Volume 78, Issue 1 by DartNewsOnline

CATHOLICS AT A CROSSROADS: Community Reactions to a Culture of Abuse The Dart sat down with three members of the local Catholic community to explore their unique perspectives.

St. Teresa's Academy | Kansas City, MO| Volume 78, Issue 1

News

contents

4. Bird flocking to cities

Star Spotlight

table of

6. Ha Troung

September 14, 2018

A&E

Perspectives

21. The HIV/AIDs Crisis continues 23. Cornrows aren't for everyone

9. Flaw(less): Identity shown though art

Sports Feature

Reviews

Community

10. "Crazy Rich Asians" 11. "Sweetener"

Features

12. Sleep deprivation 14. Chinese at STA: Online to in-person

Centerspread

16. Catholics at Crossroads: Community reactions to a culture of abuse

24. Goppert Changes

26. Thelmaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kitchen

Last Look

28. Introducing the newest teachers of STA

Photo Essay

30. Today at STA

letter

from the editors Hello readers, We are beyond excited to bring you this year’s first issue of the Dart and DartNewsOnline! With the 78th volume of our beloved newspaper comes a lot of change. We have a brandnew, beautiful space in the Fahey Learning Center and a brandnew, beautiful adviser, Ms. Riley Cowing. This year, our goal is to produce content for teenage girls, written by teenage girls and highlight our stories, which often goes untold. When news of the priest abuse in Pennsylvania broke in August, Catholics, Christians and laity around the world opened up a dialogue over social media and news platforms. Soon, more and more stories of survivors surfaced along with new accusations against the Church. It has always been a problem in the Church, but now it’s something people are willing to talk about; we want to talk about it at STA, too. This year brings plenty of new students and teachers, so we encourage you

to get to know some of them in this issue. Read Star Spotlight, written by Sophia Durone, to get to know Ha Truong, a new STA student who just moved from Vietnam. Turn to last look for Claire Smith’s coverage of our many new teachers, and if you want to learn specifically about the new Mandarin class, turn to Lily Hart’s story on pages 14 and 15. Hopefully you’ve noticed the black and white electric scooters scattered around the city, but check out Aspen Cherrito’s feature on page 4 to learn more about the Birds. Read Claudia Benge’s story about the changes to Goppert Center and fall sports. Our community story, by Kendall Lanier, is about Thelma’s Kitchen, a pay-what-youcan restaurant on Troost Ave. that serves people from all backgrounds. We’re proud to introduce our newest addition, a photo essay on page 30 by Maddie Loehr. It’s a creative, aesthetic collection of photos from a typical day at STA. Please enjoy our content, and let it spark conversation. That’s how positive change is made! Sincerely,

the staff 2018-2019 Editors-In-Chief Julia Kerrigan Margaux Renee Gabby Staker

WEB

Managing Editor of Web Lily Hart Social Media Editor Katie Gregory Social Media Team Maggie Hart, Tess Jones, Rachel Robinson Breaking News Editors Sophia Durone, Mary Massman Multimedia Editor

Design Editor Anna Ronan Photo Editors Amy Schaffer, Maddie Loehr Page Designers Anna Ronan, Gabby Staker, Julia Kerrigan, Margaux Renee, Claire Smith, Ella Norton, Amy Schaffer, Maddie Loehr, Lily Hart, Katie Gregory, Olivia Powell, McKenzie Heffron, Rachel Robinson, Tess Jones,

COPY

Features Editor Ella Norton News Editor Annabelle Meloy Lifestyles Editor Kendall Lanier Opinion Editor Faith Andrews O'Neal Sports Editor Claudia Benge Staff Photographers Amy Schaffer, Maddie Loehr, Grace Fiorella Staff Writers Carmon Baker, McKenzie Heffron, Adviser Riley Cowing

NEWS Editorial Policies

Sophomore Adie Zahner poses on a Bird Scooter in Westport Aug. 25. Zahner first found out about the Bird Scooters on a trip to Baltimore, Md.

Ownership and Sponsorship

DartNewsOnline and the Dart are created by the student newpaper staff and are maintained and published by general operating funds of St. Teresa's Academy, a Catholic institution frounded by the Stisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. DartNewsOnline and the Dart will not publish opinions that contradict the teachings and beliefs of the Catholic church, whether on a diocesan or worldwide level.

Editorial Policy

The Staff of DartNewsOnline and the Dart are subject to prior review by the St. Teresa's Academy administrative team in circumstances that concern Catholic doctrine, student safety or illegal behavior. DartNewsOnline and the Dart will not publish reviews of sudent work or performances. Personal columns reflect the opinions of the writer, not necessarily the staff or school.

Letters & Reader Interaction Policy

DartNewsOnline and the Dart encourage the community to post comments on the website. Letters to the editors can be sent in the following ways: in person to Riley Cowing in Goppert room G106; by mail to St. Teresa's Academy, Attn: Riley Cowing, 5600 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64113; by email to rcowing@sttersasacademy.org or to dartpaper@gmail.com. DartNewsOnline and the Dart reserve the right to edit or shorten letters for publication.

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Corrections policy

DartNewsOnline and the Dart will publish corrections as soon as possible after the error is discovered.

September 14, 2018

BIRD SCOOTERS FLOCK TO CITIES

An electric scooter company, named Bird, has been taking over the nation far and wide. With a low price range and easy drop off spots, it’s hard to miss the scooters. Story and photos by Aspen Cherrito Multimedia Editor

cross the nation, Birds have been flocking to cities. Well, where they aren’t banned, of course. Bird, an electric scooter company, was founded in 2017 by Travis VanderZanden in Los Angeles, California. It has landed in over 30 cities nationwide, as well as in Paris, France. Bird’s purpose is to bring lowcost, environmentally friendly transportation to communities across the world. VanderZanden began his fascination with transportation due to his single mother driving a public bus. He then became the forefront of innovative transportation solutions, ultimately leading to him creating ‘Birds.’ Various dropping spots are placed throughout the Metro, from Loose Park to 18th and Vine.

On their app named ‘Bird’ a map with all of the scooters nearby is available and is also how riders can unlock and pay for their birds. The cost to ride a Bird scooter starts at $1 to unlock it and then 15 cents for each minute you are riding. However, not everyone can ride them as the age to ride a scooter is above 18 and above with a valid driver's license. Although not old enough to ride them, sophomore Adie Zahner first had her encounter with Birds in Baltimore, Md. “I think [the scooters] are great and really good way of transportation that are responsibly priced,” said Zahner. “When I found out they came to Kansas City I was really excited.” Before riding, one must sign a consent safety agreement, watch an in-app tutorial on how to safely

ride and the company has been offering free helmets to riders who request them. Bird also has options to become a charger. If the rider is old enough, Bird will send you three chargers and have them acquire, or as Bird calls them capture, up to three scooters around town. After, the rider will take them home, plug them in and in the morning take them back to their station (which Bird refers to as their nest.) Chargers are paid anywhere from $5 a night to $30 depending on how many scooters they pick up. Bird also offers discounts for riders who served in the U.S. military or are looking to provide employment opportunities in underserved communities. Under the name ‘One Bird’ the $1 base fee is eliminated, having the rider only pay the 15 cents per minute for anyone enrolled in federal assistance programs. The same goes for ‘Red, White and Bird,’ for veterans and U.S military servers. Social studies teacher Andrew

Meyer is one of the many members of STA faculty that has ridden the scooters. “When I was younger, I always wanted an electric scooter,” Meyer said. “Once I saw they were available to everyone, I got super excited about it. You’re getting people outside and active, which is incredibly good for the city.” However, the response hasn’t all been good. In various cities across the nation Bird scooters have been banned. In Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Beverly Hills, Bird scooters have been banned across the whole city. The ban has been placed until regulations and enforcement are put in place. In Kansas City however, Birds have only been banned at the Country Club Plaza area due to safety issues. A hashtag, #ScootersBehavingBadly, has city-goers sharing photos of Birds blocking traffic, being in the middle of the ride walk or on top

of city benches. People have begun to try to destroy the Birds by setting them on fire. However, according to their spokesperson, who preferred to remain anonymous, “Bird looks to partner with cities that have our shared vision of communities with fewer cars on the roads, and less carbon emissions in the air. This dedication to cities is why we created the ‘Save Our Sidewalks’ Pledge and recently announced Bird’s GovTech Platform, which is a comprehensive set of technologies and products built in coordination with and for cities. The platform will help local governments incorporate and manage e-scooters as part of their transportation infrastructure.” Bird's job of getting cars off the road to help improve the mobility of residents across cities has been noted nationwide. Since launching in September of 2017, Bird riders have logged more than a million rides, so next time you see one, hop on and scoot on.

Sophomore Adie Zahner poses on a Bird Scooter in Westport Aug. 25.

STAR SPOTLIGHT

Ha Truong Freshman Ha Truong moved to Kansas City from Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam to attend STA for her four years. Story by Sophia Durone Photo by Maggie Hart

September 14, 2018

here did you live before you came to Kansas City? Vietnam, in Ho Chi Minh City.

What was your lifestyle like in Ho Chi Minh? I [lived] with my uncle and aunt, so they [went] to work every day. Over the weekend, they [were] busy so I [stayed] home. Before school, I went to Minnesota to visit my relatives. I visited my aunt-inlaw in Minnesota. I went to the waterfall, parks and the biggest mall. We went somewhere to work outside. We can hang out whenever or wherever we want. What activities were you involved in at home? In Vietnam, I [played] basketball, badminton and I [practiced] swimming. How was your school at home different than St. Teresa’s? I used to study in government school for six years. Then I moved to international school for two years. In government school, we [studied] from 5:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and we [went] back home. For the next grade we studied from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. School in Vietnam started at 7:30 a.m. because I studied at international school, [from] 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. One period is 45 minutes and we have lunch for 30 minutes. Teachers switch for classes not students. Students sit for the whole day. We then have a nap for 45 minutes in the classroom. Why did you decide to come to St. Teresa's? My uncle found this school for me and it's just girls so it's very safe for me. Some schools I could study for just one year, but

here I can study for four years. What is the international application process like? My uncle just talked to my parents and they decided to go to St. Teresa's because it’s safe and is very big. This school is bigger than [universities] in Vietnam. How did you prepare for your transition to the Kansas City? I put a few clothes in my suitcase and [packed] some spicy noodles. What were your thoughts when you came to STA on the first day? This school is very big, so I was a little bit confused and did not know where to go. [People] are very friendly and the teachers are very friendly. What has been the hardest part of being a foreign student? The English language. I’m Vietnamese so I studied Vietnamese when I was born. I just studied English for three or four years. What activities would you like to be involved in at STA this year? Maybe I will [join] dance club. What are you most excited to experience in American culture? [People] are nice and it is very clean. Is there anything else you would like to add? In Vietnam, it is very cheap. Some fashion in Vietnam is very expensive, like more than $20. Shoes are double expensive. Food is very cheap. My favorite food is Pho. [It has] some meat and some sauce in it. It has a good smell.

BITS AND PIECES

Junior Genesis Jeffries talks to fellow members of Gender and Sexuality Club Aug. 28. GSA club offered stickers to interested students.

PHOTO OF THE ISSUE

The Dart chooses a staffer's photo to be featured each month.

Photo by Mary Massman| Breaking News Editor

my life sucks

I got my room redone for my birthday. Everything is new in On Friday night I was there and we got a dresser, a dancing with my new bed and it’s all themed. It’s dance team at the all blue and white, which are Rockhurst game and my favorite colors. our music stopped -Regina Jayakody, halfway through our freshman dance. We just had to stand there and wait for our music to come back on. It was embarrassing. -Lily Todd, junior Compiled by Ella Norton

in the news:

my life rocks

Features Editor

September 14, 2018

Nike introduced its new 30th anniversary advertisement campaign featuring former NFL player Colin Kaepernick Sept. 5. The ad sparked controversy and caused some to post videos burning or disposing of their Nike merchandise. Nike’s shares had risen over 28 percent this year according to CBS News, but their stock prices have dropped following the advertisement.

global

Westport introduced new security measures Sept. 7 for weekends. From 11 p.m. to 3 a.m., guests will be met with four checkpoints on the perimeter of the entertainment district where they will empty their pockets, hand over their bags to be checked and walk through a metal detector, according to the Kansas City Star.

national

local

Compiled by Julia Kerrigan|Editor-in-chief The National Museum of Brazil caught fire Sept. 2. The museum contained artifacts ranging from Andean mummies to Brazil’s largest meteorite. The cause of the fire is still unknown, but workers cite the annual budget that alloted less than a cent per its 20 million artifacts, according to the Economist.

A&E

Flaw[less]: Identity shown through art Members of the Kemper Museum’s Teen Arts Council curated an exhibit titled Flaw[less], which explored culture and struggles of identity. Story by Anna Ronan Design Editor

he Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art had hosted a group of teenagers from January until August. They worked as a group to curate their very own exhibit. After months of endless planning, it all came together as Flaw[less]. “(Flaw[less]) was to show that everyone has flaws, and we should learn how to express our flaws rather than being ashamed of having them,” Hogan Preparatory School junior Alecia Sharpe said. Sharpe is a member of the Kemper Museum’s Teen Arts Council, which recently curated the exhibit Flaw[less]. This is the first year of the Teen Arts Council, and Sharpe is one of 11 teenagers on the team. Students from area high schools went through an interactive interview process before getting accepted into the program. “I had always been interested in art related stuff, so I decided to sign up for it and I went through the interview process and got accepted,” Sharpe said. Jessica Thompson-Lee is the museum educator for youth and family programs at the Kemper and is also the creator of the Teen Arts Council. “I actually got to start the program and see it through its first year,” Thompson-Lee said, “t’s their voice, they’re the ones really making the decisions. I just guide them along the process.” The council hosted events such as ‘Teen Studio Saturday,’ which

Sophomore Maggie Dodderidge admires a piece by Nan Goldin on Aug. 18th 2018. The piece is titled " Jimmy Paulette and Tabboo! Undressing, NYC, 1991 (1991)." photo by Beatrice Curry

was a drop-in event on the third Saturday of each month where teens could make art based around a central theme. They also hosted a teen art night where teens could sketch in the galleries of the Kemper. However, the biggest event was the four month long process that was curating the exhibit Flaw[less]. Flaw[less], according to the Kemper Museum’s website, “explores themes of identity, stereotypes, and perception across cultures in works from the Kemper Museum Permanent Collection.” The collection shows pieces dated anywhere from 1920 to 2013, and is meant to showcase the idea of having flaws and learning to love them. “You are flawed as a person, but you are also flawless," Sharpe said. "We wanted to include the ‘less’ part to show that it is something you can take off.” When the Kemper announced to the teen council that they would be curating an exhibit, Sharpe was excited. “It was like, if people could see me as a youth doing this, then hopefully I get the opportunity to show other people they can also do it,” Sharpe said. The entire teen council had a list of possible pieces from the Permanent Collection to choose from, and everyone was involved in the decision making process. “We narrowed it down to around 25 pieces, and from

there we took all of those pieces and we set them in that room,” Thompson-Lee said, “We ended up with only about 14 pieces.” Along with choosing the final pieces, each member got to choose one of the pieces two write a description on. “The one I picked to write a description on was this guy in a mirror, it was signifying gender and how it shouldn’t matter and how sexuality doesn’t define everything,” Sharpe said. Sophomore Maggie Dodderidge went to see the exhibit Aug. 23. She connected with the piece that Sharpe wrote her description on, titled "Jimmy Paulette and Taboo! Undressing, NYC, 1991." “I liked it because it gave us insight into what it was like to be part of the LGBT+ community before now,” Dodderidge said. She thought the specific piece was a way to look at the LGBT+ community in a light that, while taken in the past, still applies to people everywhere today. “I just want people to see the world different,” Sharpe said, when describing her interpretation of Flaw[less], “You should be based on what you are on the inside, not who you show to the outside. Rather fitting someone else’s expectations, fit your own.” Flaw[less] will be shown at the Kemper until Feb. 17, 2019. Applications for the 2019 Teen Arts Council will be posted on the Kemper’s official website in November.

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REVIEWS

"CRAZY RICH ASIANS" IS MORE THAN A LOVE STORY "Crazy Rich Asians" is more than a love story; it's about women's empowerment.

Story by Tess Jones Page Designer

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had heard raves about how Crazy Rich Asians was one of the greatest movies they’ve seen this summer, mostly from my mother. Yet when I saw the trailers I thought the movie was going to be a corny romantic comedy like the Kissing Booth. I wasn’t even planning on seeing the movie until I had to write a review. I was expecting this movie to be the classic, girl and guy fall in love but there's a problem and they can’t stay together but in the end, they end up together. As I sat down with watermelon sour patch kids and recline my seat, the movie began. During the first few scenes I thought I knew exactly what was going to happen.Then when Nick Young (Henry Golding) and Rachel Chu’s (Constance Wu) landed

September 14, 2018

in Singapore, I realized I was completely wrong. This movie made me rethink romantic comedies because on some level Crazy Rich Asians was the cheesy romantic comedy that you watch with your friends at a sleepover. However, it also completely shakes the ideals of what romantic comedies are. This movie wasn’t just about Nick and Rachel’s relationship, it was about how Rachel became an independent woman who did as she pleased, regardless of what others thought.. Throughout this movie, women are making their own decisions. The women in this movie evolved in a way that usually you don’t get to see in romantic comedies. You see these women make choices, that will make them happy. They do what they want because it will make them happy and they don’t care what anyone else thinks about their decisions. Rachel makes her choices based on how she's feeling, she does what will make her feel better and make her get to where she wants to be.

Goh Peik Lin (Awkwafina) does what she wants and acts how she acts because it makes her happy, she doesn’t care what her parents or even what others think. Throughout this entire movie, women make choices that will make them happy. They only do what will make themselves happy and they put themselves first. This movie, changed the way that I will see romantic comedies from now on because, instead of thinking it’ll be the cheesy classic, I’ll look deeper and see that the women in these movies are making their own decisions and making these decisions for themselves and to make themselves happy. This movie wasn’t just about Nick and Rachel’s relationship, it was also about all the women in the movie making themselves happy first. Not only does Crazy Rich Asians allow you to see the movie from a different perspective, but if you wanted you could sit down and just enjoy the classic-ness of this rom-com.

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"SWEETENER" IS GRANDE'S MATURE NEW SOUND Ariana Grande recently released Sweetener Aug. 17, 2018. The new album is packed full of creativity and features Pharell, Missy Elliot and Nicki Minaj among others.

Story by Ella Norton Features Editor

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oing into listening to Ariana Grande’s new album, Sweetener, my head was already buzzing with other people’s comments. So many people had told me that it was the best album they had ever heard and they loved it. I had only heard “God is a woman” and “no tears left to cry,” both songs that I had really enjoyed and thought sounded amazing vocally. I was excited to see what this new album had to offer. My reaction? It’s a great album that really shows her maturity. I really loved listening to it and I’ve been listening to certain songs again and again. The album has some really interesting beats, fresh sounds and like always, Grande’s vocals sounded amazing. In fact, her song “breathin” made me cry. For best review purposes, I decided to listen to the album in order. The first song, “raindrops (an angel cried)” was so powerful and haunting that it gave me actual goosebumps. The next song, “blazed,” featuring Pharell was groovy, fresh and it made me want to get up and dance. However then, “the light is coming” featuring Nicki Minaj came on and I was

underwhelmed. Again, don’t get me wrong, the song was still good and it certainly had a different sound to it but I felt like it paled in comparison to the first couple of songs I had heard. This was a pattern that I found a couple of times in the album, there were some incredibly strong songs that swept me away like “get well soon,” “better off” and “sweetener.” It was because of those songs that songs like “goodnight n go” and “everytime” just sounded a bit blander and more unoriginal. However, listening to it again, some of the songs did grow on me and now “everytime” is the song that I listen to the most. Inherently, this is a good thing because it shows how powerful her songs truly are. It is incredibly difficult and rare to create an album of fifteen songs that are that divine. And perhaps, it was only because of the hype that I felt certain songs were lacking. Overall, I do think the album was pretty stellar. It was full of such emotion and power, embracing themes of love, happiness and acceptance that echoed in every song. The album also had a candorness to it that felt raw and real. Before listening to the album, I was expecting it to be dedicated to Manchester so I assumed it would be a dark and heavy album, but Sweetener is the opposite. Instead, it is full of love and honesty, making

the album so much more powerful than I expected. With songs like “get well soon” that deal with overcoming the difficulties in life, it makes a strong response to the tragedies that happened in Manchester. Along with strength, Grande brought so much love into the album, even titling a song “Pete Davidson,” after her fiance. However instead of having the same, basic pop love songs, Grande brought fresh ideas to the table and truly let us in to her mind. As I mentioned before, this album showed her maturity so well. Listening to this album, I would have never thought that some of the songs were Ariana Grande’s. This album was mature in sound, lyrics and personality as well. It shows her growth and transformation and there truly isn’t an album like this. Bursting with creativity, Sweetener allows us a powerful glance into the mind of Ariana Grande.

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FEATURES

SLEEP DEPRIVATION

IS BECOMING A PART OF STUDENTS' ROUTINE Sleep is falling lower and lower on students’ priority lists, causing a rising trend in sleep deprivation.

Story by Olivia Wirtz | Writer Photo illustration by Amy Schaffer | Photo Editor

t is 12:30 a.m. and junior Molly Sexton is sitting in bed debating whether to finish that last math assignment or get to sleep by 2:00 a.m. The little voice in her head tells her, “Sleep can always be made up, but some grades cannot be.” She questioned if that voice in her head is right. Should sleep be low on a high school student’s priority list? The next day Sexton finds herself dozing off in class. As she repeatedly tries to wake herself up before l the teacher notices, she thinks to herself, “Will this cycle ever end?” “I feel constantly tired,” Sexton said. ” Usually, I will wake up and have an adrenaline rush. I will be so awake for the first couple periods. Then if I eat lunch I will get some energy but I still find myself falling asleep in class.” According to the National Sleep Foundation, for most high school students, sleep is very low on their priority lists. Almost 70 percent of teenagers are not getting the recommended amount of sleep they need. A common factor that can severely detriment high school students’ sleeping schedules is sleep disorders. Senior Erris Pierson has recently been struggling with wether or not she has a sleep

September 14, 2018

disorder called narcolepsy. “In my case, being narcoleptic means that I sleep too much,” Pierson said. “However, I am always tired.” Her routine consists of going home, taking a nap, waking up, doing homework and then going right back to bed. However, her increase in headaches has caused her to question her sleep health. “I think that school definitely has affected my sleep whether I have narcolepsy or not,” Pierson said. “I think that is why I thought it was so normal. I thought, ‘School just runs me down.’ But when it came down to the fact that I was choosing sleep over a lot of other things, I knew it was time to check it out.” She has previously tried to boost her energy by beginning her morning with exercise, which would usually give her the adrenaline needed for the day. “I wish going to bed at 9 p.m. and waking up at 6 a.m. would give me good rest, because it should,” Pierson said. “But it doesn’t, and I still find myself constantly being tired.” Pierson will be participating in a sleep study in order for neurologists to confirm her narcolepsy. “I am kind of nervous because what if something is wrong, you know?” Pierson said. “But I also have to sleep in a hospital so that’s not fun.” STA counselor Amanda Johnson talks to many students who struggle with sleep deprivation. “Sleep is a constant struggle for a lot of people,” Johnson said.

“Especially among young people with everything on their plates.” Not getting enough sleep or having sleep difficulties can limit the ability for students to learn and focus. According to the National Sleep Foundation, when sleep deprived, individuals are as impaired as driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.08% which is illegal for drivers in many states. “You are not making good choices throughout the day,” Johnson said. “Maybe you are falling asleep in class or you’re not taking notes the way you normally would. Sometimes we are so exhausted that our brain can’t function at top capacity.” Johnson is no stranger to sleep deprivation due to her schedule in high school. “I remember my sophomore year was the worst year for sleep and my emotional health,” Johnson said. “I was in three very competitive sports. I was trying to do too much.“ One of the main reasons students don’t get enough sleep is because of their busy schedules, something Johnson struggled with as well. “I wanted to do all of these things,” Johnson said. “I was telling my parents ‘I can handle it, I’ve got it.’ I managed it, but I managed it poorly.” Johnson remembers finally reaching her breaking point. After a sudden fall in figure skating, she admitted to herself that she simply could not keep up with her schedule. “I was actually very relieved when I fell,” Johnson said. “It was painful but I remember thinking

‘Okay, I don’t think I can do this anymore.’ I was just so tired.” Teenagers need 8 to 10 hours a sleep a night, and its estimated that only 15 percent are getting that amount according to the National Sleep Foundation. “I would say the one thing I would challenge students to do --because I have been in your shoes on some level-- would be don’t be afraid to communicate,” Johnson said. “If it’s one in the morning and you haven’t gotten to your Spanish homework, talk to your teacher. Tell them what is going on.” Recognizing the signs of sleep deprivation includes realizing when regular habits change. “If you take sleep off your plate, you are affecting your body processes, your appetite and your brain functions,” Johnson said. “Sleep affects everything.”

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Junior Lauren Fallis lays in bed scrolling through social media at 12 a.m. Aug. 25. Fallis is part of the 70% of high schoolers receiving less than the eight to 10 recommended hours of nightly sleep.

FEATURES

Mandarin Online to In Person This year, STA will host an intern, Libby Bai, to teach the Chinese classes, making the switch from a video conference class, to an inperson one.

Story and Alternative Coverage by Lily Hart Web Editor Photos by Grace Fiorella Photographer

Sophomore Charlotte Baker works on Mandarin homework Sept. 10. This is Baker’s second year taking this course. photo by Grace Fiorella

Freshman Anna Albritton walks into D306 for the first day of Chinese class at St. Teresa’s Academy, 2017. Instead of a teacher walking in and introducing herself, one appears on the projector sparking simultaneous interest and curiosity. Ice breakers were a little harder than usual, seeing as the teacher in Lawrence, Kan. could neither hear students nor see a portion of them. Although this small class adjusted, this confusion remained a common theme throughout the year, and for some was hard to overcome. “It was pretty difficult to communicate with her because… sometimes I couldn’t just show her a piece of paper that I had a question on,” Albritton said. For the 2018-2019 school year, STA switched from Interactive Distance Learning, or IDL, to an in-person teacher, an intern named Libby Bai from the He Nan province in China. STA works with the Confucius Institute and Kansas University to foster the Chinese program, and for the past three years has done classes through long-distance video conference. “KU asked if we would want to

pilot [having an intern] because they haven’t had schools necessarily try it,” principal of academic affairs Barbara McCormick said. STA will be the trial run for this experiment, and its success will be evaluated at the end of the year. Although having an intern places the burden providing housing and transportation on STA, McCormick feels it is worth the extra work to have a Chinese teacher in house. “It’s students, I believe, that feel more connected to a human person,” McCormick said on the benefits of a local teacher. “As much as you want to be connected to the teacher on your screen, having someone in class every day, that’s a presence, that can slow things down, that can really see you and you see them. That availability was the biggest component, and just having a physical presence.” This benefit of availability has already been noticed by Albritton, who is now a sophomore and a student in Bai’s Chinese Two class. “As soon as I don’t get something, it’s not very hard to just ask her a quick question about it or talk to her after class,” Albritton

September 14, 2018

said. However, there will be some things she will miss. “Sometimes I would miss always saying things multiple times [in the IDL class] before she would stop, because now the teacher would write it on the board and move away from it,” Albritton said. Despite some of the glitches, Bai can see and continue to build upon the foundation that the students have built with previous teachers. “The students I’ve taught here have a great background,” Bai said, “It’s better for me to teach them, it’s easier.” Bai has taught English and calligraphy in China before coming to the U.S. Now, she teaches Chinese one, two and four. She finds learning different languages to be very beneficial for students. “I think it’s another kind of thinking style,” Bai said. “Different languages, they represent different kinds of thinking styles and they represent different kinds of lifestyles and cultures. It’s not just language, but the culture behind it. The advantages of learning Chinese… I think we can

have a different perspective.” To each of her separate classes, Bai brings a different focus. “All the parts of Chinese-the listening, the reading, the speaking and writing-- are all important,” Bai said, “But… the freshmen focus more on speaking and listening. When you are a kid you cannot read, but you can speak, you can listen. For the sophomores and seniors, I think writing and reading are also important.” STA is undoubtedly different from most schools in many aspects, but Bai sees this as an advantage. “I think it’s a great place to teach in because it’s a private Catholic high school and I am more into teaching girls,” Bai said. “The classroom is harder to manage [with coed education]. But I think that only girls, only boys, or coeducation have their own advantages and disadvantages.” McCormick sees the benefits of this program from a different perspective, that of STA’s mission and connection with the Sisters of

St. Joseph of Carondelet. She sees both STA and Bai benefitting from the arrangement. “No matter what language or courses [STA students] take, I think it just opens their minds and hearts to other worlds and directions and pathways,” McCormick said. “This is just one way St. Teresa’s Academy is serving the dear neighbor, at the same time getting something in return.” Thorough research was done before STA settled on Chinese rather than Japanese as another language offering for students. “We considered Japanese because we have a sister school in Japan,” McCormick said. “I believe when we did the research and started looking at why Chinese would be the next language to offer, it would be something our girls could utilize in international communications, business, finance.” Bai and McCormick agree on the long-term job benefits of learning Chinese as supposed to other languages. “China is an industrial country

that’s really coming up in the information age,” McCormick said, “More and more companies and connections are being made globally and Mandarin Chinese is a very popular language when you talk about the business industry.” This year, Albritton’s first day of Chinese class went a little differently. She and her classmates walked in, introduced themselves to Bai, and spent 10 minutes learning to pronounce her name by telling it to their pencils, their desks, the floor, and anything else that could benefit from learning Bai Lao Shi’s name. “I was kind of stressed out about [another year of Chinese class],” Albritton said. But she was pleasantly surprised with the first week of class. “It was really easy just being with her,” Albritton said. “There’s no technology barriers. If we can’t get the internet to log on, that’s ok. It’s not going to stop class. I wasn’t really looking forward to it, but now that it’s started I love it.”

Chinese for Beginners

For those students who have not taken a Chinese class, here are some words to get you started.

Hello: ni hao 你好 Friends: peng you 朋友 Good morning: zao shang hao 早上好 Good night: wan shang hao 晚上好 Teacher: lao shi 老师 Student: shui sheng 水生 designed by Claire Smith

CENTERSPREAD

Catholics at a crossroads: community reactions to a culture of abuse Following the in-depth report of widespread child sexual abuse by priests in Pennsylvania, victims across the country are calling for similar investigations. Of the 300 priests investigated in Pennsylvania, two were former Kansas City-area priests: the Rev. Mark Honhart and the Rev. Marvin Justi, both of whom were moved from their parishes to new ones in Pennsylvania. In the Kansas City area overall, 230 priests have been identified as being sexually abusive. Amid this crisis, the Catholic community stands at a crossroads. Priests, laity (or non clergy members) and sisterhoods are reassessing the structures within the Church such as clericalism, which is the formal leadership of ordained clergy in a parish. The Dart sat down with three members of the local Catholic community to explore their unique perspectives.

Story by Julia Kerrigan | Editor-In-Chief Margaux Renee | Editor-In-Chief Gabby Staker | Editor-In-Chief Photos by Olivia Wirtz | Writer

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The Sister When Sister Ruth Stuckel told her mother she wanted to become a sister, she wasn’t surprised. She had been in what she calls a “love relationship with the Lord” since sixth grade and had just been accepted to Fontbonne University, which was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. She entered the CSJs in 1954, right after she graduated high school, and has lived by its charisms (or gifts of grace) ever since. She cites one charism in particular in regards to the abuse that is being revealed—Unity and Reconciliation. “We need to be completely open about all the trauma in order to get healed,” Stuckel said. A big weakness that she points to in the Church is that bishops operate in their own “fiefdoms,” with no ability to discipline each other without taking the issue to Rome. Another issue within the Church is clericalism, which Stuckel describes as a “big boy system.” Where men are discouraged from reporting others and where women have a hard time finding an “in” because of the way they are characterized in the Church as “handmaids,” always aiding the Church’s ministries but never leading its liturgies. Despite this system, Stuckel cannot separate her love of the Lord from the Church as an institution. She cites multiple positive experiences with liturgy and Eucharist that have given her what she describes as a “Sacramental Heart.” However, she fully acknowledges the sin that exists within the Church. “Without being blind to it, I think the Church is like an alcoholic,” Stuckel said. “The alcoholic denies

the disease of alcoholism. And the Church denies the disease of sexism, even though in Vatican II they said sexism was a sin. But they deny it.” What gives Stuckel hope is the movement in Missouri to uncover the abuse within the Missouri dioceses. She compares it to the movement when gymnasts spoke against Doctor Larry Nassar and his systems of abuse. Additionally, Stuckel references “Protecting God’s Children,” the program built to teach people who work with children how to recognize and report child sexual abuse as a strong element in purifying the Church. However, she acknowledges that it is imperfect, and the potential for abuse remains even after the course is completed. “As long as there's Church, there's going to be problems,” Stuckel said. “But as you know, God is with us until the end, and I think we'll weather them. It's purification.” As more allegations of sexual abuse make headlines, conversations have begun on how to further prevent child abuse by priests. One option that is mentioned frequently, as illustrated in the Jesuit Post article “Where Do We Go From Here,” is to ordain women. Stuckel sees this as being long overdue. When the Second Vatican Council adjourned in 1962 with the promise of female priesthood in the not too distant future, many of Stuckel’s hopeful associates sought training but were never ordained by the Catholic Church, so they sought ordination in other denominations. “I don't have any difficulty with that, I think follow the Spirit,” Stuckel said “Some, from the time they were this big, felt called by

God.” she holds her hand to the height of a small child. Through all her years in the Church, Stuckel believes that it will be purified eventually, even if that means it will first be dragged through the mud. “We just hang in there, hang in there and hang in there, and work with it and work with it,” Stuckel said. As our interview comes to a close, she bows her head in prayer and asks God to calm our minds after discussing the blight on the Church. The Educator and The Believer The abuse thrives under hushed conversations. According to theology teacher Robin Good and campus minister Andrea Arredondo, open conversations are the only things that can stop it. Good, a parishioner at St. Gabriel, and Arredondo, a parishioner at St. James, believe the conversations being held among their churches and with their priests have been positive and productive. “First and foremost,” Good said. “We need to take care of anyone who’s been harmed. They take priority. But then, we have to be investigators and we have to remove [abusive priests and conspirators] from their offices until the investigation is complete. And if accusations prove accurate, then they lose their faculties.” It didn’t take a career in ministry for Good to recognize that people weren’t perfect. She had always known that, and she’d always known that imperfect people were supposed to represent a perfect God. “I wish I could say I was surprised,” she said, and her voice trembled slightly. But she wasn’t. That doesn’t

mean that it didn’t still hurt. “It is all so counter to God’s vision, God’s dream, God’s hope,” Good said. “It is so contradictory to who God is and what God wants for all of us.” Arredondo wasn’t surprised either. As a 14-year-old, she had witnessed her hometown St. Louis parish go through a similar experience. However, there’s something about this time, 13 years later, that makes it different. She credits new conversation around consent and the Me Too movement with helping victims feel like they don’t have to hide. In Good’s words, “We’re more real. We’re more willing to address the reality of our human existence: the brokenness as well as I think we are mindful, attentive, aware that we’re not getting anywhere if we don’t. We’re only making the problem worse.” Good hopes this will be a pivotal point for the Church. “Maybe I’m a fool, but I continue to have hope that God’s hand is somewhere and will get us through this messiness as it has before, and the Spirit will move in such a way that we write ourselves again,” Good said softly. Arredondo, too, asserts that moments like these can be good for institutions. “The Church owes itself some true honesty, and it is getting a huge dose of humility,” Arredondo said. “That combo can be transformative if they let it.” In addition to letting that humility be transformative, Arredondo believes that there needs to be introspection and examination of some of the traditions that are perpetuating abuse and violence. She questions the way that priests have been formed in seminary

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and the expectations placed on them. “Do we build [priests] into a mindset that they have to be perfect?” Arredondo asked. “And is that an illusion that they feel like they have to uphold when they’re not? It’s that illusion that they’re trying to protect, thinking that they’re also protecting the Church, when in reality it’s toxic.” That’s where Arredondo believes the true conversation lies— a conversation that involves the laity, or non-clergy members. “There’s people who have been in this Church their whole lives, or people who have converted because they’ve feel really powerfully connected to the Church, who can offer some amazing perspective,” she said. “And maybe they’re not steeped in doctrine, but maybe that’s better. Because I think that the doctrine is also part of what perpetuates the power cycle that can be corrosive.” Good echoed the need for laity to be involved in reforming the Church. “Otherwise if we just leave it to the same system to solve the problem, nothing’s going to get changed,” Good said. She says she understands why people would want to leave the Church. Arredondo replies that for many people, this can stand as another justification or knock against the Church. Both Arredondo and Good emphasize that change can only take place if believers are willing to remain and work toward that change. However, there’s a healing that must take place first, and that process is only just beginning. “Read the Gospel,” Arredondo said. “Heal your heart in scrip-

ture… When our institutions fail us, we have something really beautiful right before us that we can turn to for comfort.” The Priest “Helpless, helplessness”—that’s what Richmeier felt when he first learned of the comprehensive report detailing widespread sexual abuse and subsequent cover-up by the clergy in Pennsylvania. Father Garry Richmeier, of St. James Catholic Church sits comfortably outside of Crow’s Coffee, his hands around a paper coffee cup, fidgeting lightly with a stirring stick. “And sadness, mostly for the damage that was done to the people,” Richmeier said. Helplessness and sadness, but not suprise. Richmeier explains that Pennsylvania is merely a piece of the an ongoing, widespread revelation. “There is more yet to come,” Richmeier said. “It’s not surprising that more information comes out but [that] doesn’t make it any better or easier.” Though no longer surprising, Richmeier explains how this account of abuse is different from similar reports out of Boston and even Kansas City in years passed. He distinguishes the Pennsylvania report as having a greater depth of information. “It sounds like [the abuse] was more intentional and more systematic,” Richmeier said. He distinguishes that this time, “the hierarchical, structural Church [is] feeling more of the heat, more pressure to do something.” For Richmeier, the best way to do “something” would be to restructure the hierarchy of the Church in the interest of implementing checks and balances on

people in positions of authority. Richmeier believes that if left unaddressed, the Church will continue in the same direction. “Any organization is at risk of doing what they do to self-perpetuate and to protect their own butts, the Church is no different,” Richmeier said. “Explaining away behaviors is part of [that].” Richmeier cites this as the reason behind the Church’s tendency to protect their image “at the expense of children.” He describes a culture of coverup in which Catholics have been taught to equate the words of the Church with the word of God. “People have been taught not to distinguish,” Richmeier said. Following this logic, questioning the Church would be questioning God, leading to the acceptance of large scale cover-ups. “If you’re trying to uphold the image of being Christ on earth— first of all, you can’t, that’s impossible,” Richmeier said, laughing. “If you try to hold that image then you have to say well, ‘we don’t make mistakes’ because Christ doesn’t make mistakes.” Tentative but hopeful, Richmeier trusts that, “When truth is spoken, it has a good effect— truth will win out.” He offers Pennsylvania as an example of the “truth coming out,” denoting that it will not be the last time. “When we hear about it again some place, when that happens, truth will come out, and as hard as it is, I think that it’s important,” Richmeier said with certainty. Richmeier says more definitively this time he is indeed, “hopeful.” “The truth will happen when people in the pew, will call the Church to accountability by speaking the truth,” Richmeier said.

MAIN ED

STA Should Start a Conversation Regarding the Catholic Church Without communication, we cannot begin to reconcile with what has come to light.

ister Ruth Stuckel said it best- We need to be completely open about trauma in order to be healed. By not giving ourselves time to properly reconcile with the recent misgivings coming to light involving the Catholic Church, there will be no healing. This is the root of the issue: a lack of direct addressing of the problem. Being a teenage girl in America means that consent education can be an essential part of our lives. Going to a Catholic school in tumultuous times such as these, means that we have an opportunity to discuss both consent, and our faith, and what it means to be a woman navigating both. The perpetuation of rape culture stems from the idea that the topic is taboo, or not worth speaking of, so long as one associates with the right, trusted people, and acts with propriety. The current reckoning with the Catholic Church refutes that misguided idea. A school’s role is not only to educate, but to facilitate growth, and a stronger sense of self. That means questioning structures and ideas that one has known for their entire

life, like the Church. St. Teresa’s Academy does not have to condemn the Catholic Church as a whole, and that is not what students need. We need a space to confront the feelings and questions that have been evoked by these recent events. Although there may be areas where students can congregate and discuss current events, there is a sense of seriousness that is evoked when the conversation is sanctioned and official. This is worthy of that conversation. STA creating time for us all to discuss, gives us the time to set aside the time to give our undivided attention to the epidemic of sexual assault in an environment so many of us frequent. In the meantime, we as as students can facilitate these conversations amongst ourselves. The topic is not one that may come up naturally, but if students took the time and effort to discuss it, we can create our own space for communication. Sexual assault is a real issue on its own, one many women face. The Catholic Church is an integral part of millions of people’s lives. At the intersection of both is where you find this

RIGHT ON TARGET

Sophomore Mara Kugler

I think it’s important that we do talk about it because at this school, it’s so important that we follow certain standards. At the Catholic Church, when they’re doing these things, you can’t just ignore it. September 14, 2018

issue, which means, as women involved in the Catholic Church, communication and greater understanding of this complex issue. The lack of conversation regarding sexual assault in the Church is one of the reasons this reckoning is occuring so much later than it could have. Instead of feeling open and safe enough to come forward with their assault, many stay silent, as there was no space to do so. Despite there being many who are willing to help, if we, as a community, do not address this issue directly, many may not know of the resources available. If STA is willing to confront this as a humanitarian crisis, and respond accordingly, the student population will feel aware of the issue, and supported in combating it if need be. If we can all work together to create such spaces, full of discussion and refuge, we can help others who have been assaulted, and aid in the prevention of more to come. 26/26 staffers voted in agreement.

Senior Reilly Donnely

"I feel with issues surrounding sexual assault, especially because we’re a school of young women, communication is always the way to go on sensitive issues, because it makes sure everyone is informed and educated about it."

STRESS ISN'T A COMPETITION

PERSPECTIVES

As expectations for teenagers get more and more overwhelming, so does the amount that we talk about being overwhelmed. Story by Rachel Robinson | Facebook Editor It was May of freshman year, a week before finals. All of STA was buzzing with the anticipation of summer, nostalgia about the year ending, and above all else, stress. It was impossible to walk ten feet without overhearing someone tell their friends about how nervous they were and how they were totally going to fail the Geometry final, followed by a chorus of “same.” I heard it so often, I began to wonder if everyone who said it actually meant it, or if they were just saying they were stressed because everyone else was stressed. I, for one, wasn’t really that nervous. Just writing that makes me feel like a snob, so saying it out loud to my friends was out of the question. I found myself agreeing when other people talked about how stressed they were just to avoid seeming like I was bragging. Why risk looking arrogant when I could just say “me too” and move on? In many American high schools, it’s an unwritten rule that if you have free time during the week, you’re not trying hard enough. According to the Chicago Tribune, this idea was started and perpetuated by colleges and parents, but students deserve a lot of the credit for blowing it out of proportion. According to an article published in Psychology Today, the main reason for this is that we enter high school with high expectations to meet, only to realize that everyone else has the same expectations. This leads to taking the hardest and most advanced classes possible in order to be the best. A study conducted by the college board shows that only 30% of college students that didn’t take AP classes graduate so the

threat of not being prepared is very real. But as essential as these classes are for preparing for college, they’re also very high stress and if everyone who succeeds is taking them, being stressed starts to be synonymous with being successful. Bragging becomes a way to prove that you’re doing enough. I’ve done it, and so has nearly everyone I know, but it’s time we as a generation stop treating stress like something to be proud of. One of the things that bothers me

It becomes a sort of toxic debate, arguing about whose life is the most terrible. the most about “stress bragging” is the feeling that you have to earn the right to be anxious about school. If you’re not taking four advanced classes, playing a sport, working, and participating in three extracurriculars, why say anything at all? Someone in the room has it worse than you and they’ll probably tell you as much, so you may as well just keep quiet. Just earlier this year, I would walk between my classes complaining about how I’m taking eight classes and I only have three frees a week, not even realizing how annoying I must sound until I saw other people doing it. In this school, the immediate response we have to someone telling us about their bad day is to start talking about how

bad our own day was. It becomes a sort of toxic debate, arguing about whose life is the most terrible. The irony is, it’s almost universally frustrating to kids and teenagers is when adults write off their feelings as “teenage drama,” but we do it to each other all the time. According to The Atlantic, normalizing extreme stress can also make people feel like they should be overwhelmed by school and if they’re not, there’s something wrong. A study conducted by New York University shows that 49% of high school students experience extreme stress. However, a large portion of the stress experienced by college prep school students comes from their school culture, not directly from it’s academics. In other words, sometimes we’re only anxious because everyone is telling us that we should be anxious. The fact that having a positive attitude about schoolwork is now seen as strange says a lot about the academic culture we’re living in. The truth is that the normalization of being overwhelmed started out as a coping mechanism to deal with the pressures of school. According to a college counseling site called Ivywise, college admission rates are lower than they’ve ever been, dropping to 4.65% for certain schools in 2017 and information gathered by CNBC shows that the price of a higher education is rising faster than the rate of inflation. But how can we talk about being stuck in an overwhelming system when we’re contributing to the system ourselves? The existence of stress culture isn’t our fault, but it’s our job to stop it from taking over our lives and make being stress-free cool again.

page design by Gabby Staker

PERSPECTIVES

THE HIV CRISIS IS NOT YET IN OUR PAST While we generally think that the HIV/AIDS Crisis was left in the 20th Century, the disease is still affecting over a million today.

Story by Julia Kerrigan | Editor-in-chief

n June of 1971, the AIDS crisis began in the United States. Over the course of the next few decades, 700,000 people, according to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, became infected with HIV which eventually developed AIDS, the sets of illnesses and symptoms that develop once the immune system has been irreparably damaged by HIV. Once HIV treatments were introduced in 1996, the issue was pushed into the shadows. As a nation, we often wish to push events further into our historical past. We’re more comfortable with the black and white photos of wars and protests than the jarring color photos of our more recent past. The more distance we can put between a tragic event and ourselves, the better. But what do we do when the events aren’t as distant as we’ve led ourselves to believe? This is the case of the AIDS crisis. Its death toll peaked over two decades ago, in 1995, but the reality of the situation is that the AIDS epidemic is ongoing for those who cannot afford HIV treatment. Now, there are 1.1 million people living with HIV in the U.S., according to a Greater Than Aids press release. Treatments such as Antiretroviral (ARV) therapy, which relies on customized daily dosages based on the patient’s viral load,

September 14, 2018

have greatly reduced the risk of the disease developing into AIDS. However, they can cost between $11,045-$22,626 a year per patient, according to a 2006 Johns Hopkins study. Unfortunately, HIV is often considered a pre-existing condition and is not eligible for coverage under certain health care. Today, 1 million people in the U.S. live with HIV. A disproportionate amount of these people are racial and ethnic minorities. according to a Greater Than Aids study, while black men make up 12 percent of the U.S. population, they comprise 45 percent of those diagnosed with HIV. Lack of awareness and education leads people, specifically young men, to live with HIV unnoticed until it develops into AIDS. An estimated 14 percent of people living with HIV are unaware that they are carrying the disease. This lack of awareness also leads to dwindling amounts of donations to HIV/AIDS relief funds, which are vital to those who cannot afford life-saving treatment. Young adults are generations removed from what the public considers to be the AIDS epidemic. Of those surveyed in the Greater Than Aids study, 64 percent have never known anyone who lived with or died of HIV. The survey also makes clear a

severe misunderstanding of how the disease is transmitted. The study shows some people ages 1830 thought the disease could be transmitted through a toilet seat, dishes, spitting and kissing. This mindset stigmatizes the disease and makes it more of an irrational fear than a health issue. Today, we sparingly remember those who died of AIDS in the form of memorials and, in one case, a memorial quilt. We are too hasty to push the epidemic into the past, rather than continue education about how it is transmitted and can be prevented, especially within the at-risk age group of 18-30 year olds. While the current high school generation did not live through what is known as the AIDS crisis and might not know anyone who was personally affected, it is our responsibility to continually bring awareness to this disease. In our community, there are opportunities to be involved with this issue such as the AIDS Walk April 28, which raises money for housing and treatment for those living with HIV and AIDS. In order to best honor the lives of those in America who have already died of AIDS, and to assist those who are still living with HIV, we need to bring awareness to the lingering issue by starting conversations and educating the public about the impact of HIV.

⭑

CORNROWS AREN'T FOR EVERYONE In a world where racism doesn’t exist, everyone could take part in every aspect of each other’s cultures without repercussions. Unfortunately, this is not the world we live in.

hen I was in eighth grade, I wore cornrows for the first time to school. My godsister did them on Friday, and I spent the weekend at drill team practice, surrounded by dozens of black girls, most with hair similar to mine, braided tight against their heads in intricate patterns. I paid no mind to my hairstyle, and was not prepared for the week to come. I was the only black girl in the grade, and my hair styles were often met with curiosity, and at times mockery. However, the derision I faced upon showing up in “straightbacks” (where the braids, as the name implies, go straight from the front to the back of your head), was something strange and terrible. The first day, it was questions, and staring in bewilderment at my scalp. By the second day, the nickname “Travis” was born, after rapper Travis Scott. His hairstyle was completely different than mine, but we’re both black and wore braids. From winter to graduation, “Travis” was my name. A few weeks later, another boy in my grade returned from vacation with cornrows in his head. At the time, this bewildered me, as I did not understand that racism didn’t have to be violent. I had never heard the term “cultural appropriation”, and I doubt many of my classmates had

Story by Faith Andrews-O'Neal | Opinion Editor either. After, however, the term seemed to appear all around me. The older I get, the more I see the beauty and the impact of black culture on the world around it. Our fashion, lingual nuances, and music are prevalent around the world. My purpose is not to discourage cultural diffusion, which can be a beautiful and powerful thing. However,people seem to confuse appreciation and appropriation. Cornrows are a symbol of my blackness. It is a display of my culture that I can wear and feel beautiful in. When people throw cornrows in “just for fun”, it belittles its cultural significance, and the struggle black women continually go through just for their own hair. Even in 2018, black girls across the country are being suspended from school for wearing the same styles that non-black people can just wear for amusement. Last month, in Terrytown, La., a little black girl named Faith was sent home crying for wearing a braided hairstyle, and the humiliation I saw on her face resonated with the Faith in eighth grade, who went to the bathroom to cry after hearing the boys in gym class conspiring to “get Travis in the face” with a dodgeball. We are inundated with articles praising Kim Kardashian for singlehandedly creating the “BoxerBraids” trend, while being insulted and marginalized for wearing those same hairstyles we created.

Over my time at STA, I’ve seen many girls throw cornrows in their hair for games or Halloween costumes. When I have the energy to question why they did so, I mostly receive non-committal mumbles of “I don’t know”, or “It’s just fun”. One time, however, when I asked a girl why her team chose to wear them for games, I was told “It looks more intimidating.” That’s the problem. The correlation between blackness and fear or negativity is one long-rooted in this country’s history. While hair is not as terrifying as police brutality or the broken justice system, it is still a result of racial strife America has still not fully reckoned with. If you wear cornrows because you think you’re going to scare your opponents, you are subconsciously associating blackness with fear. When you dress up as inmates, and wear the same straightbacks that caused people to harass me, you are associating my blackness with an oppressive, notoriously racist prison system. And I truly don’t think most people do this with deliberate intent to be insensitive. I think it stems from not thinking about it at all. And in America as it is today, that isn’t an option. In a world where racism doesn’t exist, everyone could take part in every aspect of each other’s cultures without repercussions.

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SPORTS

GOPPERT RENOVATION: OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW Last year, the Goppert building went through an extensive renovation. Students can now enjoy new locker rooms, a learning center, and weightroom. Story by Claudia Benge Sports Editor Photos by Maggie Hart Photographer When you walk through Goppert’s new doors, one can immediately sense STA’s history of athletic tradition. The first set of walls are adorned with pictures featuring notable athletes. Students can spot photos containing team pictures from the 1950’s to the easily recognizable faces of recent alumnae. When students continue to walk through Goppert, and see state championship trophies dating back to 1986, it serves a reminder of the athletic history at STA.

September 14, 2018

Sophomore Mara Kugler, left, and junior Trang Nguyen eat a snack before their cross country practice Aug. 30. The team meets in the weight room for a prepractice meeting.

With Fall sports in full swing, athletes are enjoying the benefits of the new renovations. “STA now has one of the best [athletic] facilities in the region, athletic director Tyler Abney, said.” The gym’s weight room has come a long way since Abney’s first year working at STA. The room used to be what is now the gym’s storage room. Before, the room consisted of a square weightlifting bench, along with a couple of treadmills and exercise bikes. The weight room now consists of a variety of workout machines, including multiple bench presses and a rowing machine. Students and athletes alike, have been given the opportunity to use the weight room during their frees and activity period. In order to properly handle and care for the workout equipment, those students had go through a certification process regarding safety. Junior and cross country runner

Annabel Valenti said, “I hope to use the workout room during my frees. The goal is to use the equipment to my advantage. I think my progress will show up in my cross country races and the upcoming track season.” Abney said, “State championships are always the goal, right? Whether that happens because of the new facilities who knows. It will definitely aid in getting you guys get there. But at the end of the day if you are not utilizing it, it’s a lost call.” Along with the renovations, came a new set of rules. An email from administration was sent to coaches and athletes at the beginning of the Fall sports season. It clearly stated the rules regarding the procedure for entering and exiting Goppert. “We [staff] will be strictly enforcing the entry/exit system for Goppert. Please let your studentathletes know, if they do not follow

the directions below they will receive SBRs. Inside sport athletes (volleyball) will enter and exit Goppert through the main doors in the quad. Outside sport athletes (xc, golf, softball, tennis) will only enter and exit Goppert through the back door of the outside locker room. If anyone (outside sports) needs to see Lisa, they must exit the building and walk around to her glass doors. Inside athletes will walk through the gym to the main door.” In previous years, various sports were given designated areas around the school’s campus to meet and change for practice. Last year cross country met in the cafeteria. Those athletes would change in the open cafeteria, then use M&A’s restrooms before heading out to run. “We have waited so long and finally there's a place for us to

change and use the restroom. But, there are only four stalls for 50 plus girls, when ten steps away there are six more,” said senior and cross-country runner, Cece Curran. The new policies also raise safety concerns. To avoid being locked out, athletes have begun to prop doors open. There is no keypad to the entry and exit point for outside athletes and the door will automatically lock. While athletes are changing and getting ready for practice, the door to the locker room can often be found propped open with various objects. Abney explains the new rules to the fact that STA is trying to “keep the longevity of the gym floor.” At any time after school, the gym can contain 150 athletes. “[The policy],” not only “aids in preserving the gym floor, it helps with the congestion of athletes entering

and exiting the building,” Abney said. “It doesn't make sense that we can't walk ten steps to get to the water fountain or to change because there's so many of us, and four stalls is not a sufficient amount of space. I understand that everyone needs their space, and no one wants to be interrupted but that includes us. The gym should also be our area that we are allowed to walk through as long as we're not being disruptive,” Cece said. Many athletes are wondering when the rules will be revised. Abney says, “We [administration] are giving it [the rules] a try. We [administration] have some things in the works, while talking to coaches to see what the best plan is for everyone.”

COMMUNITY

Thelma’s Kitchen provides an Inclusive Environment for the Community to volunteer for half an hour in Kansas City’s first “pay-whatyou-can” kitchen offers service exchange for a meal or donate whatever they can. to people from all backgrounds. Pamela Infranca, the Chef

Story by Kendall Lanier Lifestyles Editor Photos by McKenzie Heffron Writer

s you walk into Thelma’s Kitchen you instantly feel the sense of a warm, welcoming community as you are greeted by a volunteer. When you walk toward the back to order a meal, the volunteers’ and workers’ faces are grinning from ear to ear, showing they enjoy what they are doing, despite the chaos of the lunchtime rush. Kansas City’s first “pay-what-you-can” restaurant sits just off of Troost, on E. 31st St. and opened in the beginning of July. Customers have the option

September 14th 2018

and Food Programs Manager assisted with the set up of Thelma’s Kitchen. She has been working in the restaurant business for 15 years and has a passion for cooking. “[People paying the recommended amount] is getting a lot better,” Infranca said. “It has been a process of educating people that they should pay at least a small amount.” Thelma’s has the ability to be a “pay-what-you-can” kitchen because of two large grants they received. “We need people with means, just as much as people without,” Infranca said. In the past, Reconciliation

Services, a charity next door, served free dinner on Fridays where Thelma’s is now. Ms. Thelma and her husband opened Reconciliation 30 years ago. A volunteer greeter Donald, who only shared his first name, has worked in the non-profit business for many years. “It’s different than a homeless kitchen, where you would get a free meal that is the same thing everyday,” Donald said. “Here, you get to have a choice of what you want to eat.” Donald’s main job is to make sure business runs smoothly and there is no commotion. “I try to make it safe for everyone,” Donald said. “There’s no sense in coming here if you are unhappy and uncomfortable.” Donald spends a large amount of time at Thelma’s kitchen

faces.” According to Donald, the volunteers and workers at Thelma’s kitchen are a large part of what makes Thelma’s feel so inclusive. “It’s all about showing your appreciation for other people,” Donald said. “God put me here to do something good. This is my mission.” Frequent volunteer, 23-year-old Jeremiah Daniels usually works to keep the place clean. Although it is located in the city, he believes it is important to keep it presentable. "The food is nutritious and is always cooked to perfection," Daniels said. "It is open to everyone, rich or The window shades to Thelma’s Kitchen are opened Sept. 6 Thelma’s is located at Troost Ave. on E. 31st St. Photo by Mckenzie Heffron

because of his desire to help others. “I’ve always been a people person,” Donald said. “It’s all about seeing the smile on peoples

“It’s about bringing the community together. It gives them a chance to see that people who are doing bad, are not bad people” Donald Said

from all over Kansas City from all different backgrounds according to Daniels. “It’s about bringing the community together. It gives them a chance to see that people who are doing bad, are not bad people. Some of the smartest and nicest people I know are homeless” Donald said. The intricate art on the walls of Thelma’s Kitchen creates a unique culture. A painting of Ms. Thelma and a painting of two shaking hands, one black and one white, were moved from outside of the building to the inside to bring the kitchen to life. “[The artwork] really just represents Troost. It shows the desire to bring everyone together no matter who you are, which is what Thelma’s Kitchen is all about,” Infranca said. Daniels never sees the “paywhat-you-can”aspect of the kitchen going away. “It doesn’t cost anything but to be a decent person” Daniels said.

poor, which is part of what makes it so great.” Thelma’s has hosted people Chef Patty chops up tomato for what she calls “lasagna-ish”Sept. 6. photo by Mckenzie Heffron

Designed page design by Tess by Tess Jones Jones

LAST LOOK

INTRODUCING THE NEWEST TEACHERS OF STA This year STA has added a variety of new teachers to the community, and each one of them has a story to tell.

Story and Photos by Claire Smith | Page Designer Belinda Toma is a new mathematics teacher born and raised in Kansas City. She moved to New Jersey 22 years ago, but looked for an opportunity to return. “I knew STA from growing up here, so it’s just one of the places I applied,” Toma said. She has a degree in business and economics, which she uses to show students how math is applied to the real world. “I just felt like it would be really important to go back and teach in the classroom and give practical examples of math,” Toma said. Toma loves the community involvement and sisterhood of STA so far.

Riley Cowing is an STA alumna who is excited to be back at STA. She teaches journalism, and is the Dart and Teresian staff’s advisor. “I took journalism as my freshman year elective as a student, and I was on the yearbook staff three years after that,” Cowing said. She says that her studies here were foundational for when she studied journalism in college. She is happy to return as a teacher rather than a student. “I think it’s fun to watch my students projects and products. It’s really interesting to be facilitating and not creating,” Cowing said. She claims she’s missed the bright, brilliant enthusiasm of the STA community.

Sarina Farb teaches chemistry and loves science and research. She cannot wait to apply them to her classroom. She was inspired by her teachers in high school to become the best teacher she could be. “Especially when I had good professors in college, and beyond, I saw how much fun it could be and how cool it could be,” Farb said. She is from the Kansas City area, and is really passionate about social justice and sustainability. “I really liked that STA has those values and encourages the teachers to incorporate that into what they do,” Farb said. This is her first time having a full time classroom, so she’s excited to get to know the students.

Jarrod Roark teaches American literature, AP Language and Composition. He loves to research, write and share ideas with innovative thinkers. He says a couple of things brought him to STA. “STA, being a religious all girls environment, was a really good option. It's a good school, it felt like a good change and good challenge,” Roark said. He also cares a lot about his family, which is another reason why he chose to teach here. “My daughter goes to St. Paul’s, I’m here, my home is fairly close, so it’s kind of nice to have our whole family unit a little closer,” Roark said. He is still new to the STA community, starting classes late due to paternity leave.

September 14, 2018

Kate Macan has a passion for theology and felt like she could really apply herself at STA. “I think it’s important to help form and shape future leaders, so this opportunity opened up and it felt like it would be a good place to apply to,” Macan said. She believes that the women of STA are important components for shaping our society. “Our world needs better developed moral compasses, and I think that’s one of the primary goals here,” Macan said. She has mostly worked with undergraduate students in the past, so high schoolers are a new area for her. “But I’m definitely looking forward to watching folks as they grow over the course of the semester and over the year,” Macan said. Joseph Hollo always had an interest in religion and theology, and attended Rockhurst University to pursue that. “If I was going to go to college, then I wanted to study something I liked and enjoyed, which was theology,” Hollo said. In high school, he was known as a natural leader. “I would always be the one people would go to for help, so I just felt like I wanted to teach theology. So I went through school enough to find a job here,” Hollo said. He really enjoys the community here and says that everyone here is helpful. “I can go to anybody and say ‘Hey I need help with setting something up’ and they’re always there for me." Ever since Alexandria Warner was 7 years old, she knew she wanted to be a teacher. “I loved reading and writing, and I would teach my dolls everyday and that eventually became my passion in high school,” Warner said. In high school, Warner fell in love with English and wanted to continue reading and writing through college. “I had a teacher that I loved, and she taught me that words are powerful and I could use them to impact my life and others." Warner recently moved to Missouri, and believes in the school’s ideals. “I really appreciate the values that STA tries to instill in the girls here, and I think empowerment for girls is really important, so I wanted to be a part of a community like this,” Warner said. Kelly Finn is a STA alumna and is extremely passionate about reading and talking about literature. “I’m very connected with teaching the writing process and inspiring students to be excited about writing,” Finn said. She personally reads and writes passionately as well. “I usually have about 10 books on this side of my desk about a variety of subjects." Finn is excited to be returning to STA, and feels blessed to be back in this environment. “I truly believe that STA made me, not only the woman I am but the human being I am and [it] was one of the primary influences on my life,” Finn said. She wants to bring her students the same experience she had as a student here. Jamie Banister taught at a variety of colleges, including Rockhurst University. She would teach mostly scripture courses but world religion as well. She was inspired to teach religious studies by a priest she had in high school. “He was very intellectual and showed me the depth of what one can do with religious studies,” Banister said. She appreciated STA’s mission, so applied for the job. This is her first time teaching full time, so she has been getting used to making that transition. “Having four classes a week of each class, then having multiple sections to juggle, has taken a bit of getting used to" Banister said. Libby Bai is the new Mandarin teacher who came from China. She taught high school Chinese and children's English in China. When Bai teaches, she loves to empower and enlighten her students. “I think teaching makes us feel satisfied and makes us feel useful. So I think if you teach somebody, you can let others know what you know, and that makes me feel useful,” Bai said. She was excited to come to an all girls school. “Since STA is all girls I thought I would be happy. You know, sometimes boys can be naughty,” Bai said. She is really excited to get to know all of her students and begin teaching in the U.S. designed by Lily Hart

PHOTO STORY

TODAY AT STA Photos by Madeline Loehr | Photo Editor

Chalk is moved to the side while students work on their chalk art during Frosh Fest. The chalk drawing contest is an essential part of the freshman and advisory bonding experience.

Senior Harper Dzeidic laughs at a joke told by one of her friends while waiting for her AP Psychology class to begin.

Senior Grace Boers eats a sandwich provided by Bistro Kids. Bistro is the provider of STA's school lunches.

Girls swarm into the Music and Arts Building to check into their advisories and begin the school day.

Senior Lucy Whittaker prepares to grab her backpack and go into school for the day.

A student scans her fingerprint to purchase her lunch at Bistro Kids.

September 14, 2018

ON THE

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Brianna Walker Diversity Coordinator

#StopSucking is just a start

Story by Carmon Baker

Gallery:Club Fair

Column by Lily Hart

Stargazer: Liv Desantis

Photos by Mary Massman

Video by Katie Gregory

Podcast by Annabelle Meloy

DartTube: Senior Advice to Freshman

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