Volume 80 Issue 2 by DartNewsOnline

DART THE

ST. TERESAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ACADEMY KANSAS CITY MO VOULME 80 ISSUE 2

YOUTH IN With the upcoming presidential election, students are becoming increasingly involved in politics. Although many of them cannot vote, the election is still shaped by youth opinion. pg 16

OCTOBER 23, 2020

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

DEAR READER,

he peak of fall brings many good things, such as pumpkin spice lattes or haunted houses. But most importantly, this fall brings the 2020 Presidential election; an election that has already seen more voter participation than any other. As we are the rising generation into the political atmosphere, we have an obligation to be involved and advocate for what we believe in. Sydney Waldron and Carmon Baker honed in on STA student involvement in the 2020 election for this cycle’s cover story, which can be found on page 16. In the realm of student advocacy, Josie Fox talked to Bailey Bright and Riyan Jones about their experiences in the Black Student Coalition and hosting the March on Windmoor. With the COVID-19 pandemic closing many traditional movie

theaters, drive-in theaters grew in popularity this summer as a way to watch movies together socially distanced. Sydney Allen wrote about these theaters and talked to some of the STA students that frequent them in this issue’s A&E story on page 9. Halloween is just around the corner, and you can find the best places to seek a scare in Katie Massman’s last look at different haunted houses around the city. Ali Madden covered another aspect of Halloween in the Stargazer podcast, where she discussed what cultural appropriation around Halloween costumes looks like. Finally, for a more silly spook, check out Clare Smith and Ali Madden’s ghost hunting vlog, where the haunted mystery of 4th floor M&A is finally solved. Experience all the wonderful tricks and treats Halloween has to offer with all this great coverage!

Fall not only brings Halloween, but new fashions and seasonal drinks. See how other STA girls are dressing this fall season in Josie Fox’s fall fashion gallery on DartNewsOnline. Many of these modern fashions come from the rise of thrift shopping, which Ellie Buttell covers on page 12—is thrift shopping more than just a fashion statement? Sophia Rall ventured out into Kansas City to try all the seasonal drinks autumn brings and reviewed which ones you should try. Mara Callahan talked to some of these shops about how COVID-19 has affected them and how they’ve adapted to the pandemic. This year acts as one of the most important election years in history, with issues of civil rights, healthcare and climate change on the ballot.

In a time that seems so polarizing, it is important to foster healthy conversations among all sides about who we want to be in charge of the country we all share. With that, if you’re eligible, please register and vote in this election. Early voting has already started, and Nov. 3 is the last day the polls are open. Love,

TABLE OF CONTENTS

04 06 08 09 10 12 14 16

The Streetcar Extension Star Spotlight: Bailey Bright and Riyan Jones

Bits & Pieces

Drive In Theaters The Best Fall Coffees Thrift Shopping: The Pros and Cons Colleges and standardized testing Student involvement in the 2020 election

12 Gen Z will not save the world The words social and media shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be integrated Me and my cats spiritual connection Volleyball traditions; What makes the STA volleyball team special Developing Coffee Shop culture during the pandemic

Scaring Safely: Haunted Houses in Kansas City Photo Essay: Exploring River Market

21 22 23 24 26 28 30

4 NEWS FEATURE

OCTOBER 23, 2020

Streetcar set to expand south to UMKC, along Riverfront area

Kansas City’s streetcar will add an eight mile extension set to start construction in 2022 and be ready to open by 2025. Story by Rachel Robinson | Editor-in-Chief

he original Kansas City Streetcar line first opened May 6, 2016, running primarily along Main St. on a two-mile track. It has been a staple of city life ever since, shuttling residents and tourists from Union Station all the way to the River Market. By 2025, the streetcar will have two more fully functional extensions running along the Riverfront area and south on Main St. to University of Missouri Kansas City. The Main St. extension plan was approved in May and the Riverfront plan just received approval for federal funding Sept. 11. The Riverfront extension will be relatively small, only 0.55 miles. Comparatively, the Main St. extension will expand the streetcar’s reach by quite a bit, adding 3.6 miles to the current 2 mile route. Both extensions plan to start construction in early 2022, at the latest, with the Riverfront extension opening in 2024 and the Main St. extension fully operating in 2025. Senior Molly Hirner thinks that the streetcar’s Main St. extension will be a good addition to the community and will help make the city more accessible. “I think like in Kansas City, we have a really bad public transportation system,” Hirner said. “And it’s kind of like — it’s basically impossible to live around here without a car. I think it’d be a lot easier — especially for college students who don’t

A streetcar stopped at Union station at sunset Sept 26. The highest percentage of passengers that board the streetcar is from the Union Station stop. photo by Caroline Hinkebein

have cars — for it to be right by like UMKC trying to move through it, they drive.” and kind of by Rockhurst. I also think it However, McLane does recognize that would just be better for the community, UMKC students would use an extension in and like tourism and it would help the city the South Plaza area and thinks that is a expand.” good end point for the new track. Hirner lives in Brookside, and she would “I feel like that would probably be a good use the streetcar if it had a route near her spot to go just because, including UMKC, because of the environmental harm and I know a lot of college students that live safety risks posed by driving are eliminated around the campus and I feel like they by public transportation systems like the might use it more than the people that streetcar. live, like, around the shops in Brookside,” “I think there’s just a lot to it like McLane said. “Just because I know those are environmental [benefits] obviously because more like families and they have cars, and cars are really bad for the environment and younger kids will just walk. I feel like if they also, I feel like it’s a lot safer,” Hirner said. go farther [north] like that it might be better “Cars and car accidents scare me. That’s why than if they were to just do like the main I feel like if I had public transportation and Brookside area. it was easier and more accessible to me, I’d John Martellaro is the director of strategic use it a lot more because I just would feel communications at the University of safer.” Missouri-Kansas City and he believes that Junior Hattie McLane does not think that the streetcar extension will be beneficial to Brookside is a good location for a streetcar the community in many ways. extension because of how crowded the “It will provide another convenient area already is with motor vehicles and means for our students, faculty and staff pedestrians. to come and go to campus, and take “I feel like it would just overcrowd more advantage of opportunities for living, without actually being used so it would take shopping, dining and entertainment up space,” McLane said. “It would just add across the city,” Martellaro said. “It will also another mode of transportation, besides enhance the opportunities for members the bus that already runs through there, and of the community to come to UMKC for the tons of cars and people that are already programming in areas such as performing there. And I don’t think it would get enough arts, entrepreneurship support, athletics, use based on how small of a little area it is. cultural programs and so much more.” B I feel like people mainly walk and if they’re

NATIONAL NEWS

NATIONAL NEWS UPDATES Compiled by Kyra Fieger | Social Media Editor

Washington

There have been recent reports of a hive of Giant Killer Hornets amongst the honeybees, causing concerns due to their negative impact on Washington’s wildberry produce.

California

Thousands of firefighters have been risking their lives this year fighting the Northern California wildfires, and officials say that conditions are predicted to get worse due to predicted zero rainfall.

Missouri

With recent adaptations, the famous Kansas City Ballet will continue to show the Nutcracker during the winter season.

Texas

Due to Hurricane Laura’s powerful winds, the Neches River’s flow in Texas into the Gulf of Mexico has been reversed.

Maine

As of Monday, Oct. 19 a total of 25 new COVID-19 cases have been reported due to outbreaks during church services.

Florida

Carnival Cruise Line had a great save last week when rescuing 24 people from a sinking ship off the coast of Palm Springs.

6 STAR SPOTLIGHT

OCTOBER 23, 2020

RIYAN JONES Senior Bailey Bright has been in the Black Student Coalition since her freshman year, was vice president her junior year and is now the president. Sophomore Riyan Jones has also been in BSC since her freshman year and is currently vice president. Story and photos by Josie Fox | Opinion Editor

BAILEY BRIGHT

Why did you join BSC? What impact has it had on you? Bailey: I joined BSC because coming from a school like Raytown Middle — which is very diverse — and then coming to a school like St. Teresa’s the transition was a little different because not that many people look like me. [T]he girl that actually created it, her name was Raiyon, and she was in my advisory and when she told me she was creating it I was like “Wow, that’s really cool” so I decided to join. And it was a really good experience because it’s an area where you can just feel at home. And it’s made me show my personality more at STA. Riyan: I joined BSC because it gave me a chance to meet other girls who looked like me and be able to have a safe space to talk

about different situations around campus. What inspired you to plan the March on Windmoor? Bailey: What inspired us was really, we know we have girls there that are allies and want to get involved. So, we thought it would be a really good idea for the STA community to join together. Riyan: Another reason why I think it was important that we did have the march [on Windmoor] was because a lot of the events over the summer kind of sparked a little bit of something, in I believe everybody. The March on Windmoor kind of gave everybody a chance to kind of fellowship in and discuss what was going on.

By planning the March, what was the most important thing you wanted to communicate to your peers? Bailey: For me — it was in my speech — was wanting to communicate being silent is not an option anymore. Because this summer I struggled a lot with seeing my friends or just people I talk to at school and I noticed that they were being quiet. They have this thing where it’s like “If I don’t say anything then there is no way I can be wrong.” So in my speech I wanted it to be known that being silent just isn’t an option anymore. Riyan: For me, I think a big part of what I was trying to get people to realize is that it’s okay to have feelings and it’s okay to express those feelings, but at the same time we need to be able to do something about certain situations and not — like Bailey said — be silent. What did you feel as you were either giving your speech or marching on the quad? What was the lasting impact of the March on you personally? Bailey: When I was marching in the quad I just felt so empowered, and I just felt proud to be at STA. Because I looked around and it wasn’t just people of color there, there were a lot of white people there, and that’s what made me the most proud of STA. It was like for once I felt like “Wow, this is home.” They are recognizing, they are seeing the issues that are happening and they are taking advantage of it. And one thing that I thought was just interesting — when Ms. Bri [Ms. Walker] told me that she wanted me to say a speech — I was never nervous because this is something that I’ve always felt so strongly about. And so when I was saying my speech and I just felt so at home because I knew that the people there were going to understand. The lasting impact is that I know that there are good white people out there, that they understand and that they know that what’s going on is wrong. Riyan: I was happy to see that everyone was able to come together considering what the situation was and we were able to kind

of like be there to support one another and be there to hear each other and listen. And that’s something that sometimes that people don’t do a lot, is just listen. I believe that the March on Windmoor gave everyone that opportunity. Outside of BSC, how are you or have you been active in the BLM movement? Bailey: Through the Black Lives Matter movement, I’ve always been open to conversations about it. Like my dad, he’s active in the community and so I’ve always been around the community and even when I was younger we’d go to “Hands Up Don’t Shoot” protests where its to support gun control. Riyan: A big part of the BLM movement is also recognizing that voting is important. So I got involved with this program called Freedom Incorporated and basically what that is is we go out and we let people know about different people of color who are running for office, whether that’s local government or national government. As well as going to different protests and kind of using my voice to express how I feel. In what ways could schools or institutions like STA be more supportive of their students of color? Bailey: I think it starts by beginning to have the conversations, in class, not just the same old same old, “Oh there was slavery, then there was civil rights, now everything is fine.” Cause it’s definitely not true and also when racist incidents come up you need to take accountability for it and say that it’s wrong and not just brush it off. So, I think that having the conversations and literally being zero tolerance. Riyan: A lot of times it’s important that schools don’t sugar coat the situations that happen. Because I think a lot of times we tend to — kind of what Bailey said — brush them off and kind of deem them as unimportant, but I feel like we don’t get the true meaning out of everything all the time. So, having those hard conversations even though they may not make everyone feel comfortable, they can really help us make

a difference in not only the school system, but in the country itself. Why is youth activism so important, especially with movements like BLM? Bailey: Youth activism is important because it’s our future. Our parents and grandparents, they’ve done their part. They’ve been to the protests, they’ve lived through most of their life. It’s important for us to be active because we’re now fighting for our future. Riyan: Kind of going off of that as well, our great-grandparents and grandparents, had made a way for us and so we are making a way for our children and their children to make ultimately — and I know this sounds corny — but making the world a better place. How do you think this type of activism can be continued at STA? What are some of your goals for the future of BSC and it continuing to be politically active? Bailey: My goal for BSC is to let everyone know that we’re here and we’re gonna stay here. And that just to also be a safe place for African American girls there and just another outlet to let people be joined as one so we can have more opportunities like the March on Windmoor, to where it’s not only people of color, but everyone at STA joining in. Riyan: I think it’s important that we don’t make it just a phase, like something we move on from so fast, to kind of sit on it a little bit and recognize that there is an issue and that us as students, we need to have those conversations with each other to kind of find common ground. B

8 BITS & PIECES

OCTOBER 23, 2020

What are you most excited for this fall? Designed by Lauren Brackney | Twitter editor

Fall Fashion

29%

Presidential election

21%

Halloween

33%

Fall food & Drinks

17%

*out of 24 votes

My life rocks Libby Lueck, junior “One good thing that’s happened to me recently is that I’m finally able to play soccer competitively again after three knee surgeries and being out of sports for nearly three years.”

My life sucks Anna Glynn, junior “One bad thing that happened to me recently is that my mom decided to make my family try oysters for the first time, but after we ate them we all got really sick. My mom was really offended… but then she realized they were expired.”

Boost of Drive-Ins,

A&E

The Twin Drive-In Theater sign lights up Sept. 26. The sign tells moviegoers of the films it will show each night. photo by Lucy Doerflinger

Downfall of Theaters A gaze into how drive-ins have been gaining more attention for their entertainment and safety. Along with the decline in the want for attending movie theaters.

Story by Sydney Allen | Photo Editor

nly seven months ago, hundreds of people would assemble into a tiny movie theater. No one leaving space for their neighbors, all close together as if the movie theatergoers were a tiny family. Now, blockbuster movies are tanking in the box office due to the decline in movie theater openings. But not every entertainment industry is fighting to stay alive. Drive-ins have gained more attention lately due to all the safety precautions that come with COVID-19. More people have been sitting in their cars and watch movies rather than going to a movie theater in person. Senior Ella Tomasic agrees that drive-ins are an excellent form of entertainment. “I mean, I love the drive-in and it’s perfect and it’s always been there but people have just kind of, I guess preferred the movie theater, but I think the overall atmosphere of the drive-in and kind of the community is so much fun,” Tomasic said. Movie theaters have seen a 65.7% decline in revenue due to COVID-19 according to The Hollywood Reporter. Going to the movie theater now is a risk, and not a common thought about activity anymore due to the 8.26 million COVID-19 cases in the US as of Oct. 20.

“I’m not super eager to be going back to movie theaters,” Tomasic said. “I mean, I will. But I think I’d prefer going to the drive-in over the movie theater.” Movie theaters have begun to open back up with the coming of fall and movies released to theaters once again. They have implemented changes that allow movie theatergoers to watch movies while still keeping 6 feet from others. Freshmen Sophelia Shook has visited a movie theater and said that it was a different experience being back. “It was really strange to see everyone so spread apart and signs all over the place,” Shook said. “And they were only letting people in by like, reservation. And a lot of snack bars were closed down and soda machines.” One well-known global theater company, AMC Theaters, has implemented changes to the way they run their business. They have implemented “Safe and Clean” policies which can be found on the AMC website. Part of the AMC Safe and Clean policies are required masks, updated cleaning procedures and socially distanced seating. “They definitely have a bunch of changes like social distancing, and they don’t do a lot of popcorn,” Shook said.

“It’s very limited.” Junior Bella Avery felt differently about movie theater changes. When presented with the option to go back to a movie theater, even after they sanitize and enforce all safety rules, she still was hesitant in wanting to go back. “I would actually like the drive-ins to be open, and I’d rather go there,” Avery said. All three girls have shared that they prefer to be in their own car and snacks rather than going to a theater in person. With this newfound love for drive-ins, the want for them to be open all the time is a new need considering most drive-ins only stay open for the summer. The Boulevard Drive-In, a popular Kansas City theater, opens in April and closes after Labor Day — only being open for a few short months. “I was really, kind of disappointed when the drive-in — the Boulevard Drive-In — closed for the summer,” Avery said. “And so I’m not sure where I will be going but I definitely think that they should be open year-round because it now has this new audience, and I’m sure they could probably try and stay open and they’d probably gain even more of an audience being open yearround.” According to CNBC, around 5-10% of drive-ins in the US have seen an increase in revenue due to COVID-19, which is only around 20 theaters nationwide. The decline in the interest of movie theaters may open opportunities to drive-in owners and teenagers wanting to see a movie on a weekend. “Yeah, I don’t think I will honestly, a lot of, a lot of it has to do with that they just aren’t doing a whole lot of movies in there, and I just don’t think it’s worth it,” Tomasic said. “Honestly, I’d rather spend my time and money at the drivein than another movie theater.” B

10 REVIEWS

OCTOBER 23, 2020

Cold and caffeinated: the best fall coffee drinks to try After traveling around the Kansas City metro and trying different coffees, I am here to offer my take on the best and worst fall coffees around.

Story and photos by Sophia Rall | Features Editor

just wanted to preface my review by saying that I had low expectations for all the coffees I tried. I don’t like a lot of sugar in my coffee, and my normal order is a Starbucks Coldbrew or black coffee. When I set out to try fall coffee drinks, I was expecting overly-sweet, overly-expensive coffees. However, 3 drinks later, I was pleasantly surprised. The Roasterie: Pumpkin Spice Latte My first stop was the Roasterie in Leawood. I nervously asked the barista, “Do you actually like the pumpkin spice latte?” She responded with a yes (I’m pretty sure she has to say that though). With my first sip, I was happily surprised. The pumpkin spice flavor was not overwhelming, but rather a great complement to the coffee. It also was not overly sweet. The flavor reminded me of a cold, fall morning and wearing a cozy sweater. It also woke me up effectively and actually had a lot of caffeine. Overall, I would rate it a 5 / 5 for its great fall flavor.

Messenger Coffee: Butternut Squash Latte Messenger Coffee’s fall menu featured a butternut squash latte — a “latte featuring butternut squash, caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, molasses.” I was immediately taken aback by the idea of squash and coffee. Don’t get me wrong, I like vegetables — just not in my coffee. I honestly could not taste the butternut squash or caramel in the latte, but instead I tasted a hint of cinnamon and vanilla. Its strange, grainy texture and underwhelming flavor made for a very mediocre latte. It was definitely an innovative idea to use butternut squash in a latte, but it was executed very poorly. The most disappointing part was that it did not remind me of fall in the slightest. Overall, I would rate it a 2.5 / 5 for its boring flavor and strange texture. b

Starbucks: Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew My next stop was Starbucks. I deviated from the typical pumpkin spice latte, instead trying the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew. I was pleasantly surprised by this drink. It is perfect for a fall day that is chilly in the morning but warm by afternoon — a common occurrence in Kansas City. It had a great pumpkin spice flavor but also tasted very sugary. By the bottom of the cup, I was a little overwhelmed by the sugar. The cold brew part of it effectively woke me up by first period. For all of the iced coffee lovers out there, this is a great drink since it has a distinctively fall flavor but is still a cold drink. I would rate it a 4 / 5 because it had a nice flavor but was a little too sweet for me.

The Roasterie offers a pumpkin spice latte on its fall menu Oct. 1. The coffee shop has locations in Brookside, Leawood, Lenexa and Downtown Kansas City.

Starbucks’ Fall menu offers a Pumpkin cream cold brew. the coffee features a pumpkin spice foam and starbuck’s coldbrew.

a b

b b

Messenger Coffee in Kansas City offers a butternut squash latte on its fall menu Oct. 2. Messenger is a three level coffeehouse, with seating on each floor and the roof.

REVIEW

The Social Dilemma calls for change in how we use technology

The film “The Social Dilemma” brings attention to the flaws within the design of social media apps and technology and how they should be corrected and regulated to prevent social issues from worsening.

have always heard about how robots are not to be trusted and how people have feared technology from the moment it was created. It can be seen in movies such as “The Terminator,” “Ex-Machina” and even “G-force” where they all dramatize what would happen if artificial intelligence and technology were to get so advanced that humans lost control. Even today, I’ve heard people laugh about how the smartphone will have a mind of its own and destroy humanity as we know it. But what if that joke weren’t so far away from the truth and the takeover has already started, just not in the way sci-fi movies have laid it out to be with lasers and explosions? Is it too late to save our humanity from the burdens of technology? The Netflix documentary “The Social Dilemma” was an extreme shock to me, as I never realized how deeply the design of technology was infused with human psychology and behavior. I knew that I was addicted to my phone even before watching the film. I would check every notification and would spend hours each week scrolling through social media posts. I thought that I was choosing to be on my phone, but I have since learned that this addiction was purposefully ingrained into the design. The documentary relies on interviews of several influential designers and directors for social media companies like Google, Facebook,

Story and graphic by Lauren Brackney | Twitter Editor

Pinterest and Youtube. There is also a small story line that progresses in between interviews to demonstrate how technology interferes with the average family. a a a a b

I liked the storyline of a young daughter, Isla, because I could relate with her the most. Isla is a young teenage girl who grew up with technology and a smartphone, just like I did. She grows self conscious of her appearance and worth because she is constantly comparing herself to her peers, using filters, and receiving

negative comments about her appearance. During one part, she uploads a photo of her face with a filter on it to a platform similar to Instagram, and many of her friends tell her how beautiful she is but one girl says that her ears are too big. That night Isla cries when she looks in the mirror and tries to cover up her ears. When I first watched this scene, I wanted to be upset with Isla’s parents for not monitoring her screen activity. After watching the remainder of the film, I have realized that I can’t be upset with her parents because they are being manipulated by the same technology as their daughter. They tried to restrict how much time their children spent on their phones by putting it in a lock box and immediately, all of the family members were stressing about getting back onto their screens. This demonstrated how addictive technology is and I realized that even for technology’s most conscious users, it can be difficult to cut it out of your daily routine. In the past, I’ve tried to cut down on my screen time use but I always ended up going back to using it. b

check out the entire review on Dart News Online

12 FEATURE

DATE OCTOBER 23, 2020

Trend or Necessity?

Junior Annie Niemuth looks through one of the many racks in Savers Sept. 27. There has been controversy on whether or not those who are able to afford new clothes should be able to partake in thrift shopping. Photo by Lily Sage

Story and Alternative Coverage by Ellie Buttell | Writer | Photos by Lily Sage | Opinion Editor

With the recent popularity surrounding thrift shopping, students are asked their opinions on thrift shopping becoming a trend.

hrift stores are among some of the most popular forms of shopping in America, traditionally used by families who cannot afford expensive clothing brands. Throughout the U.S., 1618% of the population shop at thrift stores regularly according to Deal News. However, in recent months, thrift shopping has become extremely popular among people who can afford to wear unused clothes from brands like Target or any other retail store. The main audience causing this spike in popularity are teenagers. The reason for thrift shopping becoming a major trend is unknown but sophomore Charlotte Malone has an idea. “Lockdown,” Malone said. “No one really had anything to do, so I think a lot of people started experimenting with what kind of clothes they had.” Most thrift stores opened up as soon as

possible after being shut down from the peak of COVID-19. Stores like Goodwill reopened as soon as possible and put social distancing measures into place. Around 85% of small stores closed down during COVID-19, according to the U.S Chamber of Commerce. Thrift stores became one of the only “department stores” left open. There are many other ideas as to why thrift shopping became so popular, such as employment rates dropping and TikTok trends circling around. Senior Grace Swanson gives her thoughts on why. “Styles from other generations, per se, and kind of wearing clothes from different times has become definitely more popular, which is cool,” Swanson said. St. Teresa’s itself has a generations day during spirit week, endorsing dressing as older generations. Thrift shops can be used to find vintage clothes because of the huge

variety of clothing available. With recent discoveries around fast fashion, the want to thrift shop has become even more popular. With the arising information surrounding the poor work environment and low pay for fast fashion workers, younger generations have attempted to stop buying from these companies. “People have been more consciously aware of supporting fast fashion,” Malone said. Fast fashion workers can make anywhere from 58-90 cents an hour. It is estimated that the fast fashion industry is partly made up of 170 million child labor workers, according to Unicef. “I think it’s more of a human rights thing and just being more socially and economically aware of where your money’s going,” Malone said.

However, with thrift shopping becoming popular there is an argument that those who truly needed the second hand clothes are being left without clothing. A popular Instagram post has been going around saying save the coats. With little graphic designs and pastel colors, the instagram post may seem lighthearted, but the content explains how the homeless are left without a warm coat for the winter. Since many families can’t afford nice coats during winter, thrift stores may be their only option. Along with coats, Swanson believes there are more clothing items that should be left for those who need it. “Kids clothes. If you can afford it, just go to Target because there’s a lot of little kids that don’t have anything to wear and that’s kind of their only source of getting it,” Swanson said. A popular trend in the media is buying children’s shirts and reselling them on popular clothing apps such as Depop or Poshmark for high prices to make a profit. Stores like Target can provide less expensive options without taking clothes away from people who utilize thrift stores as

their only option. Other STA students, like sophomore Autumn Shemitz, encourage others to leave children’s items. “I would see backpacks in thrift stores and be like, oh that’s cute, but then I’m like, there’s children who need backpacks to go to school. And where are they going to get their backpacks?” Shemitz said. With all the information surrounding fast fashion and the controversies around taking advantage of thrift stores, students like Malone are being left wondering what the most responsible approach to thrift shopping is. “I’ve seen a lot of stuff, both for it and not for it and so that’s why I spent a lot of time going back and forth on whether it’s something I should really be doing,” Malone said about the decision to thrift shop. That’s the question that many teenagers find themselves contemplating—is thrift shopping ok if you have the option to buy nicer clothes? There are many advantages of thrift shopping including its lesser environmental impact. A single cotton tee shirt, on average, takes 2,700 liters of water to produce,

according to the World Wildlife Fund. By wearing used clothes, consumers are saving gallons of water by not purchasing a new shirt. Many synthetic materials are made of plastic. Resulting in plastic arriving in landfills due to fast fashion. “The thing with fast fashion is that it’s produced quickly and cheaply and then sold cheaply,” Shemitz said. In order to attract young people, fast fashion companies such as Romwe and Shein, sell their items at a low price. Fast fashion is trendy clothes made with cheap material, designed to use once or twice. Even with the issue of fast fashion, Shmetiz thinks it’s important to not make thrift shopping a trend, and should not be taken advantage of. “Thrifting isn’t really aesthetic, it’s not a cool quirky thing,” Shemitz said. “Going thrifting and buying secondhand clothes is definitely something, if you’re able to do, you should. But I think it’s important to remember that some people really do rely on thrifting as their only source.” B

Thoughts on Thrift Shopping

86% Love it

14% don’t like it

14 FEATURE

OCTOBER 23, 2020

TO TAKE O As seniors head into the midst of sending their college application materials, many have decided to go test optional due to the uncertainty of COVID-19. But, will this choice benefit or harm seniors in their admissions process? Story by Claire Smith | Editor-in-Chief Graphic by Syndey Waldron | Design Editor

OVID-19 has changed the face of college admissions forever. According to IvyWise, over 400 institutions decided not to require standardized test scores for the 2020-2021college admissions cycle. This is a 380% raise from 20 schools that went test optional last summer, according to FairTest. As seniors scramble to package their essays, transcripts and resumes to send to colleges by Nov. 1—some see this new test optional environment as a blessing. Senior Evelyn Diamond took the ACT in February, but her retake opportunities have been canceled four times: April, June, July and August. Despite having a test score, she believes that this does not accurately represent her as a student and is thankful for the opportunity of a holistic review without a score with her application. “I’ll do short answers and then [recommendation] letters in replacement of an ACT score, which I think is better anyways, it tells more about me than a number,” Diamond said. “I feel like it just shows who I am instead of the number— going test optional. So, if I get admitted or rejected, then it’s based off of grades and stuff like that, and not my test score.” College counselor Abigail Jelavich helps students handle the college application process, including financial aid, list building, testing, among other preparation methods. Jelavich wholeheartedly agrees

that test optional is beneficial for college admissions. “I think that test optional is a good thing,” Jelavich said. “There is so much research that standardized tests inherently benefit some individuals and not others. There’s also a lot of research that standardized tests are not the best predictor of college success. So in my opinion, not having tests, or putting significantly less focus on tests, is a good thing.” According to Forbes, “the NACAC study shows that non-submitters have comparable academic performance, in terms of both GPA and graduation rates, to students who do submit their scores… a test optional policy doesn’t hurt students by creating mismatches or by diluting the quality of the student body at the colleges with those policies.” “I feel like testing is a hoax,” Diamond said. “I feel like it doesn’t look at anything else except the one day you take a test can depend on your whole college experience. So I’m anti-test.” However, these scores still hold weight in other aspects of the application process, despite the outward appearance of complete optionality. “Test optional is not uniformly applied in the sense that some colleges are test optional for admission, but not for scholarship,” Jelavich said. “Or they’re test optional for admission and scholarship, but

not for admission to their honors college. Or they are [test optional] for admission and scholarship and honors college, but not to enroll in classes. So I think the challenge is the lack of uniform application, and the fact that some colleges are test optional versus text flexible, or test blind, and navigating all of that.” Diamond is aware that her February test score is still applicable through the scholarship aspect of her application. “My parents and I decided that they’re fine with me going test optional as long as I submit it for merit-based scholarships, so I’m going to continue to take it,” Diamond said. “Depending on how many of your tests get cancelled, you have till April 1 to submit scores for scholarships. Either I’m going to submit one just for merit, or completely test optional for scholarships too. I guess it just depends on the school though.” Jordan Tung is a private college consultant: families come to him to help organize student’s application materials and create a compelling story for colleges. He notes that colleges still have to sort the academic capability of applicants, which is often where test scores would come in. “I think colleges will struggle in terms of filtering out students who just may not be able to perform academically, because at the end of the day, when you’re applying to super selective college, they get a lot of applicants,” Tung said. “...Colleges are

R NOT TO TAKE publicly saying that we recommend taking it for Top Four Things College Students Reccomend You now.â&#x20AC;? evaluate every candidate holistically, but if you As many colleges have Bring To Campus think about it, it is going been introduced to test to be tough for them to optional for the first time, figure out how to pick the this may be something kids when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s [sometimes] they incorporate in future a 10% chance. So then you admissions, outside of either have to make your COVID-19 complications. other aspects really shine However, a potential versus other kids, or make permanent test optional sure your academics are up future isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going to be to par.â&#x20AC;?Â immediate.Â Shower Shoes In regards to academics, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to Tungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advice for seniors be a slow transition,â&#x20AC;? Water Filter is focusing on the other Tung said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;...I would numbers that colleges will say if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a junior, be looking at outside of a sophomore, even test score: GPA and grades.Â freshmen, stay on that â&#x20AC;&#x153;If they truly cannot test prep route. If colleges Mattress Topper take a test between now move away from testing and Nov. 1, they should great, you can just have Mini Fridge look to really make sure that piece of high score that the senior first semester grades are yourself from the crowd, from having a that you have additional evidence. If they rock solid,â&#x20AC;? Tung said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re talking about really compelling essay that talks about who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still in good shape.â&#x20AC;? making sure whatever your scores [were] last you are and what you do and why youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re But, Jelavich still has hope for a future of year, make sure you beat them. So if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a passionate about certain subjects.â&#x20AC;? test optional admissions.Â B student last year, make sure the semester St. Teresaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Academy offered seniors one â&#x20AC;&#x153;I hope that all of this continues,â&#x20AC;? is straight Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.â&#x20AC;? more chance to take the ACT on Oct. 6, to Jelavich said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I hope that the schools that But with removing a key part of the submit scores before the Nov. 1 application are not test optional, move that direction. application process, other aspects of the deadline. But a major question still looms in Again, because I ultimately think tests are application attain greater value. The essay the air: to take or not to take?Â an access issue. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see many colleges and supplemental questions are where â&#x20AC;&#x153;If people are still really working on reverting necessarily...if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never been students can show their voice. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a key their college lists, then I would probably test optional before... theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to figure part of making each application unique to recommend taking it to have it as an out who to admit, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to figure out the applicant. Tung recognizes that there option if you ended up putting a school how to enroll a class. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily see should be considerable time and effort put on your list that does require it for merit them going backwards in a process in terms into these pieces.Â scholarships or does require it for Honors of adding in data points.â&#x20AC;? B â&#x20AC;&#x153;You also want to put plenty of time College consideration,â&#x20AC;?Â Jelavich said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot in writing and rewriting and iterating on could happen over the next few months, college essays, because thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really... where just as a lot happened over the summer. But you can become three-dimensional,â&#x20AC;? Tung I think especially for people that are still said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where you can really separate really solidifying lists, I would probably Soda

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OCTOBER 23, 2020

Youth In Politics: Student Voices in the Election

With the upcoming presidential election, students are becoming increasingly involved in politics. Although many of them cannot vote, the election is still being shaped by youth opinion. Story by Sydney Waldron | Design Editor Carmon Baker | Online Editor

Photo courtesy Marzena Nowak from the Gregor Podnar exhibit. Taken from Pintrest

ocial studies teacher Andrew Meyer walks into one of his classes. Looking out at his students, he sees two types: those who are relatively uninformed and those who are very invested in politics. Meyer will teach U.S. government classes second semester and tends to approach the two types of students differently. “It’s a very wide spectrum,” Meyer said. “I have students that come in and be like, ‘I have no idea, and it doesn’t mean anything to me.’ On the opposite side, I do have a bunch of students that come in and they’re very gung ho and have, whether from their parents or from things that they’ve done clubs or they’ve gotten involved in, they have a lot of very invested viewpoints that they’ve already begun developing.” According to Meyer, he believes that it is very easy for students to ignore political issues and current events. However, he still thinks that it is important for students to develop some political awareness. “It’s okay to not have an idea of what’s going on because technically, most of the time, if you’re not 18, you feel as though you don’t have a voice because you don’t have a way to vote,” Meyer said. “The part where ‘it doesn’t mean anything to me,’ is where I start growing concerned. Everything in government impacts your daily life. And so it’s important to make that realization. Not to say that you have to be 100% invested in politics at a high schooler’s age, but you need to start thinking about what’s going on.” In his classes, Meyer tries to get his

students more involved and aware through a wide range of activities. According to Meyer, at the end of each semester, he has his students write a letter to a Congressman or representative to give students a personal connection to the government. “Just because when we can’t vote, that doesn’t mean that we can’t participate,” Meyer said. “We can participate in a variety of different manners and a variety of different mediums.”

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THIS ELECTION HAS GARNERED SUCH A GREATER SIGNIFICANCE TO SO MANY MORE PEOPLE THAN ANY ONE BEFORE HISTORY TEACHER ANDREW MEYER

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16 CENTERSPREAD

Overall, Meyer has seen more students that are aware and involved in recent years, specifically in the 2020 presidential election. “I’ve heard more and more students talking about the election, talking about

STA Election

Alternative Coverage by Caroline Hinkbein|Sports Editor

what’s going on,” Meyer said. “This election has garnered such a greater significance to so many more people than any one before. And I think that’s a good thing. I think that’s going to lend itself to more and more people becoming involved in later elections, even after this one has subsided.” Rather than something specific that the presidential candidates are doing, Meyer partially attributes an increase in youth involvement to celebrities who raise political awareness, rather than something specific that the presidential candidates are doing. “I think we’re seeing targeting a lot of younger people in a variety of different mediums,” Meyer said. “If you turn on any football game on Sundays, you’re gonna see that they have different commercials from different players on different teams, saying, ‘Go vote, learn, figure out what you need to do, be informed and do it.’ With the pop stars or celebrities the pro-athletes, really trying to reach out and grab and show the importance of why being informed is important in life.” Due to this increased awareness, Meyer has seen more students getting involved in political issues on campus. He believes that current events have influenced events such as walkouts, climate strikes and the March on Windmoor, which are students’ ways of having their political voices heard. “There’s been more students wanting to bring change in whatever way they can,” Meyer said. “And so I think we’re gonna see that more and more: to-scale versions of

18 CENTERSPREAD what’s going out in the public on campus. And I think that’s great. I think everybody should have their opportunity to voice their opinions and participate in whatever way they can.” For senior Abby Farmer, this election is different from others because she turns 18 this year, and this presidential election will affect the first four years of her adult life. She feels that these four years are not only essential to her, but also to the climate. “In my mind this issue is the most urgent issue on the ballot because it affects every other issue and everyone in the world,” Farmer said. “Climate Change is going to be irreversible in 10 years so this election is integral for this issue as the future president will take up 4 of those 10 years.” Climate change is an issue of importance to many younger voters. According to a CBS News study, 70% of people between the ages of 18-29 think that climate change is a major issue as of 2019.Farmer was inspired by her own research to make personal choices to help stop some of the effects of climate change. “I have been to numerous climate marches and strikes,” Farmer said. “I recycle where possible, try and buy used items that are sustainable, and recently have begun to phase into vegetarianism.” Along with making personal choices to help benefit the environment, Farmer would like to see change in government policies. She believes that Biden has a better approach and plan than Trump. “Biden has his own plan set out to phase in clean energy among many other principles, whereas Trump’s efforts have been to keep coal, natural gas and oil as the main energy sources,” Farmer said.

OCTOBER 23, 2020

“Biden also has said that he intends to join other countries in the fight against climate change, in which we failed to do when we withdrew from the Paris Climate Accord in 2016 under President Trump.” To help to try and swing the election to the left Farmer has joined an organization that mails letters of information to important swing states. I was super excited about writing letters across the country to try and get others to vote”, Farmer said. Senior Jacki Flowers-Carrothers has different priorities in mind. Her personal connection with immgriation has led to her strong pro-immgiration views. FlowersCarrothers was adopted from Guatemala and feels a strong connection to immigrants coming to American who she believes are just coming in search of a better life. Flower-Carrothers was frustrated with Trump’s administration policies on immigration, especially the enforcement of child separation at the border. The policy was originally written by the Obama

administration, but heavily enforced by Trump because of his zero tolerance policy. Under a “zero tolerance policy” the Trump administration considers all illegal border crossings for criminal prosecution. By doing this, children have to be separated from their parents, because it’s illegal for children to be held in detention facilities for adults. “Reading articles and seeing all those people made me incredibly sad and partly angry because it’s like seeing it in the mirror,” Flower-Carrothers said. “That could have been me if I wasn’t adopted.” Flower-Carrothers’ passion for this issue has affected her vote. She feels that Biden will help overturn some of the policies that the Trump administration enforced. “I definitely think Biden’s stance on Immigration is better than Trump’s,” Flower-Carrothers said. “I know he is planning on overturning some of Trump’s policies like separating children from their families and limiting the number of immigrants coming into this country, which I think is a good idea. Flower-Carrothers supports a more moderate approach to immigration. “I am not sure about open borders,” Flower-Carrothers said. “I think that we should definitely let more immigrants in.” Although junior Emily Franklin will not be old enough to vote in the 2020 election, she still supports the Republican party and would vote for Donald Trump. However, she does not agree with everything that the Trump administration has done in terms of immigration. “I think our immigration laws are a little strict in terms of becoming a citizen,” Franklin said. “When Trump just started kicking people out of America, I think that was a little bold of him, but there’s nothing I can really do about that.” However, Franklin does still have concerns with immigration and her stances are more conservative than Flower-Carrothers’. According to Franklin, her primary concern with immigration issues is the state of the economy in the United States. “Even if [immigrants are] totally harmless, I think it really affects the economy if we just have a lot of people

Senior Abby Farmer poses for a photo at St. Teresa’s Academy Oct. 7. “I just feel very strongly about this election,” Farmer said, “As I get older I feel like it actually affects me this year and going forward in the future as I begin my adult life.” photo by Katie Massman

protesting should not be something that we’re doing. [Protestors have] been burning flags. And I feel like violence is not the best way to approach it.”

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In my mind this issue is the most urgent issue on the ballot because it affects every other issue and everyone in the world Senior Abby farmer

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swarming in and just living here for free,” Franklin said. “I think people need to be working and supporting the country. I definitely think we should not just be allowing people to come and live here.” According to Franklin, her classmates see her views as “unique,” as they are typically more conservative. “I really base [my opinions] around the Catholic beliefs, and some people consider Catholicism to be homophobic or a little anti-liberal,” Franklin said. “So a lot of the grade kind of thinks of me as like that, but it’s not really true.” While Farmer participates in the mail campaign, Franklin is less involved in this election. When she is old enough to vote, she plans on voting in major elections, such for the presidency, Senate and House of Representatives. Until then, she believes that it is important to stay informed but does not actively participate. “I don’t devote a lot of time to it,” Franklin said. “But I do keep up on social media. And I will be watching the debates if it doesn’t, like, conflict. It’s not a priority of mine, you know, I mean, so yeah, I’ll try to keep up with it if I can, but it’s really not super According to Franklin, although she uses social media to keep up with certain issues, she is not open about her own political views and does not share them on social media to avoid controversy, saying “I like to keep them to myself.” However, she still believes that social media will play an important part in this election and encourages others to speak out. “I think everyone has freedom of speech, so they can share what they want, they can push out their own beliefs as much as they want,” Franklin said. “Really, I think it’s good actually, to put it out there and stand up for what you believe in.” In fact, Franklin believes that in this election, social media should be used as a means of replacing other methods of spreading political opinions. “I don’t believe in the protests,” Franklin said. “I know it’s worked in history. And that’s what people are comparing it to. But due to our advances in social media, and how to spread the word around, I feel like

Junior Lucy Wade, who also can’t vote this year, endorses Biden. Wade uses social media as an outlet for her political views; and as a way to help inform voters that can vote this year. “One way that I am involved in this election is social media,” Wade said. “I try and put things on my story that are helpful to people trying to register to vote.” About 54% of teenagers get their news from social media sites like Instagram and Facebook. Wade however, while professing her views on social media does not get her new information from these sites. “I get the Apple News updates on my phone, and sometimes click the full article if it is something I am interested in,” Wade said. “I don’t really get my politics from social media, and if I do, I always fact check it.”

According to Meyer, he is conflicted about advances in social media, saying, “it’s a very sharp, double-edged sword.” He has seen social media influence recent elections and create a unique environment in recent years. “Anybody can promote any idea, [which] can lead the average person who’s only getting their news sources from social media to be misled,” Meyer said. “There are varying degrees as to which way that can go wrong. The goal, of course, is to just promote an idea, a viewpoint, so that it can be heard. And that would be great if [social media] stayed with that, but it can be used in such a way to promote misleading thoughts and basically skew the average person’s viewpoint on a certain topic or candidate in an election.” Teenagers are not the only ones who receive news from social media. According to a Pew Research Center, 2/3 of Americans get their news from social media. Ultimately, Meyer is optimistic about the future of the political landscape in the U.S. as current students become more involved with the government. “My hope is that we allow for compromise on both ends of the aisle,” Meyer said. “Is that you guys make the change, and are willing to have the discussions across political ideologies that enable us to move forward. And learn the skills, critical thinking that allow you to look past the nuances, the myth, the misnomers and the misleading information in order to kind of cut to the chase and see what is going to be best for everybody.”

20 MAIN EDITORIAL

OCTOBER 23, 2020

The Politics of Social Media

ocial media has completely changed the landscape of the way people communicate, particularly with politics. Political movements and figureheads have turned to the mediascape to interact with their followers, and media outlets flood their news through these platforms such as Facebook and Twitter—where they know they’ll get the most engagement. But with the global transition to cyberspace, and 72% of the public on social media, unseen factors have arisen from the cracks of this political domain (Pew Research Center). Politics are now a part of everyone’s daily lives, whether they consider themselves politically active or not. According to Pew Research Center, “around half of Americans have engaged in some form of political or socialminded activity on social media in the past year.” The Dart believes that this is due to the accessibility of political information, now taking form in easy, bite-sized posts rather than lengthy news articles. This opens the door for many to have political conversations that may otherwise have been overlooked and exposes non-political users to these conversations; it makes politics prevalent and mainstream. However, creating a mainstream

dialogue potentially diverts important political issues into mere trends rather than concrete action. The phrase “performative activism” describes users who participate in the political sphere online, but only as a trend rather than truly activating for systematic dilemmas. An example of this occurred internationally on June 2, in “Blackout Tuesday.” The hashtag “#BlackoutTuesday” was trending as millions of users posted a black square as a gesture of solidarity with protests against the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. While it is important to expose followers to these issues, The Dart discussed how these performative actions dilute the importance of true activism and can prohibit concrete actions. Another downside to using social media as a political platform is the individualistic algorithms that cater to each user. According to the Digital Marketing Institute, “in social media, algorithms help maintain order, and assists in ranking search results and advertisements.” For example, “meaningful customer engagement is the key to Facebook’s algorithm layout,” and providing users with political information that will keep them engaged with the platform is key. This

creates an echochamber of like-minded users, who all come to support the same side of a political sphere. It prohibits users from being exposed to views that oppose theirs because logistically the algorithms are built to avoid that. Often, this environment is a hot-bed for misinformation on political issues. In an article by The Atlantic, a study conducted by data scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology concluded that “a false story reaches 1,500 people six times quicker, on average, than a true story does. And while false stories outperform the truth on every subject… fake news about politics regularly does best.” Fake political news causes a heightened polarization on both sides of the political spectrum, causing users to construct a misinformed view about the opposing party. The Dart believes that this will have drastic effects on how politics are transferred from the media space to reality. With an overwhelming amount of information available online, it is important to fact check information and the source. The Dart hopes that activism online isn’t just performative and it leads to having discussions with peers and family members and starting the political conversation outside of an Instagram post.

RIGHT ON TARGET Junior Emily Mcnnurray

“I think that social media has helped more teenagers become more aware in politics because it’s easier for them to access. TikTok is a lot of people’s source of media and helps people develop their opinions, and it’s easier for people to talk about politics with people their age.”

Senior Lauren Peters

“I think social media has made politics more accessible to people in our generation and to younger people who can’t vote. Being exposed to different ideas can be dangerous at times, but for the most part you are given an unbiased look at things. You’re introduced to some of the bad things in the world before you hit college.”

PERSPECTIVES

Black cats: a history of spiritual connections My black cat and I have always shared a special connection, but I believe it goes deeper than a human and pet connection. I believe that my cat is a familiar, and that our souls are somehow connected. By Sydney Waldron | Design Editor

t was a surprisingly cold Tuesday afternoon in September 2015. My dad was picking me and my brother up from school and as we walked the familiar path to his car, and as we got closer my dad told us that he had a surprise for us. I was happy, but not too excited since I expected it to be food, but as I climbed into the big, black truck and opened a small, brown box- I saw two yellow green eyes staring up at me. The day I got my black cat; Scout was easily one of the best days of my life. From the first moment our eyes met,I felt a sense of comfort and familiarity. Like we had met in a past life. When I first held her warm 5 pound body in my arms, I could feel the tenderness and love flowing between our two beings. From that day on I felt a special connection to her - like there was an invisible string tying us together. As we spent more and more time together, I started to believe that she was in fact not a cat, but a familiar. According to European folklore, a familiar is an animal with supernatural entities that assists witches. Other theories suggest that a familiar is just an animal with a deep connection to a human. It was just small ordinary things that made me believe my cat was a familiar, like when I felt anxiety when doing an assignment so Scout would prance into my room and plop herself on my lap. At times I find myself speaking to her about my problems and troubles in life, and I will say that there is something in her intelligent, yellow eyes that just makes me think she understands. As the years went by I started noticing that the connection between us began

to deepen, and odder things started to happen. One night when I was taking out the trash I tripped on our curb and broke my ankle. I was in so much pain, then suddenly my cat appeared out of nowhere and rubbed against my ankles. This small act helped give me the strength to make it back into my house. Many would scoff at the notion of a spiritual connection between a cat and human, but history and legend would prove them wrong. Cats — especially black cats — have a deep and ancient history of spiritual and human connections. In Egypt, one of the most important gods was Baset. This goddess was seen as a symbol of protection, and was often viewed as a black cat. Many families kept black cats in their home to be protected by Baset. Likewise in Celtic religion, black cats were fairies known as Cat Sith. They also believed that if they left milk out on their doorstep on Halloween, a black cat would come and bless their families. The common legend of black cats being bad luck comes from Puritans associating them with witches. They believed that witches could turn into black cats nine times, which is where the cats have nine lives myth comes from. Most black cat legends include a theory of fate involving the meeting of a familiar and their person. When I reflect back on the way that I got my cat, it’s hard not to believe that there was something divine about the way our paths intersected. A middle-age engineer was driving on the road to work, just an average day for an average man. What he didn’t know about that day or himself is that he would be

uniting two soul, mates. As he drove along I-34, he noticed something in the trees, a small black cat. For reasons that will forever remain unknown, something compelled him to pull over his car and save that little 5 pound cat from certain death. He then brought her to his work where she was picked up by a man hoping to bring joy to his daughter and son who had an affinity for cats. I know the idea of supernatural, and fates intertwining often seems unbelievable, but I think those that have experienced it first hand have no doubt of its existence and the role it plays in everyone’s life. There is no doubt in my mind that the spirit that lives inside of my cat’s little body and my soul are intertwined by fate and spirits that I will never fully be able to understand. B

22 PERSPECTIVES

OCTOBER 23, 2020

My non-existent social media presence Everyone is always shocked when they ask what my screen time is and ask how I manage to stay off my phone, but honestly being on my phones bores me. This is probably due to the fact that I have a total of about three apps on my phone, none of which are social media platforms. By Mara Callahan | Lifestyles Editor

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hat’s your Instagram?” “I actually don’t have one.” “What? No way, why

not?” This is usually about the time in the conversation when I hesitate to answer because the question is always excruciating for me, so here’s my opportunity to pick apart my decision so that I might be saved one less brain-twisting conversation. Two years ago, I got my own personal iPhone. I remember unwrapping it the night before my 8th grade graduation and being overwhelmed. It wasn’t a surprise to me that I would be getting a phone that night, I had three older siblings who were each granted this same present the night of their graduations, but my hands were still shaking once I started to reply to all of the Happy Graduation texts from my relatives and friends. The built-up anticipation of receiving a phone was equivalent to the feeling you get leading up to Christmas, and I was left with the same anti-climactic feeling after Christmas arrives and you’re stuck putting away all the decorations. Almost everyone I know who has a phone also has some sort of social media account. I used to think that once I got a phone, Instagram would just appear on my phone as the photos app had. This wasn’t

Columns on the DNO

the case, and some part of my mind told me the act of actually downloading the Instagram app would completely change my life. That was, and still is, a scary thought. I’m not exactly sure where this idea of me being a whole new person after downloading a social account came from, but it’s stuck with me to this day. I believe it makes up my core reasoning for not having social media. Despite my hesitations, I’ve come close to downloading Instagram several times. One of these particular impulses hit me the beginning of freshman year. Being the only girl to come from my grade school in Kansas left me completely helpless when it came to meeting people at STA. I wouldn’t be able to tell you the exact moment the thought of downloading Instagram resurfaced, but it was somewhere between the first week of school and Thanksgiving. Going out of my way to talk to someone new is extremely hard for me, and what I recognize now as having a more introverted personality was then blamed on my lack of social media. My absolute least favorite part of the day was walking into the commons during activity period and having to decide what table to eat lunch at. I’d scramble around the outer part of the pit until this thought

of how I’d already have a friend group at STA if I only had an Instagram account occupied the entirety of my brain. As my freshman year went on, I started to become more comfortable and formed friendships with people around campus. As I grew to love STA, my obsession with social media faded. I think a big part of my sudden want for Instagram came from my then lack of identity. Being thrown into a school with so many unique and confident girls had me questioning (and I’m fully aware of how cliche this is) who I even was. I thought that being present on social media would give me something to hold on to, some kind of definition of character. Looking back on it now, I’m really happy I didn’t give into my discomfort and download Instagram freshmen year. Those first few months at STA were pretty awful, however, they were the most formative months of my life. I don’t have social media because I’m happy with who I am at the moment and I get the feeling that social media might damper that happiness. Maybe in the future my want for Instagram will creep back up again, but for now, I’m content with my nonexistent social media presence. B

We need to stop saying “There is no try, only do”

Empowering and comical, Brooklyn 99 is that show

By Grace Ashley | Multimedia Editor

By Sydney Allen | Photo Editor

Climate change will not wait for my generation

Young environmental activists like Greta Thunberg have gotten a lot of press recently for their bold ideas about stopping climate change, but older generations must resist the urge to ask them to be the world’s heroes. By Rachel Robinson | Editor-in-Chief

little over a year ago, 16 year old climate activist Greta Thunberg delivered a speech at the UN Climate Action Summit to a large group of politicians and company executives. The speech was compelling, emotional and centered around one recurring phrase: “How dare you?” Throughout her speech, she listed all of the present and future consequences of climate change and asked how the attendees can look to her for hope when it was their job to prevent them from happening. Thunberg said that the science behind climate change has been established for almost 30 years, and yet, politicians act as if there is nothing they can do and look to future generations to “save the world.” Even before this speech was given, I had noticed young activists like Thunberg and Amariyanna Copney, aka Little Miss Flint, receiving this kind of treatment from older generations. For whatever reason, there seems to be a general urge among adults to name teenage advocates “heroes” and proclaim that Generation Z will fix everything. There are many problems with that, but the most glaring is that the people saying this have the power to change things right now. So much of what climate

When fear turns into obsession By Lily Sage| Opinion Editor

activists like Greta fight for is immediate, structural change. So to diminish her into a symbol of “hope for the future” instead of acting on her pleas feels nothing short of sinister. Although the intent may be encouragement, it comes off as prematurely shifting the burden of the world’s problems onto a group of people who largely have not graduated college yet. Another reason I find the “Gen Z will save the world” mentality so odd is that it is probably not true. First off, UN climate scientists say that we have 11 years until the effects of climate change are irreversible, at which time the oldest member of Gen Z will be 33 and the youngest will be 19. It is not realistic to expect a group of people to save the world as teenagers and 20-somethings while you sit back and admire their work. If the world is going to be saved, the saving is going to have to come from the people already in power. Lastly, at the risk of sounding selfpitying, I do not want to save the world. I don’t want to spend my life cleaning up the mess made by past generations’ greed and inaction. I want to use my brain to make discoveries unrelated to the planet collapsing around me. I want to be guiltlessly non-heroic and have

ambitions that do not determine the future of humanity. Previous generations have been allowed that luxury, but unless world leaders take immediate action, it will be denied to us. So, as a message to baby boomers, millennials and Generation X: do not wait for my generation. It’s true that people like Greta Thunberg and Amariyanna Copeny have great ideas, but we don’t have time to wait around until they are old enough to craft them into policies. Instead of seeing brilliant young people as a beacon of hope, look to them for inspiration. B

I’m falling for fall: my favorite season By Becca Speier | Photo Editor

24 SPORTS FEATURE

ZONE OCTOBER 23, 2020

In the Story by Caroline Hinkebein | Sports Editor Photos by Becca Speier | Photo Editor

unior Alexandria Speier says the volleyball team has a fun and unique team dynamic with tried and true traditions and pregame rituals that allow the players to have a special experience with the sport they love all while also being successful. According to sophomore Reagan Fox, an important step to help the team get focused before a game is meditation. “Before every game we have a time of meditation and we envision ourselves playing well on the court,” Fox said. “It’s just a time to get our mindset ready and get into our zones.” Fox says another thing that helps the volleyball team get into their zones is their weekly readings and discussions from a book called “Relentless.” “It talks about the mindset of athletes and what some of the best athletes thought processes are like,” Fox said. For Speier, music is what most helps her get into the zone. “Before a game we get hype by listening to songs and singing and dancing in the locker room,” Speier said. But nothing compares to the team’s special, secret song. Speier says it’s a confidential song known only by the players on the STA volleyball team and which they are forbidden to tell anyone else about. This unknown song helps them become more connected as a team and is essential to their warmup routine. Everyone on the team knows the lyrics, and it gets them really excited and ready

to play. Traditions are extremely important for the STA volleyball team, and Speier takes pride in the responsibility it takes to uphold them. “There’s this tradition behind the program of working hard and being committed to the team,” Speier said. “A lot of other schools, if the team’s not good no one tries, no one cares, it’s whatever it’s just high school

it’s not college, it’s not club. I would say we take it really seriously even if one year the team is not as great as the year before, I don’t think anything changes.” One tradition the STA volleyball team does involves a certain costume. “We have this money suit that we’ve had since my freshman year, and we sometimes will wear it on the way to our games and stuff or we just have it in the locker room,” Speier said. “My freshman year we got it just as a joke, one girl wore it to the airport when we were going to California to play. After that, people would just trade off wearing it, and we wore it in our senior night dance and stuff. I don’t know, we just think it’s funny, and it’s something we all know, it’s like our volleyball team thing.” Themed dinners also help bring the team closer together and strengthen the team dynamic. “This year, our theme for the one we’ve had was Greek and so we all wore like toga stuff, gold jewelry, stuff like that, it was fun,” Speier said. The main thing that’s helped the STA volleyball team be so successful and set them apart from other teams, is all the hard work they put in. “We put in a lot of extra work, we stay longer if it’s needed, we go in in the mornings before school sometimes if it’s needed to get more reps, we watch film and do conditioning and stuff just to do more than what our competition does,” Speier said. b

The volleyball team has many traditions, rituals and standards that set them apart

Sophomore Reagan Fox prepares to serve against Bishop Miege High School Sept. 23. Fox has been on varsity since her freshman year and is an outside hitter. photo by Becca Speier

What you missed in sports...

SPORTS UPDATES

National Sports News Joe Morgan of the Cincinnati Reds dies at 77. Joe Morgan, the MLB Hall of Famer and driving force of the Big red Machine, dies at 77. He was an American professional baseball second baseman who plates Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies and the Houston Astros. Information courtesy of Daily News Joe Morgan played as number 8 for the cincinatti reds for eight seasons as second baseman. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Special Teams coach for the Atlanta Falcons is fired. Atlanta Falcons fire coach Quinn, GM Dimitroff after a 0-5 start. After having a fifth straight loss to open the season the Atlanta Falcons cut Dan Quinn and have named defensive coordinator Raheem Morris as the interim coach. Information courtesy of Fox News Sports The atlanta falcons start the season with no wins out of five games. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Cleveland Browns Football team set new high The Cleveland Browns start 4-1 for the first time since 1994. On Sunday the Browns held a 32-23 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Information courtesy of ESPN The cleveland browns football team is ranked third in the American football confrence, north region. Photo courtesy of wikimedia

Coming up OCTOBER

Varsity volleyball District game at Lee’s Summit Senior High School at 6:00 p.m.

OCTOBER

Varsity softball state game at Killan Sports Complex at 4:30 p.m.

NOVEMBER

Varsity basketball team game at St. Joseph’s Academy at 6:00 p.m.

Athlete of the issue:

Elena Nonemaker

lena Nonemaker enters her sophomore year as a leader on STA’s golf team. Nonemaker has been playing since she could walk, the golfing gene running in her family as they all have some affiliation with the sport. She loves being outside in the sun and conversing with her teammates while playing. Her teammates and coaches are always the ones to cheer her up, and together make for a really great environment. “Focus on the outcome not the obstacles” is the one thing Nonemaker takes to the green when starting a match. When asked what the one main takeaway from the sport is, Nonemaker goes on to say “golf is about patience and focus, and as long as you look at the bigger picture instead of focusing on the meticulous stuff, you’ll succeed”. She encourages others to try out, and is very thankful that despite the current pandemic that golf was able to continue.

26 COMMUNITY

OCTOBER 23, 2020

Change in Café Scenery Kansas City’s local shops have learned to cope with business potholes brought by the COVID-19 pandemic by offering increased outdoor dining areas that offer customers safe study spaces outside of their homes. Story by Mara Callahan | Lifestyles Editor Photos by Grace Ashley | Multimedia Editor

TA alumna Morgan Bene walked into the Roasterie at the beginning of July not quite knowing what to expect. Just a few weeks earlier she had been scrambling through Nice Côte d’Azur airport searching for the right terminal for her flight back to Kansas City. Bene was teaching abroad in France when the heat of COVID-19 began to affect the U.S. When schools throughout the world began to close, Bene’s family suggested she come home early. Luckily she found a flight and made it home, but once she was back in KC, she needed to find a job. Being a barista wasn’t Bene’s original plan, but she leaned into the curve life threw at her and has been working at the Roasterie’s Southwest Boulevard location for about three months. The diverse client base at the cafe allows Bene to interact with interesting people and make little friendships throughout her workday. Bene supports the Roasterie’s decision to stay open throughout the pandemic because she thinks they’ve been adamant about safety protocols and considers the cafe a safe place to study. “I think that they were pretty smart about all their moves,” Bene said. “The furniture was placed far apart and there weren’t that many people taking the option to dine in any way so we weren’t overwhelmed and people didn’t seem to be uncomfortable. [When customers chose the option of dining in] we were doing to go cups and we were really, really adamant about masks. And that aspect, the masks, have stuck around which is good. I think it’s been a good decision for them, especially because it kept people coming in and kept us afloat.” Along with allowing customers dine-

in options, the Roasterie’s Southwest Boulevard location has managed to keep business up through other commercial aspects. “With our location, we can make coffee and deliver it all around the country; so even though you can’t come in and buy coffee you can still buy our bags of beans,” Bene said. “We actually have a drivethru attached to the factory, and at the beginning of the pandemic we were one of the few places where people could get specialty coffee in the city, so our revenue was actually through the roof during that time and since people found out about it it’s kept the revenue up at that location as well.” Other local Kansas City coffee shops have taken advantage of outdoor dining throughout the pandemic. Hi-Hat coffee shop off of Stateline has created a unique set up with its 245 square feet of business and utilizes its large outdoor patio area for

customers to easily pick up their daily cup of coffee. “Inside, believe it or not, there are five chairs and a little bar counter that runs up on the perimeter of the inside but there’s mainly outdoor seating,” Jensen said. “[HiHat] is such a grab and go kind of place anyway and people don’t seem to have too much of a big deal when they can’t get a seat. We took all the tables and chairs away from inside the shop and we took all of the tables and chairs outside away. We only allow two people, maximum inside and we have hand sanitizer available. We didn’t have any seating but customers were so good about coming by.” 21 years of business has offered Hi-Hat plenty of time to develop a loyal following, many of which continued frequently stopping by the shop throughout the pandemic. Founder T Jensen has seen that if you are reasonable and talk to people in a

Barista Haley Wilson makes a customer’s coffee Sept. 28. Employees keeping a mask on, making sure to follow the new rules the Roasterie has put in place for COVID-19.

caring way, things seem to turn out for the better. “You’re always changing and you’re looking for ways to adapt because no single day is like the same day before it,” Jensen said. “You get really good at being proactive. You know as the little guy we’re still pushing through this and there’s not a whole lot of advantages of only having 245 square feet of business besides its charm, but we’ve just stepped right through [any obstacles] in a nice, orderly, respectful way. We just looked at them as an opportunity to turn it into a positive thing.” Jensen says he gets a wide variety of customers from all around the Kansas City area, including a lot of plaid skirts after 3:00 p.m. “The Pembroke kids are supportive and we get people who meet [at the shop] just to talk, people come down after their workouts up at Woodside, and we see a lot of baby carriages,” Jensen said. “That’s really one of the charms of the whole place. If it was all 20-somethings that wouldn’t be great and if it was all 60-year-olds it wouldn’t be great but it’s all ages, all kinds, you know, from every corner.” Senior Beatrice Curry hasn’t been to Hi-Hat specifically but has utilized other local coffee shops’ study spaces as a way to get out of the house during COVID-19. Being in an art portfolio class, Curry spends a good amount of her after-school time drawing, and finding a quiet study space with good lighting is a must for her. Curry highly recommends the Filling Station in Midtown to any STA students who are looking for a safe, out-of-the-house place to work. “I think that it is very important for people to have space outside of their homes that is quiet to work in because sometimes your family can be distracting or you just need a change of scenery,” Curry said. “And I think that if there is a dine-in option that’s possible, and if you can be there safely, I would encourage it. [The Filling Station] has a pretty big outdoor seating area, and it’s pretty interesting visually. They have sculptures outside and I think it’s just a nice and cool space. The Filling Station is open until six so you have plenty of time to do work there. And it’s never too crowded, the chairs are outside

Senior Beatrice Curry studies outside of the Filling Station in Midtown Sept. 29. She visits the coffee shop often, and it has become one of her favorite places to go during quarantine.

and they’re distanced. If you want it to sit inside there, there are a few seats and it’s a big enough space with a lot of airflow.” The COVID-19 pandemic has put a new spin on “claustrophobia” by emphasizing self-isolation. Following social distancing protocols plays an immense role in keeping those around us physically healthy but can weaken our own “mental immune systems” by increasing stress and anxiety levels. The opening of coffee shops has offered a safe and healthy way for communities to cope with the unsteadiness of the pandemic. “As good as it is to stay away from people, do more social distancing and stay at home as much as you can; it’s nice to be able to get out of my house and go to work every day,” Bene said. “I’m really lucky that I even got a job during the pandemic. I know being cramped up inside can cause a little cabin fever, so the Roasterie has been a fun place to work at. Just being able to get to go out and talk to people and talk to my coworkers lifts my mood.” B

xca

28 LAST LOOK

OCTOBER 23, 2020

Scaring S a f e ly

A rundown of which haunted houses and experiences have decided to open this fall, and what they are doing to stay safe. Story by Katie Massman | Dart Sports Editor

Actors from the Edge of Hell pose for a photo. This haunted house is the oldest commercial haunted attraction in the United States, located in Kansas City, MO. photo courtesy of McBride Media and marketing

An actor dressed as a zombie from The Beast in Kansas City poses for a photo fall 2019. Named â&#x20AC;&#x153;the best haunted houseâ&#x20AC;? in the nation, The Beast is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. photo courtesy of McBride Media and marketing

Actors from The Edge of Hell hold a Python named Medusa. Medusa holds the world record for the largest PYTHON ever. photo courtesy of McBride Media and marketing

A light shines on a clown from Exiled Trail of Tears Haunted House, October 2019. Exiled was founded in 2016 in Bonner Springs, Kansas. photo courtesy of Exiled KC

EDGE OF HELL HAUNTED HOUSE A clown from Macabre Cinema Haunted House runs in the street. Guests at Macabre Cinema get to see the action of classic and contemporary horror scenes through a haunted 1930â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s movie theatre with 4 floors of thrill. photo courtesy of McBride Media and marketing

Beast Haunted house

mulberry st

hickory st.

W 12th st

w 13th st

MACABRE CINEMA HAUNTED HOUSE MACABRE CINEMA

30 PHOTO ESSAY

OCTOBER 23, 2020

An archway marks the entrance to City Market, also known as the River Market Oct. 1. The market is home to a variety of shops, and hosts an annual weekend farmer’s market.

a blend of old and new City Market is home to a variety of shops, selling anything from flowers to pumpkins to t-shirts. New installments in City Market are bringing a modern twist to the area. By Sophia Rall | Features Editor

Dutch Flowers is primarily known for their flowers, especially for weddings Oct. 1. It has many fall flowers, including sunflowers and mums.

Dutch Flowers offers many yard ornaments and typically has seasonal décor Oct. 1. The fall décor includes metal pumpkins, signs and pumpkin pots.

Dutch Flowers is a florist shop with a variety of plants and home goods. It is one of 33 merchants in City Market Oct. 1.

THE DART STAFF

2020-2021

ADVISOR Riley Cowing

COPY

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OPINION EDITORS Josie Fox, Lily Sage

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Grace Ashley

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PAGE DESIGNERS Rebecca Speier, Sophia Rall, Lauren Brackney, Carmon Baker, Sydney Allen, Grace Ashley, Caroline Hinkebein, Josie Fox, Claire Smith, Rachel Robinson, Sydney Waldron

SPORTS EDITORS Katie Massman, Caroline Hinkebein

SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM Ali Madden, Lauren Brackney, Kyra Fieger

FEATURES EDITOR Sophia Rall

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Claire Smith, Rachel Robinson

WEB EDITOR Carmon Baker

STAFF WRITERS Ellie Buttell

PHOTO EDITORS Syndey Allen, Rebecca Speier

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Falling for Fall: The best season

Fall Fashion Gallery

Ghost Hunting with Claire and Ali!

We need to stop saying â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is no try, only doâ&#x20AC;?

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Volume 80 Issue 2

Articles inside

Developing Coffee Shop culture during the pandemic

Me and my cats spiritual connection

The Best Fall Coffees

12

The words social and media shouldn’t be integrated

Star Spotlight: Bailey Bright and Riyan Jones

Thrift Shopping: The Pros and Cons

Student involvement in the 2020 election

The Streetcar Extension

Colleges and standardized testing