The Dart: Vol 72 Issue 6

VOLUME 72 ISSUE 6 MARCH 7, 2013 ST. TERESA’S ACADEMY KANSAS CITY, MO WWW.DARTNEWSONLINE.COM

1+1=5A Take STA’s enrollment: students.

575

2

Multiply it by .

Then take that number and multiply it by .

1.35

This equation is known as the “multiplier rule” and the grand total of the above math problem is .

1,522

In the eyes of MSHSAA, that is how many students we have in our school.

The multiplier rule was put into place years ago to prevent private high schools from having an unfair advantage over their public counterparts.

However, that means that STA athletes are competing in the highest classes in every sport.

dart

11

STA sports teams face schools such as Blue Springs High School with an enrollment of students and Lee’s Summit North High School with an enrollment of students.

2,388

1,967

the

it doesn’t

ADD UP

2 | news | dartnewsonline.com | the dart | March 7, 2013

dart the

Mother O’Neill award winner announced

people and policies

Mr. Eric Thomas....................................................advisor Emily McCann.................managing editor of design Anna Leach..........................managing editor of web Natalie Fitts......................managing editor of stories Emma Wheatley............managing editor of photos

web Lauren Langdon...........................................daily editor Adrianna Ohmes..........................................daily editor Lane Maguire................................................daily editor Meghan Lewis..................................web photo editor Menley Brennan..................................facebook editor Sabrina Redlingshafer............................twitter editor Madeline Best......................standing features editor Hannah Bredar...........................................school liason Taylor Steen................................................school liason Libby Hyde...................................................blogs editor Jordan Berardi..........................................videographer Caroline Fiss..............................................videographer Cecilia Butler..............................breaking news editor policies ownership and sponsership The Dart is created by the student newspaper staff and is published by general operating funds of St. Teresa’s Academy, a Catholic institution sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. 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 Dart is subject to prior review by the St. Teresa’s Academy administration in circumstances that concern student safety and illegal behavior by students. Otherwise, the policies above will guide the Dart. The Dart intends to be a public forum for voices regardless of diverse ages, sexes, races, cultures, religions or beliefs. Signed columns reflect the opinions of the individual, not necessarily the newspaper staff or the school community. letters policy The Dart encourages letters to the editor. Letters can be sent in the following ways: in person to Eric Thomas in D204; by mail to St. Teresa’s Academy, attn: Eric Thomas, 5600 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64113; or by email to ethomas@stteresasacademy.org. Letters should be limited to 250 words.

The Dart staff reserves the right to edit or shorten letters for publication. photo illustrations Photo illustrations are conceptual photos that combine the limitless possibility of the drawing with the realism of the photograph. They are not intended to be documentary photos of real moments. corrections policy The Dart will print corrections as soon as possible after the error is discovered.

smile big H Amanda Koch, from left, Carrie Hudson, Madison Fitzgerald, Maureen Whitaker, Sibel Alpakin and Molly Woolery were the nominees for the Mother Evelyn O’Neil Award. The award was given to Hudson on Tuesday for her volunteer work at Children’s Mercy Hospital. photo by MENLEY BRENNAN

Senior Amanda Koch Where: “Children’s Therapeutic Learning Center, who provides educational and therapeutic services to young children with disabilities,” Koch said. “Over the last four years, I have provided about 500 volunteer hours helping

by EMILY WEMHOFF ewemhoff@dartnewsonline.com with classroom activities. I also participate in music ministry at Good Shepherd Catholic Senior Carrie Hudson earned the Mother Church. I also serve as a member of the leaderEvelyn O’Neill Award Tuesday. Albertine ship team for the high school youth group McGurk was the the adult winner. The award Oasis. For the National Catholic Youth Conferhonors students and adults in the STA commuence, I auditioned and was selected to be an nity for their service contributions. animator, which were the prayer, worship and O’Neill was the superior of STA from 1908 song leaders on the stage.” to 1916. She was responsible for moving STA Special Memory: “During NCYC, I remember from its downtown location to its Main St. feeling very proud of my efforts to share [Alex’s] home, despite obstacles and a lack of funds. story and increase awareness of bullying,” Koch This year, six student finalists were nominated. said. “At Children’s TLC, the children and the The finalists were: teachers made a special gift for me. All the kids Senior Carrie Hudson put their handprints in the shape of a flower.”

Where: “I did my junior/senior serJunior Madison Fitzgerald vice project at Children’s Mercy Hospital,” Where: “I do most of my service through Hudson said. “I get to work with child life an organization called the Youth Volunteer specialists, which is what I want to do. Child Corps of [Greater] Kansas City,” Fitzgerald said. life specialists usually work in children’s “They are a non-profit organization that seeks hospitals, and they basically work to make to involve youth ages 11 to 18 in volunteering. sure that the patients feel like normal kids.

YVCKC has several programs that I participate in, I’m on the Teen Advisobut a majority of my ry Board for Just Like hours come from their You Films, which is a losummer program. cal film company whose She recognized me from the film I was Through YVCKC, I mission statement is to in with Just Like You. It was this moment have volunteered at an create an environment that I realized, ‘People actually watch assisted living center, of acceptance. I was these films,’ and it was just so surreal.” a nursing home, an featured in the film organic farm, a neighabout kids with cancer.

Carrie Hudson borhood association, The other films feature a daycare center, an pediatric burn victims animal shelter, a food and kids with Down pantry, parks, a thrift syndrome. Basically, the films were made store, a transitional housing program and nature to explain to pediatric patients’ classmates sanctuaries.” their classmate’s condition. I am also the Special Memory: “Last summer, I volunLeawood team leader for Alex’s Lemonade teered for four days at a no-kill animal shelter Stand Foundation. In the past six years, I’ve called Unleashed,” Fitzgerald said. “The day I beled the stand that has raised over $12,000. I gan volunteering was also the day a dog named get all my friends to come and help.”

Elizabeth came to the shelter. She had separation Special Memory: “I was speaking at a anxiety issues and was super-hyper. [Junior] prayer service at Cure of Ars to talk about Shelby Hawkins and I tried to take her for a walk, a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymbut she literally ran circles around us. Later that phoma Society,” Hudson said. “There was day, I sat and petted Elizabeth for about an hour, a representative there from the Leukemia trying to calm her down. When I walked her and Lymphoma Society. She recognized me the next day, she was still skittish, but she had from the film I was in with Just Like You. calmed down a lot. It was hard to leave after the It was this moment that I realized, ‘People last day, but I knew I had helped her acclimate to actually watch these films,’ and it was just so her new surroundings.” surreal.”

Senior Carrie Hudson was awarded the Mother Evelyn O’Neil award for giving time to help those in need

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print Mickey Redlingshafer................................news editor Caitlin Fletcher.......................................features editor Emily Wemhoff.......................................features editor Shaeffer Smith........................................opinion editor Sara Jessica Dilks.........................centerspread editor Rosie Hutchison..........................sports/health editor Sara Meurer............................................lifestyles editor Katie Parkinson...............................................a&e editor Emma Willibey....................................in the mix editor Jordan Berardi........................................last look editor Maddie Knopke............................................copy editor Lindsey Valdiviez.........................................copy editor Emma Willibey.............................................copy editor Leigh Campbell.............................................staff writer Siobhan Miller................................................staff writer Grace Sly...........................................................staff writer Christina Elias.................................................staff writer Jordan Allen...................................staff photographer Grace Hodes...................................staff photographer Kathleen Keaveny.........................staff photographer Maggie Rellihan............................staff photographer

Senior Sibel Alpakin Where: “Right now, I just volunteer for Community Local Investment Commission every Tuesday and help take care of anywhere from 4 to 9 toddlers/babies for about two hours while their parents have a meeting,” Alpakin said. “In the past, I’ve volunteered with North Kansas City Hospital helping to file papers and Youth Volunteer Corps and Synergy Services, where I helped with childcare, organizing and making dinner. I also volunteer for The Children’s Place, which is where I do my service project.”

Special Memory: “When I first started volunteering for LINC, I helped another person tutor second to fifth graders, which was challenging, but still fun,” Alpakin said. “One day, the other person didn’t come and I was in charge of the class. I was terrified and the kids knew it, but they didn’t take advantage of my floundering attempts at tutoring that day..”

Junior Molly Woolery Where: “[Youth Volunteer Corp] sends groups of teens all over the KC area to work on projects for a wide range of nonprofits,” Woolery said. “I enjoy working at the Kansas City Community Kitchen, which is also my service agency. I also volunteer at Emanuel Cleaver Child Day Care Center, where I play with and teach the kids. During the summer of 2012, I volunteered in Belize for three weeks, where I stayed in a village and helped build a fence around a local school.”

Special Memory: “By going to Belize, I was able to volunteer and build a fence, but also create connections with the villagers,” Woolery said. “I still communicate with my host family, who had 10 children in a small house, but they were so sweet and caring.”

Maureen Whittaker Where: “I mostly help at Shawnee Mission Medical Center at the [Lee Ann Britain] Infant Development Center, which is a school for kids with special needs,” Whittaker said.

Special Memory: “When I was little, after school, my mom and I would always pick up my brother from IDC and we would always stop and talk to everyone,” Whittaker said.

“When I came back about five years later last summer, the same people were still there working, and it was just good to see them again.”

Visit dartnewsonline.com to view more information on the finalists H

March 7, 2013| the dart | dartnewsonline.com | news | 3

Peer Helpers to sponsor second Anti-Bullying Week Counselor Amanda Johnson and her club will host STA’s second Anti-Bullying week March 11-15

by SABRINA REDLINGSHAFER sredlingshafer@dartnewsonline.com

STA will have its second annual Anti-Bullying Week March 11 through 15, organized by guidance counselor Amanda Johnson and the Peer Helpers, a group of student counselors.

According to Johnson, this year’s focus will be different from last year’s because of a new emphasis on showing more kindness and care for the dear neighbor, rather than simply anti-bullying.

“Last year was really focused on the big global piece on how bullying can really reach this far, dark place,” said Johnson.

“What we want Johnson to do this year is kind of bring it home, more of the little things that we do to each other and how we treat ourselves.”

More than 13 million students are bullied each year, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Almost 160,000 kids stay home from school each day to avoid being bullied.

Despite the statistics of bullying across the country, junior Katherine Viviano does not feel bullying is very widespread at STA. “Bullying is not prevalent because [STA] is a very welcoming environment where

everyone is encouraged to be their own person, rather than mold themselves into what others expect them to be,” Viviano said.

“It is that alone that keeps bullying to such a minimum.”

Anti-Bullying Week’s goal is to show that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a difference in someone else’s world and build up the STA community, according to Johnson.

“There’s lots of pieces of the sisterhood here at STA, like the ‘Outrage’ talk and weeks like this [Anti-Bullying Week], that hope to build the STA community,” principal for student affairs Mary Anne Hoecker said.

“And that’s what you really want. You want a strong, loving, community here.”

Johnson said there are no themed days or a key note speaker like last year, but there are still various activities hosted by the Peer Helpers. The student group will be showing a documentary about bullying between girls titled “Finding Kind” with pizza also available.

Another activity, “Mending Our Broken Hearts,” will take place in Windmoor Center during lunch/activity. For $1, students can purchase a heart and some candy. Students will be asked to write unkind acts on one side of the heart and kind acts on the other. Then, students will place the side with their unkind acts up on a board for others to come around and place their kind acts, thus “mending” a broken heart.

Johnson explained the new activity as a way to replace generous acts with the unkind.

“We’ve each done things that are unkind and things that are inherently good”, Johnson said. “The idea is that for every unkind act, there is also a good act.”

Ultimately, Johnson wants to prevent bullying among young women and encourage more acts of kindness between STA students.

“Bullying is a really big issue with young women and I’d like to prevent that at STA,” Johnson said. “I’d like to create some awareness because education is key to breaking down barriers and creating connections and relationships. I feel like if we create awareness, we then create more

child, you go for book talks or readings, and now you go back as a teenager to continue learning and for pleasurable reading.”

BrainFuse According to their website, BrainFuse was founded in 1999 and is now “one of the nation’s leading online education providers.”

They work with libraries, school districts and universities.

Users in the Kansas City area can access BrainFuse through the public library website under “Research Resources” and “Homework Help.” BrainFuse offers students a chance to talk to live tutors who are online from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. Each tutor has a four-year degree in their area and previous experience tutoring or teaching.

Sophomore Monica McGraw, who currently receives in-person tutoring for honors algebra II, said she would possibly consider using an online tutor, but feels using one through school would be more beneficial. “[The online tutor] wouldn’t have taken Ms. [Diana] Blessen’s class, so they wouldn’t know how hard it is, whereas my tutor now has taken her class,” McGraw said.

The homework help system also offers tools such as a writing lab, where students can submit papers and receive feedback from tutors within 24 hours and a testing center, where students can take practice SAT, ACT, GED or general subject tests.

“I think [these services] would be really

helpful,” English teacher Katie Dolan said. “I think, at least the writing portion, facilitates the writing process. It’s always good to have editing and revision and receive outside input.”

Freegal Music Freegal Music is a music service that allows users with a library card to download up to three free songs per week. Each new week begins Monday at midnight.

Users can access this program through the library website under “Books and More” and “Digital Music.” There is also an app for both Android and iPhone users.

According to the library website, there are around 3 million songs to choose from with over 10,000 labels.

Junior Gabby Ferro, who uses iTunes to download music, said she thinks the idea will encourage teenagers to visit the Kansas City library website more often and use it as a resource.

According to Hershewe, whether these services will appeal to teens depends on the individual.

“I think it’s whatever appeals to [teens],” Hershewe said. “We offer a lot here at school too, so I think it depends on what you feel is available, and what would best suit your needs. You’ve got options, and I think we’re lucky because we’ve got more options available than other institutions.” H

Anti-Bullying Week March 11-15

Monday: “Mending Broken Hearts” during lunch/activity in the Windmoor Center (through Thursday) for $1.

Tuesday: “Just Like You” film presentation

by Carrie Hudson during lunch/activity in the Windmoor Center .

Wednesday: Dress down for $1. Students may wear black and white polka dots or teal in support of the Megan Meier Foundation and bullying awareness.

Thursday: Mr. Roger’s Day: random acts of kindness to those around you. Be listening for the Mr. Roger’s song over the intercom throughout the day.

Friday: “Finding Kind” film presentation and pizza lunch for $1 a slice and drinks.

Also on Friday one mended heart (2 students) will win either a $20 Chipotle gift card or QuikTrip gift card.

Public library offers new teen services BrainFuse and Freagal Music aid students with free online tutoring and downdloadable songs

by KATIE PARKINSON kparkinson@dartnewsonline.com

The Kansas City Public Library recently introduced two services targeted at teens and young adults. One is a homework help program called BrainFuse, and the other is a music downloading system called Freegal Music. In order to use these services, a Kansas City Public Library card and PIN is necessary.

According to STA librarian Jackie Hershewe, every STA student is issued a school library card that is part of the KC system and therefore, will work just as Hershewe well.

“I think these are good services to attract young patrons to [the library site],” Hershewe said. “It attracts because there’s a need for [these programs]. I think partly the library is doing this in order to establish a relationship that will be ongoing. As a

STA artists win awards

Some STA students received awards in the Midwest Art Region At-Large Affiliate of the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers.

The winners received Gold Keys, Silver Keys, or Honorable Mentions.

“Students are awarded a Gold Key pin for the most outstanding work in a region,” art teacher Theresa Wallerstedt said.

“Their work then is juried for the national contest.”

The winners of these 2013 Scholastic Art and Writing Gold Keys are as follows: • junior Bailey Whitehead for photography • sophomore Betsy Lehr for drawing • senior Anna McDonald for ceramics • sophomore Olivia Bellatin for drawing • senior Keara Miller for ceramics Some of the students that received other awards include Sarah Vickery, Anna McDonald, Abbie McNaughten, Emma Brzon and Grace Doran. Students won awards in different categories including photography, drawing, ceramics, painting, mixed media, fashion and comic art.

According to Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, these awards are structured so that student work is judged first at the regional level and then at the national level.

Wallerstedt was thrilled that her students won these prestigious awards.

Whitehead “I have no idea what these awards do or what they mean, but let me tell you, they made Ms. Wallerstedt hug me,” Whitehead said. “This is my first year winning anything in this competition so I’m not very informed.”

The national award winners will be announced at a later date.

Absher takes over as speech and debate teacher

After speech and debate teacher Ann Heid retired due to health related reasons, service director Kate Absher stepped up to fill this position.

“I’ve taught speech in the past,” Absher said. “Actually, what I teach is English and speech and theater. So I think they were like, ‘Oh, she can teach speech. Let’s just throw her in there.’”

According to Absher, she had also previously expressed a wish to have more student contact, especially in the classroom.

“My favorite part is just being with the students everyday,” Absher said. “I think speech is really cool because you get to kind of learn more about the students in some ways than you might in other classes.

They get up and speak about themselves and sometimes they get very emotional, and sometimes they get very humorous.”

According to Absher, while by no means does she have the hardest job in the school, one of the most difficult parts of juggling two positions is remembering everyone’s names.

“On top of all the service stuff, I grade 80 students now too,” Absher said.

In terms of the future, Absher said she is unsure whether or not she will retain the position of speech teacher.

Briefs by LIBBY HYDE and KATIE PARKINSON

4 | features | dartnewsonline.com | the dart | March 7, 2013

let the games

by MADELINE BEST mbest@dartnewsonline.com

Meg Sweeny

McKenzie Grimaldi

begin I magine 11 girls from all different grades surrounding you while you stand in the middle of the quad.

What’s going on? The STA Hunger Games.

DISTRICT 9

What if STA had its own version based on the

bestselling book and movie series “The Hunger

Games”? The Dart has decided to hold the first annual STA

Hunger Games in which all of the contestants are students and instead of an arena, we have the whole school to our advantage. To represent the twelve districts of Panem, the

game includes twelve contestants, or three girls from each grade, who were chosen at random. Although it’s not a real game, anything goes in this version.

Who will win? Well that’s up to you. Coming soon to DartNewsOnline will be the continuation of the games.

This will include Hunger Games-inspired scenarios in which you, the reader, will get to decide the fate of the tributes.

Remember to check out DNO and may the odds be ever in

Cassandra Beechwood-Hall

your favor!

The Dart asked each tribute a series of questions to better understand her strategy for the games.

Q: What would your strategy in the games be?

Q: Where would the best hiding places be?

DISTRICT 11

Meg Sweeny, district 9: “My strategy would be to just run nonstop until I find a safe place I know no one will find me.”

Cassandra Beechwood-Hall, district 9: “My strategy would be to lay low and hide until most of the people were gone, making it easier since the remaining tributes would be tired and worn out from fighting.”

Elaine Kerr, district 10: “Many of the tributes will go to Bistro in search of food, but little do they know that the ‘Bistro Boys’ have my back. All the food will be poisoned and they will all die.”

Maria Donnelly, district 10: “My strategy would be to trust no one.”

Mary Grace Ruhlman, district 11: “My strategy would be to survive. I wouldn’t go out to kill people. I would just want to be invisible to everyone. I would unleash my wrath on anyone who tried to mess with me. If I were to go into the games with the idea that killing is the way you would win, I probably would not make it out alive.”

Elena Spaulding, district 12: “Be the underdog. Because everyone roots for them. Oh also, eat all the food. Then everyone would starve.”

McKenzie Grimaldi, district 9: “The best hiding place would be at the top of a tree because everyone else would be too lazy to climb it to get me down.”

Maria Donnelly, district 10: “I think good hiding spots would be in a field of tall grass. Or if it’s in STA, Brewer’s cabinets.”

Kelsey Rusgis, district 11: “Goppert advisories because no one remembers us, the stairs by the vending machines in M&A, or the fourth floor offices.”

Elena Spaulding, district 12: “Sub-basement. What’s the sub-basement you ask? Exactly.”

Kelsey Rusgis

Mary Grace Ruhlman Abby Dearth

March 7, 2013 | the dart | dartnewsonline.com | features | 5 Maria Donnelly

DISTRICT 10

Mary Grace Ruhlman, district 11: “I would observe my surroundings, and play it by ear. If there was a backpack close to me at the cornucopia, then I would probably run for it. If it were far away, and I had a good chance of being killed, I would get away and run for my life. Then I would plan on coming back and possibly getting the necessary tools. But knowing me, I probably would not survive without the care pack in the arena. I would probably suffer from lack of knowledge.”

Amanda Koch, district 12: “Learn all the unwritten rules of survival!”

Q: What type of scenarios do you think would happen?

Meg Sweeny, district 9: “I would probably drop all of my weapons as I was running and they would all break. I would probably end up having to just jump on people and hit and scratch them until they give up or I get their weapon.”

Elaine Kerr, district 10: “I will win.”

Willa Knight, district 10: “Probably me running around and screaming a lot.”

Kelsey Rusgis, district 11: “The bees would kill me. Another challenge would be to successfully get on the roof of Donnelly without anyone knowing.”

Amanda Koch, district 12: “The possibilities are endless for potential scenarios. There would be people who would be true to their friends and form alliances based on trust. There would be others who would want to win, no matter the cost.”

Keara Miller, district 12: “Battle to the death in the quad.”

Q: Which Hunger Games character would you compare yourself to and why?

Willa Knight

Elaine Kerr

DISTRICT 12

Amanda Koch

Elena Spaulding photos by MADDIE KNOPKE

Keara Miller Q: What would your unique talent/secret weapon be for the games?

Cassandra Beechwood-Hall, district 9: “I’m not sure, considering I’m about 99 percent sure I’d be one of the first to die.”

McKenzie Grimaldi, district 9: “My secret weapon would be some basketballs. I’d drop them on people’s heads from the tree and knock them out when they walked by. So I’d win.”

Willa Knight, district 10: “My hair because I could hide things in it.”

Mary Grace Ruhlman, district 11: “I can look at what someone is doing and copy it exactly. I can mimic that and do something that I have never done before perfectly or at least alright. So in the games, if I see someone shooting an arrow, then I could probably teach myself very quickly how to shoot an arrow.”

Elena Spaulding, district 12: “#Dual Lightsaber/the FORCE/your mom jokes/bad pickup lines.”

Q: What’s the first thing you would do once the games begin?

McKenzie Grimaldi, district 9: “The first thing I would do when it started is hide so I don’t die.”

Maria Donnelly, district 10: “The first thing I would do is step off the podium and walk slowly to a secluded area with no one knowing.”

Abby Dearth, district 11: “Make nice with the Gamemaker so she would tell me the secrets. Then I’d build a zipline from third floor to third floor for quick and easy access. Then I’d hide out in the tunnel and unleash my fury.”

Meg Sweeny, district 9: “I would be one of the characters who we don’t know the name of because I would be the first one to be killed.”

Willa Knight, district 10: “Katniss because it starts with ‘kat,’ and I like cats.”

Maria Donnelly, district 10: “I am like Effie Trinket in the Hunger Games because I am very lively like her and I love strange fashion.”

Elaine Kerr, district 10: “I compare myself to Peeta. He lives in a bakery and is skilled in making cakes. I spend all my time at Bistro so I practically live in the kitchen.”

Abby Dearth, district 11: “Finnick Odair because he is my soulmate.

We share dashing good looks and clever sharpened senses. That is the deadliest combination.”

Mary Grace Ruhlman, district 11: “I would compare myself to Katniss, because my goal would not be to kill people, but just to survive. If someone was nice to me in the arena, then I would probably be nice back. If Rue came up to me and started treating me like a sister, I would probably be polite but cautious. Also, unlike Katniss, I would have fear and nerves painted all over my face. Katniss had confidence and knowledge in what she was doing, and I know that if I was stuck in some messed up wilderness world then I would not be able to take care of myself.”

Keara Miller, district 12: “Of the characters, I would be Thresh. We are the most alike in physique.”

Q: What teacher/student would you want to be your mentor?

Meg Sweeny, district 9: “I would want my mentor to be Meredith Mulhern because she is very strong, scary and she knows some good fighting moves.”

Elaine Kerr, district 10: “My mentors would be the ‘Bistro Boys.’

They are always there for me when I’m hungry and forget my lunch. They would provide me with many delicious salads that would fuel my energy for the games.”

Abby Dearth, district 11: “Security Bob because he knows the ins and outs of the campus.”

Mary Grace Ruhlman, district 11: “I would probably have Mr. Sanem be my mentor. He has the whole game figured out.”

Amanda Koch, district 12: “Ema Brzon because she can push me to achieve to my highest potential.” H

...may the odds be ever in your

FAVOR

6 | features | dartnewsonline.com | the dart | March 7, 2013 NAN TIEHAN BONE

nothing’s changed

T

he facilities have changed. The tuition has changed. The classes have changed.

But one thing about STA hasn’t changed since president Nan Bone graduated in 1969—the students.

Yes, 42 classes have graduated since then, but, according to Bone, the spirit and attitude of the typical STA girl has stayed the same.

“The first day on the job, I was a little nervous because tuition had gone way up,” Bone said. “I felt like since tuition had gone way up, the girls were not going to be like the friends I had [when I went to STA]. [But] the first day, there were girls in my office talking about a fundraiser they were organizing, and I was looking around, thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve come to heaven again.’”

Time and distance did not ruin the friendships that she made during high school.

“The day I moved back [to Kansas City from Iowa], guess who was at my front door,” Bone said. “My STA friends. They are my best friends. They’ve always been my best friends. With your STA friends, there’s just that sisterhood there.”

According to Bone, it was that sisterhood that gave her the “cando” attitude she still has today.

“I always say to people, ‘We can figure this out. I think we can do this,’” Bone said. “And that came from being an STA woman.”

Bone has seen her experience at STA influence both her and fellow alumnae. “[When people question donating to STA versus a different organization], I remind them that the people running those [other] nonprofits and organizations are our girls,” Bone said. “I started [a daycare] in Iowa because I had a background at STA. STA is putting its students in positions to help the less fortunate.”H

CONNIE CONNELL FAHEY

C

working woman

hemistry. Biology. Latin. In addition to STA’s required core classes, Connie Connell Fahey chose these as stepping stones on her path to becoming a nurse.

“When I was at STA we did not have the options you all have now, “ Fahey wrote in an email. “I took the basic courses math, science, english, religion, language, history and maybe . . . one or two electives.”

In high school, Fahey worked behind the scenes for the drama department and showed an interest in art.

Fahey then attended the University of Missouri and earned a nursing degree from the Research College of Nursing.

Along with raising three children, Fahey began and now operates her own company, Fahey Case Management, where she is “a patient advocate and [helps] patients and families get through the healthcare maze.”

As an adult in the working world, Fahey now realizes how her time at STA has helped her get to where she is today. “[My experiences] taught me to be independent, speak my mind, question things, be a doer and a giver,” Fahey wrote. “I learned there was nothing I could not accomplish if I wanted to work hard enough. I made lasting friendships and was impacted by the Sisters of St. Joseph who taught me...I learned to be strong.”H

class of 1969

STAYING IN THE

SISTERHOOD Despite the various paths the members \of the class of 1969 have taken, they have always carried some part of STA with

by NATALIE FITTS AND CHRISTINA ELIAS nfitts@dartnewsonline.com celias@dartnewsonline.com

March 7, 2013 | the dart | dartnewsonline.com | features | 7 GINNY SCHLOEGEL MOORE

ANNE PURCELL

A

stick together

nne Purcell knew each one of her 130 classmates in high school.

So when she decided to attend the University of Missouri–Columbia the year after graduation, she wanted to take a piece of familiarity with her into the new and bigger environment.

“Jane Harvey Aschemann and I decided to room together the first year at MU,” Purcell wrote in an email interview. “We were really good friends, and MU seemed (and was) such a big place compared to STA, [so] neither of us wanted to take chances and just get an assigned roommate.”

According to Purcell, it was a good decision, convincing her to room with other STA classmates her sophomore and junior years.

“Cathy Cooney, Kathy Brodie, Leanna Barclay and I lived in what we thought was a charming apartment in the second floor of a pretty dilapidated house,” Purcell wrote.

According to Purcell, she still considers them all good friends, even though she has more contact with some than others. They were all a part of what she considers a great period of time. “[STA] was just a wonderful time of my life,” Purcell wrote. “Perhaps the most important message I received at STA was that I could do whatever I wanted as long as I worked hard to get it.”

This “inspiring, supportive message” has led her to a career in labor law in the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C. According to Purcell, some of the inspiration for her career choose stemmed from her background at STA. “I liked the idea of helping working people and of being a government lawyer,” Purcell wrote. “I had some absolutely wonderful teachers at STA who promoted free and full discussions of many social issues and I know that they influenced me in many ways even today.”H

Scan this QR code with a smartphone to read more of the class of 1969’s profiles or go to dartnewsonline.com

F

keeping in touch

or Ginny Schloegel Moore, STA wasn’t just a high school. It was where she discovered lifelong companions.

“I found friends that I still am very, very close to from my St. Teresa’s days,” Moore said.

According to Moore, she and her friends stay in contact over the phone and through group activities.

“I play bridge with some of [my St. Teresa’s friends], I party with some of them, I play tennis with some of them . . . they come to the lake house with me,” Moore said. “I wouldn’t trade [their friendship] for anything in the world.”

Besides these valuable relationships, Moore upheld a “family tradition” by attending STA. “I have five sisters, and we all went to [STA],” Moore said. “We all had just a fantastic experience going to St. Teresa’s.”

Moore’s three daughters are also alumnae, and Moore is now looking to recruit one more potential Star to join the ranks of alumnae.

According to Moore, “every time [they] pass St. Teresa’s, [her fouryear-old granddaughter] says, ‘Gigi, that’s where I’m gonna go to high school!’”

Besides the family legacy and valuable relationships cultivated during her time at STA, Moore reminisced about her favorite memories, especially the school spirit.

“I did intramural sports, and one thing I remember so well is the classes would all join in the gym, which is now [the Commons], and we would gather around the balcony area,” Moore said. “Every morning we played intramurals and chanted our class song to build school spirit. It was so much fun.”H

CATHY BOWEN COONEY

A

cherished relationships

ttending three different colleges in three years and working throughout those years did not allow Cathy Bowen Cooney a lot of time to “be very active in college.” Fortunately, her participation in various activities during her previous four years at STA nearly made up for it.

“At STA, I was very active in student government, athletics and Sodality,” Cooney wrote in an email interview. “Having offices in student government gave me my first taste of leadership and athletics the opportunity to be on teams—both have been life long skills I rely on.”

Cooney has more than just life skills and memories from her days at St. Teresa’s. She has relationships. After attending grade school together, she and Tom started dating while she was at STA and he was at Rockhurst. Three months after they both graduated from college, they got married.

“We have been married 40 years and are still best friends,” Cooney wrote.

In addition, she still talks to her high school classmates.

“We had a great group of girls who really cared about each other, STA and our larger community,” Cooney wrote. “I still keep in touch with STA friends.”

According to Cooney, the various cities she has called home since she graduated from STA have not prevented her from continuing these relationships.

“Though I have not lived in KC for over 35 years, I can pick up wherever we left off,” Cooney said of her STA friends.H photos from Teresian yearbook and submitted by Kathleen Barry

cartoon by EMA BRZON

8 | opinion | dartnewsonline.com | the dart | March 7, 2013

Embrace competing in higher categories In 2001, 485 girls attended STA. In the eyes of the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA), 485 students attended STA. In 2013, 575 girls go to STA. In the eyes of MSHSAA, 1,552 girls go to STA. You may be thinking, “I’m sorry...What?

1,552 girls wouldn’t even fit in our school.”

And you are correct.

If 1,552 girls went to STA, roughly 3 girls would occupy one locker and each advisory would have 47 girls. If 1,552 girls went to STA, the students would fill the seats in the Chapel of St. Joseph roughly 12 times over.

That many girls technically go to STA not because MSHSAA miscounted, but because of a rule that became effective in the 2002-2003 school year that inflates every private school’s enrollment number.

This rule is better known as the “multiplier effect.” It multiplies STA’s enrollment by two, to account for being a single-sex school, and multiplies that number by 1.35 to account for being a private institution, taking our enrollment from 575 students to 1,552.

RIGHT ON

TARGET Each issue, the Dart asks three people their opinions of the issue discussed in the main editorial.

Here’s what they said:

compiled by SABRINA REDLINGSHAFER

So all of this fondling with numbers may petitors. And when we do succeed in the higher classes, it makes the taste of victory seem confusing, and you may be asking that much more rewarding. We can hold yourself “Why does this all even matter?”

The multiplier effect affects every girl at the trophy, medal or ribbon in our hands with the satisfacSTA that participates tion that we are in any sport, music competitive with activity or speech and The staff editorial represents the schools almost debate activity. views of the Dart editorial board: Instead of competfour times the size ing against other of STA. 5 out of 5 editors voted in support Theoretically, schools that have of this editorial the multiplier similar enrollments, effect is meant to the multiplier effect make competition shoves us up in the enrollment rankings between private and public schools “fair” because MSHSAA and categorizes us with schools whose enperceives private schools as privileged. rollments are three times that of STA. Theoretically, STA’s 575 student body is just The multiplier effect is unfair because as capable as another school body of 1,813. it perceives private schools as having the ability to compensate for their lower Though the theory behind the multienrollments through unlimited recruitment plier effect seems discriminatory towards private schools, we must accept this rule options and abundant budgeting (this, of for what it is. Instead of resenting this rule, course, is false). we must embrace it.

However, the multiplier effect positively STA has incredibly competitive athletaffects us because when we compete with bigger schools, we become better comics with 15 top 4 finishes at State after the

multiplier effect was instated. Prior to the multiplier, there were 21 top 4 finishes.

Yes, the competition is tougher. Yes, winning is more difficult. Yes, we should be competing with schools with more similar enrollments.

But why not embrace the higher level?

Why not embrace the fact that as an allgirls private school, we have the privilege of competing against much bigger schools.

Why not improve upon our skills in whichever activity?

Because that is the favor the multiplier has done for us. Since we play, race and sing against more competitive schools, our athletics and academics have become so much more competitive. We have moved into the highest possible level, and though it may seem tough, in the end, it improves upon our skill, strength and integrity, which we might not have if STA were in a lower category.

So come on athletes, runners, dancers, debaters, golfers, singers and swimmers: let’s show them what Catholic school girls are made of. H

How do you think being in a higher category affects STA sports teams’ successes and skills?

“We get better competition because there are more athletes to compete against.”

“Statistically, I think it puts us at a disadvantage. But I think our sports teams have enough skill and determination to compete with these teams and win.”

Hayden Lee sophomore

Meredith Latenser junior

Lee

“We definitely have worse success rates because we have a smaller amount of students, so a smaller range of talent. So our odds are automatically gonna be less.”

Latenser

Mary Gibson junior

Gibson

March 7, 2013 | the dart | dartnewsonline.com | opinion | 9 graphic by SHAEFFER SMITH

Uphill battle just beginning as women in military ban ends

Saying goodbye to a decade of dedication “Swimmers, take your mark…” I bend down and grab the edge of the block with my two hands, shifting all my weight to my front leg, ready to launch myself forward at the sound of the starter’s

by ROSE HUTCHISON beep. My mind is rhutchison@dartnewsonline.com absolutely racing. I can do this, I tell myself. I am ready. I can do this. BEEP. I fly forward and dive into the ice cold water...Silence. I break out at the surface of the water and race like I never have before.

Fifty-three seconds later, it’s all over.

Ten years later, it’s all over.

One decade ago, in 2003, nine-year-old Rosie decided to take her swimming career one step further than the Homestead Hurricanes and join the Kansas City Blazers. Man, did I think I was cool. I was that kid who put the Blazer logo tattoos on my face (and occasionally my butt) when I got a best time. I would give myself Sharpie tattoos saying stuff like “Eat, Sleep, Swim” and “Eat my bubbles.” I made friends with the weirdest swimmers at meets, and I am best friends with some of those weirdos today. Years later, here I am, finished with my last swim season ever. Considering how much I’ve cried and complained about swimming and all it entails, I’ve recently realized I’m going to miss it more than I can accurately say.

The funny thing about swimming is that it is the most timeconsuming, physically demanding, complaint-worthy sport I’ve ever encountered, but it has been the best experience of my life. There’s nothing quite like the feeling you get in the bullpen before finals at State, walking out with your earphones in, blasting “Stronger” by

Kanye West, so nervous you can’t feel your legs, not knowing what’s going to happen next. Nothing compares to hearing your teammates/ Dad/friend’s mom/coach cheering their hearts out for you as you mount the blocks for the most intense race of your life. Nothing feels better than looking up at the scoreboard and being surprised at how fast you just swam.

The best of all, however, is walking past your teammates after a race and knowing they are proud of you, no matter how disappointed you feel in yourself. I would like to take this sentence the Dart to thank every single one of my teammates, past and present, for being the best swim buddies a Starfish could ask for. I am SO lucky to have been able to share my sport with you, and I have learned invaluable lessons from swimming that I could never be taught in a classroom.

(Pause: can we just take a second to realize that I’m being serious and sentimental and not even sarcastic right now? This never happens… what the heck?)

It’s a really good thing Mizzou has the best recreational center in the US and an Olympic-esque pool that I can swim in whenever I want in college. (Not like I actually will, but I’m just going to tell myself that.)

Anyway, it’s going to be strange and uncomfortable, yet awesome and dangerous having so much free time the next 3 months of high school because I won’t have to spend 3 1/2 hours of every afternoon at practice. I’m going to have to find a new hobby/actually try hard in school now that I don’t have a sport to dedicate my life to. And I’ll need to learn how to eat normal sized meals since I won’t be burning major calories anymore…Dang it. But hey, at least I don’t have to wake up at 4:50 a.m. in the summers anymore!

Seriously though, if the sport of swimming was a person, I would give it a huuuuuuge hug and a tell it thanks for the good times and for giving me a rockin’ bod (just kidding...actually, not really). Retiring from swimming is going change the way I live, but I guess huge changes are just part of growing up. So, on to the next big thing... COLLEGE. Wish me luck homies! H

I feel confused and violated. I feel like everything I thought about St. Teresa’s Academy students has been shattered. I am in shock.

I always thought that STA was a tight knit

by LAUREN LANGDON community absent llangdon@dartnewsonline.com of crime. Most students even leave their lockers open! I learned how naive I was Feb. 11.

The day started like every other Monday: long. When I got home, I reached into my backpack for my pencil bag. It was missing! I did not worry. I figured I left my precious pencil bag in math and I would get it the next day.

It turns out that I did not have to wait for my last period pre-calculus class to look for my pencil bag. As I was opening the door to my sixth period social concerns class, something yellow caught my eye. I looked to the right of religion teacher Michael Sanem’s door and saw my pencil bag on top of a chair. The following blissful ignorance did not last long.

My pencil bag felt light and fairly empty, but I was not worried, yet, because I knew I had some pencils in my netbook case. I started transferring my pencils into my bag when I finally started to understand.

Why do I have so many pencils? Where are my pens? My mind raced. I asked Sanem, but he claimed to have no knowledge of the treacherous act.

I love my pencil bag. My dad bought it for me when he was travelling in Asia last year. It has the perfect amount of space for me to fit a few pencils, a yellow highlighter and my seven different colored pens.

But, at that moment in social concerns, I realized I was living amongst a criminal. I only had one pen - my broken red one. Someone reached into my pencil bag, knowing it was not their own, and grabbed my orange, green-yellow, green-blue, light blue, navy blue and light pink pens.

I am very protective of my pens because I am very particular about the kinds I use. I like pens that flow fluidly so my hand does not hurt when I am writing. I like pens whose ink dries instantly. I liked my, now stolen, pens.

I have never felt so vulnerable. How could this happen at STA? I started recounting the story to everyone I meet, but no one seemed to understand the gravity of the situation -- until I talked to my history teacher Craig Whitney. He knew exactly where I was coming from; he is picky about his pens too. Then, the most amazing thing happened. Whitney asked me what kinds of pens I liked and opened his file cabinet to reveal a half opened package of pens. He pulled out a brand new pen and handed it to me. I could hear a chorus of angels singing “Hallelujah” in my head. I practically skipped to my seat.

Whitney did not just give me a pen, but my state of mind. Right after the robbery, I felt like I had been introduced to a new side of STA, but Whitney’s gift changed my mind. One person’s actions does not reflect the entire school.

If you are responsible for taking my pens, you do not need to confess, but please stop. I do not want anyone else going through an experience like this. H

Hide your pens, hide your pencils: there’s a thief

by EMILY WEMHOFF ewemhoff@dartnewsonline.com

When the Pentagon announced that the military was lifting the 1994 ban that restricts women from artillery, armor, infantry and other combat roles, I was shocked. First of all, how had this not happened before? I didn’t know that women couldn’t serve on the front lines because I assumed the military changed the rule 20 years ago.

Then I found out that in reality, women have been in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan for a long time. According to the Pentagon, hundreds of thousands of women have deployed in various conflicts due to the necessities of war. As of last year, more than 800 women had been wounded in the two wars and more than 130 had died.

But only now has the military decided to recognize their roles in combat.

In 2012, Maj. Mary Jennings Hegar, an Air National Guard helicopter pilot, was shot down, returned fire and was wounded while on the ground in Afghanistan, but could not seek combat leadership positions because the Defense Department did not officially acknowledge her service.

That is even more of an outrage to me.

How has the military recognized its men as superior to the thousands of women with equal dedication?

At STA, we have been taught to be proud women. I always feel lucky to attend an all-girls school where each person is recognized not by their gender but by their accomplishments. If we want to truly express gratitude for the equal opportunities STA provides, we need to take our understandings into the world. We need to stand up for girls at other schools who feel ashamed to raise their hand in class because they feel like boys are superior.

According to author Sara Laschever, studies show that boys react more quickly than girls and are usually first to raise their hands when asked a question. Laschever completed a story where she discovered that as early as first grade, boys will raise their hands in class to answer a question even if they don’t know the answer. They simply want the teacher’s attention. However, little girls won’t raise their hands even when they do know the answer.

“Boys want to be offered attention and acknowledgment for brains and work,” Laschever said. “Women wait to be asked, wait to be offered.”

Let’s be thankful that at STA, we don’t wait to be offered anything. We jump at opportunities. We stand up for each other.

We go into the world prepared to be lawyers, doctors and leaders of society.

So as women nationwide celebrate the historic decision to lift the ban on combat roles, be grateful for what you have. This is not the end of women’s battle for opportunity—it is the beginning. H

a numbers

March 7, 2013 | the dart | dartnewsonline.com | centerspread | 11

10 | centerspread | dartnewsonline.com | the dart | March 7, 2013

GAME

In 2003, MSHSAA implemented a rule in an attempt to even the playing field for high school athletics. However, evidence shows that the rule has done little to affect outcomes of District, Sectional and State championships. story by LANE MAGUIRE and SARA MEURER

THE MULTIPLIER EFFECT

575 x 2 = 1,150 x 1.35 = 1,552 STA’ s real enrollment

because STA is an all-girls school

because STA is a private institution

STA’ s multiplier effect enrollment

Alumna Caroline Gray cries after losing in the District finals game against Lee’s Summit North High School May 18, 2011.

The Stars were seeded number one in the District tournament.

I

n the 2010 Sectional match, the STA volleyball team lost to schools won 32.3 percent of the state’s championships.

Lee’s Summit West, ending the season with a 24-10 record.

The facts After beating Park Hill South in the first game of the 2011 The rule takes STA’s enrollment and multiplies it by two, to Sectionals, the Stars lost to Lee’s Summit West again in the account for being a single-sex school, and multiplies that numsecond game, ending their season. Last November, Lee’s Summit ber by 1.35 to account for being a private institution. According West defeated the Stars for the third consecutive year in the to MSHSAA communications director Jason West, “there were Sectional championship game, ending their season again. multiple studies done and equations to come up with that Three straight years. Three straight losses. Same 5A school. number.”

“It’s hard because [Lee’s Summit West has] an extremely This number takes STA’s enrollment from 575 students to strong program and they’re such a strong school,” varsity vol1,552. The multiplier determines which class or division sports leyball player Elaine Schmidt said. “It’s really frustrating when teams are placed in, and therefore determines which teams you look at their school and you’re like, ‘Wow, they have so many compete against each other. MSHSAA schools are classified more people.’ They definitely have an advantage because they every two years based on updated school enrollment figures. can draw so many more players.”

MSHSAA implemented this rule after a vote from its member Schmidt is describing the competition that the STA volleyball schools 11 years ago because some high schools were seen to athletes--and many other STA teams--face as a part of Missouri’s have an advantage over others. largest and, therefore, most competitive class.

West believes that the multiplier has ultimately been The school’s placement in the largest class in every sport successful in evening the playing field, however significant the besides dance is the result of a Missouri State High School changes have been.

Activities Association, or MSHSAA, rule. Beginning in the 2002“I think in some sports you don’t see [the effects of the multi2003 school year MSHSAA implemented a “multiplier effect” to plier], or it may not have as big of an impact as it does in football all private schools in the state of Missouri. The multiplier is an or basketball, but I think it has gotten some more parity espeeffort to even the playing field for high school athletics. cially at the smaller school level where you have small schools STA athletes and the athletic department see the multiplier against larger schools,” West said. rule as unfair because they say it assumes--incorrectly--that priAccording to a 2003 article in The Kansas City Star titled vate schools have an advantage through recruitment opportuni“Multiplier rule wasn’t a plus for public schools,” without the ties and a less restrictive budgetary process. Many of the schools multiplier during the 2001-02 school year, that STA competes against in state 36.4 percent of Missouri team champion“I think there’s an assumption that competition have many more students ships went to private schools. With the than STA--even after the multiplier because you’re a private school, you multiplier during the 2002-2003 school effect is applied. year, private schools won 35.8 percent of The rule often increases the quality have a bigger budget...”

State titles (with two State champions that — Mark Hough, STA athletic director of the teams STA plays. However, some had yet to be determined).

STA sports teams have thrived since History teacher Mike Egner is the former the multiplier, simply because of the talent of that team. Other STA athletic director. Egner said the main rationale behind the teams have suffered because of the rule. rule was that public schools believed private schools had an However, statistics have shown that the multiplier has actual- unfair advantage because private schools could recruit students ly done little to reduce the number of State championships won from across public school district lines. As STA’s assistant athoverall by STA and other private schools in Missouri--its original letic director from 1998-2000 and head athletic director from intent.

2000-10, Egner attended Missouri athletic directors’ meetings According to an article titled “Prep Plus: Evaluating the at the time the multiplier rule was being discussed.

Motivations for and Effects of Enrollment Multipliers and Other “[Public schools] said, ‘It’s not fair so [private schools] should Measures in High School Sports” by Timothy Epstein, the chair have to compete at a higher level because they can draw stuof SmithAmundsen’s Sports Law Practice Group (Chicago, IL), dents from all over,’” Egner said. the Missouri multiplier system “has simply not achieved the deBelieving there to be a disproportionate number of State sired result of reducing the percentage of State championships championships won by private schools, many state athletics won by private schools.” In the ten years before the multiplier associations, including Missouri’s, have implemented strategies was implemented, private schools, constituting 20 percent of hoping to reduce the number of state championships won by Missouri’s schools, won 33.2 percent of all State championships. private schools. According to current STA athletic director Mark Three years after the multiplier was implemented, private Hough, STA is classified in the highest, or most competitive, class

STA: An ATHLETIC HISTORY

KEY

The Dart compiled a chart illustrating STA’s athletic history from 1996 to last year. The dotted line divides the years of before and after the “multiplier effect” was introduced by MSHSAA in 2002. infographic by SARA-JESSICA DILKS / source: STA athletic department history

1st, 2nd or 3rd place at State

ghfghfghj

BB

1st place at Sectionals

BB = basketball / D = dance / XC = cross country / S = soccer / T = tennis / Sw = swimming / VB = volleyball

D

XC

1st place at Districts

T

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S BB 96

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in every sport besides dance. This means that STA, considered a medium-sized school by Hough, must compete against the largest public schools in Missouri as part of MSHSAA’s attempt to even the playing field.

“I think there’s an assumption that because you’re a private school, you have a bigger budget, whereas many public schools have experienced budget cuts over the years,” Hough said. “I’ve been at two private schools over the last 15 years and that’s not the case, and it might be the opposite way. We’re trying not to pass costs onto the families, so we don’t just get to go out and buy whatever we want.”

Both Egner and Hough believe that Rockhurst High School’s number of State championships was a large factor in the passage of the multiplier effect in Missouri.

“The multiplier rule everybody voted for because of Rockhurst football, but they didn’t think that they’d just shoved St. Teresa’s volleyball up in the big class,” Hough said.

THE MEETING

Egner describes the scene at the athletic directors’ meeting when the multiplier rule was discussed.

“Public schools were standing up and saying, ‘You guys recruit. It’s illegal, you get away with it and we’re going to find some way to make it tougher for you to win state championships,’” Egner said. “Period. That’s it. And we all looked at each other and said, ‘You recruit? You recruit? You recruit? We don’t recruit.’”

According to MSHSAA’s official handbook, “...all members of the Missouri State High School Activities Association must refrain from recruitment, inducement or other forms of persuasion and undue influence which would encourage a student to enroll in a school primarily for interscholastic activities purpose.”

So if recruitment was already illegal under MSHSAA’s “undue influence” rule, why were public schools worried about private schools unfairly recruiting? According to Egner, undue influence was too hard to prove.

“The athletic director at [Notre Dame de] Sion called me one time and was really upset,” Egner said. “He heard that I had given an eighth grader a ride to an STA basketball game when I was a coach. It wasn’t true but that’s what he had heard because some parent started spreading rumors. So that’s something that couldn’t ever be proven, but it was suspected that some schools did [recruit], because some schools did use undue influence.”

Since the undue influence rule seemed unenforceable, MSHSAA looked for another way to curb private school’s alleged advantage: the multiplier effect. When private schools protested against the multiplier effect, MSHSAA proposed an alternative plan to set up a completely different playoff system, separating public and private schools.

SEE NUMBERS | PAGE 12

Freshman Grace Kitts hangs in the lane during an STA home game against Notre Dame de Sion Jan. 18. photo by MENLEY BRENNAN

Alumnae Olivia Scheuler dives at 2011 Sectionals. The Stars beat Park Hill South, but lost the next game. photo by ERIN HUTCHISON

AN UNBALANCED EQUATION The figures shown in BLACK represent each school’s approximate real enrollment for the 2012-2013 school year.

The figures shown in GRAY represent STA’s enrollment with the multiplier effect, which was enacted in 2002.

STA has lost to Lee’s Summit North (a co-ed public school that isn’t affected by the multiplier rule) in soccer districts for the past four years.

ST. TERESA’S ACADEMY enrollment: 575

LEE’S SUMMIT NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

Note: Each figure represents approximately 100 students.

enrollment: 1,967

infographic by SARA-JESSICA DILKS

12 | sports | dartnewsonline.com | the dart | March 7, 2013

numbers: multiplier effect impacts STA sports teams continued from page 11 “They threatened,” Egner said. “MSHSAA said, ‘If we can’t stop you guys from recruiting, then we’re just going to separate the public from private schools.’ In my opinion, that would just be terrible.”

MSHSAA also proposed another alternative plan that would forbid athletes who resided in Kansas but attended school in Missouri from competing in state championships. According to Egner, the rule was close to passing.

“It almost passed because there were so many public schools that hated to see Rockhurst win so many State championships,” Egner said. “Some of the parents at Rockhurst threatened to sue the state in court if they tried to do that.”

competition for dance team

The STA varsity dance team is one team that has been most recently affected by the multiplier. Due to an increase in enrollment at STA and several changes to the division classifications for the Missouri Dance Team Association, varsity dance team has been moved from the 4A division to the 5A division, where 6A is the largest division and 1A is the smallest.

Last weekend, the varsity dance team competed in the 5A division for the first time at State. The team placed ninth overall after placing fourth the year before in the 4A division.

For the dance team, moving up one division is a disadvantage, according to team member, junior Katie Daniels.

“There’s always a chance we could place in the top three [at State], but we probably won’t because the teams we are up against are so much harder,” said Daniels before State. “The teams we are up against are teams that are going to Nationals and placing in the top three at Nationals, so it’s not a big deal for them to go and win State.”

Aside from the team’s chances at State, Daniels believed the new classification has had a negative effect on some of her teammate’s attitudes.

“We work hard but I think some people on our team almost feel like there is no point in trying because we are [competing] at such a high-level now,” Daniels said. “So some people are losing their focus and trying to make dance team more fun than focused and before State, we should be focusing.”

Daniels predicted that Lee’s Summit West High School and Francis Howell High School

would be two of the STA dance team’s biggest competitors at 5A State. Lee’s Summit West has an enrollment number of 1,729 and placed third overall this year at State; Francis Howell has 1,813 total students and placed second.

Basketball team suffers

For STA sports, the multiplier rule has disadvantaged some and has not affected others.

According to Hough, basketball is the sport that has suffered the most because of the multiplier.

“Volleyball and soccer have made it further in the post-season since the multiplier compared to basketball,” Hough said. “...basketball was on a roll for a long time until the multiplier.”

For example, STA soccer won a State championship in Class 2 the year before as well as the year after the multiplier effect was implemented. The team went on to win the State championship again in 2005 and 2006.

Comparatively, basketball has not been as successful since the multiplier.

Basketball is the largest girls sport in Missouri, with a total of 549 schools in all classes, and therefore, the most competitive. (Girls’ soccer, comparatively, has 226 schools in Missouri; girls’ volleyball has 429; dance team has 220).

STA basketball is ranked in the highest class in Missouri: Class 5. Other schools in this same class include: • Lee’s Summit West High School • Raymore-Peculiar High School (enrollment 1,817) • Blue Springs High School (enrollment 2,388) • Lee’s Summit North High School (enrollment 1,967) STA’s actual enrollment number is less than a third of any of these school’s enrollments.

Before the multiplier, STA basketball placed third at State in 1985 and 1995. The team won District championships 8 times in 14 years.

Since the multiplier was implemented, the basketball team has not placed at a State championship and has advanced past Districts once.

However, according to Hough, the basketball program continues to build. The basketball team beat Lee’s Summit West in the District final match this season, advancing to Sectionals for the first time since 1998.

article.

The State of Maryland, for example, holds separate championships for public and private high schools. Other states have implemented enrollment multipliers similar to Missouri’s.

These include: • Arkansas (1.35 multiplier) • Tennessee (1.8 multiplier, the highest in the nation) • Georgia (which voted to end its 1.5 multiplier in 2008) Several other states are considering the enrollment multiplier, according to Epstein.

Room for change?

Hough believes the multiplier effect will never be changed because the rule is beneficial to small public schools, which outnumber large schools in Missouri. Hough tried to contact athletic directors from three small public schools for their opinion on the multiplier effect, but the athletic directors, whom Hough did not wish to name, declined to comment.

According to Hough, in order to change the rule, an athletic director would have to go through MSHSAA to get the issue on a ballot for an athletic director’s vote. To do this, an athletic director can request an issue to be put on a questionnaire, which is held at an annual athletic director’s meeting, to see if there is enough interest to put the issue on the ballot. A majority vote of athletic directors on the ballot is needed to pass or revise a MSHSAA rule.

West, the MSHSAA communications director, does not anticipate any changes to the multiplier rule in the near future.

“The public versus private debate comes up every year in some form or fashion but we can’t really say, ‘No, there’s not going to be any changes,’ but there are not any [changes] on the horizon,” West said.

CONCLUSION

Many states have adopted differing approaches to determine State championship classes, according to Epstein’s “Prep Plus”

The biggest predictor of the success of an athletic team remains the quality of the athletes, not the multiplier effect. However, the rule still causes controversy and debate concerning its fairness.

“I am proud of how well our student-athletes compete against the biggest schools in the city and state,” Hough said. “All of our teams have continued to be successful at the highest level possible over the past few years, finishing in the top two in Districts in six sports, playing for Sectional titles, bringing home top-four State

sity of Kansas for cross country and track and field and Lane Maguire signed with the University of Oklahoma for cross country and track and field. Becca Lueke signed with Benedictine College for basketball. Janie Thompson signed to Trinity University for soccer. Holli Hogge signed with Rockhurst University for volleyball.

Feb. 6 is a national day where students

nationwide sign their letters. A picture of the STA seniors at their signing was featured on mo.milesplit.com along with other athletes from Missouri.

Before the girls signed their letters, athletic director Mark Hough expressed his pride for the girls. According to Hough, he is looking forward to seeing their progress in college.

differing approaches

getcha head in the game H Sophomore varsity alternate player Anna Marie Fiorella watches her fellow teammates warm up. The team arrived at the Sprint Center at 7:45 a.m. to practice on the court. photo by CAROLINE FISS

bump, set, spike H Junior Anna Kropf spikes a ball at an STA varsity volleyball District competition at Raymore Peculiar High School. photo by EMMA WHEATLEY

Six senior athletes formally commit to college

by LINDSEY VALDIVIEZ lvaldiviez@dartnewsonline.com

Six STA seniors celebrated their commitment to college athletics Feb. 6. The students, and their parents, coaches and friends gathered in Verheyen in the Goppert Center to watch the girls sign their national letters of intent.

Courtney Coppinger signed with the Univer-

Also serving as the head track and field coach, Hough said he is excited to watch seniors Coppinger and Maguire run together for another season and in the future.

“I’m looking forward to watching them compete with each other for one more season and four more seasons of them competing against each other,” Hough said. H

March 7, 2013 | the dart | dartnewsonline.com | sports | 13 The STA swim team had recordbreaking performances by three relay teams and four individual swimmers at State Feb. 15-16.

by CASSIE FLORIDO cflorido@dartnewsonline.com

back it up H Sophomore varsity swimmer Haley Baldwin grips the block in starting position for her 100 yard backstroke race at swimming ILCs preliminaries Feb 8. Baldwin finished the race in first place.

Swimmers break records at State 2.

1.

3.

eyes on the prize H Senior varsity swimmer Rosie Hutchison studies the scoreboard after finishing the 50 yard freestyle at the Independent League Championship preliminaries Feb. 8. Hutchison finished the race in 2nd place with a state qualifying time of 25.53 seconds.

1. make a splash H Sophomore swimmer Taran Smith dives off the block into the water for her 100 yard butterfly event at Swim ILC preliminaries at the Henley Aquatics Center in Independece Feb 8. Smith finished the race in 7th place.

2. fly away H Sophomore Maggie Hutchison races to the finish her 100 yard butterfly event at Swim ILC preliminaries Feb 8. Hutchison scored herself a varsity time and was moved from JV to varsity.

3. take a breather H Junior swimmer Kelly Gardella gasps for air frustrated after swimming back to back races, the 100 meter backstroke and the 50 yard freestlye, at the swim ILC’s preliminaries Feb 8. photos by CAROLINE FISS

The STA swim team finished 22nd overall in the Missouri State Swim competition in St. Louis Feb. 15-16. The team also set three new school records at the meet.

Going into the preliminary races on the first day of competition, the team had three relay teams and four individual swimmers.

The Stars had relay teams qualify for the 200 medley, 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle.

Individual qualifiers included seniors Jane Evans and Rosie Hutchison, junior Katie Hornbeck and sophomore Haley Baldwin.

In order to qualify for the final races on the second day of competition, the swimmers had to place in the top 16. The top eight swimmers then competed in the final, while places 9-16 competed in a consolation heat. The top eight swimmers and relay teams all earned medals on the second day. However, all of the top 16 still earned points for the overall team score.

According to head coach Andrew Wilcox, the team broke three school records in the preliminary races. On the second day of the meet, two of the records were broken again.

“It is a testament to the effort that these young ladies put into their training all season long,” Wilcox said about the broken records.

On the first day of competition, the 400 freestyle relay team set a school record with a time of 3:41.54, finishing ninth overall. As the relay team swam in the consolation heat on the second day, the team broke their previous record with a new time of 3:41.12. The team finished 11th overall in the competition.

Baldwin also broke a school record in the 200 IM prelim with a time of 2:18.28. Baldwin finished 31st in the preliminary race.

Baldwin says that she was surprised when she found out she broke a school record.

“I thought that it was a mistake,” Baldwin said. “But when I realized it wasn’t, I felt like all my hard work paid off.”

Hutchison was the only individual swimmer to earn a chance to swim on the second day of the competition.

In the 200 Freestyle, Hutchison finished fifth in the prelims with a time of 1:55.10. This time broke the school record Hutchison set last year.

In the finals, Hutchison finished fifth overall with a time of 1:55.53.

“I felt very accomplished because I wasn’t sure I could swim as fast as I did last year,” Hutchison said about breaking her own record.

“It was a relief to see that time up on the scoreboard.”

Hutchison also finished eighth in her prelim swim of the 100 freestyle with a time of 53:36.

In the finals, she finished seventh overall with a time of 53:31.

The team finished the meet tied 22nd overall and earned a total of 46 team points.

Wilcox said the main lesson the team took away from this season is that the swim and dive program is truly a team sport.

“The coaching staff has watched these ladies build a swim and dive program and make it one of the best in the state,” Wilcox said. “The excitement they had for each other all season long was brought to its zenith at the State meet.”

Wilcox said that even after State the girls continued to spend time together by having a sleep over at one of the girl’s house.

“They have taken sisterhood to a new level,” Wilcox said. H

14 | lifestyles | dartnewsonline.com | the dart | March 7, 2013

0 seniors were asked “How re you going to pick your 40 seniors were asked ollege roommate?

“How are you going

Dorming for Dummies to pick your college roommate?”

There are many ways to pick a college roommate. This year, some STA seniors are taking advantage of new options

by CAITLIN FLETCHER cfletcher@dartnewsonline.com

Seniors have lived in their own houses and slept in their own beds for 18 years. They may have shared a room, or they may have always had a room to themselves. They might be clean, or they could be messy. Next year, seniors will be living away from home, and now they just have to pick a roommate.

Going potluck Will her roommate be a soccer player? A singer? A business major? Senior Madeline Barth has no idea because she decided that if she goes to the University of Kansas, she will be going potluck.

What does this mean? It means signing a housing contract without writing the name of a possible roommate. It means that, more likely than not, this new roommate will be a total stranger. said they would go “I’m excited to meet new people by having a potluck roommate I’m not already friends with,” Barth said. “I’ve never shared a room with a girl either because I don’t have sisters, so I’ll get to see what that’s like.”

While Barth said she is more excited than said they would find she is nervous, there are still a few aspects that worry her. their roommate through “Now that someone mentioned an online program [stealing], I’m a little worried about [it],” Barth said. “What would you say if all of the sudden some of your stuff was slowly going missing? That would be so awkward.” they are rooming with a friend Barth is also worried she will have a roommate she doesn’t necessarily get along with. However, according to Barth, going potluck is a answered “other” better option for her than rooming with someone she is already good friends with.

“My mom always told me she roomed with her best friend and they had to switch at semester because it didn’t work out,” Barth said.

“I don’t want to lose a friend over problems we might have rooming together.”

20 7

said

6 7

Friendly faces Seniors Alex Jackson and Katie Wilhelmus

Online search Ever heard of online dating? Well, the online approach to finding a roommate is very similar.

Some colleges have a “roomsurf” website which allows students to create a profile for themselves, including qualities they look for in a roommate. Students then browse the website and contact potential roommates, as senior Allison Hogan did on the University of Mississippi’s webpage.

“You can look at all the girls who signed up for housing,” Hogan said. “It was really helpful and easy to do.”

Hogan has already found her roommate for next year, Suzannah Merritt from Fort Worth, Tex. However, Merritt wasn’t the first girl Hogan

It’s rare for “fans” to attend the Grammy Awards. But sophomore Micah Welch was the exception this year, which is why both Adele and One Direction looked around when she yelled their names, assuming the voice was coming from a fellow celebrity. And why she entered the Staples Center alongside Mumford & Sons. And why she stood at the hotel front desk behind Jack White. And why, the day before, a paparazzi at the beach was surprised to find out she wasn’t a celebrity after snapping a few pictures of her.

Even from her seat in the suite, she and the other 23 young adults from the Grammy Museum’s Music Revolution Program got to see everything that the celebrities in atten-

dance could see. Justin Timberlake hopping jumping from his seat in between Jessica Biel and Jay-Z to the stage before the show, telling everyone to quiet down. Officials teaching the audience the chorus to The Lumineers’ “Ho Hey” so everyone could sing along during their performance. The enWelch tire room falling silent as Taylor Swift mocked Harry Styles during her opening number. The announcer informing the audience they were going “live to the

FFER SMITH

AE graphic by SH

300

WORDS Modeled after Brady Dennis’s original 300 words, this series captures people and moments in 300 words: no more, no less

by NATALIE FITTS

will be attending the University of Missouri in the fall and will be rooming with each other as opposed to going potluck or searching online for a roommate.

“I decided I didn’t want someone crazy, so I decided to go with someone I know,” Wilhelmus said.

Both Jackson and Wilhelmus knew they wouldn’t want to room with someone they didn’t know when they started looking for a roommate.

“I never even considered rooming with someone I didn’t know,” Jackson said. “I’m very particular, so I didn’t want to room with someone I didn’t know and didn’t trust.”

According to Wilhelmus, she and Jackson are both laid back and have similar personalities, so rooming together will not be a problem.

“I mean, we know we both don’t want someone to steal our clothes, both of us are laid back, we both like to eat a lot so our refrigerators will be stuffed and we go to bed at the same time,” Wilhelmus said.

According to Jackson, she and Wilhelmus are not worried about rooming together because while they are friends, they are not close enough that they will drive each other crazy. Unlike Barth, Wilhelmus would be more worried about having issues with a roommate because she knows them too well.

“I don’t really see [Jackson and I] getting in fights,” Wilhelmus said. “I decided to room with her instead of someone I don’t know because I don’t want to risk having all these issues with them when I know I won’t have [issues] with Alex.”

Jackson and Wilhelmus agree that rooming together will be nice familiarity in a new place.

“It’s just nice to have someone you know when you’re thrown into a new setting that is totally different than what you’re used to,” Jackson said.

rebel roommates H Senior Allison Hogan, left, met her future roommate Suzannah Merritt March 1, while visiting The University of Mississippi. photo submitted by ALLISON HOGAN considered as a potential roommate.

“I had talked to a few girls, but I had talked to Suzannah the most, and when I had made my final decision on Ole Miss, we just decided that we wanted to room together,” Hogan said.

One of the girls Hogan considered rooming with was fellow STA senior Morgan Trees. However, in the end, they both ended up applying to room surf and finding a different roommate.

“Morgan and I had kind of talked about rooming together and getting a third roommate who we didn’t know, but I think we both wanted to do something different and have the experience of rooming with someone new,” Hogan said.

The possibility of meeting new people wasn’t only the reason Hogan decided to find a roommate who she didn’t know before. “[Meeting new people] was one of my deciding factors between KU and Ole Miss,” Hogan said. “I knew going to KU would mean I would have mostly the same friends and a roommate who I knew. While at Ole Miss, I would only have a small group of people I knew and a whole new atmosphere.”

Although Hogan will be meeting new people next year, she is not unfamiliar with her roommate. Since finding each other on room surf, the two have been in contact.

“I was extremely nervous [to meet someone on roomsurf] at first, but so far, it could not have turned out better,” Hogan said. “I’m not nervous anymore at all because I feel like I know [Merritt] well enough to know she’s not really weird or anything like that. I’m happy I’m doing this instead of rooming with someone I know or going out of my comfort zone.” H

world” and counting down from 10 every time the show was returning from a commercial break.

From talking to Justin Timberlake’s manager and his new protege to using the same bathroom as everyone in attendance to getting Sia to ask for a picture with her, Micah quickly learned the tips and tricks of attending award shows. All the way down to whipping out her “fast flats” to replace her 5-inch heels after standing in line for 30 minutes.

Now she knows exactly how the process goes so she’ll be prepared two years from now when she’s sitting in the front row next to her 97-year-old grandma, accepting Grammys herself. H

American Dream March 7, 2013 | the dart | dartnewsonline.com | lifestyles | 15

Junior Mady Sargent prepares to fulfill her aspirations of attending the competitive US Naval Academy to hopefully become a fighter pilot

by SARA-JESSICA DILKS sdilks@dartnewsonline.com

Junior Mady Sargent recalls 2 a.m. on a recent Tuesday night.

While most students have retired to dreams and sleep hours ago, Sargent is wide awake as she researches how to obtain a congressional nomination for the United States Naval Academy. After watching several Navy recruitment videos on Youtube, she pauses briefly to admire the background image of her laptop screen, a photograph of two fighter pilots mid-flight.

Although she is not yet asleep, she is already dreaming.

Sargent is dreaming of her future.

Since she toured the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD on Labor Day last year, Sargent has aspired to attend their basic four-year Naval training program and undergraduate education, hoping to eventually complete the extra two-year Naval Aviation training necessary to become a fighter pilot.

Unfazed by the “simplistic and rigorous” lifestyle that is often associated with the Naval Academy, Sargent insists that it’s her ideal plan; one that she will do “literally anything and everything” to achieve. She feels that attending the Naval Academy will be a pathway into her desire to have a “respectable career” and fight for her country.

“The tour guide [of the Naval Academy] looked at me and asked where I was thinking about going for college and I just said, ‘Well, I want to go here,’” Sargent said. “It was at that moment that I knew that I need to start doing anything that I can to get to that point [of acceptance].”

While the Naval Academy holds an acceptance rate similar to Ivy League schools, Sargent is in the process of preparing to meet her dreams, hoping that she will be included in the seven percent of applicants accepted each year.

“I don’t set unrealistic goals for myself,” Sargent said. “For me to not get accepted would be a slap in the face...everything I’m doing in my life is in preparation for [the Navy].”

Since her sophomore year, Sargent has begun to gradually adapt her current lifestyle to match the fitness standards of a student at the Naval Academy.

This includes “50 miles or so” cycling trips on the weekends, kickboxing classes after school and marathon training (She has already completed the 2012 White Rock Dallas Marathon).

“I always try to exercise as much as I can...so that I’ll be able to pass the physical fitness test needed to be admitted,” Sargent said.

While the Naval Academy is most commonly recognized for preparing its attendees for the actual Navy with its intense fitness regime, it also provides its students with an undergraduate degree. Sargent, who hopes to major in aerospace engineering through their academic program, says that she often has to remind people that the Naval Academy is a four-year college.

living the dream H Junior Mady Sargeant is currently working to gain a nomination from a Kansas congressperson in order to continue her process of joining the US Navy. Her hope is to become a fighter pilot, and she plans to do “everything it takes” to get there. photo by EMMA WHEATLEY “I tell people, ‘It’s similar to going to [a normal four-year college] like Kansas University or something, except you go directly into the Navy [rather than into the work world] after graduation.”

In order to be even considered by the Naval Academy, Sargent must first “obtain a nomination from an official source,” according to the United States Naval Academy official website.

Thus, she has already traveled to the office of Kansas’s 3rd District Congressman, Kevin Yoder, to pick up an application packet for her nomination. Captain Stephen B. Latta, the dean of admissions, wrote on the Naval Academy’s official website that the admissions department seeks students “who excel not only academically, but also in athletics, leadership, and service.”

“I basically just do everything I can to shoot for straight As,” Sargent said. “I mean just by studying for tests and completing all my

homework on time. Sometimes I’ll get up early in the morning [to complete school work or study] so I’m rested and focused.”

Sargent also devotes free time to service work, volunteering at the Urban Scholastic Center and with Habitat for Humanity after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

This past fall, representatives from the Naval Academy visited STA during an activity period, in association with the Navy outreach recruitment program. Among the representatives was Kenny Healy, a 2010 Rockhurst High School graduate and current midshipman at the Naval Academy. Healy is planning on selecting the Naval Aviation training program to become a fighter pilot after he graduates as a military officer in 2014. Healy’s physical preparation process for when he was applying is similar to Sargent’s current schedule.

“I prepared for the Academy physically by running cross country in the fall of senior year,

and doing a workout program,” Healy wrote in an email. “We concentrated on middle to long distance running, pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups and regular weight training...[it] put me in gxood position in relation to my classmates.”

While Sargent and many other Naval Academy hopefuls prepare endlessly for the intense fitness regime through training and working out regularly, the mental preparation is perhaps just as important, and one must be able to excel in various environments and situations under pressure, according to Healy.

“Mentally, I think I just came in with an open mind and I was ready to be pushed to my limits,” Healy wrote. “While I was there over the first summer, I realized that probably the best mental preparation is being ready and open to the thought of failing. At the Academy, you will fail at something, and if you’re not ready to accept that, then you will struggle.” H

16 | A&E | dartnewsonline.com | the dart | March 7, 2013

Rockapella group makes noises with only voices

by GRACE SLY gsly@dartnewsonline.com

From “Glee” and beyond...

The musical style a cappella, though hundreds of years old, has found a resurgence in youth through popular culture.

On TV shows, there are many references to all-vocal singing groups, such as on “The Office” and “Glee,” a show dedicated to a high school singing group. In 2009, NBC aired a show called “The Sing-Off,” a musical competition that made several a cappella groups famous.

In movies such as the new hit “Pitch Perfect,” a cappella is glamorized and made into “Rockapella,” much like the new Rockapella group at STA. The stars of the film are all part of a college-level voice choir, as college campuses have become a home to various a cappella groups. According to the Washington Post, a cappella is a popular elective at many colleges.

So, why is a cappella so popular?

“People are impressed with how voices can make different layers with different sounds,” sophomore and a cappella fan Maggie Hutchison said.

“It’s a different way of looking at songs and appeals to some people more [than others].”

Rockapella member Hillary Talken agrees, pointing out a cappella is a lot harder than it sounds.

“It’s hard to find a group of people to do [a cappella] with,” Talken said.

“If one thing is off, then everything is. It makes it kind of a competitive atmosphere, and the music people here at STA are just as competitive as the girls in athletics.”

According to Dr. Thomas Carroll, a voice specialist and director at Tufts Medical Center, “You’re putting everything out in the open with nothing but the voice box, lips, teeth and tongue to shape the music being made.”

Part of a cappella’s appeal may be an awe-factor, NBC news writer Cari Nierenberg said, because people see musicians take on challenging songs, armed with nothing but the instruments of the body.

No matter the reason, a cappella has become popular in today’s society and will most likely continue to be. H

joyful noise H Sophomore Lizzy Sanders gets excited for her friend’s upcoming auditions with sophomore Katie Grasse on Jan 11 before the Rockapella group auditions. photo by JORDAN ALLEN

ARTIST OF THE

ISSUE

Every issue, the Dart interviews one of STA’s rising artists about her talents and inspirations compiled by MADELINE BEST

Emmie McCabe junior What type of music do you sing and perform?

I have a vocal teacher who primarily teaches me classical style. Every McCabe once and awhile I’ll hear a pop song that I like and I’ll mess around with it, just for fun.

Why did you decide to start singing and

... to the music program at STA If someone were to listen into the music room on a Thursday during lunch/activity, they might hear voices singing. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, but there is a difference. A listener would hear not only lyrics, but also seemingly nonsense noises. There is one thing that they wouldn’t hear: musical instruments.

A new Rockapella choir, an all-vocal group that performs popular music, has been formed at STA by music teacher Greg Monsma. Monsma said their first performance will be at the spring concert March 12.

According to Monsma, Rockapella is a genre of singing where all music is made without musical accompaniment and where performances focus on popular songs.

“The whole idea is to take music that you hear on the radio or CDs or a concert and create the sounds with voices,” Monsma said. “For example, altos will be bass guitars and sopranos can be rhythmic guitars.”

Monsma believes that it is a fun, educational way for kids to experiment with a different style of singing.

Senior Kate Sanders agrees, saying Rockapella is a great way for people to be introduced to choir.

“It’s a way for students who aren’t in choir or who love pop music to get involved with the music program,” Sanders said.

This is the case for sophomore Catherine Whitmer, who has never sung in a choir before.

“I auditioned because one of my friends coaxed me to try out with her,” Whitmer said. “I’ve never been in this sort of thing before. It’s exciting.”

The choir is currently rehearsing Rihanna’s “We Found Love,” according to Monsma.

“It’s going really good,” Whitmer said. “It rocks. There are so many parts...we sound like the actual [instruments].”

Sophomore Lizzy Sanders sums up the group in two words: “It’s awesome.” H

photo by Adrianna Ohmes

feelin’ good H Sophomore Marley Schmidtlein exits the music room in all smiles after she finishes her audition for the new Rockapella group. photo by JORDAN ALLEN

acting? I’m not quite sure, to be honest. It’s just always felt like where I’m supposed to be. I always got excited when I saw people perform when I was little, and I knew I wanted to do that someday.

sound you get when you finish a song and it’s still bouncing around inside the body of the guitar. It is such a great sound and it’s different every time. That’s something I love about music.

What productions have you been in recently? I was recently in “Almost, Maine” at STA. Outside [of school], I have been in “A Christmas Carol” at the KC Rep for two years in a row. I am currently in rehearsals for another show at the Rep, “Carousel.”

What advice would you give to someone looking to get into music? Just like everything else, music is very complicated, but very beautiful. At times you’re gonna feel like you have been going nowhere, and you will get nowhere with music, but other times music feels fantastic. Music will always be there to pick you up, so keep trying. H

What is your favorite thing about music?

If you’ve ever played a guitar, you know that

Coffee & creativity March 7, 2013 | the dart | dartnewsonline.com | A&E | 17

Katie Crow’s poem “Words” Junior Katie Crow was having writer’s block one day and was getting off Facebook chat with friends. She realized she wanted to write a poem about something. She wrote down some, then erased a lot, then wrote some more. She erased a lot, then continued to write. “[This poem] is just about words, and how they may have impacted my life,” Crow said. “I always took them for granted, then I started realizing their power. I started to hate them, then fell in love with them all over again. I see how important words are, but at the same time, how important silence is too.”

Inspiration for “Words” came from a poem written by Andrea Gibson, entitled “Letter to a Playground Bully.”

“I wanted to write something like that, so I pushed myself to do so,” Crow said.

Sometimes, Crow’s inspiration for her poetry comes from a random feeling. Sometimes, she just chooses something to write about, then sits down to do it.

“It’s important for people to share their poetry because it isn’t like writing an essay,” Crow said. “A lot of ideas are more easily expressed in poetry rather than a formal essay. You can just express your ideas, and it’s a way for you not to be judged.”

This was the first time Crow had ever recited her poetry rather than simply writing for print.

“I was really excited to share my poetry with people,” Crow said. “I had such good reactions from the judges during auditions. I was hoping for the same reaction from the crowd. Words are really powerful, and you find them to be the most powerful in the oddest settings.” H

I found empowerment in my words, I found poetry to be even more exciting. . . . because I was able to paint a picture that flows effortlessly. .

Katie Crow “Words”

Creative Grounds showcased performing musicians, poets, dancers and actors.

by LIBBY HYDE lhyde@dartnewsonline.com

let it flow H Senior Taylor Rees presents her original poem, “No Regretz,” in the Windmoor Center on Feb. 12. photo by JORDAN ALLEN

Taylor Rees’ poem “No Regretz” Senior Taylor Rees stood in front of a room full of students and parents. It was her first time sharing her poetry with a larger scale of people other than her close friends.

“It was nerve-racking, but I was excited,” Rees said. “In my poetry, I have a lot to say, and I know it can do a lot of good.”

For this particular poem, Rees said her inspiration came from her friend, Louis, who recently passed away.

According to Rees, he inspired this poem because although he had a difficult past, he put his whole heart into his writing. Rees said Louis was not afraid of being judged and had a beautiful heart.

“I thought about how he told me to ‘cherish your mistakes,’” Rees said. “I thought about how, if I wanted to express that, it would be cliched. Those people who say ‘no regrets’ don’t really know what it means, and they don’t really care.”

Rees said the true meaning of the phrase “no regrets” is all about knowing that whatever happens in your life, you can take and learn from it.

“If you learn from [your mistakes], when you’re older, you can say, ‘God, I did some stupid stuff, but look where I am now,’” Rees said. “If I hadn’t made those mistakes, it would have been much worse.”

According to Rees, poetry is her way of expressing herself, because “personal expression is incredibly important in being confident.”

“I want to share my poetry because when something happens to me, I want to make things better outside of [myself],” Rees said. “If I can learn from this, I can help other people. That’s what it means to be a good friend and a good person, to do my best by myself and the people around me.” H

Madison Fitzgerald’s song “Had to Tell”

feel the passion H Junior Katie Crow performs “Words,” Feb. 12. “I was really excited to share my poetry with people,” Crow said. photo by ROSIE HUTCHISON

No regrets means taking life as it is, take me as I am. . . No regrets means walking on, tattooed under blacklights with your experiences.

Taylor Rees “No Regretz”

It all started with junior Madison Fitzgerald just wanting to write something different.

“I wanted to have an upbeat piano song because most are sad and slow,” Fitzgerald said. “I just kind of draw from whoever I listen to. I write about what I experience in life, or what I have seen other people experience.”

Though she claims her first songs weren’t very good, Fitzgerald has been writing original songs since she was in grade school.

“There are 3 or 4 songs that are finished, but I have the lyrics to 30 or 40,” Fitzgerald said. “I have the melody and the lyrics, but I just don’t have the accompaniment. That’s something I’m working on.”

Fitzgerald has been told she sounds most like Regina Spekor.

“It’s cool to be compared to Spektor as a songwriter because she always does something different and unique with her accompaniment,” Fitzgerald said.

Writing music is one way she expresses herself and vents out frustration, according to Fitzgerald.

“My favorite part of writing is coming up with the word-play and finding an interesting way to say what I want to say in my lyrics,” Fitzgerald said.

A girl in Fitzgerald’s class once came up to her and said she related to Fitzgerald’s song because it reminded her of what she was going through and helped her get through it.

“A freshman came up to me and told me the song I wrote is her theme song,” Fitzgerald said. “I realized that it’s not just me that’s involved. My music can help people, and that’s really cool that I can reach people like that.” H

Darling if I could erase, / Only what I had to tell / I could look you in the face. / But I can’t do that now

Madison Fitzgerald “Had to Tell”

musical melody H Junior Madison Fitzgerald sings an original song, “Had to Tell,” while playing piano. photo by ROSIE HUTCHISON

18 | health | dartnewsonline.com | the dart | March 7, 2013

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Music helps athletes fine-tune their workouts

MENU

staying tuned H Junior Paige Lankford uses headphones to listen to music during a workout in physical education teacher Stacie O’Rear’s personal fitness class Feb. 13. Lankford was one of many students in the class that used headphones to exercise. photo by MAGGIE RELLIHAN

Running with headphones and motivational music reduces workout time and boost success.

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by EMILY MCCANN emccann@dartnewsonline.com

graphics by EMMA WILLIBEY

“I usually run about four miles [on each run],” Waldenmeyer said. “But I find that I can run a lot farther when I’m listening to music.”

Studies compiled by the magazine Runner’s World support Waldenmeyer’s claim.

According to the magazine, music reduces one’s perception of how hard he or she is working by about 10 percent. Music blocks some of the internal stimuli, such as sore muscles and heavy breath, and prevents fatigue-related messages from reaching one’s organs and muscles.

Waldenmeyer said this is one of the main benefits of running with music for her. “[Music] helps me get through workouts,” Waldenmeyer said. “Without it, my mind thinks about the workout but when I am listening to music, my mind can wander and I can focus on other things. It helps make the time pass faster.”

In a recent study published in the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 30 subjects were tested while running to motivational music, either pop or rock. When compared to a

no-music setting, the motivational music led to a 15 percent improvement in endurance.

However, these statistics apply mainly to an average, recreational runner. Runner’s World says that elite runners and athletes tend to be more connected to their breathing and their bodies and don’t receive as much benefit from a motivational force such as music.

While listening to music provides physical benefits and allows for a more effective workout, there are some drawbacks to tuning into your iPod while on a jog. Waldenmeyer warns that it can make you unaware of your surroundings.

“The whole safety part [of listening to music] is important to remember,” Waldenmeyer said. “There have been times I’ve been running and I’ve crossed a street without being aware and sometimes people actually do get injured.

It’s also unsafe to not be aware of people and traffic behind you.”

As long as you stay aware, be ready to run faster and with more endurance as you reap the benefits of running with music. H

Resistance bands, not free weights

Kettlebell, not treadmill

BOSU ball, not stability ball

Resistance bands require coordination and balance so you can utilize more muscle groups. You can also mimic real-life sports scenarios by using a band to mirror kicking or jumping movements. A study showed that resistance bands can illicit changes in body composition similar to those from standard weight machines for a lower price.

Resistance bands are also used for injury rehabilitation to improve power and speed.

A kettlebell, which resembles a cannonball with a handle that can range from eight to 100 pounds, is one of the most functional pieces of fitness equipment available. Swinging and lifting the heavy metal bells not only helps strengthen your arms, but is an excellent cardio workout. Using a kettlebell also simplifies your workout. Instead of using several machines or weights to work all your muscle groups, you do it with one kettlebell.

The BOSU ball, which looks like a stability ball cut in half, is beneficial for training balance and enhancing flexibility. BOSU is an acronym for “both sides up,” a reference to how the ball can be positioned. You can use the BOSU ball dome-side-up for cardio, lower body strength or core moves. Or you can use the platform side for upper body exercises like push-ups. Although a BOSU ball is more expensive than a stability ball, it offers more exercise possibilities.

compiled by EMILY MCCANN

1. “Beez in the Trap” by Nicki Minaj 2. “Clique” by Kanye West, Jay-Z ad Big Sean 3. “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore 4. “Scream and Shout” by will.i.am 5. “Blown Away” by Carrie Underwood 6. “Everybody Talks” by Neon Trees 7. “Anything Could Happen” by Ellie Goulding 8. “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” by Taylor Swift 9. “Sweet Nothing” by Calvin Harris ft.

Florence Welch 10. “Die Young” by Ke$ha 11. “Cashin’ Out” by Ca$h Out 12. “C’Mon” by Ke$ha 13. “Never Say Never” by Justin Bieber 14. “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore 15. “Lose Yourself” by Eminem 16. “Maneater” by Nelly Furtado 17. “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen 18. “Girlfriend” by Avril Lavigne 19. “Crazy in Love” by Beyoncé 20. “Waterfalls” by TLC

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Think about walking into a STA vs. Notre Dame de Sion High School basketball game while silence covers the gym as people mingle about and all you can hear is a background noise. Now imagine walking into the gym with music blaring and people getting ready to cheer on their team. Most likely, the second scenario will give you more energy and get you pumped up for the game. Recent studies have shown that the same goes for running.

Playing music at the right beats per minute, or bpm, can help the body perform better.

Senior Hailey Waldenmeyer, a member of the STA cross country team, runs frequently off season and finds that running with music is helpful for her.

To help enhance your run (should you choose to run with music), the Dart compiled a list of music to get you motivated.

THIS NOT

THAT:

EXERCISE EQUIPMENT The Dart offers functional, affordable equipment for home workouts.

by EMILY WEMHOFF ewemhoff@dartnewsonline.com

March 7, 2013 | the dart | dartnewsonline.com | in the mix | 19

20 QUESTIONS WITH...

MATTIE O’BOYLE

by EMILY MCCANN emccann@dartnewsonline.com

1. Most played song on your iPod? Probably “Fidelity” by Regina Spektor.

2. Morning person or a night owl?

I’m definitely a night owl. I usually go to bed at 11:30 or midnight.

3. What do you want to be when you grow up?

Oh gosh, I really have no clue, but I know it will involve helping people.

4. Waldo Pizza or Chick-fil-A? Waldo Pizza for sure. Their ranch dressing is the best.

5. If you won the lottery, what’s the first thing you would do?

Probably travel the world.

6. What is your favorite holiday and why?

I love Christmas. My grandma makes cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning, so we go over to her house.

7. Who was the last person you hugged?

I think it was my mom.

8. Best vacation you ever took?

A couple years ago, I went to New Zealand to visit a friend. It was the best because the country was just so gorgeous and it was good to see her.

9. If you got a day off school to do anything, what would you do?

I would sleep in definitely and just kind of relax. Maybe take a day trip somewhere.

10. Favorite thing about STA? I love being able to roll out of bed and no one cares how anyone else looks. It’s great.

11. What are two things you can’t live without?

Definitely music and family.

12. What is your ideal weather?

I love 70-degree weather, perfect temperature with a slight breeze. It’s great.

13. Scary movies or romantic comedies?

Definitely romantic comedies.

14. Do you want to live in KC when you grow up?

I think if I have kids, I want to raise them in Kansas City. Otherwise, I think I’ll probably live somewhere else.

15. M&A or Donnelly?

Definitely Donnelly. That’s where my advisory, [Montag], is.

16. Cats, dogs or reptiles?

I have to say cats just because they’re so laid-back.

17. How many siblings?

I have two siblings. My sister Molly graduated STA a few years [ago] and my brother Bernie will be at Rockhurst [High School] next year.

18. Dream car?

An old Jeep, preferably navy or something like that.

19. Your style in one word.

Comfy, just because I revolve my outfits around whether I can wear leggings or not.

20. Which celebrity would you switch places with for a day?

Probably Ellen DeGeneres so I could meet other celebrities.

face the music H Sophomore Ceci Ismert participates in STA’s school-wide musical chairs competition Feb. 13. Director of service Katie Absher invited both students and faculty to partake in the event, which ended STA’s first annual Mission Week. photo by KATHLEEN KEAVENY

STUFF STA GIRLS

DAYS OF OUR

The Dart prowled Twitter for the most catchy and intriguing statuses on the social network

The Dart created a countdown to some of the most anticipated upcoming days of school

compiled by CECILIA BUTLER

compiled by SIOBHAN MILLER

SAY

Summers

Currently sweating after that game of musical chairs - Maddie Summers

I wonder how many abandoned animals there are in webkinz world. - Molly Corless

Laird

Corless

Dear girl sitting behind me at Starbucks: the boy “studying” with you is flirting with you so bad it’s painful to listen to. Just love him.

- Molly Laird

LIVES

A brief 12 days until spring break.

Just 24 days until Easter.

A mere 38 days until the Mother-Daughter Luncheon.

Approximately 44 days until the Junior Ring dance.

48 days until the Grand-

mother’s Tea.

the blinking cursor on my screen is mocking me - Kennedy Reller

Reller

Exactly 51 days until Student Productions.

And only 103 days until summer. H

MY LIFE

ROCKS

I went to Minneapolis with my parents and one of my sisters . . . to see Matt and Dan Wilson. Dan is the guy who wrote “Someone Like You” for Adele and “Not Ready to Make Girardeau Nice” for the Dixie Chicks – how cool?! They put on an awesome show, and we wanted to wait around to meet them afterwards. We stood outside in fivedegree weather for almost an hour, but it paid off. Dan came out first and he invited us to walk with him and his wife down to the crosswalk.

Matt came out later, and we got to meet him too! It was the best night ever. My life rocks.

-Grace Girardeau, freshman

MY LIFE

SUCKS

While I was at work as a cashier at Hen House, I wasn’t feeling [well] and decided to ask the manager if I could take a break, and on the way to him I full-on passed out, Hoeser crashing into the copy machine and knocking my head on the concrete floor. The ambulance, two police cars and a fire truck came . . . I was in the ER for most of the night, leaving with a concussion. My life sucks.

-MaryKat Hoeser, sophomore

compiled by CHRISTINA ELIAS

20 | last look | dartnewsonline.com | the dart | March 7, 2013

frozenintime 2.

The end of February brought STA students 4 ½ snow days.

The Dart conducted a contest in which the entire student body could submit photos in hopes of being the winner of a $10 gift certificate to Noodles & Company. These are some of the many photos STA students captured over the break. The winner was Colleen Deruyter, photo 3.

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1. photo submitted by EMMA REBEIN 2. photo submitted by teacher ERIC THOMAS 3. photo submitted by COLLEEN DERUYTER 4. photo submitted by EMMA REBEIN 5. photo submitted by JAMIE SEIBERT 6. photo submitted by ALLY DRUMMOND 7. photo submitted by EMMA JENSEN 8. photo submitted by FRANCESCA SHILATI 9. photo submitted by GRACIE FLEMING 10. photo submitted by KATHLEEN KEAVENY 11. photo submitted by MAGGIE HERRINGTON 12. photo submitted

by MARY HART 13. photo submitted by MOLLY CORLESS 14. photo submitted by WHITNEY KLUMP 15. photo submitted by WHITNEY KLUMP 16. photo submitted by WHITNEY KLUMP