. It’s one thing to hear people saying you shouldn’t get personal for a debate, but it’s a whole other thing when you have to defend it for a grade. ”Showing the other side” lessons need to be taught out of the context of “defend form of bigotry here.” The position of “Devil’s advocate” is used for bad ice cream flavors or if LaCroix is good, not about human rights. The people whose rights are being debated are in that classroom, and do not want to or be able to defend the imperialization of their heritage.
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The Festival of Lights In a country dominated by Christmas culture, Jewish holidays don’t always receive the spotlight they deserve. CHLOE CREIGHTON, PAGE EDITOR
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his time of year, Christmas music begins to play at grocery stores, Christmas lights twinkle on lawns, Christmas toys fill shelves and Christmas movies play in theaters. Many Americans delight in this Christmas cheer. But what about the Americans who don’t celebrate Christmas? One group who may feel excluded from Christmas culture are Jews. Of course, not every Jew has the same attitude toward Christmas. Some Jews are raised with one Christian parent, some convert from Christianity, and some take part in Christmas festivities just for fun. In fact, a large number of the most popular Christmas songs were written by Jews. With that being said, many Jews feel alienated by America’s dominant Christmas culture. “[Christmas] is the holiday people associate with December, and it’s so prevalent everywhere. The Starbucks cups are Christmas centric, the decorations at the stores are Christmas centric, the music that people play in classrooms, it’s all just very Christmas all the time,” said Anna Streeto, a Jewish senior at CHS. While much of Christmas media is harmless, some promotes harmful messaging. Many movies equate the love of Christmas with inherent goodness. “Everybody who hates Christmas is always depicted as villainous in Christmas movies, then eventually they become heroes when they learn to love Christmas. There are people who don’t celebrate Christmas, there are people who don’t like Christmas, it doesn’t make them morally deficient,” said Streeto. Hallmark has attempted to make Hanukkah movies in the past, but instead of embracing Jewish traditions, they are really just Christmas movies with Jewish characters. They even use damaging anti-Semitic tropes, such as the untrustworthy Jew. The goal of these movies is to show that Hanukkah and Christmas aren’t so different after all—when in reality, they are. Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, is an eight-day celebration of the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucids, who wanted to force the Jews to accept Greek culture. The Maccabeans drove away the Greeks and rededicated the Second Temple in Jerusalem. The Talmud says that when the Jews went to light the menorah in the temple, they only had enough oil for one day. Miraculously, the small supply of oil lasted
for eight days. Hanukkah celebrates the Jewish people’s resistance against assimilation. Religiously, Hanukkah is a minor Jewish holiday. The celebration has gained cultural significance for American Jews in large part because it takes place around the time of Christmas. Hanukkah starts on the 25th day of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar, which may be any time from late November to December. This year, Hanukkah began on the evening of November 28th. During Hanukkah, Jews light menorahs, adding one candle each night. They say prayers and sing songs. They eat traditional foods fried in oil, including potato pancakes called latkes and jelly doughnuts called sufganiyah. Children play the spinning top game dreidel and receive
“I feel like [Hanukkah] is only important as it relates to Christmas. People think it’s the Jewish Christmas. It’s not.” - Anna Streeto chocolate coins called gelt. In some families, one present is opened each of the eight nights. Despite these distinct traditions, Hanukkah is rarely seen in a separate light from Christmas. “I feel like [Hanukkah] is only important as it relates to Christmas. People think it’s the Jewish Christmas. It’s not. And it’s frustrating when people think of it like that, because it shows that they have no understanding or desire to understand what Hanukkah is about, or what Jewish traditions are. It makes you feel othered,” said Streeto. As a Jew, I have met people who find it sad that I don’t put up Christmas lights or make cookies for Santa, that I’m missing out on such an important part of American culture.
To celebrate Hanukkah, Jews light the menorah each night. Photo from Wikimedia Commons
What they don’t understand is, I love my own traditions. I love lighting the menorah, saying prayers and eating traditional food. I even love the Jewish Christmas Day tradition of seeing movies and ordering Chinese food. My love for Jewish holidays extends beyond just Hanukkah, and so does widespread ignorance. The most religiously significant holidays in Judaism are Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), but few non-Jews are familiar with either holiday. Classes are held, tests are scheduled, and Jewish students who skip school to go to services spend much of their high holidays making up work. “I would appreciate it more if, instead of focusing on the minor holidays that are adjacent to the Christian ones, we would try to focus on the major Jewish holidays in addition to the major Christian ones,” said Streeto. What many Jews want is not the end of Christmas, but a fuller understanding of Jewish traditions as a whole. Jewish holidays should be acknowledged and respected, regardless of their proximity to Christian holidays. By embracing diversity of traditions, we can brighten our community. in less fortunate school districts. They spend about $2,500 to schedule an author visit and to give each kid a free book at the schools they visit. You can donate on thenobleneighbor.org.
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An inside look at the role that Critical Race Theory plays in the American education system and politics.
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ritical Race Theory is permeating America’s current pedagogical landscape, but it is being deeply misinterpreted. CRT, is a term that, in recent discourse, has been thrown around without understanding. As a result, it is unnecessarily inflaming political and racial tensions, particularly in public high schools across America. Although Critical Race Theory has many antecedents from centuries ago, its most notable derivation was CLS, the Critical Legal Studies movement. Unlike CRT, CLS examines legal realism and decision-making. CLS states that the laws and societal structures by which we all abide have immanent social biases. The philosophical approach that is CRT itself came to existence in the 1980s from Derrick Bell, the first black professor at Harvard Law School. To attach a definition, CRT is the idea that in order to achieve racial equity, one must not only acknowledge de jure inequalities but also consider history and its adjacent hierarchies; not only is racism embedded into legal policies and systems, but it is also the result of individual prejudices. The recent conflict surrounding Critical Race Theory stems from misconceptions regarding what it is, to begin with. For those in opposition to the teachings of CRT at a high school level, Critical Race Theory has no connection to Derrick Bell’s work; they see it as the general term for anything pertaining to race (or, really, anything that makes them uncomfortable)–– often including the acknowledgment of the existence of racism itself. Despite recent arguments, it is imperative to
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“People define what they feel their own truth is. What your truth may be may not be what my truth is and vice versa.” - Cameron Poole
understand that there is no high school that teaches Critical Race Theory; it contradicts the structure of the American public education system as an institution with the sole purpose of ensuring the compliance of future generations. Regardless, as much as one could study the capacities of race, one must learn, in-depth, the concepts embedded within and also learn how to apply them to various legal structures before it can be deemed CRT; It explores racism’s pervasiveness and ubiquity, ergo, the reason it is so difficult to dismantle. When asked about Critical Race Theory’s role in high schools, Cameron Poole, Chief Officer of Equity and Inclusion and Accountability Coordinator in Clayton, said, “I was introduced to the term and some capacities within it during my senior year of college. I’d never even taken a course on CRT, which is a course that is for more of a graduate level. When people say, ‘CRT has no place in high schools,’ it is because those are college courses. Algebra and calculus aren’t the same, right? But in order to take calculus, you must take algebra. [Critical Race Theory] is kind of like calculus, and what we study at a high school level is algebra, comparatively. People are confused about what is actually being taught in high schools; that is why there is that disconnect.” When addressing the conflict around the discussion of racial issues in schools, Poole said, “People define what they feel their own truth is. What your truth may be may not be what my truth is and vice versa. If it’s not my truth, then why should it be taught? And that’s where everything comes in. I
An even mix of proponents and opponents to teaching Critical Race Theory are in attendance as the Placentia-Yorba Linda School Board discusses a proposed resolution to ban it from being taught in schools, on Nov. 16, 2021, in Yorba Linda, California. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
think where we, as educators, come in is in whether there’s a rationale and reason for why we teach what we teach. I think as new things, and non-traditional things are introduced, people are going to question that rationale because they’ve never seen it before. It comes down to being able to provide a rationale for what you teach and being able to accurately cover every perspective, which is ultimately the goal.” To put it simply: when a parent’s worldview does not align with what their child is being taught, conflict will arise. When asked about the role of discussion surrounding race in Clayton schools, school board president Amy Rubin said, “We are going to continue to work to teach accurate history.” This tension in Clayton, however, is significantly milder when compared with other schools in the greater St. Louis area. When examining how other districts have handled the situation, several factors must be taken into consideration: demographics, socioeconomic status, and geography. All of these factors play a crucial role in trying to grapple with it all. Poole looked back upon his time in education and recalled when the frequency of these conversations began to skyrocket. “I think I was in Parkway when the Michael
Brown incident occurred; that is when these conversations and the politicization of it all really began,” Poole said. While the misunderstanding of Critical Race Theory may seem to be more inconveniencing than much else, it is leading to regression in terms of the accuracy of historical and present conversation, hindering the understanding of inequalities ingrained in society and, thereby, preventing their reversal. Although many in opposition cite the First Amendment in their argument against schools, they are working to promote legislation that undermines the First Amendment itself; that is where these discussions are protected. Tennessee House Bill SB 0623 would prohibit the teaching of anything that could lead a student to “feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or another form of psychological distress solely because of the individual’s race or sex.” Discussions of race are not meant to make individuals feel guilt, but rather, empathy for oppressed groups, allowing them to understand others’ hardships and work to dismantle the injustice that caused division to begin with; while it may be uncomfortable, discomfort sparks change, as comfort is most commonly found within the status quo.
ZOE DANIELS-SANKEY, POPPY ORCHARD REPORTERS
OPINION 37
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL 2020-2021 RECORD 12-13 PLAYERS TO WATCH Izzy Ross Stella Whitney The Freshmen GOAL Finish over .500% LOOKING FORWARD TO Winning conference and beating
PHOTO TAKEN BY MAYA RICHTER
WINTER SPORTS PREVIEW WRESTLING 2020-2021 RECORD 32-7 PLAYERS TO WATCH Nate Martin Jackson Art Chen-Wei GOAL Come together as a family and and progress multiple boys and girls passed Districts to State LOOKING FORWARD TO Winning some duals and being able to scrap at some tournaments
38 SPORTS
PHOTO TAKEN BY DR. PIEPER
GIRLS’ SWIM AND DIVE 2020-2021 RECORD 12-1 PLAYERS TO WATCH Kellen Mottl Anna Stouffer Caitlin Kuhlmann Emma Welch Ella Welch GOAL Win conference meet and have everyone improve individually LOOKING FORWARD TO State
PHOTO TAKEN BY DR. PIEPER
BOYS’ BASKETBALL 2020-2021 RECORD 5-17 PLAYERS TO WATCH Soren Steinbecker DeCarlos Brown Eric Lytle Ethan Fauss GOAL Win as many games as possible by doing whatever it takes LOOKING FORWARD TO Getting back on the court for a somewhat normal season with less restrictions and winning more games
PHOTO TAKEN BY EMMA STIPANOVICH ALEX COHEN, SPORTS SECTION EDITOR KAIA MILLS-LEE, SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR KATE FREEDMAN, SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR SPORTS 39
IS
CK
After 40 years, ABBA has released music–but this time, with their virtual counterparts.
“W
e will never appear on stage again. There is simply no motivation to re-group. Money is not a factor and we would like people to remember us as we were. Young, exuberant, full of energy and ambition.” - Björn Ulvaeus, singer-songwriter of ABBA, 2008. An offer of a billion dollars from an American consortium was not enough for ABBA to release their jaws on retirement, but 13 years later, virtual avatars of the group members a good 40 years younger (coined ABBAtars) wapparently are. If you think you don’t know ABBA, chances are, you actually do. From homecoming dances to frat parties to weddings, you’ll find people all around the world screaming out the chorus to “Dancing Queen” and the like. Reportedly, Queen Elizabeth herself has found herself on the dance floor upon hearing the song. (“I always try to dance when this song comes on because I am the Queen and I like to dance.”) Even Junji Ito, renowned Japanese horror artist, listens to ABBA while working. ABBA (an acronym for the member’s first names) first took off with their breakout song, “Waterloo”, which gained popularity after winning Eurovision in 1974. From there, hits just like “Dancing Queen” riddle their career: from “Mamma Mia”, “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!”, and “The Winner Takes it All”, ABBA is one of the best-selling artists of all time. And now, they’re back with their album “Voyage”, released on November 5th, 2021. I spoke to ABBA Voyage co-producers Svana Gisla (On the Run Tour: Beyoncé and Jay Z, David Bowie: Lazarus) and Ludvig Andersson (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, The Circle) about the process of creating the Voyage concert via Zoom. Ludvig Andersson, co-producer and son of ABBA member Benny Andersson, explained the creative process and inception of the concert. “In this case, [what started it all] was an idea. Someone came to us five years ago, and
40 REVIEW
said that they had just come from San Francisco and met a guy who could create lifelike holographic material. And they really wanted to try doing this with ABBA.” However, as things progressed, it became clear that holograms were not the path they wanted to take. “Quite early on, we discovered that [these] holograms, as we want them to exist, do not exist. Like the idea, the way we all perceive holograms isn’t really a thing. So we left the idea of holograms early on, but kept working with the idea of creating digital copies of ABBA.” explained Ludvig. Ludvig continued, “[Holograms aren’t] necessarily even a three dimensional thing. They
“The unique challenge is that we’re creating a concert with a band that isn’t there.” cannot be lit in any way, you have to see them from a certain angle. So [hologram] concerts become something that [were] not even in the same universe as what we’re doing.” Instead, they spoke to ILM (Industrial Light & Magic), the company behind the visual effects in blockbusters like Star Wars and Marvel. For the ABBAtars themselves, work has been extremely complex creating them. Using around 160 motion-capture cameras to capture ABBA’s movements to the smallest twitch, and with the help of just under 1,000 ILM VFX artists over 3 studios, ILM was able to create extremely realistic 3D models of the ABBA members. Both producers were impressed by ILM’s
work. “[Industrial Light & Magic] have literally performed industrial magic. Their work, it’s astonishing. They have created lifelike characters here that have never been seen before. This is the biggest project they’ve ever done. And they do Star Wars… I mean, no one has made better digital copies of human beings ever. ” marveled Ludvig. “They’re not VFX operators, they’re artists. And that’s what’s so special about this. They’re not just rendering shots to a storyboard that has been given to them by a film company. They are part of our creative team,” Svana added. “You’re not putting heads on physical bodies like the Irishman, you’re actually creating a performing real being that is ABBA. So you’re taking ABBA’s body, [their] DNA, their movement DNA, the DNA that [is] the physical signature that makes you who you are... You know the way Agneta raises her eyebrows, you know the way Frida smiles, you know that they’re all very, very unique to them.” Those models, along with that “DNA” of ABBA, became the foundation for body doubles to dance to, with the help of renown British choreographer Wayne McGregor, CBE. Svana explained, “[Wayne McGregor] took those performances and he extended them into younger bodies. So we then had body doubles... that rehearsed with him for months... to take on that physical DNA. And it’s done to the nearest finger movement… It’s very, very thought through and then we did the whole thing again, with those bodies, and then we put the two together. So it’s ABBA’s DNA. It’s ABBA’s movement. It is ABBA, but it’s extended into the younger bodies, because obviously, they’re physically performing on stage. And as fantastic as Frida and Agneta are, they’re still between 70 and 75 years old, they can’t run around the stage anymore. And we needed them to do that. So they borrowed body doubles to help ABBA are a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad (SIEGFRIED PILZ/ UNITED ACHIVES VIA GETTY IMAGES).
them do that.” However, Ludvig made it clear that while the technology and choreography was absolutely top notch, the underlying focus of the concert was not simply the ABBAtars. “If you come to our concert and leave feeling like ‘Wow, that was cool technology’, then we will have failed. …It has to be about emotion, it has to be about the audience feeling something like you do when you listen to music that you like. …It’s about coming into a space where you feel something for two hours, where you get transported, transcend-- something that music can do. And we’re doing everything we can to enhance that experience. So yeah, we have really cool avatars, and they are completely lifelike, and they’re incredible, but they’re only a vehicle. It’s not about them. It’s not about how cool they are. It’s about the whole experience.” Ludvig explained further, “The unique challenge is that we’re creating a concert with a band that isn’t there… and we still don’t know if we have risen to that challenge. We don’t know if it’s going to work. But we know we have a very good idea. And we know that we’re doing everything we can to make this experience a beautiful one.” And that wasn’t the only challenge. From Covid to Brexit, there have been many, many challenges, especially those that came with exploring the uncharted territory.
Svana didn’t even know where to begin with the amount of challenges they faced. “I mean, the base level of doing something like this, [something] that hasn’t been done before is the amount of research and development that you have to do. And the resilience that you have to have to carry on when you go down the wrong road and something doesn’t work out? Well, you try something 10,000 times and you can’t make it work, you know, you’ve got to constantly evolve and change and adapt. That was... difficult because it takes such a long time. It’s taken four years to do this, because it’s the first time it’s been done. Next time, if I ever want to do it again, I could probably do it in 18 months, because we know now how to do it.” That “unlimited, never ending stream of catastrophe”, as coined by Ludvig, included figuring out the set list. “We probably had about 60 different versions of a setlist. It took a long time to whittle down the catalog into these 22 songs,” Svana revealed. From organizing toilets in the London arena to discerning between lights to answering questions for the 10 piece live band (created by James Righton of the Klaxons), Svana and Ludvig have been very busy. Ludvig recounts, “It’s been a very long and complex process. But again, it’s fun almost all the time. Because… again, like all kinds of creative processes, or any kind of art or music or cinema… there are no rules. So that’s both really daunting, but also liberating, and lovely, because you can do whatever you want. And that’s scary. But it’s also fun.” One of Svana’s favorite moments were the 5 weeks filming in Stockholm, where
ABBA and ILM employees went to actually capture ABBA on camera. “Filming them was joyful… I’ll never forget those weeks. I mean, ...one day, it might be ‘Oh, today we’re going to do Winner Takes It All and Chiquitita’, let’s say, and you spend all day watching ABBA perform Winner Takes It All and Chiquitita. And, you know, it’s just fun. It’s just lovely. And then you have lunch, and you come back after lunch. And you know, you do it again, it was really relaxed. It was really joyful. It was really emotional. As for one of Ludvig’s favorite moments? As it turns out, the ABBA members had to shave their beards in order for the motion capture suits to work. “They said, ‘We’re not going to shave our beards.’ And we had like, 100 people for ILM sitting next door waiting to start to shoot. They said, ‘No, we’re not doing it.’ And then we said, ‘Well, then we can’t do it. Then we have to shut the whole thing down.’ They were like, ‘Yeah. And that’s what has to be.’ But of course, they’re reasonable.” In the end, money still was not a big factor to ABBA rejoining and rerecording-- in fact, the work on the show brought them to create another album, not the other way around. “Benny and Björn went together into the studio and said, right, if we’re going to do this concert, we’re going to have to write some new songs. So they wrote ‘Don’t Shut Me Down’ and ‘I Still Have Faith in You’ and a couple of others in that initial session that they had in the studio… Then they listened back and they were pretty happy and they had fun in the studio. The studio has always been great fun for them. And then they went, Well, why don’t we just do a few more, why don’t we just do an app. And that was the motivation. And it didn’t take much. I mean, none of us persuaded them to do anything… They loved being back together again. And it was just fun.” Overall, Ludvig recounts the experience as a joyful reunion. “They get to be back on the stage, but look like they did in 1979. I think they like the idea. They like that it hadn’t been done before. They like the adventure of it. They like the sort of unknown territory aspect of it… They had a great time. I mean, they’re used to it. They’re professionals. But I think they enjoyed the process and still do.”
RACHEL CHUNG, REVIEW SECTION EDITOR
41 REVIEW
ALWAYS A GREYHOUND: CHUCK COHN Class of 2004
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Clayton Alumni accomplish interesting and incredible things in every industry, all across the country and even around the world! Each month, we’ll profile a different Greyhound graduate. If you know a Clayton Alum who should be recognized, we want to tell their story! Contact us at globe@claytonschools.net.
ver since he was 5-years-old, Chuck Cohn has always known that his dream was to be an entrepreneur. What the Clayton alumnus discovered early, however, was that starting and promoting a business is never easy. Throughout his youth, Cohn made several unsuccessful attempts at starting businesses, one of which included a summer camp in his front yard on Maryland Avenue. This early lack of success did not crush his interest in entrepreneurship, and during his time at Clayton High School Cohn took advantage of the many math and business classes and clubs offered. Cohn’s company, Varsity Tutors, is the largest online learning platform in the United States, connecting more than 100,000 students with 40,000 tutors who teach over 3,000 subjects. Headquartered on South Hanley Road in St. Louis, the company has expanded to include offices across the U.S. Cohn’s interest in high-quality tutoring began in high school. Finding himself failing a math class, Cohn sought out a talented and in-demand math tutor who was able to help him turn his F into an A. .After graduating from CHS in 2004, Cohn pursued his interests in business at Washington University in St. Louis (WashU), where he studied finance and entrepreneurship.Once again, Cohn found himself struggling, this time with a
calculus course. Two friends offered to tutor him the night before an exam and he was able to pass. “I probably would have gotten a zero if it weren’t for their help,” explained Cohn, “and I had an epiphany that there was really an opportunity to pair students with people like them who were passionate and had great communication skills.” Inspired to make a change, Cohn suggested that his friends join him in starting a small tutoring business. Borrowing $1,000 from his parents, Cohn created a three-page website to promote their services. His group then began to spread the word by posting advertisements in coffee shops and calling schools. Cohn develop his idea further in an entrepreneurship course at WashU. “One of the things I benefited from was going and seeking out smart people that were willing to provide their expertise. One of the life hacks I’ve used along the way is recognizing that there are people out there that have solved problems and experienced challenges comparable to what you might be experiencing. Sometimes it takes a little bit of work to find them.” During his senior year, when Cohn found himself having to step out of class to answer phone calls from parents, he realized his business required more support. Cohn hired his first full-time employee to help manage certain tasks. By the time he graduated WashU in 2008, Varsity Tutors was still a small business with an uncertain future. So Cohn took a job in investment banking and continued working on Varsity Tutors nights and weekends. A year later, he took a position at a venture capital firm where he was able to meet and learn from other entrepreneurs. “I was exposed to a lot of great management teams, and heard them describe how they would take a concept or a small product and grow it into something that was truly special and industry-leading.” By the end of 2011, Varsity Tutors had 11
full-time employees and 200 tutors. In order to make further progress, Cohn decided to quit his day job and focus his full attention on the company. Within a few short years, the company completed two rounds of Series C funding and counted Technology Crossover Ventures, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and singer Adam Levine among its investors. Varsity Tutors became the most well-funded startup in Missouri, with $107 million dollars in capital. After slowly gaining local and national recognition, Varsity Tutors was bound to make an international impact. In September 2017, the company announced the acquisition of First Tutors, a multinational private tutoring company based in the United Kingdom, marking the first major expansion. Cohn attributes the company’s success to its goal: providing affordable, convenient, and high-quality services to the public through the medium of technology. “We’ve [taken market share] through the application of technology: by taking complex problems, coding them into software, and trying to make them repeatable and scalable in a way that had never happened in this particular industry. It had been labor and data intensive, which is why you had never seen a company be able to scale live learning on the internet in the way that we’ve been able to do at this point.” Varsity Tutors demonstrates that technology is the future of learning, connection, and innovation. Cohn says that this is just the beginning. Early in 2021, Varsity Tutors’ parent company Nerdy announced plans to go public by merging with special purpose acquisition company TPG Pace Tech Opportunities. In September, the company became St. Louis’ newest public company, and the first valued over a billion dollars. “With learning rapidly shifting to online, and increased consumer acceptance of that, I think there’s an ability to help scale live learning and expertise transfer that has never occurred before,” said Cohn. ”It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity for an entire industry.”
SERAPHINA CORBO SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR
Always a Greyhound Alumni Profiles are brought to you by the Clayton Education Foundation: Funding classroom innovations, providing educational opportunities and promoting lifelong connections for alumni. www.ClaytonEducationFoundation.org
Eternals Review
Is the newest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as bad as its reviews are claiming?
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release delay of over a year and a review bomb campaign that sent the film’s IMDB score to 6.4 before it was even released might have made “Eternals” seem like a cursed endeavor. And that was before the film was banned in several countries for the same gay kiss that prompted the pre-release negative reviews, and the movie received the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score of any Marvel film (at 48%, it’s also the only Marvel film to not be “Fresh”). But is the newest Marvel film really as bad as its reviews are claiming? The twenty-sixth movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Eternals” joins Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), Black Widow (2021), and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) as part of the MCU’s Phase 4 storyline, placing the primary story of the movie after the events of the global phenomenon that was Avengers: Endgame (2019). With half of the original Avengers dead or retired, and just as many alien and supernatural threats to Earth, “Eternals” seeks to find new heroes worthy (or even just capable) of defending the planet. As it turns out, the opening scenes reveal to viewers, there’s no need to find a whole new line-up: a team of ten powerful superhumans, known as the “Eternals”, have been conveniently wandering the planet for the last seven thousand years. If the driving storyline of the Avengers franchise was “Avengers, assemble!”, the plot of “Eternals” could be summed up as “Eternals reassemble!”. While the movie starts out with the group intact, and on a mission to protect humankind from the monster-like Deviants, when the prologue ends and several thousand years pass in the run of the title card, we find the Eternals separated across the world, having parted on seemingly shaky terms. The idea of a film with ten protagonists might seem alarming, and the tag-teamfighting nature of the first scene can make it hard to distinguish the characters from one another. It quickly becomes apparent, though, that the real object of the movie’s focus is matter-manipulator Sersi (Gemma Chan) whose greatest obstacle is overcoming her impostor syndrome so that she can become the leader she was born to be (Marvel gets women). Still, there are ten characters who are vital parts of the story, and the movie attempts to individualize each Eternal by introducing
them one or two at a time while Sersi, her ward/fellow Eternal Sprite (Lia McHugh), and her ex husband of a few thousand years, Ikaris (Richard Madden), go on a seemingly all expenses paid trip around the world to get the gang back together. For the most part, the slow-trickle character introductions work, but if all else fails, each Eternal is also color-coded, for maximized aesthetic and organizational appeal. Another payoff of the country-hopping family reunion that dominates the majority of the movie’s first act is the sweeping backgrounds against which past grievances are hashed out. Director Chloe Zhao (Nomadland) took pains to shoot in real locations, and it shows: one thing critics seem to agree on is that “Eternals” is one of Marvel’s most visually beautiful movies to date. Even the rural farms of South Dakota look interesting through Zhao’s camera. It isn’t just the background of the shots that are breaking antiquated Marvel precedents, though. “Eternals” also features one of the studio’s most diverse primary casts yet. Actress Lauren Ridloff, who is deaf, plays Makkari, Marvel’s first hearing-impaired hero. In the original comics, Makkari was white, male, and hearing; Ridloff is Afro-Latina. A brief goodbye kiss between the Eternal Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) and his husband was the cause of the aforementioned global controversy; both actors are men of color. Charismatic energy-summoner Kingo is played by Pakistani actor Kumail Nanjiani, Korean actor Don Lee plays Gilgamesh, the superstrong emotional anchor of the group, and Mexican actress Salma Hayek plays the motherly team leader Ajak. The character of Thena (Angelina Jolie) presents a consideration of women who suffer from mental health issues: even the best-intentioned of her friends struggle to believe what she says. Is the diversity presented perfectly? Absolutely not. A scene that depicts the group’s strained break up 500 years before the primary timeline feels especially tone deaf when you remember that the scene occurs in 1580. It would seem like the movie takes place in an alternate universe, as none of the eight non-white-male characters express that they experienced oppression during those centuries of setting out on their own. “Eternals” is doubtlessly flawed, and de-
The cast of “Eternals” in the official poster for the film. serving of criticism, but as someone who has seen all twenty-six Marvel movies, I can only wonder at its designation as the worst movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Maybe I’m just tired of the spoiled playboy to national hero pipeline story, but I enjoyed “Eternals” considerably more than many of the Marvel movies I have seen. “Eternals” might not be the best film ever made, but it manages to break the criminally overused mold of typical action movies in order to offer a beautifully shot attempt at bringing more complex human narratives to a franchise built on violent CGI battles and tokenism. It’s a work in progress, but “Eternals” is at least a step towards a path beyond the one that Marvel has gladly worn grooves into over the last thirteen years.
EMMA BAUM FEATURE SECTION EDITOR
REVIEW 43
SHOULD CLYATON HAVE AN E-SPORTS TEAM? The competitive nature of E-Sports is encouraging more and more involvement across the nation.
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hould Clayton have an esports team? In 2018 the National Federation of State High School Associations classified esports as an official sport. Since then, over 8,600 high schools nationwide have started teams. So why not Clayton High School? Video games have become increasingly popular with today’s technology, especially among high schoolers. According to Pew Research Center, 72% of teens report playing videos. Having a Clayton esports team will create a place where these students can come together and build a community apart from just sitting behind the screen. To many students gaming is considered pretty isolating, although players talk to each other through headsets, they are alone for hours at a time. Organizing a team where students can meet in person creates stronger social bonds not only within existing friendships but also allows students to meet people with similar interests. Additionally, many of these students may not already be in an extracurricular activity. Adding esports will create a wider range of school activities, allowing more students to participate and feel connected to Clayton High School. Just like any other sport Clayton 44 Opinion
E-athletes attend a gaming convention (Photo from Wikimedia Commons). currently has, esports teaches their players help students turn their interest into a way to help fund and further their education. valuable skills. Having esports as a team Apart from esports teams, students are sport turns a somewhat isolated activioften inspired to pursue education and ty into a place where students can grow careers in STEM as the two go hand in socially. Teamwork, collaboration, and hand. Currently, the national government compromise are all skills students will dehas placed an emphasis on getting Amervelop. As teammates would have to work ican students interested in STEM related together in high pressure competitions fields and implementing esports in schools it becomes critical for these students to would be an excellent way to support it. obtain those skills and think quickly and STEM learning integrates Science, Techstrategically. nology, Engineering, and Mathematics Team sports often create deep connecwhich provide the foundation of esports. tions and bonds within teammates. As Having more Clayton students going a group of teens go through success and into STEM will not only be more beneficial failure such as winning and losing competo our schools and education but also for titions handling these emotions together the students themselves. Over 100 jobs are helps the students become more resilient. STEM related and among these, 93 have Dealing with the emotions that come from wages above the national average accordcompetition can be hard, however, having ing to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. an esports team will create an environment When students take part in esports they for thesis students to do so. grow a passion for STEM, which will help High schools are not the only instilead to success further on in life. tutions who have started implementing Esports gives students the ability to esports as an extracurricular activity. grow and succeed in life while having fun According to College Gazette, there are and pursuing a passion. Clayton should 175 colleges in the U.S. that have an esport give their students these opportunities as team recognized by the National Associwell so all students can thrive. ation of Collegiate esports. However, in addition to these colleges have esports teams a lot of them give out scholarships for these teams. Having an esports team at Clayton High School would potentially
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Israel Center Jewish Federation of St. Louis
120 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Wrapping Up First Semester
Some of the new teachers at Clayton tell us about their new chapter so far in their teaching career.
Page editor Kirby Miller checked in with three of the new teachers at Clayton to see how the semester went . From left to right, art teacher Kamille Chavarin, band teacher Sophie Browning, and English teacher Melissa Goodlett.
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his school year had a very interesting beginning so far. It was sad to see former superintendent, Sean Doherty, retire from Clayton and take a gap year to begin a new chapter. But it doesn’t mean that this school year wasn’t interesting. Thirty total new faculty joined the district; including new superintendent Nisha Patel, and twenty-nine other new staff for all six schools. Now that the holidays have arrived, it’s the best time to ask them about what they’ve witnessed so far in Clayton. Several new teachers had a different view in a good way of coming to Clayton. “I love all the teachers and all the students are super awesome,” said Sophie Browning, assistant director in the Clayton bands. She has observed the qualities of students and teachers in the school, where these qualities are better than many others. Kamille Chavarin, who is one of the two new art teachers, feels “very lucky to have found a school and a team that feels like such a good fit for me. My students are so fun to spend the day with and they are pushing themselves to create incredible and beautiful work.” “The high schools where I taught in the past were much larger, with 2000-2500 students,” said Chavarin, “so I really like the smaller size of Clayton. It feels like much more of a community.” As a comparison, new teachers have noted certain differences in student-faculty ratios
46 NEW TEACHER UPDATE
and management. “At my previous school I was responsible for 150 students; while at Clayton, I have 58. That’s pretty nice,” said Melissa Goodlett, new to the CHS English department. Relationships and connections are also something interesting that new teachers observed here in Clayton. “At my old school, I didn’t really get to talk to many people outside of the music area,” said Browning, “and then now I get to talk to a bunch of other people.” When Chavarin was in her previous school, she felt alone because of where her classroom was located which caused lack of teacher relationships. “My last classroom was on the opposite end of a very large building from any other Art teachers, so I went days without seeing any of them.” Hearing and learning about other experiences in Clayton causes many teachers to want to join too after inspiration. One reason for this is about acquaintances. “I knew Mrs. Overman before coming here . . . and I knew Ms. Shenberger as well,” Browning notes, “so I got to hear about their experiences. And when I saw the position open, I was like, ‘Well, I’m going to join them,’ so then I applied.” Another reason that new teachers joined was the ability to be familiar with the location itself. “I grew up in Saint Louis so I’ve always been familiar with the district,” Chavarin says, “I attended Lutheran North, which was a small
high school, so I always saw myself eventually teaching at a smaller school.” Third, the benefits of the school while not already in it were an influence. Roughly six years ago, Goodlett attended the National Black Educators Conference in Louisiana. While there, she “attended a booth hosted by Clayton High School of Missouri,” she pointed out. “After spending almost 45 minutes of speaking to the HR officials about the benefits of working at Clayton, I was sold!” “Starting this semester was a bit of a whirlwind, getting used to a new school and organizing a new space,” Chavarin emphasized. “Now, I feel much more comfortable and have the classroom figured out so it will be nice to have a fresh start.” The pandemic also played a role in new experiences. “There’s no secret to returning back to school in-person, fulltime, and not even post-Covid is a bit overwhelming for admin, students, and teachers,” said Goodlett. “Now, I’m adjusting so much better. I anticipate continuing to deepen my relationships with my colleagues and students. I’d also love to bring my ideas and experiences to Clayton because I’m quite proud of the road I’ve traveled,” she continued. “However, I figured I’d better focus on one plate before I enjoy the buffet.”
KIRBY MILLER, PAGE EDITOR
Staff Ed: Missing School at Clayton
As a district, Clayton should re-evaluate the policies of missing classes for illness and keeping classrooms safe.
The front entry of the Clayton High School campus. Students struggle wth missing classes, even through the pandemic.
T
his year, thousands of students returned to school for the first time in a year and a half. Although anticipated by some, this return to school in the midst of a pandemic brought perils that a usual school year wouldn’t. Even before the pandemic, the rigorous academic curriculum at Clayton made missing school something some students avoided at all costs. As a district, it has become necessary to re-evaluate the culture surrounding missing classes for illness to ensure safety in classrooms. “Freshman year I would never stay home sick unless I physically couldn’t get out of bed,” says CHS junior Lily Kleinhenz. “This year, I’ve missed three days of school already this semester.” Many students share a similar experience to Kleinhenz, and there has been a definite shift on what counts as ‘sick enough’ to miss school. Missing school can easily snowball into an avalanche of incomplete assignments and dropping grades. Pre-pandemic, Clayton students like Kleinhenz would routinely show up to school not feeling well to avoid the academic consequences. During COVID, all these consequences still exist, but students and staff now have to be
aware of not endangering others by showing up sick. It is very anxiety-inducing for both students and teachers to have this kind of trust in everyone in the building, especially for those that are high-risk or have high risk family members. However stressful for students, the process for a teacher to call in sick is even more involved. “The first thing that has to happen obviously, is that we have to make sub plans. So whatever that looks like, it’s usually pretty work intensive,” says CHS teacher Amy Doyle. “Having a good supply of subs really does make a difference in terms of allowing people to feel like they can have the flexibility to call in sick, but all districts are dealing with a sub shortage.” In the midst of the pandemic, teacher and staff morale has been at an all time low. Substitute teachers are worried about coming into class, especially since many are older, and teachers and students alike are grappling with the new standards that require a sick day. There are primarily two schools of thought for CHS teachers regarding the leniency students should be granted this year, as well as, some would argue, two groups of students. The first of which is the students that need a
break. These students are working their very hardest in the thick of a pandemic that changed their way of life. This has taken a huge emotional toll on everyone in different ways, and the teachers are sympathetic to this group of students and understand that. The secondary group of students is those who take full advantage of any leniency they are given, even when it is not necessary. The teachers who respond to these students are far less understanding about students struggling, viewing it as a matter of laziness. Wanting to not be taken advantage of is completely understandable, but there needs to be a balance between cutting students some slack and letting them coast through the year. “We need to make sure that what we’re doing is still maintaining high expectations, but also affording people the grace to be able to be sick,” says Doyle. Although these two groups are not as black and white as some may think, finding a balance between these two ideologies is necessary for student and teacher mental health. Doyle, Kleinhenz, and many others emphasize the importance of open lines of communication between teachers and students, especially now, to ensure an enjoyable and effective school year.
AVIE MALLON, REPORTER
STAFF ED 47
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