The Dart: Vol. 76 Issue 3

THE

DART

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWS SOURCE OF ST. TERESA'S ACADEMY | KANSAS CITY, MO

The Dart discusses the meaning behind the movement that overwhelmed social media, launching a discussion about diversity at STA and across the country.

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P. 23 MY LACK OF CREATIVITY ISN'T MY FAULT

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P. 14 SMALL CLASSES MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE

CONTENTS

4. SENIORS CHALLENGE NEW STA DRESS CODE

5. GOOGLE SUMMIT RETURNS TO CAMPUS

THE KARATE KIDS OF STA: TALIA PARRA AND OLIVIA ROBERTSON

6. 18TH AND VINE RENOVATION BEGINS 10. "STRANGER THINGS" CAPTIVATES FANS

12. DIETARY TRENDS BECOME POPULAR WITH TEENS 14. STUDENTS DISCUSS SMALL CLASS SIZES AT STA

8 EFFECTS OF THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT ON THE COVER

22. TEEN JOBS PROVIDE REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE

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24. FALL MUSICAL "JANE EYRE" PREMIERES NOV. 10

REMEMBERING STEVEN KARLIN

26. STA IMPLEMENTS NEW SPORTS CONCUSSION POLICY 28. MAYOR PROPOSES KC ARTS FESTIVAL 30. STUDENT ID DISCOUNTS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

31 Cover design by Mackenzie O'Guin, photo by Cassie Hayes Backpage design by Kate Jones November 14, 2016

Letter

FROM THE EDITORS

THE STAFF Adviser 2016-2017 Brad Lewis Editors-in-Chief Linden O'Brien Williams Helen Wheatley

WEB

Managing Web Editor Madi Winfield Scheduling Editor Katie Gregory Social Media Editor Catherine Ebbitts Social Media Team Members Kate Jones, Anna Louise Sih

PRINT

Dear readers, Four years ago, America trained their eyes on their televisions during the Grand Jury indictment announcement for the killer of unarmed African American Michael Brown. We sat with our families, biting nails during the prosecutor’s speech that seemed to be veering towards no indictment. Days turned into weeks turned into months then years as shootings, riots and talk of legislation continued. Today, America’s experience is well known around the world. The Dart’s centerspread, by Alex Davis and Margaux Renee, explores the topic of the Black Lives Matter movement that has resulted from this controversy, as well as its impact here at STA, where the student body is 84 percent white.

For current students at STA, the dress code debacle between students and administration is a well known movement that began about a month ago. Alex Frisch sheds light on its roots, progress and outlook for the future. Also on our news pages is a story detailing the recent Google Summit for Education held on STA’s campus for a second year. The summit is a conference for educators across the United States.

STA’s fall musical, Jane Eyre,

debuted Nov. 9. Check out the photos from the show and Q & A with director Shana Prentiss on our A & E pages.

Don’t miss an inside look into where and what you can earn for free with your STA student ID. We hope this issue is as enlightening as we found it to be while writing, photographing, editing and designing. Never hesitate to write us with your thoughts, including criticism or suggestions. Don’t forget to check DNO for videos, podcasts and breaking news! With love,

Managing Print Editor Mackenzie O'Guin Visual Illustrator Ellie Grever Photography Editors Cassie Hayes, Paige Powell Page Designers Maureen Burns, Zoë Butler, Gwyn Doran, Ellie Grever, Hannah Jirousek, Kate Jones, Julia Kerrigan, Lily Manning, Gabby Mesa, Claire Molloy, Linden O'Brien-Williams, Mackenzie O'Guin, Gabby Staker, Helen Wheatley, Madi Winfield

COPY

Features Editor Zoë Butler News Editor Lily Manning Opinion Editor Gwyn Doran Sports Editor Katie Donnellan Staff Photographers Gabby Ayala, Meghan Baker, Helen Krause, Gabby Martinez, Meggie Mayer, Riley McNett, Anna Kate Powell, Sophie Sakoulas Staff Writers Cece Curran, Alex Frisch, Annabelle Meloy, Katie Mulhern, Margaux Renee, Isabel Shorter, Sophy Silva, Anna Claire Tangen, Natalie Telep, Lucy Whittaker

3 page design by Hannah Jirousek

STA NEWS

Editorial Policies Ownership and Sponsorship

DartNewsOnline and the Dart are created by the student newspaper staff and are maintained and published by general operating funds of St. Teresa’s Academy, a Catholic institution sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. DartNewsOnline and the Dart will not publish opinions that contradict the teachings and beliefs of the Catholic church, whether on a diocesan or world-wide level.

Editorial Policy

The staff of DartNewsOnline and the Dart are subject to prior review by the St. Teresa’s Academy administrative team in circumstances that concern Catholic doctrine, student safety or illegal behavior.

DartNewsOnline and the Dart will not publish reviews of student work or performances.

Personal columns reflect the opinions of the writer, not necessarily the staff or school.

Letters & Reader Interaction Policy

DartNewsOnline and the Dart encourage the community to post comments on the website. Letters to the editors can be sent in the following ways: in person to Brad Lewis in Donnelly room 204; by mail to St. Teresa’s Academy, Attn: Brad Lewis, 5600 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64113; by email to blewis@stteresasacademy.org or to dartpaper@gmail.com. DartNewsOnline and the Dart staff reserve the right to edit or shorten letters for publication.

Comment Policy

DartNewsOnline and the Dart encourage readers to comment on all posts. However, DartNewsOnline and the Dart reserve the right to monitor and edit all comments on DartNewsOnline. Comments that disagree with the editorial policy will not be published.

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Photo illustrations are conceptual photos that combine drawing and photography. All photos on the website are free for public use.

If a reader is interested in high-quality copies of photos, please email DartNewsOnline at dartpaper@gmail.com.

Corrections Policy

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

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Students protest New dress Code Seniors Maya Kalmus, left, and Elena Engelke tie sweatshirts around their waist during a dress down day. Changes in dress code require students to be covered to their fingertips when weaing form fitting pants such as leggings or jeans.

Story by Alex Frisch | Writer Photos by Paige Powell | Photo Editor

The administration allows students to share input on new dress code policies.

At the beginning of the school year, a new dress code policy was added to page 37 of the student handbook.

The policy states that, “Flexible, form fitting pants such as yoga pants, leggings or jeans may be worn with an untucked shirt/blouse which reaches a student's fingertips when arms are rested at the side.”

In a survey of the STA student body, 67.8 percent of the students who responded said that they saw some sort of a problem with the dress code. Some of these senior students took action by creating petitions or meeting with the a dministration. According to senior Michaela Coleman, who has met with the administration about the dress code, the new rule upset her because she felt it went against STA’s mission of empowering young women.

“I think that in general, saying, ‘You need to cover your butt’ is essentially November 14,, 2016

saying, ‘I’m going to look at your butt, and I’m going to decide that it’s inappropriate and sexual, and on my decision that it’s inappropriate and sexual, I’m going to tell you how to dress,” Coleman said. “And that is microaggressively objectifying women and dehumanizing them. The same rule doesn't apply to any male anywhere. I’ve never heard that a male has to cover themselves to their fingertips. “ According to principal of student affairs Liz Baker, the change in policy came about when a few of the faculty members questioned whether or not form-fitting pants were appropriate without some form of covering. The administration then compared STA’s uniform policies with the policies of other Sisters of St. Joseph schools.

“We did an analysis of other CSJ schools, and basically we use the least intrusive formulation of the rule," Baker said. “Some schools make students wear shorts over their yoga pants, some don’t let them wear yoga pants at all.

We decided we’ve let students wear yoga pants in a way that would still be uniform.”

There have been very few SBRs because of the new yoga pants policy,

according to Baker.

“It hasn't really been an issue,” Baker said.

“There’s been more SBRs about out of uniform coats, which was another thing that we changed. I want kids to be warm no matter what, especially walking across the quad. With all uniform changes we talk to the faculty and staff in school leadership meetings.”

Despite many STA students surveyed saying they were upset with the dress code, 19.3 percent of students surveyed said they were mostly indifferent to the dress code and 12.9 percent said they have no problem with it.

Some of the students surveyed cite reasons such as STA’s nature as a private Catholic school as a reason they had no problem with the dress code.

“Honestly, I’m fine with most of what’s in the dress code,” a student anonymously responded to the dress

code survey. ”We do go to a respected Catholic school and by choosing STA we knew the dress code was in effect.”

Other students felt the dress code kept the school looking professional.

"The same rule doesn't apply to any male anywhere."

Michaela Coleman “Some jobs have specific dress codes to keep up professional appearances and that’s basically what STA is saying…," another survey responder said. "I don’t see why you wouldn’t want to dress at least somewhat decently for school.”

Baker said that she thinks that as long as students are willing to be respectful and put in the effort, having them work with the administration on policies can be a very helpful thing.

“We have new people coming in every year,150 every year” Baker said. “I know that for me, when I was new that first year, questioning and reflecting and evaluating and assessing and all those things that are important...I do think that students coming and respectfully asking questions is a good, good thing.”

Coleman has met with administration

several times along with other students to discuss the policy. According to Coleman, they were very good about listening to student input.

“When I met with [STA President] Mrs. Bone and Dr. Baker, they were very receptive,” Coleman said. “They totally understood what I was saying.

I think that’s important...I see what they’re saying, and I understand it, but I want to give them something else to think about. It’s more of conversation and not of an argument which I appreciate.”

One result of students meeting with administration about the dress code policies has been the creation of a student committee to help students and the administration communicate more about uniform policies.

“Right now what we’re doing is working on what I would call a uniform committee that is working on everything in the uniform code," Baker said. “It’s made of students, seniors, because they were the ones with the initial concern so I invited them to come and really talk it through.

They’ve done great, and they’ve done research and surveys. Everything we’ve asked them to do that is administrative, they’ve done, which is a good thing.” H

Survey Response to dress code Compiled by Alex Frisch | Writer

Students of all grades were surveyed to find out their opinion on the changes in the dress code policy.

how students feel

who took the survey

Freshmen (28.9%) Sophomores (24.9%)

Juniors (22%) Seniors (24.2%)

No problem (12.9%) Mostly indifferent (19.3%) Not content with policy (67.7%)

page design by Gabby Mesa

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LOCAL NEWS

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A mural is shown in downtown Kansas City displaying various jazz artists and depicting the jazz district itself.

During early August, the public was invited to help paint a new mural, "Harmony of the Vine" to bring people together n spite of recent tragedies.

18th and Vine receives multimillion dollar renovation plan Story by Hannah Jirousek Page Designer Photos by Riley McNett Photographer

Kansas City local government looks to revitalize the iconic neighborhood and expand entertainment district.

Members of City Council have presented a phased, three year improvement plan for the historic 18th and Vine Jazz District. The intention of this project is to revitalize the 18th and Vine District and surrounding neighborhood, while creating a premier entertainment destination.

"One thing that is important to me and to the community is ensuring that we preserve the rich history

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of 18th and Vine, "City Councilman Jermaine Reed said. "That is making sure that we do everything we can to protect […] the history of jazz, of baseball and all of those things that really make Kansas City the jazz capital of the world."

The renovation plans include improved pedestrian lighting, new street curbs and sidewalks, historic building restorations and plans to connect the 18th and Vine area with the Crossroads Arts District.

Additional parking, residential and commercial spaces are planned to create a more attractive and comprehensive destination for tourists and KC natives alike.

The funds for these redevelopments are to be allocated through bond proceeds, donations, grant funding and tax incentives that will total around $27.6 million. The City’s funding commitment will be accompanied by a minimum private investment of $12.15 million, November 14, 2016

about 43.9 percent of the total proposal amount. Various federal, state and local incentives will be employed to maximize the City’s investment return and support of the project.

“This revitalization is essential for 18th and Vine, but it clearly has citywide benefits,” City Manager Troy Schulte said in a city press release. “That’s why the plan has built-in incentives to attract commercial and residential development because we want to end up with a sustainable district that will flourish for many, many years to come.”

Though the redevelopments will potetially stabilize the area's economy and promote visitor traffic, some neighborhood residents oppose the extensive plan.

"This a development that will help Kansas City, but who in Kansas City will it help? Here we are, we've been here all our lives. I don't see them rushing to do [anything] over the years [while] we've been doing what we've been doing [for the community]”, advocate for community outreach Pat Clarke said to

KSHB 41 Action News in July.

Others disapprove the revitalization due to the projected increases in neighborhood home costs after the projects are completed.

“They're moving out the inner city,” Darcus Marzett-Hellaby said to Fox 4 News in May. “And, it's a shame that this is the oldest black co-op in the nation.

Pride was here, and they're just taking it all away for money and greed, and do not care about us whatsoever.”

During the 1920s through 1940s, the 18th and Vine District was home to the hottest new jazz music and the heart of Negro Leagues Baseball. This historic area is internationally recognized as one of the many cradles of jazz music. The jazz of 18th and Vine evolving during this period was new and distinct, creating unique, riff-based blues that were piloted in the district’s crowded clubs.

Today, the Jazz District is still home to some of the same iconic jazz hubs, like the Blue Room or Gem Theater, but lacks the same traffic.

"There has been a perception that 18th and Vine has never lived up to

THE COST OF THE RENOVATION

The Dart compiled the grand total of the 18th and Vine renovation plans, according to the May press release.

expectations," said Schulte.

Despite many revitalization attempts, the area has never fully returned to the same glory days as during the jazz era; prompting further dedication to these more comprehensive redevelopments.

"There is still much work needed to reverse the resultant impacts of decades of neglect and disenfranchisement," the city's Vine Street District Economic Development Plan stated.

The City is actively beginning phase one of the renovation project. Spending for phase one includes $1.5 million for construction of the Buck O’Neil Education and Research Center and more than $400,000 for an outdoor amphitheater.

This money will also be used by the city to buy property not currently under local government control and to stabilize the Boone Theater. A recent City Council vote approved a $7 million infusion for the next phase of improvements at 18th and Vine.

"If we are going to do this, we ought to consider spending up to $27.6m and doing it right; declaring victory once and for all at 18th and Vine," Schulte said. H

$27.6 million total $7 million to acquire remaining properties $12.15 million private investment

Alternative coverage by Julia Kerrigan | Page Designer

the NEWS FEED

by Lily Manning | News Editor

Each issue, the Dart highlights groundbreaking events in the world, US, Missouri and KC.

in the world

Iraqi forces and their allies are fighting back against ISIS in order to reclaim Mosul, a city that has been controlled by the terror group for nearly two years. Mosul lies close to the Syrian and Turkish border and is the second largest city in Iraq and heavy in oil, making it key to ISIS’ funding. If the Iraq’s siege is successful, Mosul would be the final ISIS stronghold in Iraq to fall.

the u.s.

Eighty-three demonstrators were arrested after protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline on Oct. 24., in the growing standoff between those opposed to the pipeline and law enforcement. Protesters say the pipeline will hurt the environment and exploit historically Native American tribal lands while Energy Access Partners, the pipeline developer, says the line will make crude oil more accessible.

missouri A juvenile justice center in southwestern Missouri has teamed up with Drury University to offer weekly music therapy in hopes of behavior improvements. Chief officers at the center say it’s too early to detect any improvement, but they hope it will ease the burdens on youth going through the justice system.

kansas city

A man sets up his artwork on sidewalk on Vine St. He was drawing various portraits for visitors to come by and wait for 10-15 minutes on one.

page design by Julia Kerrigan

A new KC initiative named “Love Thy Neighbor” aims to help needy elderly fix their homes. The program helps senior citizens address housing code violations that would otherwise land them in court. Kansas City’s Municipal Housing Court has a fund to help lowincome households with violations, but this new program fills a gap that the fund doesn’t cover.

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STAR SPOTLIGHT

PARRA

TALIA PARRA & OLIVIA ROBERTSON story by Annabelle Meloy | Writer

Talia Parra and Olivia Robertson have taken karate for eight years and can finally say they are black belts.

How did you become so interested in karate when not many other kids around you have participated in the sport?

Olivia: When [Talia and I] were younger, we thought karate was really cool. We wanted to try it out and we really liked it, and we were actually pretty good at it.

Talia: My parents kind of forced me to do it. I wasn’t good at a lot of other hand eye coordination sports like basketball and volleyball and soccer, so they thought that I needed to do something else more unique like karate, also because of self protection. They wanted us to become more acquainted with it.

Would you say karate is in some ways more difficult than other sports?

Olivia: I would say yes. It’s learning more about a different culture. We learn some Japanese in it, and we learn about the history of some of the moves that we do.

Also, it’s harder to learn how to protect yourself, and karate can be applied to the real world.

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Talia: Yeah, I think that it is. It’s a lot more mental because we go

Sophomores Olivia Robertson, left, and Talia Parra practice karate during their lesson. photo by Gabby Martinez

hours a day just kicking and punching.

We do pure strength movements, and it gets really tiring, but we still do it.

Walk me through the history you’ve learned about karate.

Olivia: Our style of karate is Shindō jinen-ryū, and it originated in Okinawa, Japan. Our founder was Sensei Yasuhiro Konishi. During WW2, he worked with another sensei who did Aikido, and they created a kata called Seiryu. The kata was made for women and people who didn’t have any karate background, and it was to teach them how to defend themselves in the war. It has two main moves that almost anyone can pick up on, and it can really help defend yourself.

Explain the atmosphere of a competition.

Olivia: Typically our tournaments are farther away, and some tournaments are bigger than others. At some tournaments, people come from Canada and Venezuela to compete, but that’s usually only the bigger ones. Then the smaller ones that we have around in Kansas City are just local dojos in places that go to compete. So it depends on how big the tournament is. Everybody is grouped by your belt level and you compete against the people your age. In tournaments, you do kihon and kata, and sometimes you do bo kata which is with weapons. When you’re competing, you November 14, 2016

get to know your opponents because you wait for a long time and you fight against each other. But tournaments are really fun because you get to apply things that you’ve been learning for a long time, and you get to compete against people and represent your dojo.

Talia: The atmosphere of the tournament is usually very tense. You’re nervous, and you’ve been preparing for this moment for a few months and you want to get it right, so the whole thing’s kind of tense, but when it’s over, we always lighten up, and we just feel really good.

Do you enjoy karate more than cross country? Why or why not?

Olivia: For me, it depends because in karate, I have fewer friends because a lot of people are younger than me. New people come every year because they’re white belts. Since we moved dojos, a lot of the older kids have left. So it’s just us and these two guys who are black belts.

Emma Connelly, a senior at STA two years ago, does karate. She’s a second degree black belt.

Talia: The hard thing about karate is that as you move higher up the ranks, a lot of people tend to leave just because it gets boring or too hard, so we’ve lost a lot of teammates. There was like ten of us.

Now there’s only like two. H

THE MONTHLY QUESTION

BITS & PIECES

by Kate Jones | Social Media Team Member

I N S TA G R A M S OF THE ISSUE

What is your favorite dance move?

Erris Pierson: Hit the Folks

Teresa Drinkhouse:

by Catherine Ebbitts Social Media Editor

The Ultimate Dab Olivia Matlock, Bridget Graham, Eve Aspinwall, Olivia

Hunter Loehr, Gabrielle Pesek,

Cook: The Whip

Maureen Egan: Running Man

Tannis Lierman: Space Dab

Grace Oest: The Cupid Shuffle

Each issue, the Dart highlights students' Instagrams. This month's theme: Teresian.

MY LIFE SUCKS / MY LIFE ROCKS

by Gabby Mesa | Page Designer

“I cracked my phone on the way to softball practice, lost my phone, lost my surface pro pen, and lost my computer charger, all in under 72 hours.�

-Lindsey Blaich, sophomore

THAT'S WHAT

SHE SAD

Each issue, the Dart shares entertaining student tweets.

compiled by Anna Louise Sih Social Media Team Member

Sophomore Rhianna Jones @jonesyrhi “remember macklemore? simpler times�

Sophomore Maggie Miller @magsmill3r “dear sta, All we want this year is for netflix not to be blocked on our surface pros. love, the #sisterhood�

“I put 10 dollars worth of tickets in the St. Jude's raffle, which ended up being 12 tickets. I wasn't at the gold out game, so I had no idea I won until my friends told me during math. I didn't believe them until I checked my email and saw that I won 300 dollars to Vineyard Vines and a private shopping party."

-Faith Andrews-O'Neal, freshman Junior Olivia Matlock @nerdybirdy7 “time to play a little game i like to call ‘leftover makeup or bags?’ đ&#x;‘€â€?

@maya.kalmus: “my mom made me change my caption�

@kathrynmccabe_: “#teresian16�

Senior Lauren McCann @lmccann0 “this is the second time this week where I have sprinted to catch up with the ice-cream man #noshame�

Senior Jeanne O’Flaherty @xelenjiagh “*walks by Mrs. Good’s room* "I DON’T WANT TO HEAR ONE WORD ABOUT CLOWNS.’�

Senior Emma Swinney @EmmaSwinney “Today at STA: M&A building fire alarm goes off when Bistro cooks too much bacon #blessed #sizzlesizzle� page design by Gwyn Doran

@camillegoodwin: “This would’ve been cuter if it was Tran and Joe�

Use the hashtag #dartnewsonline for a chance to be featured in our next issue.

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REVIEWS

Best of the KC Fitness Scene Story by Katie Donellan Sports Editor

Kansas City workout classes have different vibes.

Walking into the first workout class of my life ever, I felt odd. I have played sports my entire life, but have never had time for or caught on to the trend.

I stumbled out of bed at 5:15 a.m. to speed to the 5:30 a.m. class.

Health House HHH

I was greeted by a tall, toned woman who let me know that she would be leading my class today. Not knowing what to do, I mimicked the other workout students and put my belongings in a cubby.

With five minutes left until class, I stood awkwardly by a mat. The room was filled with dads, most in their late 30s and early 40s.

Class started with rowing 800 meters at warm up pace on the waterrower.

You strap your feet in and follow the pattern of pushing with legs, then back, then arms. I have rowed many times, but normally when I row inside, it’s on a Concept 2 erg which has a very different feel from the water rower. I did not know how to set meterage on the rower, so I had to ask the mom next to me who was not the friendliest.

Next was a 200 meter sprint on the waterrower followed by a 600 meter sprint. Lastly, we did another 200 meter sprint.

After the time on the ergs, we transitioned to weight work on mats.

The weight work was full body focused and each set of reps was concentrated in 30 second bursts.

Following the weight work, we hopped back on the water rowers. We did a 700 meter sprint followed by a 300 meter sprint.

We finished class by repeating the weight work but this time the reps were concentrated to 15 seconds. The short time did not allow for many reps and it felt like more energy was spent on transitions between the workouts than the actual workouts themselves.

My overall experience was

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okay. The fellow workout warriors were not particularly friendly and not very welcoming. I felt judged at the beginning of class as I stood on my own, not knowing how to kill the time before the class started.

I also would not recommend the 5:30 a.m. class. I am not a morning person at all, but had to take the morning class due to sports after school.

I was not a big fan of the water rowers. The feel is very different from the Concept 2 erg which is considered the standard for actual rowing. The feel of the water rowers is also very different from rowing on the water.

My main disappointment was the lack of technique and bad form by the others in the class. Some of this bad technique could possibly lead to injury. There is not much Health House can do to teach people the technique since classes are only 30 minutes and the classes are fast paced.

I did enjoy the weight workouts we did.

They were definitely very hard and you could feel them afterwards. They were pretty intense, though, which I was not expecting. I would have preferred to have had some type of warning about this on the website.

Fusion Fitness HHHH

I walked into the light check in area and was immediately greeted by an upbeat lady behind the desk. While checking me in she gave me a water bottle because it was my first visit and explained where to find all the weights I would need for the workout. My instructor for the day then introduced herself.

I picked up my weights and headed to set up my mat in a corner so I would not get in people’s way. The girl next to me in the class reassured me when she told me this was only her second class.

It turned out she rowed in college and we became friends.

The room had floor to ceiling mirrors and barres along the walls. The room was brightly lit and painted white with neon positive signs glowing around the room.

The workout involved a combination of cardio and toning. Cardio was in the form of mountain climbers. Toning involving November 14, 2016

the weights, barre, a ball and your own body weight. Most of the the toning focused on legs using pointed toe, spider and pulsing techniques. This meant lots of kicking in the air and pulsing/vibrating your leg in the air.

Thirty minutes into class, the toning hit hard. My butt was burning and my arms were tired limp from holding my body up and swinging weights in the air.

I made the mistake of wearing shorts and realized the reason everyone was wearing leggings was because some of the workouts required your legs to not be dripping with sweat. This toning exercise required your legs to squeeze and hold a workout ball between the back side of calf and thigh and then in between both calves.

"Thirty minutes into class, the toning hit hard. My butt was burning and my arms were tired limp from holding my body up and swinging weights in the air."

None of the workouts were extreme but by the middle of the class, my body was burning. The workout instructor nearly sang the instructions to use in rhythm with the EDM music that was playing.

The overall environment was very positive and encouraging. My classmates were non nonjudgmental and I was inspired by this one really pregnant lady that was doing the entire workout.

The instructor did all the workouts with us and continually sent out positive encouragement. H

Katie's favorite fitnessminded workout places Kansas City Boat Club for all rowing needs.

Fusion Fitness for workout classes.

Run 816 for group runs.

"Stranger Things" gets an Eleven/10 Story by Lucy Whittaker | Writer HHHHH

“Stranger Things” makes me want to fight monsters and travel back to the 80s at the same time

“Stranger Things” perfectly balances ‘80s nostalgia, a thrilling plot, cliffhangers and amazing acting, all in eight episodes.

The plot of the show unfolds around best friends trying to find their friend that vanished with the help of family, a local police officer and a girl named Eleven, who has telekinesis powers.

The plot gets perfectly deeper and more complex with each episode.

The acting on this show is some of the best that I’ve seen in awhile. Millie Bobby Brown, who plays Eleven, is one of the best child actors I’ve ever watched. She did a phenomenal job with her character throughout the entire season and it is hard to believe that she is only twelve years old.

I may be biased because I loved her in Heathers, but I thought Winona Ryder did a terrific job playing Will’s (the main character's) mother, and she was one of the reasons I decided to watch the show

"This show was an awesome tribute to the '80s, from the font that was chosen for the title to the music that is used."

around on bikes at midnight with no concern. Then you've got an amazing soundtrack with everything from The Clash to Modern English.

The only thing that I didn’t like was that there were a few cliches; a jealous boyfriend acts out and gets into a testosterone-filled fight with the loner kid, some bad comic relief and the fact that a bunch of twelve year olds just wander into the woods looking for their friend with no consequence.H

in the first place. While playing a grieving and confused mother, she was still able to play the tough mom who wouldn’t give up on looking for her son.

This show was an awesome tribute to the ‘80s throughout from the font that was chosen for the title to the music that is used. You’ve got Stephen King-ish mystery going on, a bunch of kids riding aimlessly

Forget pumpkin, apple is the food of fall Story by Katie Mulhern | Writer

Dunn's Cider Mill can make anybody's favorite season fall. The menu here is small but big in flavor.

The season of fall is full of pumpkin everything. The flavor that is often forgotten is apple, but not at Dunn’s Cider Mill, located at 7003 Holmes Road, in Belton, MO. The spices added into the various types of apple drinks and snacks give Dunn's Cider Mill four stars in my book. When you pull up on the gravel road, you may be surprised to see just a simple barn with picnic tables and hay.

Although charming, the lack of decor and activities is what made Dunn’s lose the fifth possible star. With nothing else going on but the simple but delicious menu and lovely staff the food is what you come for.

Cinnamon Doughnuts HHHHH A dozen of these doughnuts weren’t enough. They were gone by the next

day. They were fresh and fluffy with a mouthwatering aroma. When the food itself was gone, you couldn’t help but lick the excess cinnamon off your fingertips.

They paired perfectly with every drink and are easily an example of how great the cooks at Dunn's are.

Cold Apple Cider HHH

This drink was mediocre at best. Out of all the amazing items on the menu, I can only see it being there for children. It was basically a liquified apple and while good, it did not impress me. Maybe some added spices could set it aside from something you could buy at the grocery store.

Hot Spiced Apple Cider HHHHH The only way I can describe this drink is consuming heaven. It takes all the best parts of fall and shoves them into a cup of happiness. The piping hot drink left me wanting more and at a low cost, it was easy for me to do that. I recommend it as It’s a great, more unusual alternative for page design by Gabby Staker

the typical coffee or hot chocolate.

Apple Slushie HHHH

I came into the experience expecting to have the slushie be my favorite, but I think I set my expectations too high because while it was still delicious, it didn’t leave me in awe like the hot apple cider. It was basically the same as the cold cider, but the amazing texture of the drink saved it from only being three stars.

On a warm October day, I can see anyone enjoying one of these.

Dunn's Cider Mill can make fall anyone’s favorite season, and not because of the typical pumpkin, but because of their delicious apples. The menu, while small, was big in flavor. The decor made me feel like I stepped back into a simpler time and the staff was full of sweet ladies dedicated to making sure my experience there was nothing but exceptional. Dunn’s is a great place for a family gathering or just getting a snack with friends. H

11

FEATURES

WHAT FUELS US: DIETARY COMMUNITIES PROMINENT AT STA

Story by Katie Gregory Scheduling Editor of Web Photos by Anna Louise Sih Social Media Team Member

Students have formed their own communities surrounding their diets.

S

enior Lizy Hagan looks out across the sea of students gathered in G016 to learn more about vegetarian-based diets. Students from all grade levels have gathered in the room for a meeting of the Herbivore Club, an STA organization that educates and provides a community for students who are vegetarian or vegan. For years, students have been following vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free diets, among others. Only recently, however, have these diets manifested into organizations like Herbivore Club.

Founded by seniors Lizy Hagan and Lily Levi, Herbivore Club is made up of STA students who subscribe to vegetarian and vegan lifestyles. These two diets have been getting more and more coverage, as vegans from around the world take to social media to bring light to the conditions animals are kept in. One point of contention is that of the dairy industry. According to One Green Planet, nearly 75 percent of the world’s animal agricultural practices utilize artificial insemination, a practice that forcibly impregnates female cows.

12

separate thing. I definitely don’t think I’m handicapped by it or anything, it’s just another thing that I have to deal with.

If I find out someone else is lactose intolerant, it’s a nice talking point but not much else.”

Sophomore Helena Berger agrees that she doesn’t feel much of a community with her vegetarian diet.

“I haven’t been to many meetings," Berger said. "The [vegetarian and vegan] communities are okay, but I still feel pressure. I’m slowly starting to feel like it’s a label.”

One issue that seems to be facing multiple students with specialized diets is getting a suitable lunch for their diet at school. Multiple students agreed that Bistro Kids does not do enough to accommodate their diets.

“I’ve actually noticed that almost every other day there’s something for lunch with cheese in it,” Elm said. “Today, for example, there’s French Dip, and there’s cheese on the French Dip and they don’t offer it without. Obviously, I could take off the cheese, but I think it would be nice to have a certain number of items without cheese for the lactose intolerant students, like me.”

Other students, however, disagree.

Sophomore Helena Berger follows a

Herbivore Club works to bring issues like these to light for its members. The club is new this year and has met only a few times. According to Hagan, the motivation to found this club comes from personal experience.

“The reason we created [Herbivore Club] was to have a group of girls where we could talk about this stuff and educate everyone...especially if some girls are trying to transition to veganism,” Hagan said. “I was all alone when I was transitioning and I wish Senior Lizy Hagan eats strawberries in Herbivore Club Oct. 12 I would’ve had someone as the club watches "Vegucated," a documentary on living a there to encourage me. I vegan lifestyle. Hagan is a vegan. wanted to give that to other girls.”

Hagan says she “100 percent” feels a sense of community with other vegans, but some students who follow other diets don’t feel that there is much community amongst them. Sophomore Liz Elm is lactose intolerant and feels that her eating patterns don’t come with much of a social circle.

“I don’t really think I have a sense of community with other STA students who follow a lactose free diet,” Elm said. “I think of my lactose intolerance as a whole November 14, 2016

vegetarian diet and feels that Bistro Kids does a good job of providing for her.

“I’ve opened up this year and tried more vegetarian foods that they make,” she says “They’re really good.”

Regarding specialized diets, Chef Scott Brake feels that in order to provide for these students, there needs to be a collaborative effort between the students and himself.

“If people communicate with me, I can have everything ready,” Brake said.

"We do our best to accommodate everyone. Sometimes that’s possible and sometimes it’s not. Communication is the main key.”

At the end of the day, he says, everyone’s body operates differently, and your diet is an important part of that.

“You might not have Celiac's disease, but your body still may not process gluten very well,” Brake said. “If you can find a diet that helps you feel well and operate effectively, that’s a very good thing.”H

Teacher Craig Whitney watches "Vegucated" in his classroom Oct. 12 during an Herbivore Club meeting. Whitney moderates the club, and has been a vegetarian for over 25 years.

DIET TRENDS IN AMERICA

Alternative coverage compiled by Linden O'Brien-Williams Editor-in-Chief Photo illustrations by Lily Manning News Editor

Diet trends are becoming more prevalent across the U.S. Here are the numbers.

VEGAN

According to the Vegetarian Times, approximately 0.5

percent of U.S. adults, or

1 million people, are vegans, who consume no animal products at all.

VEGETARIAN

In the same report, Vegetarian Times also said

3.2 percent of U.S. adults, or 7.3 million people, follow a vegetarian based diet

10 percent of U.S. adults, or 22.8 million people say they follow a vegetarian and

inclined diet.

According to a report by KOIN,

GLUTEN FREE

17 percent of Americans actively avoid eating foods containing gluten...

65 percent

of these people eat this way in attempts to be healthier. page design by Lily Manning

13

FEATURES

SMALL CLASSES MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE Smaller classes offer opportunities for a more intimate learning experience, creating an environment that encourages discussion and asking questions, students say. story by Gwyn Doran | Opinion Editor photos by Cassie Hayes | Photo Editor The handful of students leaning back in their chairs and casually chatting with each other about the weekend could be mistaken for a free period.

When the bell rings, their instructor gives an overview of the lesson plan, allowing time for questions and small talk. At STA, such is the story of the small class size community. With a handful of classes with under ten students enrolled, students in these classes experience a new aspect of the STA community.

Senior Mary LePique’s College Latin IV class consists of six students who are in their fourth and final year of the Latin program together. LePique’s freshman Latin I class, with an enrollment of 14 girls, dropped down to the current six: seniors Emma Kate Callahan, Marin Brown, Molly Muehlebach, Jeannie O’Flaherty, Emma Swinney and LePique.

For LePique, Latin has been a fundamental part of her STA experience, and the small size plays a huge role.

“I’ve grown really close to all of the girls in my class,” LePique said. “It makes it more conducive to learning...

There is an unspoken language between all of the people in my class and myself.”

LePique also cites Latin teacher Sue Marquis as contributing to her love of Latin class.

“I remember the very first test that I took,” LePique said. “I got a low score on it, and she was determined to help and make sure that I was able to be on the same page as everyone

else. She’s more approachable for issues outside of the classroom as well. I went on a trip with her this past summer and I was really able to talk to her, not only as my teacher, but also as a motherly figure.

She’s always had that kind of role in my life.”

This past spring, the College Latin IV class nearly disappeared from the curriculum. LePique says the six students intending to take the class for the 20162017 school year protested, eventually resulting in the reinstatement of the class.

“It was incredibly empowering,”

"I've grown really close to all of the girls in my class. It makes it more conducive to learning." Mary Lepique

14

LePique said. “We actually told the [Rockhurst University] Classics teacher the story, and he said that’s what admissions counselors want to read about - seeing passionate students striving to make a difference,” LePique said. “[Marquis] is a true educator. I think there’s a difference between just being a teacher, and actually instilling that love for learning in your students.”

Latin isn’t the only language community on campus with such tight bonds - senior Tori Cartee’s Chinese class of three people has been consistent since her freshman year. But, with a smaller class size come potential struggles with teaching. Cartee cites the journey through multiple teachers for the November 14, 2016

same subject as a bonding element for the students enrolled in Chinese.

“I have taken Chinese with these girls for 4 years,” Cartee said. “In those four years, we have bonded over how much of a struggle Chinese is and have become best friends. We have experienced so many different types of teachings and teachers over the years in Chinese and learned how to work with different types of teachers.”

In addition to adjusting to new teachers with a close-knit group of girls, Cartee finds having a smaller class size contributes to her comfort in and enjoyment of the subject itself.

“I think that it is easier to speak up or ask questions in my class because there are fewer people and less anxiety of sounding stupid, because you do grow to close with your smaller class,” Cartee said. “I think I bond more with my Chinese class even before I became best friends with [the other students in the class, seniors] Lauren McCann and Kamryn Lanier because of the size. I stuck with it because of the bond I made with my freshman class.”

Because the small class size lends itself to a variety of instructional techniques, STA, in preparation for the 2015-2016 school year, chose to transition the Chinese class from a traditional classroom setting to a Skypebased learning environment. Currently, the Chinese programs use Skype to communicate with a teacher at University

Theater teacher Shana Prentiss shows the students of her Technical Theater and Lighting class a stage design computer program, helpful for the devising and executing of prop and actor placement.

of Kansas' Confucius Institute. Despite some technological setbacks, including scheduling miscommunications and technological malfunctions, Cartee and her classmates still manage to tackle the language.

“At the beginning, it was a struggle learning how to run all of the equipment that we use everyday and learning how to fix the technical difficulties by ourselves,” Cartee said. “It is also sometimes hectic because she might not know what [particular schedule changes are happening on the STA campus] and has once even called for class while a freshman seminar was going on.”

For Cartee, however, the positives of her Chinese experience - her friends, her growth, her understanding of Chinese outweigh the technological setbacks.

Across campus in Donnelly Hall, before her senior year, senior Michaela Coleman opted out of the traditional

math circuit in favor of the lesser known College Statistics and Probability course.

Coleman’s decision is based on a possible career path of environmental studies and public health.

“I've been considering environmental studies and public health for a study/ career path,” Coleman said. “Statistics and probabilities are concepts that will genuinely be more applicable to and useful for my intended studies than, say, AP Calculus.”

Although Coleman hasn’t gone through all four years of high school with the same math class, like the Chinese and Latin classes have, Coleman finds community in the class structure itself, which she believes fosters closer relationships between students and with the teacher.

“It feels like discussion even if it's lecture,” Coleman said. “It feels as though she shares it with us as opposed to page design by Mackenzie O'Guin

bombarding us with heavy loads of information to scribble down, and as though we are all involved. When some of us aren't involved, because we might not have finished homework, or because we might be tired that day, it offsets the flow of the class. Days in which all four of us seniors are not attentive and involved feel long, drawn out, and forced. ” While communities in math and language bond in a classroom environment, sophomore Jillian Morrison is a bit more hands on in Technical Theater, a four-person class that programs lights for the musical, including the backstage work like changing burnt out light bulbs.

Morrison describes the small class experience best when she says, “Going to this class and spending time with my friends lights up my day.” H

15

CENTERSPREAD

CREATES A DISCUSSION Story by Alex Davis | Multimedia Editor and Margaux Renee | Writer It was the morning of Feb. 27, 2012 when Tracy Martin reported that his son, Trayvon Martin, had been missing all of last evening. No less than an hour later, he would receive a call back from police saying his son had been shot and killed the day before, pronounced dead at the crime scene. Footage from a 7-Eleven video surveillance camera captured the black 17 year old’s last living moments as he paid for a bag of Skittles and a can of Arizona iced tea before walking back out into the night Feb. 26, 2012. What soon followed would be the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin by local neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman. That night began a year long fight for lawful prosecution of Zimmerman by Tracy Martin and his wife Sybrina Fulton, as well as a global conversation on what it truly means to be black in America.

WHAT IS #BLACKLIVESMATTER Trayvon Martin’s story was the catalyst in creating the movement that

16

ABOUT DIVE RSITY

A group of protestors march to the American embassy in Berlin, Germany after the shootings of Philando Castille and Alton Sterling. Photo courtesy of Tribune News Service

#BlackLivesMatter is today. Its founders, Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi and Patrisse Cullors, were inspired to establish the movement when George Zimmerman was found not guilty of the murder of Martin July 13, 2013. Garza had made a post on Facebook justifying the anger people felt after Zimmerman was acquitted and affirming that “black lives matter.” Cullors saw the phrase and began posting it on social media, inspired by what Garza had written.

Tometi soon called Garza and Cullors and persuaded them to create a platform for the movement.

Not only did the hashtag overwhelm social media platforms, but it also found its way into the streets, prompting many to speak out in a new wave of activism, including sit-ins, marches, rallies and peaceful protests. #BlackLivesMatter has since been gaining momentum, especially in response to the killings of more blacks after Martin, including Oscar Grant, Michael Brown, Eric Garner and Philando Castle, to name a few.

Because #BlackLivesMatter is a grass roots movement, promoted almost entirely on social media, its meaning and purpose are not always entirely clear. In November 14, 2016

order to clear up confusion surrounding the goals of the movement, the founders created the official #BlackLivesMatter website, detailing everything from their mission to the principles that help guide it.

The movement’s mission statement describes #BlackLivesMatter as “an ideological and political intervention in a world where Black lives are systematically and intentionally targeted for demise.” The movement, it describes, is “an affirmation of Black folks’ contributions to this society, our humanity, and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression.” The movement is working to increase widespread recognition of the validity of black lives and to advocate for “dignity, justice, and respect.” #BlackLivesMatter also makes it a point to be inclusive of all black lives, including “Black queer and trans folks, disabled folks, Black-undocumented folks, folks with records, women and all Black lives along the gender spectrum” as part of their efforts in “(re)building the Black liberation movement.”

RACIAL DIVERSITY AS REFLECTED AT STA The emergence of the movement has not only invoked a national conversation about racial diversity and inclusion, but also a discussion within STA. The administration and Star Galaxy Committee, a diversity initiatives group here at STA, continue to work towards increasing racial diversity at STA. The student body has now grown to be 16% non Caucasian. STA diversity coordinator Kelly McKee describes the student body to be “racially, culturally, geographically and economically” diverse.

“Students that attend school with diverse populations can better develop an understanding of the perspectives of others from different backgrounds and learn how to function in our multi-cultural and multiethnic society,” McKee said. “St. Teresa’s is committed to embracing and valuing diversity, and this is reflected not only in our mission statement but also as part of [the administration’s] strategic plan.”

That strategic plan encompasses a variety of actions to purposefully promote diversity in a number of different ways, ranging from alumni and student panel discussions, diversity inclusion training for faculty as well as gearing recruitment efforts toward minority students and faculty. McKee admits that it is hard to gauge whether or not the course of action for diversity expansion is doing enough, but she does believe that it’s “moving in the right direction.”

Sophomore Aryanna Wyatt, who identifies as black, didn’t weigh her options of high schools based on the percentage of diversity. However, she did consider not going to a particular school if diversity there was lacking.

“When I thought of STA and most private schools around here, I thought

of [the community to be] rich white girls and when I shadowed that was the case, there weren’t very many black people or any minorities,” Wyatt said. “[Now], I notice that I can be the only black person in a class. And sometimes I would like to feel more [included] … I feel more accepted when there is more people that are not just one common race.”

Cultural Diversity Committee vicepresident and sophomore Erris Pierson, who identifies as African American, points out as well that racial diversity isn’t very visible at STA. “There’s a lot of economic diversity for sure, and there’s also a lot of heritage diversity but I feel like there’s not a lot of diversity you can see, like people of color,” Pierson said. “You don’t see Indians, African Americans, people of Asian descent or anything like that because all you see in our classrooms is primarily white [students].”

Black faculty member and comoderator of the StarWrite Center Michelle Johnson believes that the views on racial diversity are a matter of subjectivity. However, it isn’t something that can be perceived as an “on again, off again” situation. “[Diversity is] all about where you stand on the issue,” Johnson said.

“There’s always going to be someone underrepresented...it’s just the nature of humans co-existing. You don’t cure diversity. You don’t hit a goal. I mean, what goal do you have? Let’s just say all of a sudden we had 30% of the population who are girls of color. Is that the end of diversity? Is that all that matters, the numbers? If it’s 30% girls who bring in diversity but the teachers are mostly all white then does that mean ‘Okay, we’re good’? If it’s the other way around and half of our teachers are people of color but the girls of color are underrepresented, do we go ‘Oh that’s

AROUND THE NATION

good’? It’s a moving target always … and it’s subjective to what people believe.” #BLACKLIVESMATTER AT STA One of the goals of the #BlackLivesMatter movement is to ignite the conversation of racial diversity through the presence of the movement itself. Here at STA, the conversation of the #BlackLivesMatter movement and diversity could be approached in history classes or classes that deal with social issues, however for Cultural Diversity moderator Craig Whitney, it would be brought up in a discussion amongst faculty and staff rather than with students. “[The #BlackLivesMatter movement] does create discussion; it does draw attention to an issue that a lot of people probably don’t really look at, [as] it’s not a part of their reality,” Whitney said. “As far as the racial diversity, my thought would be teachers bringing that up, I guess not really necessarily with students. That’s something that might come up within a faculty, staff, administration meeting.”

McKee sees that one of the movement’s benefits is to create a discussion, but it should also be one that is approachable in a classroom setting.

“Ideally, our students would feel supported and secure enough to have these sort of conversations in our classrooms,” McKee said. “I do think that’s one of the benefits of the #BlackLivesMatter movement … it’s forcing conversations and I think if we’re not having the conversation, at least we’re helping girls to become aware of not only the movement but their place in the movement.”

Despite Johnson’s belief that topics such as #BlackLivesMatter and racism are not ones to be taken lightly, she makes it a point that said topics are

Alternative coverage by Kate Jones Social Media Team Member

43% 22% 30% OF AMERICANS SUPPORT THE MOVEMENT

OF AMERICANS OPPOSE THE MOVEMENT page design by Helen Wheatley

OF AMERICANS HAVEN'T HEARD OF THE MOVEMENT Source: Pew Research Center

17

CENTERSPREAD often hard to approach in everyday conversation.

“No matter how nice you are, no matter how kindly you say it, there are people who are going to be uncomfortable with the topic,” Johnson said. “Some people - a lot of people frankly - believe that even discussing racism is racist. And that’s why these conversations can become hard.”

Wyatt also agrees that the conversation is a sensitive one when approached with other students at STA. “Most people feel uncomfortable when you talk about #BlackLivesMatter,” Wyatt said. “A lot of people are accepting but there are those few that just don’t agree with it and don’t want to talk about it or hear about it at all.”

Pierson too believes that the discussion of #BlackLivesMatter is hard to approach. However, she says that it’s the matter of subjectivity, much like what Johnson had said before. Not only that, Pierson also attributes its tough approachability to familial upbringing.

“I think that [the topic is] almost to the point to how you interpret things and how you were raised,” Pierson said. “[My family is] very big on diversity and they think it’s very important for us to

notice it and what’s going on within our own culture … we talk about how to bring it up in a conversation so then it’s not to the point where you’re offending someone.”

Junior Tone’Nae Bradley-Toomer, who identifies as black and is a supporter of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, does her best to voice her opinions whenever she can, but she feels as though expressing an opinion on the movement is automatic grounds for being swiftly judged negatively by others.

“I feel as though we are all put into this mold and any time you try to express … a small glint of your opinion on racial issues then you’re automatically [labeled as an] unintelligible, black supremacist or this problematic girl who doesn’t fit in,” Bradley-Toomer said. “[History classes] sort of prance around a topic thats so alive today because I think [people] are scared to lose a part of something that makes them feel good about [their own culture].”

In Whitney’s case, #BlackLivesMatter or racial diversity has only been brought up a handful of times.

“As a history teacher … when examining some period in time in our previous history, I like to draw parallels to things that are happening now,”

A TIMELINE OF EVENTS

Whitney said. “[Discussion of] racial diversity has come up before … And to be honest, I don’t think there was any conflict or controversy about it really.

That [discussion] was more just in acknowledgement of how the racial diversity is limited [at STA].”

ALL LIVES MATTER AND #BLACKLIVESMATTER During the course of #BlackLivesMatter’s growth, people have created numerous rebuttals to the movement, a major one being All Lives Matter. Whitney himself prefers to say All Lives Matter, believing that #BlackLivesMatter is “not quite inclusive enough.”

“I say all lives matter, including black people,” Whitney said. “I get where they want to draw attention specifically to themselves, fair enough I understand that. But what would concern me a little bit, is that you’re gonna lose a few people because you’ve labeled it like this ... Look at us and how we’re being attacked by police or justice system, whatever the case may be, and I agree with that, but I also see what I would regard as a small flaw in it all it’s that it’s not quite inclusive enough.”

Johnson understands the notion behind All Lives Matter, but also makes

Alternative coverage by Kate Jones Social Media Team Member

TRAYVON MARTIN, 17

ERIC GARNER, 43

FEBRUARY 26,

JULY 17,

2012

AUGUST 9,

NOVEMBER 22,

2014

2014

2014

The Black Lives Matter movement was started by Alicia Garzia, Opal Tometi and Patrisse Cullors after 17-yearold Trayvon Martin was killed

by George Zimmerman, who was the “Neighborhood Watch Captain” in his gated community.

Eric Garner, 43, died after being wrestled to the ground as New York City police attempted to arrest him for selling illegal cigarettes.

Garner can be heard in the video repeatedly saying, “I can’t breathe”

MICHAEL BROWN, 18

After Michael Brown was shot by policeman Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Mo., the movement had a “Freedom Ride” to Ferguson Mo. where they held a peaceful protest three weeks after Michael Brown was shot.

18 November 14, 2016

TAMIR RICE, 12

Tamir Rice, 12, was fatally shot and killed in a Cleveland park after police responded to a 911 call reporting a person with a gun. The caller warned that the gun may have been fake. Officer Timothy Loehmann shot Rice within seconds of arriving on the scene. Rice’s gun turned out to have been a toy.

it a point that different races are treated disproportionately compared to other races in America.

“It goes without saying that all lives matter in America, it’s just that America doesn’t always act as if all lives matter equally,” Johnson said. “#BlackLivesMatter … is specifically targeting the issue of the disproportionate shootings by the police department against unarmed black men ... any other time in America [when] there is any kind of disproportionate negativity … we address it and Black Lives Matter is merely saying that ‘We are addressing this’.”

Bradley-Toomer also believes that the movement is addressing the fact that there is a problem with equality among the races.

“I just think that it's almost showing everyone that we too are equals, we have the same anatomy, the only thing different is the amount of pigment in our skin,” Bradley-Toomer said. “We’re not any different from you and we’re not going to sit here and be taken advantage of or be marginalized or be mistreated after hundreds upon hundreds of years of taking that … I don't think that it's saying we want to be better in any kind of way.

I think it's saying that we are equal and that we know in our rights that we are promised in our constitution that [white people] signed for freedom which is being violated in that respect.”

CHARLESTON SHOOTING

For McKee, the All Lives Matter group undermines the #BlackLivesMatter movement in that it doesn’t address the issues of the criminal justice system.

“I think that the All Lives Matter movement has not been well received because it does not recognize that within our criminal justice system black lives currently matter less,” McKee said.

“It’s negating the #BlackLivesMatter movement by not recognizing that there is some inequality and injustice at play in our society as a whole.”

McKee does believe that in order for there to be a change in American society, awareness to these issues of inequality and injustice must come into place.

“Awareness is often the first step in creating change, and with this in mind, it seems necessary for each of us to look internally and recognize our biases and the advantages that we may have,” McKee said. “It’s important that we listen to each other instead of assuming that we understand someone else’s experiences by creating conversations and finding ways for students to go into those conversations with an open mind and an open heart and dropping [our] biases at the door, which you can’t do unless you’re aware of what your biases are. And I think that has to come before effective conversations can really happen." H

STUDENT ETHNICITY

84% WHITE

3.5% MULTI-RACIAL 3.3% HISPANIC 2.8% AFRICAN AMERICAN 2.8% ASIAN FACULTY AND STAFF ETHNICITY

91 TOTAL 8 HISPANIC/LATINO 1 AFRICAN AMERICAN Source: STA Admin

SANDRA BLAND, 28

ALTON STERLING, 37

JUNE 17,

JULY 10,

JULY 5,

2015

2015

2016

During a prayer service, nine people were killed by a gunman, including the senior pastor, state senator Clementa C. Pinckney; a tenth victim survived. The morning after the attack, police arrested a suspect, later identified as 21-year-old Dylann Roof, who said he was, “Trying to start a race war.

DIVERSITY AT STA Alternative coverage by Kate Jones Social Media Team Member

Sandra Bland was pulled over in Prairie View, Texas, for not signaling a lane change. She was arrested and later died in her jail cell.

Alton Sterling, a 37-year-old black man, was shot several times at close range while held down on the ground by two white Baton Rouge Police Department officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

KEITH LAMONT SCOTT, 43

SEPTEMBER 20,

2016 Keith Lamont Scott, a 43-yearold African-American man, was fatally shot by Brentley Vinson, an African-American city police officer.

Sources: CNN, The New York Times, TIME Magazine Photos courtesy of Tribune News Service or fair use in the public domain page design by Helen Wheatley

19

MAIN ED

FOCUS ON THE BLACK LIVES

The Blue Lives Matter and All Lives Matter movements undermine the goal of the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

The Black Lives Matter movement is campaigning against violence and systemic racism towards black people.

The movement was established by three women, Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi and Patrisse Cullors after the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in 2012.

From the Black Lives Matter movement stemmed many other movements that opposed the original goal of the Black Lives Matter movement such as “All Lives Matter” and “Blue Lives Matter.”

While it’s true everyone's lives matter, it is the black lives being targeted.

In a response to the Black Lives Matter movement, the Blue Lives Matter movement was founded. The goal of Blue Lives Matter campaign found on their official website is “to honor and recognize the actions of law enforcement to strengthen the public support.” Although law enforcement is to be respected, it is hard to support a movement that supports lives that aren’t being targeted. The Blue Lives Matter movement doesn’t offer an explanation to the lives that have been lost in the Black Lives Matter community and with the continuance of the violence that constantly threatens America, the movement doesn’t offer a solution either.

Another response to the Black Lives Matter movement is the All Lives Matter movement, where not only just black lives matter but every race and life matters. The overarching argument for All Lives Matter is justified but all lives are not being treated as they matter.

In a recent census provided by the The Washington Post, it found that police officers have shot and

killed the exact same number of unarmed white people as unarmed black people, 50 each. But because the white population is approximately five times larger than the black population this means unarmed black Americans are five times more likely than unarmed white Americans to be shot and killed by a police officer. Everyone’s lives do matter but it’s those being targeted that are trying to raise awareness of statistics such as these that prove that the number being targeted is unjust.

The Black Lives Matter movement has faced backlash since its founding, and this isn’t the first time protests have been portrayed negatively. During the Civil Rights Movement, a recent survey compiled by the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research at Cornell University shows that in the 1960s, a majority of Americans believed that such protest actions would hurt and not help African Americans’ fight for equality. But today we see those who lead the Civil rights movement protests as heroes, will it take us another 50 years to see the leaders of Black Lives Matter as heroes as well?

Black Lives Matter is a movement fighting racism and establishing awareness of injustices in this country. The movement is giving America a hard truth that needs to be accepted as a problem and solved. H

7 OF 8 EDITORS VOTED IN AGREEMENT WITH THIS EDITORIAL

20

RIGHT ON TARGET Compiled by Linden O'Brien-Williams Editor-in-Chief DO YOU VIEW STA AS RACIALLY DIVERSE? WHY OR WHY NOT? Senior Liz Barton "I do sometimes but usually not. I think STA tries to portray itself as more diverse than we actually are and really it’s just a predominantly white school."

Senior Maya Kalmus "Currently, the amount of minorities at STA is really lacking.

I think if more effort was put towards reaching out to/meeting the backgrounds STA’s needs of people of diversity would different religious, increase immensely." and economic

Illustration by Ellie Grever | Visual Illustrator November 14, 2016

homework overload is

PERSPECTIVES

doing more Harm than good Story by Isabel Shorter | Staff Writer

Homework is devouring our already limited time. It is doing more than prepare us for college, it's preparing us to accept doing less than our best.

We are all too familiar with the routine of waking up early, going to school for eight hours, then coming home only to have four more hours of homework.

Most of us also have jobs, sports or extracurricular activities to attend. How are we expected to give our all to every subject, job and hobby if we don’t even have enough time to focus on one of those things? Our yoke of homework overload is doing more than prepare us for college - it's preparing us to accept doing less than our best.

Every night when we students sit down to do our daily homework, we choose where we are going to cut some corners. At least one subject may be neglected entirely, a couple other subjects may see some attention and the most effort is reserved for the assignments that most affect our grades, like upcoming tests. I can assure you that time management isn’t the issue. We’ve all learned how to manage our time quite well with this practice of slimming down assignments. All of this “time management," and still, most of us won’t make it to bed until midnight. Frankly, I don’t think it’s our time management that needs changing, I think it’s the amount of homework we’re assigned that does.

Not only is the amount of homework we receive devouring our time that we would like to have set aside hobbies, or things we enjoy, but it’s also taking away

from our sleeping time. Recent studies agree that teenagers need exactly nine and a quarter hours of sleep every night.

It’s taking away time from the thing that gives us the energy to try our hardest in school, to do our absolute best on that test or even just to be happy. It can make us sleep deprived for most of the school year, and take away from our already limited time to explore who we are and what we love most.

This lack of sleep is proven to affect teens’ ability to function properly at school. According to CNN May Clinic, "sleep deprivation can affect mood, performance, attention, learning, behavior and biological functions." Overall, the excessive amount of homework deprives us of sleep, making it difficult to concentrate or even stay awake in class, and making us less capable of functioning properly at school.

To “function properly” at school, or to put in our absolute best effort, we know that we have to get nine and a quarter hours of sleep, but the real question is, "What would our schedule look like if we really did follow this sleeping pattern?"

The only way to find out is by compiling an average schedule of an STA student while incorporating the specific hours of sleep. An average student at STA’s schedule would look like…

6:30 a.m.- Wake up!

6:30-7:15 a.m.- Eat and get ready for the day 7:15-7:40 a.m. - Make way to school 7:40 a.m.-3 p.m. - School is in session

page design by Maureen Burns

3 -3:30 p.m.- Drive to practice/get ready for practice 3:30-5 p.m.- Practice or after school activity 5:30-7 p.m. - Eat, see family, pet dog 7 p.m.-9 p.m.- Homework time 9-9:15 p.m. - Get ready for bed 9:15-6:30 p.m.- Nine and a quarter hours of sweet slumber In order to get the right amount of sleep to put us in the correct mind set, only two hours of homework would be allowed. Instead, we’re assigned more than that, and are forced to cut down on some other, more enjoyable aspects of our daily lives.

I am more than aware that this is a college preparatory academy, and we’re assigned this homework so that we’re prepared. But this constant cycle of eat, sleep, school, do homework, repeat is affecting our mental and physical health and causing us to not live up to our full potential as students and people. Unfortunately, this unhealthy and repetitive schedule applies to most students at STA, no matter what grade.

For us to maintain good grades, do well in sports and extracurriculars and get nine and a quarter hours of sleep needed for our mental or physical health is an unreasonable expectation. If we were assigned less homework, we would have time to give our best effort to all of these things, preparing us for not just college, but also the real world, where only our best work is acceptable. H

21

PERSPECTIVES

getting a job prepared me for The Real World Story by Anne Claire Tangen Staff Writer

I thought I was just making money, but apparently I was learning life lessons.

It’s 3 a.m. on a Saturday night and, energy drink from Quicktrip in hand, I’ve given up. My Himes paper is due tomorrow at 11:59 p.m. and I just touched it for the first time, finishing somewhat of a rough draft. I need to be up in three hours to get ready for work.

You’re probably asking yourself why I didn’t start my paper two weeks ago.

This is a Himes paper we’re talking about, why would I procrastinate so much? He gives you two whole weeks to write it.

The crazy thing is: I am not that much of a procrastinator. I used to not be one at all. I just work so much I am constantly catching up on homework and sleep that I left it until the absolute last minute.

The past couple of months of working in the foodservice industry have really opened my eyes. Working has taught me another level of responsibility, time management and overall moral values. My perspective on the world has drastically changed because I got a job.

I am currently working 20 hours per week, which doesn’t sound that much until you realize that a full time job is 40 hours per week. I’m left constantly with a less than adequate amount of sleep (not that this is strange to any student at STA), which puts me a bad mood.

Unfortunately, when you’re working, you know who cares about your bad

mood? No one. The customers aren’t going to ask you if you had a bad day, your manager isn’t going to care if you just failed a math test. You have to fake a smile and make sure everyone else is happy before you are- you know, that thing called customer service (mine is a little rough, just in case you were wondering).

Work doesn’t care when you have a bunch of homework. You can’t just call in and say you have to study for your history exam so you’ll be a couple hours late. I have had to use time management to the best of my ability on the days I’m working, otherwise I’ll be up way too late doing homework.

Working has started to snap me out of my secluded view of the world and has shown me how difficult it can be to provide for yourself. Working with mostly adults and college students, I had started to realize this pretty early on in the job.

Only 14 percent of college seniors have steady, career-type jobs lined up for them after graduation. All the time you hear

about how grads are having harder and harder times finding jobs in their field, but it’s one thing to hear something and another to actually witness it.

My parents had always told me that I wouldn’t know the value of a dollar until I had to earn it myself. I come from this sheltered world of things being provided for me all my life and I can tell you right now that they were totally right. I started to care much more about what I was spending my money on (food) once I knew how long it took me to earn it.

Getting a job was actually one of the better decisions I’ve made, because although my outlook on the future has changed - not necessarily for the better, I feel like I’ll be more prepared for the next chapter in my life because of it.

My alarm beeps at 6:45 a.m.. As I begin to put on my work uniform, I can’t help think how I have to work for seven hours, come home, work on my essay and other homework, then do it all over again next weekend. You know what they say: Red Bull gives you wings. H

Other columns on dno catching kelce 22

Story by Sophie Sakoulas Staff Photographer

How not being able to drive affects my life Story by Cece Curran | Writer November 14, 2016

if a clown tries me...

Story by Natalie Telep | Writer

Creativity is an asset to happiness Story by Helen Wheatley Editor-in-Chief

I don't know how to be imaginative, and I blame my high school education.

“That’s all great, but do you ever have time to stare at a blank wall and imagine things?”

This question was posed to me as I talked on the phone with my well-read, Silicon-Valley-Vice-President kind of successful, still-rocks-a nose-piercing stepmom. The discussion was mainly about making the leap to college, but it veered towards something much more important-- something that actually determines who I am, what I do, what gets me up in the morning and who I surround myself with.

At the root of the problem with being able to answer this inquiry from my stepmom is not that I don’t have time to sit in my room and dream up the next season of Stranger Things. It’s that, after all of my 17 years of education and working on magazines, newspapers, a museum board, AP essays and chemistry tests, I don’t know how to be imaginative.

It should come as no surprise to me that being creative is so difficult.

After being thrown into the high school education machine three years ago, I adopted a kind of sink or swim, results oriented mentality. Everything became about success, and I don’t think I am entirely to blame for this shift in mindset.

Suddenly, three years later, I’m applying to college and forced to find something that makes me unique to plug to admissions reps-- I won’t be so self-deprecating to say that I’m an unoriginal being, but it’s only now that I’ve realized my hobbies, imagination and drive to create slipped away without my recollection. I can’t help feeling bitter. I can’t help feeling that maybe I didn’t have

"Everything became about success, and I don’t think I am entirely to blame for this shift in mindset." everything to do with my loss of naivety and joy found in the simple.

Four years ago, I sat in freshman Star Seminar and listened to two seniors explain to me that I needed a binder for Finals that should be filled with study guides and notes, to be studied three weeks in advance of the looming test dates. I quickly found, however, that this kind of effort wasn’t necessary to make the grade. I found that I didn’t need to read House of Mirth if I could work the formula to write a critical essay about it. I found that paying attention in Algebra class counteracts not doing the homework and that ultimately, if I do well in the gradebook, who cares what I’m learning?

Naturally, I do care, have always cared and likely always will. I also don’t doubt that my teachers care. Learning is a beautiful thing, but the problem occurs when we begin to focus entirely on the product of learning, and forget about the process. It quickly became clear to me that my burning desire to read every book and spend hours thinking about them on my own would always take second place to the grade I received in doing so.

“What about your art keeps you returning?”

I had been ruminating on the brief page design by Maureen Burns

conversation my stepmom and I had a few weeks back, and decided to pose this question to one of my coworkers. She draws cartoon characters then molds them into actual beings, using them for stop-motion clips. Kassidy launched into a detailed description of her creative process, explaining the joy she found in bringing her ideas to life and watching them move before her eyes.

Later that shift, I talked with a coworker who just moved to Kansas City from New Orleans, La., to refine her trumpet skill. Catie’s been overwhelmed in the new city, but describes finding total solace in her practice.

I feel a bit uneasy talking with these two incredibly talented women. I remember learning my first song on the guitar, building a haunted house in my backyard and then my futile attempts to be inspired in the painting I attempted a week ago. Perhaps I just miss being a kid, but something inside feels like those whimsical thoughts have been stamped out of me without my permission.

And so we return to my initial query: Why are imagination and creativity so difficult for me to access? The answer is simple: It’s never been communicated to me that they’re necessary. H

23

A&E

PLAYBILL MUSIC AND ARTS BUILDING AUDITORIUM

1

MAKING A MUSICAL:

JANE EYRE Story by Sophy Silva | Writer Photos by Helen Wheatley | Editor-in-Chief

24

November 14, 2016

3

2

Director Shana Prentiss describes the process in which she prepared for this year's fall musical Jane Eyre Musical director Shana Prentiss sat down and discussed this year’s fall musical, Jane Eyre, which is based off of the classic novel. It takes place in the 19th century rural England and describes a young woman’s journey through her adulthood.

Why did you specifically choose Jane Eyre for this year's fall musical?

"I had been thinking about showing Jane Eyre for a while now, but it was Mr. Karlin who encouraged me to go

on with it," Prentiss said. "I had originally listened to the soundtrack years ago, but the voice of Jane Eyre on it annoyed me. I finally was able to get past her voice, and I now see how beautiful the soundtrack really is."

Prentiss also made the decision based on the number of parts, since there is limited space in the theater program.

"It is a difficult process, both finding shows that we like and will work with the space available," Prentiss said.

What do you like the most about Jane Eyre?

"I always choose musicals that have positive roles for women, and Jane Eyre has many of these," Prentiss said.

"I also really like the plot of the musical

overall and all the mysterious twists throughout the story. I like that the story shows some of the tough decisions that Jane has to face, especially those of morality.”

Can you describe some of what you have to do in order to make the musical happen?

“I sometimes have to spend weekends and evenings after school in order to prepare for the show,” Prentiss said. “I sacrifice time with my family, especially during the last few days heading up to the show. However, directing musical theater is what I love to do, and I end up gaining more than I lose. I have been doing this for 16 years, and the musicals get better every time.”H 1. Jane and Rochester, (senior Libby Terril and Rockhurst High School senior Oliver Hutchison), sing together after professing their mutual love.

2. Senior Libby Terril plays Jane Eyre during her days as a school teacher.

3. Oliver Hutchison, playing the lead role of Mr. Rochester, taps his cane while chastising Jane during their second meeting.

4. Senior Rose Genaris and Academie Lafayette student Greta Hartley work on homework during rehearsal Nov. 2.

Genaris plays Mrs. Fairfax and Hartley plays Adele.

5. Juniors Greta Sonnenberg, left, and Kate Loman talk during rehearsal Nov. 2.

4

5

25 page design by Claire Molloy

SPORTS

STA has changed its policy on concussions to be more inclusive of all students.

Story by Gabby Staker Page Designer Photos by Anna Louise Sih Photographer Midway through the fall of her eighth grade year, sophomore Kate Coppinger missed 85 days of school. She saw six different doctors. She suffered horrible headaches and debilitating migraines.

She wore a pair of purple sunglasses for the rest of that year and she sat in the front hallway of her school during every single lunch period.

Coppinger had suffered a concussion Oct. 19, 2014, and she wouldn’t step onto the lacrosse field again until nine months of physical

therapy and neurosurgery consultations proved her brain

26

could handle another game.

Coppinger was playing for the championship at a lacrosse tournament in St. Louis when she was checked by a girl on the other team. Hard. Twice. The first hit rattled Coppinger, but she kept playing-- she wanted to win. Getting up a second time, though, was much harder.

“She pushes me down again and this time I fall and hit the back of my head,” Coppinger said. “I’m choking on my mouthguard and I can’t breathe… Those two hits, when I fell, they were all within a minute. Everything kept happening really quickly.”

After crawling to the sideline, Coppinger was told by trainers that she might have sustained a concussion. “My fingers would do this,” and she twitches her fingers, “my legs would do this,” and her legs tremor slightly, “and I couldn’t control it,” she remembers.

According to STA athletic trainer Lisa Gross, a necessary conversation about concussions began approximately ten November 14, 2016

years ago with an increasing number of NFL players who were suffering from neurocognitive issues.

In December of 2012, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher fired ten fatal shots at his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, before taking his own life at the Chiefs’ practice facility in front of general manager Scott Pioli and coaches Romeo Crennel and Gary Gibbs.

“They couldn’t take care of themselves,” Gross said. “There were murder-suicides of certain players. That’s when somebody kind of stopped and said, ‘Why are these football players-what is causing this kind of mental breakdown?’”

But while the spotlight initially shone on football, it’s expanding. Gross believes that while the word “concussion” connotes football, concussion rates are similarly as high in basketball, soccer, and lacrosse.

“It was good to where the spotlight needed to happen, but I think we’ve evolved from concussions being a horrible, fear-inducing word to recognizing that they happen, there’s only so much you can do it certain situations to avoid collisions,” Gross said. “You can’t always override inertia. Sometimes physics are just against you.”

Rockhurst High School head football coach Tony Severino has coached for 47 years. He has no doubt that in those 47 years, the attitude towards concussions has changed significantly.

“The awareness of it now is terrific, but you can’t be scared,” Severino said.

No matter the sport, Severino sees value in playing high school sports, “lessons that far outweigh the risk of anything,” he said. “There’s risk in driving.

There’s risk in walking down the street, and you’re not going to stop doing that…

I’d hate to see them giving up on the experiences of playing while they’re able to play sports in high school.”

For the past six years, Gross has administered concussion baseline tests, a “a tool in a toolbox” for detecting sportinduced concussions. The online tests activate all lobes of the brain to “establish a baseline of their current cognitive performance, which is a measure of processing speed, working memory, attention and accuracy,” Gross said. photo illustration by Zoe Butler Features Editor pictured is Kate Coppinger

“Repeating the same tests after injury identifies any cognitive changes from the baseline test performance. This helps indicate whether the brain has fully recovered.”

Gross worked with the STA administration over the summer to implement a program to treat all concussed students, not just inseason athletes. Gross cites the case of a concussion suffered in a car accident. She hopes that this new, more specialized policy will allow students to be able to take the appropriate time for at-home recovery without having unexcused absences and copious amounts of work to make up for in their classes.

“The thought of falling behind and making up that work can be extremely stressful,” Gross said. “That kind of stress

will delay your healing.”

STA sophomore Francine Vaughn fell on a tumbling pass during practice Sept. 12, sustaining a concussion-- the first in her gym in thirty years. Vaughn missed three days of school and couldn’t practice for another seven days after her headaches stopped.

Although she was emailed by STA counselor Kelly McKee, who asked if she needed extensions for her classes, Vaughn admits she felt some pressure from teachers to turn in assignments as quickly as possible after she returned to school.

Overall, Gross believes that if concussions are addressed and treated prudently, most players can make a full recovery. It’s when players hide their symptoms and check back into the games that microtraumas accumulate

and long-term consequences occur.

Coppinger was cleared July 1, 2015, after doctors had initially told her she might never play contact sports again. She went on to play Junior Varsity lacrosse during the regular season and postseason Varsity as a freshman, although she feels like she reached peak performance before her concussion. She recalls the physical degradation of her body during her recovery.

“Walking up five steps, my heart rate [went] crazy,” Coppinger said. “It’s because I was in my bed, not doing anything for nine months… Ever since that, I’ve never been as good of a player as I was. That’s been a big bump in the road. I don’t think I’ll ever be as fast as I was.” H

SYMPTOMS OF CONCUSSIONS Alternative coverage by Natalie Telep | Writer Illustration by Ellie Grever | Visual Illustrator

PHYSICAL:

- Headache - Dizziness - Nausea - Sensitivity to light/noise

COGNITIVE:

- Mental fog - Feeling slowed down - Difficulty concentrating - Difficulty remembering

EMOTIONAL:

- Sadness - Irritability - Nervousness

page design by Zoe Butler

27

COMMUNITY

Mayor Proposes Kansas city Arts festival

A once brick-red alley is now colorful with graffiti. Located in the Crossroads Arts District, art expressed through graffiti is not uncommon.

Story by Gaby Mesa | Writer Photos by Anne Claire Tangen | Writer

The City Council has approved a proposal by Mayor Sly James to have an annual Arts Fest set to kick off in September of 2017.

S

ophomore Audrey Giersch looked down at her Birkenstock Sandals as she walked along the streets of the Plaza Art Fair. She adjusted her sunglasses to keep her face shielded in the hot September sun and kept her arm locked to sophomore Evelyn Mosier so neither one of them would be lost in the overwhelming crowds. Her attention was caught by a display of glassware, and from there she spent the next couple of hours browsing the work of artists from all over the nation.

Mayor Sly James proposed that Kansas city invest $250,000 in the development of a signature annual art festival to showcase the work

28

of local artists, and enhance KC’s tourist industry. The festival would be held in Swope Park each September beginning in 2017.

“My vision for the festival is simply to maximize Kansas City’s talent and resources, put them on display, provide a venue for them to collaborate. Regional and national attention [to the city] would finally produce some revenue related to the arts,” James told the city council’s Finance and Governance Committee according to a video posted

by The Kansas City Star.

James’ official mayoral page describes the event as featuring various disciplines of music, dance, theater and temporary art installations. It would also include interactive and tech workshops,

film screenings, guest speakers and forums, along with a KC Marketplace for local vendors to promote and sell their products.

Sophomore Brooke Eldridge, who attended both the Plaza Art fair and the annual Swope Park Ethnic Festival, said that she would be on board with another art-centered event in Kansas City. Eldridge especially enjoys the art in Kansas City showcases because of her mom’s connections with local artists.

“I like to go to those kinds of things and see my mom's artist friends,” Eldridge said. “A couple of years ago, [my mom] had a business and she partnered with local artists and printed their art on phone cases, and T-shirts.”

"My vision for the festival is simply to maximize Kansas City's talent..."

Mayor Sly James

November 8, 2016

Though Eldridge and Giersch don’t share the same connection to the art, they do share a favorite aspect of art related festivals.

"My favorite part of the Plaza Art Fair was the food,” Giersch said.

At the Ethnic Festival, Eldridge says that she tried to branch out when it came to food.

“I was surprised everything was so good,” Eldridge said. “I tried this one Filipino pasta, it was so good that I had to go back to get another.”

Sly James plans to make food and community a signature of the Art Festival. He suggested a halfmile long table where people from all backgrounds could come and eat together.

“You stop, you sit and eat wherever there's a space.” James told the committee. “You don’t know who’s across from you. It may be a black person, white person latino person, it may be a small person or tall person.”

James not only wants to build the community through the Art Fest, he told the committee, but elevate the tourist industry in Kansas City.

“Kansas City has tremendous artistic and cultural assets,” said James. “The KC Arts Festival

Located downtown, this mural and many others are a point of interest for people to take pictures of.

Sophomore Katie Mulhern takes a picture of some wall art.

would bring regional and national attention to local talent and resources, provide a venue for creative collaboration and create a positive economic impact for years to come.”

According to Lee Horsley of the Kansas City Star, Bill guiles who is the director of council and community relations said that the overall budget for the Festival is currently about $1.4 million dollars.

He added that the Festival would not be free entry, but it would sell tickets to help generate revenue.

The Festival would utilize the 1,805 acres of Swope Park, which James described as a “perfect” venue.

“The festival would take place over a weekend utilizing swope park and all of the various assets and venues in swope park such as starlight theater, the pavilion, and the neighboring community center,” James told the committee.

The proposal was approved by the city’s Finance and Governance committee and brought before the entire council October 6. Eleven of the thirteen council members voted in favor of the proposal and it was passed. H

WHAT'S ACROSS THE ROAD

by Anne Claire Tangen | Writer and Gaby Mesa | Writer

Art Related activities in the Crossroads to keep you busy while you wait for the Arts Fest First Fridays

What: An arts showcase including food trucks, live performances, art exhibits, and street vendors.

When: The first Friday of every month Where: Crossroads Art District

Holiday Pop-Up Shop

What: Handmade crafts for sale from 6 local designers When: November 11, 5pm- 8pm Where: KC Textile Studio, 924 E 5th St KCMO 64106

City of Tomorrow: Postwar Urban Renewal

What: Before/after pictures; maps of KC's Urban Renewal When: Daily, October 24-December 31 Where: Address: 5th floor of the KC Public Library, Central Branch, 14 W 10th St, KCMO 64105

Page Design by Ellie Grever

KC Mural

What: A mural the reads “Kansas City I’m so in love” and is a popular site for instagram pictures When: Anytime Where: Outside of Fortuity Boutique in the Crossroads District 1919 Baltimore Ave., Kansas City, MO 64108.

29

LAST LOOK

STUDENT SAVINGS:

WHERE TO GET DISCOUNTS USING YOUR HIGH SCHOOL ID Story by Claire Molloy | Lifestyles Editor Photos by Sophie Sakoulas | Photographer

The Dart compiled a list of companies who offer discounts to high school students who present their student IDs at checkout.

THE ROASTERIE

KATE SPADE

Hours: Vary by location Locations: Brookside: 6223 Brookside Blvd

Kansas City, MO 64113 Downtown: 1204 W 27th St.

Kansas City, MO

64108 10% A Leawood: 4511 W 119th St, OFF K

Leawood, KS 66209 DRIN

Hours: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Monday - Saturday 12 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday Locations: 321 Nichols Rd. Kansas City, MO 64112

15% F OF

MADEWELL

Hours: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Monday - Wednesday 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Thursday 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Friday - Saturday 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday Locations: 309 Nichols Rd. Kansas City, MO 64112

CHIPOTLE

15%

Hours: Vary by location Locations: Plaza: 4851 Main St.

Kansas City, MO 64112 Waldo: 501 W 75th St.

Kansas City, MO

64114

OFF

K DRIN FREE TH WI E CHAS PUR

VINEYARD VINES FRANCESCA'S Hours: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Monday - Saturday 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. Sunday Locations: 4700 Broadway St. Kansas City, MO 64112

30

15% F OF

Hours: Vary by location Locations: Plaza: 4724 Broadway St.

Kansas City, MO 64112 Oak Park Mall:

11445 W 95th St.

Overland Park, KS 66214

November 14, 2016

10% F OF

IN LOVING MEMORY:

STEVEN KARLIN Story by Alex Davis Multimedia Editor

STA staff accompanist and piano teacher Steven Jeffrey Karlin passed away. Here, STA recalls and celebrates his impact.

St. Teresa's Academy staff accompanist and piano teacher Steven Jeffrey Karlin passed away Friday Oct. 21 at his home. The 29-year-old not only taught at STA for six years, but also had many other involvements in the community, such as the Heartland Men's Chorus, Karlin Kabaret, STA musical and theatre productions as well as other productions in the Kansas City area.

The morning of Monday, Oct. 24, students gathered around the seal in memory of Karlin. Flowers, candles, photographs and various gifts were placed on in the seal to honor Karlin and his time at STA. STA singer and senior Lilly McGonigle recounts her memories of Karlin fondly, saying that he was "a really special person."

"I always looked up to [Karlin] and respected him because he was just so unapologetically himself," McGonigle said. "I think that's something really hard

GSA moderator Steve Karlin discusses a getting to know you activity with class of 2016 graduates and GSA members Rita Farrel, left, and Amanda Wesche during the first meeting of the year, Sept. 15, 2016. photo by Alex Davis

to be without having to worry about the judgement of others and that wasn't a concern for him. He was so smart and so talented and that he could just cultivate that many skills was unbelievable to me.

He didn't do anything halfway, he was just so enthusiastic about everything he did and he just had a genuine love for being with students and with Mr. Perry and Mr. Monsma and for creating music, laughter.

He was just so funny and he really was just a special person."

McGonigle further said she will be cherishing the memories she has of him, as well as many other students, faculty and staff will do too.

A memorial service for Karlin was held Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016, from 3:30 to 8 p.m. at the Ritz Charles in Overland Park, Kansas. Students were granted an release in order to attend the service. At the service, several members of faculty and the administration lead a prayer around 4:00 p.m.. Following were songs sung by the STA choir. Administration encouraged family and friends to share their experiences with Karlin during the entire evening with an open mic tribute.

Intentions at the All Saints Day Mass at STA Tuesday, Nov. 1, were also said in honor of Karlin. H

Students left flowers and candles at the STA seal in the quad Oct. 24 to remember music accompanist and piano teacher Steven Karlin. photo by Cassie Hayes

page design by Linden O'Brien-Williams

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