Globe Newsmagazine, October 2021, Issue 2, Vol. 93

Gl be AFGHANISTAN

the globe takes a look at the impact of the afghan refugee crisis in st. louis VOLUME 94. ISSUE 2.

CLAYTON HIGH SCHOOL. CLAYTON, MO. OCTOBER 2021.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! The Globe is an entirely self-funded publication. We receive no funding from the school district for printing. Each issue of the Globe costs approximately $2,000 to print.

We are deeply grateful to our sponsors for their support of our publication.

They make our work possible. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please email us at globe@claytonschools.net

Issue Level Sponsors ($2,000+ level) Gail Workman Clayton Education Foundation

Golden Greyhound Sponsors ($200+ level) St. Louis Suit Company All In Clayton Coalition Dale Avenue Pediatrics Yeung Realtors Dave Stine Woodworking Carlie Chiou Mark Hagemeister Naomi Erdmann

World Traveler Sponsors ($100+ level) The LaGesse Stanton Family Bob and Betsy Cuneo Christy Auston Peter and Sheila Nadin The Chung Family Gita Krisnaswamy Angela and Troy Quinn The Erlin Family The Family of Lary Baker Kay Quinn Malone Marica and Josip Kos

The Slen Family Lan Yang Enouch Lai Bill Moore The Bassnett Family Laura Pierson Alicia Espe Allison Creighton Bill Dupor Jennifer Baer

9

NEWS

Bathrooms Break Barriers Section editors Dheera Rathikindi and Daphne Kraushaar examine the long-awaited implementation of gender neutral bathrooms at CHS

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FEATURE

Class Officers Interviews

Reporters Samuel Sun and Kipp Vitsky get an introduction to the newly appointed CHS class officers

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REVIEW

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Section editor Rachel Chung gives her review of Marvel’s new hit 3 movie

Gl be STAFF

Editors-In-Chief Ella Cuneo Shane LaGesse Ivy Reed

Chief Digital Editor Kaitlyn Tran

Senior Managing Editors Owen Auston-Babcock Vivian Chen Seraphina Corbo Kate Freedman Alexandra Hagemeister Kaia Mills-Lee Ana Mitreva

Section Editors

Reporters

Stella Bishop Alison Booth Samantha Braidwood Zoe Daniels-Sankey JiaLi Deck Kenneth Gould Norah Gross Riley Kerley Charlie Meyers Caitlin Kuhlmann Micah Lotsoff Sidra Major Avie Mallon Sam McDonough Omeed Naemi

Emma Baum & Daphne Kraushaar | FEATURE Rachel Chung & Moriah Lotsoff | REVIEW Dheera Rathikindi & Alex Slen | NEWS Alex Cohen | SPORTS Enoch Lai & Sophie Yoshino | OPINION Sasha Keller | PRO/CON Thomas Gustafson | PUZZLE MASTER Max Hagemeister | STORY IDEAS

Page Editors Isabella Bamnolker Chloe Creighton Izzy Erdmann Maya Goldwasser Sahithya Gokaraju Isra Kayani Sophia Lu

Charlie Miller Kirby Miller Naveed Naemi Iris Park Sophie Srenco Sofia Mutis

Poppy Orchard Caleb Park Ezri Perrin Spencer Pompian Abby Rosenfeld Ivy Slen Samuel Smith Abigail Stone Samuel Sun Leo Taghert Charles Thompson Santi Vaqueiro-Espinosa Kipp Vitsky Chloe Wolfe

Copy Editor Ruby Nadin

Art Editor Sonali Dayal

Photo Editor Lily Kleinhenz

Photographers Angela Wirthlin Ava Marsden Esther Wang Gabrielle Thomas Kendall Turner Maci Klaus

Maya Richter Sofia Klein Owen Wohl Paige Conrad Sophie Matiszik

Professional Affiliations: Journalism STL, Missouri Interscholastic, Press Association, Missouri Journalism Education Association, Journalism Education Association, National Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association Please visit chsglobe.com for our editorial policy, mission statement, and ethics code. You can contact us at chsglobe@claytonschools.net with comments, story ideas or letters to the editor.

From the Editor

Globe’s Feature Section Editor reflects on how to celebrate the true spirit of Homecoming this year.

I

never thought much of Homecoming pre-pandemic.

In fact, I didn’t even go in 2019, my sophomore year. But when homecoming weekend rolled around last year to very little fanfare, I found myself missing it. When compared to the devastation we experienced as a world last year, missing out on a day of excessively long football games and too-tight high heels might not seem like a big deal. For many students, though, it came to represent a thousand other stolen moments of their high school experience.

After some initial doubt, Homecoming made a return this year, and while it may not have been “normal”- students donned orange and blue face masks and organized pre-dance plans under tents in the Quad- I watched my classmates embrace the festivities with a fervor I don’t remember seeing prepandemic. So many students bought tickets to the dance that administrators ran out of physical tickets and the Saturday football game had a close-to-record attendance.

Over the past month, I had the opportunity to learn about and from Afghan refugees who have recently arrived in St. Louis, and as I celebrated Homecoming alongside my peers, I couldn’t help but feel drawn back to their story. For me, the homecoming season has been a sign of hope after a year and a half of emotional exhaustion. But for the Afghan refugees, who are fleeing a country that has suffered from Covid-19 alongside the rest of the world, there has been no such reprieve.

Their arrival in St. Louis may signify safety from the threats they were experiencing in Afghanistan, but they are now faced with the hardships many refugees encounter: a new language, a new community and no way home.

Since the 19th century, the homecoming season has been a time to welcome back and celebrate former members of a community, primarily alumni of a university.

A quintessential American tradition, some stories even claim that the first Homecoming may have been held just hours from Clayton, in Columbia, Missouri.

Homecoming this year already holds more significance after its absence last year.

We have found creative ways to bend the tradition to fit the new world we are living in. Not all of the changes are permanentthere is hopefully a future where a mask is not a necessary safety accessory- but we have proven that a tradition can be amended to be more safe, more accessible and more inclusive.

I believe we can push the definition of

HOLLY KUNZE, PHOTOGRAPHER Homecoming even further this year. What if, in a season dedicated to welcoming back returning members of the community, we also made space and time to welcome the new members of our communities?

For now, it is impossible for many Afghan refugees to risk returning to their communities. But while the homes that they have been forced out of cannot be replaced, we have the opportunity to welcome them with the same enthusiasm that we celebrate the return of our former community members. After all, what is a community if not a group of people who have at one point left home and ended up in the same place?

The original concept of homecoming is an acknowledgment of this: the communities

that were first reunited were not brought together by hometown or birthplace, but by graduation from the same universities.

Homecoming was not designed to encourage the replacement of a first community, it was a celebration of the continued creation of new communities.

The festivities of homecoming may be over for this year, but the spirit of the tradition will live on, if only we take the time to welcome every member of our community home.

EMMA BAUM FEATURE SECTION EDITOR Editor’s Letter 5

Staff vs.

Seniors CHS math teacher and senior class sponsor Alex Schwent preparing to face off against the seniors in tug-of-war at the homecoming pep rally.

The staff team beat the class of 2022 in the final championship round, following the seniors’ win against the junior class.

OWEN AUSTON-BABCOCK SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR PHOTO BY LILY KLEINHENZ

Bathrooms Break Barriers

The School District of Clayton builds gender-neutral bathrooms, promoting inclusivity

The gender neutral bathroom in the art hallway of CHS

PHOTO BY RUBY NADIN

T

he average school day for a CHS student is roughly eight hours. The average amount of water recommended for students this age is 2.5 to 3 liters per day— which translates to 11 to 13 cups. While not all of us are avid consumers of H20 anyone who gets even close to that number is going to have to use the restroom sooner or later. Now imagine those eight hours with a full bladder, and no comfortable place to relieve yourself.

In past years, this has been the terrible reality for many students in the Clayton School District and across the country. This was an alarming realization for Adam Jaffe, CHS alumni and former student representative to the Board of Education. After reading a Globe story released in 2019 addressing the need for gender-neutral bathrooms, Jaffe attempted to make a change. Unfortunately, his early ambition was not initially met with concrete change.

“The story got so much attention, but the conversations didn’t really create any action,” said Jaffe. Upon being selected as the student

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representative, he immediately brought the concerns of his fellow classmates to the administration.

“It was something that I pushed for because I thought it was the right thing to do, and I didn’t think it was okay for students to not feel comfortable going to the bathroom.

So when I found out students could add items to the agenda, it was the first thing on my list,” said Jaffe.

It is because of the initiative that Jaffe took and the passionate voices around him that there are now gender-neutral bathrooms located in every school building in the district.

The three elementary schools are beginning to introduce the idea of “Everybody Bathrooms,” in order for kids to understand their importance from a young age. This friendly terminology encourages the normalization of these bathrooms for children and stands as a symbol of the inclusivity our district has long preached. These bathrooms are one step closer to truly including the LGBTQ+ community within Clayton.

Clayton High School’s GSA co-presidents, Anna Streeto and Annette Martinson, spoke in regards to the addition.

Martinson pointed out, “It is important for trans students who are just beginning their transition to have something that affirms them, without forcing them to choose.”

Streeto said that these bathrooms will help spread the message that “this is not weird, this is what normal should be.”

Former superintendent Sean Doherty’s motto, “we don’t just want to be great, we want to be transformational” is emulated through these bathrooms.

If you have a concern related to any student issues, please reach out to your student representative, Aitana Rosas Linhard. As Jaffe reminded us, “The greatest power that we as students have is to use our voices and bring concerns to the district advisory council.”

The next time that you feel unheard, remember that your student representative is always ready to listen, waiting to turn your ideas into actionable change.

DHEERA RATHIKINDI, NEWS SECTION EDITOR DAPHNE KRAUSHAAR, FEATURE SECTION EDITOR

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It’s a new year and the Globe crossword puzzle is getting a makeover! The Globe is now featuring longer puzzles that will be accompanied by a relative difficulty rating. To access answers or submit feedback, scan the QR code on the bottom corner of this page. Feel free to leave comments or suggestions!

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DOWN 1. Dr. Seuss creature that may have a star 2. Epic adventures?

3. Latin prefix meaning “moon” 4. Greek prefix meaning “air” 5. Reynolds and Gosling, for two 6. Walks nervously 7. “Stat!”

8. Where Gronkowski plays, abbr.

9. Subatomic particle studied in part by 14-Across 10. Certain spacecraft 11. “It’s not my cup ___” 13. The age group you most likely belong to if you are solving this puzzle

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The inspiration for this puzzle came over the summer as I contemplated the world’s increasingly industrial future. When unscrambled, the contents of the colored circles will imply a possible method of lighting our way to the end of the tunnel.

Perhaps you will even be inspired to become an oneironaut (59-Across) after you solve! (I just love that word.)

T.G. 59. ___ dream (oneironaut’s experience) 61. Eats up, with “down” 62. Another name for 71-/71-Across, maybe 64. Quiet 66. ___ Martel, author of “Life of Pi” 67. Where the Lorax pops out 69. Mexican currency 70. Word with June or Lady 71. With 72-Across, what this puzzle somewhat looks like; with 62-Across, source of 81-/82-Across; or with 35-Across, type of 81-/82-Across 72. See 71-Across 74. Food preservative abbr., or letter in the Hindu alphabet 75. Holed instrument in “Legend of Zelda” 77. Movie promos 79. Adjust for pitch again 80. Try to nibble on 81. With 82-Across, what the aptly colored circles in this puzzle literally represent when unscrambled 82. See 81-Across

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(MEDIUM-HARD)

ACROSS With 6-Across, source of 81-/82-Across; or with 35-Across, type of 81/82-Across See 1-Across Working, as a police officer “___ as a pancake” Physicist Richard who said that 9-Down “is a theory” Type of triangle Gronkowski’s position and others: abbr.

Responsibility Not rot Start of a major scale Website for craft vendors Syrup-flavored ice treats Type of bomber whose name is also a vitamin ___ spades (high card) Like approximately 90% of Mauritania Contented cat sounds With 35-Across, type of 81-/82-Across What 1-/6-, 62-, and 71-/72Acrosses all generate?

Matador’s opponents Oozes (through) Prefix for a type of triangle Rose bush adaptation Fixes a mislabeling on an Instagram post, maybe “You betcha!”

Heap Marx whose grave is ironically on private property Programming language homophonous with the beginning of a book Polymer formed from three molecules of a monomer ___ Adler (Sherlock Holmes foil) Apt prefix for this puzzle?

Skate tightener Vulgar Major mix-up

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15. Certain sisters (a group of them is called a superfluity) 16. Observed 19. Cleaning bar 20. Knot on a tree 23. Wisconsin v. ___ (landmark Supreme Court case) 25. Personal question?

26. Crow sounds 27. Most common cookies in crosswords 28. Mexican donkey 30. Uncensored media, or a major concern of America’s founders 32. Hairstyle named for a dog 34. Possibilities 36. See 42-Down 38. French explorer La ___ 40. Hansel made one with breadcrumbs 42. With 36-Down, type of 81-/82-Across 44. Kiev’s country: abbr.

47. Jumbo shrimp, perhaps 48. Dramedy or mockumentary 49. Tailored ___ (customized)

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Short summary Castle fortification, maybe Taxis Relative of sake “The Canterbury Tales” author Took legal action E pluribus ___ Kitchen cloth Human-machine hybrid Specialized genetic molecule that moves amino acids What gas-guzzling automobiles do Warm Fork point Military academy freshman ___-Dixie Reclined Feel remorse Sault ___ Marie, MI (Scan for answers)

THOMAS GUSTAFSON, PUZZLE SECTION EDITOR PUZZLES 9

9/2021

LIGHTS ON!

1

Putting the “Lake” in Lake Forest Lake Forest residents come together after multiple water main breaks.

I

ran outside and saw a lake in front of my house,” said Adam Stanley, Lake Forest resident and Meramec parent.

On July 31, 2021, a large water main broke in a homeowner’s front yard, sending millions of gallons of water cascading onto Lake Forest Drive. Neighbors could be found standing in their yards and on driveways, dressed in the remnants of their various Saturday afternoon activities, observing the explosive flood of brown water. The water flowed into the valley of the street and began to seep into the basements of several homes.

First responders from the City of Richmond Heights arrived but could do little to stop the intense flow of water. “Water mains can break at any time of the day and when public works employees may not be at work.

If the break occurs at night or on weekends, the police and/or fire will report to the break to assess the situation. They will contact the 911 dispatch center and they will contact Missouri American Water to report the break,” said Chris Boyd, Director of Public Works for the City of Richmond Heights.

“They (the firefighters) told me when it was unsafe to be in my house,” said Stanley, “I was in my house with other neighbors, trying to save things off of my first floor.”

First responders are an integral part of managing water main breaks.

Response time by Missouri American Water was slow. It took nearly an hour after the first 911 calls before any Missouri American Water personnel could be observed on the scene. It was almost an additional hour before the flow stopped and water was shutoff to the neighborhood. As the lake grew, neighbors whose homes bordered the flooded street walked through each other’s back yards to reach their houses to survey the damage and park their cars on higher ground.

“For the rest of the weekend we were digging out of our basement, thinking that that was the worst thing that could have happened. But, 11 days after that on the 10th of August, a water main in front of our house, popped. And we had hundreds of thousands of gallons of water forcing their way, into our basement,” said Stanley.

Stanley’s twin 6-year-old boys, Nicholas and James, were playing in the recently repaired basement at the time. The boys were terrified by the sound of the basement windows shattering as the water began to rush in.

10 NEWS

Water gushes from a broken water main on the northeast side of Lake Forest.

PHOTOS BY ALEX AND SAMANTHA COHEN “All the blood left their faces. James in particular, thought we were in really big trouble. They didn’t realize we could walk out the back of our house and find higher ground,” said Stanley. Adam and his wife Lucie moved their car out of the flooded driveway, quickly packed overnight bags for their boys and restarted the remediation process that had begun 11 days before.

According to Missouri American Water, over 3000 water main breaks are repaired in St. Louis County alone annually. In St. Louis County, water comes from the Missouri and the Meramec rivers. That water is then pumped into treatment plants, where it is filtered, cleaned and tested to meet standards set by the EPA. After that, it moves to storage facilities and then into pipes and water mains underneath streets. From there it is pumped into our houses for us whenever we turn on a faucet, wash clothes or run the dishwasher.

“The main reasons that a water main

might break are temperature extremes, pressure and soil conditions,” said Samantha Williams, a spokesperson for Missouri American Water.

Low temperatures cause the ground to constrict, making the pipes brittle and more prone to breaking. High temperatures in the summer bring a greater demand for high pressure water. This pressure can sometimes cause brittle pipes to crack. Many areas, including St. Louis, have components in the soil that are corrosive to certain materials that were used to make pipes in the past, making those pipes more susceptible to breakages.

Missouri American Water is the largest publicly traded water and wastewater utility in the United States. It provides services to towns and cities throughout the state.

Missouri American Water, like all utilities, operates as a monopoly, with pricing fixed by a third party commission.

“Most people don’t know when there

Damage to a homeowner’s driveway and front yard is caused by the water main break.

is a main break,” said Williams. When a main break is identified, either by Missouri American Water’s modeling and monitoring systems or by a customer notification, a troubleshooter is sent out to investigate the situation. Then crews are sent to shut off the water, repair the pipe and turn the water back on. After that, a remediation team is sent to repair streets and yards. However, for those with damage to their property, the road to recovery is much longer with many winds and twists.

The Goldmans and the Stanleys are just two of up to eight families in the neighborhood with significant water damage to their property due to the multiple water main breaks.

A previous water main break in 2014 also caused significant damage to the Goldmans basement and totaled two of their cars. However, it was the slow pace of rebuilding that bothered them the most. “So they fixed it, but it was about 10 months from the time it

broke until we received our final settlement,” said Michael Goldman, Lake Forest resident.

Missouri American Water is covered by Traveler’s Insurance which helps them to compensate residents for damages caused by water main breaks. But this can be an arduous and often draining process for homeowners.

“It took a long time for them to get here and to do the actual work. We were told to expect a call from a representative of the water company and a representative of the insurance company, but it never came. We were told to expect that they would organize the remediation group, and the construction worker on the ground is the one who ended up organizing it,” said Stanley.

The remediation process can take a long time, especially if there is a high level of damage.

“We lost two feet of our drywall on the initial break and now even the ceilings had to

come down. They had to dehumidify everything to keep the upper floors from buckling.

It basically just completely devastated the basement,” said Stanley.

In the short term, people often cannot safely stay in their homes. “It really throws your life into upheaval. We were out of air conditioning for nine days. Which isn’t as bad as the Stanleys. They lost their washer and dryer too,” said Michael Goldman. The Stanley’s were out of their home for 15 days, as it was unsafe to live there due to unstable flooring and a lack of power, water and air conditioning, in the heat of the summer.

“This is a preventable crisis. Our world is going to be impacted a lot by natural disasters, so these types of disasters are the ones that we need to work on avoiding,” said Stanley. Preventing water main breaks is a complicated art. Most of that involves data collection, analyzing the number of breaks in an area and patterns that suggest certain pipes might need to be replaced sooner than others. Missouri American Water also has monitoring systems in place to monitor the health of their pipes.

Damage from water main breaks is not limited to personal property. City property such as roads can also be affected. “We will close streets until MOAW is onsite if needed for public safety. We then work with the restoration contractors to make sure all infrastructure that is damaged from the water main break is restored to City requirements,” said Boyd.

“Infrastructure is one of those things that isn’t always top of mind. People rarely have an emotional investment into pipes in the ground versus an issue like school funding for example,” said Williams. Water is the cheapest utility, costing less than a penny per gallon in St. Louis County. However, this can also make it difficult for water companies to get enough money to repair aging systems.

Despite all the struggles, shared frustrations can bring people together, and even bring out the best in them. “It does make me wonder about people who are not as connected or don’t have the same amount of time to deal with all the people coming in and out of your house or managing the repairs,” said Michael Goldman.

Neighbors have rallied together to support the families most affected, and to advocate for a replacement of the water lines.

“One of our neighborhood trustees reached out to the water company and convinced them to move us up on the schedule to first quarter 2022, but I’ll believe it when I see it,” said Elaine Goldman.

ALEX COHEN SPORTS SECTION EDITOR 11 NEWS

Clayton’s Covid Response

The Clayton Mayor’s Youth Advisory council recounts the city’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Clayton Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council visits the city’s fire department.

W

ith a population density of 6000 people per square mile, one could say the City of Clayton has suffered relatively little damage during the pandemic.

The city’s response this past year is reminiscent of 1918—in March of 2020, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch published headlines such as: “St. Louis saw the deadly 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic coming. Shutting down the city saved countless lives.” Similarly, much of Clayton’s good fortune during the Covid pandemic can be attributed to the action from its local government.

As news of the pandemic trickled from the coasts to the Midwest, county fire chiefs and health officials convened at the Clayton Fire Department, forming the county’s first modern pandemic response plan. At the meeting, a physician warned that COVID was already spreading in the area, and if ICU patients on ventilators had received a COVID test, many would have tested positive. The city did not have testing kits at this time into the pandemic. COVID had been in the region for a while, but we had no idea, a Clayton firefighter told us in an interview. The “big wake-up call” was when firefighters called the Department of Health asking for protective masks, only to find out there was no backup supply.

Local restaurants responded to the pandemic very differently. As news of Italian

12 FEATURE

hospitals overrun with sick patients arrived in the United States in March 2020, Pastaria began planning. Employees worried about their safety, and for two weeks–which became an indeterminate time–Pastaria decided to shut down entirely.

In contrast, some bars and restaurants defied orders to minimize capacity, leading to hefty fines. In February, the city fined two restaurants over $9,000 each for violating COVID-19 indoor dining restrictions.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Board of Alderman asserted that Clayton can “adopt more measures, including revoking the restaurants’ liquor licenses, if the restaurants fail to comply with future orders.” While Clayton is committed to the safety of its residents’ dining, citizens in return seem to be committed to supporting local restaurants.

Surveyed Clayton residents reported which restaurants they have been frequenting during the pandemic; although not everyone is dining out, many order curbside or takeout from local restaurants such as 5 Star Burgers, Peno, and Taco Buddha.

For high school students, the pandemic was a varied experience. On March 17th, 2020, the School District of Clayton sent a message stating: “When the mention of the coronavirus first surfaced in January, I’m

PHOTO FROM CLAYTON MYAC sure very few of us imagined we would be at the point of closing our school buildings and initiating a plan for students to continue their learning at home. However, we have been proactively planning for that contingency...”.

By the time the 2021 school year came around, the senior class missed seeing their friends in person and many had trouble understanding the curriculum for their AP exams. This was in large part due to the decreased class time included in the new schedule. The unconventional year was not without some positive facets. Principal Dr. Gutchewsky said that the district may continue to use video conferencing in the future for students who are sick and cannot attend school as well as for conferences, allowing parents to join in from anywhere. This year, parent-teacher conferences will be the most attended ever thanks to the application of video calls.

The pandemic has influenced cities drastically nationwide—COVID-19 has affected Clayton deeply, and the city suffers new cases each week. But, through effective governmental response, private leadership, and local abidance, Clayton has been able to move forward through the pandemic and find ways to adapt to a new, temporary way of life.

JOSEPH SPARKS, PHOEBE MARTYN MYAC MEMBERS

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The Issue With TikTok’s Tiny Trends A look into the problems surrounding microtrends spread by social media and their effects on our community

Garment workers sewing t-shirts on the warehouse floor at Los Angeles Apparel on August 4, 2017

PHOTOS BY BRAIN VAN DER BRUG/ MCT Campus

O

ne month it was leopard print, the next, cow, and suddenly you had to be wearing sage green to be dressed in style. Even though trend cycles have existed throughout history, the growing fast fashion industry and the creation of social media has caused the length of said trends to grow shorter and shorter.

Many know what lays behind the screen when buying fast fashion, from sweatshops to child labor. In Bangladesh the monthly minimum wage is 96 USD for garment workers but only 14.8% of workers received that pay in the month of April 2020 (via Open Access Government). In one year, the people working to make Americans’ “fit checks” are making just over 1,000 dollars.

Yet these commonly-known injustices don’t keep people from buying. According to the Wall Street Journal, a whopping 80 billion items of clothing are purchased worldwide each year, many of them being worn a couple of times before being sent to the landfill.

Fast fashion has been brought up on social media frequently, especially alongside words like “disposable” and “microtrends.” TikTok is a major producer of so called “microtrends,” and

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websites like SHEIN have extremely inexpensive clothing that incline shoppers to buy mass hauls that they will later dispose of when the clothing goes out of style. The main consumer of TikTok media is teens, and the majority of videos they see are also produced by teens.

During the pandemic and lockdown, teens were on the app more than ever, watching their generation have style glow ups through the screen.

“During quarantine, since I was on my phone all day and was seeing people on Tik Tok show their closet glow ups and a new fun and different style it definitely made me want to make more purchases.” said a CHS student when asked about seeing a trend and buying.

What’s better than a website with every color and style of the trend you are interested in?

But for many, fast fashion means more than the latest trends.

“I am aware that places like SHEIN are terrible for sustainability and are hurtful towards workers, but I don’t have the money, nor my parents to be buying clothes from stores that are not harmful to the environment,” said another anonymous high school student.

Telling people without the resources or sub-

stitutes not to buy fast fashion is groundless and tone deaf. For many plus size, lower-income and modestly dressed individuals, the sustainable fashion industry doesn’t provide clothing for them, consequently making more affordable mass produced clothing the only option.

The real problem in fast fashion lies within people that have the resources to shop sustainability but still indulge in the habit of over-consumption and disposing. This unnecessarily grows the industry and promotes overconsumption to spectators.

“The people who are buying fast fashion because it’s all they can afford are not the ones contributing to the dominance of fast fashion,” said vintage clothing collector and social media influencer Mina Le in a YouTube video.

These people cherish their clothes and are not treating them as disposable items that keep them up with the trends. Influencers who buy $1000 hauls of trendy items just to throw them out a month later are contributing to the problem by influencing their young followers to do the same.

In the late 1990s and 2000s, companies like Zara and H&M dominated the fashion industry by benefiting from shorter manufacturing and distribution cycles. Compared to ethical companies that would take months to get an original design to stores, these companies reduced the cycle to just weeks.

They would start off by quickly replicating fashion trends from high-end fashion brands like Prada and Gucci. By copying designs instead of making their own, these brands were already cutting mass amounts of time and effort when getting designs to the manufacturer. A heavier reliance on unethical clothing production shortened the manufacturing cycle as well.

From there it would take days for the clothes to be shipped to warehouses and then sold in stores. The staggered production of different clothes resulted in changing styles and designs weekly so consumers could have a wide variety.

And of course, trendy affordable clothing is destined for high turnover.

Now let’s compare that to how SHEIN produces clothes. The key difference between SHEIN and fast fashion brands like H&M is the online factor. Unlike previous fast fashion brands, SHEIN copies clothing by analyzing the fashion trends of millions of people through social media, discovering clothing that will reliably sell fast.

Considering SHEIN is a company that only sells online, it has an abundance of data

and feedback loops that help the company understand how to market to its demographic.

With this data they are able to design an item and have it up on their site within a shockingly short three days. Because of these factors, SHEIN is growing so rapidly that it’s already become a major competitor against other pre-social media fast fashion companies.

Micro trends are the shortened trend cycle we see due to social media. For example when a brand sends out PR packages of a certain product to dozens or hundreds of influencers, they will all post with the item at the same time. This leads to the internet being overwhelmed with a specific item and followers of the influencers feeling like they need to purchase to be up with the times. They then go to websites like SHEIN to look for an affordable alternative --but there is already a new trend the next week-- so they return to the site yet again and buy the next big trend while last weeks purchase goes to the landfill, just more polyester fabric ready to sit in a landfill for a thousand years.

“I think one of the biggest issues with fast fashion is that it leads to the societal devaluation of labor that goes into making clothes. Of course if you’re used to seeing $15 price tags and consistent 50% off sales, you’re going to be blown away when you see a sustainable dress that costs $300,” said Mina.

That $300 dress is a representation of how the clothing industry should be run, through fair pay to everyone who participates in the sustainable process of design, production and distribution. St. Louis is home to a wonderful variety of local and sustainable clothing stores that partake in fairly paid labor. From resale to

locally designed, STL is home to a wonderful assortment of options that are more unique and better for the earth (and community) than fast fashion.

Anthony White, founder of STL-based sustainable brand Jon Blanco, understands the core of the problem.

“Our culture’s focus on consumerism focuses more on what people can buy rather than what they can maintain,” he said. “We are doing our best to combat these industry norms. As a brand, we have worked hard to find a balance of affordability, high quality and sustainability (both social and environmental sustainability).

We reduce, reuse and recycle every chance we get. In shipping, we use either recyclable or biodegradable materials. From the limited packaging we use to the tape that holds the boxes together, we are always looking at ways to reduce and reuse.”

Their clothing is made in small batches, and their embroidery and prints are created in STL. Working with companies in California to source materials and manufacture the blank clothing article’s they have maintained a clean and transparent supply chain.

“Our partners source fair-trade cotton from India, cut & dye the fabric in Los Angeles, CA and sew the fabric in Central America, namely in Nicaragua. The factories are all WRAP Certified. WRAP Certification is an independent auditing and monitoring certification that ensures factories are meeting a number of high social and environmental standards,” White explained.

And despite already being sustainable themselves, Jon Blanco is working to help St. Louis become a city that benefits the environment rather than harming it with landfills overflowing with polyester clothes.

“We are looking into the possibility of manufacturing our clothing 100% in the US (even potentially manufacturing some items here in St. Louis), coordinating local clean up events and the inclusion of more organic materials and fabrics. We are also always looking for new organizations to partner with locally. We are continually reminded of the impacts of climate change in our own backyard. Long-term, we would like to have a zero-waste factory based here in St. Louis. It would be my dream to make St. Louis a hub for sustainable fashion manufacturing,” said White.

Even though social media has a tendency to negatively affect trend cycles, it has also proved to be a significant way many sustainable brands market themselves. “Social media, and particularly Instagram, is one of the most important ways we connect with our supporters. It gives us an opportunity to present ourselves and

tell our story.” White explained regarding the benefit of media platforms.

Before giving into TikTok microtrends, take a minute to contemplate whether this purchase is good for the future of our earth and the people behind the screen working for less than living wage. And if you can afford it, look into buying from sustainable brands like Jon Blanco and spending a little extra money on a piece that you will love for a lifetime, even as trends come and go.

Designs by John Blanco

“I really want consumers to think about how they can align their personal values to the brands they support. Values, in my opinion, should influence purchasing decisions. Moreover, I want consumers to look at clothing differently. I want them to consider the quality and longevity of items.

If we want to make a positive impact on the world, consumers need to change their mindset. I am hoping to be part of that change.” - Jon Blanco

IZZY ERDMANN, PAGE EDITOR ANA MITREVA, SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR FEATURE 15

Biden’s Vaccine Mandate President Biden unveils latest effort to stop the COVID-19 Pandemic.

PHOTO BY ERIC HAYNES/ MCT CAMPUS

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n Sept. 9 President Joe Biden unveiled to the country new COVID vaccine mandates. He announced that he will direct the Department of Labor and OSHA to require all businesses with more than 100 employees to make vaccination mandatory or risk fines of up to 14,000 dollars per infraction.

This is the latest and most aggressive federal mandate to curb the coronavirus pandemic since the start of the outbreak in March of 2020.

President Biden has also announced that all federal employees are to be vaccinated or face termination. The new rules are part of a wider trend as companies are beginning to require vaccination or weekly testing for their employees.

President Biden’s announcement was met with deep opposition. Conservative commentator and Fox News host Sean Hannity called the vaccine mandate “deeply unconstitutional” and said the president is “mentally incompetent.”

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Other conservative groups are attempting to challenge the legal authority President Biden has to issue such an order.

The origins of government-mandated vaccines date back to Jacobson v. Massachusetts (1905) where in a 7-2 ruling, the court held that compulsory vaccinations are constitutional.

However, this rule is different.

President Biden is using the power of the Executive Branch to force private businesses to vaccinate their employees. This is complicated as the federal government is famously bureaucratic and the emergency declaration President Biden cited under The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 requires many steps.

OSHA must prove that it is feasible to enforce, that it puts workers in danger, and it is effective in defusing said danger. Proving those three standards in court could be challenging for the Biden administration as Republicans and other groups are ready to put up a fight.

There are other challenges to this new mandate inside the federal government as well. The New York Times has reported that OSHA has received less than a week’s notice to the plan to unveil the new rules. Insiders have also speculated that it could take weeks before a final plan is hammered out.

OSHA is a small agency with a limited budget thus making enforcement difficult. OSHA currently has a budget of around 600 million dollars and less than 2,000 inspectors. OSHA simply does not have the resources to police the actions of every company in America.

Much of the enforcement will have to be enacted by the companies themselves. Prior to the announcement, high-profile companies such as Centene, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and Goldman Sachs had announced vaccine requirements to return to work. Some companies have dragged their feet on announcing vaccine requirements. One such example is Walmart.

Walmart has more than two million employees, most of which are hourly workers.

Currently, Walmart has only made vaccination or testing mandatory for employees who work at the central office in Bentonville who tend to be salaried. This speaks to a wider trend of income and vaccine status or hesitancy.

Individuals who make less money are less likely to have been vaccinated.

This creates large problems for companies such as Walmart as they begin to implement the new procedures. A recent poll found 30 percent of Americans will outright refuse a vaccine, that if applied to a company like Walmart is hundreds of thousands of people. If they refuse to get vaccinated, then they must be tested for COVID once a week.

This raises another question, who is going to pay for all of the tests?

The new rules make it unclear if the federal government is going to be on the hook for these new tests, which could especially be a burden for businesses on the smaller side of the new regulations.

President Biden’s new mandate is one of the most aggressive countermeasures issued by the federal government since the start of the pandemic. It will test the power of the Executive Branch and perhaps end this pandemic once and for all.

ALEX SLEN NEWS SECTION EDITOR

Clayton Forensics vs. COVID-19 As Clayton Forensics starts its second year of virtual tournaments, students find it difficult to improve their skills and communicate with other competitors.

An in-person Forensics meeting during the 2020-2021 school year. Adviser Justin Seiwell can be seen passionately teaching the class.

PHOTO FROM THE GLOBE ARCHIVES

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t’s 7:30 a.m, on an early Saturday morning, April of 2021: Charlie Rubin dusts off his suit and tie, opens up his laptop, ready to compete in front of a full screen of empty black boxes.

This was the new normal for Rubin, a 15-year-old-who, amidst a global pandemic and school lockdown, persevered his way through the challenges of Forensics and online tournaments.

Covid has taken an undeniably dramatic toll on all of us for the past two years. With face-to-face learning replaced with Zoom calls, social gatherings replaced with social distancing, and flu vaccines replaced with Covid vaccines, one Clayton team struggled more than ever before: Speech and Debate.

“I feel like I felt less connected to the team during this past year, because I didn’t do as much work, and there wasn’t as much preparation that went into each tournament,” said senior Jeremy Cohn, a Varsity member of Speech and Debate, and a member of the team’s Executive Board.

“You’re basically just sitting on your computer, talking about water resources or something, in a suit, in your room, and it can just get so frustrating because you’re sitting

there with no face-to-face interaction,” said Rubin. “There’s just no social aspect to it.”

Face-to-face comfortability and communication is a very important skill to have, especially when it comes to Forensics. During Covid, a barrier was put between all of us that caused us to hide behind our screens and lose that skill.

“Last year was the first year that we didn’t grow as a team in 10 years,” said Justin Seiwell, coach of Clayton Speech and Debate.

“Now this year, we’re starting slower, and it’s taking more time to build up our members, but we’re going to be resilient and push through.”

This hesitant attitude towards when in-person tournaments are going to come back is all due to the massive turnout in tournaments, and concern for spreading the virus in the state of Missouri. The NSDA (National Speech and Debate Association) stated that, “After months of careful consideration, we have made the decision to host the 2021 National Speech & Debate Tournament online for middle school and high school students due to the ongoing pandemic.”

Seiwell said regarding the 2021 tournaments, “The good news is, right now we’re

still very optimistic about the spring. We haven’t made any decisions about December yet, we’re kind of in a ‘wait and see mode’, but we know that for October, and November we will be entirely virtual.”

Though all may seem down in the dumps for being online at the start again, many remain hopeful. Cohn said “Because this year is going to partially be online again, we already know that we’re going to do much better than last year. We know what tools to use, and we’ve figured out all of the tech bugs, and it’s going to run a lot smoother than before.”

It’s important to know there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. That might be being able to go back to in-person tournaments for Rubin, being able to have an overnight tournament for Cohn, or just safely providing this activity for students in the region for Seiwell.

All in all, Covid won’t slow the team down or mess them up, even if they do have to begin that journey again through a computer screen.

CHARLIE MEYERS REPORTER FEATURE 17

Meet This Year’s Class Officers The new Student Government members introduce themselves and their goals for the year.

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t the beginning of each year, the halls of CHS are lined with posters and flyers filled with flashy slogans and big promises. For a dedicated handful of students, the first few weeks of every new school year are devoted to campaigns and promotional videos, advertising why they should become class officers and how they will make the school year great.

There are currently four class officer roles, which could change as our student council (STUCO) evolves. “The role of the student council is to increase school spirit and student engagement in the building. We also serve as a liaison body between the student body and administration,” said T’Shon Young, the coordinator of athletics and activities here at CHS. The four current positions for each class are President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The candidates for each of these positions compete for the ability to improve and reinvent school life for their class.

There will also be several changes to the role of STUCO this year regarding Covid. “Covid has presented a unique opportunity to re-imagine and redefine the student council. We are using this opportunity to examine our practices and the culture at CHS to determine the best route to take in how STUCO can serve CHS.” said Young.

The Globe talked to the class officers for each grade, and asked each their main goal for the upcoming school year.

Seniors

Gabriella Broussard - President “My main goal as senior class president is to make sure that everyone is represented equally in our school community. I would love to have a fun normal senior year while still maintaining safety precautions for Covid.”

Jaylin Morris - Vice President “I want the best senior year that we can ask for. We want it to be memorable even while Covid is going on, and we want to still be safe. We are going to put together a lot of events and fundraisers to make this year great. We are also going to try to make sure everyone is involved in school spirit and coming to games and homecoming.”

Izzy Ross - Secretary “My goal as class secretary is to make senior year memorable. After everything with covid last year, we deserve a semi-normal senior year that is fun!”

Esther Wang - Vice President “My goal as vice president is to make sure we have a lot of involvement in school activities. We’re coming back from a year where mostly everything was all virtual, so we’re planning on organizing a lot of grade-wide events. We just want to make it a really fun year, especially because school gets really tough second semester.”

Alice Wang - Secretary “My goal is to make sure everything is really organized this year.

With Covid, we lost a lot of participation in activities. I think that if our events are messy, we might have less involvement, but if we have better organized events, we will have more potential for involvement.”

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Juniors

Zoey Hall - President

“My main goal as president is make sure the junior class gets to have the opportunities they missed due to Covid. What I would love to accomplish this year would be fundraising for prom and other sponsored activities.”

Katie DelaPaz - Treasurer “My goal as treasurer is just to get everyone really involved in school activities. Especially as treasurer, I would like to spend our budget on the right things to make sure we see increased participation in school spirit events, and have a really fun homecoming and prom.”

Sophomores

Sidra Major - President

“My main goal as class president is to create unity within our class.

During the last two years, we’ve experienced lots of disconnect. In order to bring the sophomore class together as a whole, I would like to increase school spirit. One of my main objectives is to host activities and virtual events that are exclusive to the sophomore class, so that we can get to know each other better and become a more cohesive team.”

Kailyn Rhimes - Vice President “My main goal this year is to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard.

We would like to create a fun year with school spirit. We are putting a lot of emphasis on making a fun spirit week, fun homecoming, and fun future events—especially fundraising events.”

Samantha Braidwood - Secretary “Especially with Covid, A lot of students are eager to get back into school-related activities that feature school pride. Events like spirit week and homecoming give people an opportunity to really enhance school spirit.

As secretary, I have to make sure that those events are really great this year for the student body. We also need to make sure people start showing up to sporting events, because a lot of ways people get back into the bonding experiences of before Covid are getting back into social events.”

Freshmen

Gaby Soares - Treasurer “My goal as treasurer is to bring together our class as a whole and increase school spirit. I also want to allow my fellow students to be comfortable with coming and seeing me if they have any question, thoughts, concerns, or even if they just want to talk.

Lastly, I want to make it the best year it can be, especially under the current circumstances. I want our grade to just be able to have the most fun we can have during our high school years!”

Brooke Lytle - President

Katie DelaPaz - Treasurer

“My main goal as president is to bring some fun to this year and represent my fellow freshmen. I would like to bring back a little bit of normalcy but in the safest way possible. Our class missed out on a lot of our fun trips, so I want to bring that back in a way that is good for everyone.”

Khaydn Adams - Vice President Riley Zimmerman - Secretary

“My goal is to make freshman year the most fun it can be, and to get people more involved. I also want to make sure everyone knows what is going on and include everyone.”

KIPP VITSKY and SAMUEL SUN REPORTERS FEATURE 19

ALWAYS A GREYHOUND: ERIK BECKER Class of 2001

Clayton Alumni accomplish interesting and incredible things in every industry, all across the country and even around the world! Each month, we’ll profile a different Greyhound graduate.

If you know a Clayton Alum who should be recognized, we want to tell their story!

Contact us at globe@claytonschools.net.

CHS alumni Erik Becker reviews film on a shoot. Becker graduated from CHS in 2001 and has since founded his own company.

E

rik Becker was driving around searching for office space when his phone rang. It was his agent calling to inform him that they loved a sizzle reel for what would become the Discovery documentary, “Who Killed the Lyon Sisters?”

Becker, raised in St. Louis, attended Clayton High School from 1997-2001. He then attended Columbia College in Chicago for film and music production. After college, Becker worked at Apple for three years, gaining more experience in technology before moving to other production companies editing video.

“Clayton High School offered me freedoms and responsibilities that helped prepare me for college and then real life,” said Becker.

“The challenging curriculums and opportunities for advanced courses helped to put me in a confident position when I got to college.”

Becker met his future business partner Aaron Bowden in 2011 when Becker was hired as a freelance editor by Coolfire Studios (a locally owned production studio) to work on “MFF: Mom Friends Forever,” a reality tv show on Nickmom where Bowden worked as the co-executive producer.

“Erik was by far the best editor that they

brought in, that was immediately apparent by the first cut he ever showed me. And then we started working together really closely,” Bowden said. “Every project that we got, after that, I just insisted that we have to have him because we’re not going to be able to do it [without him].”

Meeting deadlines in his everyday work is critical, and Becker credits the open campus policy at CHS with developing his time management skills.

“The open campus helped teach personal responsibility and accountability which is invaluable once you get into the real world,” said Becker.

In April 2018, Bowden and Becker formed their own fully operational television production company: Inkblot Narratives. They left their previous jobs together in order to create the type of media they wanted to produce and to further their careers.

“When you’re working for another production company, or you’re a freelancer, you are kind of just a hired gun on whatever you are put on,” said Becker. “We wanted to be able to pitch our own projects. We’re

open to lots of different things, but I think we are mostly focused on telling true stories and documentaries.”

So, that is exactly what they did.

On March 25, 1975, sisters Katherine and Sheila Lyon disappeared during a trip to their shopping mall in Wheaton, Maryland. For years there were no leads on the case until 2013 when the Montgomery County, Maryland police made a break in the case.

Becker and Bowden, taking the roles of executive producers, editor and director, began working on their documentary “Who Killed the Lyon Sisters?” in April of 2018.

With the freedom of their own company, they hired many St. Louis based people, including Clayton High School Class of 2000 graduates Lauren Bernstein (post production supervisor) and Alicia Vega (a producer).

Director of Photography Ryan Dorris, Editor Scott Adderson, and the duo’s full-time Assistant Editor Kara Paar are all St. Louisans.

You can now watch “Who Killed the Lyon Sisters?” on Investigation Discovery, Discovery+, iTunes and Amazon Prime Video. And keep an eye out for more stories from CHS Alumnus Erik Becker, ‘01.

Always a Greyhound Alumni Profiles are brought to you by the Clayton Education Foundation: Funding classroom innovations, providing educational opportunities and promoting lifelong connections for alumni. www.ClaytonEducationFoundation.org

Honoring Jared Schmitz

Paying tribute to Jared Schmitz, Marine Lance Corporal and Wentzville community member

Photo tag of Jared Schmitz hanging off a flag at Art Hill’s Flags of Valor display.

PHOTO BY LILY KLEINHENZ

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hen the news broke that 60 Afghan citizens and 13 US service members were killed in a suicide bomb outside the Kabul airport after Afghan citizens were desperately fleeing their country. US citizens had a mix of emotions, from angry, sad and heartbroken.

For the town of Wentzville, Missouri, just 40 miles from St. Louis, the news hit close to home.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, a citizen of Wentzville was among the 13 who

were killed.

Wentzville citizens came together to honor this hometown hero by doing a car cruise.

“Afterward we all met up at a local church.

Everyone just consoled each other and embraced each other in sadness and sorrow over Jared’s death. The support from the community has just been overwhelming,” said Mayor Nick Guccione of Wentzville.

When Jared’s body was brought home, a Marine ceremony was held at the airport.

Mayor Guccione attended as well as other

dignitaries and the family and friends of Schmitz.

“The ceremony the Marines held was very heartwarming. When they released Jared to his family, there was a lot of emotion, everyone that was there was emotional, I mean there wasn’t a single dry eye on the tarmac. I was standing next to a few of the family members, it was hard trying to hold back tears.”

Once the family received Jared’s body, people lined the streets and highways, paying their respects to Jared’s service, “Every municipality in Missouri was represented, firefighters and police cars waved big flags over overpasses. I’ve seen nothing like it before, and I was honored to be a part of it,” said Guccione. “I’m very proud of Wentzville, as the Mayor of the city, seeing the way the community came together, I’m just so proud.

I hope we continue to honor our service members who continue to give the ultimate sacrifice to serve us.”

Guccione is also working on ways to help honor Schmitz.

“As the Mayor of the city, it is my duty and honor to make sure he is never forgotten, that’s what my whole goal is. We are working on a memorial, it is called Hero’s Memorial Plaza and it will be incorporated with the new recreation center. It will not only honor Jared, but because his family wanted it to be all-inclusive, it will honor all service members who have given their lives and ultimate sacrifice in the war against terrorism to serve and protect our country. We are currently working on designs concepts and funding.

We are trying to honor the family to make sure he is never forgotten.”

Guccione reflected on what Jared Schmitz’s service meant to him, “People will look at baseball players or movie stars and think of them as heroes. Maybe they are role models in some way, but the real heroes are our first-responders and military, the people who put on a uniform to serve this country and save lives. Those are the true heroes and we need to make sure we honor them and to let them know we appreciate their service to the county,” said Guccione.

Guccione plans on continuing to honor the life and legacy of Schmitz.

LILY KLEINHENZ, PAGE EDITOR FEATURE 21

AFGHANISTAN: HUMANITARIAN CRISIS ARRIVES IN SAINT LOUIS seraphina corbo, maya goldwasser, caleb park, emma baum, ivy reed, kaitlyn tran, sophia lu, sahi gokaraju, vivian chen

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TWO CENTURIES OF AFGHAN HISTORY Afghanistan is a largely mountainous country landlocked in a cramped position at the crossroads of Central and South Asia. The nation shares a similar area to Texas, but to call Afghanistan a nation may be somewhat forgiving of its various communities. Afghanistan has many ethnic groups which include the Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbeks, Aimaqs, and other ethnic minorities, many of whom wouldn’t believe in an identity as so-called “Afghans,” but rather their own respective ethnicities. With these ethnic differences, there has never been a concrete national identity in Afghanistan.

For most of its history, Afghanistan consisted of loose agreements between those previously-mentioned ethnic groups and an authority based in the national capital of Kabul, most often a shah or king, an emir, or just some nobleman in general. In exchange for relative autonomy and the ability to live their traditional way of life, these ethnic groups would give their support to whoever would preside over the national government in Kabul. This meant that whoever would govern the country would have to walk on eggshells to respect the boundaries drawn by tribal Afghans, many of whom live in almost-secluded mountainous rural communities and fiercely abide by their traditional customs.

These divisions aren’t just ethnic, but they also consist of clan divisions that vie to keep their ancestral property. What established Afghanistan as having the semblance of a nation was during the Anglo-Afghan Wars between 1838 and 1921.

Afghanistan was entangled in a rivalry between the British and Russian Empires in the 19th century in what was called “the Great Game,” where Afghanistan became sovereign

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as it successfully resisted subjugation and made truce agreements with the two empires.

In 1933, Zahir Shah of the Pashtun “Barakzai” family became the king of Afghanistan, bringing stability to the country for the next 40 years of his reign, during which he extended the nation’s diplomatic relations and made efforts towards modernity, creating a constitutional monarchy system.

The following year, in 1934, the United States formally recognized the government of Afghanistan. However, this prolonged period of peace was not to last.

In 1973, Mohammad Daoud Khan, pro-Soviet general and cousin of Zahir Shah, staged a coup, overthrowing the monarchy to establish Afghanistan as a republic. Khan was originally the Afghan Prime Minister from 1953-1963, until he fell out with his cousin. At first tried to appease both American and Soviet interests, but border disputes with the US-aligned Pakistan pushed his government closer to the Soviet Union. During his leadership as prime minister, Khan carried out progressive social and educational reforms, which included extending opportunities for women in higher education and the public sphere.

These social reforms were controversial among many Afghans, especially those who lived in rural regions, because it violated their fiercely traditional norms that emphasized the leadership of men. Afghanistan’s new pro-Soviet policy at once attracted the attention of Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev. The nations became close allies, drastically increasing Cold War tensions with the U.S. During the Cold War the Soviet Union had a significant desire to spread influence and ascertain the loyalty of potential allies.

According to Dr. Paul Hoelscher, Clayton High School AP World History teacher and Social Studies Coordinator for the School District of Clayton, “Throughout the 70s, the Soviet Union increasingly became involved in making sure there was a government that was loyal to them or that they felt would provide a little bit of a geo-political buffer or ally during the Cold War.” The Afghan Communist Party began to secretly emerge in the mid-1960s, led by Nur Mohammad Taraki, who would later become president. In 1978, President Daoud was overthrown and murdered in a coup led by a group of pro-communist rebels. Taraki then took his place as president, with principal leader Babrak Karmal as deputy prime minister. Together they formed an Afghanistan based on Islamic principles and socioeconomic justice, while continuing President Daoud’s reforms, albeit with significantly more political repression.

In June of 1978 the rebel group known as the Mujahideen emerged to fight back against the social changes supported by former president Mohammad Daoud Khan. To contribute to their efforts against the Soviet-backed government, the U.S. offered the Mujahideen extensive funds and foreign military support by funneling the support through nearby Pakistan and their intelligence organization. The Soviet Union grew anxious about the growing power of the rebels in the region, worrying that uprisings would weaken the integrity of the government. They were also worried by the growing disregard the Afghan Communist government under Taraki had when it came to how unpopular the Kabul government was getting in rural provinces.

In 1979, American Ambassador to Afghan-

istan Adolph Dubs was murdered, causing the U.S. to withdraw assistance to Afghanistan. On December 24, the USSR invaded Afghanistan in an ill-fated attempt to revive the failing pro-Soviet government after assassinating and replacing Taraki’s government with Babrak Kamal as president.

What ensued was a 10-year proxy war between the U.S. and the USSR, which resulted in the death of more than 15,000 Soviet soldiers.

Interference in Afghanistan proved to be a continual burden on the Soviet economy, and in 1988 the USSR withdrew their forces. Although the Mujahideen had made significant progress, Soviet influence still dominated, and the battle continued against the current president at the time, Mohammad Najibullah until his government collapsed in 1992 as Soviet military supplies dwindled.

After experiencing years of famine, poverty, and war, the Afghan people were eager for a return to the peace and stability the nation enjoyed under Zahir Shah but to no avail.

Without a common Afghan national identity, to form a central government for all Afghans is one that’s bitterly contested among all of Afghanistan’s ethnic groups. This common frustration combined with a power vacuum in Kabul created an ideal environment for a new Islamic militia, the Taliban, to rise to power Hoelscher explained, “The Taliban comes out of youthful movements in Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. After the Soviet withdrawal there was chaos, just anarchy and total destruction… For [the U.S.], just a tie was a victory.

We weren’t worried about the casualties or the destruction, we were just trying to limit the power of the Soviet Union.”

The Taliban’s name means “students” in the Afghan language of Pashto.

The Soviet withdrawal left Afghanistan devastated, and today many Americans wonder whether the U.S. should have provided more aid to ensure the country’s stability before leaving.

“A lot of people are looking back at the 1990s asking if we should have done more for the people that were our allies or should we have done more to economically stabilize Afghanistan,” said Hoelscher. “And it’s hard in hindsight, but we look back and say that out of that chaos and out of that turmoil, when the Soviets withdrew it was the perfect recipe for the Taliban to come to power.”

Afghanistan in the early 1990s lacked a solid infrastructure network, and the Taliban had given many people the hope that their country would experience a return to security and traditional Islamic values. While the Taliban did enforce laws to tackle crime and the sale of drugs, the country’s new Sharia law significant-

ly limited women’s education and employment and demanded a strict adherence to gender norms. Women were required to be fully veiled outside their homes and remain in the company of a partner or guardian, and laws were further enforced by public floggings and executions.

Since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in August of this year, the group’s promises to protect women’s rights have largely been unfulfilled. As of now there is still great uncertainty whether the Taliban’s attempts to legitimize and moderate their government will be successful.

As Dr. Hoelscher sees the situation, “They might try to legitimize their role, but there is still likely to be more repression of women and political censorship.”

During the 1970s and 80s, Osama bin Laden, the 17th child of a millionaire construction magnate, began providing the Mujahideen rebels with funds, weapons, and fighters. After the withdrawal of the Soviet Union in 1989, bin Laden created the Sunni militant organization Al Qaeda for the purpose of fighting future holy wars globally.

Before the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001, few Americans knew about Al Qaeda at all, much less the extent its activities would have on the lives of millions of people across the world. On December 19, 1992, Al Qaeda carried out its first attack in Aden, Yemen. In 1993, the first attack on the World trade Center occured, led by Ramzi Yousef, a Pakistani terrorist that had trained in Al-Qaeda’s camps. In 1998, Al-Qaeda operatives carried out bombings of the U.S. embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya, killing 224 and unjuring more than 5,000 others.

On September 11th, 19 men hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing two of them into the upper floors of the south and north towers of the World trade Center. Today the 9/11 attacks stand as the most deadly and traumatic terrorist attacks to ever occur in the United States, resulting in 3,000 deaths, 25,000 injuries, and billions of dollars worth of damages in infrastructure.

On October 7, an intense bombing campaign led by American and British forces began, targeting Taliban-controlled areas of Afghanistan as part of the United States’ “war on terror,” a response to the devastating events of 9/11.

According to Hoelscher, the alliance between Al-Qaeda and the Taliban is the greatest concern of the U.S., as it poses the greatest threat to national security.

“The problem is, they allowed groups, Al-Qaeda being the most famous, to be there and train there. So a question from the 90s that is very pertinent today is, what were the relationships between Al-Qaeda, which we know as an international terrorist organization, and

the government of the Taliban. To what degree did they work together? To what degree did the Taliban government feel like it needed to house or protect or allow Al-Qaeda to be there, to legitimize their rule at the time?”

As US and NATO’s forces drove out and nested in Afghanistan’s major cities in 2001, a nation-building project was started where a new US-backed government was propped from Kabul. Although NATO forces were able to crush most of Al-Qaeda’s forces and later kill Osama bin-Laden, the challenge of stifling the Taliban that captured the hearts of many rural Afghans while also leaving behind a stable and functional government in Afghanistan ended up becoming the main objective of the US and NATO. The US-backed government was rife with corruption and embezzlement by government officials, while also facing issues with collateral damage where the US Air Force would kill civilians in airstrikes as a result of poor intelligence. Chief Foreign-Affairs Correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, Yaroslav Trofimov, reported that in a survey of 15-30 year old men in two southern Afghan provinces, 92% of respondents said they didn’t know about “this event which foreigners call 9/11” even after they were given a three-paragraph description of the attacks. Many Afghans didn’t even know the reason why their country was invaded.

Combined with the corruption and the embezzlement of foreign funds, the incompetence of Afghan leaders to lead the country without their hands being held by their foreign allies militarily, and increasing pessimism with the length of the war led to many Afghans being torn over the war and the militaries that promised to protect them. And meanwhile on the US homefront, public opinion for the war—overwhelmingly positive at first in the aftermath of 9/11—slumped as many Americans reasoned that the length of the war as America’s longest war points to why US forces should withdraw from the war torn country.

In many ways, the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan mirrors other major geopolitical conflicts such as the Vietnam War, which increasingly lost the support of the American people as efforts to prevent the spread of communism proved a fruitless endeavor. Throughout its history, the United States has struggled to find a balance between intervention and non-interventionism; and when it comes to international affairs, many Americans are left wondering, at what point do foreign conflicts merit attention and supplies? What ideological battles is the U.S. willing to fight?

As Hoelscher said, “The pragmatic capacity [for intervention] has to be balanced with the ideological mission.”

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REFUGEES AND ST. LOUIS Afghan refugees are not the first to come to St. Louis.

The International Institute of St. Louis was founded in 1919 by Ruth Watkins to help refugee women from countries devastated by World War I. After its founding, the institute continued to take in refugees and immigrants from all over the world, developing resettlement programs and integration services.

The Immigration Act of 1924 capped the number of immigrants from outside the Western Hemisphere at 165,000, one-fifth the amount of immigrants the United States accepted before World War I. For the next 40 years, no more large-scale immigration took place in the United States. Despite the reduced number of immigrants coming to the city, the International Institute continued its work.

During World War II, the institute responded to the internment of Japanese Americans by working with Washington University’s dean of students, Arno J. Haak, to relocate 30 Japanese Americans from internment camps. After the war, in the late 1950s, the International Institute welcomed Hungarian refugees as well.

In 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson’s Immigration Act added quotas that opened immigration up to far more non-Western countries. A decade later, after the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War, The International Institute of St. Louis helped resettle Vietnamese refugees who had been evacuated to the United States. Other

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Southeast Asian refugees came to St. Louis from Laos and Thailand in the 1970s, fearing communist oppression in their home countries. Today, many Southeast Asian immigrants live near South Grand. Since the late 1980s, Vietnamese, Thai, Laoatian and Philippine entrepreneurs have started businesses in this area, including restaurants, grocery stores and bakeries.

The US Refugee Act of 1980 resulted in an increase in the amount of refugees coming to St. Louis. One of the most prominent resettlement programs in St. Louis was the resettlement of Bosnian refugees in the late 1900s and early 2000s, after the Bosnian genocide.

According to The New York Times, the number of Bosnian refugees in St. Louis reached 70,000, giving St. Louis the largest Bosnian population in the country. Many of these refugees settled in the Bevo Mill neighborhood, or “Little Bosnia,” which contains many Bosnian restaurants and mosques.

After the September 11 attacks, changes were made to the federal refugee program. As a result, the United States admitted smaller groups of refugees, but from more countries.

These countries included Somalia, Nepal, the Congo, Syria, Afghanistan and Myanmar. Many refugees resettled in St. Louis, with the assistance of the International Institute.

During his presidency, Barack Obama approved the increase of the refugee cap from

70,000 to 110,000 so the country could take in more Syrian refugees. A corresponding influx of refugees arrived in St. Louis during this time period.

The increased resettlement of refugees in the United States did not last. After Donald Trump was elected president in 2016, he restricted borders by banning refugees from seven predominantly Muslim countries in what was called the “Muslim ban.” Over the course of his four years in office, he reduced the 110,000 refugee cap to only 15,000. As a result, the annual number of refugees resettled in St. Louis greatly decreased.

According to the International Institute’s website, the total number of sponsored refugees in St. Louis dropped from 1,158 in 2016 to only about 200 in 2020.

The Biden administration has since raised the refugee cap to 62,500. Now, as tens of thousands of Afghan refugees arrive in the United States, The International Institute prepares to resettle those arriving in St. Louis.

“I think St. Louis can be a wonderful location for refugees,” said Hoelscher. “One of the wonderful things about our country is that we are a country of immigrants. And even though there has been some nativism and anti-immigration sentiment, I think as a whole our country is pretty open and forgiving, and a good place for refugees to start their lives [again].”

THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE The International Institute of St. Louis(IISTL) is an immigrant service and information center for St. Louis. Currently in its 101 year of service, the IISTL continues to build and promote a better society for immigrants, their families and the St. Louis community as a whole. They provide services for over 6,000 foreign-born people for 80 different countries.

The services include but are not limited to career-path assistance, job placement, counseling and English and citizenship classes.

Initially the organization’s purpose was to aid displaced individuals that hail from wartorn European countries.

According to the 1920 census, 16% of St. Louis’s total population were foreign-born.

Something had to be done to bridge the gap between foreign-born and native-born citizens, so one of the first multi-cultural events, The International May Festival, was celebrated in May 1920. The Festival of Nations, which was

first held in 1934, can trace its roots back to this festival.

Since 1979, between the locations in Springfield, MO and St. Louis, the International Institute has sponsored more than 23,000 refugees including Ethiopians, Eritreans, Poles, Somalis, Syrians, Afghans, Bosnians and many more.

The Bosnian American resettlement program has been St. Louis’ most recent big project. Bosnians re-occupied neighborhoods, filled open jobs and enrolled in public schools.

The IISTL played a large role in the process.

Paul Costigan, IISTL’s Senior Vice President for Operations & Missouri Refugee Coordinator, explained that the Institute is in charge of running the statewide refugee program.

Missouri is one of a small group of states that have nonprofits run their refugee programs, so the International Institute is tasked with coordinating refugee service agencies across the state.

Though it still functions as an independent

nonprofit, it is officially an affiliate of the United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI). The State Department and USCRI work together to allocate refugee families across their network of local affiliates.

“So with advance notice of families coming, the International Institute, as part of their contract with USCRI, has to find an apartment, has to outfit that apartment with all the supplies that are on this really long list, towels and pots and pans and all that other kind of stuff,” said Costigan. “And then they have actually 90 days to provide a series of services for that family, which include health screenings, include enrolling kids in school, enrolling adults in ESL, getting parents into job readiness classes, getting them set up with a primary care physician.”

The International Institute functions by providing this holistic support even in the absence of a global refugee crisis. However, the organization is now gearing up to handle a ma-

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jor influx of families, similar to the wave of people fleeing Kosovo that Costigan remembers in 1999.

As Costigan explained, 60,000 parolees have been evacuated out of Afghanistan. The Department of Homeland Security Effort called Operation Allies Welcome has several operational phases, including screening prior to arrival in the U.S, COVID-19 testing and vaccination, processing at U.S. military facilities and integration support services in coordination with state/local governments and organizations such as the International Institute. Many of the arriving Afghans, including around 45 that Costigan reported arrived at the International Institute in August, worked with the United States on its mission in Afghanistan and hold Special Immigrant Visas. Others qualify for P1 and P2 visas because their careers as activists or journalists put them at risk in Afghanistan, and thousands more are humanitarian parolees including women and LGBTQ+ individuals. Those arriving as parolees will be especially in need of support.

“Their status as a parolee does not allow them to be served under refugee programs. They’re not eligible for refugee cash assistance because they’re not refugees, and they’re not eligible for refugee support services and things like that,” said Costigan. “The federal government has set up a program to allow for agencies to support those families for the first 30 to 90 days and help them pay for rent and utilities and things like that, but that is really the reason why agencies are doing big donation drives.”

Federal programs like Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are off-limits to the majority of the people fleeing Afghanistan. Refugee cash assistance is also inaccessible, which is a monthly payment program that in Missouri is run by the Missouri Office of Refugee Administration, an intermediary organization between the federal government and local resettlement agencies.

As the only resettlement agency in St. Louis, the International Institute is scrambling to prepare for the families set to arrive between now and December. Their efforts to build out their network of services and turn to the community for volunteers and donations have ramped up in order to accommodate 300-350 people. Costigan estimated that the number will end up closer to 500, despite what the organization has told the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants.

Costigan encourages the people of St. Louis to financially support the International Institute as they prepare to handle this crisis, but also to help by spreading the word in their communities. “There’s so much shared experience,” he said, “even though people have come from a faraway country and have fled either persecution or death threats and things like that, once they come to the United States, they want the same things as every other parent does. They want their children to be safe.”

RESOURCES One of the first things we can do to support refugees entering our communities is to educate ourselves about their experiences and needs.

Below are some resources for educating yourself about the crisis in Afghanistan and their experience in America, as told by Afghan refugees and those familiar with their cases.

books The Library Bus by Bahram Rahman- Written by a refugee who fled Afghanistan in 2012, this children’s book tells the story of a young girl living in Kabul who helps her mother deliver books and English lessons to children outside the city. Ideas such as refugee camps and bans on women’s education are introduced sensitively.

Shooting Kabul by N.H. Senzai- Taking place in the weeks before and immediately following 9/11, this book follows a young Afghan refugee who has recently fled to the United States. As he navigates the new world he has been thrown into, he fights to find his sister, who was separated from the family en route to America. The author draws from her own experience growing up between two cultures in the first of several books about young refugees aimed towards grades 4-6.

Dancing in the Mosque: An Afghan Mother’s Letter to Her Son by Homeira Qadeiri- A memoir by a well-known author in Afghanistan, this book has been translated into English, and tells the author’s experiences as a young woman growing up under the Taliban’s regime. Difficult topics are covered, but the book is powerful.

films The Breadwinner (11+) - An animated film based on the 2001 best selling book of the same title, The Breadwinner follows a young girl trying to support her family in Taliban-controlled Kabul.

The Kite Runner (13+)- Based on the best selling book of the same name by Afghan author Khaled Hosseini, this film follows a Afghan refugee who has resettled in the United States as he reflects back on his childhood in Afghanistan.

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CLAYTON RESPONDS Bringing Clayton to attention on this issue was Sean Kim, graduate of CHS’s class of 2019.

Kim explained in a letter to Superintendent Dr. Nisha Patel and other district personnel that he believes, “A Clayton-quality education is the greatest gift you could give to any child”.

He encouraged Clayton to take in Afghan students knowing that a Clayton education will provide them the opportunities needed to succeed.

Typically, the financial cost of education is high. However, Clayton has the support of families that can afford to donate. Figuring out the numbers, Kim clarified that Clayton spends about $247,000 per student from kindergarten through twelfth grade. “Even if we can get one kid through the door that would mean a lot to their family,” he said.

Since the beginning of the school year, several teachers at Clayton have been enrolled in a course at Washington University that teaches the history and evolution of immigration.

Tabea Linhard, course instructor of Refugees in Literature and Film, spoke to the Globe about immigration policy and the lives of the people affected. “People have always migrated.

People have always been displaced. People have always crossed borders. They have a right to do so and a right to [migrate] in such a way that they don’t have to risk their lives trying,” said Linhard.

For people who live in the district, it is crucial to be aware of the situation the refugees

are coming from. “[I want people to know] The danger of asking people to assimilate as a form of gratitude.

This is really unfair because people coming as refugees are coming as whole human beings who are going through a huge amount of loss”, said Amy Hamilton, an English teacher at CHS taking Linhard’s course. “I think as an educator I hope we bring more world knowledge”, she added. “I want students to engage in the same critical thinking process I’m engaging in and humbling themselves to the learning.”

Hoelscher added, “It’s giving [Clayton students] a real world opportunity to practice cultural awareness, learn new languages, and welcome people in globalism. That’s just absolutely tremendous and I hope the district bends over backwards to not just accept, but to recruit, to actively get involved.”

So what can current students and families of the Clayton community do to make these newly arrived students feel more comfortable?

Firstly, it will be helpful for parents to let their children know that a new friend may be joining their class. No matter the age, it is important that these children learn to stay open minded and to welcome the student as one of their own, even if they come from a different background or speak a different language.

For older students, volunteering for organizations or helping families you may know navigate the school system are infinitely valuable.

“Having a welcoming stance to them is import-

ant. Don’t see them as someone to pity; treat them like people,” said Kim. While answering this question, Linhard said: “Listen. Listen to newly arrived students and their families, listen to their experiences, maybe try to learn a few words of a language that they may be speaking.

Let them tell their own stories that now are also part of the collective ‘Clayton Story.’”

For the immigrants, the goal is not assimilation but acculturation. It is imperative that the Clayton community does not force the students into adapting Clayton culture, but instead allow them to become a part of it.

In response to the crisis in Afghanistan, the International Institute began a process to place refugee children in various schools around the St. Louis area.

A few days after the first refugees arrived, Principal Beth Scott emailed Glenridge parents to inform them about the school’s plans to welcome three new Afghan students into second, fourth, and fifth grade classrooms.

While not much can be said about the specifics of the current circumstances to protect the students’ privacy, Superintendent Dr. Patel was able to give some insight into the situation.

“Our families have the support they need to be successful in our district and we will continue to provide services as needed to make sure they thrive,” Patel said. With this in mind, the future for the refugee students at Clayton seems bright.

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GLENRIDGE WELCOMES AFGHAN REFUGEES At Glenridge Elementary School, spirits are high, with elementary schoolers anxiously anticipating the arrival of new members of Glenridge’s classrooms.

“I think [the kids] are excited. Anytime an elementary school receives a new student, that student is welcomed with open arms, so they’re just excited to take on the responsibility of showing the student around and teaching them about the school and introducing them to people,” said Katherine Burkard, a social worker at Captain Elementary School.

Burkard is one of many staff members involved in the district-wide effort to prepare for the arrival of three new Afghan refugee students, a match that was made to the School District of Clayton through the International Institute. Refugee students are usually matched to the St. Louis City public school district due to high space availability and a strong English Language Learners (ELL) department, so the International Institute’s decision to assign a family to the School District of Clayton is a particularly special instance for the Clayton community.

“Glenridge had the unique opportunity to partner with the International Institute, and they are the ones who find housing and jobs for any person that comes through there. They were key in getting these refugee families set up when they first arrived,” said Katherine Ingersoll, who also works as a social worker in the School District of Clayton.

The International Institute has also acted as a center for connection to bridge the participating schools with resources throughout the city.

“The International Institute and all of these different services in the greater St. Louis region have collaborated together, so there’s this really rich network of referrals for whatever that family may need at the time. Generally from a social work practice, you start by meeting their basic needs, and then you move up,” said Ingersoll.

During this preparation process, English Language Learner (ELL) specialists have had

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especially critical roles in ensuring necessary resources will be available and provided for the incoming families.

“Across the district, we knew that it was a possibility just with [Afghan refugee] families coming into St. Louis that we may receive some of those families,” said Burkard. “The ELL specialists have worked really closely with administrators, school counselors and the social work team to put together some general information about the Afghan cultures and a brief history lesson for students as well, so that they understand the context of these families and their lives and what they may have experienced. That information was given to teachers and then the ELL specialists also went in and did some mini lessons with different grade levels.”

Throughout this process, communication has been a key aspect in helping things move forward. The arrival of the students has seen the district staff, from the ELL department to the social work department, collaborate in order to shape a welcoming yet culturally and circumstantially aware experience. From the social work perspective, Burkard and Ingersoll have been engaging in learning from peers and experts as well as committing to personal learning in order to develop best practices for introducing the refugee students into the district. “[The social work department] has been in communication with other schools who are [also] receiving students to see what they’re doing [...] [What we’re doing in common] is partnering with the EL department, partnering with administrators, and partnering with counselors,” said Burkard. “The International Institute is the leader in housing families and getting them set up, so we’ve turned to them for guidance. We’ve done a lot of communication with [them] to make sure we understand what they’re doing and what resources they’re providing, and then know how we can [build off of] what they’re doing.”

Ingersoll has been learning from peers within her field’s network. “One of the reasons

I went into social work is because I love being part of a multidisciplinary team and working with people who have different backgrounds and different knowledge than I do. And so anytime we’re welcoming a family, I get to work with not only the student and their caregivers, but also all the wonderful school staff that are part of that team,” she said. “I’m part of a professional learning network of regional social workers, so it’s been really helpful to say ‘I have a family who speaks this language and needs this resource.’ We have a big discussion board that I can just plug that question out onto, and usually within an hour, I get several responses.”

All of these steps are crucial not only for team preparedness, but also to develop a better understanding of the community the staff will be assisting. Burkard stands by the importance of personal learning for staff during this time.

“A lot of the time it’s making sure that I’ve educated myself personally, and that our team is really being aware of all the different moving pieces so that we can respond appropriately,” said Burkard.

Despite the complexity of the situation, Burkard and Ingersoll have found that the response of the student body at the elementary school level has been incredibly enthusiastic.

“The students at Glenridge have just been so welcoming and so friendly, and giving the [families] time to acclimate has been great. And there are student helpers in each room who are just so eager to help, which I think has been a really great way to ease the anxiety of the transition,” said Ingersoll. “Glenridge is a super welcoming place for ELL students and just students in general who have different cultural identities.

Being able to see kids get to express their own cultural identity while still experiencing these different worlds can be really interesting.”

The efforts of the district have been bolstered by the rallying the Clayton community has done to gather resources for the refugees.

“The PTO and PTs in each building have spearheaded some different donation drives

Glenridge Elementary School, All Photos from MCT Campus and Wikimedia Commons and fundraising efforts that they then have distributed amongst the buildings. The social work department received some of those funds.

Also, in each building on campus, there is a pantry that houses clothing items, household items, personal hygiene items, and food, so that’s available to any family. In each building we have some other funding sources where we can tap into if a family is needing financial assistance,” said Burkard.

Ingersoll references the International Institute, and how the organization had to shut down donations for time to sort supplies because the influx of donations was so large.

This widespread support from the broader St. Louis community is reflected in Clayton, with community members eager to lend a helping hand where needed.

“I think the benefit of being in Clayton is

that we have a lot of people who are so willing to help, both from the building staff to the greater Clayton community. And I think our best practices generally include assessing what the family needs. [We’ve been] really intentional about asking what they need and then helping them ease the transition, both in the school setting and the community,” said Ingersoll. “At the start of every year, educators discuss what they did last year, what worked and what didn’t work. And because the world was so frazzled with COVID, it was nice to be able to regroup and recommit to a quality education and a dynamic environment with a really focused staff who really care for the students that we have.”

As Glenridge teachers, district staff, and the Clayton community members work together, we hope to give the refugees a warm introduction to their new home.

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Abilities Awareness

An inside look on the unspoken struggles students with disabilities experience.

Transitioning back to school during a pandemic may cause extra stress, it is especially difficult for students with disabilties. (Art by Sonali Dayal)

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he American education system is a deeply flawed institution that, due to its long-standing use as a tool wielded by industrialists to create workers, does not take into account the health of its students and teachers.

Often overlooked in these discussions are disabled students, who often struggle to keep up with the workload, physical demands and pace of school, and who stand a worse chance of succeeding in higher education. Mental disabilities, such as ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADD and autism make learning in class and participating difficult, and can make keeping up with work nearly impossible.

Physically disabled and chronically ill children face a different set of difficulties than their mentally disabled and abled peers, but they are just as pertinent to discussions surrounding the school system. For instance, a child with EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) will have a hard time sitting down in a hard chair for a long time, and writing and typing will be slow and painful for them. Additionally, going from class to class will be much harder, especially with the time constraints of five minutes or less. A child with chronic fatigue will be exhausted at the end of the school day, and will still have hours of homework to do and likely, as most students, will not get enough sleep due to how early school starts and how much time their tasks at home take.

Physical disabilities and mental disabilities are often diagnosed together in the same people, making things that much harder for disabled students who are unlucky enough to have more than one. For instance, someone with anxiety can become stressed out over schoolwork. The additional stress leads to a

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flare-up in their Ulcerative Colitis, making eating an ordeal and significantly draining their strength and energy. This dip in health leads to more unfinished work, which leads to more stress. In this way, school can be physically debilitating for children with chronic illnesses and disabilities that are made worse by stress and exertion.

Only 41% of autistic students graduate, compared with 59% of allistic students. 36% percent of students with any kind of disability drop out of high school. That is six times higher than the general population dropout rate of 6%.

The factors contributing to this are usually lack of accommodations, lack of funding and social ostracization by peers and teachers. This ignorance does not have to exist- schools are, after all, places of learning. Health classes, while teaching about mental and physical health, do not often give lessons on mental or physical disability. As health classes are often the place in which curriculum concerning life lessons is taught, this would be the best place to teach students about the plight of their disabled peers.

Studies have shown that increased awareness of and interaction with people different from oneself in a positive light can greatly increase empathy and disincentivize bigotry.

Additionally, in history classes, students could be taught about the history of disabled people’s rights and personhood during civil rights units.

It was only in 1990 that a massive protest was held in Washington D.C. by and for disabled people in an effort to pass the Americans With Disabilities Act. Institutionalization, conservatorships and forced sterilizations are also important pieces of history- and the present- that students should

learn in an effort to understand what disabled people have gone through and still go through to this day.

Intersectionality worsens disabled children’s outcomes- poorer neighborhoods have worse schools, as schools are funded by property taxes. These schools cannot afford to accommodate disabled students, and consequently, the ones who graduate do so unprepared for adult life and often psychologically scarred. This, of course, disproportionately impacts students of color, who are more likely to live in impoverished neighborhoods and have disabilities that they do not have access to medical care for.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, online learning became a necessity as in-person classes were disallowed. For the first time, students with physical disabilities could learn without having to strain themselves. While many with ADHD and other learning disabilities found classes much more difficult in the absence of structure, distance learning greatly helped those for whom going to a physical school was a problem. EdSource.org’s article: “After Mixed Experiences with Distance Learning, Disabled California College Students Want Flexibility” says that “In interviews, students said they hope their campuses will keep the parts of distance learning that worked for students, not only during the 2021-22 academic year but permanently. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, colleges are already required to provide academic accommodations to students who request them. But students interviewed

by EdSource said they want their colleges to go beyond what is required by that law and implement universal changes that will help disabled students, such as requiring every class to be recorded.”

The problem is that this was not already common practice. In today’s age of technology, recording a lecture is easy. Pushing yourself to your body’s limits in an effort to get an education, however, is not. During the pandemic, abled students suddenly gained the need for recorded lessons and distance learning, and schools almost immediately obliged. However, this option was not available to disabled students before, and some colleges are threatening to revoke it again. The answer here is to include disabled students in educational planning.

Taking their needs into account is imperative and has been ignored far too often. Students with disabilities should not have to face such high barriers for the simple human right of an education.

EZRI PERRIN, REPORTER SOFIA MUTIS, EDITOR

Let’s Stop Trashing Our Planet Can we start at CHS?

The Dixie fire in Plumas and Butte counties forms a massive cloud. In July, the fire suprassed 100,000 acres, becoming the secod California wildfire in 2021 to ever pass this milestone.

FRANK SCHULENBURG | PHOTOGRAPHER

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limate change is why numerous disasters have impacted our country in such a short time. Several countries, especially the United States, have experienced natural disasters this past summer, including wildfires caused by heat waves. Occurring in late August to early September, Hurricane Ida was one of the most devastating hurricanes that hit our country; it started in New Orleans and then moved its way up the Atlantic to New York. Here in Clayton, the entire district can take several actions to improve the natural environment around us before our future generations come forward.

In a normal school year, most assignments and homework are given on paper. But for the last two years, students have been using chromebooks and laptops to complete assignments. This is something that we should keep doing because paper and pencils are actually being saved from becoming disposables. Students wouldn’t have to keep cleaning out their binders after each semester, therefore, using a chromebook is much more efficient.

Google Drive is always used to store files on chromebooks, and because paper isn’t being used, we are saving it. Abandoned electronics should be recycled and reused so that the district wouldn’t be charged each year on new technology. However, what students have in front of them should help them learn in the best way possible.

Students who always buy lunch at school only use plastic containers and paper trays, which are being thrown away by many people

every day.

Once a student is done with their lunch, they put their trays and plastic utensils in the garbage, and this procedure is repeated too many times a day by different students. Instead, students should use plastic lunch containers that can be washed after both of the lunch periods. These containers can be reused so that staff don’t keep paper trays which would get thrown away after a single lunch meal.

Instead of paper towels, using a jetted hand dryer after washing hands is preferred to improve the air quality. Although these dryers may blow bacteria from bathroom air onto your hands, the environment is actually being saved because the use of paper towels will decrease.

Right now, the CHS bathrooms do not have any hand dryers, and it would be best to install them in each restroom. As long as they’re clean, they’ll be helpful for human use.

Because of COVID-19, students in band are using puppy pads to empty water out of their instrument. While teachers are always giving these pads to students every day, it’s simply too much for the environment around us to handle.

To change things, bringing in your own rag to empty your spit would be beneficial because they can be reused every day, with the exception of having to wash it every few weeks.

Outside of the school district, we can take care of the roadways and pick up trash that is left.

“Maybe get a group of students to adopt a piece of highway and pick up debris,” said facility services director Tim Wonish. “There’s too

much trash on our highways,” he added.

It’s unnecessary to litter on the highway so it’s important that we play our part to remove trash so that our roads will be highly respected.

Recycling is essential to living in a better environment because it would reduce the negative impacts on nature and we can save production and energy costs.

“Too many times, custodians find recycle cans full of regular trash,” said Wonish.

Recycling allows us to reuse materials such as aluminum, paper and plastic. “If everyone does their part and makes an effort to recycle, we could make a real difference in our environment,” Wonish said.

Several car companies like Volvo are currently using recycled materials to make their car’s interiors. Volvo’s all new C40 Recharge uses naturally renewable wool fibres, and has a second option with a combination of suede textile and micro-tech material; this combination also includes recycled plastic. These companies are playing an independent role to stabilize our environment.

There’s a variety of things that not only the Clayton district can do, but the whole world, too. By preventing more disasters from occurring in the future, we must begin taking action immediately. “We live in a throw away culture and the only way we are going to help our environment is to change our habits,” said Wonish.

CHARLIE MILLER PAGE EDITOR OPINION 33

Can I Touch Your Hair?

Reporter Zoe Daniels-Sankey shares how touching Black girls’ hair is a harmful microagression.

PHOTO BY ROD WADDINGTON/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

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ribal braids. Lemonade braids. Pixie crops. Dreadlocks. Box braids. Goddess braids. I know, I know, you’re probably wondering what exactly I just named off. For those who do not know, these are hairstyles that protect black girls’ hair from any type of heat damage or damage in general like natural elements. These kinds of hairstyles are also often worn for cultural reasons or even just for fun since they look gorgeous.

In the 15th century hairstyles were used to tell someone’s religion, age, marital status, wealth, ethnicity, etc. African-American hairstyles have had a dramatic transformation over time, yet their origins remain the same. Before Africa was divided through colonization, Africa was originally divided into kingdoms.

During this time is when hairstyles were used to tell important information. For example, the Himba tribe of Northwestern Namibia used dreadlocks as a way to tell what stage of life they were in, marital status and age.

In addition to the origin of these hairstyles, slavery also had a major affect on the development of the hairstyles. When slaves were brought to the Americas in the 1600s, their hair was shaved due to the owners wanting to

34 OPINION

eliminate the spread and carrying of diseases. Once their hair eventually grew back, the slaves began to braid it in the most efficient way. Some of the slave masters would also even give them Sundays to prepare themselves for the week ahead of them. They would then take that time to do each other’s hair. This is also where cornrows gained their name. The slaves gave this hairstyle that name because the style of the hair resembled the fields of corn where some of them would be working. A lot of other hairstyles were then made to resemble paths to avoid as well as guides to plantations.

Inevitably, these hairstyles grew to be symbols of freedom. Of course, even after slavery black women were coming up with different hairstyles.

The New Negro Movement in 1925 is a great example of how black women were able to subsume the environment around them.

Unfortunately for them, black women were heavily susceptible to Euro-centric beauty standards. Since the media portrayed lighter skin and straight hair as what society found “beautiful,” other women fell in with what society was calling beautiful and began doing it to themselves.

When black girls get these hairstyles they are always bombarded with questions. The most notorious one is, “Can I touch your hair?”. Not only is someone who asks this question exhibiting microaggression and invasive behavior, it is also very offensive. Once black girls get their hair done there are always questions that are expected when the girls show up to school the next day.

When asked, “Do you ever get asked why you chose that length for your hairstyle or why you chose that hairstyle” Dora Guy-Bey, a sophomore at Clayton High School, said “Yes all the time, they’re like ‘Oh my God that must’ve taken a long time’ or ‘Wow, I would never be able to sit that long’ and when I hear those questions I never really know what to say so I just awkwardly giggle.”

Guy-Bey expressed that she often feels uncomfortable after being asked that question due to the fact that the people who ask are unintentionally being discriminatory towards her for how she chose to wear her hair. In addition to hearing different points of views about how people chose to style their hair, when asked, “How do you feel when you are asked ‘Can I touch your hair?’ Brenton Jamison, a learning

center intern at Clayton High School said, “I definitely felt like I was treated as if I was beneath someone.”

When they asked, it felt like they were treating me like an animal to pet me which is really demeaning. That’s how I felt but again, I would typically just brush it off because it was typically friends that would ask me. It was like they didn’t grow up around a lot of black people so that also was an issue too, but it’s also like they’re watching somebody in a petting zoo and they haven’t seen a lot of these things so they wonder how they will react.”

A common factor in the interviews is that people generally feel uncomfortable when asked if someone could touch their hair. A question that was asked in all of the interviews was, ‘Have you ever had to deal with any type of microaggressions due to the style of your hair or simply your hair in general?’ and the response from Gabriella Broussard, 2022 Class President at Clayton High School, had the most thought-provoking response.

“Yes, coming up through Clayton it was kind of different due to my peers and I not having the same texture of hair. So it was different when my classmates would comment on how many times I shampooed my hair, and being a black girl I only shampoo my hair once every 2

“I definitely felt like I was treated as if I was beneath someone.”

PHOTO BY STEFANO MONTAGNER/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

weeks. When I was in middle school I remember a comment from a girl and she said to me ‘Ew that’s so dirty! Why don’t you wash your hair more often?’ and you know in a cultural way that’s very normal for black girls not to wash their hair often since it strips our hair of natural oils. Another thing is like when I’m in school or out in a publicly less diverse setting people are like ‘Oh my gosh it’s so big, can I touch it?’ It’s just different because you’re not going to do that to another peer of mine who doesn’t have the same skin complexion as me so why would you do that to me as if I was some type of animal.”

When Broussard referred to feeling like some type of animal when others would attempt to touch her hair she was inevitably making the same point Jamison was. There are so many different things that can be said about this topic, listed above are the ones barely scratching the surface.

No, you cannot touch my hair and do not ask why.

ZOE DANIELS-SANKEY REPORTER

OPINION 35

RUBY NADIN, COPY EDITOR

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

PHOTO BY AVA MARSDEN

GIRLS FIELD HOCKEY GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY Goal-To make state Players to Watch Izzy Erdmann Sophia Pelligreen Camilla Meyers Anna McAndrew

Goal- To come together as a team and connect with new players Players to Watch Hannah Teagan Ruby Nadin Abby Sucher Katie Murdoch 2020-2021 Record 8-3

PHOTO BY AVA MARSDEN

GIRLS TENNIS GIRLS GOLF Goal- To help each other improve our individual games Players to Watch Natalie Noonan Kathleen Ko Amaya Everett PHOTO BY MARCI PIEPER 36 SPORTS

Goal- To work together, get better, and have fun Players to Watch Esther Wang Alice Wang Simone Sah Aanya Singh 2020-2021 Record 3-8

FOOTBALL BOYS CROSS COUNTRY Goal- To make it to state and to run fast Players to Watch Andrew Thompson James Lenze Jeremy Cohn Shane LaGesse PHOTO BY ESTHER WANG

SOFTBALL

BOYS SOCCER

Goal- To improve our skills and apply them on the field

Goal- To win districts

Players to Watch Skylar Jacobs Cooper Teich Maryn Kearney 2020-2021 Record 2-4

Players to Watch Aidan Louis Isaiah Moore Ben Brown Mason Duecker 2020-2021 Record 1-3

Players to Watch Nolan Waites Stuart Whitmer Ben Torio 2020-2021 Record 10-8 PHOTO BY CONNOR BURRIS

BOYS SWIM & DIVE

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Goal- To get further than last year

Goal- To take advantage of new talent and play as competitively as possible

Players to Watch Hunter Wilson Graham Zucker Willem Thomas Gavin Thomas

PHOTO BY OWEN WOHL

Goal- To really give it our all and to get to 1-0 every game

2020-2021 Record 0-7

Players to Watch Hannah Taylor Sarah Taylor Natalie Blanke 2020-2021 Record 7-3 SPORTS 37

Terrific Taylors

Sarah and Hannah Taylor help lead the CHS volleyball team to an oustanding record this season.

Sarah Taylor bumps the ball to a teammate during a home game.

PHOTO BY DEBORAH PARK

S

enior Sarah Taylor has dominated the volleyball court during her four years at CHS; however, her younger sister Hannah, a freshman, has done anything but stand in her shadow.

The duo have been playing volleyball for nearly their entire lives. Sarah started playing regularly in third grade, the youngest age that allowed for recreation games. Through these games, she developed a love for the sport and took it up more seriously. Hannah, from watching Sarah play, developed her own love for the sport.

“I definitely wouldn’t have played if Sarah didn’t get into it because I didn’t even want to play my first year, but Sarah was always talking about it,” Hannah said. “The first year I did it, I hated it. But I just kept doing it. And now, it’s like my favorite thing.”

Both sisters started out playing indoor volleyball (the same structure as Clayton), but have gradually taken a liking to beach volleyball. “[Beach volleyball] is so much more relaxed--just our coaches and our teammates,” Sarah said. “You’re only playing with one person who you usually grow really close to. Plus,

SPORTS 38

you get to travel to really cool places.”

Both Sarah and Hannah play with a focus on hard work and camaraderie, and because they’re three years apart, they’ve never even had the chance to play alongside each other until this year.

However, as an incoming freshman, Hannah initially questioned whether she would even join the team. Though, in the end, volleyball proved to be an effective way for her to make the transition into high school.

“At first I didn’t even want to do Clayton volleyball because I was worried about being so stressed out with all the homework, but it’s not as bad as I thought at all and has definitely helped with the transition. Plus, like at practice, having Sarah there always made me feel like there was someone I can rely on if I’m making mistakes which also helped me feel more comfortable at the start,” Hannah said.

Thus far, Hannah has been balancing her schoolwork and volleyball well, helping to lead the team, along with Sarah as captain, to an outstanding record so far in the season.

“Our team has been coming together pretty well. It’s probably the best year in Clayton’s history of volleyball because it’s one of our best

years of seniors and we’ve added a lot more club players to the lineup,” Sarah said. “Even though our competition so far has not been great, we’ve still held it down. We’re not playing to their level and are still beating them in the low teens.

Each set. Cleaning up.”

The team’s success this season has not come without hard work from every player though, especially the underclassmen on the team.

“Playing with Sarah and the older people, I think there’s just a lot more pressure to perform well, especially if you’re one of the younger ones,” Hannah said. “But it’s very much a learning environment at practice, like everyone’s trying new things together which gets us ready to perform in games. I knew it was going to be fun, but I was expecting to very much have to listen to Sarah, since she’s like a captain.”

As a captain and someone with a leadership mentality, Sarah has encouraged her teammates throughout her four years to work their hardest at practice and in matches; however, she herself is being pushed more this year than in years past thanks to Hannah, especially since the sisters play the same position.

“In practice, they always have us compete against each other, and in the past, there hasn’t

been anyone who played the exact same position with the same experience,” Sarah said. “But this year, Hannah and I always compete against each other and it’s good to have someone that is honestly holding me to a higher standard and I feel like we’re both really improving.”

Not only is Hannah holding Sarah to a higher standard in practice, but in games as well.

The two work off of each other exceptionally well in games, and they even combined to score the winning point in the fifth and final set in a match earlier in the season against Villa, one of the toughest teams they play all year.

Though the duo and the rest of the CHS volleyball team has been outperforming themselves from previous seasons, Sarah warns not to get too confident. She said after taking second in a major tournament at the start of the season, “[Getting second] was good momentum to have going into the season and to know that like, right off the bat, we’re able to work with each other well and execute. It motivated us to make progress. But we don’t want to get too comfortable and lose that competitive mindset, which I think our team is very aware of.”

The team continues to strive toward improving their record for the season so far; however, their sights are not only set on this year, but future years for the program as well, especially after persevering through the period of playing during Covid-19.

Sarah said, “I was really looking forward to this season, you know, hoping that something would go back to normal from last year. But also getting to play with Hannah for my last season and introducing her to the program before I leave.”

The Taylor sisters aim to create and maintain a legacy for CHS volleyball as both of them have already contributed so much to the program--through their leadership and physical skills--and plan to improve it even more.

KATE FREEDMAN, KAIA MILLS-LEE, SENIOR MANAGING EDITORS

Hannah Taylor (left) and Sarah Taylor (right) pose together.

PHOTO BY SOPHIE MATISZIK

SPORTS 39

Djokovic Watches as History Slips Away Page editor Naveed Naemi examines the future of Novak Djokovic’s tennis career

Djokovic plays at the Qatar Open in 2016.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

A

s Novak Djokovic rummaged through his tennis bag, he searched not only for a new racket but also for new hope. His dreams of winning the calendar grand slam, where one wins all four major tournaments in a single year, were quickly fading away.

Djokovic’s quest for the calendar grand slam began back in January, when he rolled through the field at the Australian Open before easily closing it out in the finals with a dominant 7-5 6-2 6-2 win over Daniil Mededvev. Then, after a solid clay court season, Djokovic arrived at Roland-Garros as one of the favorites alongside the unanimous “King of Clay”, Rafael Nadal. It was here where Djokovic caught the attention of the tennis world as he battled from behind to beat the teenage sensation Lorenzo Musetti in five sets before overcoming the King of Clay in a dramatic four set match. Then, finally, after falling down two sets to none to Stephanos Tsitsipas in the final, Djokovic mounted yet another historic comeback to capture back to back majors and his 19th overall grand slam.

Just over a month after his French Open

miracle, Djokovic arrived at Wimbledon as the overwhelming favorite. Despite an early scare during his first round match against Jack Draper, Djokovic cruised through the remainder of the draw, and two weeks later, claimed his 5th Wimbledon championship while tying Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the all time grand slam record.

By this time, Djokovic had the eyes of the entire tennis world and more directly on him.

Word of the golden slam, the calendar grand slam alongside the gold medal, floated through the air while whispers of Djokovic overtaking Federer and Nadal for the title of the GOAT accumulated. However, the hype was short lived, as Djokovic suffered a shocking loss to Alexander Zverev in the semifinals before ultimately exiting the games without a medal to his name. But, even with the loss, the Serbian stud remained the heavy favorite to complete the calendar slam.

The US Open provided plenty of drama throughout the first 13 days of the competition, with teenagers dominating the women’s draw and qualifiers making deep runs on both

sides of the competition. However, while these headlines captivated the crowds, one question loomed large: would Djokovic be able to complete the career grand slam?

The opening round began with a test against the young Holger Rune, where Djokovic looked surprisingly out of form following his loss at Tokyo, and while the next few rounds were relatively routine, an onslaught of challenges soon emerged. Kei Nishikori, Matteo Berrritini, and Jenson Brooksby all stole sets off the 20 time grand slam champion, but Djokovic remained strong. Alexander Zverev, who had ended Djokovic’s hopes for the golden slam at Tokyo, battled the Serbian in a grueling five setter, but like so many times before, he was unable to maintain his level of play in the final set.

Djokovic now stood on the cusp of history.

All that stood between him and the calendar grand slam was Daniil Medvedev, the gangly Russian star who had lost to him earlier this year at the Australian Open. “There’s only one match, let’s do it. All in. I’m going to put my heart and my soul and my body and head into that one. I’m going to treat the next match like it is the last match of my career,” said Djokovic ahead of the US Open final.

When Novak Djokovic stepped onto the court on the second Sunday of September, nearly everyone anticipated him to close out the calendar grand slam and lift his 21st Grand Slam trophy, but it soon became clear that history would have to wait. Medvedev painted the lines with winners while Djokovic struggled to stay in the game. Djokovic’s legs appeared heavy and his trademark returns failed to find their way across the net. Yet even as the match slipped out of Djokvic’s grasp, he remained emotionless and bare, a stark contrast to the fiery temper so many of us have become accustomed to.

The same man Djokovic had beaten to start his journey to the calendar grand slam would end his dream nearly a year later, and as Daniil Medvedev hoisted the trophy, he signalled the end of an era of greatness.

The rule of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic had finally come to a close. The new generation had finally arrived.

NAVEED NAEMI, PAGE EDITOR 40 SPORTS

What Cards will the Cards Play?

Reporter Micah Lotsoff discusses Alex Reyes’ future on the St. Louis Cardinals.

A

lex Reyes, the St. Louis Cardinals’ 27-year-old closing pitcher, has been on a bumpy road for a while. Reyes made his Cardinals debut in August of 2016 as a starting pitcher and pitched 46 innings with a 1.57 Earned Run Average (ERA) in his rookie year. An Earned Run Average tells how many runs a pitcher lets up in 9 innings.

Unfortunately, Reyes didn’t start much after his first season due to many injuries, including a strained pectoral muscle and fractured pinky.

Reyes had an ERA of 15 in his three games he played throughout the 2019 season. However, the previous couple years have been redemption seasons for Reyes, who held a 3.20 ERA as a reliever in 2020 and a 1.12 ERA in the first half of 2021. Reyes was breaking records, being the only closing pitcher to record 24 consecutive saves to start a career. He was selected to be in the 2021 MLB All Star Game in July.

Since then, he has been in somewhat of a slump. Reyes has an ERA of 5.02 since the break and a 15:10 strikeout to base on balls ratio.

The subpar stats are mostly due to games like on September 5th, 2021 where the Cardinals were visiting the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cards were hanging on with a three run lead when Reyes came in with the bases loaded and one out. Daniel Voglebach, the pinch hitter for the Brewers, took the first pitch as a called ball. The very next pitch, Reyes threw a fastball down the middle, and Voglebach hit a walkoff grand slam. That’s two pitches and 4 earned runs for Reyes, giving him an INF (infinity) ERA that game.

One might argue that he was put in a terrible situation. Bases loaded and only one out would be hard for any pitcher to get out of scotfree. However, there are several other examples in past games that can also be referenced.

On August 29th, 2021, Reyes was sent in during the bottom of the 9th when the Cardinals were visiting the Pittsburgh Pirates, arguably the worst team in baseball, sitting at a record of 4883 at the time. Reyes came in and walked two of the first three batters. The 4th batter of the inning, Yoshi Tsutsugo, approached the plate, 0/2 that game. The first pitch of the at bat was once again right down the middle and was crushed for a walk off, no-doubter three run home run.

Reyes threw eighteen pitches and let up three runs that inning, giving him a whopping 81 ERA counted for that game.

This typically only happens when Reyes is pitching while the Cardinals are in the lead.

All-Pro Reels/Wikimedia Commons

When the Cardinals are losing, Reyes performs like his pre all star game self, which leads me to believe this is a confidence problem.

“Confidence is currency,” said Benjamin Hochman, sports columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. If Alex Reyes can’t be confident, it’s going to be much harder for him to get back into his rhythm.

There is a long list of other players in sports history who have gone into a slump at some point in their career. Mickey Mantle went into a slump when he was in the minors. It was so bad, he wanted to quit baseball entirely. Mantle went on to have one of the best careers in baseball and become a 3 time MVP winner.

There are also many other Cardinals players that have been in a major slump. Johnny Peralta, Allen Craig, and Lance Lynn all had some pretty shaky starts to their careers. The three of them went on to have amazing futures with the Cardinals.

With the season coming to an end, the Cardinals have an important decision to make.

Jordan Hicks, the Cardinals hard throwing

closer who topped out at 105 mph, has been out with an elbow injury for the majority of the 2021 season, but he will be back when baseball starts up again next year. Where are the Cardinals intending to put Reyes when Hicks comes back?

Hochman thinks Reyes has what it takes to become a good starter. “When you look at his arsenal, all of his pitches, it’s elite,” He also mentioned that Reyes was a top pitching prospect.

Hochman believes the Cardinals should give him a chance. Being a starter is “the way he was groomed.” He’s got “the starter stuff ” Hochman said, but “the key with him is the word consistency.”

A good mindset is mandatory to become a good pitcher, and in the past few weeks, it appears Reyes’ mentality and gameplay have improved from what they were. The question is, will he be able to consistently keep it that way?

I hope so, and Hochman agrees. “I have faith in Alex Reyes.”

MICAH LOTSOFF, REPORTER SPORTS 41

Made. By Lia Review A review on a newly opened bakery located in Old Florrisant.

Picture of Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Sammie, Almond Layered Cake, St. Louie Cake, and Vanilla Matcha Latte.

PHOTO TAKEN BY MORIAH LOTSOFF

L

ocated in Old Florissant, Made. by Lia is Pinterest as a bakery. The white subway tiles, modern outdoor seating and heavenly smell lingering from the building outside into the street attracts a massive crowd just from first impressions. But, once we tried their baked goods, we understood that the bakery’s aesthetic was far from the only thing drawing in customers.

Made. By Lia was founded by Lia Weber, winner of the TLC Next Great Baker Show, in spring of 2020 and is a vegan and gluten free friendly bakery. They bake everything from scratch, and have many gorgeously decorated cakes, donuts, and cupcakes displayed throughout the bakery as well as on their social media.

This bakery does not only produce cakes, donuts and cupcakes that will take your breath away, but they also bake Bundt cakes, gooey butter cookies, and a variety of apple crumble treats.

The first item we tried was the almond layered cake. Presented in clear wrapping, one can see four distinct levels of the miniature treat. Swapping between the bright white layers

42 REVIEW

of frosting and the tan layers of cake, the dish is finished off with a fresh raspberry garnish.

When we dove our spoons into the dish we could immediately feel how dense both the cake and frosting were. Pulling our spoons out, we had beautifully layered bites with equal amounts of frosting and cake. As soon as we took a taste, we were surprised by how rich the frosting was. The more bites we took, the more the frosting reminded us of the texture of cheesecake. We then proceeded to focus on the cake and noticed the small, but important hint of almond. We definitely recommend this, however, if you are not a big fan of really rich and sweet flavors, you might want to skip it.

We next tried the gooey butter cake which they call the St. Louie Cake. This take on a St. Louis classic stayed consistent with the original, having a light yellow color with a golden brown crust and lightly dusted with powdered sugar.

If you try the last dish and think it is rich, well then wait until this one. The cake stays true to its name, tasting exactly like a cake that has a sweet butter flavor. It is complemented by the crumble crust on bottom, which makes this

dessert a must have.

We also ordered the Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Sammie. Cinnamon and oats incorporated with bits of raisins throughout the treat, this cookie was unlike any other oatmeal cookie we had ever tried before. Sandwiched between the two cookies was a thick and creamy layer of frosting in which the flavor could easily be mistaken for cheesecake. This unique take on a whoopie pie was delightful and definitely an order again.

In addition to sweets, we ordered a couple drinks from the very extensive drink menu.

First, an Iced Vanilla Matcha Latte with substituted oat milk, was a delightfully creamy drink incorporating matcha powder in a way where it was present but not grainy. We were incredibly impressed by this as well as the portion in relation to the price. We also ordered an English Breakfast Black Tea. After adding in a bit of provided milk and sugar, for our own personal taste, we were welcomed by a strong flavor with traceable notes of floral Earl Grey and lavender.

Made. by Lia is a hidden gem in the St. Louis community. Between the great prices, generous-sized products and overall very positive experience, this cafe and bakery is a must-visit for every baked-goods lover, and cafe go-er. Out of everything we tried, we most enjoyed the Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Sammie and the St. Louie Cake. The Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Sammie because of its originality and because it had a great balance between the frosting and the cookie, giving the treat a perfect amount of sweetness.

We also appreciated that the cookie was a decent size for it’s price of $4. We also really enjoyed the St. Louie Cake (the gooey butter cake) because it was the perfect amount of gooeyness; staying true to its name. I had the perfect, sweet, classic flavor of a gooey butter cake, we loved how this cake was truly soft and gooeyunlike so many other gooey butter cake options in St. Louis. Also, for the price of $3, this gooey butter cake is a must buy due to it’s relatively cheap price for the deliciousness of this good.

The St. Louie Cake made the trip to Old Town Florissant worth the time. Made. By Lia’s specialty is making baked goods that have style and taste great, and from our experience, their statement is more than true.

MAX HAGEMEISTER AND MORIAH LOTSOFF, SECTION EDITORS ALEXANDRA HAGEMEISTER, SENOIR MANAGING EDITOR

My Neighbor Totoro Review

The Globe rates the anime film based on five categories.

M

y Neighbor Totoro is an animated film made by Studio Ghibli (also known as Hayao Miyazakai) released in Japan in 1988, but the American release was in 1993.

It’s about two sisters, 11-year-old Satsuki, and 4-year-old Mei, who move to the countryside with their father while their mom is in the hospital. The pair meets a big, fluffy forest spirit named Totoro. Mei first meets Totoro when exploring while Satsuki is at school; she crawls into the bushes, falls down a hole onto a sleeping Totoro and that’s when everything begins.

As the girls explore their new life in the countryside they run into a few problems here and there, but Totoro always ends up helping them at the end of whatever adventure they’re on.

Visuals/Animation: 10/10: Like most Studio Ghibli movies, the animation was beautiful.

The backgrounds were detailed enough to make it feel real, but not so detailed that attention was taken away from the characters.

Each new scene comes with a new backdrop, ranging from a forest, to an empty house, to a school. The artists do an amazing job of separating each place using colors. The forest, for example, is full of various greens and muted browns, with desaturated blues and yellows for the flowers. Sometimes the edges of the screen look like plants are bursting out of it. The color scheme does a good job of pushing that “magical forest” feeling, especially with the “crowded with plants in the foreground” aspect.

The visuals of the film are absolutely breathtaking. The animation is smooth and has almost no noticeable issues, which makes the movie look even nicer.

Plot: 7/10: My Neighbor Totoro doesn’t really have a plot. Which is sort of the purpose of the movie-- you’re watching two children be children and have fun, but it can get boring after a while, especially since there’s no obvious or consistent plot. About every 30 minutes there’s a conflict or event of some kind, like their father coming home late so they wait by the bus stop in the rain, or Mei going missing. The long breaks between “events” makes the movie feel really slow, which it kind of is as there isn’t any constant plot. There are no villains to defeat or worlds to save. It’s just two sisters being sisters and exploring their new home with the help of a forest spirit.

The lack of plot though, comes with a cloud of confusion and a lack of information about the portrayed world. I’m not talking about the cultural differences between Japan and America, I’m talking about worldbuilding. An example would be that Mei and Satsuki’s mom

is sick in the hospital. It’s a recurring topic that usually has some significance to whatever’s going on, yet we don’t actually get any information about the mom. All we know is that she’s in the hospital; there’s no explanation of why or how she’s there. The lack of context can make it a little harder to properly connect to the story and appreciate the emotional moments.

Soundtrack/Audio: 9/10: Joe Hisaishi does an amazing job of expressing the magic of the forest and the youth of the main characters. My personal favorite is “The Path of The Wind” (Kaze No Torimichi). The music does a good job at consistently matching the mood of the scene, whether it be a melancholy walk through the forest or a laughter-filled family bike ride through the fields.

While the music is amazing, I can’t really say the same for the voices and sound effects.

I watched the English version of My Neighbor Totoro, so I can’t speak to the Japanese voice actors. Mei’s voice annoyed me the most. It’s kind of scratchy, and since she’s a little girl it’s also very high which doesn’t mix well with the scratchiness. She yells a lot, which would be annoying on it’s own, so her voice doesn’t compliment that. Mei is a little kid though, so these choices do make some sense.

Characters/Character Design: 9/10: The colors in Mei and Satsuki’s outfits aren’t so harsh that they would burn your eyes, but do a good job of highlighting how young and childish the main two girls are in comparison to other characters. Kanta, one of their neighbors who’s a young boy the same age as Sastuki, wears a white shirt and brown pants. Satsuki, on the other hand, wears a yellow shirt with an orange suspender skirt. While this is in part to separate the main characters from the side ones, the color choice does enhance the fact that Satsuki and Mei have more childish personalities when compared to other characters.

A design choice that I do not like though, is Catbus. It has a strangely large, square mouth and when you go on it for a ride, it’s hollow on the inside but still furry and warm.

It’s a spirit of some kind, so it’s going to be a little monstrous, but Catbus has 12 legs and it just scurries around everywhere. It has these glowing yellow eyes that just stare at you, it feels like an unnerving version of the Cheshire Cat when you take it’s large grin into account. This category would’ve gotten a 10/10 if it weren’t for Catbus.

Atmosphere: 9/10: The way a movie establishes its atmosphere is very important; if it’s not set up correctly, the entire movie will be ruined. Thankfully, My Neighbor Totoro does

Official Movie Poster My Neighbor Totoro. a wonderful job setting it up, making you feel warm as you watch it. The dialogue and interactions between the characters; like Mei falling asleep on Totoro, or the entire street looking for Mei when she goes missing, shows the caring and loving environment that was set up.

During one of my favorite parts, Sastuki and Mei are waiting at the bus stop for their father in the rain. They wait there until late, and Sastuki ends up having to carry a very sleepy Mei on her back. I can’t watch this scene without almost falling asleep. The dreamy late night atmosphere was set up so perfectly; with Satsuki yawning and almost falling asleep with an already sleeping Mei on her back, only to be woken up by Totoro coming up to wait with them. It makes you feel all hazy, like you may have fallen asleep and woken up but you’re witnessing something so unreal that you must still be asleep, yet you’re awake.

Total: 44/50 (88%): If you’re in the mood for a cute movie about a magical childhood, this movie is for you. If not, you really wouldn’t like this movie. It’s not an intense, action packed movie. While it wouldn’t have gotten an A, it’s still the perfect movie to watch if you want a comforting, slice of life movie with a hint of magic.

SAMANTHA MCDONOUGH, REPORTER REVIEW 43

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Shang-Chi b-rings it all in.

Shang-Chi in the official Marvel movie poster.

JASIN BOLAND, MARVEL STUDIOS

T

he absolute joy of seeing someone on the silver screen that you knew before they got famous is incomprehensible.

It’s like running into your bestie while at Costco, like seeing a schoolmate in a commercial.

In short, to know that I’ve seen this man, Simu Liu, this Marvel superhero, wearing low-quality Naruto cosplay, is a complete trip.

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, “ShangChi and the Ten Rings” follows Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) trying to escape his father and his Ten Rings Organization. However, as his father pursues him, he is forced to confront his dark past, with the help of his friend Katy (Awkwafina), and a couple of old ties.

Shang-Chi was the first movie I watched in theatres since a year and a half ago, and it did not disappoint. Reclining on some plushy AMC seats, my mom, the packed theatre, and I laughed and sat in suspense throughout the movie. It’s fun, funny, and most importantly, finally Asian representation in superhero movies.

In terms of Marvel movies, Shang-Chi is closest to Thor: Ragnarok with its lightheartedness and easy-to-follow plot even for a non-Marvel fan. Getting dark would’ve been extremely easy considering the action and Shang-Chi’s past, but before things get too heavy, another joke is cracked. One of the best parts of the movie was the banter between Shang-Chi and Katy. Katy, instead of becoming

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a mere romance side plot, is fleshed out in a way that is satisfying and relatable: a deep friendship that doesn’t waver for an ounce of romance. Her banter with Shang-Chi is as realistic as a friendship can get: Katy is a bit of a bad influence, but is willing to go to the ends of the earth for her companion despite being previously unaware of his past. While also plunging into the new world of Shang-Chi’s, she battles her own reluctance to commit to a path in life. Her turmoil and hesitation is reminiscent of many who aren’t sure of how to shape their future, and in Awkwafina’s own words, it’s “a conundrum that a lot of Asian Americans find themselves going through”.

While Awkwafina delivers punchlines flawlessly, Simu Liu delivers punches flawlessly. The fight scenes in Shang-Chi were well choreographed and left me on the edge of my seat. The use of props and effects make for deliciously chaotic brawls. In one particular action scene, the neon lights of a billboard behind Shang-Chi and the enemy make a beautiful and stunning battle.

From these striking metropolis shots to lush countryside views, the movie is overall visually impressive and colorful. Accompanying these views is a banger soundtrack featuring artists like Jhené Aiko, Swae Lee, NIKI, Rich Brian, produced by 88RISING and Sean Miyashiro. I’m guilty of listening to some of

the songs on repeat, including the absolute bop “Fire in the Sky” by Anderson Paak.

Will Jay, a half Chinese-German artist, sings “It’s hard to see yourself in Superman when he looks nothing like you.” in his song “I can only write my name”. When I was younger, my go-to channels were always Ryan Higa and Wong Fu-- the latter of which starred Simu Liu once in a while (the explanation as to how I came across the particular cosplay). Stories that I could relate to and see myself in weren’t always prevalent: only in recent years have an influx of Asian stories and culture been spread, from BTS to Crazy Rich Asians. Before, only small creator videos about the Asian experience were being shared and seen by the population.

Superheroes, a core tenet of the American culture with their red-white-and-blue personality and tendency to lean towards yellow peril, seemed like an insurmountable peak for representation.

I was blown away by “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”.

An Asian superhero movie that brings action, humor and aesthetics to the table? It took a while to have a superhero beyond the stereotypical cis white male, and it’ll be a long journey still. But for now, a guy who was a stock photo model, stunt performer, and wearer of Spirit-Halloween-esque Naruto cosplay, can’t help but bring a smile to my face.

RACHEL CHUNG, REVIEW SECTION EDITOR

PRO: ARE TIK TOK STARS ARTISTS? TikTok influencers have a profound impact on society and their creativity should be taken seriously.

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n the 17th century it was deemed that true art must follow a specific set of rules in order to be even considered to display in museums and galleries. The stifling lens created by critics of what makes art “real” created an authoritative model for the creation of paintings at the time. It wasn’t until artists rebelled against this suppressive format that creativity began to flourish across Europe.

In the 21st century, a new medium of self expression has emerged, and with it a new set of critics have deemed it lesser, compared to more traditional forms of art.

JIALI DECK REPORTER

This platform: TikTok. The influencers of the new social media app are too often dismissed as childish and their successes are simplified to their good looks and some lucky timing, but the stars of TikTok are much more than modern media gives them credit for. The content they create has a profound impact on society and the platform gives voice to a new generation of artists.

TikTok influencers have a profound impact on society and their creativity and skills should be taken seriously.

Although it seems simple to become an overnight sensation on social media, the work put in by many TikTok stars is significant.

Vast time commitments are put into the thinking, execution and editing of videos.

In some ways, the short and fast paced nature of the app means even more work must be put into maintaining viewership and retaining attention. Successful content creators know how to appeal to large audiences and implement distinctive video editing styles to enhance their 30 second clips. While their work is new and unique, it doesn’t make it any less valid than other accepted art forms. Even leaders in acclaimed fields have started to notice the impact TikTok is having and find value in this new style of art.

Lily Kind, the associate director of the Philadelphia studio Urban Movement Arts, believes TikTok dance is a form of folk dance, “It’s engaged and playful with the viewer. It’s all about improvisational composition and one-upping each other— you did this; now I’m going to twist it, flip it, and reverse it,” she told The Atlantic.

By modernizing dance and creating a new type of social connection, TikTok stars are pushing the boundaries of what art can look like. This may seem like a dramatic interpretation of short and easy trends, but the attention these dances attract is a testament to their importance

to society.

Videos with #renegade have been viewed 2.2 billion times. Dance trends with old sounds such as Kesha’s 2010 song “Cannibal” was attempted by more than 9 million users and the trends of TikTok have given huge boosts in listeners to artists like Doja Cat, and Olivia Rodrigo.

Upcoming indie music writers and singers like Salem Ilese, Curtis Walters, and Tai Verdes have found recognition for their songs “Mad at Disney,’’ “Stunnin’,” and “Stuck in the Middle.”

It is without a doubt that TikTok is a key part of the fame of acclaimed singers and is also introducing hundreds of new artists to the world. With its new and unique format, TikTok has leveled the playing field for mainstream artists and upcoming music producers leading to many emerging artists to find their footing through the app.

Beyond the world of music, creators like Rudy Willingham (@rudy_willingham), a photographer who uses paper cutouts to make unique images, Devon Rodriguez (@devonrodriguezart), a realistic pencil artist who sketches people on subway trains, and Sławek Kalkraut & Krzysztof Szymański (@menwiththepot), two Polish cooks who cook up delicious meals in the middle of the woods, are just a few examples of people using the app to spread their unique forms of expression.

Platforms like TikTok have only existed for the past few years, and in its time it has made waves in the world of pop culture.

The many growing figures of the app have gone from zero followers, to getting millions of views in a matter of months. With the rapid success of the artists on TikTok, it isn’t difficult to demean their work as a matter of luck, but in reality they have put in the work to make their creative ideas come to life.

The ability for young artists to push the boundaries in spite of critics is just what the world of art needs to expand and improve.

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CON: ARE TIK TOK STARS ARTISTS? Just because a TikTok video is entertaining does not make it art.

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t’s easy to call someone an artist -- especially if they’re likeable, popular, and entertaining. Lots of people today call themselves an artist, but mainly celebrities and the rich and famous. And sure, some of them are artists. However, many of them become artists because their fans call them that.

And who knows? Maybe they are.

The simple truth is that it’s hard to argue that TikTok Stars, people who regularly share or appear in videos on the Tiktok application, aren’t artists. After all, they are entertainers, creators, dancers, musicians, and so much more. Being a TikToker requires creativity, and, to an extent, a certain level of skill. Although being a TikToker requires these attributes, that doesn’t necessarily mean that all create so-called art. While many TikTok stars are artists, being a TikTok star doesn’t automatically make them an artist. But what is an artist anyway?

According to Webster Dictionary, an artist is a person who creates art. If you ask an average person to think about art, what do they think of? They think of paintings, sculptures, pottery, and music. They don’t, however, think about TikTok videos. But why is that? The reason lies is what it means to be art.

Art is something that humanity has intrinsically valued for thousands of years.

The definition of art is based entirely on how much it has been worth to society.

After all, according to the Oxford Dictionary, art is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination that is appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power. Just because you are a TikTok star does not mean that your videos have intrinsic beauty or emotional power.

The danger of calling TikTok stars artists is that you inaccurately generalize a group of people. Are all CEOs visionaries? Are all politicians liars? Are all non-Americans terrorists? To put it mildly, generalizing entire groups of people can be dangerous, and calling all TikTok stars artists could make unfair generalizations the norm.

When I think of art, I think of the 46 Con

Mona Lisa, The Starry Night, or The Scream. All of these pieces are art because they are inherently beautiful and capture the artist’s emotions. The turbulence in Van Gogh's journey to overcome his illness is reflected by the dimness of the night sky. The light in the village creates a sense of comfort.

While painting the Scream, Munch was on the verge of insanity as he was dealing with mental illness and trauma. The Scream tries to explain and depict his feelings through art-- and you can feel it.

In contrast, many videos by TikTok stars feature videos without much emotional depth or universal beauty. Take for instance, a video of Noah Beck sitting and shaking his upper body on a toilet for a few seconds. That video has nearly a million views, and Beck himself has thirty million follows on the site. Or, take a look at Kison Kee’s milk video, where he stands on two cups preparing breakfast saying “Kids breakfast is ready” before falling face first onto the ground in a puddle of milk, saying “Kids, breakfast not ready.”

I’ll admit, that video is entertaining.

But, is it art? Of course not; it does not fall under the definition of art. Despite that, it’s one of the most viewed videos on the site.

At the end of the day, we can call anything art. You can call all TikTok artists if you want to, or the mud puddle down the road, or the used mask merrily rolling along in the grass. But it’s important to draw a line on what is art and who an artist is. Just because you are a famous TikTok star does not mean you are an artist.

Lip-syncing, showing off viral dances, having good looks, and having a great personality does not make you an artist (but they can make you a famous TikToker). Calling these celebrities artists may actually be an insult to those who actually

devote their lives to creating art.

As a side note, imagine if the art fair here in Clayton was just a collection of videos by TikTok stars? I’m sure there would be a massive turnout by younger generations. Maybe it would be the most popular “art fair” in the history of Clayton.

It could be the most entertaining “art fair” in the history of Clayton.

But are these videos art? Some, but not all. Are the stars behind these videos artists? Some, but not all. Generalizations are dangerous, and I challenge you to challenge the norm.

ENOCH LAI SECTION EDITOR

Staff Ed: Preservation

The Globe examines the loss of Native American History in St. Louis and its place at CHS. CHS students are surprised to learn of these once historic monuments and the one which remains.

In the required history curriculum there is often not much time allotted for students to learn about Native American history, particularly its local roots in St. Louis. When the most time is available, at the elementary level, students are too young to understand the details and significance.

“I think some of [my students] were surprised at the extent of the involveSugarloaf Mound, located off I-55. ment of Native Americans in the history of America,” PHOTO TAKEN BY ELLA CUNEO said CHS History teacher Dr. Daniel Glossenger, ehind us, cars roar down Highwho teaches the History of St. Louis class. “Part way 55. The Brown and Crouppen of that is because of how they told me they billboard stands proudly five feet to remember learning about it the first time.” our right. And just ahead, a chain-link fence Much of the Native American history barricades in the last of centuries old Native taught in the Clayton School District is taught American mounds. at elementary school levels, where it can be Sugarloaf Mound is located on Ohio Avchallenging for kids to truly grasp the extent enue, ten minutes down the Mississippi river and importance Native Americans had in the from the Arch. Sugarloaf, built by the Native creation of modern day St. Louis and America.

American society that thrived in the downtown “There’s a greater possibility for appreciation St. Louis area from 600-1300 A.D, is believed at an older age. My wife had not been to Cato be either a burial ground, the site of a chief ’s hokia since third grade. We went a year or two home, or a location for tribal ceremonies. ago, and she is in her thirties, and she said ‘Oh The mound, including the 900-square-foot my gosh, I learned so much,’” said Glossenger. house built atop it in 1928, was purchased by “I think there is an element where when you’re the Osage Nation in 2009 for $230,000 accordin second grade or fourth grade there is only ing to their website. so much you can articulate about a complex Though they do not claim the construction nuanced society that doesn’t exist and where of the original mound itself, the Osage has anwhat we primarily have are earth and mounds cestors who include mound builders and wantcovered in grass.” ed to protect the mound from further harm.

“Right now, the K-5 curriculum is in In July of 2017, the Osage tore down the revision,” said Dr. Paul Hoelscher, K-12 social house. The mound is now listed on the National studies coordinator for the Clayton School DisRegister of Historic Places, but aside from a trict. “It’s always kind of in revision, but that’s “No Trespassing” sign, nothing marks the site. deliberately one of the things that we’re looking 40 mounds similar to Sugarloaf used to at, when we’re looking at issues of social justice, dot the St. Louis area, giving it the nickname and we think about issues today of race and “Mound City.” 16 mounds were destroyed how challenging that is to teach students— all around Forest Park for the 1904 World’s Fair, the way through K-12, but especially in elemensome by quarry construction 200 years ago, tary. The reality that we’re living in this space others for the construction of I-55 in the 1960s. that belonged to someone else.”

Now, the mounds stand one strong. Many Aside from handling the difficulties of aren’t aware they ever existed. teaching such an intricate history to elementary

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students, Hoelscher also hopes to introduce new material to the curriculum.

“There’s some parts of Missouri history and early American history that we’re hoping to bring into the elementary school. In 6th grade, that’s a big element… it may not necessarily be Cahokia, or it might not be the Osage in this region, but the idea of indigenous peoples, and sort of what happened through westward expansion,” said Hoelscher.

While the broader consensus is that the inclusion of more Native American history would benefit students, time is the largest constraint.

“If your overarching concern is whether we should do more of it, I totally agree with you, I’m in line… but it’s hard as teachers and curriculum to figure out how you balance these sorts of elements,” Hoelscher said. “...I think we do have Native American history in some places, but I think it’s always something that we need to revisit and reconsider.”

Additionally, the core history curriculum helps to prepare students for AP tests their junior and senior years of high school, meaning that there is less slack for introducing material not necessary to that path of learning. Thus, the concerns rest on the wider AP curriculum to follow the same path of inclusion.

“It’s not in the official curriculum,” said Hoelscher, in regards to teaching about the Cahokia society to the AP World class. “But, I don’t think we as teachers should be limited to the official AP curriculum.”

The more focused elective history classes offered at CHS do, however, offer students more depth with topics not covered in required classes, including some look into Native American history.

“I wanted to make the history of St. Louis class a little more about the untold story, emphasizing points that maybe wouldn’t come up in other history classes. The goal is to take a subject where students may have some interest in it and give them more of a depth and material that was untold in the regular classes because there’s a trade off of time,” said Glossenger.

Sugarloaf mound represents the side of history America often sweeps into the forgotten past. It is vital that the history of Native American society be incorporated into the narrative taught at Clayton, and that the local traces of previous civilizations be preserved and presented to the people living atop them.

SHANE LAGESSE AND ELLA CUNEO EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

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