March Globe 2014

THE

Volume 85

March, 2014 Clayton High School. Clayton, MO.

GLOBE ISSUE #SIX

Off the beaten path

TABLE OF CONTENTS MARCH 2014

20 22

20

Upfront 8 A Physics Gander 10 Close Up on the Action 11 Bi-State Band

features 12 13 16 18 20

12

It’s All in the Beans Behind the Scenes of Pippin Hawking Fever Hound Pride Clayton “High”

cover 22

35

16

Off the Beaten Path

sports 30 31 32 33

Spring Sports Preview Lacrosse Boss Top Olympic Moments Girls’ Conference Swimming

review 35 Gokul Review 36 2014 Fashion

commentary

13

38 40 41 42 43 44

Pro/Con - Senioritis No City for Old Men Sports for PE Credit?

Free Speech Comes With a Price Clayton Liberalism: Too Much?

Staff Ed contents

3

THE

GLOBE NEWSMAGAZINE

Cover Design: Peter Baugh editor-in-chief

christopher sleckman

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claire lisker

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shiori tomatsu

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attiya charrington

phoebe yao

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reporters

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editors

UPFRONT

graphic artists

cherry tomatsu victoria yi

rebecca stiffelman

stephanie langendoerfer

micaela stoner

andrew erblich

ashleigh williams tara williams elise yang

abraham bluestone

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patrick butler alexis schwartz

senior managing editors

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adviser

erin castellano

FROM THE EDITOR

At my grandparents’ house for dinner a few nights ago, I was talking to my grandpa about college.

I was worried about making the wrong decision, not doing enough in high school, and not getting in.

To this, my grandpa responded: “Be gentle. What will happen is what is right.”

Planted amid my thoughts of GPAs and acceptance rates, this was one of the last things I was expecting to hear. And, perhaps, it was what I needed to hear most.

Caught in the dead of winter, the upcoming months are a time when many begin to lose hope. We lose hope in our abilities. We lose hope in our futures.

We begin to believe, most dangerously, that we are alone. Alone with our fears, our worries, our plaguing insecurities.

It’s at moments like this — moments of doubt and stress — when I think my grandfather’s words are most applicable. Instead of turning to competition, cooperate. Instead of hardening in the heat of adversity, soften. Instead of falling into a cycle of anger and bitterness, choose to lean on one another.

Because while no human is immune to fear, there is no fear invincible to the power of kindness to destroy it.

So, be gentle.

And while you make this decision of kindness, simultaneously embrace the fact that everything is not on your shoulders. Instead, trust your ability to thrive under situations that you can’t yet predict.

As impossible as it may seem, will yourself to the universe. We only lose our ability to effect change when we succumb to the idea that we are omnipotent. Instead, try to achieve your limits, but accept them as that: limits.

Rather than clenching your teeth over flickering opportunities, trust for a second that the chances that remain — the chances that you have worked for — hold your happiness.

It’s treacherously easy to forget that grades and school are simply one facet of our lives. We beat ourselves up when we don’t get enough points, we live for the weekends, and we tell ourselves that it’s okay to consume our lives with something we don’t enjoy right now because we’ll be free in two years, in four years, in six years, in ten years.

When did we start counting down the years of our lives? When did we stop seeing the present as anything but a reality?

School is important, and working hard is important, but being happy is also important. And in order to be happy, we need to let go of some of the wires and weights that we strap around ourselves in our attempts to get everything “right.”

Take a breath, and embrace the present instead of living for an imagined future. Try to find things that you love that you can do every day, however small they are. Trust that everything will be okay, and if it isn’t, trust that you will be okay.

And, as my grandfather told me, believe that what will happen is what is right.

Gwyneth Henke, Feature and Review Editor

The Globe Newsmagazine exists to inform, entertain, persuade and represent the student voice at CHS. All content decisions are made by the student editorial staff and the Globe is an entirely self-funded publication. Not every story that our reporters write is published in the print newsmagazine. Visit www.chsglobe.com for additional stories and photos and for more information about the Globe itself. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement - for more information about advertising and subscriptions, please contact our office: Clayton High School Globe 1 Mark Twain Circle Clayton, MO 63105 (314) 854-6668 Fax: 854-6734 globe@claytonschools.net Professional Affiliations: Sponsors of School Publications . Missouri Interscholastic Press Association . National Scholastic Press Association . Columbia Scholastic Press Association

skating ahead Clayton High School junior Benjamin Tamsky skates with the puck at the Clayton vs. Parkway West hockey game. The Greyhounds won the game 4-3. Senior Liam Dougan was the team captain and led the Greyhounds to a six win season.

Photo by Patrick Butler

December, 2013, Hardees ice plex

ø

A physics

gander

by KEVIN ROSENTHAL AND CAMILLE RESPESS

James Gender, a long time science teacher in the Clayton School District, is returning to the classroom after retiring at the end of the 2012-2013 school year.

Gender, who is taking over for a physics teacher on a personal leave of absence, is a science teacher with over 30 years of experience. But CHS is a new environment for the veteran teacher.

“I’ve never taught a daily class at CHS [before taking this substitution job],” Gender said. “Interestingly enough, while I have taught elementary school, middle school and even at the collegiate level, I have never actually taught at the high school level, except for a short stint I did about thirty years ago.”

After leaving Wydown Middle School in 2008, Gender taught at Glenridge Elementary as the school’s science teacher, assisting with grades K-5. Gender returned to Wydown in the 2010-2011 school year as a seventh grade teacher. Then, in the 2012-2013 school year, Gender moved up to teach eighth grade. That was to be his final year of teaching until the opportunity arose for him to be a long-term substitute for freshman physics.

Due to the fact that he has taught students at a variety of different age levels, Gender has already taught current CHS freshmen numerous times — some students for as many as five school years.

“The one thing I had going forward with teaching freshman physics is that I really knew most of the students,” Gender said. “I felt comfortable working with them and, given my personal situation right now, I was able to just say, ‘Yes. I can rearrange my entire schedule and all the other jobs I’m doing as a way to come in.’”

In addition to his passion for teaching science, Gender is adventur-

ous outside of the classroom. Now that he is “retired,” Gender works part-time with a company called Vertical Voyages.

“I have been trained as a tree climbing facilitator, and our company, among other things, will put ropes up into trees and train people to climb and get into the upper trees, maybe 60 to 70 feet,” he said.

Luckily, Gender’s job at Vertical Voyages does not affect his ability to be in the classroom every day. “The work I end up doing for the company ends up being on the weekends,” Gender said. “So, that tends to not to interfere too much with [substituting at CHS].”

Gender has taken on a very challenging endeavor working two jobs.

The fact that he had never taught a physics course made his transition back to the classroom even more difficult. “It’s intimidating to walk into a course that you’ve never taught before at a school you’ve never taught before,” Gender said. “I want to do a really good job.”

Fortunately for Gender, the majority of the students in his classroom are familiar faces.

“It’s very rewarding, because I’ve seen change and growth in the students. Knowing many of the students makes it easier to communicate,” Gender said. “I think it’s really interesting because I’ve noticed a lot of students now see me differently because they have gotten more and more mature and they have a much better understanding of me as a person.”

It is fulfilling for Gender to come to CHS and be appreciated by his students. “It is very gratifying to have people come up to me and be happy,” Gender said. “It’s much better than when you open the door and they’re like, ‘uh, no.’”

Freshmen students were pleased to know that Gender would be their physics teacher for the remainder of the school year.

“I’ve had Mr. Gender twice and he is my favorite teacher,” freshman Amari Thigpen said. “I love GDawg.”

Students like Thigpen have enjoyed having a teacher with such a deep passion for science.

“The more I learned about sciences, the more intrigued I became,” Gender said. “I realized I could relate geology to biology, biology to paleontology and I could relate all those sciences to physics. The concept of ‘I only do this’ or ‘I only do that’ was just wrong.”

Although this is Gender’s first time teaching physics, he has developed a deep appreciation for the science.

“If you have a very good understanding of physics, the world becomes a huge, incredibly rich place,” Gender said. “I want to be in that place.”  Mr. Gender at his desk in the science wing. (Attiya Charrington)

What’s up with Wups WASH U PHONE SERVICE, A Clayton Alum’s Technology startup

by NURI YI

As a generation, we are constantly glued to our cell phones. However, our cell phones don’t always stay glued to us. We often drop them, shatter them, and beat them up. And often times, the damage is ugly and difficult to fix yourself.

After noticing the high number of cracked screens on campus, Dan Zeng, a freshman at Washington University and CHS alumnus, and a few of his friends, decided to start Wash U Phone Services to fix the problem.

“During my first few weeks of college, I found a fellow freshman with experience fixing iPhones who shared an interest I’d always wanted to explore — creating a startup,” Zeng said.

Realizing the high demand there would be for a cheaper and faster way to fix smartphones, WUPS was born.

“If we developed the required technical skills and attained the necessary parts, we could provide a service at the door steps of Wash U students instead of being miles away,” Zeng said.

Zeng then recruited a graphic designer, a web developer, and two repairmen from his group of friends. “Through online communication, we struck deals with licensed suppliers for our parts.”



97%

SLIDE TO UNLOCK

Through its site, www.WashUPhones.com, WUPS fixes screens, batteries, and other parts of the iPhone 4, 4S, and 5, as well as the Samsung S4 and S3, at a significantly lower price than what one would pay through Apple or Samsung. WUPS also sells screen protectors and provides a color change service. After filling out the online form with your name, phone number, and email, WUPS will get in touch with you about fixing your phone.

Sophomore Ally Uchitelle used WUPS after dropping her iPhone 4S on the ground and shattering the back. “They fixed my phone for a really reasonable, low price, and did a really good job,” Uchitelle said. “They also offer a lifetime warranty, which is a big plus.”

WUPS claims it will repair and return within a set two-hour time period during weekends. “They fixed it over a weekend, but normally it only takes them one or two days, depending on the extent of the damage,” Uchitelle said.

“It also felt good to be helping out college students,” Uchitelle said. Truly, WUPS is a business founded on the idea of students helping other students. 

Around the globe Sochi

Feb 7-23: The Winter Olympics in a Russian resort town have been shrouded in gay-rights controversy and political tension. Notable Moments: TJ Oshie’s 66 percent success rate in a shootout against Russia.

}

sam Feb 9: University of Missouri football player Michael Sam acknowledged that he is gay. Missouri students Kelaney Lakers and Alix Carruth organize “One Wall, One Mizzou” in support of their classmate, forming a human wall to block out Westboro protestors.

snow Jan 2: Cold front swept across North America due to the breakdown of the polar vortex and the southward shift of an Arctic cold front, affecting more that 187 million people in the US, Canada and Mexico.

senate Feb 12: In a surprising demonstration of cooperation, the Senate passed a bill allowing the federal government greater ability to borrow money from other countries. This led to swift denouncement from members of the Tea Party.

syria

Feb 15: The Huffington Post reported a cumulative death toll of “over 140,000” in Syria, 7,000 of which are children.

UPFRONT

11

CLOSE UP ON THE ACTION W

by MICAELA STONER

e were standing on Capitol Hill and admiring the beauty of American capitalism,” sophomore Hannah Milbourn said, “being in Washington D.C. was like experiencing what it truly means to be an American.” Milbourn and 12 other CHS students went on the Close Up trip to Washington D.C. for a week and got to witness the U.S. government at work.

Milbourn and the rest of the CHS students got to spend a whole day on Capitol Hill; they met with Congresswoman Ann Wagner and advisors for Senator Roy Blunt and Senator Claire McCaskill. They also got a personal tour of the Capitol building and explored the Senate office buildings.

While there, the students learned about the government. “I really liked going to Washington D.C. because I learned more about the state and federal government and bills being based in the Senate,” Milbourn said.

CHS students also went to many memorials.

“Seeing the Lincoln and Vietnam Memorials was like going through a living history class,” Milbourn said. They also went to the White House, the Korean War Memorial, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. “One of my favorite parts of the trip was going to Georgetown Cupcakes from the hit TV show ‘DC Cupcakes,’” Milbourn said.

For a whole day, the students got to go wherever they wanted by taking the subway or bus to any location. “We got to go all over and experience D.C. as natives. We took the train wherever we wanted and were entrusted with so much responsibility,” Milbourn said.

On their free day, many CHS students went to the Holocaust Museum, some of the Smithsonian museums and some local restaurants.

Even though students missed four days of school on the trip, it was a learning experience for all involved. In D.C. and when they got home, many students were already talking about going again next year.

“I really suggest that everyone interested in American politics goes on this D.C. trip and experiences government firsthand,” Milbourn said. 

10

UPFRONT

Sophomores Hannah Milbourn, Leah Boncwezski and Micaela Stoner visit the U.S. Capitol Building during the Close Up trip. (Photo from Micaela Stoner)

BI-STATE BAND

After spending only two days together and seven hours rehearsing, the three bi-state bands put on a concert. One of the bands was led

by Clayton’s own brass specialist, Jennifer Shenberger.

by PHOEBE YAO Held on the campus of Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville (SIUE), Mo., Bi-State Band may be the only annual band festival with a next-day concert.

Taking place in the span of 48 hours, the Bi-State Band Music Festival recently completed its 26th cycle.

“Directors from Missouri and Illinois nominate their top students,” said Clayton brass specialist Jennifer Shenberger. “Those names go into a pool and roughly 250 students are chosen.”

Not only is the nomination process rigorous, but this year’s participating students also convened on the weekend of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and began seating auditions as soon as they arrived on campus on Jan. 17. That same evening, students were separated into three bands, with the highest ranking students being accepted into the Honor Band.

Shenberger had the honor of conducting one of this year’s festival bands.

“As a guest clinician and conductor, you realize that the students’ musical experience for the event is entrusted to you, and that is something that cannot be taken lightly,” Shenberger said. “It can be a bit nerve-racking to try and choose music that has to be prepared in seven hours of rehearsal with a group of students who have never played together.”

Each year, a nationally renowned clinician is brought on campus to conduct and work with the Bi-State Honor Band. This year, band directors were able to secure Dr. Nola Jones, who is the coordinator of the Visual and Performing Arts for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools.

Sophomore Madeleine Goedegeduure was selected to play the flute for the Bi-State Band Festival. She remembers her experience fondly.

“I got into the Honor Band. We spent Friday night rehearsing and all of Saturday rehearsing. We had a concert Saturday evening,” Goedegeduure said. “It’s very fast. It’s different from most honor bands just because you don’t have a lot of time, and you have to get the most out of the weekend, but it’s a lot of fun.”

This year was Goedegeduure’s second year participating in Bi-State Band and her first year as a member of the Honor Band. Despite the short amount of time spent at SIUE, Goedegeduure

Senior George Grayson prepares for Bi-State Band auditions. (Ava Hoffman) believes that she has gained a lot from her experience.

“I think I’ve gotten better at sight reading, but the main thing that I’ve improved on is being able to adapt quickly and work with a lot of different people in a short amount of time,” Goedegeduure said.

A lasting impact on the lives of students as well as a high return rate are the marks of a truly well-done music program. In the past, most Clayton band students who participate in the Bi-State Band Festival end up going back to SIUE the following year.

“I was fortunate to be able to work with 97 wonderfully talented students from across Illinois and Missouri who responded so well, played their hearts out and gave me 110% the whole time,” Shenberger said. “It’s amazing how music can turn a room full of total strangers into a powerful vehicle of expression. I was so proud of the students’ culminating concert performance and enjoyed every minute of the experience.” 

UPFRONT

11

T

It’s all in the beans

by ELISE YANG

he Delmar Loop gained a new gathering place late last year when Blueprint Coffee opened its doors to a St. Louis audience accustomed to artisan bean purveyors like Kaldi’s and reliable corporate giants like Starbucks. When asked how the name “Blueprint” came to be, CHS alum and co-owner of the cafe, Mazi Razani, explained his concept, “[The name] kind of mirrored how we make our coffee,” Razani said. “It’s detailed, and we pay attention to every aspect of it. It’s almost scientific, really.”

Razani graduated from CHS in 2005, and attended Mizzou. His fascination with coffee began when he worked at Kayak’s alongside his brother as a barista in the summer. Razani got a job as a bank teller after graduating from college, but he missed the hands-on work of brewing coffee. After only a year of working at a bank, he decided to apply for jobs at coffee shops. Razani worked at Kayak’s for two and a half years, until he and five friends decided to open up a coffee shop of their own.

Razani has always aspired to have a business of his own. “The thought of not having a boss is obviously a wonderful idea,” Razani said. “Blueprint was a unique opportunity to open up a place that St. Louis didn’t already have.”

Unlike Starbucks and Kaldi’s, Blueprint grinds their coffee beans and brews them to order. Starbucks and Kaldi’s brew pots of coffee and serve it straight from the dispenser.

Blueprint has a coffee bean roaster in the back of their shop, where they roast their beans in-house.

“We are an independent shop so we can buy the higher-grade coffee in smaller lots and be able to highlight specific coffees that are really good,” Razani said.

The roasting process brings out the natural flavors of the coffee. Blueprint buys a higher quality bean, so they have complete control over the roasting process. This means that they can apply a light roast so that the

natural flavors of the coffee bean shines through.

Angelino Abad #1 and Karimukui AA Top are just some of the types of coffee Blueprint sells. They rotate their coffees four or five times a year.

Razani’s favorite coffee is brewed from Ethiopian beans that Blueprint had in their first batch.

To the baristas at Blueprint, making coffee is an art form. The top shelf of a bookcase in their shop sports an array of trophies and plaques from barista competitions. Some of the categories include espresso-making and hand-brewing. Later this spring, Razani and the other co-owners of Blueprint hope to add one more piece of hardware when they head to Seattle in April to compete for nationals. “The barista competition is pretty organized and it’s been going on for a while, so [the process has] been refined,” Razani said.

Razani is no stranger to competition. He played on the Clayton football team that won the state championship in 2004. “It had been the first time the [CHS] football team had reached state, and the first time we had won, so that was a really unique experience,” Razani said.

In addition to football, Razani also played lacrosse at CHS and loved the sport so much that he continued with the Mizzou Lacrosse Club.

This dedication to a pursuit is evident today when Razani talks about the process of cultivating and brewing coffee.

“These days, I’m more aware of how the process [of coffee-making] works. A lot of it has to do with the fact that coffee is a crop and people’s livelihoods - even countries - depend on this kind of stuff,” Razani said.

“It gets really interesting when you get to the social aspect of it. A lot of farmers put in a lot of time and hard work, and to be able to highlight that hard work is really gratifying.”

When patrons of Blueprint take a sip of their freshly brewed cup of joe, there’s no doubt they, too, are tasting the hard work of Razani and his crew. 

“[The name] kind of mirrored how we make our coffee. it’s detailed, and we pay attention to every aspect of it. It’s scientific, really.”

- Mazi Razani

12

Feature

Photo by Jolena Pang

Behind the Scenes of Pippin

¯¯¯

By Alex Bernard and Grace Harrison Photo by eric woolsey

F

our hours a night, five nights a week for nearly three months is what it takes to put on a show of Clayton High School’s caliber.

Although the musical opened just a few short weeks ago, “Pippin” has already been hailed by the Critics and Awards program, known as the Cappies, as “exceptional,” “fascinating” and “a performance that will forever define how this musical is meant to be performed.”

The cast of 35, a relatively large cast for a high school production, forfeited their time, energy and sometimes even their grades to make “Pippin” a success. A story about a young prince looking for his passion in life, “Pippin” was led

by Aaron Argyres and Ben Diamond, who played Pippin and the Leading Player, respectively.

Besides being in the cast, CHS students had the opportunity to be involved in the show in several ways. The technical aspects of the show, the music and the costumes were all facilitated by students. Here is a look into the scenic aspects of “Pippin” and the students that made the musical a success.

the technical charm was centered around the lighting.

Sophomore Jayson Lawshee has been involved with tech crew since he was in sixth grade at Wydown Middle School. Lawshee has a particular interest in lighting and was given the opportunity to pursue his passion in “Pippin.” “[David Blake] actually let me help him design the lights for “Pippin,” Lawshee said.

“Once he finds our talent, he’ll work with us on that.”

The set pieces, primarily just two staircase and two vertical structures, were also built by the tech crew. On a typical day, each student in tech crew was given an assignment by Blake in the form of a general design for the set piece.

According to Lawshee, the students were given authority and responsibility in designing and had the power to put their own creativity in the sets. “David will usually say, ‘This is what you’re going to make, go get the materials and do it,’” Lawshee said.

Besides the last two weeks before opening night, being in the tech crew did not require an unreasonable time commitment. Students could

“I like working towards one common goal with a bunch of people, and how we all do our part to make this wonderful production.”

THE SETS:

With some of the best technical equipment in St. Louis, it’s no surprise that the mainstage shows exhibit incredible lighting, sets and special effects. The tech crew is a small group of students interested in the behind-the-scenes aspect of the shows and is under the direction of Technical Director David Blake.

However, unlike other CHS performances in the past, “Pippin” did not need extravagant set pieces to enhance the performance. Instead,

-Jayson lawshee (junior)

stay and help for as long as their schedule allowed. The work backstage is great experience for aspiring technical directors.

Lawshee has found his passion through tech crew and plans to go to college for technical design. For him, being involved backstage is as rewarding as being an actor.

“I like working towards one common goal with a bunch senior Griffin Reed backstage (Makenna Martin) of people, and how we all do our part to make this wonderful production,” Lawshee said. “I guess it’s called teamwork.”

THE MUSIC:

Being involved in the pit orchestra was nearly as extensive as being a performer on stage during the production of “Pippin.”

This year the pit consisted of 25 CHS students and one conductor, CHS band teacher Robert Nichols. The size of the pit varies year to year.

“The amount of students in the pit really all depends on the teachers who decide, because the pit is such a small limited space,” said sophomore Lem Lan, a keyboardist in the production. “But because of this, doing pit pushes players to play more like soloists, since there’s only one to two players for each instrument, and you have to project throughout the whole auditorium.”

The pit orchestra began rehearsing at the beginning of December, and was ready to play with the cast only one month later.

“It seems like a short amount of time for rehearsal, so the orchestra’s success definitely depends a lot on how much the players actually practice,” Lan said.

Although Lan played in last year’s musical, “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” he said that playing in “Pippin” is much different than playing in other musicals.

Unlike more traditional musical productions, “‘Pippin’ focuses a lot more on the rhythm section of the orchestra,” Lan said.

The unique music in “Pippin” presented a difficult task many of the students have never faced before and allowed the students in the pit to grow as musicians. “I’ve learned, as a keyboardist, that you don’t always play [the piano part],” Lan said. “You have to switch to other patches too, like harp or organ or harpsichord. It’s definitely different.”

Despite the fact that the pit orchestra cannot be seen during the actual production, the safety of being eight feet below the stage did not completely mask the fears of the orchestra.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous,” Lan said. “But a plus in the

“The most rewarding part is probably at the end of each performance, when you get to hear to audience applauding for the whole production.”

-Lem Lan (sophomore)

pit is that people don’t actually see you, so they don’t really know who messes up.”

Although being in the pit is a difficult job, Lan said it was also a very worthwhile experience.

“The most rewarding part is probably at the end of each performance, when you get to hear the audience applauding for the whole production,” Lan said. “Even though you know that the audience can’t see you and is mainly cheering for the actors, you still feel a sort of rush of adrenaline because you know that as a production as a whole, you all made it and put on a spectacular performance. And that to me is what makes doing pit rewarding.”

“The most fun part of the show was having the experience to do costumes for such a classic show.”

-Lindsey Williams (sophomore)

THE COSTUMES:

For an audience unaccustomed to the capabilities of the CHS theater department, the incredible costumes in “Pippin” stood out as a unique and stunning aspect of the production.

Steampunk, a theme based on a modern Victorian era, was the inspiration for the costumes in the production. The costumers met with the cast early on, giving the performers the opportunity to help create their own personal wardrobe, and making the extensive costuming job more efficient.

Despite the flawless end result, the costume department faced multiple barriers during the production of “Pippin.”

Besides the normal challenges of costuming a large cast in a complex show, the theater department experienced budget cuts, and the large costume budget was the first to be reduced.

However, this reduction did not impact the grandeur of the costumes; rather, it forced them to be more creative in the creation of the apparel. Cast members were encouraged to bring old sports pads, combat boots and tutus to be worn in the show. Other costume pieces were taken from Clayton’s costume stock or rented from nearby theater companies.

Sophomores Lindsey Williams and Michaela Key were the two students who helped with the costumes of “Pippin.” Williams and Key worked closely with Jennifer Darlynn Krajicek of the University of Missouri - St. Louis costume department to create the “steampunk” look.

Much like the other departments in the production, the costume crew worked for about a month in preparation for the performance.

However, Williams believed that the greatest challenge was not making the costumes but providing assistance to the cast during the shows.

“The hardest part was some of the costume changes,” Williams said.

“The gas masks in the Manson trio [one of the songs] was the worst costume change because we had less than 30 seconds.” Williams and Key both remained backstage during the performances to help with costume emergencies and quick changes.

The corsets, worn by nearly every actress, also proved to be a unique challenge for Williams and Key. They spent much of their backstage time lacing and buttoning the corsets, as well as helping the male actors apply copious amounts of porcelain makeup.

Despite the difficulties of being a costume assistant in the show, Williams found her experience enjoyable and rewarding. “The most fun part of the show was having the experience to do costumes for such a classic show,” Williams said. “I have most definitely learned patience and flexibility, and to always have bobby pins and safety pins on me.” 

She’s Got the Moves: CHS welcomes new choreographer Meg Rodd

by REBECCA BLOOM On a dimly lit stage, 60 high school students are dressed in “steampunk” costumes — complete with corsets, goggles, tanks and suspenders.

They move together in a triangle formation, dancing in the suggestive and physically demanding style invented by Broadway director-choreographer Bob Fosse. Together, their movements bring to life a “play within a play” about a boy on a quest to find meaning and fulfillment in his life.

The conception for some of those movements and formations came to the CHS theater department’s new choreographer while she was driving on the highway. “That sounds weird,” said Meg Rodd, whose choreography of “Pippin” delighted the student actors and their audiences.

“I do a lot of driving. I can daydream and envision patterns on the stage,” she said. “That makes me sound like a terrible driver, but I swear I’m not.”

Rodd’s explanation — both earnest and lighthearted — sums up her demeanor as she provides stage direction to the student actors involved in the mainstage production. “Meg maintained a great balance between seriousness and silliness,” senior Claire Lisker said. “She kept us focused, but also had fun with us.”

The actors appreciate Rodd’s skill and encouraging disposition.

“Since the day we met her at the audition, she has always had a really great attitude,” sophomore Robert Hollocher said. “She is super fun and cool. We all feel so comfortable around her, and it creates a great environment. And she’s a great dancer.”

Rodd learned early in her career the importance of building rapport with her dancers.

“I work with the idea of peer-to-peer respect,” she said. “I promise to respect your time and talent if you respect mine. I try to be positive even with criticism because, let’s be honest, you know if you nailed it or if it was an epic fail, right?”

Rodd began dancing casually at a young age, and while a high school student in New Jersey, she began to study with former Broadway dancers. She majored in musical theatre at Wagner College in New York, and had her first break as a choreographer at her own high school alma mater’s production of “Plain and Fancy.”

“It was not my finest work … definitely a learning experience,” she said.

The following year, she co-choreographed “Jesus Christ Superstar” with her former dance teacher. “I learned so much watching her,” she said.

“I learned to create choreography that fits all skill levels, and ‘tells’ the

Photos by Makenna Martin

audience where to focus.”

Fast forward several years, and Rodd has successfully choreographed a dozen shows for various high schools and for Stages St. Louis. This past summer, she received the call she’d been hoping would someday come: Kelly Webber, CHS theater director, invited her to choreograph the 13-14 mainstage show, “Pippin.”

Rodd was thrilled to have the opportunity. In preparation, she studied the original 1972 Broadway production which was choreographed by Fosse. “I watched a lot of Fosse choreography and videos to get the ‘vibe’ of the show,” she said.

Senior Griffin Reed credits Rodd’s familiarity with Fosse for the unique experience of acting in Pippin. “She incorporated characteristic elements of Fosse’s work into the dances,” Reed said. “You can really tell she has a passion for what she does.”

Junior Katie Warnusz-Steckle said her passion for choreography is matched by her knack for working with teens. “Meg creates a really positive, safe environment for us. That’s not always the priority of choreographers, and it doesn’t need to be, but that’s what is so great about Meg ... that she goes the extra mile.”

It is no surprise that Rodd loves working high school students, and she said choreographing at Clayton was especially unique “because of the maturity of the students. That maturity is reflected in their preparedness at rehearsal, in how they take on the responsibility of learning their choreography, and in how the faculty can trust them with mature themes and content. It almost feels like working with adults.”

As for her show experience, she said, “I had such an amazing time working with everyone. They should all be immensely proud of the production they put on. I am so proud of all of them.” 

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Hawking Fever

By Peter Shumway

The tale of a highschooler and his red-tailed hawk

“H

awking was an invigorating and uplifting experience,” CHS junior Andrew Erblich said after he went hawking with Kirkwood High School sophomore Nathan Waller. “The chirpy atmosphere was buzzing with energy.”

Erblich is one of many CHS students who have been able to share in Waller’s hawking passion.

athan Waller became intrigued with hawking after seeing his neighbor John Kercher work with the hunting birds Kercher keeps in an enclosure near his house. Kercher said, after showing Waller the birds for the first time, “I could just see the wonder in his eyes.”

After gaining an affinity for hawk hunting last year, Waller began hawking consistently with Kercher. Waller recently passed a test to become a certified hawker with Kercher as his sponsor.

Soon after passing his test, Waller trapped his own wild red-tail hawk, which he would later train to become his hunting

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companion.

However, trapping a bird is not an easy task. Kercher and Waller had to trap around 10 red-tailed hawks before Waller found the one that he felt he had truly connected with.

After finding the connection, Waller then had to train his hawk.

One difficult part of training any hawk is called manning - where the hawker convinces the bird that he or she is a friend. Kercher explained one distinct exercise that Waller had to do to convince the hawk to trust him.

“We actually hold the bird on our fist for a minimum of an hour before dark to three or four in the morning” Kercher said.

From night to day, Waller’s dedication is clearly evident.

Although some may be put off by hawkers like Waller who use

their hawks to go rabbit hunting, Waller feels the exact opposite.

“What draws me to hawking is being able to … teach [birds] that man and bird can coexist in a very efficient way that is beneficial to the bird and the person,” Waller said.

Specifically, when cared for by a hawker, red-tailed hawks are fed better, receive better veterinary care and in some cases end up living to twice their average age if they had lived in the wild.

Despite being successful with traditional field hawking, Waller is always attempting to develop new talents within the realm of hawking. One new and growing type of hawking is car hawking, otherwise known as drive-by falconry.

In drive-by falconry the hunter and their bird, usually a species of falcon called the kestrel, drive together in search for small animals that are close to the road. The driver moves at a moderate speed and then releases the bird. The increased speed of the bird due to its exit from the car leaves the kestrel’s prey little time to react, resulting in a high catch rate using this method.

Waller is intrigued by drive-by falconry and hopes to capture a kestrel.

“If I had a kestrel right now … I would be car hawking, but it is definitely a different experience from field hawking.”

Although some see Waller solely as a devoted hawker, he is also a traditional high school student who is attempting to discover and develop his other passions.

In addition to hawking, Waller also plays on two baseball teams, a volleyball team and endless school work.

Despite these commitments, Waller always finds time for hawking.

“In the warmer days we usually get up fairly early around 6 and then we go and I will be in the field around 7 but on colder days when it does not get warmer until later then we will wait for the afternoon to go,” Waller said.

Though it may seem difficult to balance his hawking pursuits and school, Waller feels that time should not be used to judge an activity’s practicality or feasibility, “[hawking] do[es] not really take much time.” 

Left and top right are Nathan Waller. Bottom right is John Kercher and Waller. (Photos taken by Joseph Shumway)

S H E S

AYS T HAT SHE’ S U TO B SED MADE EING FUN O F, THAT

SHE’

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essentially immune to insults. Emma Lineberry, a freshman at Clayton High School, is pretty good at brushing things off. So, naturally, she didn’t think much of it when her lifestyle was condemned by a boy she met while vacationing in Columbia, Missouri. “‘I hope you know you’re going to a special kind of hell,’” she remembers him saying.

Lineberry said she was introduced to the kid by her friends, all of whom attended the same school in Columbia. Shortly after, she remembers that she was cursed to spend eternity in the fiery pits of hell if she refused to repent for her sins. “[This type of event] has happened, maybe, two or three times,” Lineberry said. “It doesn’t really happen that often, though. I just kind of brush it off,” she said.

BY T E and M SSA O’B RI AX S TEIN AN BAUM

Lineberry had simply been enjoying a strawberry ice cream with her friends. She had done nothing to deserve any condemnation - except for one thing. Lineberry was committing a serious religious crime, in the eyes of that boy. Bisexuality.

Even when with some of her closest female friends, who are very accepting of her sexuality, Lineberry still felt somewhat like an outsider, as some have admitted to feeling somewhat “uncomfortable” around her in certain situations.

“Even my good friends, who are okay with my sexuality - at sleepovers, they have to make me sleep farther away, and I’m not allowed to be in the same room when they’re changing clothes. They still feel uncomfortable around me, as if I could somehow be taking advantage of them,” Lineberry said. “It kind of makes me uncomfortable, too.”

Some aspects of Lineberry’s story are surprisingly similar to that of Rebecca [name has been changed], another 15-year-old, bisexual female at CHS, who has asked to remain anonymous.

“I dont like [the idea of] walking down a hallway and having people see me as something different [than they always have],” Rebecca said. “Even if they’re fine with [my sexuality] ... I don’t want them to rethink who I am.”

Through Rebecca’s experience, she feels that bisexuals are discriminated against not only by heterosexuals, but by the homosexual community as well -- that neither gays nor straights “want” bisexuals.

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She explained that heterosexuals only see them as gay. “We don’t exist,” she said. And to gays and lesbians, bisexuals are often just viewed as “confused straight girls.” It’s as if she is caught in the middle.

Morgan Keenan, the Founding Director of the Missouri Gay Straight Alliance Network, is in complete agreement with Rebecca. “I think most folks are coming to understand gay and lesbian people exist,” he said, “... but bisexual folks are still told they are ‘confused,’ or just don’t know who they are.”

For people in a situation like that of Rebecca, Keenan provided a bit of advice. “You know what’s great?” he said. “She doesn’t have to identify with either [gays or straights]. She gets to decide how she identifies, and in fact she is the only one who can.”

Within the LGBT community, there are people like Lineberry, who are completely comfortable with their sexuality and are sharing it publicly.

There are also people like Rebecca, who are afraid to share their sexuality with the world. But Keenan believes that all LGBT members have to work

as a team.

“There is tension [within the LGBT community],” he said, “[but] the work is to find out how to work together, because we are stronger together than we are separate, and we have so much work to do.”

While bisexuals are, in some situations, “caught in the middle,” Keenan stressed just how strong members of the LGBT community are. He commented, “LGBT young people are also fierce, resilient and amazing leaders. [They] don’t need someone to save them,” he said. “They save themselves every day.”

When people insult her because of her sexuality, Lineberry just brushes it off. She doesn’t think much of it. She ignores it, because she can’t control what other people say to her.

What she can control, however, is how she reacts.

Instead of choosing to listen to the hateful things people say, in the words of Keenan, Lineberry decides to save herself. And she does it every day. 

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clayton “high”

by LAWRENCE HU and KATHERINE REN

Cannabis, marijuana, pot, weed, mary jane; all are names for an emerging recreational drug that is becoming as popular as tobacco and alcohol, and is rapidly becoming more available as new state laws legalize it. *tHESE NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT the identities of the students.

Photo from anonymous source

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his new trend has affected high schools around the nation as well. In the past decade, a steady rise in marijuana use and acceptance has started to change how people in the U.S. view marijuana.

According to a federal report, over 12 percent of eighth graders and 36 percent of high school seniors report that they had smoked pot in the past year, with 60 percent of students saying that marijuana didn’t seem to be detrimental to their health.

When CHS Student Resource Officer, John Zlatic, was in high school, any kind of drug offense could follow a student the rest of his or her life.

Today, the consequences of getting caught with under 35 grams of marijuana can be the equivalent of getting a mere traffic ticket, and can easily be taken off of records.

“I think the culture has really changed. When I was in high school, [marijuana] was a lot more restricted back then, frowned upon,” Zlatic said. “The problem was that any drug arrest barred you from a lot of things [such as] colleges and jobs.”

Today, recreational marijuana is legal in two states, Colorado and Washington.

And while the drug is still illegal under federal law, Colorado and Washington’s flexible attitudes towards marijuana are shared by other states. According to a survey conducted by Gallup Politics, 58 percent of citizens surveyed approve of the legalization of pot in America in 2013. That statistic is up from a low 30 percent in 2001.

On June 1 of last year, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay signed a law reducing the penalty for possessing pot from one year in prison and a $1000 fine, to a $100 to $500 fine, while Missouri law remained the same.

These national and regional changes seem to have local influence as well. As the country’s perspective on marijuana has become more lax, it seems many CHS students are beginning to adopt a similar relaxed attitude towards use of the drug. At CHS, many of the students who use pot on a regular basis are willing to admit and discuss their consumption habits.

“I’m pretty open about talking about it,” CHS Senior Jay* said. “My parents know that I smoke. They’re okay with it as long as I’m doing it not often obviously and not on school days.”

This relaxed attitude towards marijuana use seems to be more prevalent among the upperclassmen.

“I don’t know why people are so open about it. I think that’s so dumb,” freshman Joseph* said. “It surprises me because of how strict Clayton can be and the academic [pressure] there is here.”

However, regardless of how comfortably students talk about their marijuana use at CHS, it is clear that consumption of marijuana at Clayton starts at early ages for many.

“The first time [I smoked] was with kids in my grade my freshman year,” senior Sandra* said. “I used to do it a lot less when I was younger, my freshman, sophomore and junior years. I do it more now, maybe twice a week. When I was an underclassman, I did it probably once every couple of months.”

For some high school students, marijuana has become an alternative

to alcohol for a quick high during the regular weekday due to what they describe as more subtle side effects. Instead of suffering the repercussions of a painful hangover, marijuana’s effects wear off only after a few hours.

“In my opinion, weed is better than alcohol [through my own] experiences at Clayton,” Jay said. “I think in moderation, it’s more acceptable to smoke than to drink. I think that smoking doesn’t necessarily have the repercussions that drinking can have.”

Many CHS students believe that if marijuana is smoked “responsibly,” then it is okay.

“Most of my friends have tried it at least once,” Sandra said. “The people I associate with do it responsibly, so they’ll either only do it on the weekend or only do it after all their homework is done. Being sucked into the culture a little too much can be dangerous, but for the most part, people use it recreationally and are responsible about it.”

Catching students who are high during the school day can prove challenging. Since marijuana can come packaged in many concealable ways, finding the substance is often extremely difficult. An electronic cigarette can easily be passed off as an ink pen.

“Teachers are taught to recognize the signs when the kids come back [from being off campus], if they come back.”

Zlatic said.

But that’s not always enough.

“I don’t think they’re enforcing [the law] quite enough here [at CHS],” Joseph said.

As far as consequences go, punishments can vary, and is highly dependent on the situation.

If one is caught under the influence or in possession of weed as a high school student, a suspension is usually put in place, but first time offenders can look to a drug information class to reduce the duration of the punishment.

Through the police department, the administration here at Clayton has eyes and ears trained on CHS students if they ever get tangled with law enforcement.

“A lot of kids are surprised, because what happens is they will not even be on school grounds - they’ll be at a party or someplace and they’ll end up in contact with the police ... they don’t [have the] understanding that I’ll end up finding that information out,” Zlatic said.

Particularly, getting caught with weed as an athlete outside of school has a devastating outcome. Essentially, a drug offense could be the end of your high school athletic career as you know it.

Prior to playing a sport, all students are required to sign an agreement with MSHSAA, the Missouri State High School Activities Association. It states that as long as a court case is active, a student isn’t allowed to participate in their sport. This means no practices or games until you plead for a charge, which sometimes can be a very lengthy process.

Much like the effects of marijuana itself, the changes in the CHS student body have been gradual and subtle. Marijuana use is slowly becoming more accepted, riding momentum from national trend. While pot doesn’t carry the weighty dangers of heroin or the obvious risks of drinking, the drug comes with its own issues. More likely than not, these issues will be further explored in coming years as marijuana use becomes more ingrained in the national culture. 

“I think the culture has really changed. when i was in high school [marijuana] was a lot more restricted.”

-John zlatic

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PATH off the beaten

by JEFFREY FRIEDMAN

with reporting by PETER BAUGH and ABRAHAM BLUESTONE

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Portrait photos by NOAH ENGEL and BEBE ENGEL. Other photos provided by individual students.

L. s.

Ah, the endorphins. The feeling that comes with exercise is an amazing one. No matter where or when the workout takes place, the sensation of both mental and physical release is always a welcome respite for the sweaty individual.

But if you’re going to get fit, why not do it in a way that you love? While the majority of people are exercising on an indoor machine with their eyes fixated on the latest Dow Jones Industrial Average updates, Luis Martin is practicing his self-defense in case someone ever attacks him. Patrick Butler is proudly gazing over the tops of mountains after accomplishing one of his greatest climbing goals. Sophie Krehmeyer is tending to the needs of her horses before the sun rises, and Jacques Painter trains in preparation for his next race on the scenic pathways of Forest Park.

For this month’s cover story, we sought out some of the most interesting and unique forms of physical exercise in which students at Clayton partake.

If there is one thing to learn from this compilation, it’s that there are countless ways to fulfill the imperative one hour of physical activity per day while at the same time enjoying some of the most rewarding aspects of life.

Sophie krehmeyer:

horseback riding If sophomore Sophie Krehmeyer had to describe horseback riding in one word, that word would be “amazing.”

“When I was little, I saw one of my mom’s friends, and she was wearing what I now know is the horseback riding attire,” Krehmeyer said. “She was wearing these ‘funny pants’ is what I called them. I asked her about it and she told me all about horses. I was really interested and so my mom got me a lesson for my fifth birthday, and I haven’t stopped riding since.”

Krehmeyer sees horseback riding as a sport, a lifestyle and a job.

Not only does she often find herself caring for the health and wellbeing of her larger companions, but she also has assumed an even greater responsibility very recently: for almost exactly a year, Krehmeyer has been the owner of a horse named Oliver.

“I’d been riding for 10 years when I got Oliver, and my parents just thought it was about time for me to have my own responsibility of owning a horse. I had leased horses prior to this, which is like renting or leasing a car, so it’s not technically yours. But they just thought that it was about time to own one, and I was ready for that responsibility.”

Krehmeyer heads out to her barn in Fenton six or seven days a week to devote time to her beloved horse. Each practice, Krehmeyer and her fellow horseback riders spend anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour engaged in exercises that help to condition both themselves and their horses for upcoming shows.

Krehmeyer has one private lesson per week.

One other day a week, she takes a group lesson with two or three other girls. She can also “hack,” which is riding without a trainer.

She hacks three or four days a week, and half of those days are spent riding with other girls.

The time commitment to horseback riding is a significant one. Krehmeyer goes to the barn every day after school from about 4 to 7; in addition, she arrives at her barn at about 7:30 or 8 in the morning on weekend days to help with lessons for aspiring young riders.

However, her time spent dedicated to horses does not end there: a large part of the reason why Krehmeyer spends so much time practicing with Oliver is to prepare for the horse shows that take place at Lake St. Louis or at other facilities that are located in Illinois. These performances are far different from more traditional sporting events.

“We take care of our horses at the shows: people don’t take care of them for us … I’m usually there at 5 or 6 in the morning, and we’re feeding and cleaning stalls and

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grooming our horses to get prepared for the show, and then we go and learn our courses. Horse shows are really slow, and usually we have to wait around for a while,” she said. “But when we know we’re getting ready to go get in the arena and actually show, we warm up for about 30 minutes, and then we go into the arena to do our actual course that we’re being judged on.”

Krehmeyer said that in general, show participants are at the facility until 9 or 10 at night.

Although she said that it’s hard to pin down exactly what it is that she loves so much about the sport, Krehmeyer said that she enjoys getting to know all of the horses and their personalities and quirks. She believes that they are like people, and that you really have to get to know them. A special bond seems to form between rider and horse that can’t be found anywhere else.

But Krehmeyer would argue that these aren’t the only benefits that come with being a horseback rider.

“All of my best friends are friends I’ve met through horseback riding, and I’ve met so many people through it that have made a huge impact on my life,” she said. “And I’ve gotten so many opportunities to travel because of horseback riding.”

For Krehmeyer, one riding memory sticks out above the others.

“After my horse Lukas passed away about four months before, I had just gotten the horse I was riding named Mister,” she said. “I rode him two times, and then I went to the show. I was showing against 30 people in the derby, and I actually won champion. And so it was just a really cool moment after going through all of that with Lukas passing away to have my spirits lifted and to win the derby with Mister. It helped me to know that in the future, everything was going to be okay and that there is more to look forward to and to be happy about even though I had just lost him.”

But like all things, riding can have its downsides.

“Sometimes it gets tiring waking up so early and going to the barn, but it’s worth it because you have to take care of the horses. It’s a responsibility. You can’t give up on that. But sometimes it would be nice to sleep in.”

In addition, Krehmeyer feels that at times it can be difficult to persevere through the hardships brought on by the nature of the sport.

“Your teammate [your horse] can’t talk to you. They can show you their emotions sometimes through how they move. If they’re in pain you can feel it, or if they’re angry they’ll pin their ears back,” she said. “But the hardest part is not giving up when you really want to or when you want to have a chat with your teammate and want them to talk back to you and they obviously can’t because they’re a horse … you have to trust your horse, and it takes a lot of trust in the animal and trust in yourself that you can do it. It builds a lot of confidence.”

Krehmeyer hopes to have the opportunity to join and to ride with an equestrian team in college. Although she does not know for sure at the moment, she hopes to pursue equine science and/or equine training.

Eventually, she said she’d love to be a trainer one day and to own a barn.

In the end, Krehmeyer is passionate about horseback riding and has been for almost as long as she can remember.

“I love what I do. I don’t mind working at the barn for eight hours. I don’t mind being out there in the freezing cold. I don’t mind being out there when it’s really hot because I love what I’m doing.”

The exact definition of Tae Kwon Do as a whole is “the art of hand and foot fighting.”

But according to senior Luis Martin, “there are three major sects of Tae Kwon Do … I do ITF, which is more focused on defense and being able to use not only your legs or only your hands but everything in unison.”

Martín took interest in Tae Kwon Do after attending a kick boxing camp the summer after his 7th grade. Since he liked kick boxing so much, multiple people suggested that he take up Tae Kwon Do. Sure enough, he ended up liking it much more than anything he’d ever done before.

Five or six times each week for about an hour at a time, Martín practices the techniques of his sport diligently.

“A typical practice consists mainly of going through the motions of forms (which are a series of movements), practicing kicks and then self defenses which simulate an attack sequence and a response. That is the most of my plate training, and I just go through the same movements repetitively and also through all of the stuff I’ve learned from the lower belts for instruction later.”

One thing that makes Martín an especially unique student of martial arts is that he currently hopes to provide Tae Kwon Do pupils with instruction in the future, whether this takes place over the weekends, at summer camps or during his years of retirement.

“At one point I realized, ‘I want to be able to give what I’ve gotten from all of this to someone else one day.’”

In terms of the individuality of the sport, Martín has found that in practicing Tae Kwon Do at most academies “you work as a team to obtain perfection, but what you earn is as an individual.”

The Tae Kown Do competitions that Marín participates in are open to all types of martial arts. The contests are split up by belt level. Unfortunately, Martín feels as though the judges at the competitions award points mostly based on who they know the best.

“I do pay attention to what they say, but as to who wins or loses, I base that off of what my master tells me and what the other competitors tell me.”

Martín noted that the sport of Tae Kwon Do is conducive to meaningful relationships. Not only does he equate his fellow trainees with members of his family, but he also feels connected to the people against whom he often competes: they

Luis martín:

enjoy shooting the breeze in between competitive matches.

Martín likes the fact that for someone to be good at Tae Kwon Do, it is not necessary to be the biggest and most athletic individual. He believes that the sport tests and helps to build a wide variety of talents which include flexibility, speed and character.

In fact, one of the most interesting aspects of Tae Kwon Do that Martín has experienced is that it favors strong character and maturity YOU WORK AS A TEAM over the learning of new skills.

TO OBTAIN PERFECTION, “If you don’t have the necessary techBUT WHAT YOU EARN IS niques for one testing it doesn’t matter; you’ll AS AN INDIVIDUAL. be tested later on when you’re ready. But if you don’t have the character for it, you’re never going to be ready to be able to do well for the next tournament, or whenever.”

In addition to feeling awake and ready to take on anything during and directly after he practices Tae Kwon Do, Martín has noticed clear changes in how he feels on a day-to-day basis as a result of his dedication to the sport.

“I would definitely say that I am more disciplined; I am actually able to make myself do things, where before I would just get distracted by virtually anything and go off on tangents. I would also say that I am not as shy or scared anymore. I always used to walk with my head down, and I’m now capable of keeping my head up and my shoulders straight. It changes your outlook on a lot of things.”

Tae Kwon dO

Punching bag (Allison Long/ Kansas City Star/ MCT)

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Jacques painter:

road Bicycle racing Foreground: (Kurt Strazdins/MCT), Background: (Anda Chu/Oakland Tribune/MCT) “Biking is just a healthy way of living,” junior Jacques Painter said.

“It’s just something you can continue through the rest of your life, and you’ll feel good about yourself hopping on a bike. It’s something you’ll never forget.”

Although he’s only been racing bicycles for the last three summers, Painter has been riding bikes for most of his life. He first started learning how to ride when he was six years old. “Bike racing has always been a dream of mine to do.”

When Painter was about five or six years old, he watched the Tour de France and thought that it was hands down the coolest thing in the world.

And then for Painter, it got even cooler: his parents started taking him to the local Gateway Cup races, where he watched with wide eyes.

“My dad helps me with my training a lot,” Painter said. “He pushes me; he helps me get motivated for it. But usually I’m doing the riding by myself. Forest Park is a good place to go just to do laps around the park, to get mileage in.

But the racing itself takes place throughout St. Louis.”

For road riders like Painter, circuit races take place quite frequently around the city. These races involve the cyclists’ riding around a loop of a few blocks or so for a given amount of time. This part of the race is known as a criterium or a “crit” for short. After they have ridden for this set amount of time, the riders travel a few additional laps. The winners of these laps are the winners of the overall race.

Winter is Painter’s offseason; it’s a bit too chilly for him to get out much. However, during the summer, when he’s on a tight schedule with his training, Painter tries to get in three hard workouts per week.

“I’ll go to Forest Park, and there are some loops I do in the park there. I’ll time myself, and measure out the distances like it’s a race. And then the other times, I’ll be doing mileage rides. It really varies, probably from 30 to 60 miles per day.”

Not only does he travel along designated

biking trails, but Painter also navigates through a few major roads and a wide variety of neighborhoods that are located a good distance from Clayton. In fact, he’ll even trek as far as the Katy Trail in St. Charles to get in a good ride.

While Painter uses mileage rides to build himself a base and to get used to riding his bike at the beginning of the season, he gradually begins to incorporate speed rides into his agenda to imitate live races.

Although sometimes rides that last a few hours can get lonely for Painter, other times they are peaceful and restorative. “It’s kind of like an escape for me.”

Painter is fond of the convenience of owning and being capable of riding a bicycle.

“I can ride my bike wherever I want. I’ll choose riding my bike over driving somewhere, because it’s fun and it will get me places.”

For Painter, the thrill and excitement that come with the competition of bicycle racing are unmatched. However, he can’t deny that his sport can be “a little scary here and there,” especially with the large number of riders that usually participate in a bike race. “It’s scary when you hear someone fall.”

Though he does not have a coach or teammates to make him enthusiastic about riding, Painter is able to maintain the energy that is required for training and riding in general. For him, the biggest challenge of biking “is definitely finding that motivation.”

“When you’re doing a sport on your own, you really have to dig deep and find that motivation yourself, set goals for yourself and tell yourself that you want to accomplish these goals.”

Although he’s modest, it’s clear that Painter has been a natural from the start.

“I think my favorite moment is when I first learned how to ride. I remember my dad took me to Shaw Park, and he took the pedals off so I would just ride down a hill without pedals, and I would just balance down.

And so I learned in like an hour. I put the pedals on and started riding around, and I thought it was just the coolest thing … I thought it was just like the most fun I’ve ever had.”

When Painter rides, he reaches an intense state of focus. It’s almost as if he’s able to stop thinking: he has the ability to forget about the rest of the world.

“It just clears my mind,” he said.

“It’s like a therapy for me … you feel this freedom when you’re on a bike, and it’s [it’s] something you really can’t feel anywhere else.”

When someone places the word “hot” before “yoga” to refer to bikram workout that relieves stress, and you can get your workout in.” yoga, it isn’t just for giggles.

Argyres found out about sculpt at the beginning of the school year, “It can get up to 105 to 110 degrees in the room,” Argyres said. “Usu- and has been doing it once or twice a week ever since. “My mom recomally it’s only like 105 degrees, but it’s still pretty hot. You sweat a lot. mended it to me and I tried it and I really liked it.”

It actually feels really good afterwards, though, because you feel really Argyres is able to sign up for whichever class she wants to take at the refreshed. It’s just a really good workout.” very last minute, so she can make the final decision once she’s already arSophomore Sophie Argyres said that hot yoga is considered a better rived at Yoga Six, her exercise studio. workout than regular yoga for the following two reasons: it loosens the As an active member of the CHS Performing Arts Department, Armuscles which allows for increased flexibility and gyres believes that these types of exercises help it does an excellent job of toning the muscles. to improve her performance on stage.

However, Argyres’s physical endeavors do not “Hot yoga does a lot because it helps with flexstop at her immersion in rooms of ridiculously ibility and balance. During the musical, if there’s YOU DON’T TAKE high temperatures. She is also a practitioner of a hard dance number, it’s good to have flexibilthe workout known as “sculpt.” ity for kicks and stuff and also balance definitely THAT MANY BREAKS, Sculpt is a basic exercise class that works on helps for that. Sculpt is good because it just keeps both strength and cardiovascular conditioning. you in shape, really.”

SO YOUR HEART IS More specifically, sculpt can be described as a Argyres was attracted to classes like sculpt RACING. compilation of exercises which isolate the upper and hot yoga because she used to be a dancer, and lower body muscle groups and which use and these forms of exercise are much more in external weight as well as body weight to build line with dancing than are the more common power. workouts that are used for conditioning for high “We pretty much work on all of the muscles of the body for different school sports. parts of the hour. By the end you’re pretty tired because you’ve worked For Argyres, one of the best things about her classes is that an instrucout your whole body. It’s cardio because it’s really fast. You don’t take that tor is present and gives the group specific direction. In her opinion, havmany breaks, so your heart is racing.” ing an outside source of motivation makes working out much easier than Although Argyres has attended these different classes for the most it is when she’s alone at the gym. part by herself, she is trying to get some of her friends to participate However, these forms of exercise do have their downsides. because she thinks that they would enjoy them as much as she does.

Sometimes, since the classes she takes are so popular, the rooms “I don’t really have that much time to work out during the can become crowded and very warm–as if the scalding temperschool week because I’m in lots of different extracurricular activiatures for hot yoga were not high enough already. ties, so over the weekend I go do the class because it’s a good hour

Sophie Argyres:

Background: (Jarrad Henderson/ Detroit Free Press/MCT)

Sculpt and bikram yoga COVER

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chandler kropp:

Rowing

“It’s excruciating.” Senior Chandler Kropp did not forget to make mention of the excessive pain that comes with rowing.

And as if she didn’t ache as a result of the sport enough already, Kropp is currently injured. Although at the moment she has a compressed disc in her lower back, she rows six days per week for two hours each day when uninjured.

“Obviously the injury is kind of a negative aspect because there’s a lot of repetitive motion, and I’ve been rowing for about three years so the repetitive motion has finally caught up to me.”

Injury is one thing, but temporary pain is another.

Not only do rowers often have persistent injuries to deal with, but they also ache an unimaginable amount during practices as well as races when they are completely healthy.

This is indicative of the amount of grit required by the individuals who are up for the challenge “It’s like a good kind of pain. I hate [the period of time] before races and I don’t particularly like during the races either, but after races you just feel really good especially if the race went really well.”

But the pain of the sport is not left on the water.

“Basically, you’re in a perpetual state of soreness … you know that you’re getting stronger, so there’s kind of a silver lining to the dark cloud.”

This physical pain can be traced back to the intensity of rowing workouts.

“Every other day [the workouts] would kind of switch off. One day we would have long pieces which we call ‘steady state’… we would do two or three 30 minute pieces where you’ve just got to sustain pressure.

And then the other day we would have what we call ‘hard pieces’ where you go at what’s called full pressure, meaning as hard as you can row for a shorter interval.”

Races, referred to as “regattas” in the world of boating, involve different clubs’ coming together for specific events. There are distinct fall and spring seasons in the sport of rowing, and usually three regattas take place during each individual season.

In addition, there is a small summer season that consists of one regatta.

Kropp knows from experience that every rower has to stay on his or her toes when it comes time for competitive racing. “At each of those regattas you could potentially be racing two to four times,” Kropp said.

By far, Kropp’s favorite aspect of rowing is the tight bond found within the team.

“We’re a very close-knit group, and we all get along fairly well,” she said. “There’s a lot of trust, because when you’re in a boat with people you have to trust that they’re pushing as hard as they can to make the boat go as fast as possible. At the same time, you want to push yourself as hard as you can so that you don’t let them down. It’s a huge team dynamic.”

Although her injury has stayed with her consistently over the past couple of years and therefore her recruiting process has been interrupted on more than one occasion, Kropp has given a fair amount of thought to the idea of rowing at the university level. During her junior and senior years in high school when she wasn’t injured, Kropp was being recruited informally by a couple of schools. At this point, she is thinking about walking onto a team in college.

Surprisingly enough, although it’d be expected that the close group of teammates on the remote body of water would talk openly, not much communication goes on between rowers during the regattas.

“We can’t really speak because we’re in so much pain at the time during the race, but the coxswain is constantly saying motivational phrases … the chatter from the coxswain is constant … The coxswain is in charge of steering the boat and motivating the rowers.”

In other words, Kropp said that the coxswain is essentially the brain of the boat whereas the rowers can be seen as the arms and the legs. Kropp also said that there are several different kinds of boats in rowing: they range from one-person boats to boats that hold eight rowers plus a coxswain.

Kropp believes that making the commitment to row ultimately proves to be beneficial. Not only is rowing a fun activity and an excellent form of exercise, but there are also a lot of potential college scholarships that come along with the sport.

“There are a lot of opportunities just to have fun and to make new friends and to push yourself. I’ve gotten extremely physically fit from it, and I would definitely recommend people giving it a try.”

“As long as there’s good climbing, I wouldn’t care,” junior Patrick Butler said on how far he’d be willing to drive for a good climb or two.

“I boulder and top rope, so I do roped climbing where you go up long distances and it’s sustained difficulty. And then I also do bouldering, which is no ropes and it’s shorter distances like 15 feet tall, or 12 feet. It’s harder because it’s shorter.”

Butler said that although the skills required to be successful at bouldering and top roping are similar, the two are different in a lot of ways as well.

“Bouldering is just more about power because it’s shorter distances so all of the moves are a lot harder. It’s kind of like comparing marathon running to sprinting. Sprinting is fast, powerful and quick bursts of energy where for marathon running you have to pace yourself and just keep going.

That’s what top roping is, where it’s not pushing you the whole climb, but by the end of it you’re exhausted.”

Butler is a member of a gym in downtown St. Louis called Upper Limits.

There, he has the opportunity to improve himself at the types of climbing he enjoys. This can be somewhat of a challenge in a state like Missouri. In fact, as a climber, Butler would not put Missouri on the top of his list: not only is there very little rock in this state, but the rock that exists is not of high quality from a climber’s perspective. Solid granite and limestone are abundant in the West, but Missouri, unfortunately, lacks much climbable rock.

However, Butler has gotten the opportunity to do some outdoor rock climbing more recently despite the fact that most outsiders picture his home state to be covered in farmland. And he looks forward to getting out a little bit more once the winter comes to an end.

“This past summer I went to Wyoming for three weeks and did a lot of rock climbing in the backcountry. Now that the weather is going to get warmer here soon, I’m going to start making more trips to Elephant Rocks and Jackson Falls which are two close climbing areas in Missouri and Illinois,” Butler said. “Elephant Rocks is only bouldering, and that’s about two hours away. No rope climbing is permitted. And then Jackson Falls has an area close to it that has good bouldering called the Holy Boulders.”

On Butler’s trip to Wyoming, he visited Wind River Range in Sublette County. Dome Peak is the most well-known peak in the area.

“We set out from a trailhead and hiked into the backcountry. We would hike maybe five miles a day, and we would have base camps for about five days at a time. All of the climbing was called traditional climbing, where you put your gear in as you go. There were no bolts or anything; it was all rock that barely ever gets climbed on. It was in the middle of nowhere in Wyoming.”

Butler found out about rock climbing through CHS; his interest was peaked when he took the gym class that, every time it meets, allows students to climb on the Center of Clayton’s wall. Butler enjoyed the fact that an instructor from Upper Limits came to the class regularly to give the students tips on climbing.

“He was just really cool. He got me motivated to do it. I started trying the routes where you follow the tape, and I found the challenge in it and thought it was fun. I started going to Upper Limits. I bought a membership, bought my own gear and love it. I’ve been going ever since, pretty much.”

Butler has been climbing consistently for about a year, and although he enjoys climbing indoors with others, he also likes to go solo.

“Usually when I’m bouldering I’m by myself, just because you don’t need anyone to belay you because there are no ropes. But whenever I’m top roping, I’m with friends.”

But ultimately, Butler can be alone and improve greatly: all he needs is himself and a wall.

Since climbers spend a lot of time pulling themselves up walls, most of the exercises they use to strengthen their bodies outside of the climbing gym are different from those that are used in preparation for typical high school sports.

For example, most climbers don’t train in weight rooms; instead, they practice opposition movements that are designed for the use of body weight only. Pushups and pull-ups are good examples of these types of exercises.

Many climbers, including Butler himself, also enjoy using a device called a hangboard which allows them to exercise the same muscles in their hands, fingers and arms that are used extensively in climbing in their very own homes. Strengthening the core is also

patrick butler: rock climbing important.

Butler commented on the beauty of the sport. He loves that you can dedicate however much time you’d like to dedicate to rock climbing, and that you are generally rewarded fairly for the amount of effort you expend.

“It gives you the ability to push yourself and to set your own goals,” Butler said. “So if you want to go all the time and you love it, you can have that ability, and if it’s something you kind of like, you can go when you want to. But it really just lets you decide how much you want to push yourself and how much better you want to get, and it all comes out of how much time you put in, how much work you put in.”

Once Butler reaches a new height on a certain route, he feels proud because he knows that he has become stronger since his last attempt.

“For me, it’s about climbing harder,” he said. “I’m not a grade chaser, which means you are just trying to climb the hardest [most highly rated] climb, but I do push myself to climb harder and more often just because it’s something I like and I want to get better at it.” 

COVER

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S

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S P O R T S

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P R E V I E W

boys’ lacrosse

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by peter baugh

boys’ track 2013 record: eight state qualifiers Players to Watch: Bryan Hodges, Frank May, Andy Hodapp team goals: To qualify to state and sectionals and score many team points at the District, Sectional and State meet

2013 record: 10-8 Players to Watch: gabe remshardt, jimmy o’reilly, adam lopata team goals: To open with a strong mentality and to make a state run

girls’ lacrosse

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2013 record: 8-11 Players to Watch: Maddie Mills, Grace Harrison, Natalie Miller team goals: to get their record over .500 and to win the Webster/Kirkwood invitational

girls’ track

2013 record: First at Marion Freeman Invitational, five state qualifiers heather stone nears the finish line for the girls’ track team (Allesandra silva) Players to Watch: jolena pang, heather stone, lily niswonger, hANNAH MILBOURN team goals: to work together as a team and boys’ tennis to compete at the district and 2013 record: 8-4 state levels Players to Watch: mac rechan, joey dulle, adam rangwala NICK BAX WINDS UP FOR A PITCH (NOAH ENGEL) team goals: to achieve success individually and as a team, ideally at the state level

baseball

2013 record: 14-13 Players to Watch: john howard, auggie mense, nick bax team goals: to utilize team continuity and upperclassmen leadership, with a strong regular season and a playoff run 2013 record: 11-10 girls’ soccer Players to Watch: abby rivard, marilyn gund, gabby boeger team goals: To utilize new members of the team, finish above .500, beat MICDS and make it through Districts

AT H L

PROF

ETE

ILE

lacrosse boss by peter baugh, photo by patrick butler

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unior midfielder Cooper Durham loves having a teammate who he knows he can trust with the ball. “[O]n midfield you’re kind of running all over the place, so it’s nice to be able to get the ball from the defensive side, bring it up and then once you give it to Gabe, you know that he is either going to be able to hold onto the ball so you get a little rest or he’s going to score right away.”

Junior Gabe Remshardt is the star attackman for the Clayton Lacrosse team, earning both All-Conference and All-State honors as a sophomore. In 2014, Remshardt has his sights set on even loftier goals for his junior season.

“I would like to be an All-American, which is a pretty hard goal to accomplish playing in Division II, because usually all the All-Americans, traditionally they’re all from D-1 … you would have to really make some noise in D-2 for them to even consider you,” Remshardt said.

But if anyone was to emerge from Division-II, it very well could be Remshardt. He scored 51 goals in 2013 and assisted 19 more. In 2014, Remshardt hopes to improve his abilities in all areas.

“This year I want to really round out my game and just be an all around good player, so [to] have my goals even with my assists would be nice,” he said.

Remshardt has been able to be a leader for the Clayton team since his freshman year.

gabe remshardt leads the chs lacrosse team with hopes for a strong collegiate career

“He’s a really good leader because people are able to look up to him and he obviously has a lot of knowledge when he comes to lacrosse, so it’s really nice to have him,” Durham said.

Though only a junior, Remshardt has already decided he wants to play college lacrosse. Though he has not been formally accepted through the admissions process, Remshardt verbally committed to Bryant University, a high Division I program. Remshardt likes Bryant in part because of their well-known head coach, Mike Pressler. Pressler was the coach for Duke University for 16 years and has won nearly 300 games as a college coach.

A verbal commitment allows either Remshardt or Bryant University to change their decision, but indicates that the player and college program agree that the athlete has a spot on the college team.

Remshardt also will play for the MO22 summer team.

“It’s the best 22 [players] in Missouri … it’s usually about like 250 people show up for the first day of tryouts, and then they do cuts and it’s a full weekend,” he said.

Remshardt was selected with fellow junior and teammate Adam Lopata.

Remshardt’s favorite thing about lacrosse is the challenge the sport offers to continually improve one’s play. “There’s always something you can improve at,” he said. “It’s never ending, so it never really gets boring.” 

2013 record: 13-15 Players to Watch: Doren Lan, Noah Youkilis, water polo Amit Michelson team goals: To improve to over .500 and to utilize veteran leadership and young talent 2013 record: two state qualifiers Players to Watch: elliott ambort, robert boys’ golf hogan, Chris sleckman team goals: to have multiple state qualifiers and to place highly in many tournaments

noah youkilis reaches for a ball during a water polo game (hanna park)

sports

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1976 Montréal Olympics Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci won three gold medals for the all-around, beams, and bars, a silver medal in the team competition and a bronze for her floor routine, all at the age of fourteen. Her uneven bars routine earned the first perfect 10.00 score in gymnastics Olympics history.

1936 Berlin Olympics Michael Phelps in the men’s 200m individual medley at the London Olympics. (Robert Gauthier/MCT)

2012 London Olympics In London, American swimmer Michael Phelps won four gold medals and two silver medals. Phelps got silver medals in the 4x100m relay and the 200m butterfly, and gold medals in the 4x200m freestyle relay, the 200m individual medley, the 100m butterfly, and the 4x100m medley relay. With his total of 18 Olympic gold medals and 22 Olympic medals overall, Phelps became the most decorated Olympian of all time.

American Jesse Owens won four gold medals in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, making himself the most successful athlete of the Games. Owens won the 100m sprint, long jump, 200m sprint, and 4x100 sprint relay, completely disproving the Nazi propaganda of Aryan superiority.

Right: Jesse Owens wins the long jump at the Berlin Olympics.

(MCT Campus)

THE BEST OF THE BEST of the best top moments of olympics past 2012 London Olympics

by NURI YI

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt successfully defended his gold medals in the 100m and 200m, becoming the first man ever to defend both Olympic sprint titles. Bolt also broke his own Olympic record in the 100m and broke the world record as part of Jamaica’s 4x100 relay team.

After the women’s short program, believing she was scored unfairly, French figure skater Surya Bonaly landed a backflip on one foot in her free program in protest. Bonaly was the only person in the world capable of achieving such a feat. 

1968 Mexico City Olympics

Usain Bolt celebrates after successfully defending his gold medal in the 200m at the London Olympics.

(David Eulitt/MCT)

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SPORTS

1998 Nagano Olympics

On the podium of the men’s 200m race, black American athletes Tommie Smith, who won gold, breaking the world record, and John Carlos, who won bronze, made a political statement. The athletes received their medals wearing various black items of clothing to represent black poverty, black pride and solidarity with blue collar workers. During the American national anthem, both athletes raised their black-gloved fists in a black power and human rights salute. The two athletes were eventually expelled from the Games and thoroughly criticized by the media for making the political statement.

Right: Tommie Smith and John Carlos salute during their medal ceremony after the 200m. (MCT Campus)

AClayton strong showing had many strong swims at the conference meet at Rockwood Summit

by PETER BAUGH

T

he season for most Clayton swimmers ended Saturday, Feb. 13 at the conference meet. For senior Danielle Sikora, though, the season has one more week.

Sikora led the team with 22 individual points and qualified for the state meet on Feb. 21 in the 200 Individual Medley (IM).

In the IM, Sikora finished fourth in the conference with a time of 2:18.82, breaking the state cut by over a second and earning Clayton’s only individual medal. She also finished tenth in the 100 breaststroke.

Coach Katelyn Long was thrilled with a number of time drops. She felt the most memorable part of the meet was Sikora’s IM. “We’ve had a lot of breakthrough swims for people,” Long said. “Probably the most exciting part would be Danielle qualifying for state.”

Clayton finished sixth out of ten teams overall, finishing ahead of Webster Groves, Rockwood Summit, University City and Affton. Kirkwood won the meet, defeating second place Parkway West by a wide margin.

The meet started with the 200 yard medley relay earning medals, finishing in eighth place. The relay consisted of sophomore Sophie Allen (backstroke), Sikora (breaststroke), sophomore Lizzie Wolfgram (butterfly) and senior Helen Troupis (freestyle). A number of different swimmers raced in the relay in Wednesday’s preliminaries, getting the relay team to finals. In prelims, freshman Marysia Hyrc (backstroke), senior Abbie Kohmetscher (breaststroke), junior Stefanie Getz (butterfly) and sophomore Sammy Bale (freestyle) swam, allowing other swimmers to rest for later swims.

In the 200 freestyle individual event, Bale finished in tenth and sophomore Dani Skor finished in 12th. Skor also swam well in the 500 freestyle, finishing tenth and dropping over five seconds from her time in preliminaries.

Swimmers Troupis, freshman Grace Monshausen, Allen and Skor swam the 200 yard freestyle relay. They also earned medals with an eighth place finish. Similar to the medley relay, the team in preliminaries looked different than in finals. Junior Katy Pailthorp took Allen’s spot so that Allen could focus on her backstroke.

Monshausen loved the opportunity to swim for Clayton’s top relay team in the 200 free relay.

“It was really intimidating to swim with the top swimmers on the team at first, but now I’ve become very close with all of them. It’s been a great experience and season,” she said.

In the 100 backstroke, Sammy Bale finished 14th. Bale earned a total of ten individual points for the team, third to only Skor (12 points) and Sikora (22 points). Along with Sikora’s tenth place finish, Abbie Kohmetscher finished 15th in the 100 breaststroke.

The 400 free relay finished fifth, earning medals. The team consisted of Sikora, Skor, Wolfgram and Bale. In preliminaries, Monshausen swam in Wolfgram’s place.

Abbie Kohmetscher was very proud of her team and felt their tight knit group made the season very special.

“I think the team this year was an amazing group of girls,” Kohmetscher said, “because they were really your family this year and no matter how we showed at conference, and there were a great number of girls who had great individual runs and the relays have improved a lot, no matter how they swam we still had a family within the team which was amazing.” 

Top: The girls medalists. Middle: Monshausen and Skor. Bottom: Long and Kohmetscher. (Peter Baugh) SPORTS

33

Pippin*

Photo by Eric Woolsey

The CHS Drama Guild Department offers a thought-provoking exploration of the fantastical and the mind-numbingly ordinary [by Parker Schultz]

“Pippin,” the musical which advertises “sex presented pastorally” and “battles ... barbarous and bloody,” ran as this year’s CHS musical. The quirky show showcased great CHS talent with strong performances from Aaron Argyes (Pippin), Ben Diamond (Leading Player) and Rebecca Polinsky (Catherine), as well as a strong cast of supporting roles. “Pippin” enjoyed a positive reception from audiences, while managing to push the envelope for a department that already has a edgy portfolio of productions.

The show takes place in the early middle ages, but the mixed steampunk theme and seventies roots gives the show a modern vibe. “Pippin,” the protagonist and prince to the Holy Roman Empire, leaves his father

in search of true meaning in life. After a series of realizations, “Pippin” discards his idealism to live a humble life with his adapted family.

The show took playful jabs at war, including a scene where dismembered body parts were thrown onstage from the wings. The Holy Roman Emperor declared he would spread Christianity, no matter how many people he had to kill, and several scenes more than hinted at sexually explicit themes.

Ultimately, the show’s message is to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, namely raising a family. This is a timely message for students who are about to embark for college to find their own meaning in life. However, the show’s secondary motif of suicide adds a darker layer to what originates as the self-exploration of “Pippin.”

One of the strengths of the show was the live pit orchestra. Student musicians brought the show’s score to life. Additionally, the show was well suited for a high school production as each song tended to feature a different vocalist.

As usual, the CHS Drama Guild Department provided another excellent production. The Clayton community, which has come to expect wild, thought provoking, and above all, entertaining shows from CHS was certainly not disappointed with “Pippin.” 

REVIEW * 34

REview

Cody Simpson * Talking with tour manager/production guy/ sound board operator Justin Sinclair [By Sophie Allen]

A hundred screaming girls in a room too small for Cody Simpson. This about describes his stop at The Firebird in downtown St. Louis on Jan. 31.

“Wow, over a hundred” Justin Sinclair, tour manager/production guy/ sound board operator, says as he leans over to The Firebird’s sound guy, “that’s a lot; but we got over 160 in Montreal.” He’s talking, of course, about the decibels of sound at which these teenage girls are screaming for 17-year-old Simpson.

Simpson was born and raised in Gold Coast, Australia. He was discovered in 2009 by a local radio company, and later began releasing singles, and, eventually, his first album, with Atlantic Records. His most recent release, “The Acoustic Sessions-EP,” showcases his subtle switch from pop music to more of a beachy, indie sound.

In several interviews, Simpson has discussed his love of music by Jack Johnson, John Mayer and Justin Timberlake. Until now, he hadn’t been able to express that kind of sound through his own music. Simpson was previously tied to artists like Justin Bieber, making it difficult for him to break out of the pop bubble. Now, with all the success he’s had creating a fanbase of devoted females, he’s allowing himself to add some more grown-up sound to his music.

This tour perfectly showcased his transition into softer, more grownup sound. The setlist, though featuring almost all of Simpson’s hit songs (acoustically remastered, of course) included Avicci’s “Wake Me Up,” a mashup of JT’s “LoveStoned” and the ever-popular funk hit “Superstitious,” and “Stir It Up,” one of Simpson’s favorite Bob Marley songs.

Gokul* [By Tara Williams]

Before I even walked in, I knew that Gokul would be different than the throngs of restaurants in St. Louis. A Bollywood movie was playing, but the English subtitles were turned on. A neon flashed “100% vegetarian …

Gokul Indian Restaurant … only Kosher restaurant in St. Louis!”

As I walked into the restaurant on a bitterly cold winter afternoon, the first thing that I noticed was the familiar and welcoming smell of naan.

The ambience of the restaurant was casual, and the friendly service made me feel as I was having dinner at a friend’s house. An affable and chatty server led us to our seats, which we briefly remained in, as we ordered the buffet. The price for the all-you-can-eat buffet was a reasonable $12.

From the buffet I settled on daal, a lentil curry that originates from North India, and sambar, a vegetable-filled curry, which, to my distaste, had okra in it. I also indulged in a mango lassi. Having previously tried mango lassi, I expected the flavor to be exceptionally sweet, but to my

Sinclair had a great time working on the project. He was the mastermind behind the whole tour, taking on production, management, soundboard and mentoring Simpson throughout the entire experience. When asked about being the only crew member, Sinclair said, “You gotta wear a lot of hats in this business. The more jobs you can do, the more valuable you are to somebody’s team. But still, it’s very, very hectic.”

During the St. Louis show, several things went wrong with the soundboard despite several hours of soundcheck earlier that day. There was lots of running back and forth between the stage for both Sinclair and Simpson’s other manager, also that of Ariana Grande, The Wanted and Justin Bieber - Scooter Braun.

Despite the fact that nothing went as planned, Sinclair still commented that running the soundboard live is his favorite part about being on tour. “I love mixing the shows. I do a lot of other things, like production, but it all comes down to mixing the show. All the hard work, all the drama that happens during the day, this is the most fun part right here.”

Simpson has officially finished his “Acoustic Sessions” tour and is now back in the studio. 

Photo by Jolena Pang surprise, the flavors were appropriately balanced, and invigorated my taste buds.

I picked at my sambar for a while, and explored its structure. I finally had the courage to try the curry, and actually enjoyed the way that the okra taste mingled with the other various spices.

For dessert I went with the kheer. Kheer, is like a rice pudding, with other ingredients such as cardamom, raisins and various nuts. The dessert originates from Northern India, Nepal and parts of Pakistan.

On my way out, I grabbed a small amount of candy coated and regular fennel seeds, along with a toothpick. The waiter informed my sister and I that the seeds are typically given after each meal in India, and is ingested as a breath freshener. I departed with my fennel seeds wary and full, satisfied by my meal and the small amount of allowance money that I had to pay for it. 

Review

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Other styles to love in 2014 NOT ALL OF US HAVE THE TALENT NEEDED TO LOOK CUTE AT 8:15, BUT HERE ARE SOME MORE EASY WARDROBE ESSENTIALS TO MAKE IT SIMPLE.

CROP-TOPS

They’re not going anywhere. Keep it classy.

Best paired with a high-waisted something (such as a skirt, shorts or pants).

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review

Comfy + Stylish

STORY AND PHOTOS BY SOPHIE ALLEN

Looking ahead at Fashion 2014 Clayton high school

MESH

Out with the cutouts and in with the slightly-more-covered-up sheer. Stylistically it looks classier, but still has the same effect as a cutout.

With the new year should come more fashionable teenagers. At least, that’s what the Internet tells us. Despite the lack of dramatic changes in what will be seen on teens this spring, here’s a quick guide to keep you in the know.

Here at CHS, it’s all about staying comfortable. While there’s a fine line between wearing

ATHLETICISM

Keep your eye out this spring for tennisinspired dresses and the comeback of the varsity jacket (not in your actual school colors, of course.)

OVERSIZE SWEATERS

These beauties are like the sweatpants of 2014. Feeling lazy? Throw on an oversize sweater with leggings, jeans or a skirt and boots, Keds or some sandals. You literally can’t go wrong. Effortless cuteness guaranteed.

a full outfit of sweatshirt material and knowing how to rock the oversized sweater look, several students at Clayton have shown outstanding ability to look comfy and stylish seemingly effortlessly.

Don’t worry about changing your entire wardrobe, several styles are sticking around post-New Year. However, if you missed out on the trends the first time, here’s your ultimate style guide for Clayton High School 2014.

ABBIE KOHMETSCHER DONNYE SOMMERVILLE It’s no longer shameful to wear a sweatshirt as the main focus of your outfit. With colorful patterns, crazy artistic designs and bold prints, you can now feel comfy and look like an Urban Outfitters model effortlessly.

Boots are the way to in terms of fashionable footwear this winter and going into spring. Popular brands include Doc Martens, Timberland and other sturdy ankle boots. Tall boots similar to those of the Steve Madden brand are especially popular this winter.

School spirit special

SPIRIT Activewear brand shirts are the way to go if you want to look cute and represent a team, school or club. Though they’re a little expensive, they’re totally worth it in terms of comfortability and letting everyone know what you’re proud to be a part of.

CHS GIRLS SWIM TEAM

ABBIE HOLTZMAN Necklaces with your name or initials are popular this year, especially as a gift idea. Gold is the most popular metal for this style, often with a tiny rhinestone dotting an “i.”

LOUISA VASQUEZ

Infinity scarves are a great way to keep warm and look effortlessly cute. Paired with an oversized sweater or even a simple t-shirt (shown), it’s a great addition to any look.

REVIEW

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SENIORITIS

Arya Yadama

For freshmen, sophomores and juniors, the winter and spring quarters induce motivation: a chance to improve first semester lapses. For many seniors, especially those who have already received their college acceptance letters, passing second semester is nothing more than a graduation requirement.

The change in energy in senior classes is almost tangible.

Students slump a little lower in their seats, their work is a little sloppier, and there is a pleading urgency in the teachers’ voices as they struggle to keep the attention of their once hardworking students who no longer care about their grades.

Now, I can completely understand that once a person is accepted into college they feel less pressure to keep their grades up. The obvious repercussion of this is that colleges retain the right to rescind an application.

Usually a warning is sent out to the student before the acceptance is withdrawn, and even then, students who get this warning letter must have an extreme drop in grades. Christopher Watson, Dean of Northwestern Undergraduate Admissions told the New York Times that, “You would have to have a severe drop-off in your academic performance that would make us pause as to whether you could do the work to be successful here.”

So obviously, this is a less likely repercussion of letting senioritis take over. The thing that I find most disappointing about this nationally recognized tradition is that it proves the idea that, for the most part, the classes that we take; and the activities we do are for the sole purpose of getting into college.

It is disheartening to me that a student who once challenged him or herself in honors courses and was involved in many different extra curricular activities would stop trying their best in all of these things just because they got into college.

Call me an optimist, but I would like to believe that even as

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high school students, we have a purpose beyond getting into that Ivy-League school.

I would like to believe that someone taking five AP courses is doing it because they are genuinely interested in those subjects.

Those people who flip the “off” switch the moment 1st semester is over are simply confirming the superficiality of the college process.

We as a society are perpetually criticizing the competitiveness of the college process, however much of that drive and competitiveness comes from the students themselves.

If the way seniors act in the second semester is any indication of their genuine interest in the classes they take, then I think we need to reconsider the message that we are sending to students of a younger generation. I think that “senioritis” is just one effect of a much more serious problem.

We are trained to be well-oiled machines, with one purpose alone: get into college. Once we have fulfilled that purpose, most students, understandably, see no reason to keep trying in school.

I, for one, think that there are many reasons why we should keep trying. A good work ethic is invaluable. What happens when there is no college to get into? Will people be in a perpetual state of senioritis because they no longer have a purpose?

Now, I am not saying that senioritis plagues every single person. I think the most important thing to remember is that we should not let society turn us into machines that just go through the motions to fulfill one purpose. And after we get into college, we should not lose track of the things that genuinely interest us.

And for those of you underclassman, remember that life is about much more than packing a million extracurriculars onto an application. We should aim to stay true to the passions that we have before and after we get accepted into college. 

Emma Ehll

It’s that time of year again. A “crippling” disease has stricken this year’s graduating class. This condition, known as senioritis, hits the senior class annually. While it may permanently claim a few students, on the whole, the class will survive.

The symptoms of this disease include laziness, lack of studying and excessive absences. For those who fight the illness, second semester can be more draining than any semester prior.

However, for those that succumb to the ailment, second semester senior year can be one of the best times of their life.

While junior year and the first semester of senior year can leave many students feeling burnt out and tired, second semester has been known as a time for healing. Taking a semester off is an important part of preparing for college. One short summer is simply not enough for students to recover fully from the sleep deprivation and stress of high school and simultaneously equip themselves for college.

Not only does senioritis allow students to recuperate, it allows them to separate. The inevitable parting of ways must occur over time to prevent withdrawal in the long run. Second semester senior year is an important transition time that allows the graduating class to gain new awareness and a purer state of mind before going off to a new place of study for the years to come.

With senioritis comes the age-old threat of college admissions being revoked. While this has been known to happen in very extreme cases of senioritis, in the more common, milder cases there have only been small repercussions. More often the by-products of senioritis include a small decline in gpa, a small increase in visits from Mr. O. and the embracing of an overall dismissive attitude.

In fact, one of the most redeeming qualities of senioritis has to be the preparation it gives students for college. Many seniors no longer spend their time outside of school completing their homework and as a result they become much more efficient workers. Three hours of work meant to be completed at home can now be completed in two free periods. Now, if that isn’t a skill students will use later in life, I don’t know what is.

Seniors have worked hard for the past three and a half years, and it is finally time to sit back, relax and let their record do the talking. Whether or not they have been accepted into college yet, now is the time to savor their final months with family and friends, not with their textbooks. As long as students don’t allow senioritis to engulf them completely, it is without a doubt justified for seniors to celebrate all of their achievements and to get ready to begin the next chapter of their lives. 

photo by noah engel

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NO CITY FOR OLD MEN little known to many, The wydown mascot was once named for the Igorot tribe. do developments in clayton mean a loss of heritage?

by YOSSI KATZ

A

s the City of Clayton moves further into the 21st century, it continues to shed vestiges of the past. Small shops are replaced by sparkling office buildings; old school buildings are sold for new condominiums. These transformations, generally limited to downtown Clayton and the surrounding area, figures to drastically change the face of our city.

Take, for example, the arrival of large new office buildings across from the central business district. Several new office towers are planned, in the place of what are now small shops and apartments. Sikeston, MO-based Montgomery Bank plans a 25-30 story office building on the

Art by Victoria Yi

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site of the historic World News shop, at Forsyth and South Central. In addition, Apex Oil plans to demolish several currently vacant retail buildings on Forsyth near Straubs, in favor of a 10 story tower.

What effect has all of this development had on the Clayton community? In 1989, Bonhomme Place, a seven-story office building, was erected on the site of the former Crispus Attucks School at Bonhomme and Hanley. The school served as the Clayton School District’s sole institution for students of color until the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board decision outlawed such racial segregation. Today, there is no sign of the land’s historical past.

In addition, the new Wydown Middle School has recovered nuggets of history. During the 1904 World’s Fair, held partly in Clayton, members of several tribes from the recently conquered Philippine Islands were “on exhibition” immediately surrounding what is now the District’s sole middle school.

In partic lar, the Igorot tribes of the northern Philippines were put on display directly underneath the new Wydown building.

Until the 1970s, their legacy and history was celebrated by the school; both the yearbook and the sports teams were named after the tribes. Since then, however, a pungent wave of political correctness has swept the country, leaving no school untouched. Unlike the horrifyingly racist depictions of American Indians present in the names and logos of some modern sports teams, Wydown celebrated the Igorots in a generally respectful manner.

Why is this relevant, the reader asks. In this new wave of development and progress, Clayton is at risk of forgetting its unique history. Glass and steel rise above fascinating, forgotten stories. Not once does the Clayton student learn about Crispus Attucks School, or the city’s ties to the 1904 Philippine Exhibit and the Igorots. How many other stories are hidden away? What other chapters of history are forgotten?

As our physical ties to the past are gradually erased, our historical and cultural ties become susceptible to more danger. We inadvertently whitewash our past when we ignore such historical happenings. For a city that prides itself on its diversity, Clayton hypocritically homogenize its population, its history, its city and its citizens . In the end, we are confronted with two simple questions: What sort of city is Clayton, and what sort of city does Clayton want to be? 

SPORTS FOR P.E. CREDITs? Junior Ben Tamsky heads to the finish line. Tamsky is one of the many students at CHS who participates in athletics outside of gym class. Should students have to do both? (Photo by Makenna Martin)

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by ALBERT WANG

nly two laps? Is this all that we’re doing in P.E. class today? We run two laps to warm up for cross country practice. For many students who play any sport at all, P.E. classes like Fitness for Life can sometimes feel like a joke.

Every day, for the first half of Fitness for Life, all freshman students change into gym clothing, walk to the track behind the administration building, run two laps, walk back to school and change back into school clothing. In a typical cross country practice, students run two laps as a warm up, stretch and then follow it up with many more miles.

After freshman year, students can choose to take Net and Racquet Sports, where students play badminton every class. Also, Team Sports becomes an option: this class provides students with the opportunity to play team games during gym class.

Compared to the amount of physical exercise of any after-school sport, P.E. class seems like a breeze. An entire semester of a P.E. class feels like it compares only to a couple of after school sport practices.

For this reason, many students firmly believe that sports should be counted as P.E. credits.

At first, this idea sounds very appealing. Students who play sports

would be able to choose an additional class during the school day. Furthermore, they would still get their necessary daily activity from their after school sports.

But on the other hand, sports and P.E. class are different from each other in many ways. The most important difference between any school sport and a P.E. class is that while school sports are extracurricular activities, physical education is a required class.

Without getting a credit from playing a sport, students are already benefitting tremendously. Students gain the ability to attend tournaments and meets. This, in turn, provides them with the opportunity to win district-wide or maybe even state-wide competitions in their sport.

Additionally, students in sports earn points at the end of each sport season that accumulate as students play more sports and on more varsity teams. Not to mention, sports are much more valuable on a college application than is any P.E. class on a transcript.

Sports already offer all of these great benefits, on top of motivating students to exercise a lot more and making it easier to meet a wide variety of students.

Plus, why complain about a required class that allows students to run a few laps and then socialize for the rest of the time? ďƒź

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Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin after talking to numerous Tea Party activists in Washington D.C. (Olivier Douliery/ Abaca Press/MCT).

Free Speech butComes With a Price: at what Price?

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by JEFFREY CHENG n January 20th, Sarah Palin posted the following on Facebook: “‘I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.’ – Martin Luther King, Jr. Mr. President, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. and all who commit to ending any racial divide, no more playing the race

card.”

As I read through this, I felt a mixture of confusion, disgust and muted fury. Who did this woman think she was to accuse her nation’s leader of taking advantage of his race? Comments of this nature aren’t just sickening; they’re libelous and illegal.

Unfortunately, so-called “opinions” like Palin’s are becoming more and more widespread on the Internet–many people feel free to share whatever thoughts they might have. Most are under the impression that the intangible nature of the Internet renders any published notion beyond the law — the worst that they can imagine is someone whom they don’t want seeing the comment.

They are wrong.

Free speech is not a license to be stupid because it, like all of the other freedoms we enjoy, has its limits.

One of the most important of these restrictions is libel, which is de-

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fined as any statement that is false, malicious and damaging to one’s reputation. Libel restrictions are not unreasonable laws; people do not and should not have the right to hurt others through speech in an unjust manner. And speech that is online without a doubt should not be exempt from such laws, as is established by 47 U.S.C. § 230.

If anything, the Internet is the worst medium to spread slander and libel because it is readily available to the largest readership of any forum of communication ever to exist.

Many may find this discourse to be bothersome and didactic, but the truth of the matter is that the Internet remains a festering cesspool of uninformed opinions that are harmful to others.

Even publicly-elected officials perpetuate this practice. As an increasing number of individuals casually use the Internet as a medium of absolute freedom, often spreading the darkest of their qualities, the contempt and invectives only become part of a vicious cycle. Hate breeds hate.

However, people are not helpless victims of society; we make the ultimate decisions of what to post.

If there is one lesson to be learned from this discursive tirade, let it be this: be mindful of what you post online, not only for your own sake in hiding from your parents, colleges, employers and the NSA, but also for those who might be victimized by online denigration. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin talks to coaches after a figure skating event at the Winter Olympics. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group/MCT).

THE FAILure of Sochi

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by NEIL DOCHERTY

hen one thinks of the Winter Olympics, one probably imagines a cold and snowy terrain, or at least that’s what it should be like. The lack of such a setting was the first problem in the string of instances that led to the flop that we call the 2014 Winter Olympics.

The Winter Olympics took place in Sochi, Russia. Since it’s a Black Sea resort town with winter temperatures hovering in the low fifties, it doesn’t seem like the ideal spot to host winter sports.

That’s because it’s not.

Sochi was chosen as the site for the Olympics because Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted that it be hosted in his favorite vacation spot.

Costing nearly $51 billion dollars, this was the most expensive Olympics ever. Many are wondering though where all that money went. Hotels were still unfinished when reporters and athletes checked in. Some reported that there was even no plumbing to their toilets. The complimentary breakfast at one of the hotels consisted of canned beans, corn, and marmalade.

Some athletes were also in for a shocking discovery when they found out that they had live wires running through their bathtubs. The madness doesn’t stop with the living conditions; some of the courses were even deemed too unsafe to use.

U.S snow boarder Danny Davis told reporters that the half pipe at the games was “garbage” and that it was “unsalvageable.”

This Olympics should be a time of flawlessness in every respect. Even before any of the events began it was obvious that the games were headed in the wrong direction when one of the five Olympic rings failed to dilate at the opening ceremonies.

This may have been tolerable at some other event, but the Olympics should have a fool-proof plan for success.

The bases for the Olympics has always been sports before politics, but how can the pure negligence by a country for the safety and well-being of it’s guests be ignored.

Hopefully, on the bright side, Sochi will show us the flaws in the system and serve as an indicator that improvements can always be made. 

CLAYTON LIBERalism: Too Much?

by KARENA TSE

C

layton High School is an open community.

With a variety of race, religion and even sexual orientation in its student body and staff, CHS has always prided itself on its policy of open-mindedness and acceptance. But when it comes to politics, students often lose sight of these values.

Clayton High School is a strange community.

In fact, the same can be said about St. Louis in general. According to The New York Times, Missouri on the whole voted Republican in the 2012 election. The Missouri Map of Presidential Results is a canvas of varying shades of reds, with only four pale blue exceptions: Jackson County, Boone County, St. Louis and an even darker blue, St. Louis City, not far from Clayton.

The City of Clayton’s democratic views have remained strong for years, and as a result, have nearly engulfed its citizens. People with democratic views make up the majority. They feel much more comfortable sharing their views, and naturally, others feel much more comfortable accepting them. It’s not uncommon to find students in the lunchroom vocalizing their support for gay rights and Obamacare — I’ve been part of such conversations myself.

On one occasion, a student contradicted our support of such demo-

(Hector Casanova/Kansas City Star/MCT) cratic beliefs. Some shot him dirty looks, some gaped at each other as if to say, Is he kidding?, and a few got in his face and raised their voices.

They argued that he was narrow-minded and ignorant. The lunchtime chat was no longer a thoughtful conversation, or even a debate. It had turned into a one-sided argument.

It wasn’t until much later that I wondered, “Are we the ignorant ones?

Wasn’t he doing the same thing we were doing — voicing our opinions?”

I realized it wasn’t a matter of Democrats vs. Republicans. It was a matter of listening to each other.

Clayton High School is a diverse community.

And like any community, it consists of many different types of people with different ideas and perspectives about how our lives should be lived and how our country should governed.

It’s inevitable that these ideas will clash, that these perspectives will disagree with each other and lead to conflict. But like any community, we have nothing if we don’t have acceptance, and being open-minded about only one side of an issue is not being open-minded at all. It’s simple: we need to listen to all the sides of an argument, regardless of whether we believe them to ensure that we have considered the other side’s case before we make our own. 

Commentary

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STAFF ED

The Evolution of Exercise

W

hen I walk into the weight room at the Center of Clayton after school, I am surrounded by mirrors. I see people entranced, turning in front of them, finding their best angles, looking desperately at themselves as they pace back and forth, scouring every surface of their body with darting eyes.

These mirrors represent a pernicious threat. As long as adolescents are exercising and getting their heart rate up after school, it is widely assumed that they are benefitting themselves; however, in these closed rooms surrounded by mirrors, so many adolescents seem to be picking their very own body apart. These mirrors warn us of the dangerous evolution in the exercise and fitness culture.

As high school students, and more importantly as human beings, we crave methods by which we can release stress an energy, especially when so much of the population spends most of the day sitting indoors.

Exercise offers everyone the opportunity for emotional cleansing, catharsis, thought, and obvious health benefits, and people across the nation clamber for the opportunity to experience endorphin-induced eu-

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Photo by Parker Schultz

phoria.

But the mantra of self-empowerment that has been the essence of exercise and personal fitness for so long is becoming more and more elusive within the mirrored walls of fitness centers across the nation.

There are men and women who are now being diagnosed with exercise disorders. These people are defined by the University of California, Davis Association for Body Image Disordered Eating as “people who are controlling their bodies, altering their moods, and defining themselves through their over involvement in exercise.”

In our society, we are increasingly seeking exercise, more for the means to a thinner body or a sense of control and accomplishment and less in the pursuit of fitness or pleasure. We are living in a generation of selfies, Instagram and Snapchat, all of which reduce who we are to what lies on the surface. While this may seem harmless at first, it can make facing what is in the mirror so much more difficult.

However, what our staff has found in the cover story is a redeeming yet deceivingly simple idea: a fun method of exercise that makes you healthy, but more importantly find a fun method of exercise that you love, even if it’s not offered in a state-of-the-art, mirrored fitness room. Revel in the opportunity to escape from the stresses of the average day, to push your own mental boundaries and to sing the body electric. 

Aaron argyres Senior Aaron Argyres finished fourth in the national Siemens Competition. he entered the contest with his research partner Mingu Kim from Hickman High School in Columbia, MO. Aaron has also played many lead roles in musicals throughout his four years at CHS. Give an overview of the science competition you entered.

The competition is called the Siemens Competition and it’s run by the Siemens Corporation and the College Board … 1,500 projects applied and they pick 250 semi-finalists who just receive recognition, and then 60 regional finalists who continue on in the competition to the next few rounds. That’s what we were awarded back in October and we went to M.I.T. for our regional final … So we got assigned to the M.I.T. region and we went out there and competed against the other 11 projects and they picked two winners and we were the team winners from the M.I.T. region and then we advanced to the national finals where we did the same thing.

What did your project cover?

Our project was titled … “Increasing the Proliferation Rate and Inducing Osteogenic Differentiation of Dental Pulp Stem Cells with Graphene/Poly (4-vinylpyridine) Composite Substrates,” but basically … we created a material made out of two different carbon based materials, and when we plated the cells onto the material they were forced to become bone cells with the idea being that you could eventually implant this material into parts of the body that are bone deficient and use stem cells in that part of the body, plate them onto the material and then you would be able to regenerate bone in a part of the body where you might have certain medical issues where there’s just not enough bone mass.

Is there anything you would like to add on the science experience?

I really hope that, not necessarily because of my project, but that just more people at Clayton do research because I think that Clayton students are exceptionally prepared to do research in that they’re not only strong scientists and kids who have been prepared with a lot of background in the sciences, but they also are exceptional writers and writing is really important--not just for science competitions, but science in general is being able to communicate your results so that other people can reproduce them.

What were your feelings when you got fourth?

Winning the regional final and realizing, ‘Wait, we’re going to be in the top twelve projects in the nation, we’re going to be able to meet these amazing professors and just go through the whole experience of the national competition.’ That was really a huge thrill … I think, more than anything, half the competition that has been really cool is that I’ve made 20 really cool, amazing friends from it that I still keep in touch with, that I’m on Facebook with all the time and I’ll probably end up going to college with a lot of those people, and so I have kind of a network of people who are really strong in science and that are interested in research and making a difference.

What are some of your favorite memories with Clayton theater?

Drama Guild has been probably my favorite part of high school. As far as favorite memories go, Rocky Horror and Pippin were shows where I made lots of close friends. 

Tell me about playing Pippin in the school musical.

Pippin was my favorite role I’ve played at CHS because of the songs. I really love “Corner of the Sky” and “Morning Glow,” and loved adding my own interpretations and twists to those great pieces.

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(Photo from Aaron Argyres via Siemens Foundation)