Volume 79 Issue 1

DART

THE

ST. TERESA’S ACADEMY|KANSAS CITY, MO VOLUME 79, ISSUE 1

WEIGHING THE RISK:

A CHANGE IN DIET CULTURE

Diet culture is a phenomenon that encourages people to diet and lose weight. With the rise of social media, diet culture is receiving more attention.

2 LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

DEAR READER, Welcome back! We are so excited to start another school year and another year of Dart.

We are so proud of our staff’s hard work in this first issue and are so excited to share their talents.

In this issue, you will find a Q&A with STA president Dr. Siabhan May-Washington where she discusses topics such as why she was attracted to STA and what her favorite “ito” is. For more information, check out Sophia Durone’s Star Spotlight on page 6.

Don’t forget to check out Lilly Frisch’s news feature on page 4.

Last year, we wrote a mayoral endorsement of Quinton Lucas, so this year we followed up with a look at his first month in office as he tackles issues such as gun control.

This year, Praise Band was revamped and renamed as the Windmoor Collective. To find out more about the Windmoor Collective, check out Rachel Robinson’s story on page 9. Faith Andrews-O’Neal wrote another iconic review of two Impossible

Burgers from Unforked and Burger King which you can find on page 10.

Iris Roddy also wrote a feature story about girls who had a change in faith or no longer identified with the religion of their parents, which you can find on page 12. Sophia Rall wrote our second feature story on companies who have become more eco-friendly on page 14.

As shown by Lily Hart’s promo video, our centerspread this cycle was written by Anna Ronan and Ella Norton and tackled the issue of diet culture, the role of social media and how it has infiltrated our society, which can be found on page 16.

For the photo essay, Olivia Powell took photos of the Westside, which you can see on page 30. For more galleries, head to DartNewsOnline to see Sydney Waldron’s Frosh Fest gallery or Lily Sage’s club fair photos.

Also on DartNewsOnline is Claudia Benge’s video over the

track team who went to the Junior Olympics and Tess Jones’ teacher profile video, along with lots of other great content.

As always, keep checking our social media accounts for new content, such as Freshman Friday and Meet the Staff, and keep up with Dart Sports for any information you may need for STA sports.

Love,

DESIGNED BY SYDNEY WALDRON

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Feature: 04 News Mayor Lucas’ First Month Follow Up Spotlight: 06 Star photo Dr. May-Washington 08 A&E: Changes in Praise Band package 10 Review: Impossible Burger 11 Review: Best Podcasts Changes in 12 Feature: Religious Faith Feature: Companies 14 Becoming Envrionmental 16 Centerspread: Impacts of Diet Culture

Perspective: Religious Freedom for Everyone

Perspective: Is the Electoral College Outdated?

Perspective: The Effects of Social Media Sports: Searching for Equal Pay Community: Nelson Teen Council Last Look: Meet the Teachers 14 Cover design and photo illustration by Anna Ronan | Design Editor

Photo Story: Culture in the Westside What’s New On the DNO

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4 NEWS FEATURE

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

A month as mayor Quinton Lucas was inaugurated into office Aug. 1.

In Lucas’ inaugural speech had promised a “safer, healthier and stronger city.” One month after this speech has left us wondering, “What has been put in place to keep this promise?”

Story by Lilly Frisch | Writer Photos compiled by Becca Speier | Photo Editor

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his summer ended the eight year mayoral tenure of Sly James. In a race which included eleven candidates, including six that were current city council members, Quinton Lucas came out on top with 58.6% of the vote June 18.

Lucas grew up in the urban core of Kansas City. He earned an academic scholarship to attend The Barstow School in south Kansas City. From there he went to Washington University and Cornell Law School. He returned from law school and after clerking for a federal judge, he went on to become one of the youngest law professors at the University of Kansas. Prior to becoming mayor he served on the City Council, chaired the Housing Committee. He also served on the Neighborhoods and Public Safety, Planning, Zoning and Economic Development, Transportation and Infrastructure committees.

These assignments became the backbone of his campaign platform. His primary focus was economic and racial justice.

Promises of criminal justice reform became his top priority and the most frequently discussed topic on his campaign trail.

“I’m not saying it will change everything about a 15 year old’s mind, but what it allows an officer to do now, instead of having to go through a list of questions, they say we have the authority to make arrests and seize weapons,” Lucas said.

His campaign promises include plans for increased neighborhood safety, more and better trained police and stronger gun laws.

Mayor Lucas promised that his actions as mayor would improve the community and lower crime rates.

If delivered, these things could make a big impact on school shootings which represent 24% of all mass shootings in the United States. Junior Ailis Reavy comments on these shootings.

“The vast majority of mass shootings do happen at schools and that’s kind of terrifying to me,” junior Ailis Reavy said. “I want to be able to go and learn in a safe environment without having to worry about my safety.”

A 2019 report from “Safe Wise” ranks Kansas City the 5th most dangerous big city in the country.

Lucas’ top priority is reducing the crime rates. He plans to have smarter police on the streets by having them go through more training exercises.

Lucas promised to lower crime by making stricter gun laws. This would reduce the amount of shooting in the Kansas City area.

Quinton Lucas was sworn in as Mayor of Kansas City Aug. 1. Less than 48 hours later, The New York Times reported two shootings 1,600 miles apart left at least 29 dead and 53 injured.

Lucas now believes that there is a way to reduce gun violence by keeping minors in Kansas City from getting handguns. Lucas stood

alongside Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II Aug 8. to pitch his idea of lowering gun violence.

“What we’re trying to do is limit minors picking up guns, end them getting used to them, trying to end a culture of violence, trying to end a culture of gun possession,” Lucas said.

Kevin Jamison, president of the Western Missouri Shooters Alliance, commented on the ordinance’s potential success. He said his team would work with Lucas if he ensured the rights of gun owners in our community.

“Some of these cases should be handled in municipal court so we’re not giving a kid a record,” Jamison said.

These two ordinances were proposed Aug. 8 and are set to be viewed by City Council. State law often prevents Kansas City mayors from making drastic changes on gun control. There are Missouri state laws that prevent mayors from passing certain gun law restrictions such as gun buybacks.

“I definitely think that gun safety and education is something they could be pushing more for,” Reavey said “I also think gun control could be a lot more effective if people just put it in action.”

Although Lucas’ main focus is foreseeing these ordinances and their success, he has also made several appearances in the KC area.

Local Kansas City residents could meet with Lucas Aug. 29

DESIGNED BY LILY HART

5 Mayor Quinton Lucas makes his vows during the inauguration for Mayor Aug.1.

Lucas is willing to face the upcoming excitements and challenges of being Mayor for Kansas City. photo courtesy of Rivas Photography

at the Southeast Community Center where he talked about neighborhood violence. He discussed what they can do and how they can make their community safer.

Along with community safety, Lucas wants the people of Kansas City to have better public transportation. He met with KCATA’s CEO Robbie Makinen Aug. 27. They discussed how they could start the use of free buses to help lower income residents get to work.

Lucas has been our city’s mayor for less than 45 days. He promises to keep doing work for our community to make it safer and more efficient. Lucas recently held an anti-violence town hall meeting Sept. 1.

“The public should focus its attention on public safety,” Lucas said. “We should always ask ourselves how does this make our community safer?” B

Mayor Quinton Lucas celebrates his inauguration and waves to the crowd thanking them for his opportunities Aug.4. Lucas celebrating his inauguration mentions how thankful he is for this opportunity to lead Kansas City. photo courtesy of Adri Guyer and Nicole Bissey

6 STAR SPOTLIGHT

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

STA president Siabhan May-Washington

Dr. Siabahn May Washington, STA president as of the 2019-2020 school year, discusses her journey to the school as well as her personal preferences.

Story by Sophia Durone | Features Editor Photo by Becca Speier | Photo Editor

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DESIGNED BY LILLY FRISCH

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hat initially drew you to STA when you were considering applying for the position of president?

I was drawn to STA because of the outstanding mission. Our mission is to educate young women to think critically, encourage them to love the dear neighbor without distinction and to empower girls to change the world. When I saw that mission statement and I looked at the website, I said “I can get behind those initiatives and I would love to be there.” That’s what initially drew me.

Did the single-sex environment of STA impact your choice to work at STA? In addition to the mission statement, I started reading lots research [about female education] which was also amazing. It really showed that girls in single-sex environments have higher achievement gains, greater aptitude and interest in science, greater political activism and greater cultural competencies. I kept savoring all of those amazing outcomes for single-sex education which also drew me to STA. What has been your favorite aspect of STA thus far?

My favorite aspect has been the incorporation of the faith elements — the fact that we can be open about prayer and that we can celebrate Mass on campus.

That is so amazing. The first allschool Mass was terrific and even before you guys came, we had an all-faculty Mass celebrating the Assumption of Mary which I think is an added benefit and blessing for us to be able to talk about our spiritual beliefs in school.

If your present-day self was a student at STA, are there any clubs or teams you would be interested in joining?

I would definitely join the newspaper or yearbook! Also, I would join volleyball — I was an All-Metro volleyball player when I was in highschool, so volleyball is my sport. Maybe I would do a little bit of running with cross country.

If Bistro offered to make you lunch of your choice, what would it be?

I love Mexican food. This would probably involve some enchiladas, refried beans, nachos of course and we should probably have some salads on the side. I think that would be my favorite lunch with ice cream for dessert.

If you were a superhero, which power would you want to have?

I would love to be invisible. If I could have the superpower of invisibility and just hover over areas to see what people need, that would be great. Sometimes I think people may not be forthcoming about what they are really going through or what they need, so if I could be invisible and see them in their authentic environments and go to all sorts of different ecosystems to find out how I could help, I think that would be my power.

What is your favorite quote or saying?

I like the quote by Eleanor Roosevelt where she said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” It just really means that you don’t have to accept the disparaging things that people may say about you. If you buy into that, then that’s your own fault — you should be in charge of how you’re feeling. Don’t give consent to people who are saying negative things.

Which ice cream flavor do you believe you embody?

I would say chocolate because of my brown skin and also just because I love chocolate.

Chocolate is like a staple in my diet — if I were to let it go, I would probably lose some weight but I have to have chocolate every week. I love dark chocolate Hershey’s bars, dark chocolate ice cream and Raisinets but my family thinks they’re so gross.

Who is your biggest female role model?

My mother. My mother passed away in 2009 and she was always my cheerleader — I could talk to her about anything. She came to all of my games and all of the PTA meetings. She stayed at home but she was so pivotal at being at all of our school functions; she was such an amazing mom. I saw how dedicated she was to the family and also the Church, so I look up to her a lot.

What are you most excited for in your first year as STA President?

I’m excited to get to know all of the students because I’ve been looking at yearbooks and seeing students walk across campus and you all seem amazing. If I can get to know what makes you guys tick, it will help me with future planning, especially for new students who are coming so we can help to get them oriented. I also want to make sure students are well prepared for college so it’s important for me to get to know students and also our teachers and what needs they have.

Last but not least, what is your favorite “ito”?

I think I would probably say burrito. That goes with my whole Mexican cuisine vibe. A burrito. B

8 BITS & PIECES

IN THE NEWS local

Mayor Quinton Lucas proposed two ordinances that would keep minors in Kansas City from getting handguns. One ordinance makes it a local crime for a minor to possess a handgun, while the other mirrors a state law and prohibits adults from transferring a firearm to a minor. Both ordinances were passed after a unanimous vote Aug. 28.

national

Aug. 28, teen climate activist Greta Thunberg sailed from England to New York. The 16 year old chose to sail instead of flying to highlight the harmful emissions from flying. Thunberg sailed on an emissions free yacht that uses solar panels and underwater generator turbines.

global

Compiled by Claudia Benge | Sports Editor

Aug. 28, Queen Elizabeth approved the suspension of UK Parliament after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s request. This ensured the Members of Parliament only have a few days to pass legislation to prevent Britain from leaving the European Union. Brexit is due to happen Oct. 31.

DESIGNED BY LAUREN BRACKNEY

How do you feel about the new blazers?

Compiled by Carmon Baker | Web Editor

PHOTO OF THE ISSUE:

Each month, the Dart chooses a staffer’s photo to be featured. photo by Lily Sage | Page Designer

Spirit Club member Elle Schloegel gets her table ready for students to come visit during the club fair Aug. 27. Spirit Club is one of the most popular clubs, so they get many sign-ups each year.

DESIGNED BY RACHEL ROBINSON

MAKING MUSIC FROM THE HEART The group formerly known as Praise Band now has a new name, a new sound, and a new mission.

Story by Rachel Robinson

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t’s Monday Aug. 19, the first day of the 2019-2020 school year.

Students file into the gym for the annual passing of the legacy ceremony, where they expect to hear traditional hymns sung by STA’s Praise Band. Instead, a full band complete with drums, bass guitar and vocalist Hillary Talken plays contemporary, upbeat music. At first, the students are quiet, not sure how to react to this unexpected change. But by the end of Mass, the whole gym sings and claps along to “Go Make a Difference.”

The group behind this new energy at Mass is a reimagined version of Praise Band called the Windmoor Collective. Director of Campus Ministry Andrea Arredondo first thought of the idea last spring and realized her vision with the help of Talken and pianist Susie Adams.

Adams also helped to bring a more modern form of liturgical music to her own parish, St. Elizabeth.

“The feeling in the church right now is that the people want enlivened music, they want contemporary music, choirs want a more contemporary style,” Adams said. “So we’ve really put in a lot of time and effort to create that kind of music style there.”

Arrendondo noticed a similar desire for a modern music style at STA.

A&E

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Director of campus ministry Andrea Arredondo sits in her office located in the Goppert Center Sept. 6. Arredondo was the first to realize change was needed in Praise Band and has implemented changes with the help of Hillary Talken and Susie Adams. photo by Rachel Robinson

“Last year we noticed that it was really hard for people to participate at Masses, in part because of music selection,” Arredondo said. “So having been here two years, I had heard a lot of that feedback from students and teachers.”

Arrendondo’s personal tagline for the new group is “music from the heart.” The phrase describes her intention for the Windmoor Collective to bring people together through music.

Along with changes in the name and music of the Windmoor Collective, class Masses will be replaced with advisory Masses. Groups of advisories will attend Mass together once per quarter during lunch and activity. Fr. Don Farnan will also become a consistent presence at each Mass.

Arrendondo and the Campus Ministry team implemented these changes to create a better experience of worship for all students.

Adams emphasizes that more contemporary music can also change a student’s perception of her role in Mass for the better.

“I guess I’m hoping for a stronger feeling of inclusion and helping people know that this music is completely accessible to them,” Adams said. “Everybody can sing, everybody can contribute and I think we want

to help people realize that they’re capable of doing that, that they have innate talent and innate ability.”

The feedback Arredondo, Talken and Adams received about the first all-school Mass was overwhelmingly good. However, they have noticed that many students are wondering to what extent other masses will be like the first one.

“There’s been a lot of questions about like, ‘Is it going to be that way every time?’ and a little bit of skepticism,” Talken said. “But I think people are excited and are acknowledging that there’s a very visible change which feels good to me.”

All three women share the vision of wanting to increase participation and create a greater sense of community at Mass.

Regardless of a student’s religious beliefs, the Windmoor Collective’s mission is to make all feel welcome and able to participate.

“The hope is just to be able to provide a more communal experience when we come together for Mass,” Arredondo said. “I hope that our girls graduate from here at least seeing some of the good that can come out of the Catholic Church. I think that’s part of my motivation, being able to offer something positive — a good experience of Catholicism for all of you.” B

10 REVIEWS

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

Impossible Burgers: does soy bring joy?

The Impossible Burger is a new vegan alternative to a traditional meat burger, and I tried two versions at two different price points.

Story by Faith Andrews O’Neal I Opinion Editor Graphics by Anna Ronan I Design Editor

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want to preface this article by saying I am very much a meateater. As in, I could survive on nothing but Kansas City Joe’s ribs for the rest of my life. When I found out about the Impossible Burger, I was struck with confusion and an overwhelming sense of skepticism.

How could any soybean fill me with the same unfettered joy that a beef hamburger at a cookout does?

The answer is science. According to CNET, the Impossible Burger is made from a mixture of soy and potato proteins and either sunflower or coconut oils that give it the greasy feel of a traditional burger. I tried two different Impossible Burgers at two (quite) different price points to try out this scientific miracle for myself.

Burger King BBB My first stop was Burger King to try out their new Impossible Whopper. To make sure I really tasted the “meat,” I ordered only ketchup on a plain bun.

Burger King’s buns are vegan, so I was able to get the full vegan experience. It was around 6 dollars, slightly more expensive than a regular Whopper. I unwrapped the special teal wrapper and saw in front of me… a burger. On my first bite, I turned to my friend and said

“yes, this is meat,” because it really did taste like it! The texture and the color were extremely similar to that of a regular Burger King Whopper.

While eating the first half of the Whopper, I enjoyed myself in spite of the vaguely salty aftertaste. The patty itself was thin, but the same could be said for its traditionally meaty counterpart.

The second half is when things went awry. Although the patty remained tasty, the aftertaste became almost overbearing.

One could only describe it as soyesque. Upon finishing the burger, a barely-there stomach ache began to set in, which remained for the rest of the evening.

Therefore, the Impossible Burger gets 3 out of 5 stars from me. It was a good introduction to the world of Impossible meat and as good as one can expect from a traditional fast food joint. However, the aftertaste and subsequent discomfort have deterred me from ordering the Impossible Whopper for quite some time, if ever.

Unforked BBBBB Next, I made my way to Crown Center to Unforked. Entering the restaurant, seeing the light wood, creative lighting fixtures and chill pop music — I knew this was exactly the right place for an

Impossible Burger.

When my food arrived at the table, the first thing I noticed was the “bun,” if it could be called that. Admittedly, I have never had vegan bread so I am not sure if this was the norm. On first glance, I’d say it looked like a mixture of the white bread given with a barbecue plate and one’s first attempt at making a pancake for the first time.

However off-putting the “bun” object was, it was saved by the patty. Unforked outsold.

Unforked looked at Burger King, laughed, and said “now watch this.” Somehow, it was the perfect mixture of juicy and charred. The bun was slightly disconcerting, but it complemented the burger because it did not overshadow the flavor of the “meat.” With the fries as a wonderful side (I could write an entire piece on the fries and the glory that was the truffle salt and ketchup), it was a fantastic burger. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars only because the bun was not my favorite, and at 14 dollars (with the vegan bun upcharge), it is slightly out of my daily price range.

However, I would definitely eat it again.

All in all, the Impossible Burger lives up to its hype. If you are a vegan who loves the taste and feel of meat, this is for you.

It is not necessarily a healthier alternative due to its higher fat and carbohydrate content. However, if you are very against eating meat but miss the joy that comes with eating an actual burger, I highly recommend Unforked, or its slightly inferior Burger King counterpart.B

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DESIGNED BY MARY MASSMAN

Which podcasts are worth tuning into?

Podcasts are growing, with millions of people tuning in to listen, so I reviewed to three different popular podcasts.

Story by Cara Barone I Writer

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he following podcasts are ones I selected from three different categories - true crime, informational and comedy.

Before this, I had never really listened to podcasts, so I chose these genres to try to get a broad scope of podcasts. I found two of these podcasts on a list of popular podcasts online because I wanted to start off with popular ones. The other comedy podcast I also found online searching for comedy podcasts specifically.

What I like about podcasts is that they are laid-back and you can learn something from them easily.

Here is my experience with three of them.

S TOWN Episode: “Chapter 1” Rating: BBBBB Category: true crime I really enjoyed this podcast. In S-Town, the host investigates an alleged murder and its cover-up in the small town of Woodstock, Ala. and the story of the Woodstock resident who brought it to his attention, John McLemore.

The podcast is told like a story and feels like a murder-mystery novel that you don’t want to put down. The episodes delve into McLemore’s life and interests, which range from tending his rose garden maze to climate change.

While I thought that the host Brian Reed could be a little overzealous about trying to analyze and characterize John, I think that this is a podcast that anybody would enjoy. I ranked it a 4.5 because I found this podcast interesting and

I felt like the narrator put a lot of effort into how he told the story.

STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW Episode: “What’s with the Winchester Mystery House?”

Rating: BBBB Category: informational In Stuff You Should Know, co-hosts Josh Clark and Charles Bryant discuss one topic per episode. In this case, the topic is the Winchester Mystery House, a mansion that the wealthy widow Sarah Winchester continuously built for 38 years to appease the spirits who died by rifles that her husband’s family invented.

The podcast is casual and lighthearted, more for the pleasure of the listeners than serious factinforming. I enjoy the range of interesting topics they choose to discuss, but it can feel a little slow (this episode was 30 minutes). I thought this topic was interesting and I liked the way that the hosts tell stories together. Overall, I would recommend this podcast to anyone who wanted to learn about something interesting in a laid-back setting.

BLE B U B

Episode: “Episode 1: Huntrs” Rating: BB Category: comedy The eight episode comedy Bubble features characters living in a giant controlled bubble that shelters them from monsters called imps living in the wilderness outside.

However, it turns out inside the bubble, things aren’t perfect either and the main character Morgan begins to have doubts. Essentially, Bubble tries to be an alternative, hipster comedy that makes fun of alternative hipster people. The show is mildly entertaining to listen to because it’s weird, but it’s not funny. The plot feels unrefined.

The audio is peppered with loud grating shrieks from monsters and people, which is unpleasant. Also, the whole thing feels very on the nose, like they’re trying too hard (for example, their town is called Fair Haven, but the characters wonder if it’s not one) and that’s not funny. In its defense, I don’t think it’s designed for millennials, so it’s not relatable to me. I just don’t chuckle reminiscently at, as they put it, trying to “find love in a nightmarish version of the gig economy.” Two thumbs down.

Overall, I really enjoyed getting into the world of podcasts more, and I think there is something for everyone to enjoy. While I didn’t enjoy the comedy podcast I listened to, I would still give the comedy genre of podcasts another try, and I liked the crime and informational ones. B

12 FEATURE

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

Finding Faith Junior Kelly Ann Greene, left, and Temple Buddhist Center director Victor Dougherty talk about the topics discussed during the service Sept. 8.

Dougherty spoke about what emotions mean and how to handle them.

Having faith-based conversations and learning about different religions can help one develop their own personal beliefs.

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Story by Iris Roddy| Writer Photos by Cara Barone|Page Designer

very Sunday morning, junior Kelly Ann Greene wakes up at 6:30 a.m. to join her family for Mass. After Mass is over, she leaves her family and heads to the 9:00 a.m. meditation service on the Plaza.

“I’m a Catholic who practices Buddhism as well,” Greene said.

Since Catholic Mass and school ensured religion was a part of her daily life, Greene grew up surrounded by faith.

“It was very drilled into my head that this was the truth, and this was the only way,” Greene said. “The only way was Jesus and Catholicism and the teachings of the Bible.”

According to Greene, Buddhists and Catholics have similar key beliefs, which helped her incorporate the two religions into her daily life.

“When you boil it down and look at the actual goals of both of them, they’re very similar,”

Greene said. “I think everyone wants everyone else to be happy and loved. I think that’s the most important thing.”

Bob Hansen, currently an interim pastor, has been serving his community for over 50 years as a Lutheran pastor. Hansen believes all religions seek to answer what life is all about.

“I think all religious faiths try to draw one into an understanding, a relationship with a divine being, whatever shape or form that takes,” Hansen said. “Faith is really searching for an ultimate reality.”

Hansen has witnessed newfound faith transform communities from his experiences starting new congregations from scratch.

“Most of the persons that are drawn to a new start at a new ministry have not had that experience of being a part of a community of faith before,” Hansen said. “That was always kind

of exciting, to see that develop.”

Hansen also saw a lot of people grow and change their faith while serving for six years as a pastor within the prison system.

During that period, Hansen taught Bible classes and helped counsel incarcerated men and women.

“Everybody you’re dealing with there is struggling and searching, and sometimes there are different faith perspectives that are appealing to them,” Hansen said.

Greene had a similar experience her freshman year when she started learning about Buddhism in her theology classes.

“I thought it was very progressive,” Greene said. “I started reading books about it and just learning a lot about the topic and also going to meditation services down at the plaza.”

Greene said she was fascinated by how Buddhists were so independently working, meaning the individual is responsible for their

DESIGNED BY OLIVIA POWELL

actions.

“You get what you put in and you have to be the one who does the meditations, does the work, in order to get anything out of it,” Greene said.

Hansen also believes it is important to work towards a better understanding of one’s faith. One way to do that is to talk about individual experiences with faith.

“The main thing is, you don’t have to go on the journey [of faith] alone,” Hansen said. “In other words, there is always a comfort in carrying out conversation with other people.”

Jon Willis, founder and chair of the Kansas City Interfaith Youth Alliance (KCIYA) board, also believes conversations can help solidify someone’s own faith. KCIYA was founded in 2009 with the goal to start interfaith conversations among youth by doing service projects.

Alternative coverage compiled by Sydney Waldron Page Designer

“Once youth form a space and start asking questions, it creates a level of comfort,” Willis said. “The part I’ve seen time and time again is the youth wanting to share their [faith’s traditions], so they go back and ask their church group. They think more deeply about the why of certain traditions.”

Willis believes taking the time to think about and value your traditions in faith can lead to a greater understanding of your religion.

“At the end, when people go away from KCIYA, I always ask them what they got out of this,” Willis said. “Almost all of them said they were further along in their own faith journey, or they better understand their faith. That’s been one of our biggest successes.”

Greater religious understanding can lead to a change in faith.

Greene said the most difficult part about her transition into being Catholic and Buddhist was not wanting to

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leave Catholicism behind.

“My family is very Catholic, so it was very confusing for me when I was thinking about switching religions,” Greene said.

“I don’t want to switch religions.

I was raised Catholic, and I think Catholicism will always be a part of me.”

Meditation services helped Greene with her Catholic beliefs by giving her time to reflect on what she values in her life.

“Meditation allows me to pick what I think is true and how I want to live my life,” said Greene. “I like to follow the teachings of Jesus by leading with love and loving your neighbor.”

KCIYA is centered around the shared value of serving others.

Service projects bring youth with different religious faiths together and allow them to start having conversations.

“Having that bond of service really makes you open up and realize we have different faiths and worldviews about certain things but we can respect each other,” Willis said.

“We focus on building a respect for an identity.” B

KCIYA founder Jon Willis works at his desk Sept. 6. Willis works at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

14 FEATURE

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

KC companies embrace sustainability

Companies around Kansas City have become more environmentally friendly by using low waste packaging and responsibly sourced materials for their products.

Story by Sophia Rall Page Designer Photos by Lauren Brackney Page Designer Alternative coverage by Amy Schaffer | Photo Editor

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single plastic bag begins its journey in a factory as natural gas or oil, which are then refined into ethane or propane, according to the Plastics Industry Association. The materials are heated and molded into the recognizable shape of a bag. This plastic bag, along with billions of others, is then shipped

to stores nationwide to be used to package products. The bag could then be recycled and made into another plastic bag. However, only 10% of plastics in the U.S. are actually recycled, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Rather, the plastic will end up accumulating in landfills, the ocean or other natural environments. Then, it is incinerated along with other trash which releases carbon dioxide and air pollutants into the atmosphere.

It can also choke and strangle marine life if it ends up in the ocean.

This cycle is repeated millions, if not billions, of times annually as single use plastics are used frequently in the world today, according to The New York Times. However, there are many companies not only moving away from plastic but using sustainable materials for every aspect of their

The Roasterie displays signs advertising their free compost ready coffee grounds Aug. 31. The Roasterie is a local advocate for waste reduction and sustainability.

business. Kansas City companies are no exception, with Wild Wash Soap Co., CanIHaveABite cafe and the Roasterie Cafe focused on becoming more environmentally friendly.

Wild Wash, located in Downtown Kansas City, is a skin care company selling soap, deodorant, perfume, moisturizer and makeup in low waste packaging. Wild Wash uses only natural ingredients and avoids the use of palm oil due to deforestation and habitat loss in the process of obtaining it. Owner Sarah Preu founded Wild Wash to fill a need of her own.

“I had a problem finding products that matched my own philosophy,” Preu said. “So, for one, it was just finding ingredients that were healthy for me to use for long term then healthy for the planet, because usually those things are pretty well intertwined.”

Sophomore Ellie Bolch smells the variety of scents Wild Wash Soap offers Aug. 31. The soap bars are organic, natural and do not cause harm to the environment.

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DESIGNED BY AMY SCHAFFER

Sustainability Supports S u c c e s s Studies from 2011 to 2018 reveal how environmental concerns and business tactics go hand-in-hand.

90% of CEOs stated that sustainability is important to their company’s success.

85%

92% of consumers said they have a more positive image of a company that supports an environmental issue.

This holistic view of sustainability is shared by CanIHaveABite, an organic carryout cafe located in Brookside that offers healthy omnivore and vegan meals.

Owner Kathy Hale stressed the importance of using ingredients from small, local farms.

“It does make a difference to support small farmers,” Hale said.

“For organic or even just small farmers, the farming is different from large-scale factory farms.”

Organic farmers use minimal chemicals, while large-scale farms often use pesticides and herbicides. Agriculture, mainly larger farms, is the leading polluter of lakes and rivers, according to the EPA. The Roasterie, a cafe with eight locations in the Kansas City metro, also sources ingredients from smaller, organic farms. The Roasterie supports small coffee farmers in Latin America, South America, Africa and Oceania.

Assistant coffee buyer and director of sustainability Ellie AndersonSmith explained the Roasterie offers many coffees that are grown organically and sustainably.

“So we, like I said, do research that our coffee is being farmed in a sustainable way-making sure that it’s actually in thriving and

of businesses following eco-trends are more successful than unsustainable competitors.

healthy ecosystems,” AndersonSmith said. “We make sure that coffee producers are being compensated and paid fairly for their work. Making sure that they can produce coffee for decades to come, not even for us but for the whole world.”

In addition to using organic ingredients from small farmers, CanIHaveABite uses plant-based compostable packaging. Many restaurants and carryout places use plastic or recycled plastic containers. CanIHaveABite, on the other hand, only uses compostable packaging in order to give back to the earth. They also have a bin of food scraps that is picked up by Missouri Organic Recycling to be composted.

“For composting, it really goes straight back into the earth,” Hale said. “Recycling, for one, has to be cleaned or it’s just going to go into trash.”

Wild Wash also uses compostable packaging. Many big box makeup brands, such as SmashBox, Mario Budescu and Urban Decay have started using low waste packaging made of recycled plastic in order to reduce the usage of single-use plastics.

Preu believes, however, that the

Information compiled from “The Business of Sustainability” by McKinsey & Company and “The Next Phase of Business Sustainability” by Andrew J. Hoffman.

skincare industry shouldn’t use any plastic at all.

“I think the move is away from plastic and towards reusable containers and highly recyclable containers,” Preu said. “There’s only so many times the plastic is going to be reused and typically it’s a one-time thing. So, it’s better to keep the plastics out of the entire waste stream.”

While supporting eco-friendly companies is important, Preu emphasized that consumers must also do their own research in order to become more ecofriendly themselves. She explained that podcasts such as United Plant Savers and For the Wild can be helpful educational tools.

Most importantly, Preu believes consumers should use this research to guide what companies they support and the purchases they make.

“Start educating yourselves now and finding organizations to follow that provide great guidance on the most pressing environmental issues we have,” Preu said.

“Make this the defining issue that determines how you spend your money and the corporations will pay attention.” B

16 CENTERSPREAD

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

WEighing a Change Diet culture is a phenomenon that encourages people to diet and lose weight. With the rise of social media, diet culture is receiving more attention.

Story by Ella Norton | Editor-in-Chief Anna Ronan | Design Editor

Photos by Claire Smith | Design Editor

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DESIGNED BY CLAIRE SMITH

The risk: in diet culture S

enior Annie Kelley was in 6th grade when she began dieting. She noticed other girls in her grade had started eating healthier lunches and decided that she wanted to follow their example. She began eating more fruits and vegetables, stopped eating red meat and stopped drinking dairy milk.

“I was like ‘oh, they’re pretty, they eat healthy, I need to do that too,’” Kelley said. “So that’s what I kind of did, I just followed in line.”

Since then, Kelley has eaten healthier meals with organic food.

“I have a little bento box, it has four sections, and I put fruit in two sections and pita chips or bread and some proteins in the other sections,” Kelley said.

As well as students dieting at school, Amanda Whitcomb, one of STA’s personal counselors, notices dieting everywhere.

“With my own friends, my own family, within our society,

mainstream media,” Whitcomb said. “There’s so much to say about [diet culture] that it’s hard to put it in one sentence.”

Whitcomb does not consider herself an expert in knowledge about dieting. However, she recalls that there were only a few marketed ways to lose weight in the recent past. Recently, she has noticed the market for diet culture expanding.

“

I would look at girls on Instagram and be like ‘I wanna eat healthy so I can look like this, or make people think I’m like this.’

Annie kelley, senior

“

Content Warning: This story includes statistics and open discussion on eating disorders and unhealthy eating habits. Reader discretion is advised.

“I think there were two or three things you could do, like Weight Watchers, and that was kind of it for a while,” Whitcomb said. “Now, it’s just blown up.”

Hannah Turnbull is an eating disorder registered dietician and nutrition therapist located in

Denver. When asked to define diet culture, Turnbull turned towards Christy Harrison’s definition.

According to Harrison, a wellknown dietician who hosts a podcast called ‘Food Psych,’ “Diet culture is a system of beliefs that: worships thinness and equates it to health and moral virtue, which means you can spend your whole life thinking you’re irreparably broken just because you don’t like the impossibly thin ‘ideal.’”

However, Harrison along with Turnbull, doesn’t want to shame individuals who diet. In an article titled “Anti-diet Does Not Mean Anti-dieter” Harrison says she instead wants to focus on “dismantling the oppressive, fatphobia, food-phobic (aka diet culture) that uses lies and manipulation and fear to make us want to lose weight and eat ‘perfectly.’”

Along with Harrison’s definition,Turnbull believes that diet culture is an overarching umbrella term that can lead to unhealthy habits.

“What kind of falls under that umbrella is chronic dieting,

18 wellness diet, disorderd habits, overexercising, all of those things we’re ‘better for,’” Turnbull said.

Sarah Horton, a registered dietician in Kansas City, credits media with perpetuating diet culture. Though TV and magazines were the culprits of the recent past, the introduction of social media is a large influence on the impressionable youth since diets are everywhere, which she believes leaves a lasting effect.

“Since Instagram has been around, you see all these Instagram influencers who are stick thin and posting everything they are eating all day, people doing YouTube videos about it,” Horton said.

Along with social media influencers who share their diet, some influencers also promote products to keep “healthy” such as slimming tea and diet suppressant lollipops. Horton says she has no respect for those who promote these products. “[The influencers] don’t know anything about nutrition and they’re pushing these products which are very dangerous and they haven’t been researched,” Horton said. “They’re still contributing to that thin ideal, the diet culture.”

For Kelley, her liking to social media has played a major role in her dieting history.

“I have always looked at social media and been really enthralled with it,” Kelley said. “So I would look at girls on Instagram and be like ‘I wanna eat healthy so I can look like this, or make people think I’m like this.’”

According to an article about the media and eating disorders from the British National Centre for Eating Disorders, clean eating all over social media has fostered

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

Orthorexic, which is defined as “pathological obsession for biologically pure or right food which leads to import dietary restrictions... At its most extreme, health suffers, other interest diminish, relationships are affected and quality of life is impaired.”

Horton also believes that our culture has an obsession with obesity, which can lead to people developing an unhealthy relationship with food or even an eating disorder.

“The main focus in society is obesity, preventing obesity, obesity is bad and having extra fat is bad, which it’s not,” Horton said. “Eating disorders are way more prevalent than obesity.”

Horton believes it’s hard for the person themselves to realize that they’re developing an unhealthy relationship with food. She says girls should be careful if they notice themselves practicing disordered eating habits, such as constantly thinking about food or counting intakes.

For Whitcomb, diet culture manifests in a different, more dangerous way when it comes to disordered eating. She believes that once dieting goes too far, it can be dangerous for girls’ mental and physical health.

“I don’t think that’s inherently bad if it’s about taking care of your body,” Whitcomb said. “If you’re skipping meals, if you’re eating an extremely low number of calories, if your image of yourself is wrapped up in your weight or clothes size, if those things are by far the primary objective, that’s what can become unhealthy.”

However, Whitcomb also believes that the word “diet” isn’t appropriate when it comes to weight loss goals.

“When people say ‘I’m on a

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DESIGNED BY CLAIRE SMITH

“ don’t have to do these You disordered behaviors, take care of yourself and you are worthy as you are hannah turnbull

“

diet,’ that is tricky,” Whitcomb said. “If you want to eat different and stay healthy, that’s a lifestyle change, not a diet. If we can shift our perspective from ‘I need to not eat sugar for six months,’ to ‘I need to eat a limited amount of sugar to maintain an appropriate, healthy amount in my body.’ I think if we could shift it, our diet culture wouldn’t exist as much, it would be a lifestyle change.”

Kelley chooses to diet not only for beauty standards but for an overall healthy lifestyle, both physically and mentally.

“I will look at models and say ‘oh my gosh, they’re so pretty, I want to look like that,’ and I will eat healthy for that,” Kelley said.

“And then as a lifestyle, I will eat healthy for me. I always feel worse when I’m not eating healthy, so if I eat just a bunch of junk food, I feel disgusting and really sluggish and tired. I’m not as stressed when I eat healthy foods.”

Instead of dieting, Turnbull prefers the concept of intuitive eating. Intuitive eating is based off a book by two dieticians, Elyse Resch and Evelyn Tribole, who believe that dieting does not work. Turnbull said that intuitive eating focuses on emotional, mental, physical, financial and spiritual health when making food choices which Turnbull prefers. She cautions against dieting of any kind as she believes diets can be extremely dangerous and can be a gateway to developing eating disorders.

“Any kind of dieting is not safe and can lead to a mental health illness that has physical health implications and can lead to death,” Turnbull said. “Dieting does not equal health because health promoting behaviors do not cause emotional, physical, mental distress and that is what dieting does.”

Turnbull believes that a lot of things have to shift in our culture to get diet culture

to change.

She believes that movements such as Health at Every Size, which promotes health no matter your size or weight, helps counteract diet culture.

“You don’t have to do these disordered behaviors,” Turnbull said. “Take care of yourself and you are worthy as you are.”

Turnbull aims to validate the

struggle of young teenagers, particularly females in this toxic culture.

“I think that it’s going to take a lot of lifting each other and empowering each other that you’re more than just a body and your weight does not determine your health and that you deserve to live a really nourishing, fulfilling life outside of your body,” Turnbull said.

Turnbull recommends initiating a conversation if students notice people struggling with unhealthy eating habits. However, if the situation is currently or becomes dangerous, a trusted adult should be notified immediately. B

National Eating Disorder Hotline: 800-931-2237

20 MAIN ED

Social media sponsorships skew our perception of realistic health standards The influx of diet product sponsorships on social media are detrimental to our idea of what being healthy really means.

H

igh schoolers are growing up at a time where social media is becoming an increasingly prominent way for people to access information and communicate throughout their day. You can’t browse through your social media, however, without seeing the photos of models holding teas, your friends’ stories featuring meal replacement shakes and discount codes all calling for your attention. Social media sponsorships promoting dieting or weight loss products have become normalized. Healthy living is an ideal we all should strive for, but social media sponsorships distort our perceptions of realistic health standards. They often lack credibility and represent dangerous paths to achieving an unattainable body image.

The main culprit for the rise in diet product sponsorships on social media is the competitive weight loss market in the U.S. According to a report by Marketdata, the total U.S. weight loss market grew at an estimated 4.1% in 2018, from $69.8 billion to $72.7 billion. The market segment for meal replacements was worth a combined $4.7 billion in 2018. If diet companies can tap a niche and amass a following, they know they are in a lucrative business. The victims of this market, however, seem to be young women who are already

susceptible to insecurity and comparison as they navigate their identity through high school and college.

One issue with social media sponsorships is their lack of credibility. Kim Kardashian, who currently has over 147 million Instagram followers, received backlash in 2018 for promoting and posing with Flat Tummy Co.’s appetite suppressant lollipops on her Instagram. However, since the lollipops are considered supplements, they are not reviewed by the FDA, so it is unclear if they’re safe to use. The reality of social media sponsorships is that influential people are paid to post statements invented by the companies themselves with the appearance of an authentic endorsement. However, if your social media is filled with these affirmations and promises, it can become tricky to identify what’s real and what’s fabricated.

Social media sponsorships are harmful to young women’s ideas of health standards because they promote a body standard that is often unattainable. Products like Flat Tummy Tea, Fit Tea, waist trainers, etc. push the idealized image that their product is said to help consumers achieve, whether it be a fit body or a flat stomach.

Through sponsored social media posts of models and celebrities,

RIGHT ON TARGET

these companies are trying to sell an image that is considered a beauty ideal in our culture instead of selling a product meant to improve one’s health.

The problem with championing these images or ideals is that they do not equate healthy or advisable. In addition, there is often no guarantee the sponsored product will result in the sponsored image. The methods women would have to subscribe to in actually obtaining these body standards are dangerous both mentally and physically. Extremely restrictive dieting is especially harmful to a young woman who is still growing and maturing.

Sponsored social media posts promoting diet products are dangerous to our perception of health standards because they tempt us into validating distorted lifestyles. Instead of buying into the promises you see from the diet companies behind influencers, reflect on what it really means to be healthy.

We should all encourage each other to incorporate exercise and a balanced consumption of foods into our lives. However, the rigidness and obsessiveness with dieting that social media posts inspire should no longer be synonymous with healthy.

24/24 staffers agree

Sophomore Madeline Sage

Senior Grace Gaume

“I think that the sponsorships have added to the stress associated with social media. Influencers are being sponsored by all sorts of brands and most people don’t really know what they’re buying into.”

“Yes, I do. It’s easy to forget what healthy means and to not feel confident when you’re constantly bombarded with these fake lifestyles.”

PERSPECTIVES

DESIGNED BY LILY SAGE

21

Social Media has killed environmentalism Environmentalism has never been more prominent on social media, but the environmental trends that are emphasized are not the ones that need to be addressed.

Story by Claire Smith Design editor

E

nvironmental awareness has never been more prominent on social media and the teenage lifestyle. Has the transition been made from Instagram stories to concrete action? Or does environmentalism remain a passing trend that never goes further than a Twitter post? The responsibility for saving the Earth lies in the hands of Generation Z; our adult lives will revolve around rebuilding the environment that is continuously being destroyed today.

So many teenagers want to help and feel the importance of climate change with the impending fear that we won’t have a climate in our future.

However, Instagram posts usually don’t show more than the imagery of the destruction around the world. Social media rarely gives give clear direction on how to tackle these big issues and use the claim of “for everyone who reposts this, we will donate a dollar to…”.

The simple repost can leave teens feeling accomplished and like they have done their part to help. But the simple truth is that we need to get our hands dirty, not swiping on social media.

A culture has developed on social media and among teenagers that having the conversation of change and participating in small trends is enough, but it simply isn’t.

According to the United Nations, by 2030 climate change will be irreversible. To make an impact, having a metal straw or thrifting your clothes is helpful but not near enough to help the destruction of the environment that has occurred on a mass scale.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the three highest contributors to greenhouse gases in the United States are transportation, electricity and industrial burning of fossil fuels.

Right now in teenage media, such as Instagram stories, these are not emphasized as leading factors. Catastrophic events are occurring today, such as the bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef and the burning of the Amazon Rainforest. We need to be creating progress within those major contributors to climate change rather than focusing on fleeting trends in the media to stop these extremes.

Step back from the trends and look at the bigger picture: combating the problems that are having the most effect on our climate will benefit us for the future. We are the generation who can use social media to our advantage. Fossil fuel burning may take up a part of America’s

greenhouse gases, but globally they take up half of all emissions according to Inside Climate News.

Using social media to address large corporations like ExxonMobil and PENNEX helps raise awareness about the bigger picture.

Combating these corporations takes direct action integrated into our lives.

To tackle this problem as a community, we can start local.

Programs like Cultivate Kansas City and Heartland Youth Council enrich and inform teens on environmentalism in the Kansas City area. Cultivate Kansas City is a non-profit organization that works to create sustainable food.

Heartland Youth Council focuses more on the teen aspect of environmentalism and making an impact in Kansas City.

Opportunities like these should be emphasized in social media and shared among teens in their communities. Starting with concrete change and recognizing the larger issues at hand are the first two steps in creating a legitimate change in the world. Our generation holds the key to saving our planet Earth for the future; let’s use it to our advantage. B

22 PERSPECTIVES

The Electoral College is an outdated system that needs to be replaced to truly reflect our democratic ideals.

Story by Ella Norton Editor-in-Chief

I

t’s Nov. 9, 2016. I had been so confident that Hillary Clinton was going to win the election that I went to bed early the night before without watching the rest of it. As soon as I’m up, I rush to my computer to check the results of the election. I’m shocked and confused. The poll that we had looked at during advisory had predicted that Clinton was going to win and it seemed as if Clinton was more popular with the people.

And she was. According to Time, Clinton won by 2.8 million popular votes. You know the one, that reflects the actual vote of the people? But since we don’t just consider the votes of the people and continue to use the antiquated system of the Electoral College, Donald Trump won.

This begs the question, why do we have this system?

According to an article by the History Channel, the Founding Fathers created the Electoral College as a safety measure because they weren’t sure that the people would make the right choice. They also didn’t want to give the people too much power.

By actively trying to limit the power of the people, the Electoral College goes against the

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

The U.S. needs to abolish the Electoral College foundations of this country where the people make the decisions, and the government works for the people.

What the people can do is choose electors who vote in the Electoral Congress based on what the people say.

However, according to the National Archives and Records Administration, “There is no Constitutional provision or Federal law that requires Electors to vote according to the results of the popular votes in their states.” That doesn’t seem right to me.

In my AP Government class textbook “Government in America: People, Politics and Policy” by George Edwards, Martin Wattenberg and William Howell, they discuss how one of the fundamental aspects of a democratic society is “one person, one vote” with no one’s vote counting higher than someone else’s. Yet with the Electoral College, the electors vote counts higher than the peoples’ as they are the ones who make the actual decision.

The Electoral College doesn’t give the people the necessary power to elect a president and allows the electors to make the decision, not the people. This way is flawed. We should abolish the Electoral College and adopt a different system where the people have more power.

I believe the best solution would be a national popular vote. This would mean that every vote would be counted the same and the president would reflect

the views of the people.

The main argument against abolishing the Electoral College is that the cities would end up making the decisions due to their population. However, since it would be national, every person would have the right to vote and resources would be provided to make sure that rural voters got the same opportunities.

Because of the way the Electoral College currently works, smaller states’ votes carry more weight. Each state gets at least 2 senatorial votes, no matter the population, which according to The Week means that a Wyoming vote is worth 3.3 times more than a vote from Florida. By doing a national popular vote, smaller state votes would change to be equal with the rest of the country. This would also force presidential candidates to spend more time campaigning in these states because currently, they get ignored since bigger states would have more electoral votes.

Changing the Electoral College would put all states on the same playing field.

The Electoral College is an outdated system that needs to be replaced with one that accurately represents the democratic values that Americans hold dear. Until this happens, we will continue to have political crises and risk another 2016 election, where the President does not win the popular vote. B

DESIGNED BY LILY SAGE

Religious freedom doesn’t require legalized discrimination

Trump’s August draft rule implies that business owners must be allowed to discriminate against LGBTQ workers in order to practice their personal freedoms.

However, countless religious businesses prove this to be untrue.

Story by Sophia Durone Features Editor

A

s someone who was raised Presbyterian and attended public elementary school, I knew virtually nothing about Catholicism when I first walked into Mr. Bertalott’s Old Testament Foundations class.

Upon participating in one of his trivia games, I quickly realized that my understanding of the religion would never be as complete as my classmates’ who had attended Catholic grade school. In an attempt to grasp the religion, I chose to focus on one concept that I knew I could support: the STA Mission Statement.

Presented by the Sisters of St. Joseph, the STA mission is to love the dear neighbor without distinction. Although I do not practice Catholicism, this message has resonated with me since my first day in January 2017. Its inclusivity was something I believed everyone could get behind, but this valuable lesson has been rejected by our current presidential administration.

The U.S. Department of Labor recently proposed a rule asserting that “religious organizations may

make employment decisions consistent with their… religious tenets and beliefs without fear of sanction by the federal government.” This seems unproblematic, especially because the statement released Aug. 14 clarifies that employers may not “discriminate on the basis of race, sex or other protected bases.” However, failing to hire individuals due to LGBTQ status would be legalized once again under this ruling.

This proposal is nothing short of an attempt to override President Obama’s 2014 Executive Order to prohibit federal contractors from discriminating on these grounds.

Why does the Trump administration believe that bigotry must be legalized for religious freedom to prevail?

Allowing employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identity is simply not loving the dear neighbor without distinction. Our current executive government’s belief that this change is necessary to preserve American personal freedoms disappoints me. I have learned that religious expression can be achieved through positive and productive action rather than through hatred, especially when it comes to business practices.

There are countless ways to integrate religious beliefs with corporate matters without refusing to employ LGBTQ workers. For example, Tom’s of Maine co-founder Tom Chappell incorporates his Episcopalian faith into his work by encouraging his employees “to use 5% of their paid

23

time volunteering for causes they’re passionate about” according to the business’ website. Tom’s of Maine also donates 10% of their hygiene products to non-profit organizations near their national distribution centers.

Alternatively, after practicing as a Hindu monk for 12 years, 5-Hour ENERGY’s creator Manoj Bhargava generously pledged to donate 99% of his personal wealth. In his self-made documentary project, Bhargava expressed his mission to provide “clean water, reliable electricity and sufficient food” by using his fortune to help those in need.

As demonstrated in Chappell’s and Bhargava’s work among others, religion can motivate businesses to strive for the greater good with faith-based action.

While religious unethicality is unfortunately prevalent in the U.S., I believe the Trump administration has severely misjudged religion’s ability to compel the public to act with moral consciousness. If embraced with positive intentions, religion does not need legalized discrimination to effectively manifest itsself.

Due to this severe misinterpretation, the Supreme Court will review two cases which regard LGBTQ status-based employment decisions Oct. 8. As a nation, we must stand against the Trump administration’s desire to strip the rights from LGBTQ individuals among other U.S. minority groups.

After all, we cannot love our dear neighbor without fighting along their side for equality under the law. B

24 SPORTS FEATURE

SEPTEMBER16, 2019

USWNT: Evening the Playing Field

The USWNT’s fourth World Cup win this summer has had a huge impact, not only on their image and how they are viewed by the public, but also on their fight for equal pay.

Story by Lily Hart | Editor-in-Chief Photos by Amy Schaffer | Photo Editor Senior Mollie Plas, center, rests her foot on a ball while she and her club soccer team wait for drill instructions from the coach Aug. 29. Plas began playing soccer at age three and feels empowered by the movement towards gender-based equal pay.

monetary disparities as well, specifically in boys versus girls leagues, or academy teams.

“You see [discrepancies] a lot with some of the funding that’s available,” Welch said. “I’ve noticed it especially when some of the club teams here have tried to develop these academies yet the boys’ teams tend to get a lot more of the funding and the top notch coaches. The girls’ side has

“

I feel like every giant step forward we keep getting knocked back three to five steps... So, it’s important to keep that momentum going.

It’s important that we now show the next generation how to keep this momentum going because we can’t let it slow down, otherwise we’re never going to get there.

EMILY WELCH

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J

uly 7, a deafening cry of “equal pay” could be heard ringing throughout the stadium in Lyon, France, as the U.S. women’s soccer team won their second consecutive World Cup. Although this win launched the team’s fight for equal pay into the limelight, their struggle has gone on for decades, as head soccer coach and self-proclaimed “soccer fanatic” Emily Welch can attest.

“It has pretty much been going on since I was a kid,” Welch said.

“It started with that first World Cup group in [1999] — they sort of started this path for us and then now it’s my generation pushing it.”

Welch knows that this inequality between boys’ and girls’ sports starts early in children and high school kids’ league play. She has coached girls and trained with boys, and she has seen firsthand the systematic differences between the two.

“You see [inequality] sometimes with the way that the game is reffed,” Welch said. “[Referees] will call a boys’ game night-andday different than the girls’ game because they don’t want it to be too physical. They’re going to call more fouls on the girls.”

Especially relevant to the USWNT’s fight, Welch has seen

really struggled to keep up with that. I don’t think there’s as many opportunities out there for it so there’s still a ways to go there.”

Welch has been lucky not to have experienced gender-based discrimination in her line of work but admits struggling with seeing the smaller inequalities as a coach.

“It’s frustrating,” Welch said. “But at the same time I’m happy it’s more of these small-scale things.

However if we keep getting more small items like the reffing and the academy teams and the funding of that nature it’s going to compile and it’s going to unfortunately get bigger. We need to nip them in the bud while we can.”

Welch’s theory of problems snowballing into larger ones is the reality for the USWNT. On International Women’s Day (Mar. 8), the 28 players filed a lawsuit under the Civil Rights Act and the Equal Pay Act against the U.S. Soccer Federation. Since their World Cup win, they have attempted mediation, without success. According to ESPN, District Judge R. Gary Klausner has set a trial date for May. “It’s bigger than just soccer,” Welch said. “Think of all the other women’s sports out there that experience the same thing.

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DESIGNED BY SOPHIA RALL

EQUAL pay fast facts You’ve got the WNBA that goes through the same thing. You’ve got women’s hockey leagues that keep trying to start up and can’t because there’s no momentum behind them.”

The USWNT’s image has been greatly affected by their fourth World Cup win, now having four more than the men’s national team. Welch sees their influence reaching more Americans than ever before.

“I think it’s huge, and I think it’s big not just on young girls,” Welch said. “I think you’re starting to see it on young boys as well. You’re seeing it all over social media that everybody’s starting to wear the

$530,000* The maximum salary in the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) is $46,000** The minimum salary in the MLS is $56,250 The minimum salary in the NWSL is $16,538 The maximum salary in the MLS (Men’s Soccer League) is

*According to MLS **According to NWSL

women’s team’s jerseys including young boys, which is incredible.

They just see this empowerment and this soccer dynasty that is this women’s national team and you can really see all the young kids getting on board with it.”

Varsity soccer player Mollie Plas was excited, yet not surprised, to watch the USWNT win this summer.

She comments on the USWNT’s impact on her.

“They all have different stories and it’s really interesting because I’ll watch videos of them separately talking about how they got into it and what playing on this team means to them,” Plas said.

“It’s kind of empowering.”

Both Plas and Welch agree that each generation of soccer players have to keep the conversation going in order to make more concrete progress.

“I feel like every giant step forward we keep getting knocked back three to five steps,” Welch said. “So, it’s important to keep that momentum going. It’s important that we now show the next generation how to keep this Senior Mollie Plas kicks a ball during a drill with her club soccer team Aug. 29. Plas will play collegiate-level soccer for UMKC following Graduation from sta.

momentum going because we can’t let it slow down, otherwise we’re never going to get there.”

As the USWNT already has bigname sponsors, such as Secret and Powerade, Welch proposes that this in addition to legal provisions will be the key to achieving long-awaited equal pay.

“It’s not necessarily a law that needs to be put in place, but some sort of stipulation needs to be put into contracts,” Welch said.

“Another thing we can do is get more big sponsors on board for the females… if we can get that momentum to back the game a little bit more then maybe [the USSF will] say ‘hey, this is a revenuegenerating sport’ and then maybe they’ll be more willing then to up the pay.”

The USWNT’s fight for equality is becoming the face of the fight for economic equality of all women.

Lizzy Goodman wrote for the New York Times, “the women aren’t working as hard as their male counterparts for less money; they’re working harder for less money.”

“Since [the National Women’s team is] talking about [equal pay] now, it gives more women a voice to express how it’s happening in their society too… not just in sports,” Plas said.

Welch is optimistic about the bigger picture of gender equality, and knows that this fight is more than the USWNT or even the U.S. “I don’t think [achieving equal pay] is impossible,” Welch said. “I think in the next five to ten years we’ll start to see more of a shift, and I think it will be bigger than just us. I think we’ll see a cultural shift within other countries as well because we already see that get built up. We need it to become more of a global effort.” B

26 COMMUNITY

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

Blue Springs South High School senior and Nelson-Atkins teen council member Taylor Samson, left, takes notes during a council meeting Sept. 4. Next to her is Maxwell Skinner, a senior at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. photo by beatrice curry

Nelson-Atkins teens: creating a safe space for expression T

Nelson-Atkins teen events are opportunities to socialize and explore art in a supportive environment.

These events are planned by and for local teenagers.

Story by Beatrice Curry Writer Alternative coverage compiled by Claire Smith Design Editor

he Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art has been a free space for art appreciation in Kansas City since the 1930s. Their mission statement includes “building community through the power of art.” They don’t stop at providing a free space to enjoy art, they also host community events like the Chinese New Year and Dia de los Muertos festivals. The NelsonAtkins has carved out a space in the community for local teenagers.

Nelson-Atkins teen events, planned by local highschoolers, are free events that focus on creative expression.

Teen Art Council members, who organize these events, go through an application and group

interview process before becoming a part of the council. The council meets regularly to discuss and plan monthly events.

Returning teen council member and senior at Pembroke Hill High School Mariel Pepitone is part of this collaborative process.

“What we do as a council is we meet and we sit down and talk, we usually have one event per month and it’s really a conversation that we are all a part of,” Pepitone said.

The council also considers the schedules of highschoolers and plan certain events strategically to provide fun activities when they are needed most.

“Last year, we thought it would be really fun to host a dance since

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it was winter we wanted to provide an opportunity to de-stress and dress up after finals,” Pepitone said.

The themes of these events are often based on exhibitions that are at the Nelson-Atkins simultaneously.

“In March we had ‘conquering and croissants,’ we related it to the museum because we had the Napoleon exhibit coming in, ” teen council and senior at St. Thomas Aquinas High School member Maxwell Skinner said.

If possible, council members and anyone who attends the open mic event will take a break from performances to visit the exhibit together.

“The Napoleon exhibit was amazing and it was really cool to go and see and you might not know about if your school doesn’t talk about it or you don’t go to the Nelson regularly,” Pepitone said.

Nelson-Atkins teen events are always extremely accessible. They never require an admission fee.

Open mics are usually held monthly; the next one will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 11.

Sophomore Anna Koffler, who frequently sings at various local open mic nights, thought the NelsonAtkins’s open mic stood out.

“It was beautiful in the museum and in a way it felt very safe because it was only teenagers,” Koffler said.

Musicians are not the only ones given a supportive space at these events, everyone who attends has an opportunity to express themselves.

“It’s a great creative outlet because everyone has the chance to pitch in and there’s no hierarchy, everyone has an equal place,” Skinner said.

One of the things Koffler enjoyed most about the event was

that “it wasn’t just music there was also poetry,” Koffler said. “I feel like with open mics that aren’t there, it’s usually just music or just poetry or just stand up but the Nelson’s had a variety.”

One of their biggest musicrelated events is the Shuttlerock battle of the bands in August.

Senior Kylie Schuster competed in this with her band Yellow House.

What stuck out to Schuster was the positive atmosphere.

“It was super supportive of young musicians in Kansas City, and I think it’s hard sometimes to facilitate that but the Nelson is really good about it,” Schuster said. “Everyone was cheering each other on and it was a good environment and just a fun place for musicianship.”

According to Schuster, “there are a lot of really small, underground” opportunities for

her band to perform, but there is nowhere for teenage artists in Kansas City besides the NelsonAtkins “that would be able to manage something the size of battle of the bands.”

Shuttlerock did not only give young musicians in Kansas City a supportive space, it helps them put themselves out there.

“The band who won last year’s battle of the bands got a lot of opportunities out the door, the Nelson helped them get a platform,” Shuster said.

For Schuster, the scale of the battle of the bands did not take away from the sense of community.

“Larger groups can come in and it’s big enough for them but it’s still a place to promote local art groups, it doesn’t get overtaken by bigger companies and it’s very individual to KC,” Schuster said. B

28 LAST LOOK

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

UNFAMILIAR FACES

For the 2019-2020 school year, STA has appointed seven new teachers, all of whom have a new perspective to bring to STA. Story by Carmon Baker|Web Editor Photos by Katie Massman|Twitter Editor Patrick Curran: What classes do you teach?

I teach two sections of geometry.

Where did you work before St. Teresa’s?

I was at Rockhurst High School for the last six years teaching math. Before that, I taught at Georgetown Prep, which is a school in Washington D.C., and before that, I taught at Regis Jesuit High School, which is in Denver, Co., teaching math the whole time.

Why did you decide to apply to STA? I’m going back to school full-time. I left Rockhurst because if I was going to go to school full-time, I couldn’t teach full-time, so I needed a parttime job. I knew a couple people over here already just because Rockhurst faculty and St. Teresa’s faculty work pretty closely together, so I knew that they hired part-time teachers. So, I just let them know that I was interested, and then when something came open, I applied.

Jazzmin Earl: What classes do you teach?

I have seven right now. Two drawing classes, art and design portfolio, digital photography, graphic design, painting and journalism.

Where did you work before St. Teresa’s?

I worked at Cristo Rey for two years. I currently still work at the Nelson-Atkins museum. Before Cristo Rey, I worked in Grandview at Butcher-Greene Elementary School for eight years So far, what is your favorite part about teaching at STA? I think my favorite part is that the girls are so ready and willing to learn.

What are some of your interests outside of school?

My family, photography and food.

If you had one piece of advice for students, what would it be?

It would be to be yourself and don’t worry what other people are thinking.

Don’t be afraid to create.

Rebecca Hare: What classes do you teach?

I teach algebra I and algebra II. Are you originally from Kansas City?

Yes, I am. I actually went to St. Thomas Aquinas, so the other STA, but now I’m at the original. But, yes. Grew up here, went to high school here and I went to grade school at Holy Trinity as well.

Where did you work before St. Teresa’s?

I just graduated from [Creighton University] before this.

What are some of your interests outside of school?

I still am a runner. I still run for fun. I’m obsessed with cooking and baking, love to cook and bake. I’m a really big reader, and I am kind of like a Marvel nerd. Love those types of movies, and I love my dog, being active outside. That’s kind of me.

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Mimi Harman: What classes do you teach?

I teach two sections of freshman introduction to Scripture and four sections of juniors a semester, so I get all of them, in social concerns.

Where did you work before St. Teresa’s?

I was a stay-at-home-mom, in the house, raising four kids and I worked part time for St. James Catholic Church on 39th [Street] and Troost and I also helped take care of a sweet, little old lady who had some health issues.

If you had one piece of advice for students, what would it be?

Not to stress that everything is changing and that God is moving in their lives and adores them.

Greg Harkness: What classes do you teach?

I teach in the theology department and I teach sophomores and freshmen.

Where did you work before St. Teresa’s?

I worked at Rockhurst High School as the principal.

If you had one piece of advice for students, what would it be?

Think big. I think one of the challenges that studying theology, particularly as a teenager, is that for most young women here, faith is just something that is just part of their lives. “I believe this because I’ve always believed it. I don’t know that I’ve ever thought about it before. I don’t know that I’ve ever made it my own.” So, that’s what I’d kind of like to bring out. Think big and think often and think outside the box.

Caitlyn Kogge: What classes do you teach?

I teach four sections of health and wellness, and then I teach a weight training class that we added this semester and I do fitness activities.

Where did you work before St. Teresa’s?

I taught at a middle school in Florida, just outside of Orlando, and before that I did two and a half years of teaching at an elementary school in Kentucky.

What are some of your interests outside of school?

Outside of school, I mostly lift. I go to a power lifting gym, so I’m really into that. And I still play volleyball a lot. I’ll play a little bit of beach and some indoor when indoor season rolls around. Outside of that, I usually just try to spend as much time as I can with my husband. We try a bunch of new restaurants, and we like to see all the things that Kansas City has to offer. We’re still new to the area, so we’re

always kind of exploring.

Chiun-Pei Lin: What classes do you teach?

I teach Mandarin 1, 2 and 3.

So far, what is your favorite part about teaching at STA? Well, I really like the atmosphere so far. And all the faculty and students, the girls, are all very friendly, very open-minded to try different things, that’s what I like about this place.

If you had one piece of advice for students, what would it be?

Keep your interest of learning a subject is very important. So no matter how good you are, or how bad you are at this moment, keep motivating yourself. Keep the interest and keep learning. Never give up.

For more questions with the new teachers, check out the DNO!

30 PHOTO ESSAY

DESIGNED BY CARA BARONE

Culture in the The Westside of Kansas City is home to many local shops and a Hispanic/Latinx heritage. photos by Olivia Powell | Lifestyles Editor

Brian Powell holds a “Westside” sticker in Westside Storey Aug. 24. The store sells local items, from shirts to wallets by local makers.

The First Baptist Church in the Westside sits on Avenida Cesar E Chavez. The church is one of several local churches in the area.

The Mattie Rhodes sign draws visitors to its art gallery. Mattie Rhodes supports families in the community, while encouraging involvement in cultural activities like Dia de Los Muertos, Day of the Dead.

Reben’s Barber Shop displays an “Open” sign, located in Kansas City’s Westside. Nearby stores sell a variety of goods, from pan dulce, Mexican sweet bread, to religious items.

See the full photo story on the DNO.

Pardo’s Grand Buffet Mexicano advertises Mexican food along Southwest Blvd. The Westside has influences of Mexican American and Latinx culture, just west of downtown.

DESIGNED BY KATIE MASSMAN

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