THE
DART
THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWS SOURCE OF ST. TERESA'S ACADEMY | KANSAS CITY, MO
STEALING A GLANCE INTO SHOPLIFTING The Dart examines the causes of shoplifting and the effects on the shoplifter, his or her family, the store and the wider community.
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P. 12 | A LOOK INTO MACKENZIE NICOLE'S "STRANGE" CAREER
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P. 26 | STUDENTS START CYO TEAMS
CONTENTS
4. MTKC DEDICATES ORCHESTRA PIT TO STEVEN KARLIN
SENIOR NICOLE MAUS APPLIES TO NAVAL ACADEMY
5. STA HOSTS 150TH ANNIVERSARY GALA
6. TINY HOUSE COMMUNITY HONORS VETERANS 10. BRUNO MARS TAKES IT WAY BACK WITH NEW ALBUM, "24K MAGIC"
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12. BLAKE ADVISORY CELEBRATES SISTERHOOD
STEALING A GLANCE INTO THIEVERY
14. MACKENZIE NICOLE PURSUES MUSIC CAREER
ON THE COVER
21. PRO-WOMAN AND PRO-LIFE AREN'T MUTALLY EXCLUSIVE
22. GIRLS BRIDGE GENDER GAP THROUGH SPORTS 23. DOG GIVES HIS PERSPECTIVE ON HUMANS
16 FORMER TEACHERS: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
24. LOCAL COLLEGES OFFER ART COURSES
26. ATHLETES COMPARE STA AND CYO BASKETBALL 28. STUDENTS FIND ALTERNATE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION TO SCHOOL
30 Cover design by Julia Kerrigan, photo by Anna Louise Sih Backpage design by Gwyn Doran December 9, 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 Breaking News Editor Victoria Cahoon Multimedia Editor Alex Davis
Reader, We see it in the line for lunch, in the subtle bragging over our friend’s “100% off earrings”. Thievery happens all around us, and as teenagers, the habit starts now. The Dart decided to take a look into what this practice really entails, from its inception to the addiction. Read Claire Molloy and Zoe Butler’s investigative centerspread into the mind of the teenage thief. Then, be sure to read the main editorial, voted on by the Dart’s editors, explaining the insensitivity that comes with thievery. On our news pages, read about STA’s 150th Anniversary Gala that raised upwards of $1 million. After the untimely passing of accompanist Steven Karlin, Music Theater Kansas City is raising money to construct an orchestra pit in his name. Over on the east side of KC, a veteran organization is building a community of tiny houses for homeless and transitional veterans. Bruno Mars’ new album, “24K Magic” is reviewed on page 10. Mars takes after soul, funk and R&B legends of the past, adding in a twist of contemporary pop. From there, check out our profile about the Blake Advisory-- some students’ STA home for four years. Mackenzie Nicole O’Guin, pop star, daughter of Strange Music CEO and STA senior, is profiled on page 14. Read about
her rise to the top, with the release of two singles that have taken her all over the nation, and the struggle to balance school and career. Be sure to read Gabby Staker’s opinion on a controversial topic: women and the pro-life movement. Following is a look into students who take alternate forms of transportation to school-- the owners of those bikes you see tethered to racks outside of Donnelly, and the girls who wait for the Max every morning. Our sports pages look into the trend of recreational basketball teams and the consideration of new fall sports. Lastly, check in with former STA teachers for updates on their new horizons. As always, DNO has much to offer in the way of video, Pop Culture Podcasts, galleries of Christmas decorating and more. Happy reading!
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
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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
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page design by Gabby Mesa
STA NEWS
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Orchestra pit dedicated in Place for passed teacher Music Theatre Kansas City hopes to raise $100,000 to build an orchestra pit in Steven Karlin's honor. Story by Katie Gregory | Scheduling Editor of Web Photos compiled by Helen Wheatley | Editor-In-Chief When Steven Karlin passed away Friday, October 21, many communities around Kansas City felt a loss, Music Theater Kansas City, a performing arts school that Karlin was involved in from a young age was severely affected. In the wake of her grief, MTKC music director Julie Danielson decided to begin fundraising to dedicate an orchestra pit to Karlin. When this fundraiser was announced at Karlin's memorial service, choir director Steve Perry was sitting in the crowd. “I think the orchestra pit is a great way to memorialize him," Perry said. "He was a very talented man, but his real passion was music theater.” Danielson echoes this. “Having a dedication to Steven just feels right,” she said. “He was an large part of MTKC, so having a memorial for him was the logical next step after his passing.” Though the decision to dedicate a memorial to Karlin was an obvious one for Danielson, the process of getting the orchestra pit to be a reality will be long. “With an orchestra pit, there’s a lot that goes into it,” Perry said. “Not only do you have to dig the hole for the pit itself, but you also have to have acoustic treatment and hydraulics to name a few.” Danielson agrees that the process will be a long one, but believes that the contribution an orchestra pit makes to a performance is immeasurable. “An orchestra pit is important because even though not every place has one, it
really helps to amplify the sound and the acoustics." Danielson said, "It brings the performance to a whole different level.” Funds for this memorial will hopefully be raised by Spring 2017. With money coming from multiple places, the goal is that all $100,000 will be raised from donations. “A lot of different organizations have been helping to fundraise for this,” Danielson said. “St. Teresa’s and MTKC are only two examples. Basically anywhere that Steven was involved with, that’s who’s donating.” Junior Courtney Talken is one member of STA Singers who shares the view that commemorating Karlin helps the grieving process. She has sung in many performances dedicated to Karlin. “Memorializing definitely brings back all of the emotions that are associated with his passing, but also brings a sense of peace, knowing that he's never really gone,” Talken said. STA choirs have also done their part to remember him, dedicating their grand piano to their passed accompanist and friend. Perry says it’s things like this that comfort him in his grief. “I think that any time you have a memorial that’s named after someone, anyone who knew that person will tell stories,” Perry said. “Any time that someone goes to a MTKC performance and sees the Karlin name on the pit, that will prompt people to tell stories, and I think that’s how we carry his honor forward into future generations.” H A rendering of the orchestra pit and theatre where Karlin's Memorial we eventually be erected. photo courtesy of Julie Danielson.
Corrections Policy
DartNewsOnline and the Dart will publish corrections as soon as possible after the error is discovered.
4 December 9, 2016
Two of the Nigro brothers start off the auction held at the 150th Anniversary Gala Nov. 19. The event was held at the downtown Kansas City Sheraton hotel, with proceeds going toward STA.
150th Anniversary gala honors legacy Hundreds gathered in the ballroom of the Sheraton Hotel to celebrate the 150th Auction and Gala Nov. 19 Story by Gabby Staker | Writer Photo by Helen Krause | Photographer Following Kansas City mayor Sly James’ dedication of 2016 as the year of the young woman, STA hosted its 150th Anniversary Gala at the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center Nov. 19-- the finale to a year of celebration. Honorary chairs Jean Aylward Dunn, class of 1940, and Marybeth SwartzO'Malley, class of 1943, were interviewed by 41 Action News anchor Christa Dubill and spoke fondly of their years at STA. Dunn entertained the crowd with a story of dipping her classmate’s blond ringlets into her inkwell before being “whacked” by a nun. “It was like we were all friends and everybody treated each other [well] back then,” Dunn said. “We had many friends. I can’t think of one person in our 47 graduates that ever had too much of a problem. They were accepting of all types of people.” Laura Coates, the great-greatgranddaughter of the first graduate of STA, when the campus was located at 12th and Washington, flew in from Denver, CO., to attend the gala. STA
President Nan Bone invited women on stage to share their stories since graduating from STA some who went on to open the only all-women law firm in Kansas City, another earning pioneering STEM for women, earning a Ph.D in astrophysics. There were video testimonials from past alumnae from the stage of NBC to Belize, and to the Peace Corp in Africa, graciously thanking their school for the sisterhood it provided as they brought the gifts of their education into the world. The STA choir accompanied a performance by Quixotic Cirque Noveau, “an innovative performance art collective that fuses imagination with technology, dance, projection mapping and live music to create fully-immersive, multi-sensory experiences,” according to its website. The company enacted STA’s 150 years of legacy and history through dance. Bone described it as “one of [their] dancers standing on stage and she opens our registrar book and our history spills out.” According to Bone, the gala and auction has been held annually in the Goppert Center for 35 years. This year, being the page design by Kate Jones
150th anniversary is different, though. “It’s really a celebration party,” Bone said. “We didn’t do a regular auction.” Instead of a live auction, the auction is online, and every month 12 to 15 new items are available for bidding. The tables and ticket prices were also raised to help cover the cost of hosting the event downtown at the Sheraton. The audience did bid, however, on monetary donations. Donors challenged the audience to match their gifts, which totaled $300,000, and the auction began. The banter of the Nigro brothers rang through the convention hall, accompanied by claps of gratitude for generous donations. “Can we get anyone for $25,000? Anybody for $25,000? Come on, folks, raise your paddles for $25,000!” As the auction worked its way down at the end of the night, the Nigro brothers wrangling the last of the donations, the money was totaled and Bone took the stage. The crowd of 700 fell silent as Bone invited senior Mary to open the envelope. The audience erupted as LePique revealed a total of $1,027,285. H
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LOCAL NEWS
Tiny Homes being built to house homeless veterans
50 tiny houses were built for veterans at 89th and Troost Ave on Nov. 1.
Story by Lily Manning News Editor Photos by Meghan Baker Photographer
Veterans community project is building a tiny house community for homeless veterans, hoping to move vets in by winter 2017. 50 tiny homes, all 12 by 20 feet, across 4.2 acres of land near 89th and Troost Avenue. Each home with a bed, kitchen, bathroom and desk and the ability to transform thousands of lives in just a matter of years. This is the vision for Veterans Village, a tiny house community being built by Veterans Community Project, a nonprofit headed by four combat veterans. The community will provide free transitional housing and services to homeless veterans in the Kansas City area. VCP is hoping to be able to house their
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first veterans by next April, with all the facilities being finished by Winter 2017. Veterans Community Project is an organization started by Chris Stout, Kevin Jamison, Bryan Meyer and Brandonn Mixon - all of whom are combat veterans themselves. The men saw homeless veterans as a crucial concern in Kansas City. Stout, an army veteran who has served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, highlighted this factor in a news release issued earlier this year. “We identified too many veterans suffering from PTSD and addictions who were going untreated and not doing well in traditional shelters,” Stout said. “We decided as [veterans] that we had to do something to help.” According to Meyer, a Marine veteran who served for five years, the project has not been easy, but hard work gets them through it. “It is just the four of us that do this full-time so we're kind of a small organization, but we bust our asses to get stuff done,” said Meyer.
"Traditionally, this is meant to function as a classroom in order to teach these guys how to live on their own again and transition,” Bryan Meyer
December 9, 2016
Meyer started his own nonprofit organization that provided free legal services to veterans when he was in law school. Through this, he met Stout, who then met Jamison, who then met Mixon. Then they started Veterans Community Project as a part time undertaking. This went on for a few months until Meyer quit his job at a law firm to work at VCP full-time. A little over a year ago, the men recognized homeless veterans as a huge issue in Kansas City started brainstorming ways they could house their fellow veterans when they fell upon the idea of tiny houses. The men felt the homes would be a better alternative for veterans than a traditional
recent years, which Meyer says has been the “kickstarter” for their cause. “[The publicity tiny homes are receiving] has been incredible,” Meyer said. “We joke about it by Sophy Silva | Writer all the time, that we merged two of what we call ‘sexy subjects’ - homeless veterans and tiny Each issue, the Dart homes.” It is these “sexy subjects” that have helped the highlights groundbreaking project gain nationwide attention - prompting events in the world, US, Zach Giffin, host of the TV show “Tiny House Missouri and KC. Nation,” to come by and help build in October. Together, Giffin and VCP held a workshop where community volunteers and homeless The world’s largest solar power veterans came together and built a tiny home in plant opened in India on Nov 30 , and a day. This home is being raffled off as a way to it is around 648 megawatts, beating build funds and publicity for the project. the previous record holder in California. Though the project has been branded as India has been working on solar ‘Tiny homes for homeless veterans,’ Meyer said technology for the past few years, the project is more than just housing veterans, and they plan on adding additional that VCP is really trying to tackle the underlying solar panels to the new plant. With the homelessness issue. increase of technology in India, the In order to do this, the men at VCP have plans number of solar plant projects has to build a community center after the homes rapidly increased. are finished. Here the veterans will be able to access medical, dental, legal and social services as well as laundry facilities, addiction counseling Pueblo, CO is facing the crisis of and job training. Meyer says all these services the national nurse shortage. Pueblo are necessary to addressing the underlying currently does not have enough nurses homelessness issue. working in their hospitals, and some VCP differentiates itself from other veteran patients are not receiving their proper services by redefining what it means to be a care because of this. The town is veteran. In order to live in one of the tiny homes, talking about changing care methods, VCP qualifies that you are street homeless and since they believe the shortage will not a veteran, which they define differently than the end for a while. Veterans Association does. “By veteran we have a very different definition of it than the VA does,” said Meyer. “For example, if you were in the National Guard, you're not a Missouri state Senator Doug Libla veteran unless you were deployed. We don't proposed a bill that gives harsher take that approach. We take the approach that if punishments for those who attack you took an oath to serve, you're a veteran.”H members of law enforcement. Libla believes that this would help decrease the number of crimes against officers and first responders. The plan has not yet been released to the public, but if passed, Libla says it will offer more protection to those in law enforcement.
the NEWS FEED
in the world
the u.s.
homeless shelter. In a tiny home, they figure, the veterans have their own space for their own things, while in a homeless shelter, which is traditionally one large room with beds, they do not. At VCP, they believe that this space allows for a better time for homeless veterans to shift back into living on their own. “Traditionally, this is meant to function as a classroom in order to teach these guys how to live on their own again and transition,” Meyer said. “It's a lot of stuff that isn't offered at a traditional homeless shelter and it's little things that some people don't think about.” One of these “little things” is pets. Meyer stated a lack of wanting to give up a pet as one of the reasons some veterans are choosing to stay on the streets. In a traditional homeless shelter, the space does not allow for pets. In Veterans Village, pets are allowed. “Especially for guys with trauma, if we're talking about military homeless veterans, privacy in your own space and things like that are huge,” Meyer said. Tiny houses have been growing in popularity in
missouri
kansas city
Friends and family decorated a work bench in honor of the veterans that will live in the tiny homes at 89th and Troost Ave on Nov. 19.
page design by Ellie Grever
Rallies were held nationwide, with one of them happening in Kansas City on 63rd Street and Paseo. The Kansas City rally was held on Nov 28, and people called to have minimum wage raised to be 15 dollars per hour, as well as more protection of the working class. The rally was held to discuss issues that protestors believe may come up when Trump takes office.
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STAR SPOTLIGHT
Nicole Maus Story by Gwyn Doran | Opinion Editor Photo by Cassie Hayes | Photo Editor
Senior Nicole Maus is applying to the selective United States Military Academy, Naval Academy and Air Force Academy. What is physical training for your application test like? In 30 minutes, you have to do a kneeling basketball throw, a flexed arm hang or pull up, a shuttle run, push ups, sit ups and a one mile run, all in 30 minutes. It’s all pretty crazy. I’ve been training for a few months now. The hardest part [about applying] is the physical test. But you’re not the only one doing it; you’re doing it with a thousand other people in your grade who want the exact same thing you do. Despite that, you still want to pursue this? Yes, I want to see how far I can push my body, and that’s just the perfect way to see because you will literally be at the bottom of a pit of despair. That’s the point where you say I can do this, I’m doing this for a reason. What is school like? It’s as normal as a college for any, it’s just much more structured. The Honor Code is a big thing: A cadet shall not lie, cheat or steal, or tolerate those who do. You have to go to class; it’s not like I have a 9 o’clock class and I don’t want to go. You have to go, otherwise you’ll get in trouble. It’s not a party college. It’s all about finding where you wanna go and what major you wanna do. You go to school for four years and they
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pay for your college, and then you have to serve for five years after that. Right now, my first choice as a major would be chemical engineering, but I don’t really know about that.
Academy in [Colorado Springs, Co.,] during the spring break of sophomore year and it was so cool. Ever since then I’ve wanted to do that even more and more.
What has it been like watching everyone else go through the regular college process? It’s hard because I not only am doing all of this crazy stuff for the Academies, I also have to do the normal college search. I have to have a backup because there is a high chance I’m not going to get in, so I had to do all the same searching for colleges like everyone else did, but I guess I didn’t do it as hard, because I’m so set on going to the Academy. [College counselor Debi Hudson] is constantly helping me. She and [math teacher Ashley White] had to write me a letter of recommendation at the end of my sophomore year. It’s really great that they would go through all that trouble just for one person.
What are you looking forward to the most? I would definitely say the service aspect. With our service projects we do here, being able to serve people [became] so cool and such an awesome opportunity. To be able to serve not only the small group of people, but my entire country is going to be really cool. I keep thinking about how amazing it’s going to be. I think that’s what’s pushing me forward, keeping me motivated. It’s really exciting. H
Have you always wanted to do this? My brother is at the Naval Academy right now. My dad went to West Point and my mom went to Army ROTC. My dad always talked about it because he’s still friends with all of his classmates. I didn’t necessarily want to do this; I wanted to be different and go to a normal college but I visited the Air Force December 9, 2016
Check out the full story on DNO!
THE MONTHLY QUESTION
BITS & PIECES
by Margaux Renee | Writer
I N S TA G R A M S OF THE ISSUE
What's your favorite thing to do over the holidays? "I like going to the plaza and seeing the lights." - Freshman Anna Johnson “During the holidays, I like to hang out with my family. We normally go to Crown Center and we go ice skating and we look at all the lights and they’re just so pretty.” - Sophomore Jasia Tolbert
“My favorite thing to do over the holidays is invite friends over and drink hot chocolate and watch Christmas movies.” - Sophomore Whitney Stoettner “I like to chill with friends. You know, catch up, because we all have busy lives with school." - Sophomore Liv Ruch
by Paige Powell | Photo Editor
Each issue, the Dart highlights students' Instagrams. This month's theme: Thanksgiving.
MY LIFE SUCKS / MY LIFE ROCKS
by Natalie Telep | Writer “I parked my car on the street when I got home from school and planned on driving it again before I went to sleep, so I left it unlocked. The next morning I woke up and the car was nowhere to be found. I realized that along with the car, my Surface Pro, textbooks, notes and several of my favorite sweatshirts were stolen, too. - Sal Scott, junior
“I was saving to buy a car and my grandparents gave me $2,000. It was an early Christmas gift. $2,000 down, $15,000 to go.” - Sarah Mendez, junior
@errisroxsforeves: Time was gobbled up too fast and it's wild to think this is the start of many lasts for awhile with you turkeys!
THAT'S WHAT
SHE SAID
Each issue, the Dart shares entertaining student tweets. compiled by Lucy Whittaker | Writer
Senior Megan Lewer @MeganLewer name a more iconic trio: bob hamilton, ted heater, Shane from Shane co. Junior Camille Goodwin @camillegoodwin9 Just realized I wore two different shoes to school today and if that's not a representation of how my life is going then I don't know what is
Sophomore Gurman Thabal @gurmanthabal15 Wedding cake never tastes as good as it looks (this could be deep but I am actually just talking about cake)
@mkarms2: thankful that we finished in under 6 hours!! #gobble
Sophomore Lizzie Concannon @lizzieconcannon Idk how I feel about this whole “llamas control the government thing” Junior Olivia Matlock @nerdybirdy7 driving while screaming Hamilton down the highway makes this morning a little more bearable
@southern_ell: hey @taylorswift, your girl squad is subpar
9 page design by Zoe Butler
REVIEWS
"24K Magic" JOINS DECADES TOGETHER
voice impressive, is his ability to switch to a smooth, clear and almost angelic tone at Bruno Mars' new album the drop of a dime. When I first heard the achieves musical greatness impossibly high note he hits in the chorus of "Calling All My Lovelies," my mouth and is sure to become a gaped open, as I had just truly felt the classic in due time. magic of this album. HHHHH There’s no shortage of bells and whistles on this album. Musically, it’s There’s a reason why the album is incredibly complex. Nearly every song is titled "24K Magic". The composition, enhanced with dense background vocals, style and sheer sound of each record dance breakdowns, auto-tune and unique achieves a degree of perfection that arrangements. Because this style is so can only be described as magical. The striking and different from the majority of album consists of just nine songs, in pop music today, it almost overshadows what I had originally thought to have the beauty of Mars’ lyrics. On the album’s been a tribute to the soulful R&B and last track, “Too Good To Say Goodbye,” hip-hop of the 90s, with which Bruno Mars uses the strength of his voice to Mars grew up. But closer listening deliver painfully relatable lyrics about reveals influence from almost every major decade for music and the legends heartbreak. Going into the chorus he belts. “Tell me why? Why can’t we try and start that ruled them. This album somehow succeeded in making me nostalgic of a again? This can’t be how our story ends.” Although these lyrics are fairly simple, time during which I wasn’t even alive. the vulnerability in his words is what One name that comes to mind with this album is James Brown: the king of makes them human and in turn, truly beautiful. funk and godfather of soul. Mars’ raw Another recurring sound on the album vocals work with the sound of a full draws inspiration from late 80s pop. With brass band to pay homage to the man who practically invented the genre that just the opening note of ‘Versace On The Mars seems to thrive in. You don’t need Floor,’ the synth keyboard succeeds in to know a thing about music to feel the transporting you to a middle school dance. The adult theme of the lyrics paired with emotion on this album. You can really the cutesy, slow-dance vibe of the song hear it during the bridge of the fourth itself is just another example of how Mars song, ‘That’s what I like,’ where Mars can effortlessly fuse genres. Also, it’s in pours out his heart with the passion of this style of song that Mars’ vocal styling a gospel song. What truly makes the is deeply reminiscent of one of R&B’s heartbreak-induced raspiness in his
Story by Margaux Renee | Writer
pioneers, Stevie Wonder. An album that draws from so many genres has the potential to be all over the place. This isn’t the case with 24K Magic, however, because it’s held together by hiphop. 60s swing is fused with classic 90s R&B by way of modern hip-hop beats and slang. This is what makes Mars unique as an artist. He’s able to seamlessly combine genres while maintaining his own personal style. It’s no surprise that Mars infused his unmistakable style throughout the work, but what differentiates "24K Magic" from previous albums he has released is the common theme that can be found in nearly every song. This album is about being young, rich and having a good time. The album’s namesake and already hit single, "24K Magic," is about living in the moment and doing so lavishly. The song’s music video is not at all lacking in gold jewelry, Versace outfits and luxury cars. It even features Mars casually cruising around on a jetski. Mars, 31, has been in the industry for a long time, ghostwriting for other artists as well as trying to make it himself. It’s only fair now that he’s earned a fortune, he celebrates it. This album does just that, while at the same time delivering an array of excellent songs and quite frankly, musical greatness. "24K Magic" will soon become the classic from which future artists draw their inspiration, just as Mars did. H
MARS was magic ON the charts
Alternative coverage compiled by Lily Manning | News Editor
Bruno Mars' highly According to Billboard, in its first week anticipated album, "24K "24K Magic" sold Magic" hit records for Mars' career.
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The album debuted at
231,000
NUMBER 2
units, Mars' best sales week yet.
making it Mars' third consecutive album ranked in the Billboard 200's top three.
December 9, 2016
juicING DRAINED ME Story by Natalie Telep | Writer
Since Juice Bars have risen in popularity over the last few months, I decided to try a few in the Waldo/Brookside area. I concluded that healthy living is overrated. Personally, I don’t consider myself a very healthy person. I rarely go out of my way to try out new dietary trends or cleanses, and I generally stick to an allcarb diet. With this in mind, I’ve decided to expand my nutritional horizons in the form of juices. I visited Simple Science Juices, Unbakery and Juicery and Ruby Jean’s Juicery. Simple Science Juices H I decided to go to Simple Science Juices at about 6:30 p.m. on a Thursday night, post-basketball practice. I walked into the establishment expecting a fresh and vitalizing interior. The interior of the store looked like a cross between a mysophobic chemist’s laboratory and an industrial kitchen. There were several glass refrigerators containing dozens of different types and flavors of juices. Two friendly employees approached me right away. One asked me if I was a “regular juicer” or “first-timer.” Now, she might have meant well, but I was a little taken aback by this question. I definitely heard a hint of disdain in her voice when she said the words, “first-timer.” Somewhat self-consciously, I replied that I was indeed a “first-timer,” and she began to tell me about the juices. After a couple of minutes of examining the various juices, another employee stood up from the table at which he was sitting and directed me to their tasting counter. I got to sample several of the juices, including
a drink called Calcify. It was a dark green color and contained celery, apple, dandelion greens, cilantro, avocado and lemon. I was immediately turned off by the smell, which made me think of the inside of a lawn mower. The taste was equally unappetizing. After sampling a couple other displeasing juices, I reluctantly settled on Compound, a drink that contained sweet potato, orange and pineapple. Despite its hue resembling that of a traffic cone, I managed to drink all five dollars worth of my eight ounce drink. Overall, Simple Sciences Juices was a waste of time and money, and I have absolutely no intention of becoming a “regular juicer.” Unbakery and Juicery HHH Walking into Unbakery and Juicery, I was enthralled by the futuristic and stark outer appearance. The interior of the building had a clean, fresh theme and a relaxing atmosphere. Unlike Simple Science Juices, Unbakery and Juicery offered a made-to-order option. You can get your juice pressed right in front of you. However, I went with the pre-bottled option. All the bottled juices are in glass containers, but there isn’t a glass recycling bin within the establishment. Unbakery and Juicery, although health-conscious, lacks eco-friendliness. Eventually, I chose Citrus 2, a drink that contained melon, mint, honey, grapefruit and aloe. It was crisp and refreshing, which was a sharp contrast to Simple Science Juice’s sludge-like drinks. I bought a sixteen ounce bottle for $8.50 and didn’t regret it. The juice was refreshing and revitalizing, and I felt pleased with my purchase.
Ruby Jean’s Juicery HH Ruby Jean’s is undoubtedly one of the quaintest stores I’ve ever been to. Its orange and green trim and brightly colored facade gave the place a peaceful and cozy vibe. When I walked inside, the first thing I noticed was the variety of edible goods. The colorful menu above the counter included things like “Loaded Oatmeal,” “Power Toast” and “Quinoa Cup Salad.” However, I decided to stick with a juice. There was a made-toorder option, but I chose to purchase a to-go bottle. While browsing, I noticed that the names of the juices were extremely clever. For example, a juice that contained only apples was appropriately dubbed “Mr. Jobs.” In the end, I decided to take a risk and try a juice called “Rinse Cycle.” It contained aloe vera, lemon, mint, watermelon, grapefruit and ginger. In retrospect, I probably should have chosen a drink that was better suited for a “first-timer” such as myself. I took my first sip, and I instantly thought my esophagus was melting. Despite the fact that every sip made my digestive tract feel like a nuclear war zone, I managed to choke down the whole drink. If I had wanted to feel like my stomach was imploding, I could have saved myself $6.99 and drank lighter fluid instead.H
also on dno...
POWERLIFE YOGA IS THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CHANGE YOU NEED Story by Isabel Shorter | Writer
page design by Lily Manning
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FEATURES
THE BLAKE ADVISORY
CELEBRATES SISTERHOOD INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM Girls in the Blake advisory bond through their many parties and traditions which have developed over the last 23 years. Story by Alex Frisch | Writer Photos by Paige Powell | Photo Editor Like any other freshmen, four years ago, senior Martina Florido, had no idea what to expect from her first day in advisory. She certainly didn’t expect that the first thing that would happen to her in advisory would be for the seniors to decide to make someone from every grade dance on top of the tables to Willow Smith’s “Whip My Hair.” “It was really funny,” Florido said. “I was like, ‘Oh my god what is this advisory?’” According to Florido you feel the sisterhood of St. Teresa’s right away in the Blake advisory. “In other advisories, sometimes people will have to wait until sophomore or junior year to really feel the sisterhood, because it takes a while to get to know everyone and feel like a community,” Florido said. “In this advisory you get [the sisterhood] from the start, because you have this group of girls that are like, ‘We love you, you’re in our advisory and we’re going to take care of you.’ It’s community right away.” Freshman Ellen Mason also agreed that the upperclassmen in the Blake advisory do a great job of making the the freshmen feel welcome. Her memories of the Blake advisory are of the seniors taking the time to get to know the freshmen and go out of their way to be kind to them. Florido said that it’s important to the seniors in the Blake advisory to get to
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know all the freshmen. They’re always nervous at first, Florido said, but the seniors make an effort to get them to talk in advisory and even play card games with the freshmen during advisory. Florido said that in the Blake advisory, girls from different grade levels watch out for each other. The seniors in particular help advise the underclassmen and are genuinely excited to watch them go through the same STA traditions that they’ve enjoyed over the years, like the Teresian dance and the junior ring ceremony. According to Florido, one reason the girls in the Blake advisory are so close is that they communicate outside of advisory as well. They even attempted to create an advisory CYO team. They also keep in touch electronically via group chat. “We have a group chat and we’re always finding a way to roast each other, but in a loving way,” Florido said. “One time one of the girls in our advisory was going on a date and we were getting updates on how it was going through the groupchat. We found her date’s finsta and we were all going through that.” According to Florido, another one of the main ways that the girls in the Blake advisory get to know each other is through the many parties they have. Renee Blake, has been an advisor at STA for 23 years, during which the Blake advisory has been doing multiple advisory
December 9, 2016
parties a month. “We celebrate everything: regular birthdays, half-birthdays,” Blake said. “Some months, like in January, we’ll have [a party] every week. Sometimes we’ll have two in a week. I try not to do three, that’s just too much.” No one’s birthday is ever forgotten in the Blake advisory, according to Blake. Birthday parties are always accompanied by plenty of their favorite food. “If it’s for a birthday party, I usually let whoever’s birthday it is decide on the theme,” Blake said. “We have themed food parties like breakfast or pasta or Mexican. They don’t have to bring anything, and we have a sign-up for who brings what food.” Food is a huge part of the Blake advisory, according to Florido. In their advisory, there are two panini makers, a microwave, two crockpots and a skillet. Florido said that the advisory rarely orders food, making it themselves instead. Blake typically organizes the parties and sends out reminders to make sure that everyone is staying on track. “[Blake] is so organized,” Florido said. “She has documents of what we have to bring and she’ll print you out a slip with the day and what you have to bring. She also
A PIECE OF BLAKE
The Dart asked Blake advisees what special things make their advisory so one of a kind.
Alternative Coverage by Julia Kerrigan Writer
KOBE Kobe is the Blake advisory's beloved pet venus fly trap.
Juniors Bridget Graham, left, and Lauren Lynch laugh during a breakfast-themed advisory party. The breakfast food included pancakes, bacon, fruit and sausage.
texts us reminders so we know what we have to bring. It’s pretty organized, the way we do parties, which is good because if it wasn’t, we would forget every time.” The Blake advisory also enjoys being competitive together, according to Florido. When planning for school-wide competitions, it often takes the whole advisory. Mason said that one of the things she enjoys the most about the school-wide advisory contests is seeing her follow Blake advisory members’ creativity. “We always get really competitive when we’re coming up with ideas, like with the sidewalk chalk contest,” said Florido. “We usually draw up ideas on all of the whiteboards in the room. (While planning the chalk drawing) We were all drawing our own ideas on the board and everyone was going crazy.” The Blake advisory has lots of traditions to say goodbye to the seniors. Every senior in the advisory gets a scrapbook, their favorite food and a handmade teddy bear, as well as other gifts. Blake has been hand-making teddy bears for graduating seniors for the last 18 years. “I make it all myself: the bear, the dress [the bear wears], the entire thing,” Blake
said. “I think I’ve made a little over 100 bears in my time here. I have a necklace that I always make for the bear that has their name on it. It’s always a black bear with a yellow dress.” Even after seniors graduate, they often come back to visit, according to Florido. The Blake advisory alumnae will stop to say hello and leave a note on the whiteboard. Florido said that sometime advisees will even visit graduated seniors who go to college close by. Florido plans to visit the Blake advisory next Thanksgiving after she has graduated. “We’re just really close knit,” Florido said. “If we see each other in the hallway it’s not just like ‘Oh I know her, we sit in a room together everyday for ten minutes.’ I’ll ask them, ‘How was volleyball?’ or ‘How did your date go?’...We’re definitely a part of each other's St. Teresa's experience. I can’t imagine STA without them.”H
page design by Mackenzie O'Guin
PANINI MAKERS Advisees have unlimited access to the communal panini makers.
JEFF ZIMMERMAN Considered an "honorary member of the advisory," technology support Zimmerman even owns a Blake advisory shirt.
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FEATURES
MACKENZIE NICOLE THE
E G N A R T S
RIDE
TO THE
TOP
story by Isabel Shorter | Writer photo by Helen Wheatley Editor-in-Chief
S
he watched as the fans who worshiped Tech N9ne, a musician she could call her brother, lined up to receive their copy of Tech’s CD and an autograph. She, only 9 years old, listened to Tech and to her own voice playing overhead in the store on repeat. For the first time, she stood behind the artists table. To add to the excitement of her first track, featured in the album K.O.D, blasting in their ears, two girls twice her age asked, “Wait, is this you?” referring to the voice they heard playing. She assured her that
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is was as she triumphantly scribbled her fourth-grade signature across the poster. Eight years later, 17 year old Mackenzie O’Guin, or as the music industry calls her, Mackenzie Nicole, said that this occurrence “was one of my first tastes of being an actual artist.” Just a year ago, she dropped her first single and it was an unexpected hit. O’Guin grew up with a lifestyle that most people her age will not experience: one in the music industry. “You can’t really understand unless you’ve lived it and seen all the really beautiful and horrible things about the music industry,” O’Guin said. O’Guin lived the majority of her childhood with Tech and other artists that her father, Travis O’Guin, signed under his record label, Strange Music. She grew up surrounded by music and the industry, making the routine and people in it like family. “I’ve already had an abnormal upbringing,” O’Guin said. “Most kids spend their summers at the lake with their family, not around gangsters on tour.” With her father in the industry and his artists being her closest friends, she recorded her first tracks as a featuring artist for Tech, who was said to have liked her voice. She started recording with Tech when she was just 9 years old, but didn’t record her own singles until she was 15, in an attempt to isolate herself from the industry. “I’ve been recording music for 8 years, but part of the reason we didn’t run with this when I was 9 or when I was 11 or 13, was because [my family and I] didn’t want me to be a child star,” O’Guin said. “I thank my parents for not indulging in that interest and for saving me from that.” Her parents had disengaged her from this vicious environment for as long as they could. “Nobody wants to put their 17 year old daughter in an industry where, frankly, people want you to do well but not better than them,” O’Guin said. “People want to see you fail because it’s entertaining.” O’Guin’s parents refrained from exposing another side of this industry where trainwreck was considered entertainment. But with Travis owning his own record label, it was anticipated that she would one day enter into her father’s music world. “It’s like when Prince William takes the thrown- I don’t mean to compare myself to royalty, but he’s known his entire life
that’s what his job is going to be and he’s actually going to take it,” O’Guin said. “I think I’ve known my entire life that I was going to usher in this new era for the company I’ve grown up in with pop music, and taking that on is scary.” But even though O’Guin taking on this career was expected, it wasn’t an act of nepotism. If anything, her parents preferred her not to be a part of this music industry. But the music she did produce was produced the same way as any of Travis’ other artists. “There’s no guarantee that it would be released,” O’Guin said. “Since I’m Travis’ daughter, it hasn’t made things any easier for me, because my [music] has to be at a much higher level, that way it doesn’t look like it’s nepotism.” Upon the release of her first single, “Actin Like You Know,” O’Guin’s song was a greater hit than she expected. Because
work. “It would be easier if I didn’t love school and care about it so much,” O’Guin said. “It would be easier if I didn’t love my job and want to give that my all too. Ultimately, an answer to the question of how am I balancing it: I’m really not. But, I’m making it work.” With all the work O’Guin puts into her career on a daily basis, comes the fame, whether it is wanted or not. “I feel like an intruder, almost, on these people’s radios and their TVs,” O’Guin said. “It’s absolutely incredible. It’s surreal, it hasn’t hit me yet. It took me a really long time to think of myself as deserving of the career that I’m about to endeavor.” She wants to travel the world and experience life, and she is thankful she can do so easily with her career as the catalyst. “My favorite part about my career is that I want to experience everything, and I’ve gotten so many opportunities to do that,” O’Guin sad. “My intention is to discover the world through music, not have the world discover me through music.” To encounter these opportunities, O’Guin has to put in a lot of late nights into her career. So far in this straining and growing career, she has released two singles called “Actin Like You Know” and “Deleted,” which both portray a message that the world would have less to offer if everyone let negativity get to them. “The message was to think of how much the world is [hoping] for; think of all of the arts, the scholarly work, think of everything we’re missing because someone decided to assimilate what they were doing to something more palatable,” O’Guin said. “Our world would be so bland.” O’Guin will be releasing an album within the next year and plans to continue her music career while hopefully at an Ivy League college. However, if the music career falls through, she is alright with that. “This may be as big as I ever get, and that happens,” O’Guin said, “You can’t plan for this. The best I can hope for is success.” And although her journey to success has been a long ride, she believed it is all worth it in the end. “Nothing I have done has been particularly easy,” O’Guin said. “But I would never do it differently.” H
"People want you to do well but not better than them. People want to see you fail because it’s entertaining" of this unexpected success, she had to prepare for the long awaited career to kick start. As a senior at STA and an artist for her father’s company, she began to juggle school and work-life like a pro. O’Guin’s new singles are widely known within the community, but what isn’t as widely known is what went on behind the scenes. On top of being a singer and student, she's a songwriter, performer and business woman. While most students won't have to face juggling a career and school on a daily basis, for Mackenzie this is a necessity in order to achieve everything she wants. “It’s hard because there’s no blueprint for this,” O’Guin said. “I’ve still gone to school full time and balanced a career where I literally leave school to get on a plane and then come back before school two days later. There’s no one I can look at and say ‘How did she do it, how did he do it?’ so that’s what’s really hard.” Despite the struggle to juggle all her different commitments, O’Guin remains passionate about her career and school page design by Helen Wheatley
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CENTERSPREAD
STEALING
AN INSIDE LOOK AT SHOPLIFTING
REC The Dart examines the effects of shoplifting on the shoplifter, his or her family, the store and the wider community. Story by Zoe Butler | Features Editor Claire Molloy | Lifestyles Editor Photos by Anna Louise Sih Social Media Team Member THE ACT OF STEALING While browsing the eyeshadow at Sephora, the newest Urban Decay Naked palette catches her eye, and she is immediately entranced. Reluctantly glancing towards the price tag, her hope for the palette diminishes after seeing the disappointing $60 tag. With a sigh, she walks away. However,
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for STA student Jane*, the $60 tag is merely a suggestion and does not phase her at all. Why should it? She could just take it. According to the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention, about 55 percent of people who shoplift started in their teenage years. 89 percent of children know other children who shoplift, and around 65 percent of those children hang out with shoplifters. Jane is in Sephora holding the brown, matte evidence. While glancing up from December 9, 2016
across the aisle, she notices a store clerk giving her a suspicious look. Before she knows it, the lady is right behind her, making her second guess the decision of stuffing the palette into her bag. With a nervous glance around the store, she shuffles towards the door. She becomes even more frazzled after making eye contact with the police officer she passes on her way out. According to Jane*, there is a rush of adrenaline that flows over her when she steals. It gives her a high of sorts and, at times, feels addictive. She struggled with mental illness, and successfully stealing made her feel accomplished. “Sometimes I would go in places and
A GLANCE: never steals anything with a sensor on it, she gets a rush of adrenaline when she leaves with stolen goods. “Every time as I’m walking out the door, I’m like ‘Oh my god, the alarm is gonna go off,’” and then I walk out the door and it’s fine,” Anna said. “It never goes off. But yeah, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t kind of get a rush from it.” Guidance counselor Amanda Johnson believes that students will continue shoplifting if they get the same result. The outcome plays a big role in whether a person will steal or not. “[The result] is either ‘I stole something, it was fun, I got a rush, okay I’ll do it again,’” Johnson said. “...Or, ‘Well that was stupid because I spent a night in juvy and now I can’t.’“ In recent years, accounts that romanticize shoplifting have begun to pop up on Tumblr, a social media site. ‘Pretty little lifters’, ‘Lift-Witch’ and ‘Klepto Bunny’ are just a few of the many accounts that post tips, tricks and hauls on the topic of shoplifting. Some accounts claim to be role playing accounts, pretending to steal things, but others do not try to An anonymous girl hides various necklaces and hide their crime. bracelets in her hands held behind her back, hoping Jane says she would never do to not be caught shoplifting. According to the anything like this because she National Association for Shoplifting Prevention, wouldn’t want other people finding there are about 27 million shoplifters in America out that she shoplifts, and she doesn’t today. photo illustration by Anna Louise Sih see it as something to brag about. I would be shoplifting only because it “I don’t want my mom finding out,” made me feel better,” Jane said. Jane said. “I feel bad about it, and it is not But Jane didn’t begin stealing because something that I am necessarily proud of it boosted her self esteem. She was in for a long time afterwards.” a CVS with a friend when she saw a According to Johnson, it is difficult to lipstick she really liked. She didn’t have tell how shoplifting will affect a person any money with her, so she was joking later in life. However, she thinks that around saying that she could just take people who have shoplifted will think it and no one would know. But this joke about it for many years after. became a reality when her friend told her “... I think if you’re honest with yourself, to take it, and she did. then you’ll probably have a little bit For another STA student Anna*, the more remorse for what you did and it fear of getting caught is partially what may cause you some psychological makes shoplifting so fun. Although Anna discomfort if you feel like you did
W H AT ' S
CAMERA 01
IN THE BAG?
Here's a list of some of the most commonly stolen items of 2015.
Alternative coverage by Kate Jones Social Media Team Member Illustrations by Mackenzie O'Guin Managing Editor of Copy Cameras/Recorders
Razors Pregnancy tests Diabetic testing strips Cell phones High end liquor Allergy medicine Energy drinks Denim pants
Cigarettes Designer clothing/handbags Teeth whitening strips Source: National Retail Federation
page design by Linden O'Brien-Williams
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something that you shouldn’t have done,” Johnson said.
CENTERSPREAD
An anonymous girl grabs a bracelet off of a display that she plans to steal. photo illustration by Anna Louise Sih
S T U D Y I N G T H E S N AT C H : SHOPLIFTING VOCABULARY Alternative coverage by Kate Jones Social Media Team Member
KLEPTOMANIA: An impulse control disorder which is the recurrent failure to resist urges to steal items that you generally don't really need and that usually have little value
SHOPLIFTING: A type of larceny (taking the property of someone else without their permission) done with the intent to permanently deprive the owner of the property taken INCLUDES TWO TYPES OF OFFENSES
1. Willfully concealing or taking possession of items being offered for sale 2. The intent to deprive the items' rightful owner (typically the store) of possession of the itemswithout paying the purchase price
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Sources: Mayo Clinic, Criminal FindLaw December 9, 2016
GETTING CAUGHT Jane has to do a double take to realize the police officer is her friend’s dad. She leaves Sephora with a new Naked palette and slightly damaged ego. Later that day, the same police officer is standing on her doorstep. He reveals that he was called in to review the security tapes because they were suspicious of someone shoplifting, only to discover that Jane had been the culprit. As Jane’s parents talk with the cop, her stomach twists. She didn’t realize until later that she would end up with only minimal punishment. If caught, a call to the parents is seen as the best case-scenario, according to Anna. However, many youths in the Kansas City area who have stolen and gotten caught have an entirely different reasoning behind their actions. Johnson used to work with juvenile offenders at Hilltop, a residential center aimed at providing “therapeutic services and quality treatment to adjudicated youth and their families,” according to their website. Johnson doesn’t fully understand the reasoning behind St. Teresa’s students stealing if they have the money to pay for the items, especially after dealing with teenagers at Hilltop who were motivated by necessity rather than want. “If they wanted to eat that day or if they wanted their little sister or brother to have diapers, then that’s what they needed to do,” Johnson said. Johnson went on to distinguish the differing motives between STA shoplifters and those at Hilltop. “Essentially the main difference [between the teenagers at Hilltop and St. Teresa’s] is socio-economic status,” Johnson said. “A lot of the kids [at Hilltop] were raised in poverty, whereas a lot of students here are raised in middle to upper-middle class families. So not only are their financial resources more abundant, but also the students here have different access to education, to opportunities, to knowledge about the way things work around the world.” Kayla Kratofil is a UMKC law student and assistant director of Kansas City Youth Court, which is “a peer court that acts as a diversion from the traditional juvenile justice system,” according to its website. She has tried teenagers in
Youth Court who are shoplifting as a necessity, and says that when situations like that arise it’s difficult to find a balance between the legal aspect of it and the feeling of empathy for these kids. “We try to help [the offenders] find a way where they could obtain the money or point them to resources that might be able to provide them with items or resources in order to obtain the materials that they need,” Kratofil said. The idea of want versus need made Anna question her reasoning behind stealing. “I could live without all this stuff that I take,” Anna* said. “But when people steal [things] like food, it just makes me sad, because you wouldn’t be stealing that if you didn’t need it.” According to Kratofil, this opens up a conversation with the defendant about how this could negatively impact their future, and they show them other options that are available to them. “We try to take that as another opportunity to discuss with them the impact of their decisions in saying this [opportunity] was a possibility before, but now that you have a criminal charge on your record, that's just another way that your actions are going to impact you now and in the future,” Kratofil said. “It's kind of a double edged sword where it's a suggestion of a different way to do it, but now it's kind of too late at that point.” Kratofil stressed that it only takes one time to be caught, but getting away with shoplifting multiple times gives a false sense of “invincibility to the law.” According to Kratofil, there is a certain course of action that follows after being caught if the defendant is under 17 year old. First, it’s up to the store to decide if they want to press charges, which they most often do. Then they will contact a law enforcement officer or detain the defendant while they’re contacting the officer, who will come to gather all of the information from both sides. The officer will run the defendant’s name through the system and pick a course of action based off of if they qualify for diversion programs, which are based on rehabilitation, like Kansas City Youth Court. If they don’t qualify, they
need to go to formal juvenile court. If the shoplifter is 17 or older, the age of criminality, then the effects on them are far worse than being considered a minor. Kratofil says that the main difference a minor trial and an adult trial is that the juvenile system “tries to evaluate the child.” They see which direction they should be put in, whether that means mental health services, educational programs or mentor/mentee
the people they are hurting, just one ‘big evil corporation.’ “I know people who have stolen from [stores like] It’s A Beautiful Day or Arizona Trading Co., and that just makes me mad, because an artist in our community is putting their art out and is trying to make a profit off of that,” Anna* said. “... I’m not gonna steal [from a local business] because I can visualize the person I’m hurting. But with a corporation, I’m like, ‘they’re all evil.’” According to Kratofil, almost everyone, whether directly or indirectly, is affected by shoplifting. The most obvious effects are on the defendant and their family. They are the ones that have to go to court, and the defendant now has a criminal record. They have also altered their relationship with their parents and the “role model factor” with any younger siblings. The effects that aren’t always immediately obvious are those on the store and community. “When it comes to the store, they can lose revenue for any products that are not recovered or damaged or taken out of the packaging,” Kratofil said. “The store also has to pay for security measures like on-site officers and surveillance cameras. The community in general, if the store ends up losing a lot of money, they might have to raise prices for all of their products as well as the stereotyping that can happen to certain members of the community.” In the greater picture, Anna realized the effects her actions might have on others. “I heard a girl talking in my grade about how she is annoyed when people steal, because it’s not actually hurting the corporation you’re stealing from, but it’s actually hurting the workers,” Anna said. “I’m not really sure how that works, I would kind of like to investigate that before I continue... But I wonder if it has more of an effect than I think it does.”H
"I'm not gonna steal [from a local business] because I can visualize the person I'm hurting. But with a corporation, I'm like, 'they're all evil.'" *Anna programs, whereas the adult system is typically punishment-oriented. This is to deter them from committing crimes at an older age when the consequences would be “much more severe in the adult system.” AFTERMATH Jane got lucky after being caught. Her only punishment was a couple weeks of being grounded. But for many other teenagers, the consequences are much worse. If lucky enough to go through the Youth Court program, they would still be dealing with several hours of community service, and an apology letter to the store. According to STA student Marie* the fear comes in with the possibility that “you could get caught.” But Mary Green, store manager of the (New) Dime Store, says she is more worried about the jobs and well-being of the businesses. “... If you are [at a] place where things get stolen from a lot, you’re losing so much money, that the owner is maybe not able to continue running the store, and things have to close down, so a lot of us would lose our jobs,” Green said. “So that’s a direct impact. It has never gotten to that, but it very well could.” Many students seem to be aware of the fact that smaller, local businesses seem to be more heavily affected by theft, and don’t allow themselves to steal from places like the New Dime Store. But stealing from big corporations is justified in their minds because they don’t see all
page design by Linden O'Brien-Williams
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MAIN ED
STEALING DOESN'T "STICK IT TO THE MAN"
Privileged people have no excuse to continue stealing. It is time for shoplifters to stop, reevaluate their actions and consider the negative effect they have on those around them. 8 out of 8 editors voted in agreement with this editorial. As young children, we are taught, plain and simple, not to steal. With a line of sight approximately 2 or 3 feet under the adult world, we marvel at the highhanging security cameras, learning from our parents each time we come across them that those are meant to catch the bad guys, and learning that if we, for some reason, attempt to steal, we will be caught - like the bad guys. But, from our innocent childhood into our more enlightened adolescence, things change. Many of us stay with the anti-stealing mentality that has been so ingrained in us, but a fair amount of us challenge those ideas, learning that there is more to the world than black and white worlds of good and bad. Perhaps we learn about the system of capitalism and feel that we need to stand up to it. Perhaps we learn about poor practices of a certain company with how their goods are produced. Perhaps we are out of money, but think that stealing a little something here or there has no consequences in the long run, so we make an exception for ourselves and do one of the first things we were taught not to do. The problem, though, is that people who steal - even if their booty is simply a necklace from Forever 21 or earbuds from Wal-Mart are more similar to the “bad guys” we were taught about throughout our childhoods than they might like to believe. To the people who believe that stealing from a big corporation, say, Walmart or Forever 21, will “stick it to the man” and harm the money-hungry, greedy CEO, we encourage you to think about the deeper impacts. While a
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company’s production conditions for low wage workers may repulse you and offend you to your core at times, stealing from that corporation does nothing to protect those low wage workers and does nothing to punish the top of the food chain. In reality, this will harm the minimum wage workers who bear the consequences of your actions and have to answer for the stolen items. If you have a sense of social justice in your heart, you ought to realize that this is selfish behavior. To the people who steal just because you can, it is time that you evaluate the cause and effect. If you wander through a mom-and-pop Brookside shop, eyes peeled for merchandise to steal, the effects of you sliding that candy bar into your pocket don’t end when you eat the candy bar. Small business owners are people like us, who rely on profit to continue renting the spaces they occupy, who rely on profit for their livelihood. If you steal from them, you affect
their wellbeing, along with that of their employees. It is time that we all return to the mentality that stealing, plain and simply, is bad. It is time to realize that even if we are not the richest of our friends, compared to the majority of the world, we are incredibly privileged. When one stashes her haul of earrings, eyeshadow palettes, lipsticks, her conscience should feel full with guilt for those she is stealing from - not the CEO, not the high-ups, but the mom and pop of the Brookside shop, the minimum wage worker of Wal-Mart. H
RIGHT ON TARGET Compiled by Maureen Burns Page Designer DO YOU SEE STEALING AS A PRESSING ISSUE FOR GIRLS OUR AGE RIGHT NOW? Freshman Mary Massmann "Yes, because it may seem easy, and you could avoid paying the price. You have to decide if you want to take a risk and avoid paying the price or just pay for the item. It’s hard for girls our age because we may not have the money for the item because we do not work full time, and we may not have a job or an allowance, so stealing seems tempting." Junior Kelsey Scanlon "I think it is if you feel like you have to steal from Bistro at lunch, but maybe not an overall, huge issue."
Illustration by Ellie Grever | Visual Illustrator November 14, 2016
PERSPECTIVES
I am pro life and pro woman Story by Gabby Staker | Page Designer
Nothing is more important than the basic dignity of every single human life from the moment of conception until natural death. My grandma was born in early August of 1950 in Vevey, Switzerland, a poor village high in the Alps, and her birth mother gave her up for adoption. For the first two years of her life, she lived in the Le Providence orphanage, cared for by the woman I am named after, Gabrielle, until a middle-aged American couple brought her to Kansas City. She had my mom 21 years later, and 27 years later, my mom had me. I think all the time about what would have happened if my grandma’s birth mother had not chosen life. And, that’s just one life from a little town in Switzerland on the north shore of Lake Geneva. There’s no easy way to write this. There’s never an easy way to talk about this. But I know in my heart that I have to be a voice for the voiceless. I feel like it’s necessary to begin with a disclaimer: I am not condemning women who have had abortions. I’m not fit to cast any stones. It’s so important to help women who’ve conceived an unwanted child. There are thousands of pregnancy centers around the country whose only goal is to help a woman through an unwanted pregnancy, to give her support and a place to stay, to let her know that she is loved unconditionally, and show her that she is strong enough to bring the life inside of her into the world. That’s what the pro-life movement is about. A woman considering an abortion is never taking that situation lightly. I truly don’t believe that a mother would ever
want to kill her child. Whatever is leading her toward that decision is purely awful, be it rape, familial pressure, homelessness, poverty, or medical complications. But, to me, the silent holocaust of 60 million unborn children -- an annual death toll roughly equal to the number of United States military deaths in all U.S. wars combined -- since Roe vs. Wade legalized abortion in the United States in 1973 is unacceptable. Why hasn’t cancer been cured? It might be because the person intended to discover it never discovered life outside of the womb. Why is depression increasingly prevalent in our society? It might be because their best friend or soul mate or brother or sister was never there to love them. 60 million is a lot of people to be missing. What if your best friend had never been born? Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, Ghandi, Mother Teresa? Where would we be as a nation and as a world? We’re so desperately looking for leaders today to solve our problems, and sadly, I think I might know where those leaders are, rejected before they could take their first breaths. Every human life serves a distinct purpose. It’s like George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) in Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, saved by his guardian angel, Clarence, as he contemplates suicide on Christmas Eve. A deeply depressed George wishes he had never been born, and God grants him that wish. The angel, Clarence, guides him
page design by Claire Molloy
through a day in his town of Bedford Falls as though he had never been born. He cries at the grave of his little brother, Harry, who died at age nine because George wasn’t alive to save his life. A transport of naval soldiers was blown up in World War II and hundreds lost their lives because Harry was never alive to earn the Medal of Honor for saving them. Removing just one life alters our society. Behind every potential life is a macrohistory that we can’t ignore.
If we can’t agree on the sanctity of human life in the most basic, innocent form, it’s no wonder our nation is so divided. I think there’s no better way to put it than in the words of St. Teresa of Calcutta as she delivered her Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech in 1979: “The greatest destroyer of peace is abortion, because if a mother can kill her own child, what is left? For me to kill you and you to kill me? There is nothing between.”H
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PERSPECTIVES
Sports provide females the opportunity to bridge the gender gap Story by Katie Donellan Sports Editor
Females should be encouraged to stick with sports. Boys are encouraged to continue with sports more than girls. For the females that do continue in sports, the benefits can be very great. I have personally benefitted from sports and am happy to see that female participation in sports is getting more recognition and encouragement. I am lucky to say that I have been pushed to compete in sports my entire life. My parents never restricted the amount of sports I played in a season and were always there cheering me on, even if it was my third or fourth
game that day. Because of this support, I still play sports and have gained many life opportunities for me to exercise my competitive side. Sports reward those who try the hardest because they get to play the most and win. I was able to see the benefits of working hard. My club soccer coach would always say, “Hard Work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard." I believe this is true in both sports and life. I went making my soccer team because they needed another player to playing the entire game in a year because of the hard work I put in. Sports gave me confidence. When I was in fourth grade, our class was going to run the mile in gym class. Everyone expected the girls to be way slower than the boys. I thought this was ridiculous and beat all the boys except one. My “victory” gave me the confidence that I was just as good as the
boys who I had been told were superior. In addition to confidence and competitiveness, sports have helped me create a healthy lifestyle, learn time management, and, most importantly, learn team work. I think the skill of teamwork is the most important concept from sports for females. The world teaches females to compete against each other and even tear each other down. Sports allow females to work together to both win and make a statement. For example, the US National Women’s Soccer Team has been fighting together towards a common goal of equal pay for equal play. These women have come together to fight for a common cause rather than fighting against each other for more pay for different individuals. They have come a long way in their goal, and a main reason for this is the team effort towards the common goal. I wish every girl had the same encouragement to participate in sports that I did but I know not everyone does. For this reason I currently am a board member of the WIN for KC youth advisory board. WIN for KC “envision(s) a community where sport ignites the life of every woman and girl.” WIN for KC encourages female participation in sports because of benefits including higher graduation rates, better health, and higher levels of self esteem. According to Fortune magazine, over 94 percent of senior businesswomen played sports until college and over half played in college. Sports are a great opportunity to close the gender gap in the work world. Sports provide a bridge that men are able to relate to and understand the work ethic of. H
other columns This Month WHY I NEED FEMINISM by Kate Jones Social Media Manager
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WHY I'M STILL STANDING WITH STANDING ROCK by Gabby Martinez Photographer December 9, 2016
SAY YOU'RE MOVING TO CANADA ONE MORE TIME by Victoria Cahoon Breaking News Editor
My dog's critique of the human condition Story by Zoe Butler Features Editor
My dog, Elway, gives his "fly on the wall" observances of human beings- on both a personal and global scale. Now, it isn’t normal that I’m talking. I’m a dog, and besides my uncannily human eyes and sweet snuggles, my communication with humans (who I like to call my "big people") is minimal. So, for the next couple of minutes, let’s just pretend like I found my fairy godmother, and for this purpose only, I am able to communicate better than I ever have about a few things that I have learned about big people in general just from being me, a dog. One thing I have noticed that is somewhat surprising is how my big people are remotely similar to me. I see the kids come home from school and spend hours on these bright little rectangles before they fall asleep, just to wake up to eat a 20 minute dinner, do hours of homework, then fall asleep at an absurdly late time, further enforcing their need for that nap, continuing the endless cycle of boredom. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems like much of that time is wasted. But, maybe I am wrong. Maybe I would like those small screens as much as them if I had opposable thumbs. And, again, maybe I don’t know enough to comment on things, like what I hear on the radio on my short car drives to the dog park, but it seems like faults are still occurring on a global scale. I keep hearing similar past the day to day lives of my big people, and
words or phrases repeated with the same sorrowful tone: “another shooting,” “poverty,” “ISIS,” “hopeless situation.” But no matter what I hear on the radio or see my big people do in their day to day lives, there’s still a part of me that knows they are better than this. Maybe I’m just fulfilling the cliche “a dog is a man’s best friend” phrase, but the point of me communicating with you all is not to discredit humanity, but remind you of all the humanity that I continue to see. To remind you that it doesn’t just have to be us dogs that have your back, but you all can do that for each other, too. There are good things in this life, like
page design by Claire Molloy
when I connect with other dogs, and we get past the awkward sniffing of tails and move into playing or wrestling. Maybe I’m only noticing these things because I have a significantly smaller amount of time on this Earth, but whatever the reason, I see humans have similar responses of happiness when they make those kinds of connections with each other. There are universal needs, no matter the species, and one of them is just that: genuine connection. You need to know that people are good. And, as long as I keep seeing my big people smiling, I’ll believe that there’s hope for everyone else, too. H
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A&E
DRAWING THE PATH TO COLLEGE ART CLASSES Story by Maureen Burns | Writer Photos by Madi Winfield | Managing Editor of Web
Various colleges offer opportunities for students to take extra art classes. Detailed courses are given during the school year and summer. “You’re surrounded by art. It is so nice to be in an environment where people care as much as you do about their art work,” art teacher Lisa Dibble said excitedly. Dibble experienced this while taking classes in college. She encourages students who really care about their art to explore the possibilities of finding somewhere that can offer the same type of environment in college classes for high school students. Colleges in the Kansas City community offer courses for students interested in art to expand their knowledge and skills on the subjects of their choosing. The classes go more in depth than some high school courses and offer different approaches to studying art. Art teacher Theresa Wallerstedt attended to the University of Nebraska to study art. “I had studio classes three hours a day, three days a week," Wallerstedt said, "I was in classes from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with an hour off for lunch, five days a week." Dibble taught as a college adjunct and attended Kansas City Art Institute. Dibble identifies the courses at the Kansas City Art Institute as intense and competitive, but also one of the best places to study. Adding a college class on top of St. Teresa’s students already busy schedules would not be easy, and is not always recommended according to Dibble. However, colleges offer night and weekend classes and summer sessions that would provide an easier workload to handle. “I think if anyone is thinking about going into art as a degree, they should know, no one forces you to go into the studio and work,” Dibble said. “It has to be something that you need to do in order to survive.” H
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In the Kansas City Art Institute's Character Design Class, students use mixed media to develop their character styles.
Kelsey Wroten, right, talks with a student in her Character Design class at the Kansas City Art Institute Dec. 3.
The Character Design class at the Kansas City Art Institute has an enrollment of seven students, which teacher Kelsey Wroten says is typical for a high school class.
December 9, 2016
KANSAS CITY ART INSTITUTE
JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
CLASSES OFFERED:
CLASSES OFFERED:
Animation
Illustration
Animation
Fine Arts
Art History
Interactive Arts
Architecture
Graphic Design
Ceramics
Liberal Arts
Art history
Interior Design
Creative Writing
Painting
Arts and Crafts
Music
Fiber
Photography
Computer Drafting/Design
Photography
Film Making
Print Making
Fashion
Theatre
Graphic Design
Sculpture
TUITION:
TUITION:
If you take less than 12 hours, classes are $1,510 per credit hour
Johnson County residents: $93 per credit hour
Summer Sessions: $440 per credit hour
Other KS County Residents: $110 per credit hour Out-of-state residents: $220 per credit hour
A student in the Kansas City Art Institute's Character Drawing class tests out recently downloaded brushes Dec. 3. Students in this class use a combination of physical and digital drawing tools, including paint, markers, and Bamboo drawing tablets.
page design by Hannah Jirousek
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SPORTS
STARS SHOOT FOR DIFFERENT HOOPS Story by Victoria Cahoon Breaking News Editor Photos by Sophie Sakoulas Photographer
Instead of participating in STA basketball, students are joining CYO teams. You dribble down the court, pass the ball, get the ball back, dribble some more and soon enough the ball is leaving your hands as it flies into the hoop. There isn’t a loud cheer from the stands but a slight “yes” and a high five or two from your teammates as you run back to your side of the court. This is a reality for those who play on a CYO team, instead of playing on the STA basketball team. CYO is the abbreviation of the Catholic Youth Organization whose purpose, according to its official website, “is to organize, coordinate, foster, and encourage activities, especially athletic, for all youth of Archdiocesan parishes that participate in accordance with Christian Sportsmanship standards.” Every team is sponsored by a different diocesan parish in the area that works together with CYO to create a schedule
Junior Maureen Egan directs her teammates backward in a shuffling drill. The team started their practice with this warm up drill Nov. 30 in the Goppert Center.
of games for the participants. Junior Maureen Egan played STA basketball freshman year but now plays CYO because CYO provided a way to continue to play a sport without it being too competitive. “I [played STA basketball] freshman year and was on the freshman team. It was really fun but I didn’t think I was good enough to play on JV or varsity,” Egan said. “I also play softball so I really only wanted one serious sport.” Along with varying intensity, CYO and STA basketball varies in time commitment. A majority of CYO teams only practice few times during the
season while the STA basketball teams practice six times a week. Senior Natalie Hull, who has been on the STA basketball team for three years, believes that there’s also a big difference in seriousness. “I think people choose to play CYO instead of playing at STA because it is a lot less of a time commitment and CYO isn’t taken as seriously all the time,” Hull said. Associate Athletic Director and basketball head coach Amanda Hanneman agrees that time commitment affects students decisions to play CYO instead of STA. “Basketball is a very long season, it’s
Junior Maeve Madden goes through a line of her teammates, high-fiving each one at her team’s first CYO basketball practice Nov. 30 in the Goppert Center. Madden won a game of knockout and her teammates helped her celebrate her win.
December 9, 2016
over the course of six months, unlike other sports that are only three,” said Hanneman. “Also, at STA and how I run my program, we treat it like a high level performance program, and we have preseason workouts and postseason workouts which is very different from CYO.” Hanneman thinks that the STA team shouldn’t forget to fun while working during the season and the same goes to those playing for CYO. “We encourage [the team] to have fun and hang out with your best friends, but there is still that fine line of working hard to achieve the overall goal,” Hanneman said. “With CYO, what I’ve heard and what I’ve seen it’s about having fun, which there is nothing wrong with that.” H
STA VS. CYO:
CYO basketball can be more expensive than STA, but it has more participants due to the BY THE NUMBERS Alternative coverage by Katie Donnellan more casual environment. Sports Editor
COST OF PARTICIPATION STA: $375
CYO: $800/team
NUMBER OF GIRLS’ TEAMS STA: 4 CYO: 26
NUMBER OF GAMES PLAYED STA: 23 CYO: 3
PRICE OF UNIFORMS STA: $0, CYO: $32; returned to school kept by player
STA CONSIDERS NEW FALL SPORTS Story by Katie Mulhern | Writer
Administration is contemplating the addition of bowling, cheerleading and field hockey to the STA sports lineup.
Cheerleading, field hockey and bowling may be arriving next fall. Liz Baker, principal for student affairs sent out a survey listing the possibilities of three new sports Oct. 20th,. According to Baker, the process would begin with student input, the school would research and study the options and then with the school board and administrative support, the sport could be added. Sports such as these three have not been added to the lack of interest of students. Sports begin to be researched after a student comes to the administration asking for a consideration. “These sports most likely have not been added because there hasn’t been much student interest.” Baker said. “As well, certain sports may not have been considered because the Missouri High School Athletics Association, of which we are a member, may not have the sport as a part of the association. If that is the case, we have to find teams, officials and playing venues that would support the program. Also, we are always aware that we are a college preparatory school
so our research does involve the interest and scholarship opportunities that these sports may offer to our student athletes.” All three sports would have students interested in participating. “I think all these sports have interests.” Baker said. “The field hockey comes from a club consideration and the cheer from a individual consideration.” Freshman Maggie Franke, an athlete for Kansas City Athletic Cheer, originally brought the idea of adding cheerleading to Baker. “I wanted to suggest cheering because it is a lot of fun and helps build confidence” Franke said. Although bowling was once a part of STA, the option of participating is no longer a choice for students. Bowling was once an elective at STA when the Black Box Theatre in the basement of M&A was an alley. “Bowling was the most popular sport on the survey, which I thought was interesting.” Baker said. “The athletic director has an interest in it because of really good scholarship opportunities for girls. page design by Helen Wheatley
“There was also a large response on the survey from girls who play club field hockey.” Baker said. According to Baker the idea of field hockey was brought to the administration by club coaches who want to have more high school teams. “A field hockey coach actually called me and asked me for my consideration whose daughter goes here.” Baker said. According to Dr. Baker currently these sports have a 25 percent to make an appearance next fall. Although there was speculation of rowing being considered as well it has not been studied along with the other sports and will not be coming next fall. “We may not necessarily be adding new sports, but if there is student input that requests a study, we implement those studies.” Baker said. “Rowing is a club a lot of our girls are a part of,” Baker said. “It is not true we’d think about a rowing team, but I’d be interested in any sports that might help our girls get scholarships.” H
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COMMUNITY
OPTING FOR AN UNCOMMON COMMUTE Story by Julia Kerrigan | Page Designer Photos by Alex Davis | Multimedia Editor
Junior Isabel Fitzpatrick rides her bike down the sidewalk of E 56th Street after school Nov. 22.
Teachers and students are kicking cars to the curb in favor of buses or bikes. When the bell rings at 3 p.m., the mad dash that is dismissal begins and students rush through the halls and hop into their cars, trying to be the first out of the lot. They get home or to sports practice with little difficulty, while underclassmen impatiently wait for their moms or dads and grumble to their friends about how they’re late - again. For other students, getting home is less instantaneous. Freshman Murphy O’Dell makes her way to the bus stop and sits down for the twenty minute wait for the bus. At the bike racks by Donnelly, a few people are unlocking their bikes and buckling their helmets for rides ranging from four to 40 minutes. Theology teacher Mike Sanem prepares himself for an uphill ride he found much more fun on the way to school that morning. “I’m not a cyclist, I’m a little kid biker,” Sanem said. “I like to go down hills, it’s just fun to me.” While Sanem has access to a car, he has been riding his bike to school for a year, and takes pride in the fact that he is benefitting the
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community by lowering the amount of carbon emissions. But mainly, he does it for the childlike thrill. “I feel better when I bike to school,” Sanem said. “I don’t know if it’s exercise or just cause you do something fun at the beginning and the end of the day to sort of get out of the little boxes we live our lives in.” Sophomore Elise Malone has an entirely different take on the experience.
might be slower, but it’s definitely better [for the environment],” Fitzpatrick said. For those thinking of riding their bikes to school, Fitzpatrick advises that you strategically plan your route to avoid hills, even going so far as to have two different routes for the morning and afternoon. Malone suggests avoiding the experience altogether, unless you live closer than 20 minutes away from school. For Sanem, it’s all
"I'm not like a cyclist, I'm like a little kid biker. I like to go down hills. It's just fun to me." Mike Sanem “[My ride] is a bear,” Malone said. “It’s like 45 minutes, it sucks.” Malone sees it as a necessity to ride her bike, no matter how grueling. She cannot drive, her parents are unable to pick her up until 6 p.m. and it is hard to come by people willing to carpool. “Doing this kind of ruined my love of biking,” Malone said. Junior Isabel Fitzpatrick, a licensed driver, braves a 20 minute ride for the same reason she carefully deconstructs her K-Cups every weekend in order to recycle them: the environment. “It’s definitely made me realize that it December 9, 2016
about safety. “Wear a helmet is number one,” Sanem said. “Helmets look stupid, that’s just the way it is, everybody knows that, but you will be a lot stupider with a traumatic brain injury.” Around the time Malone reaches her home on bike and practically collapses with her helmet in hand, sophomore Jasia Tolbert’s phone alarm is ringing, telling her it’s time to go down to the Main Street metro stop. Tolbert began regularly riding the bus to and from school freshman year. “There are the regulars,” Tolbert said.
cost of transportation IN THE UNITED STATES
Alt-cov by Julia Kerrigan | Page designer Illustration by Gabby Staker | Page designer
$725
For a month of car travel
$50
for a 31 day bus pass
$109
for a month of 2o uber rides
$25 “Like, when I get on the bus in the morning, there’s this really cute old couple that sits right in front of me and they talk about politics with each other and they read the Kansas City Star, and they’re just so cute. They’re there every single day. I love them.” She feels it is a great way to get to know and get around the city, but it has its drawbacks. “I always have to plan to be someplace earlier than I think I need to be, because if we’re talking about late buses, the Max is always late,” Tolbert said. “It was engineered to be the bus that would make you on time to things, but it’s always late.” When O’Dell’s bus finally arrives, the driver asks how school was and she sits down for a 15 minute ride. Once she reaches her final stop, O’Dell rings the bell and walks the six or so blocks to her house. “One time it was raining and the bus driver asked me if I wanted to be dropped off closer,” O’Dell said, smiling. While these modes of transportation are not the most conventional, they are efficient and come with their own benefits, for getting to and from school or just around town. Tolbert especially encourages it as a way for students to get out of their comfort zone and learn more about the city. “We’re all in this ride together,” Tolbert said.H
for a month of bike travel According to Nerd Wallet, One Mile at a Time and Mint Life
Sophomore Jasia Tolbert pulls the pullstring on the KC Ride bus to signal to the driver to stop at the upcoming bus stop Nov. 29.
page design by Gabby Staker
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LAST LOOK
FORMER TEACHERS: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Story by Anne Claire Tangen | Writer Photos by Cassie Hayes Photographer
Former STA teachers spill on their whereabouts since leaving the Academy.
Pat Sirridge What subject did you teach at STA? I taught a variety of social studies subjects: Sociology, Psychology, What subject did you teach at STA? Government, AP Government, and AP Psychology. What was your favorite subject to teach? [My] favorite changed from time to time. Some years it was Government, AP Government, and some years it was Psychology and Sociology. They were all fun courses. How long did you teach at STA? 13 years. When did you leave? I left in 2015. Why did you leave? I left because I was going to have some serious surgery on my shoulder
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Former social studies teacher Pat Sirridge sits in English teacher Kelly Fast's room as a substitute teacher Nov. 21. Sirridge enjoyed teaching at STA, but left in 2015 due to medical issues.
for the second time and I knew the rehabilitation period would be significant and I was 66, which is full retirement age for social security. So, you’re subbing now? I am - I love coming over here to see old friends. It’s surprising when you take role how many sisters you’ve had of people in the classes and it’s always fun to remember their sisters. What else are you doing now? I think the challenge is finding enough to do right now and finding things that are meaningful to do. So I’m volunteering- the most fun I’m having is volunteering at the World War One Museum at Liberty Memorial. So I do that about twice a week and that’s fun - meeting new people, and I’m starting to volunteer at Union Station. What do you miss about STA? I miss the energy and the youth and the wacky humor of the girls- whether it’s intentional or not. It’s getting the perspective of younger people. The other thing I miss is, when I had juniors and seniors, watching the transformation from being a high school student is beginning to think seriously about their future- where December 9, 2016
they’re going and what they’re going to do. It’s a growing period and a contemplative period for the students and it’s really rewarding to watch.
Raymond Hain What subject did you teach at STA? I taught frosh World Geography and Junior/Senior Sociology, Psychology, and What subject did you teach at STA? AP Psychology. How long did you teach at STA? I was fortunate to teach at STA for 2 years When did you leave? I left STA at the end of last year [2016]. Why did you leave? I reluctantly left STA to follow a dream of living in the mountains of Colorado. What are you doing now? I now live in the mountains of Colorado and teach at a public school in Denver. The school I teach in has an incredible mission of preparing underprivileged students
who are first to be college bound in their families. What do you miss about STA? I miss my awesome advisory, which was the best in the world. I miss the incredible faculty which inspired me to be better. I miss the mission of the school to make the world a better place by preparing young brilliant women to rule the world. What subject did you teach at STA? I taught Writing, Newspaper, Yearbook,
Eric Thomas Digital Photography, and Journalism. How long did you teach at STA? I taught 12 academic years from 20022014. What was your favorite subject to teach? I think Journalism was my favorite because that’s where I got to meet all of the students that became my students for years and years down the line. I had so many students that went from the first day of school at St. Teresa’s with me to the final days with me. And I always liked giving them the pep talk like ‘One of you is going to be the Editor-in-Chief of this by the time we’re done.’ So, you’re at KU now? So I do three things at KU: One is I’m a lecturer in the journalism department. I teach two classes each semester. One of them is a small class, it’s about 18 students and the other is about 100 students in the class. The second part of my job is I run the Kansas Scholastic Press Association, which is a membership organization of about 150 schools and all of those high schools have journalism or publications at their school. I help to encourage contests and conventions and conferences so that their students can be excited about journalism. My third part is I run a summer camp through the university, which is called the Jayhawk Media Workshop for five days on campus.I had kids from Minneapolis, California and Illinois come to the workshop to learn more about journalism. What don’t you miss about STA? I think the thing that I don’t miss is the demand that advising the publications and supervising all the different activities that I did there. I don’t miss the toll that it took on my family. It just wasn’t something we could keep up with. The flexibility of teaching at KU has been wonderful, in the fact that I can do my work.
Marina Lopez What subject did you teach at STA? I taught Spanish I and II. What was your favorite subject to teach? I think I liked Spanish I. I don’t know why it just fit my style- it went at more my pace in terms of if I was able to do more activities, catch kids where they were, and work with them at that high level of energy. How long did you teach at STA? Three years. When did you leave? I left last year. Why did you leave? Well, part of why I left was that, initially, I was looking to move to Phoenix, AZ to work with inner city kids. I got to Phoenix and a month into the job it ended up not being what I thought it would be in terms of working with those inner city kids, so I decided that I didn’t want to work with that kind of system that was in place for those kids. I found out through a really good buddy of mine that there was a position here in Kansas City to work with inner city youth and my mission to leave was really more or less that I felt like I’m better with inner city kids, even though they’re a lot of work. I think at St. Teresa’s they are blessed
with having so many great teachers come and go, and that doesn’t happen in inner city schools so I thought it was a better fit for me. Where are you teaching now? Northeast High School. How is working with inner city kids going? It’s a lot of work. It’s very different from you girls in terms of how you are. These kids need a lot more consistency and smiles. The first three weeks of school the kids were really shocked because I’d greet them with a “buenos dias” and a smile and they didn’t get that from their previous Spanish teacher. It’s a lot of work but it’s now paying off. First it was really frustrating but now it’s like these kids are responding to me now and I’m responding to them better and we don’t hate each other anymore. How different is your current school from STA? It’s really funny when you wake up in the morning and the first thing you hear from these kids are curse words. That’s what you hear because that’s what they’re used to. I’ve gotten into the habit of saying to them, ‘Stop cussing, I’m a lady.' So now they say, ‘Stop cussing around Mrs. Lopez, she’s a lady.’ H
More Questions and Answers on DNO
Former Spanish teacher Marina Lopez sits during an interview held Nov. 27 at the Panera located on the Country Club Plaza. Lopez left STA in 2016, but is currently teaching Spanish at Northeast High School in northeastern Kansas City.
page design by Maureen Burns
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IN THE DNO +
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