Globe Newsmagazine, September 2019, Issue 2, Vol. 91

globe.

+ INSIDE RECENT ABORTION LEGISLATION HB 126 pg. 17

+ EXPLORE COFFEE IN CLAYTON pg. 36

. VOLUME 91 . ISSUE 2 .

CLAYTON HIGH SCHOOL. CLAYTON, MO. SEPTEMBER 2019.

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 $2000 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 SPONSORS ($2000 Level) Gail Workman Herbie’s in Clayton

GOLDEN GREYHOUND SPONSORS ($200+ Level) Big Bend Auto Center Center of Clayton Integrity DTLS Landscape Architecture Dale Avenue Pediatrics Windsor Madonna O Cotlar Centene

Yeung Realtors Melissa Clark Clayton Pilates Studio The Thompson Richardson Team St. Louis Suit Company English-to-English Clayton All in Coalition

WORLD TRAVELER SPONSORS ($100+ Level) Northwest Coffee The LaGesse Stanton Family The Sturmoski Family The Abburi Family Jane Cross Eugene Cross Bob and Betsy Cuneo Bob Chapman The Stemmler Family Charlotte de Sauvage Nolting The Curtis Family Sangeeta Khanna and Aseem Sharma The Chung Family Washington University Physicians Allergy & Immunology Clinics Mary and Dick Anthony Robin and Neil Snelling

Christy Hager DDS Ann Sachar Sarah Bernard Dr. James Fehr Dr. Anne Glowinski Angela and Troy Quinn Chandrakant C. Tailor Alex Waldbart Florist Protzel’s Delicatessen Cobblestone Quality Shoe Repair Celsius Cryo-Therapy The Erlin Family Debbie and Andy Schwartz Chandrakant Tailor The Choo-Kang Family The Family of Lary Baker Go Inc. Kay Quinn Malone

14 Gourmet Makes

September 2019

CHS alumna Claire Saffitz hosts “Gourmet Makes� for Bon Appetit

17 Abortion in Missouri The Globe looks at the future of Missouri House Bill 126 30 Matheny Machine Goalie Andrew Matheny leads CHS on the hunt for a District Championship

Photo of Andrew Matheny by Eli Milner

globe.

STAFF

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Grace Snelling and Lila Taylor

CHIEF MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Michael Melinger

CHIEF DIGITAL EDITOR Richard Cheng

SENIOR MANAGING EDITORS Ashley Chung Katie He Noor Jerath Sara Stemmler

SECTION EDITORS Cece Cohen, BREAKING NEWS/ DIGITAL Shane LaGesse & Kaitlyn Tran, NEWS Disha Chatterjee & Sofia Erlin, FEATURE Jimmy Malone, SPORTS Eliot Blackmoore & Danny Choo-Kang, OPINION Siddhi Narayan & Bridget Walsh, REVIEW

COPY EDITOR Yiyun Xu

PHOTO EDITOR Ella Cuneo

PAGE EDITORS Sarah Baker Vivian Chen Josephine Cross Kate Freedman Sahithya Gokaraju Tallulah Hawley Maxwell Keller Kaia Mills-Lee

Neema Naemi Naveed Naemi Ruth Pierson Dheera Rathikindi William Redington Junyi Su Sophia Thompson Angela Xiao

REPORTERS Owen Auston-Babcock Isabella Bamnolker Luka Bassnett Emma Baum Sophia Boyd Danny Bui Jenna Bush Seraphina Corbo Chloe Creighton Isabelle Cross Sonali Dayal Hannah Do Paige Espe Tiancheng Fan Thomas Gustafson Alexandra Hagemeister Max Hagemeister Abigail Hoelscher Wendy Humphreys Sasha Keller Ryan Kerr Daphne Krauschaar Rachel Liang

Moriah Lotsoff Isaac Millians Ana Mitreva Margret Mooney Sofia Mutis Ruby Nadin Sofia Puerto Reese Quinn Emma Raine Ivy Reed Helena Reuter Maya Richter Ananya Shah Kathryn Smith Samuel Smith Alexandre Snyder Sophie Srenco Abigail Sucher Sava Tamanaha Carola Vaqueiro Elaine Yoo Sophie Yoshino

PHOTOGRAPHERS Natalie Ashrafzadeh Celia Baer Natalie Bone Lillan Brown Jelani Christmas Isabella Clark Abigail Cooper Audrey Deutsch Gwen Duplain Ellayna French Sophie Furdek Davia Goette Lucia Johnson Kate Lay Whitney Le

Haley Lewis Naomi Merrihue-Irving Eli Milner Mallory Palmer Deborah Park Elise Restemayer Elia Rios Ryan Rosenthal Katherine Rother Annika Sandquist Emma Siegel Emma Stipanovich Katherine Walsh Olivia Williams Lauren Wolff

Professional Affiliations: JournalismSTL, 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.

5

from the editor I spent much of my time as a child wandering around the halls of a newsroom, constantly exposed to journalism.

I followed my mom as she read from teleprompters, wrote scripts and edited videos. I brought my folding chair out onto the set of the newsroom to watch her present the 6 o’clock news to thousands of viewers, while I ate a candy bar from the vending machine. She read all of the stories that I had watched her write mere hours before, but I never thought it was anything special.

It was normal to me.

She worked in an office, she had a lunch break, she was home in time to make dinner, just like everyone else.

As I grew older, I started to realize that my mom’s profession was not normal.

Random people I had never seen before would recognize her in the grocery store and my teachers knew her name before they ever met her, but to me she was just my mom. I began to understand the importance of journalism by watching what she did everyday.

When I entered high school, I began thinking of what I wanted to pursue as a college major or career path. I had no idea where to start.

I searched through an overwhelming list of clubs CHS had to offer, but I could not choose.

Finally, I came across the Globe.

With a quick email to my counselor, I was enrolled in the class. So, at the beginning of my sophomore year, I began writing and reporting for the staff, following in my mom’s footsteps.

The more time I spent on the staff, the more I became interested in sports.

I have loved watching and playing sports my entire life, so it was natural to start writing about one of my passions. Whether it was going to practices after school, playing games on the weekend, or watching games with my dad, I enjoyed every minute. Whenever I went to the newsroom with my mom, I was most interested in the sports reporters, who watched sports all

day, preparing stories about playoff games and star student athletes.

The Globe has been known for producing some award-winning stories about problems going on within society and the Clayton community.

For me, I have always focused on the sports stories, highlighting the best athletes at Clayton, who often go unnoticed.

Because CHS is usually known as an academic powerhouse, athletes and teams rarely get the recognition they deserve.

Every athlete has a unique story to tell.

My goal as a part of the staff is to bring more attention to students’ accomplishments outside of the classroom.

As I continue to grow as a journalist, I recognize the power my reporting holds by shedding light on the stories of those who would otherwise not have their voices heard.

I see many parallels between the journalism I witnessed growing up and what I do now as a member of the Globe.

As I keep growing as a writer and reporter, I hope to build upon the skills that were instilled in me as a young child watching my mom read the news every night.

My time on the Globe staff will end this year, but the important lessons of teamwork, cooperation and communication I have learned will continue to help me throughout life beyond high school, wherever that may take me.

JIMMY MALONE | SPORTS SECTION EDITOR ELLA CUNEO | PHOTOGRAPHER

PAJAMA DAY Junior Haley Lewis celebrates pajama day on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2019 as part of homecoming week celebrations. The week kicked off with the annual Powder Puff football game and concluded with the homecoming football game and dance on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019.

Photographer ELLA CUNEO

8

news & notes SHANE LAGESSE | KAITLYN TRAN NEWS SECTION EDITORS

nadal wins US open Rafael Nadal won the US Open on Sept. 8, claiming his 19th Grand Slam title.

He emerged victorious from a semi-final match with Mateo Berrettini before defeating Daniil Medvedev after an intense four hour and 50 minute match.

falling into chs sports CHS girls’ golf is off to a great start for the season, winning every match so far. The girls beat Parkway West for the first ever time with a score of 212 versus Parkway West’s 235.

The CHS cross country team had a successful first meet on the Sept. 7, winning both the boys and girls Varsity 5000 meter races.

debates escalate The third democratic debate was held on Sept. 12 in Houston, Texas. Ten Democratic candidates qualified for the debate, allowing Democratic front runners to debate on a single stage. Warren received the most speaking time, with Biden still leading in the polls following the debate.

hurricane dorian The category 5 hurricane Dorian ravaged the Bahamas on Sept 1 with wind speeds of over 185 mph. The hurricane made landfall in the US on Sept 2. Fifty people have been confirmed deceased in the Bahamas, with over 2,500 missing.

goodbye mango The Trump administration recently announced that it was planning on banning the sale of most flavored e-cigarettes in response to the recent vaping-related illnesses contracted by nearly 500 people with possible links to six deaths. Companies which produce vaping products argue mint and menthol, two of the most popular products, should not be considered “flavored” and remain on the market.

shake shack A new Shake Shack is coming to Clayton, taking the place of the Pei Wei in the Ladue Crossing Shopping Center. It is the second franchise to open in Saint Louis, after the location in the Central West End which opened in 2017.

center of clayton renovations

The CHS varsity volleyball team has two players recovering from injury but still started off the season strong with a 2-0 record and won a plaque at their first tournament of the year.

Center of Clayton renovations are making progress: two of the four gyms are now reopened and the other two are to go under construction. The competition pool is scheduled to be finished by late September, and the leisure pool will follow soon after in October.

9

student jobs in clayton NOOR JERATH | SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR

OLIVIA WHITTLE

Ice Cream Scooper at Clementine’s What is your favorite part of the job?

A: I work in a place that makes people happy.

Ice cream really does bring people together. People sit inside and outside with friends and family connected through something as simple as eating ice cream.

Perks of the job?

A: I can basically “sample” ice cream whenever I want while I’m working. When I first started working there, I ate ice cream while working all the time and gained a lot of weight (oops). I also get 50 percent off whenever I buy any ice cream or merch.

Any funny memories or good customer stories?

A: There was this one couple who was having Clementine’s cater for their wedding. They came in and went down the line trying every single flavor. I had never had any customer try that many samples, but of course it made sense since Clementine’s was catering. Also, there was this one man who paid for a police officer’s ice cream as a way of thanking her for her service. I just thought that it was a really kind gesture.

What have you learned from your job?

A: I have learned so much working in an environment with people who you don’t really know.

JULIA BAUTZ

Face Painter at the St. Louis Zoo What is your favorite part of the job?

A: It’s really rewarding when a kid really loves their face painting, or when you do one that you’re especially proud of.

Hardest part of the job?

A: I’m kind of critical of my work because I do

the same face paintings over and over again, so it’s nice when a kid loves it.

Any funny memories or good customer stories?

A: These two guys came in and asked if I could

do a freehand airbrush tattoo. I ended up using face paint to draw matching “tattoos” on their arms. They wanted a dog with goggles and a cape.

They looked pretty similar, though they weren’t a perfect match, but I was proud of them! They seemed to like them too, but then they didn’t tip me. I’m still a little mad about that...

Julia Bautz face paints during her job at the St. Louis Zoo OLIVIA WILLIAMS | PHOTOGRAPHER

ETHAN NUSSINOV

Madrich at Central Reform Congregation

A: I get a free membership to the classes which I love!

How did you hear of/go about getting this job?

What have you learned from your job?

A: Central Reform Congregation is a Jewish

Reform Synagogue that I began attending when I moved to St. Louis in 2nd grade. I went through the program, had a bar mitzvah, and was offered a job as a ‘madrich.’ In essence, my job is to help the teacher, and on many occasions, teach groups of kids myself.

Funny stories?

A: Once, while teaching the kids letters, they

were all talking, so I picked up a wooden spoon, and said only the person with the spoon was allowed to talk. After, the kids stole the spoon and fought over it until I had to hide it.

EMMA SIEGEL

Babysitter at TruFusion Fitness How did you hear of/go about getting this job?

A: I heard about the job when I first got my TruFusion membership last summer.

Perks of the job?

A: I’ve learned a lot of patience from the kids, and also how to easily keep them entertained!

HONGKAI JIANG

Tutor at Kumon Math and Reading Center What is/was your favorite part of the job? Least favorite part?

A: My favorite part is meeting new people and when kids finally get the concept that they struggled with. My least favorite part is when I have to convince kids to do the work when they simply refuse to.

Any funny memories or good customer stories?

A: The funny part about this work is whenever a kid of 5 or 6 would spell a word wrong and make it a completely different word and meaning, we would pass it around and have a good laugh.

What did you learn from your job?

A: I learned that a 5-year-old can do fractions.

10

house bill hijacks school schedule

Due to the new House Bill 161, Clayton School District will be resuming classes for the 2020-2021 school year after Labor Day.

EMMA BAUM | REPORTER OWEN AUSTIN-BABCOCK | REPORTER

The exterior of CHS ELI MILNER | PHOTOGRAPHER Students in Missouri may have up to two extra weeks of summer break next year.

A bill known as House Bill 161 has passed in the Missouri House of Representatives. If signed into law, HB 161, “[removes] the option that school districts may set an opening date more than 14 calendar days prior to the first Monday in September,” -- according to the actual legislation itself. In essence, HB 161 forces schools to begin no earlier than two weeks before Labor Day. With only the Governor’s approval needed for this to become a reality in public schools across the state, the question is being asked: at what cost?

House Bill 161 was proposed to the Missouri House of Representatives on December 3, 2018

by Republican Representative Jeff Knight, representing House District 129, just south of the Lake of the Ozarks. After being reviewed by House committees, it was passed in the House on March 6, 2019 and moved to the Senate. On April 30, 2019, HB 161 was passed in the Senate Committee Substitute (SCS) created for its review.

Representative Ian Mackey, of House District 87 in the Missouri House, which includes all of

Clayton and parts of Ladue, Richmond Heights and University City, voted against the bill. He believes that it isn’t the state’s duty to dictate when schools open; instead, that’s the duty of the district.

Mackey also said that the bill was proposed to help boost rural tourism, an industry which relies on families coming to places like Silver Dollar City and the Missouri State Fair, by extending the summer in hopes to gain more visitors.

Missouri’s largely rural demographic causes rural representatives (most of whom are Republicans) to be almost entirely in control of the House. However, according to Representative Mackey, “ [HB 161] only passed the House as a stand alone bill with 86 votes. The bare minimum needed is 82. This means a lot of Republicans, dozens, voted against it when it was [their] own bill. Which is why I think it was added to a large omnibus bill as an amendment on the floor at the end of the session.”

Bills on education aren’t normally partisan issues, and HB 161 proved to be a different type of partisan than might be expected. Rather than this bill being about Republican versus Democrat, it’s more about rural versus urban. While rural

communities see economic benefits, urban areas will likely see a downfall. Urban areas like St. Louis don’t benefit at all from a bill of this nature, and the summer being pushed back just disrupts summer schedules for students.

Since the bill was passed by the SCS on April 30, no further actions have been taken, according to the Missouri General Assembly’s website.

While the bill has yet to become a law as of Labor Day, school districts, including Clayton, are already bracing for its impact. The initial excitement at the prospect of a longer summer break has been replaced for some students with concerns about what this will mean for semester finals, the end of the school year, sports, and more.

At an assembly on August 16, Clayton High School principal Dr. Dan Gutchewsky suggested adding minutes to the school day as a potential solution.

In a written statement, Clayton Superintendent Dr. Sean Doherty said that districts across Missouri are currently working through the “unintended impact on learning communities” that are sometimes the outcome of choices made in legislative settings.

Doherty added that creating a calendar that

11 dedicates time to effective in tourism in August are learning, having high school the reason for the bill. Local students take first semester control was considered and Doherty ended by saying that classes in the exams before winter break, it is a little unreasonable School District of Clayton for the 2020-2021 and other values will confor schools to continue school year will begin Monday, August 24, tinue to be priorities when to ask for more money in and the Board of Education will likely vote on considering how to redesign education funding, but Clayton’s calendar to fit the [opposed to] allowing the a finalized calendar new requirements. He also state to make more money before the end of the semester. stated that the new bill will in tourism. I wish schools give Clayton an opportunity were Labor [Day] to Memoto try new, creative ways of rial [Day], but in HB 161 thinking, and emphasized two weeks before the first that the district is, “open to Monday this year, would possibilities.” have affected the majority of Doherty ended by saying that classes in the schools by 3 days or less.”

Director Steve Hutson responded that at this School District of Clayton for the 2020-2021 Communities across the state won’t see the time, House Bill 161 has not placed any restricschool year will begin Monday, August 24, and full effects of this bill until next school year. In the tions on high school sports seasons. The first day the Board of Education will likely vote on a finalmeantime, school districts are being challenged to of the 2020-2021 Clayton High School fall sports ized calendar before the end of the semester. find creative and sustainable solutions to balance season has been set for August 10.

When asked about the potential impact on rules set in place by the government and the When asked to comment on the bill, Knight high school sports, Clayton High School Athletics needs of their students and faculty. responded with an email stating that “Revenues

CHS will have to develop a new calendar plan to adapt to the changes in Missouri law.

ELI MILNER | PHOTOGRAPHER

12

gustafson at the blues’ game CHS student wins the St. Louis Blues National Anthem Contest and will be performing at a home game in the St. Louis Blues’ 2019-2020 season.

KATIE HE | SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR

St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington (50) stops a first period shot by the Dallas Stars on Sunday, May 5, 2019 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. (Tom Fox/Dallas Morning News/TNS) As soon as the news about the third annual contest of the St. Louis Blues National Anthem Contest was released, St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra manager, Samantha Satchelben, emailed the youth orchestra players’ families about the event. The Blues had started a national anthem contest two years prior with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) to showcase the talent of St. Louis musicians at one Blues home game during the 20192020 season. It had become a way for aspiring musicians to perform and possibly win the chance to play on national television.

Performers of all ages, whether they were soloists or group performers, whether they had an instrument or sang, were encouraged to enter.

They first had to submit an online video of them playing/singing before August 16, 2019.

Thomas Gustafson, a sophomore at Clayton

they formed the trombone quartet. The group consists of Gustafson, Daniel Jung from Ladue High School, Evan Smith from O’Fallon Township High School, and Geoffrey Ladue from Lafayette High School.

“I thought it might be fun if me and the other Youth Orchestra trombonist did it. Before, I have seen Daniel at Solo festival and I saw Geoffrey at an audition. I have played with Evan before, the bass trombonist, because I played with the YO trombonists last year at the Missouri Botanical Garden,” Gustafson said.

After getting together and rehearsing once, they recorded and submitted a video of them playing the national anthem to the contest.

His group, out of a total of 400 applicants, was

There were over 250 contestants total. 30 made it to the semifinals.

12 made it to the finals.

1 was named winner.

High School, read the email and decided to take the opportunity to perform on his trombone.

Gustafson emailed Satchelben asking for others who might be interested in playing along with him. She reached out to the trombonists in the Youth Orchestra and together with Gustafson,

13 “I was surprised that we won. There were so many other people there, and I kind of figured they would not pick us because all the singers were there and they wanted a singer.”

- Thomas Gustafson

invited, among 30 other chosen soloists/groups to an in-person blind audition at Powell Hall to perform live in front of a panel of judges in the second round contest.

Among the panel of judges was Singer Charles Glenn, the Blues longtime National Anthem singer who had recently announced his retirement in January of 2010, SLSO Chorus In Unison Director in Kevin McBeth, SLSO musician Gerry Pagano, Kennedy Holmes, a native St. Louisan and finalist on season 15 of NBC’s The Voice, and James Bertels, who was last year’s contest winner.

Gustafson and his group rehearsed three times before the second round of the contest. The semi finalists had to perform a song of their choice on Powell Hall stage in front of a screen.

His group had planned at first to play as a trio for the second screening because one member had a previous commitment, but at the last minute, they all were able to perform together.

Thomas Gustafson and his trombone After the 30 semifinalRYAN ROSENTHAL | PHOTOGRAPHER ists performed, the judges came announced the names of the 12 finalists that would advance to the next round.

Gustafson’s group was called. play at a Blues game, there will always be that one For the final round, contestants were asked person that is going to look it up and be like, ‘Ha! perform their rendition of the national anthem in He took that off of Musescore.’ I wanted to do front of the panel of judges sitting in the red velsomething Blues-y and jazzy because of the Blues vet seats of Powell Hall. The person or group who and St. Louis,” Gustafson said. would stand out the most among the 12 finalists He also shares his inspiration for arranging would be the winner of the contest. his National Anthem Score. “I listened to Juilliard Before, Gustafson decided to arrange his own trombones because they played the National version of the National anthem for the contest.

Anthem at a hockey game and Trombone Shorty “I was not going to use someone else’s did one too and I collected some riffs from them. arrangement because I figured that if I were to It took me three days and a couple hours a day,”

Gustafson said.

That Saturday afternoon, the trombone quartet walked out on Powell Hall stage, in front of the thousands of seats, and performed Gustafson’s rendition of the National Anthem, Blues style.

Charles Glenn and the rest of the judges applauded and were impressed.

After, the 12 finalists individually went on stage and performed, they waited nervously in the musician’s lounge below the hall for the result.

A judge, after an hour or so of waiting, called the 12 contestants up onto stage. They lined shoulder to shoulder in a semicircle fashion facing the audience.

The footsteps echoed in the grand hall. The judges then walked on stage to the microphone that had been set up for their upcoming speeches. The very past judge held a clipboard of the contest results. After she walked up to the microphone, She announced the trombone quartet as the 3rd annual St. Louis Blues National Anthem Contest.

“I was surprised that we won. There were so many other people there, and I kind of figured that they would not pick us because all the singers were there and they wanted a singer. I was surprised but obviously I was happy,” said Gustafson. “I guess the reason that it worked out was because I sent that one email at first and as soon as I sent that, it was like now we have to do it. Taking that first step was really important.”

In the 2019-2020 season of the Stanley Cup Champions St. Louis Blues, the trombone quartet will be able to perform Gustafson’s rendition of the National Anthem in the Blues arena.

14 Clayton alumni Claire Saffitz has made a name for herself in the culinary world through her work with Bon Appetit. Her recipes and videos are viewed and streamed around the world.

MICHAEL MELINGER | CHIEF MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

From the sidewalks of University City to the subway stops of the Upper West Side, at least one thing has remained constant for Claire Saffitz: her love of food. Whether it’s takeout from Amighettit’s on The Hill with her mom, the in-season BLT’s she now makes with her boyfriend in their apartment, or the adventurous but successful concoctions that come out of the test kitchen, she continues to foster this love.

Many stories above the New York skyline, in a kitchen lined with countless burners and countertops, Saffitz spends most days developing her love of cooking though her work with Bon Appetit. Bon Appetit is one of the largest food magazines and food content producers in the country. The “BA Test Kitchen” is exactly what it sounds like -- a place where they test, create, refine and improve many of the recipes that go out to readers. Saffitz, a now-traditionally trained chef, has created countless recipes under the Bon Appetit name and been described by Adam Rapoport, the Bon Appetit Editor-In-Chief, as the most “erudite test kitchen editor”.

Rapoport’s description of Saffitz as “erudite” is spot-on. Saffitz began her education at Captain

Elementary before matriculating through the Clayton School District and on to higher education. During her time at Clayton, Saffitz studied science with Mr. De La Paz and English with Ms. Teson, and spent time working on the CLAMO yearbook and playing sports.

Graduating from Clayton in 2005, Saffitz went on to attend Harvard University. After long nights of studying, extensive exploration of the Cambridge food scene and eventual graduation, she moved back in with her parents. It was at that moment that things clicked.

“I feel I had a moment where [cooking] was the only thing I wanted to do,” Saffitz said. “I kind of looked at it objectively. I figure if it was the only thing I really wanted to do then maybe I really should listen to myself and really pay attention and see if I can do something with it.”

Looking for a worldly view, Saffitz went to culinary school in France. École Grégoire-Ferrandi was a technical school of sorts where Claire and many French teenagers learned how to work in the restaurant industry. Saffitz didn’t spend much time working the mise-en-place or the garde-monge station, rather the timing of her

culinary education was pivotal as the food scene was undergoing a lot of change.

The food industry has become a place where chefs thrive not only through traditional means, but also by working with recipe testers and developers, food photographers, food stylists, and much more. However, these aren’t always the jobs that are advertised when it comes to food.

“There’s all these kind of jobs in and around food that don’t involve the restaurant industry that I didn’t know existed. Living in St. Louis, it felt very far away. Food was always important but I didn’t start to look at it critically as a possible career path until my twenties,” Saffitz said.

Saffitz signed with Bon Appetit as a recipe tester and worked in their test kitchen before moving throughout the company to where she currently develops original recipes. In addition, she spends a large amount of time in front of the camera where viewers get to directly see the method behind the madness.

Though she has been praised by Rapoport and others, it is Saffitz’s self-described introverted personality and resilience that seem to resonate deeply with the readers and watchers of Bon Ap-

15 petit. Saffitz’s in-depth knowledge in and out of the kitchen make her a fan favorite and constant fixture on BA’s YouTube channel, which now has grown to over four million subscribers. Saffitz herself appears in five of BA’s eight most popular videos, which have amassed over 45 million combined views.

Saffitz’s most iconic creation is her now-hallmark show “Gourmet Makes”. The concept features a fifteen to twenty minute show where Saffitz is tasked with recreating popular and mainstream treats you would find at your local grocery store and, as the name implies, she attempts to make a gourmet version of said item.

While the latest challenge is under wraps until the next episode airs, past treats have included Pop Rocks, Gushers and Cheetos.

“The highlight has been getting to know, over the course of many years, my coworkers really well. The hundreds of people I get to work with and learn from [are] really talented, funny, smart, inspiring people, really great and really creative people,” Saffitz said.

Through countless Instagram fan accounts and a feverish comment section, “Gourmet Makes,” along with other BA test kitchen shows, have taken the internet by storm. These shows that come out of the Bon Appetit kitchen seem to have a unique charm.

“I end up messing up like 90 percent of the

time, and sometimes I have an end result where I think I nailed it and I’m really proud. Sometimes I don’t, I’m sorta like ‘This is the best I could do.’

I like that it’s very real and there isn’t a whole lot of manipulation happening behind the scenes,” Saffitz said.

“I end up messing up like 90 percent of the time, and sometimes I have an end result where I think I nailed it and I’m really proud.

Sometimes I don’t, I’m sorta like ‘This is the best I could do.’ I like that it’s very real and there isn’t a whole lot of manipulation happening behind the scenes.”

- Saffitz While Saffitz has little to say in what she will be making on camera on a given day, the air of authenticity she provides when on camera sets her above the rest. From nadir to zenith the view-

ers are right there with her, and they keep coming back for more.

The trials and tribulations of the test kitchen, according to Saffitz, apply directly to the high school experience.

“If I were to repeat high school, I think I would try to have a bit of levity. It’s very easy for students to focus on achievement, to put a lot of pressure on themselves. I think that it misses the point. You have to enjoy your life, enjoy your friends and you have to have balance and perspective,” Saffitz said.

The perspective that Saffitz currently works through is one that results from a lifetime of learning and collaboration. Walking the halls of Clayton or dodging hot pans in the test kitchen, Saffitz has always been working with her hands and finding a creative outlet. From childhood art classes at the Craft Alliance in The Loop to working with a close-knit team in the BA test kitchen, Saffitz has been able to grow as a learner, chef and person.

Saffitz is currently working on an original cookbook and will be releasing an exhaustive compilation of some of her best recipes. However, avid viewers have no call to despair-- she plans to continue her work with Bon Appetit, where her engaging presence can be enjoyed on “Gourmet Makes” and several other test kitchen shows.

Claire Saffitz, center, at her work bench in the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen in New York City, NY. Photo courtesy of Saffitz.

HB 126

In recent months, many states across the United States have introduced new policies regarding access to legal abortion. In light of Missouri HB 126, which would criminalize abortion if a fetus heartbeat is detected without exceptions for rape or incest, the Globe staff spoke with health care providers, lawmakers, students and community members about this controversial issue. Some sources have chosen to remain annonymous. Names with an asterisk have been changed.

By Grace Snelling, Sara Stemmler, Sarah Baker, Disha Chatterjee and Lila Taylor.

With photos by Michael Melinger.

LE GAL BACKG RO UND In 1969, Texas resident Norma McCorvey was denied an abortion in her home state. She then filed a lawsuit, under the pseudonym Jane Roe, against local district attorney Henry Wade, claiming that the abortion laws in Texas were unconstitutional. After the Texas federal court ruled in McCorvey’s favor, the state appealed the decision and it was brought to the U.S. Supreme Court.

In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled again in McCorvey’s favor, stating that the Fourteenth Amendment protects Americans’ “right to privacy,” therefore granting women the right to choose whether or not to have an abortion. This case, Roe vs.

Wade, would be a turning point in abortion rights, and a Supreme Court decision that continues to be controversial.

In 1995, McCorvey, surprisingly changed her course, founding a Pro Life organization in an attempt to overturn Roe vs. Wade as she tried to reopen her case in a Texas court.

In June 2019, Marist released a poll surveying Americans on their stance on abortion: 35 percent declared themselves pro-life, 57 percent pro-choice and the remaining eight percent were unsure. This is similar to the same survey taken in March 1996 where 37 percent identified as pro-life, 56 percent pro-choice, and seven percent unsure.

Additionally, a CNN report published in June of 2019 showed that three out of ten Americans would only vote for someone in the presidential election if they shared their views on abortion. This fraction is higher than any point in CNN polling on the topic since 1996.

Since its passing, not only has Roe vs. Wade sparked national debate, but it has also been used in many subsequent cases. In 2000, the Supreme Court created the “undue burden” standard in reference to abortion, stating that the analyzation

of abortion rights could infringe on women’s rights as stated in the Fourteenth Amendment.

This was a result of the Planned Parenthood vs.

Casey case, where the court upheld Roe vs. Wade.

In addition, during the 2016 Supreme Court case Whole Woman’s Health vs. Hellerstedt, the court took away state’s ability to to restrict the function of abortion clinics due to unjust require-

banning any abortion after eight weeks gestation.

“Our Missouri legislature has been spending an enormous amount of time over the past 10 years or so trying to pass more and more restrictive abortion laws, so it was not a surprise that we were following other states,” said Barbara Baumgartner, Washington University Professor of Women and Gender Studies.

The bill was set to go into effect on Aug. 28. However, the day prior, Missouri judge Howard Sachs placed a temporary restraining order on the bill.

“Missouri is yet another state that is trying to bate the Supreme Court to potentially overturn Roe v. Wade,” Baumgartner said.

This bill is what’s known as a “trigger law,” meaning that it is unenforceable, but may achieve enforceability if something were to change, in this case being the appeal of Roe vs.

Wade. The bill passed 110 to 44 on May 17 in the Missouri House, and it was signed by Governor Mike Parsons soon after.

“I was not surprised that it passed. I was somewhat surprised that only one member of the majority party felt it was too extreme and voted against it. I would’ve suspected that a few other folks in swing districts and suburban districts would have perhaps skipped that vote, or voted private, or maybe would’ve had the courage to vote ‘no’. We knew it would pass. The party that posed it has a super majority, but I was surprised that it didn’t draw more opposition from that party based on how extreme it was,” Missouri Representative Ian Mackey said.

The fate of abortion rights is becoming increasingly precarious, not only in the state of Missouri, but around the country. With a conservative majority in the Supreme Court, does this mean a statewide abortion ban could overturn Roe vs. Wade?

As of 2019, nine U.S. states have passed laws limiting or restricting abortion. The laws vary: some prohibit abortion after 6-8 weeks, others 18-22 weeks and Alabama has gone as far as to prohibit abortion unless a woman’s health is at serious risk. These bans are directly challenging the Roe vs. Wade case. Missouri is one of these states.

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ments, once again upholding Roe vs. Wade.

As of 2019, nine U.S. states have passed laws limiting or restricting abortion. The laws vary: some prohibit abortion after six to eight weeks, others after 18-22 weeks and Alabama has recently prohibited abortion unless a woman’s health is at serious risk. These bans are directly challenging the Roe vs. Wade case.

Missouri is one of these states.

In May 2019, Missouri passed House Bill 126,

PLANNED PARENTH OO D Driving past the gates into Planned Parenthood, there are protesters standing outside carrying signs and petitions. For Planned Parenthood health care providers, this opposition often finds ways to come through the doors. Every year, the Missouri legislator attempts to pass new restrictions on abortion services. In addition, the regulatory process tries to limit abortion through agencies such as the Department of Health.

“Every new piece of legislation, every new regulation is designed to make it harder for people to access abortion. We do our very best to try and absorb the impact of this and make accommodations so that patients don’t feel it quite as much,” said Colleen McNicholas, Chief Medical Officer for Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri.

Two key pieces of legislation in the last few years have been Senate Bill 5 and House Bill 126, which attempt to limit women’s access to abortion. Although Planned Parenthood is trying to continue to protect the health and safety of women, these policies influence the abortion care that patients are able to receive. “(This legislature) tries to require us to do things that we do not feel is medically necessary for women to be able to receive access. These laws are being made by lawmakers based on their opinions of what they think is right and not what’s best for women. This has caused us to have to really structure our way of doing things to try to best serve women,” Kawanna Shannan, Director of Surgical Services, Reproductive Health Services of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, said.

According to McNicholas and Shannon, regardless of restrictions placed on abortion, abortions always happen. These restrictions will not necessarily change the existence of abortion, but they may change how people access abortion.

“We now do have medications that we can use safely outside of the medical system. And when I say that, there’s a couple of things that would

be required to be able to self-manage abortion outside of a medical system safely. You need to know what medications you’re getting and then we just need to make sure that you have access to information about what to expect,” McNicholas said.

However, some people do not have access to these methods. Shannon says that abortion is

and given that the pre-Roe legal regime disproportionately targeted poorer immigrant women as well, it means that minority, particularly black, women are most at risk from abortion criminalization laws.”

Shannon critiques that while programs to help women in poverty are being cut, those with decision-making power also want to cut abortion.

“They need to make up their mind.

Do they love women or not? Because at this moment I don’t feel that they love women at all,” Shannon said.

The rhetoric around abortion suggests that it is a blackor-white issue, with people being either pro-choice or pro-life, but McNicholas says this is not the story for most of her patients.

“My experience with patients is that almost everyone who walks in the door and sits with me to talk about their abortion decision exists in the gray, that it’s not a yes or no. Also, nearly every single person that I know who provides abortion care has had an experience such that they performed an abortion for somebody who was, at one time, a protester in front of their clinic,” McNicholas said.

The opposition to Planned Parenthood is strong, but Shannon is not worried for the organization’s future.

“I think that young people are engaged in a way that they hadn’t been before and I think that they see the world differently,” Shannon said. “They understand that the decision to have an abortion is the confluence of your financial insecurity or what your housing situation is or the existence of violence in your community-- that all of those things are part of the decision that people make to parent or not parent. And I think that because young people understand that, as time goes on, the conversation around abortion will change.”

A fetus’s brain and nervous system are not developed at 20 weeks to feel pain. A fetus is unlikely to feel pain until the third trimester of a pregnancy, or about 27 weeks.

-The New York Times among the safest of all medical procedures, and it is even safer than carrying a pregnancy to term, but women without access have resorted to unsafe methods to end a pregnancy.

“Those things include taking medications that people feel like might disrupt their pregnancy or causing physical harm to yourself, throwing yourself down the stairs, inserting something into the vagina or uterus. And obviously those have tremendous consequences for people’s lives, but, if they survive that, it can harm their chance to have a healthy family later on,” McNicholas said.

These laws will have disproportionate effects on women of color.

According to an article in the Washington Post, “Given [the disparities in the justice system],

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In 2019, nine st

Banned unless a woman’s health is at risk Banned after 6-8 weeks (or heartbeat) Banned after 18-22 weeks

ne states passed laws restricting abortion.

an a m eyer s Most 11-year-olds aren’t asked the question, “what would you do if you were impregnated by your rapist and were reminded for nine months of that traumatic experience?”

For Ana Meyers, hearing her aunt Mary Jo’s story at 11-years-old is something she will never forget.

“Her husband’s a firefighter and she was alone that night because he was on duty. When she was alone, a man broke into their house and raped her at gunpoint,” Meyers said. “When my mom first told me this story, I was 11 and she was explaining abortion to me... so she told me that’s why some women have abortions.”

Meyers has other family members who have experienced abortion as well. Another one of her aunts had a fetus that developed with a condition in which the spine is disconnected from the body.

It would only live minutes to days after it was born. Instead of witnessing this, she chose to have an abortion.

“I learned [about it] this summer-- we were becoming close, and with all the abortion bans we were talking to each other about it. I didn’t even know she had an abortion before,” Meyers said.

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Meyers’ family experiences with abortion and their strong pro-choice views have shaped her beliefs. Today, she is actively involved in the prochoice movement. Meyers volunteers for Planned Parenthood, where her work involves calling political representatives in the area.

Additionally, she has attended pro-choice protests such as one held in response to the passage of HB 126. “[It] was held in downtown and we just marched and there were speakers from Planned Parenthood. It’s all just extremely empowering, and so many people from Clayton came out to the rally too, which was nice,” Meyers said.

Meyers was horrified when she initially found out about the ban. In her opinion, the proposed time frame is not enough for a woman to make such a substantial decision. Attending the protest was a way for Meyers to raise her voice against the new legislature.

“Just the fact that most women will not know that they’re pregnant by when that time hits, and it’s such a pivotal choice that a woman can make, just that timespan is not enough for a woman to make that decision. I wanted to do something

about it because it was just horrible,” Meyers said.

Despite her strong views, Meyers remains friends with those who have pro-life beliefs.

Although they may never harbor a close kinship, as she contends that she connects more to those with similar beliefs, being pro-choice does not usually have an effect on her friendship with others.

“I try to be respectful because I know so many people’s opinions, and everyone has them for different reasons,” Meyers said. “Some people aren’t able to have a baby, so they believe, ‘Why should you terminate a life?’ I understand each person and I don’t think because of certain people’s views that it makes them a bad person at all, but I argue respectfully and try to advocate for my own beliefs.”

Meyers will continue to fight for change and be involved in the pro-choice movement.

“It’s become something I’m very passionate about, with my family experiences. Just being an advocate of women’s rights… that is one of the most important things to me.”

mira u p s h aw “I would say that I am pro-life because I believe that even before a baby is born, it has a soul and a purpose in the world. I believe that an abortion is like killing a baby. Although the baby is not yet self-sufficient, and many people use that to determine whether or not something is alive, I believe that it is still immoral because the baby is going to be self-sufficient.

It has a heartbeat and receives oxygen through the mother. He or she is capable of doing many of the things that we do to live, just with the help of the mother,” said CHS senior Mira Upshaw.

Upshaw’s beliefs on abortion have been impacted by several vastly different environments. Because she frequently encounters contrasting opinions on the topic, she has taken time to develop individual ideas about it.

“I was raised in a home where [my parents are pro-life], but I most definitely have my own opinions and disagree with some of my parents views. I also go to a school where the majority [of people are] pro-choice, so I don’t know if that is truly what developed my opinions. As I

have gotten older, I have done more and more research in order to make my beliefs my own.

I have discovered that there are beliefs that I agree with and disagree with that my parents have and the same with my church, and the same with the school,” Upshaw said.

Due to the fact that Upshaw is in favor of the birth of every conceived child, she agrees with the passage HB 126. Although she additionally believes that abortion should be banned in all circumstances, she is supportive of the direction of the legislation.

This perspective often leaves Upshaw feeling excluded from discussions at Clayton.

“I definitely respect everyone at Clayton’s opinions and any pro-choice or pro-life opinions, and would never have the intent to offend or be rude,” Upshaw said. “I feel like it’s nearly impossible for me to have a civil conversation with another person at Clayton, because they think I’m an awful person for believing in what I believe, and this causes me to not initiate these types of conversations. I have had about two good conversations about this topic with

people that disagree with me, and they were great discussions. Neither of us got upset. I think that, especially as Clayton tries to be an accepting environment, they need to be more accepting of those who are pro-life.”

Upshaw is a Christian and cites certain passages of the Bible, such as Jeremiah 1:5, as evidence that abortion contradicts God’s word.

However, she also contends that her religion is not the sole determinant of her beliefs.

“I understand that many people believe in the separation of church and state, but even without the Bible, I would still believe what I believe, because to me that future baby has so much worth and potential even if their mother was not ready to have a child,” Upshaw said.

“I stand pro-life because I don’t think anyone should be able to choose the future of a baby, because that baby cannot fight for themselves.

I know that keeping a baby that is product of rape is so emotional, but I think that an abortion is also something very emotional and is something that cannot be undone.”

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n c l ara j o hnso n* If CHS freshman Clara Johnson could say one thing to a woman having an abortion, it wouldn’t be an attack on their decision.

“I guess I would say, ‘I love you, and I’m sorry. I don’t think that you’re a horrible person just because of that,’” Johnson said.

Johnson, who is pro-life, came to a conclusion about her opinions on abortion after doing research on her own. Reading news articles helped her to better understand the process and medical information that are closely linked to the issue.

“When babies are conceived, they have DNA. They grow, they react to stimuli. And there’s a whole separate life inside of another body,” Johnson said.

For these reasons, Johnson believes that abortion, at any point after conception, is not ethical.

“I feel that human life should be protected, because science says that as soon as the baby is conceived, it’s alive. It has DNA. So I don’t think that it’s moral to kill a human life,” Johnson said.

Although she is a Christian, Johnson is pro-life because of science, not because of her religion. She supports the recent passage of HB 126.

In Clayton’s liberal atmosphere, many people with diverging beliefs feel separated from their peers. According to Johnson, this polarizing effect applies to those who are not pro-choice.

“Sometimes [I feel alienated at Clayton],” Johnson said. “But that’s pretty normal for a school where the majority of students are one way or the other.”

“I feel that human life should be protected, because science says that as soon as the baby is conceived, it’s alive.

It has DNA. So I don’t think that it’s moral to kill a human life.”

-Clara Johnson

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As a young woman, Sara Bennett was often startled awake by a haunting recurring nightmare of a bloodied embryo.

The dreams began shortly after she became a practicing OBGYN. Sara grew up in Dagestan, a republic of Russia near the Caspian Sea, at the height of the Soviet Union. After high school, she entered directly into a six-year program to become a doctor, where she decided that gynecology was the topic that she was most interested in. Ideas of gender equality were comparatively progressive during this time; women were viewed as equal members of society, birth control was prevalent and abortions were legal and accessible.

According to her daughter, Emma*, the religious beliefs that Sara developed made performing these procedures emotionally draining.

“After [Sara] spent some time in Moscow, she actually fell in love with Orthodox Christianity and became a part of it,” Emma said. “So there’s this whole other aspect of her diverging from her community in order to become Christian. At the time [because of the Soviet Union], religion was not freely practiced, and especially not by her family, who were community leaders. Here she is, and she’s learning about abortion, she has to do it, but she’s also deeply Christian and obviously Christianity says that we should respect all life, we should not destroy God’s life. It was this moment of two conflicting issues.”

Although Sara remains strongly Christian today, her nightmares have dissipated. After moving to the United States, she chose not to renew her medical license, and instead works as a researcher at WashU. Emma is a Clayton alum and, unlike her mother, describes herself as pro-choice.

“Essentially, I really believe that it just comes down to the choice of the person, and it goes with the same logic that if it’s that individual’s body, then that individual should be the sole determiner of what they do with it,” Emma said. “It’s not the concern of the community, it’s not the concern of the government. It’s not their responsibility to govern the wants of the person.”

Although Emma and Sara’s views on abortion differ, Emma respects her mother’s religious commitment, and they’ve found common ground when discussing the topic. “[Sara] basically says that it really depends on the situation, and if you can avoid having an abortion, to the best of your ability avoid it, but if it has to be done then that’s just the situation,” Emma said. “Which I think is just a pretty integral female experience, because obviously no one wants to have an abortion, they’re not just going to do it for fun, and they’re probably going to seek out other options, but if it needs to be done, it should be done.

That’s really what abortion is in America today.”

tt sara benn e tt*

bell e g a g e “My non-biological sister was born with one leg way shorter than the other because her mom was raped and her womb was too small for her to fully develop. Because of that incident, there were even more medical costs for operations for the leg. My great-grandma had to have an illegal [abortion]. She was blindfolded in an alley, her husband wasn’t allowed to be there and it was a very unsafe operation. There’s so much stigma around it, people don’t talk about it, but I think almost everyone knows someone who’s been deeply impacted by this issue. I couldn’t help thinking about the people close to me could potentially be in harm’s way due to new laws,” said CHS junior Belle Gage.

When Gage heard about the proposal of HB 126 in the Missouri Congress, she was deeply saddened. So much so, in fact, that she knew she had to take immediate action.

As someone who is pro-choice, Gage was disturbed by the idea that women, especially rape or incest victims, would not have the option to get an abortion after eight weeks. She believes that this time-frame should be extended considerably, possibly through the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

So, she made a plan.

First, she would reach out to friends who have had organized protests and ask them for advice. Then, she would create a movement and get as many people involved as possible. Finally, a rally would be held in downtown St. Louis to bring attention to the issue.

“We ended up getting together a group of probably like 20 people who were really involved with planning, but then it turned into a GroupMe of more than 300 people who were somewhat involved and at least wanting to come or help out with the rally… and that turned into St. Louis Pro-choice Student Activists,” Gage said.

The group became so large that it had to be divided into sub-committees to handle various aspects of the rally. Different leaders were assigned to teams who organized speeches, logistics, social media and graphic design. Gage was in charge of public outreach.

“I was head of outreach, which meant that my committee was reaching out to local figures, whether that was politicians, or people working at Planned Parenthood, NARAL, the ACLU, etc,” Gage said. “Reaching out to them, writing a press release, getting press to come to the rally. We even invited a voter registration group to come, bring a table and set that up, and then we announced it there so that people could get registered at the rally itself. We had about a week to pull it all together so that was really tough.”

On the day of the rally, almost 1,000 people were present. Students who were involved in its organization were able to speak to prominent news sources who attended, such as Refinery29. Speakers shared their stories and personal accounts of experiences with abortion. Protestors made signs and led chants.

Although the event itself was a success, Gage feels that it is important not to let passion around this issue die out, especially after the passage of HB 126 in May. She believes that, with safe and equitable access to abortion, its frequency and risk would decrease.

“Countries and states with protected, legal access to abortion have lower rates of abortions, and it seems like nobody knows that,” Gage said. “That is just the most powerful fact. I can understand why people would vote pro-life.

Honestly, it’s sad when you see that fetuses are not able to become babies. I can see how that can strike a chord with some people. But when you look at the fact that bans aren’t actually preventing abortions, I can’t see a reason to pass them.

It’s driving up death rates among the people trying to get abortions, and putting them, even if they don’t die, into really bad financial situations or making them drop out of school, or causing them to be disowned by their family. Then you take into consideration that abortion rates aren’t even falling. That’s what really makes me pro-choice.”

sam u el l ee Samuel Lee never became involved with what he considers today to be a human rights issue until 1978.

“I was pro-life, in the sense that I was raised Catholic and it’s something that my parents and family believed, but I never really paid a whole lot of attention to it or thought much about it,” Lee said.

When he moved to the city to attend Saint Louis University, Lee went to visit some people that he knew. At the time, they were working and planning with SLU to organize the first peaceful abortion clinic sit-in in St. Louis. After Lee helped with the event, he continued to engage in pro-life activism, despite being arrested several times and going to jail for a period of months.

Eventually, Lee became interested in law and started drafting some legislation for the Missouri General Assembly.

In 1968, he became a full-time lobbyist, and has been one ever since.

“It’s something I firmly believe in. It’s something I enjoy working on a lot. It’s something that I’ve done for quite a few years,” Lee said.

The recent legislation that places new limits on abortion, such as prohibiting abortions after eight weeks, has sparked controversy and outrage in the community. However, Lee is in strong support of the proposed time-frame and has been actively working in legislation to oppose the recent lawsuit filed

by Planned Parenthood against HB 126. Despite his firm favor for the laws, he also realizes the challenges they may create. He wants to help provide women with the resources to go through their pregnancy safely.

“I’m aware of what the law is and… personally I think all abortions should be prohibited, but I also believe that women should be given the

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resources they need to help carry their babies to term and also to help them after the baby’s born. I think both are necessary for the pro-life movement to be involved with, and I’ve been fortunate to have been involved in both aspects of that,” Lee said.

Ever since Lee became involved in the pro-life

movement, he has had to face those with differing opinions who challenge his views. He has heard arguments criticizing legislation that lacks exceptions even in the case of assault victims.

Still, Lee remains in total support of prohibiting all abortions.

“I’m not someone who engages in debates because there are people who do that for a living, but I’m happy to talk with pro-choice people at any time, and I’ve done so over the years. First of all, [I] try to understand where they’re coming from, and if they’re interested in hearing where I’m coming from. Abortion is a human rights issue. An unborn child is a human being and all human beings should be treated equally. An unborn child should have the same right to life as any other person,” Lee said.

For Lee, the right to life, even for an unborn fetus at eight weeks, is superior to all other rights.

He understands the arguments that pro-choice individuals make on the right to autonomy and the right to control one’s own body, but he still regards the right to life above all others.

“It starts going into, ‘What about women who are poor, what about...’ all sorts of other stuff, and I get that. But it still comes down to a human rights issue. I understand the other person’s argument in terms of autonomy and right to control their bodies and things like that, I just think that the right to life trumps all other rights,” Lee said.

Deana Torres was 26, living without her husband in India and about to take her board exams to become a doctor.

Then she found out that she was pregnant.

“I was very surprised. I wasn’t expecting this at all and I wasn’t prepared for it, to say the least,” Torres said. “My mom suggested that for practical reasons, I should consider abortion. I had my board exams coming and we were planning to move to a new country very soon. I had a 7-month old baby when I discovered that I was pregnant again, and I had no clue if I would be able to manage two small children in a new country when we already had a lot of other struggles in front of us. So, for some time, I contemplated the idea of abortion.”

During this turbulent period, Torres turned to her family for advice and help. However, she faced conflicting opinions among them, which led her to look inward to come to

a decision.

“My dad and my in-laws didn’t like the idea of abortion at all, so I faced some confusion there. My husband was not staying with me at that time, so I couldn’t discuss too much with him. He was supportive in whatever I decided, so I realized that I had to decide this by myself,” Torres said.

Torres’ choice was difficult to make, especially in the midst of several major life changes. However, she continues to feel that it was the right one.

“It took some time for me to come to terms with the fact that I was in the process of becoming a mother of two,” Torres said. “I had to get rid of influences from parents and in-laws, and think for myself. I definitely had a component of fear regarding some health issues that may have complicated an abortion, but most of all, I think I got emotional when I realized that there is a living being in me

that I would kill if I considered abortion. I also believed that none of the challenges that life could pose in the future were greater than the gift of giving birth to this baby. When I communicated this to my husband, he was extremely supportive as well, and so I changed my mind and never regretted it.”

After giving birth to her second child, Torres joined her husband in Singapore. Today, they live in Clayton with their two daughters.

Although Torres chose not to get an abortion, she believes that a woman’s decision on the matter is personal and dependent on their circumstances, not on society’s opinion of it.

She is completely against HB 126.

“No woman, particularly an assault victim, should be made to suffer the consequences of an unwanted and victimized pregnancy,” Torres said. “I doubt the possibility of this legislature would ever arise if men could get pregnant as well.”

rres d ean a to rres*

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NE X T S TEP S The passing of HB 126 has raised a very important question for both Missourians and for the rest of the country. Why? Why do women get abortions in the first place?

Generally, the reason women get abortions is because they are not at a point in their life where they can take care of a child. Baumgartner believes that if the state is looking to restrict abortion, some of this responsibility should fall on them.

“If the state is really interested in life, what they would be doing would be making it easier to have a baby -- providing them with economic support after that child is born, having high quality federal and state subsidies for child care, funding prenatal care. . . If we were really concerned with life, we would handle things more carefully.

It wouldn’t be about abortion.

It would be about providing services for women who are pregnant and families who have children,” Baumgartner said.

For abortion to truly be restricted, of course, actions will have to be taken in the Supreme Court. And this is exactly what Missouri and other states that have passed restrictive abortion laws thus far want.

“Missouri is yet another state that is trying to bate the Supreme Court to potentially overturn Roe v. Wade,” Baumgartner said.

If this were to happen, Baumgartner says the rest is fairly straightforward.

“Then, of course it would be up to the individual states, and part of that law that Missouri passed was basically a trigger law saying that if Roe v. Wade is overturned, abortion would be immediately illegal in Missouri. That would be very significant.”

The bating of the Supreme Court not only has implications for womens’ reproductive rights, but for politicians as well, according to Representative Mackey, who also serves on the House, Children

and Family Committee. As such a divisive issue on constituents’ minds, politicians are more frequently placed in a more defined “box” in terms of their position on relevant policy.

“I consider myself extremely pro-choice, which is why many people who care most about that issue may consider me as a crazy far-left offthe-wing liberal, even though I may be moderate on other issues,” Mackey said. “We don’t want to put ourselves in a box. But then if we don’t do

author of human life. I don’t think that helps the constitutionality of the bill,” Mackey said.

Although the recent legislation is undoubtedly divisive, Mackey is less concerned with the degree of his colleagues’ beliefs, and more concerned with their ability to work with others to find common ground on an issue in which voters all have a common goal of child safety.

“I’ve made relationships with people who are as passionate as I am on the other end of the spectrum. That’s what’s important in terms of how you’re treated by your colleagues. It’s not how ‘extreme’ your position is.

It’s really ‘can you work with folks?’ and if you can do that, then you’ll earn the respect.”

Even so, anticipation for a reaction from the Supreme Court is high, especially with its recent appointees and its 5-4 majority.

In regards to the possibility of rolling back precedent, Baumgartner said, “I think it’s quite possible. With the two recent Supreme Court appointees, I do think it could happen. I think everything depends on [Chief Justice] Roberts’s decision. I think Roberts is very interested in making sure the Supreme Court does not appear to be political and isn’t politicized. He might be the key to not overturning Roe v. Wade. I do think it is quite possible, though, especially if one more liberal justice retires.”

Although tentative to make any definite assumptions about an upcoming ruling, Mackey is slightly more skeptical.

“I would be shocked if HB 126 were ruled word-for-word verbatim constitutional by our Supreme Court, even given it’s membership. I do think that there is a possibility that we see portions of Roe and portions of the status quo rolled back -- we see more restrictions, we see it harder and harder for women in this country to access abortion care. Because of that, it makes our legislative bodies more important.”

“We have a lot of unique portions of our bill, such as the section that states that God is the author of human life.

I don’t think that helps the constitutionality of the bill.”

- Ian Mackey

that, we’re letting the other side do it.”

With more and more citizens employing single-issue voting, politicians are scrambling to attach themselves to one side of prevalent issues such as abortion in order to get re-elected.

That being said, there are many stipulations of these bills restricting abortion that make it difficult to get politicians on board with every portion of the bill, even if they vote to pass it under prochoice motivation.

Therefore, while lower courts may continue on as they have in regards to the initial bills, they may have a harder time getting pushed through the Supreme Court.

“HB 126 was an omnibus bill. It had probably six, seven, or eight independent bills wrapped up into it. We have a lot of unique portions of our bill, such as the section that states that God is the

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matheny machine Varsity boys’ soccer goalie , senior Andrew Matheny, leads the Greyhounds on the hunt for a District Championship.

JIMMY MALONE | SPORTS SECTION EDITOR

New history teacher Danielle DuHadway is coming to Clayton with several years of experience.

CHS, Matheny competes on a club team during the offseason to stay sharp.

“Compared to high school soccer, club soccer is just better soccer,” said Matheny. “It’s more technical and the players are better. When you play club soccer, you get everyone playing at a really high level. I’ve learned the technical and fundamental skills I need as a goalie, but most importantly, how to make mistakes and take a loss.”

Matheny has had a strong support system behind him his entire soccer career. He is grateful

“Soccer is my favorite thing in the world.”

-Matheny

Andrew Matheny tends goal against MICDS on Sept. 17, 2019. ELI MILNER | PHOTOGRAPHER “I’ve always thought that if I can live my life playing soccer or being a part of soccer the entire time, I’ll have a good life,” CHS senior varsity soccer captain Andrew Matheny said.

Soccer has played a major role throughout Matheny’s life. Growing up, he watched his brother, Kevin, compete at a high level, placing third in state as a member of the varsity soccer team at CHS. However, Matheny has built his own legacy as the goalie of the varsity team since freshman year.

“I played behind Chris McCormick my freshman season. It was a good entrance onto the team,” said Matheny. “It was great to learn from him and work my way into playing instead of having to play every game as a freshman.”

After an impressive freshman season, Matheny had a huge setback sophomore year following a severe shoulder injury, sidelining him for months.

“A player kicked me in my shoulder, dislocating my shoulder and tearing my labrum. I was out for the rest of the season. It was probably my biggest setback, but to be honest, that was probably the best thing that happened to me,” said Matheny. “I never would have trained and gotten stronger if I never was injured. I did any workout I could without using my arm.”

His junior season, Matheny came back strong, leading one of Clayton’s best teams in history to a 22 win season, eventually being eliminated in the district tournament. In addition to playing at

for the role his parents and siblings have had in encouraging him to keep working hard.

“My parents are amazing,” said Matheny. “If I had played any sport or chosen any activity, they would have supported me. Neither of my parents had played soccer before, so they just supported me and gave me an avenue I needed to be a goalie.”

Matheny’s brothers have been a big inspiration, helping him to build a competitive attitude.

“We would run around the house and wrestle when I was eight years younger than them and get destroyed,” said Matheny. “I want to win the district championship and make it to the semifinals of the state tournament. My brother’s team was third in the state and I want to beat him so he’ll stop making fun of me.”

After graduating, Matheny hopes to continue his soccer career in college, following in his brother Kevin’s footsteps, who played for the University of Chicago.

“Seeing my brother play college soccer is one of the strongest reasons why I want to play college soccer,” said Matheny. “Soccer is my favorite thing in the world. I use soccer as a release and I believe everyone should find that thing for themselves.”

31

athletic advancements

CHS plans to make several changes within the year in hopes of improving Greyhound spirit.

LUKA BASSNETT | REPORTER

CHS students celebrate at the 2018 CHS homecoming football game.

MALLORY PALMER | PHOTOGRAPHER It is no secret that the Clayton High School community is focused primarily on academics. Clayton excels at Speech and Debate and Robotics competitions, earning high marks at state and national competitions. However, with all of these successes, some may feel that CHS’s athletic teams have been left behind. Declining participation rates and concerns about safety have started a conversation at Clayton to suggest an end to the school’s football team. Additionally, it is common knowledge that at a state level, CHS’ academic teams perform better than their athletic counterparts.

Clayton’s new Athletic Director, Steve Hutson (who replaced the previous Director, Bob Bone, at the end of last year), is introducing a number of initiatives designed to increase school spirit and return Clayton’s athletic programs to a place in the spotlight. Under Hutson’s administration, the coach of each sports team will have the opportunity to nominate an “Athlete of the Week” who will be prominently displayed on the school’s social media accounts.

“I feel like we do an excellent job as a district of recognizing our students for their academic successes.” Hutson said. “I figured we could recognize individual student athletes, for their

contributions on the floor, [in the] pool, on the court, and on the field.”

In addition to the “Athlete of the Week”, the athletic department plans to recruit the members of existing clubs like Student Council and Captain’s Council to form ready-made cheering sections at sporting events.

“If we reached out to multiple [extracurricular clubs], and we said, ‘Hey, we’re all getting together at a certain venue to cheer on a certain team’, you’re going to get more students to attend the event rather than just reaching out to each individual student,” Hutson said.

However, for the average Clayton student, the biggest change will come from a new school “sports app” intended for student smartphones.

Athletics and Activities Coordinator T’Shon Young said, “it’s almost like a kind of Facebook platform. You can post events that are coming up, you can put rosters on there, you can put the dates, the location, but then also it’s in real time.

So if students are at games, they can take pictures and upload them.”

The app also contains a geo-tracking feature that allows students to track their attendance at games.

“If we’re playing Westminster in basketball

at Westminster, we can select that to be a zone where students could check in,” Hutson said.

“They check in and receive points. And then we can run reports, whenever we want to see who has the highest level of points. We can run [the reports] by grade level, by specific team, by group of students or by individual.”

Hutson plans to reward high attendance at games with spiritwear, gift cards, or class points during homecoming. The new school spirit initiatives are all part of an effort to increase student involvement in the Clayton community.

“They are all under one umbrella,” Hutson said. “Just trying to get students not only involved but excited and talking about Clayton activities and sports outside of school.”

Beyond that, Young explained that the new proposals have as much to do with the high school experience as with school spirit.

“Take your time, and kind of let it sink in.

You have those four years here, and then you’re moving on, you don’t get that time back.” Young said. “What we really want to do is provide these opportunities and let the students know it’s okay to take a moment to support your home team.

And have a little fun in high school.”

32

poke of stl Three writers test the up-and-coming poke restaurants in St. Louis.

BRIDGET WALSH | REVIEW SECTION CO-EDITOR SIDDHI NARAYAN | REVIEW SECTION CO-EDITOR SOPHIE SRENCO | REPORTER

What is poke?

Beginning as a native food of Hawaii, moving to the continental United States and taking cities by storm, poke (poh-kay) is only one of the latest trends in food. In the states it begins with a starch base, noodles or rice typically, then raw fish, sometimes marinated, and then topped with an assortment of toppings.

The toppings can be anything you want, ranging from fruits to vegetables to wonton chips and an array of sauces. Originally, though, poke was all about eating the fresh fish with just a little bit of salt and some seaweed. We have since ‘americanized’ it to fit our tastes, but in Hawaii it can still be found in all its simplicity. This dish represents the history of native Hawaiian cuisine and a commitment to sustainability in fishing. More than just food, poke is about authenticity.

With the idea that poke is about the fish and the toppings are an afterthought in mind, we decided to go around St. Louis to all the new restaurants featuring poke. Our hope is to find that St. Louis accurately represents the tradition.

Poke bowls served with diced and marinated raw fish and a variety of bases, toppings and sauces.

Photo from Lemonshark Poke

Lemon Shark Poke

Poke Bowl from LemonShark Poke

ANNA WALSH | PHOTGRAPHER

Lemonshark Poke located in Downtown Clayton has a very simple and sleek finish. The decorations are kept very simple and minimal.

The wood walls are complemented by the different textures and images that relate to the origin of poke.

The presentation of the food is also very nice.

When ordering, you can see all of your options.

Each item is labeled very clearly, which makes it easy to decide what to order.

The menu is displayed on three different screens. The first screen flips through suggested

creations, the second one has appetizers and hot plates, and the third one takes you through the steps of creating your own poke bowl.

Overall, Lemonshark poke has a very appealing atmosphere and the food definitely lives up to the standards you would expect.

There were 3 sizing options available: 2 poke, 3 poke and a kids bowl. There was also an option of getting a poke roll, which would be the same contents of a bowl wrapped in seaweed. We ordered a kids bowl for $6.45, which provided one ‘poke’-- having the choice of various fish, chicken,

tofu, and other seafood. The kid’s bowl also allowed us to have 5 other toppings, which were various fruits, vegetables, and garnishes, as well as unlimited sauces and condiments. All poke bowls came with a choice base of either white or brown rice, crispy wanton, salad, quinoa, or noodles.

We were awed by the many options presented to us, and had to ponder our order for a while before deciding. After much deliberation, we decided to get a bowl with rice as our base, shrimp as our poke, corn, pineapple, mango, chilies, and avocado as our toppings, and spicy mayo, ponzu sauce, spicy chili sauce, hot Cheetos and crispy onions to garnish our bowl.

Although this combination seemed a bit strange, especially considering the more unique options, like hot Cheetos, the food was delicious.

The tropical fruits and vegetables burst in our mouth with sweetness and the sauces provided a savory and sour contrast. The shrimp tied the Hawaiian dish together, the fishy flavor perfectly complimenting the rest of the ingredients.

33 Poke Doke

Elements for a poke bowl.

LILA TAYLOR | PHOTGRAPHER

Poke Doke has 2 locations in St. Louis; one located in the Delmar Loop next to the Tivoli Theater and the other in the Central West End on Euclid Avenue. Both locations are vibrant and appeal to younger people. With pop music playing and a minimalist design, it is clear that this is a modern setup. The seating allows for customers to combine tables and form bigger groups or settle in with one or two close friends without taking up a large table fit for many.

Because of the mostly natural lighting, white walls and wood accents, there is a very calm air to the restaurant. Due to the decoration, one’s focus is drawn to the colorful vibrancy of the poke bowls.

The menu makes it easy to see what the options are for your base, protein and toppings as well as appetizers. The restaurant also features desserts such as mochi ice

cream, boba shakes and ice cream cones.

There were three sizing options. A small has 2 scoops of poke, a medium has 3 scoops, and a large has 4 scoops. We ordered a small poke bowl which was $12.13. It included a base which you could choose from white rice, brown rice, soba noodles, wonton chips, or lettuce. It also included the two scoops of poke. There were many options, ranging from shrimp to raw fish, tofu, soft shell crab, chicken, and octopus. After choosing the poke you can decide whether you want it to be mild, medium, or spicy. There was also and option for no spice. Next came the toppings. You can choose as many toppings as you want . They were all included in the price besides avocado and kimchi. To top it all off, there were 8 different drizzles you could choose from.

The Poke bowl we ordered was a small. We chose shrimp and spicy tuna as our two poke scoops, and made it have mild spice.

The toppings we chose were crabmeat, edamame, mango, seaweed salad, and masago. We topped it off with spicy mayo and some seaweed flakes.

Although a bit more expensive, the quality of the food is great.

The price is reflected on the topping options and overall size of the bowl. The small poke bowl is more than enough. The only downside is the size. Personally, I can’t finish the bowl in one sitting and it isn’t very good to eat the next day.

Overall, if you are looking for a delicious poke bowl, Poke Doke is a great option.

BLK MKT Eats The portion size at BLK MKT was much smaller than at Poke Doke or Lemon Shark, which made it easier to eat as one full meal, meanwhile the bowls at the other locations could be split into two. Similar to the concept, the food and toppings are unconventional. While there are still the regular bases and proteins, the toppings vary slightly and the pre-planned dishes create perfect pairings that most customers would not be able to create at the other poke bowl restaurants.

At BLK MKT we decided to order a pre planned sushi burrito. It was called the OG fire and it had spicy ahi tuna, avocado, cucumbers, masago, crispy shallots, tempura crunch, sesame seeds, jalapenos, and the og fire sauce which tasted like spicy mayo.

The poke was $12.00 and a perfect size. It was very tasty and was an interesting twist on typical poke. We would definitely recommend this sushi burrito as we were all very intrigued by the concept.

After visiting three different poke restaurants around STL we have come to the conclusion that we have a wide variety of options. From typical sushi bowls to sushi burritos STL can cater to whatever type of poke style you are feeling. We would highly recommend each restaurant we visited and are very impressed to have come across this delicious type of food.

Photo of a salmon poke bowl.

Rusted Root/TNS

34

charred crust

A new pizza place has entered the Clayton dining scene KATE FREEDMAN | PAGE EDITOR KAIA MILLS-LEE | PAGE EDITOR DHEERA RATHIKINDI | PAGE EDITOR

The Charred Crust in downtown Clayton. The new pizza spot is on South Meramec Avenue.

HALEY LEWIS | PHOTOGRAPHER “Where passion meets hunger”. This is the slogan of a new restaurant, Charred Crust, located on South Meramec Avenue in downtown Clayton. The restaurant focuses on creating a welcoming and family-friendly atmosphere for everyone.

“Everybody is a family who comes and eats here. That’s the way we want to treat everybody.

We want everybody to feel welcome,” said co-owner James Flemming. “The theory behind it was to create American contemporary food with traditional cooking methods.”

At Charred Crust, emphasis is placed on the flavor profiles of the food. Every item on the menu has a specific ingredient in it that has been charred, giving classic dishes a new depth.

Thanks to this charring, each item has a distinct taste compared to other restaurants.

Upon walking in the restaurant, we were overwhelmed with a very pleasing scent of fresh-baked pizza and pasta. It was a small space without many spaces to sit, but it still retained a homey feel. The wall was decorated with a collage of pictures of the owners and their families, enhancing the welcoming atmosphere.

We first decided to try a Caesar salad, which costs $8.59. We received our salad very quickly after ordering, which was nice. The salad not only looked delicious but also had very unique flavors.

The oil in the dressing was charred as well as the croutons, which were amazing and tasted like garlic bread. The charred oil in the dressing was certainly what gave the salad more depth and an interesting taste.

We also ordered a classic cheese pizza for $5.25. The sauce didn’t have an overwhelming tomato taste like most pizzas, which increased our enjoyment. As a whole, the pizza was great, but the crust really stood out; the char and flavor profile was amazing. The crunch of the crust is what elevated the pizza from something rather ordinary to something much more special.

In addition to the Caesar salad and cheese pizza, we tried the Mediterranean pizza for $9.25.

Its flavors were extremely rich and delicious. Our favorite part was the pesto, sauce which added a unique flavor. The crunchy crust paired with a novel taste made for another enticing meal.

Aside from pizzas and salads, Charred Crust also offers a wide variety of sandwiches and pasta.

When we first looked at the menu, our initial opinion was that the pizza and salad were unnecessarily expensive, as the prices were slightly daunting. However, when we eventually received our food, we realized that the dishes were much more lavish than we had expected, making the prices seem much more reasonable.

Not only was the food delicious, but the service at Charred Crust was amazing. We truly felt as if we were receiving first-class service, as Flemming and other employees frequently stopped by each table to make sure everyone was having a pleasant experience.

“We want people to enjoy good food and we’ll do anything we can to make that happen,” Flemming said.

The location of the restaurant is also in a beautiful spot in downtown Clayton, and the outdoor seating certainly adds to the aesthetic of the restaurant.

Overall, we had a very pleasant experience at Charred Crust and would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick lunch spot in downtown Clayton.

35

akar

An Asian fusion restaurant with a twist

YIYUN XU | COPY EDITOR ISABELLA BAMNOLKER | REPORTER One does not often expect noodles served with peanut sauce and salad to be offered in an Asian restaurant. As we settled down in the new fusion restaurant, Akar, neither did we. Akar is located on Wydown in Clayton. It was opened in June, and it does not obey traditional Asian cooking styles. Akar offers an array of dishes, many of them vegetarian-friendly, and most of the food is also gluten free, allowing greater accessibility for people with varying diets.

Bernie Lee, a Malaysian-Chinese chef based in St. Louis, has been in the restaurant business for 15 years. His latest endeavor, Akar, has a welcoming atmosphere reminiscent of a family’s home.

The dim lighting and wooden bar area set a warm tone to the environment, which is emphasized by jazz music humming softly in the background.

The many decorations around the room are incorporated by Lee from his homeland. The beautiful crystalline chandeliers that hang from the ceiling are custom designed from Bali, and the pillowcases next to the windows are from Indonesia and Malaysia.

Impressed by the interior design, we settled down in two of the bar seats and ordered a salad, an appetizer and an entree. The salad was made with green papaya, cabbage and long beans, and was dotted with peanuts and crispy shallots. It tasted fresh and tangy, with just the right amount of crunch. Its aromatic spice was nicely complemented by the green papaya.

The appetizer we ordered contained fried crab, a homemade tomato sauce and home-cooked corn kernels with a hint of rosemary. The crab had a crispy shell while the inside of the crab was soft, chewy and flavorful. The tomato sauce was creamy to the right degree, and its freshness combined with the slightly sweet corn kernels blended perfectly with the spice of the crab.

We then had Mama Lee’s noodles for our main entree -- a fusion of peanut sauce and thick noodles which were soft with a chewy bite. The dish was accompanied by a few vegetable meatballs, which contained tofu, lemon and garlic. La piece de resistance was a fine sprinkling of rosemary, and the peanut sauce was irresistible. The noodles were topped with crushed peanuts that gave a surprising crunch.

We only ordered one serving, but it was enough to feed both of us. The waiter even served the dish to us in two separate plates after we mentioned that we were going to split the meal.

The plating was unconventional and eclectic,

A photo of the tempura soft shell crab, a signature dish at Akar Photo from Akar using different textures, colors and geometric shapes.

“It is like your mind is going through different experiences. It was spicy and then it’s sweet,” Lee said.

Most of these dishes have a special meaning to Lee. For example, the soft crab sauce is a Singaporean sauce that would be simmering every time he came home, back in Malaysia. His Mama Lee noodles, on the other hand, remind him of his mother’s home-cooked noodles. The satay peanut sauce is one of his childhood favorites.

Many of his dishes reflect his personal memories of his childhood. Lee has a close connection with his roots, and tries to go back to Malaysia every year.

“Everything that you do for food is related to your soul. Some days will remind you of the

chocolate and the good times,” Lee said.

Lee notes that to remember a good dish, you must experience it in different senses: “Your eyes, visual, nose, smell, and taste. Everything in the face of sense must work together in order to make a good dish. Then you will remember if it was good or bad, if it was sloppy or pretty,” Lee said.

The waiters at Akar were kind and helpful. The appetizers were served in less than two minutes, and they checked on us often. The staff resembled a family, with Lee being the head.

The trait that distinguishes Akar from other restaurants is the sense of home that it offers.

Akar is not just a restaurant, it is an experience.

It is a place for neighbors, friends and families to socialize and share scrumptious food, memories and stories. For a memorable outing, stop by and experience Akar yourself.

36

coffees of clayton

Sick of Starbucks? Looking for a way to give back to the community, rather than help profit a corporate company when buying your daily dose of caffeine to get you through class?

Luckily, there are plenty of local coffee shops near CHS. We went on a mission to try them.

ABBY HOELSCHER | REPORTER ANANYA SHAH | REPORTER Before visiting each coffee shop, there were a few things we needed to figure out. There was a need for constant in our test -- something to keep the same so we could truly compare the different places. Because it was simple, inexpensive and realistic, we chose to order a small iced coffee at each cafe. We also reviewed what the shop called their ‘best’ food item -- whether it was popular, seasonal or a personal favorite from the barista.

Coffee and a muffin at Cursed Bikes ABBY HOELSCHER I PHOTOGRAPHER

Bakery items for sale at Colleen’s ABBY COOPER | PHOTOGRAPHER Our first stop was Colleen’s, a small neighborhood bakery located on Forsyth 1.2 miles from CHS. We ordered our small iced coffee, a cold brew and asked the barista what she considered yo br the shop’s best pastry.

She gave us their “death by chocolate” cookie and the total rounded to $5.50. The bakery itself had a faint marshmallow scent, accompanied by the black, white and lime green vintage theme. Our cold brew came in a cup with a strawless lid and a lot of ice. It was not too strong but did have an immediate sickly sweet artificial taste. The cookie was a great pairing, with a dense cocoa flavor and a dry, crackled crust.

Cookie and coffee from Colleen’s ABBY HOELSCHER I PHOTOGRAPHER

Next, we visited Cursed Bikes & Coffee, a quaint cafe on the Clayton-University City border with a fully operating bike repair shop inside. The atmosphere was a bit overwhelming, with seating ranging from wooden chairs to blue metal stools to a living room armchair. Nonetheless, our order was the same: a small iced coffee and the best food item (here, a lemon blueberry muffin). The muffin, while slightly green in color and a bit dry, stayed true to its flavors, and it was easy to identify the lemon and blueberry. The coffee was quite bitter and concentrated, but cream and sugar were available to us. Our total here was $6.62. We also noticed that the shop was dog-friendly, as there were numerous pups both inside and surrounding the shop, mixed in with the morning coffee-goers.

A mere 1.1 miles from CHS and boasting a 10% discount with a student ID, this coffee shop is also great for students.

The last place we went to was Deer Creek Coffee, a small shop located across from the Galleria 1.8 miles from CHS. We walked in, surprised by how big the inside looked compared to the small store front. While the inside itself was lacking in color, the brown aesthetic was nice; from the dark walls to the neutral wooden furniture and the swirling coffees on each table. Their smallest iced coffee was a little larger than expected at 12 oz and served with very light ice. Once again, cream and sugar were provided to us for our drinks. Instead of a pastry, the shop’s signature item is their Cali burrito, which brought our total to $12.23. The burrito was a delicious combination of eggs, black beans, red peppers, corn, jalapenos, pico de gallo, pepper jack cheese and avocado. It had a slight spicy kick but the mix of textures was incredible, from the crunchy outer tortilla to the creamy beans and egg..

Cali Burrito from Deer Creek Coffee ABBY HOELSCHER I PHOTOGRAPHER

Although the savory burrito didn’t quite complement the classic coffee at Deer Creek, we agreed that, overall, Deer Creek Coffee was our favorite stop of the three places. We disagreed on the other rankings. Cursed Bikes & Coffee, despite their bewitching name and dry muffin, had an excellent roast. However, the rich chocolate cookie from Colleen’s was undeniably decadent and a pastry favorite. In the end, however, we concluded that all three shops had their own delicious selections for Clayton residents and CHS students alike: perfect for any morning pickup, afternoon buzz or evening study break.

37 13

remade

DANNY CHOO-KANG | OPINION SECTION EDITOR

Simba in the 2019 remake of “The Lion King” Photo from Disney Enterprises Recently, movie marquees across the globe have displayed titles for several new live action and live action-styled photorealistically animated remakes and adaptations.

The public’s response to these upcoming remakes seemed to be relatively positive overall.

Viewers that saw the original movies at their initial releases felt nostalgic as they watched their favorite characters and childhood films reimagined.

There are some notable exceptions in the positive public response, however, with “Sonic” and “Cats,” where the general reaction was of disgust and horror, to the point that the “Sonic” release date was delayed so that the disturbingly humanoid Sonic could be redesigned.

While live action-styled photorealistic animation is impressive, it promotes the idea that the existence and capability of this technology mean it should be used to make art as realistic as possible.

The quality of art should not be judged solely on how realistic it looks.

After the release of “The Lion King” trailer, social media users created side-by-side comparisons of clips from both films, which made evident the lack of soul in the remake. By trying to make animations as realistic as possible, the characters lose emotion, since the faces of actual animals don’t outwardly display the same level of emotion

as those that are traditionally animated.

The current tunnel-vision focus on photorealistic animation causes the loss of potentially new, imaginative and experimental art designed to fit the tone of a specific film. One movie that does this particularly well is “Into the Spider-Verse”.

The art integrates styles from the comics in a way that is creative, visually stunning and contributes to the personality of the movie as a whole.

With the new remakes, the loss of creativity in art and entertainment is further exacerbated.

Studios repeatedly capitalize on reused ideas. In addition to the 1994 film, the “Lion King” franchise consists of the new 2019 remake, two more movies, two television series, two video games and a Broadway musical. The “Lion King” musical alone made over $8.1 billion, which, for reference, is about the same amount as every “Star Wars” movie combined. Possible new stories lose out to those that are old and continually exploited.

Which movies, then, if any, should be remade? Why remake a movie if the original was already good? Why remake a movie if it was bad?

Ideally, the best movies to remake would be those that had potential but fell short in execution so they can be done differently and improved.

Studios, though, are usually not willing to risk making major changes to a movie or to remake a movie if the original was not profitable. The

remaking of some originally successful movies can also be beneficial if they amend aspects that were problematic.

Remakes allow for the chance to try again.

The upcoming “Mulan” remake will have several changes between the 1998 film. Several fans of the original “Mulan” were initially disappointed upon hearing about the loss of the iconic soundtrack and characters Mushu and Shang. However, these changes were not unwarranted and should be respected, as they were made in response to many Chinese people that had been upset with the depiction of their culture in the original animation.

Another upcoming remake, “The Little Mermaid”, made an improvement from the original with the casting of Halle Bailey, a black singer and actress, as Ariel, who was portrayed as white in the 1989 film. Remaking movies can be a good opportunity to bring diversity and representation to media.

The recent prevalence of remakes is disappointing because of its effects on creativity. Their occurrence is the result of studios pursuing the most lucrative option rather than working on new ideas. Nevertheless, some of the changes being made, although overdue, are important steps in the right direction for media.

38

mayana mexican kitchen The Globe reviews the modern Mexican restaurant in the heart of Clayton.

RYAN KERR | REPORTER

ELLA CUNEO | PHOTOGRAPHER Mayana Mexican Kitchen, located at 7810 Forsyth Boulevard in the Clayton Business District, offers a fast, casual dining experience of reasonably priced Mexican favorites that are customized for each customer’s taste. The friendly and efficient staff will put together food with an assortment of options and fresh toppings that keep you coming back.

However, alert diners will realize that Mayana Mexican Kitchen has the same passion for excellence and authenticity that has been the driving force of the Hacienda Restaurant in Rock Hill since 1968. The same family that operates Hacienda also operates Mayana.

That spice of tradition matters.

In discussing how the concept of Mayana Mexican developed, owner and operator Alex Rodrigúez de Torres immediately credits her father, Norberto Rodrigúez.

“My dad started and operated Hacienda Mexican Restaurant which first opened over 50 years ago. My brother John (John Rodrigúez, also an owner) and I have always been inspired by our Dad and wanted to create a fast casual version of the family restaurant we grew up in and always loved,” Rodrigúez de Torres said.

Fast, casual Mexican food itself is not a unique concept, and there are national chains

successfully operating such restaurants in the St. Louis area. However, while Mayana might look similar to Qdoba or Chipotle with a cursory glance, it is able to set itself apart from those chain restaurants by relying on the DNA that makes the flagship Hacienda so popular.

By incorporating key elements of the sit-down restaurant experience, like fresh, flavorful, madefrom-scratch offerings, Mayana is able to marry modern with tradition. They start with the base, the tortillas, which are made fresh daily at the restaurant. Then, the customer chooses an entrée and selects from a variety of proteins and vegetables, including citrus chicken, fajita steak, carne guisado, carnitas, grilled shrimp, or flavorful vegetables called calabacitas. Next, the customer is greeted with options of hot fillings and toppings, including brown or Spanish rice, black or pinto beans, and options of enchilada, verde sauce, or queso blanco. There are also options of cold fillings and toppings, including shredded romaine, jack and cheddar cheese, jalapenos, black olives, sour cream and guacamole. Finally, the dish may be topped off with your choice of salsa.

On recent visits to Mayana, I tried the steak quesadilla and the wet burrito (a burrito covered in sauce, or alternatively, served with melted cheese on top) and savored both. For a quesa-

dilla to be successful, the tortilla must be good. Here, the house-made tortillas really shined, providing a wonderful flavor and texture to go with the steak and cheese filling. In discussing their importance, Rodrigúez de Torres expressed that tortillas are the foundation for the best tacos, quesadillas, and burritos. Rodrigúez de Torres described the tortillas’ ingredients as clean and simple with no preservatives and “nothing you can’t pronounce.”

She rightly observes that customers can really taste the difference. The quesadilla was completed with perfectly seasoned steak, providing a note of flavor that complimented the richness of the cheese.

The wet burrito (a house specialty) was the star of my next visit. A lot of care and thought went into the construction of this dish, because every element of the food contributed to its amazing taste. I opted for carne guisado (steak meat in gravy), along with Spanish rice, pinto beans, verde sauce, jack and cheddar cheese, chimichurri, and guacamole. But, beware: this burrito is meant to be eaten with a knife and fork, and anyone who ignores this advice is doomed to have cheese on their hands and rice in their laps. While the serving size of the wet burrito is generous, I will freely confess to eating every bite of this deliciousness. Do not forget the wonderful chimichurri. Rodrigúez de Torres confesses that she loves seeing people’s eyes light up when they try it for the first time.

I strongly recommend Mayana Mexican Kitchen. With the many quality choices and options, you are sure to find something you will like.

While there may be lines at lunchtime during the week, service is speedy and the line moves quickly. As Rodrigúez de Torres put it: “We appreciate every guest and do what we can to make sure they know it and always have a great experience.”

And with food this good, you will want to go back again and again.

40

diversity, duplexes and the middle class

Clayton’s already-limited socioeconomic diversity is being affected by its lack of affordable housing.

IVY REED | REPORTER

A home in the Clayton School District.

The City of Clayton has limited affordable housing available to residents.

LUCIA JOHNSON I PHOTOGRAPHER I live in a duplex on the tree-lined 6400 block of San Bonita Avenue. People push strollers and walk their dogs down the shady sidewalk to buy vegan body lotion, CBD oil and artisan ice cream on DeMun Avenue. On summer evenings that buzz with cicadas, cocktails are sipped at wine bars and parents push their kids on playground swings.

Currently, this is one of the more affordable neighborhoods in Clayton. But I’ve only lived here for four years, and it already looks different.

My house is one of several rental duplexes on the block, but I’ve seen at least three of them renovated into single family homes. I looked into St. Louis County public records and found that the house across the street was sold in 2014, the year before we moved to San Bonita. It was a duplex and sold for $335,000. Then it was renovated into a single-family and sold in 2017 for $676,000.

The renovation more than doubled the house’s value, and now it will never lose that value.

It will probably get even more expensive.

The same thing happened to another house on my block. It sold in 2016 for $345,000. The family that bought it renovated it and now Zillow estimates its current value at $727,356.

People renovate rental duplexes and then sell

them for double the original price. It’s a smart financial move. But what is the impact on neighborhood demographics when affordable rentals become increasingly scarce?

Middle-class families, including mine, often struggle to buy property in Clayton. That’s not to say that middle-class people aren’t incredibly privileged compared to some that can’t even dream of living in Clayton. However, the small middle class is really the most economic diversity Clayton has. I talked to realtor Laura Pierson about the challenges middle-class prospective homebuyers in Clayton encounter.

“There are pockets of Clayton that are more affordable,” Pierson says. “In Clayton, they’re mostly condos... And so, one thing that’s hard is if you don’t want to live in a condo, it’s really hard to buy anything here that’s under five or six hundred thousand. So then, some families have a hard time with condo living--if they have pets, for example.”

Clayton is expensive. According to Zillow, it is home to a median property value of $680,900.

In comparison, St. Louis City’s median property value is $167,700.

Because homes are worth so much more in Clayton, the schools are exponentially better.

“Well, the truth is it’s cyclical, because the schools are so good, the properties are worth more. Because the properties are worth more, the taxes are higher and the schools are better,” says Pierson.

It’s all part of the cycle. According to NPR, the School District of Clayton spends $19,681 on each student, while St. Louis Public Schools can only afford to spend $9,826 on each student. Kids who live in Clayton get an education that’s worth more than double the education of students in the city.

Also, Clayton students are usually from higher income families. The median household income in Clayton is $91,531, according to Data USA, and $41,441 in Saint Louis. So poorer students are getting a worse education.

This is the definition of socioeconomic inequality in education.

Middle and lower-class families should also be able to live in Clayton to give their kids a better education. But as long as the City of Clayton doesn’t do anything to ensure that they have places to live, the cycle will continue.

When the voluntary student transfer program ends, even for all its flaws, it will greatly impact Clayton’s already limited diversity.

The rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer. Clayton will remain overwhelmingly wealthy and white, no matter how much we white liberals talk about the value of diversity.

In fact, Clayton is built on a system of ensuring that wealth stays concentrated and lower-class people are kept out.

Zoning is a way cities determine how land is used. In Clayton, residential land is divided into seven residential zoning districts. These control what kind of housing can be built in different parts of Clayton. The first and most restrictive of these districts is R-1, or the Large Lot Single-Family Dwelling District. This district is, according to eCode 360, “intended to maintain high standards for quality residential living.”

Zoning houses this way is Clayton protecting the upper class. There is no policy in place to protect, preserve or create middle and lower class housing.

Most of the DeMun neighborhood is zoned as R-5, or the Medium-Low Density Multi-Family District. This district allows single family homes, duplexes and medium density multi-family homes (medium sized apartment buildings). Because it’s zoned this way, economic diversity can flourish in DeMun, while it’s legally prevented from

41 happening in neighborhoods with houses mainly economic diversity isn’t perceived as a problem According to school board member Jason Wilzoned as R-1. by many members of the Clayton community, or son, “Affordable housing in Clayton isn’t gonna at least as a big enough problem that it requires happen. There’s a paradigm that’s in place, there’s a However, there are also no laws that prevent every duplex and apartment building in DeMun immediate action. construct that works a certain way. It was built on anti-blackness. It’ll be from being converted into houses that sell fine, honestly.” for $800,000 and He means that most Clayton resiup. Clayton is doing “Affordable housing in Clayton isn’t gonna nothing to save the dents won’t suffer if happen. There’s a paradigm that’s in place, nothing is done to middle class and it’s there’s a construct that works a certain way. rapidly disappearing ensure diversity. It in the parts of the city won’t affect the way It was built on anti-blackness.” where it’s zoned to of life we’ve all grown -Wilson used to. As Wilson exist. said, “nobody wants to But then again, why would Clayton want give up anything.” to save it?

And maybe no one Zoning Districts Lack of sociowill.

BEMISTON AVE

AVE

AV E

D

I

WAR

RE

N JACKSON AVE

LINDEN AVE

WELLESLEY AVE

ROSS AVE

PURDUE AVE

W POINT CT

ALTA DENA CT

7744

7501

7527

7511

7515

7507

7525

7533

7535

7541

7601

7545

7611

7615

7605

7621

7627

7635

7639

7631

7500

7508

7512

7504

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7520

7530

7534

7612

7618

7624

7628

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7633

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7632

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7816

N AV

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N HANLEY RD

MISSION CT

05

30 3

7749

7747

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7418

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MANHATTAN AVE 7400

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RK PA OR

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CARR

2,400

59

59 61

60

61

62

63

64

65

63 65 67

66 69

BOLA ND PL

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LAN D

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1,800

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1,200

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300 600

DE DR HILLSI

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0

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55

56

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483 620 630 630 630

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AVE

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LAKE FORE

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55

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7717

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30 0

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7618

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7624

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7225

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01 77

665

661

657

653

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7752

7732

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7744

7747

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7637

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7632

7640

7628

7622

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7705

7701

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7710

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7708

7712

7711

7715

7721 7720

7712

7716

7724

520

504

508

518

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7457

S LYLE AVE

7520

7601

7525

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N LYLE AVE

7605

14 6

7745

7751

48

100 114

S BEMISTON AVE

DR LO PO 505

1 77 7

63 77

7414

7544

7600

7606

7624

7616

7608

7612

7636

7640

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7800 17

25

5 78 1

1

73

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8007

8001

60

71

56

69

54

8011

67

CH RA

52

7921

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77

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0 80 0

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89 9

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6 80 1

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80

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8030

8021

8023 8022

7612

7817 7808 42

435

78 8001

8011

8007

8015

8021

8019

8025

8036

8038

8031 8028

8029

S CENTRAL AVE

8002

8008

8012

8016

8022

8024 8025

8029 8030

8050

8034

8040

8046

8045

8043

8037 8044

8050

8039

OLETA DR

8035

8034

8038

8044

7800

7812

7818

S CENTRAL AVE

9

8000

8010

8008

8001

8011 8009

8021

8015

8018

8022 8025

S CENTRAL AVE

601

8006

8004

605

8007

8021

8013

8020

8025

8027

8026

8056

431

21

8000

8016

8010

511

8011

8007

8021

S MERAMEC AVE

8020

8022

8025

8026

8027

8024

8028

8029

8032

8029 8028

8040

8038

8030

8044

8049

8045

8041

8037

8033

8048

8053

8054

8058

7620

N BEMISTON AVE

7800

38

7820

11

7911

7921

1

401

8008

8002

8001

8011

8007

8016 8019

8020 8025

8024 8029

8033 8030

8031

8035

8032

8036

8041

8037

8039

8050

S BR

8054

8049

8047

8045

8033

ENTW OOD 8056 BLVD

8049

8033

8022

E AV

51

52

48

CL

49

50

50

8028

55

0 74

940

53

7408

7414

7418

7400

7424

7430

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51

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66

65

47

48

R

OR DR

41

49

7415

7409

7401

7419

7441

7437

7431

7425

7465

7453

7447

7477

7501

7506

922

63

45

47

7414

7408

901

7420

7442

7436

7430

7424

7452

7448

7456

7474

7512

7518

7524

7500

7464

916

43

46

43

44

41

45

52

60

61

42

39

44

39

46

50

7415

7407

7401

7419

7437

7433

7425

7445

7443

7457

7447

7463

7509

911

7527

7519

7515

7471

59 910

40

37

38

42

48 900

36

O GEM

7412

7408

7420

7436

7430

7446

7442

7456

7452

7474

901

7526

7520

7516

7510

7464

7424

841

56

38

35

40

44

57

36

33

42

47

55

17

34

31

RID

3

7415

83

7407

7437

7431

7425

7419

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7441

7457

7451

7463

7475

811

7525

7519

7515

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8033

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7428

7422

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7410

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7436

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7520

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40

43

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32

34

DR

39 41

50

30

32

W VIE AD

8053

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37

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51 53

27

29

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7401

7405

8055

26

33

49

840

7112

00

7423

7415

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807

7519

7517

7507

47

830

AVE SOMERSET 7440

40 44

16

28

28

35

828 5

26

31

46

45

15

24

23

29

41

818

22

21 22

36

42

43

DR

74

7416

7410

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801

4

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7401

7417

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7427

7425

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7435

7445

7449

7455

7520

7514

7508

81

E LVAL HIL

7418

7412

7406

7400

7428

7424

7438

7434

7442

7450

7460

7507

745

37

6

20

14

20

19

34

38

39

18

17

18

27

32

33

35

80

7144

7415

7407

7425

7419

7439

7435

7429

7445

7451

7457

31

736

16

18

16

15

25

30

28

29

730

14

11

23

26 24

25

12

9

14

21

20

21

1

19 22

19

844

7450

17

18

27

7130

7414

7408

7400

7426

7420

7436

7430

7440

7446

7452

7456

E AVE

7520

7514

7514

7508

721

CLAYTON RD

16

23

724

800

DR CROMWELL

15

17

712 718

82

DR

7415

7411

7401

7425

7419

7435

7429

7439

7445

7451

7459

7507

715

YORK DR

11

11

10

12

9

3

8

T DR H ARCOUR

14

15

708

4

1

3

5

7

9

7

10

9

7100

6

4

8

DR

7

632 638

7146

5

6

D OO

5

626

R

5 62

7408

ND

7418

7414

7430

7424

7436

7440

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7446

701

7510 7510

ON WAY WELLINGT

3

4

ESTW

UBO

620

E LVAL HIL

CR

AUD

7411

7401

7417

7415

7429

7425

7435

3

700

7423

7200

7246

7300

614

AVE

PARKDALE

DR

OXFORD

0

50

74 0

73

7420

7426

7430

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7451

7445

7515

7507

651

7545

7543

7537

7531

7532 7532 7530

GLEN RIDG

7514

7506

7500

7536 7532 7532

7436

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7507

7550

7542

7531

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7541

7535

1

7526

7548

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7530

7544 7542 7544

7525

7535

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7553

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7542

7563

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7558

7572

7601

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7552

7560

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10

AM DR BUCKINGH

7517 7517 7519

7527

7545

7539

7535

7531

7555

7551

7545 7545 7547

7501

7542

7538

7530

7552

7571

7721

OD DR

77 0

7651

829 829 831 817 819 827 819 829 827 827 827 817 823 817 815

7570

0

900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900 900

7564

921 925 923 923

WO WEST

907

9

7563

901

838

7562

834

75 75 71 75 71 71

803

7506

7525 7515 7525

7526

7551

7575

77 1

7570

765

7500

7519

7543

7537

7533

7546

7552

7561 7561 7563

7518 7518 7518

7527

7545

7528

7536

7548

7552

7520

7541

7537

7569 7571 7571

7533

7549

BYRON PL

7525

7564

721

7535

7546

7569

830

816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816 816

2

88

7538 7536 7536

7540 7540 7540

7551

7556

715

749

2

22

4

7559 7557 7559

625

743

16

17

19

1

619

703 703 705

710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710

22

20

7511

611

TMO

18 20

21 2

7414

48

7564 7564 7564

621

BR EN

3

19

480

7574

8060

464

7536

627

622 622 622 622 622

90

5

468

7570

8064

23 17

18

7532

626

610 614

3 4

23

474

12 76 00 76

7562

8108

440 444

456

7526

617 619 621

6

40

39

4

16

460

7554

8145

424

7514

607

622

38

41

24

428 432

7529

618

24

5 15

7525

602

37

34

35

36

25

33

416

420

7408

7619

6

7

25

7444

7627 7629 7629 7629

9

32 26

0

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452

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8

31

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332

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436

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S-1

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7520

637

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FRANCIS PL

ST LOUIS GALLERIA ST

R IRE D

S BRENTWOOD BLVD

BERKSH

MCCUTCHEON AVE

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R-6

302

312

7545

LANGTON DR

431

432 436

433

437

429

433

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316

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9

RI

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R-5

DR

A City of Clayton zoning map, color-coded based on mandated estalishment type in each building.

From the City of Clayton.

LUCIA JOHNSON I PHOTOGRAPHER

Planning and Development Services 10 North Bemiston Avenue Clayton, Missouri 63105

One

R-4

7461

318

7601

421

440

421 425

445

D

7449

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7552

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417

418

7611

677

7728

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7801

R

7811

7901

941

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77 0

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939

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937

7737

922

938

931

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8000

931

934

933

925

7732

0

918

930

929

N AVE S BEMISTO

DR

925

920

925

900

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916

915

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919

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1

910

436

428 432

422

800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800

7700

MO HAWK PL

915

910

911

906

915

908

90 900

911

1

909

900

833

3 90

7721

825

90

7729

1 90

900

825

828

848

01

806

821

816

7725

80

817

812

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414

429

432

KP

311

409 415

436

426

750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750

28

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815

804

819

649

669

807

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425

DR

LO PO

77

0 80

E

W

7739

801

722

815

840

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716

818

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6

7800

800

807

812

815

660

650

7735

721

808

640

7727

717

800

0 78

712

421

409

700

RD

722

NT

KR

8032

7

4 80

6 80

8061

8021

709

419

405

408

415

420 422

42 0 424

401

400

631

645

7

7645

411

412

612

TE IVA PR

SC

630

641 0 78

405

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621

639

7812

401

404 408

522

620

703

400

516

606

7827

7646 7648

7454

308

DR

2

WALINCA TER

611

637

633

7900

7687

510

525

601

635

700

716

720

610

619

7683

326

444

WALINCA TER

709

600

615

629

628

2

76 4

R PA

530

730

623

7915

1

67

7679

322

440

612

619 624

2

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POL O D R

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318

76 69 7673

LZ

AN BL

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LD WO RS CA

438

3

6 52

609 613

4

18

605

200

314

S REAR DR

7714

601

606 610

MID

609

600

8

77

515

P LET DE ON

5

150 150 150 150 150 150 150 150

172

SHIRLEY DR

COUNTRY CLUB CT

3

711

512

616

SEMINOLE DR

90

IN OL

922

8151

747

603

7737

CR E

0 80

TR ME

PL

8215

S HIRE DR

920

8101

5

91

CIS AN FR 4

8150

CLAY

8151

509

830

8015

950

909

8021

0

3 80

81 2

521 531

506

7733

901

R

3

D URN

8140 8142 8142

91

ITB

8045

835

8133

WH

418

502

7

2 77

418

7707 7707 7707

SHIRLEY DR

7732

509

500

VE

7731

412

500

511

R-3

7443 7447 7435 7425

100

COLORADO AVE

306 310

N REAR DR

77 2

406

REAR DR

431N POL O DR

414

811

NA TO MIS BE

400

5

501

410

801

DR

MP RA

2

8

447

451

400

710

8056

8142

FOREST

41

CAR

122

76

230

RK PA S

407

8001

889

8110

DR

222 230

AW SH

77 28 77 28

Y PARK PK

DAYTONA DR

8051

8115

8165

CT

8211

8153

8154

889

8100 8121

8132

8130

8124

8161

01

XBU

DR

H RG

818

231

56 77 54 77

8070

81

8115

8133

8131

8125

3

210

238

8010

WAT KINS

0 I17

4

222

DR PARK

8020

P AM

02

81

101

7700

7730

235

ROSILINE DR

8024

808

SR

81 8104

81 4

227

236

200

52

01

8120

8124

8116

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STRATFORD AVE

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215 215 215 215

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PERSHING AVE 182

330 328

329 325 321

320 314 304

219 221 223 225 227

220

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311

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8301

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LANCASTER DR

122

CRANDON DR

128

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8191

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8411

8417

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129

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233

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216

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125 123

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320

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301

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Clayton Athletic Field

350 341 346 339 342 335 333 338 334 331 329 330 325 326 321 322 317 312 312 312 315 312 312 312

335 335 335 335 335 335 335 335 335

CLAYTON LANE CT

7801

LAFON PL

M

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DELCREST CT

VA LE

BE

WASHINGTON AVE

IL L D R

RD

WEST DR

AVE GREENWAY

FO

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TEASDALE AVE

CREVEL ING DR

TEASDALE AVE

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GREENSFELDER LN

NORTH AND SOUTH RD

DONNE AVE

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WESTVIEW DR

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DR

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CENTER DR

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City of Clayton Zoning Map

42

love, the globe

a column

ELLA CUNEO | PHOTO EDITOR Our feet carried us through the ups and downs of the playground. Running as fast as we could, we avoided the hands of our tormentor, the “it” person: the lava monster. We swung across the bars, slid down the swirling slide, anything to avoid being the tagger. Of course, the rules were strictly followed: if the taggers wished to go onto the playground, they had to close their eyes.

Now, I feel like a tagger.

There is something about returning to your childhood that is strikingly sad, whether you are pondering your previous innocence or thinking about the Silly Bandz and Rainbow Loom bracelets forever lost in your closet.

What are not lost are the friendships formed at the base of the slides, the memories made swinging upside down on the bars and the side-splitting laughs on the sausage link ladders where we got tangled in ways we didn’t know possible.

There are always cliques of kids, even in elementary school. There were the princesses, doing cartwheels through the playground and sitting at the top of the tower. There were the players, the ones who ran and tagged and jumped, who were never at rest. There were the gossip girls, hiding under the slides, who dreamt up crushes and discussed their favorite episode of iCarly or Hannah Montana. Then there was me. The girl with friends in every group. I could never make up my mind; I switched between reciting lyrics to my favorite Hannah Montana song to playing basketball to creating sculptures out of sticks.

But that is what made the playground so special.

I could decide to hide under the slides with the gossip girls, or climb up the slides hiding from the taggers.

I was not the girl who dreamed of having fuchsia nails or ombre blue eyeshadow. I liked sports and drawing and getting my hands messy.

I was constantly hearing rumors about me and my best friend being “in love” with each other, not that any of us knew what that meant at the time. We were always friends. What an outlandish idea. He would invite me to play lava monster with all the boys, who, at that time, believed I had cooties. Now, we take on the adventure of high school together. The playground was always our meeting spot, right in between our houses.

We could sprint there in under two minutes.

Once there, we would stay as late as our parents would let us, dreaming up our futures, determining homecoming dates and voicing fears.

Of all the games, Chinese Chicken, a game invented by us and played by all, was our favorite.

ELLA CUNEO I ARTIST We still take pride in explaining the rules we created to all of our friends. We would cheer when all the chickens were rescued and the cycle would continue. Our game became so popular that the princesses, players, gossip girls, and even the people not in one singular clique, would join in.

That is, until it was banned for something along the lines of gang activity.

In kindergarten, it was the best of both worlds. We got two recesses; we were never bored. We would always find caterpillars to observe or discover another world. Some days, I would even beg my mom to let me go into school early or stay after school just to play longer on the playground. On rainy days, we sat under the slide and my friend would teach us about “adult things” she learned from her older sister. How getting your permit is almost impossible -- we proved that wrong. How having your first kiss is like a magical movie moment -- something we still dream about. But most importantly, how

after elementary school everything changes. She was only half correct on that one.

Even after I moved on from Meramec, the playground remained in my life. Every week, my mom brought my two younger cousins down the playground, where they learned to do the monkey bars and gained the courage to slide down the biggest slide. The first time I babysat, I brought the kids down to the playground to run around. I said goodbye to my favorite person, now in Germany, on that playground. I met my best friend on that playground. I dreamt up my future on that playground.

Now, to go back on to the old playground, I can close my eyes and imagine if only to see the juniper green slides or the seaweed steps. When I open them, I see the empty expanse of wood chips waiting the arrival of something new to come.

They say you don’t know the worth of something until it’s gone. I agree.

43

idling by THOMAS GUSTAFSON | REPORTER

Reporter Thomas Gustafson discusses the environmenal, health and financial impacts of idling cars.

Cars idling on the main circle of Clayton High School Main entrance.

KATE LAY I PHOTOGRAPHER Recently, I heard a story about climate change on NPR. The story told of the large number of forest fires ravaging Brazil. It said that “international concern is growing” and “French President Emanuel Macron… urged those attending the G-7 Summit… to put the fires at the top of the agenda.”

Blah. Blah. Blah.

I’m not taking away from forest fires. Unnatural forest fires are definitely some of the most noticeable causes (and effects) of global warming and they should be a major topic at any climate conference or international summit.

However, in the broader scheme of things, our inability to fix global warming is the result of something much bigger: ourselves.

At G-7, what these rich world ‘leaders’ don’t realize is that they are the culprits. And it’s not just them. Everyone who makes a living in a first-world country and follows social norms is at fault.

According to the Global Forest Watch, the United States has lost 14 percent of its natural forest since 2000, while Brazil has lost 10 percent.

But that’s not all.

In the United States, data from the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Energy Information Administration show that 95 percent of households own a car and 88 percent of our energy is non-renewable.

None of these numbers are good, but they do have something to say about hypocrisy.

In fact, there’s a good chance that if you were listening to that NPR article, you were in your car, burning fossil fuels. A study published by Edison Research shows this, finding that 54 percent of radio listeners only listen to radio in the car.

Every day when I walk out of school, there is always someone waiting in their car while their engine runs.

Not only does this waste gasoline and cost the driver more money, but it also releases unnecessary carbon emissions, which cause and worsen asthma, allergies, lung and heart disease and cancer, according to the National Institutes of Health.

The Environmental Defense Fund found that it is a myth that turning your car on and off will use more fuel, it is a myth that in the winter a car engine needs to be warmed up by idling before being driven and it is a myth that constantly restarting a car engine will wear it out.

As a general rule, if you are waiting for more than five to 10 seconds, turn your engine off.

The United States is one of the top emitters of carbon dioxide in the world, second only to China. 29 percent of these emissions are a result of transportation.

And this could be easily fixed.

According to the United States Department of Energy, idling wastes 6 billion gallons of fuel each year, while releasing 30 million tons of CO2.

A single person turning off their engine may be small, but if no one idled, the impact would be immense.

So stop.

I’m not saying this will counteract deforestation. It definitely will not. In 2018, the amount of forest loss in Brazil was equivalent to 1.1 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions, 37 times more than idling. Brazil is the seventh highest country of carbon emissions on the planet.

But at the rate we are going, 30 millions tons is still a lot. And if no one drove cars and we switched to 100 percent renewable energy, we would reduce our total emissions by over half.

Not idling is just a start, but it’s a necessary one.

44

pro: alternative schedule A new Missouri law pushes back the 2020-2021 school start date which gives CHS an opportunity to revolutionize the school schedule.

SOFIA ERLIN | FEATURE SECTION EDITOR

CHS junior Disha Chatterjee studies for her AP Calculus test.

SOFIA ERLIN I PHOTOGRAPHER 1,044 hours. That’s the required instructional time for all Missouri school districts. Recently, Missouri legislators passed a new law pushing school start dates back past Labor Day weekend to allow for a final weekend of tourism. This change to the 2020-2021 school year start date gives CHS a rare opportunity to think creatively about how to fit 1,044 hours into the school year.

Currently, CHS operates on an eight period daily schedule. Students take all their classes every day, except for P.E and health. This schedule causes many students to be stressed. Every night, students scramble to finish upwards of six periods worth of homework (depending on their schedule). On top of this, for students enrolled in zero hours or participating in sports, the school day can begin as early as 7:20 am and end as late as 6:00 pm. This leaves them with almost no time to relax, spend time with friends and family or even to sleep.

The rigid eight-period day schedule mimics the industrial factory environment of the time period in which it was created. It no longer fits into our modern world. With CHS increasing its focus on mental wellness, the time has come to switch to a schedule that promotes well-being and individuality, instead of strict conformity.

Most school schedules fall into one of two

categories: the six, seven or eight period day, or block scheduling. These schedules don’t allow time for interdisciplinary study or for in-depth work. Students move through their classes without taking the time to focus on what they are learning.

One approach to solving this problem is a method called “linked learning.” Linked learning attempts to help students get real world experience in the fields they’re interested in. For example, at Reynoldsburg eSTEM Academy, seniors have the opportunity to participate in one of three Capstone programs: energy, environment or economy.

In the morning, students attend a three hour class that includes an AP, a technical-writing and an ethics class. Then, in the afternoon, the students participate in internships, gaining real world experience. The seniors then attend college or whatever else they will be doing after high school with practical knowledge.

Providing students with time to expand their learning is critical. At Ely Blanche High School in Florida, another approach is used. Their schedule is a traditional four block schedule Monday through Thursday, but on Fridays, students have the option to take enrichment courses or to retake failed classes.

Flex time, during which students can study, get help with subjects they’re struggling with or have valuable enrichment time, can help students connect with their learning. Giving students time to engage with what they’re learning allows them to gain a deeper understanding of the content.

A more manageable change CHS could make would be the introduction of more interdisciplinary classes. For example, CHS could offer a history of physics class taught by both a history and a physics teacher. By allowing students to practice skills together, they’re able to deepen their understanding.

A completely different approach to a schedule change is to modify the school year itself. For example, instead of having a traditional summer break, Madeira School in Virginia operates through seven five-week terms. While this could interfere with summer plans, it allows schools the flexibility to accommodate different students needs.

There are numerous ways in which CHS can modify the schedule to maximize student’s learning. Flexibility is the key to growing students into well-rounded adults. As we move towards a later start time next year, we should embrace a unique schedule that celebrates all students as modern learners.

45

con: alternative schedule

Traditional school schedules have persisted for hundreds of years because they allow teachers to create shorter, more powerful lessons.

MAX KELLER | PAGE EDITOR students forget.

If you’ve gone to Clayton schools for at least a school, this summer break system is superior to This idea is supported by a publication from few months, you will know about block schedulother methods. School is already a stressful place The Lab, a program of the Education Alliance at ing. Block schedules occur a few times throughand summer gives kids a chance to be kids.

Brown University. According to the publication, out the school year, usually spanning over a four Summer jobs, family trips and summer camps students have a hard time remembering content day period. This new system causes classes to be are all dependent on summer break. Students from classes when the classes are only scheduled twice as long, with only four classes being taught need a break from learning every once in a while for every other day. per day. This system allows the same amount of and a break creates a template for kids to enjoy Students are cramming extra content into instructional time per week. their time or make money, depending on each their heads in the 90 minute periods and then Many schools include non-traditional schedstudent’s priorities are. neglecting the subject for more than 24 hours. ules such as these in their regular routine. Ladue, Traditional scheduling has been around for a This is a simple recipe for making students forget for instance, follows a block schedule system three long time and over that time, it has gone through faster. days a week. tough scrutiny.

There are also revisions being made to the Some schools are considering restructuring School causes stress, anxiety, overworked school calendar. Currently, Clayton, like most not only their bell schedule but also their entire students, and toxic environments. However, the other schools, begins the school year in August school calendars. While many people see the scheduling system is not to blame for the faults in and ends in late May, with a few small breaks appeal to changing Clayton’s scheduling system, our public schooling system. Keep the schedule throughout the year. While the exact start and the traditional schedule is easier on students and the same and continue to create learners who are end dates of a school year can be left up to each teachers. ready to solve modern problems.

On the surface, there are no apparent downsides to alternate scheduling. No class time is lost in the long run. In fact, there are many positives to systems like blocks. The argument could be made that students get to see their teachers for longer periods of time, and teachers can focus on fewer students for longer periods each day.

Block scheduling also allows for teachers to do longer projects and activities inside the classroom.

However, these improvements are only on the surface.

The prime difficulty of blocks falls on the teachers. Block schedules double their time per day to teach, which means they have to prepare lessons that are twice as long. While this may sound trivial, it is a major difficulty for most teachers.

When block scheduling happens in Clayton, the remaining 10 minutes of class are oftentimes used for an early start on homework. To be fair, the traditional 45 minutes that are allotted for each period often leave teachers a few minutes shy of what they wanted to teach that day.

However, the 90 minute method of blocks is much too long for teachers to be able to teach effectively. While this extra time could be used for engaging activities, not every lesson needs an activity to go along with it.

With block scheduling, teachers not only have to plan a lesson but also a large project or game to be able to fill up the time, which is virtually impossible to do every day. The traditional shorter periods allow for smaller but fruitful lessons by teachers daily.

Longer periods also place a mental burden on the students. Kids can only focus on certain ideas Danielle DuHadway is coming to Clayton with several years of experience.

New history teacher or classes for certain periods of time and the dayCHS junior Angela Xiao utilizes to study for physics.

GRACE technology SNELLING | PHOTOGRAPHER long breaks in between each subject only help the

SOPHIA ERLIN I PHOTOGRAPHER

46

staff editorial: the right to free pee

Some Clayton teachers are giving out bathroom passes, which students can use for the bathroom or turn them in for extra credit at the end of the semester.

Imagine: you are in your late teens, sitting at a small, cold desk, watching the minutes tick by on the clock to your right. Your foot taps against the ground anxiously as you count the numbers.

16 more minutes, 15 more minutes… All you can do is hope that you can hold out. You cross your legs, trying to focus on the lesson in front of you, but it’s nearly an impossible feat. You hear the dripping of rain outside, teasing your need to relieve yourself. The boy next to you slurps from his water bottle, and you wince at the sound. 13 more minutes. Your grade hovers at an 89 percent.

Do you save your bathroom pass to use as extra credit, granting you that A- your parents long for?

Do you risk public shame and embarrassment? Do you lie and ask to visit the nurse? Or do you stand up in front of your classmates and teacher and announce the private fact that this is an emergency?

This is the problem faced by many CHS students today. Multiple teachers have implemented bathroom/missing homework/extra credit passes that can be used for one of these three reasons.

Asking students to choose between relieving themselves and receiving extra credit is unreasonable.

“Some students at CHS are either allowed to take care of a basic human need which shouldn’t have consequences, or they are allowed extra points on their next test to raise their GPA. Which one do you think they choose?” said CHS sophomore Sofia Puerto.

As young adults, it is dehumanizing enough to have to ask another person, in front of your peers, to relieve yourself. While the right to free pee may not be listed in the Bill of Rights, it is a natural human right that should not be denied by any means. Additionally, while these limited bathroom passes may not be a form of punishment, they are certainly cruel and unusual.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, it is “considered normal to urinate about six to eight times in a 24-hour period”.

If this is broken up evenly throughout the day, assuming that a person sleeps through eight hours a night without waking up to go to the

bathroom, this means that during the seven hour (eight if they have a zero hour class) school day, the average student will use the bathroom two to four times. One could argue that the five minute passing periods accommodate for this, but many students find that there is not enough time to use the bathroom.

Additionally, CHS has added a 15 minute break between 2nd and 3rd period that students could possibly use for bathroom purposes. The drawback to this is that so many students are using the bathroom at this time that they become overcrowded and inaccessible.

Bathroom passes also create a new layer of discrimination in the high school setting. For

“While the right to free pee may not be listed in the Bill of Rights, it is a natural human right.”

people who are menstruating, tampons must be changed every four to six hours––potentially even more frequently when experiencing a heavy flow. Periods commence at random times and they are not something that a person can “hold in”. When a person feels their period starting, it is something that should be dealt with immediately and should not cost anyone an extra credit opportunity.

If teachers are looking to provide extra credit opportunities, homework passes or extra assignment may be a better way to reward students. It would certainly be more accurate than testing the strength of students bladders. Limited bathroom passes strip students of one of the few rights children are supposed to be guaranteed.

So teachers, we ask of you: instead of limiting the bathroom rights of all of your students, maybe have a conversation with those couple of kids who take a little too long when using the bathroom and ask each day to go. Help rid our school of unintentional sexism and dehydration encouragement.