Vol 77 Issue 2

THE

DART Speaking out: swastika fuels a public reaction

As members both inside and outside St. Teresa’s community react to last month’s swastika incident, the Dart investigates recurring opinions and misconceptions.

St. Teresa's Academy | Kansas City, MO | Volume 77, Issue 2

12

16

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

26

2 October 16, 2017

NEWS

4. Students raise money for people affected by hurricanes

Star Spotlight

6. Brynn Slattery

A&E

9. Brand new Graphic Design Club

Reviews

10. The haunted houses in Kansas City are terrifying

Features

Perspectives

21. Take a knee to stand up for your rights 22.Gun control is an issue we need to come together to address 23. The 1993 Dodge Caravan is more than a van

Sports

24. Students try out for new JV dance team

Community

26. Antique business shifts

Last look

12. Fine Arts on decline 14. Recent changes with DACA

28. Best places for a fall photoshoot

Centerspread

ask the dart

16. Speaking out: swastika fuels a public reaction

30. Why is there no silent study?

Cover and back page design by Lily Manning

LETTER

from the e d i to r s

Editors-in-Chief Zoe Butler Lily Manning

WEB

Hello readers, For students, it has been unavoidable.

For teachers, it has been frustrating. For alumnae, it has been infuriating. By this point, most of Kansas City and several other parts of the country have heard about what one news source called “the school’s most infamous incident,” in which a small group of students arranged red Solo cups into the shape of a swastika and posted it on Snapchat.

Since then, St. Teresa’s has received many different responses and criticism from people both inside and outside STA. Our centerspread story, written by your EICs, delves into these different responses, hearing from all sides of the spectrum.

It’s that time of the year again! Fall and all the wonderful things it brings are now upon us. Be sure to check out last look for Lily Hart’s list of the best places to take fall photos. If you’re looking for something about the spookier side of fall, check out Madeline Loher’s review of haunted houses around Kansas City.

Make sure to read Mary Massman’s story about STA’s new JV dance team for information about how this new offering came about.

2017-2018

In the past few months, the United States’ gulf and surrounding islands have been wrecked by hurricanes. Check out Annabelle Meloy’s story on these hurricanes to see how they’ve been influencing STA. Also inside you will find a feature on the decline in fine arts enrollment written by Anna Ronan, a Q&A with STA’s Graphic Design club written by Kendall Lanier and a feature on DACA and its impact written by Gabrielle Pesek.

As always, make sure to check DartNewsOnline to find updates on breaking news and see how all of our fall sports are finishing up their seasons.

Over and out (for now),

Managing Web Editor Katie Gregory Social Media Team Aspen Cherrito, Kailee Ford, Riley McNett Breaking News Editor Trang Nguyen Multimedia Editor Kate Jones

PRINT

Design Editor Gabby Staker Visual Illustrator Nicole Slocomb Photography Editors Meghan Baker, Anna Louise Sih Page Designers Amy Schaffer, Anna Ronan, Delaney Hupke, Ella Kugler, Ella Norton, Julia Kerrigan, Katie Gregory, Lily Hart, Lily Manning, Margaux Renee, Riley McNett, Zoe Butler

COPY

Features Editor Margaux Renee News Editor Annabelle Meloy Lifestyles Editor Mary Massman Opinion Editor Julia Kerrigan Sports Editor Kendall Lanier Staff Photographers Amy Schaffer, Lucy Hoop, Madeline Loehr, Maggie Hart, Riley McNett Staff Writers Anna Ronan, Aspen Cherrito, Delaney Hupke, Ella Kugler, Ella Norton, Faith Andrews-O’Neal, Gabby Staker, Gabrielle Pesek, Grace Fiorella, Kailee Ford, Kate Jones, Katie Gregory, Katy Rouse, Lily Hart, Lily Manning, Olivia Wirtz, Reagan Penn, Riley McNett, Torri Henry, Trang Nguyen, Zoe Butler Adviser Brad Lewis page design by Ella Norton

3

news Editorial Policies Ownership and Sponsorship

DartNewsOnline and the Dart are created by the student newpaper staff and are maintained and published by general operating funds of St. Teresa's Academy, a Catholic institution frounded by the Stisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.

DartNewsOnline and the Dart will not publish opions that contradict the teachings and beliefs of the Catholic church, whether on a diocesan or worldwide level.

Editorial Policy

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

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

Comment Policy

DartNewsOnline and the Dart encourage readers to comment on all posts.

However, DartNewsOnline and the Dart reserve the right to monitor and edit all comments on DartNewsOnline.

Comments that disagree with the editorial policy will not be published.

Photo Use Policy

Photo illustrations are conceptual photos that combine drawing and photography.

All photos on the website are free for public use. If a reader is interested in high-quality copies of photos, please email DartNewsOnline at dartpaper@ gmail.com.

Corrections policy

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

4

October 16, 2017

students support hurricane causes Students and clubs put together fundraisers for victims of disastrous hurricanes.

Story by Annabelle Meloy News Editor

A

ccording to Time Magazine, this year’s hurricane season has been one of the worst in a long time.

Four major hurricanes: Harvey, Maria, Jose and Irma have impacted millions of lives in the world in the span of just a few months, while also generating over $200 billion in damages.

These have hit close to home for many Americans as places like Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico and many U.S. Virgin Islands have all been affected by the storms. Some students also have a personal connection to the damages caused by the storms.

Junior Kate Lowe has been going to St. John, a U.S. Virgin Island, yearly since she was born and is devastated by the images she’s seen of the island.

“When I hear about natural disasters, it's sad, but I can never really relate to them because they’re in places I've never been to or [where] I don’t know anybody,” Lowe said. “But a ton of my friends live [in St. John’s], so it was really sad knowing that everybody down there has to restart now.”

Lowe has started her own Go Fund Me page to help the people and cities of St. John and St. Thomas rebuild, which were both hit by Hurricane Irma, the most powerful hurricane to ever hit the Caribbean Islands, according to Time Magazine. So far, she has raised around $3,500 out of her goal of $10,000.

“Not everybody down there can afford to move into the States, so it's really bad,” Lowe said. “My friend’s parents were stuck down there for two months. There weren't any planes or anything. Some of my friends didn't hear from their parents going on five days. It's so scary.”

Along with Lowe, Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), a new STA club, has also been helping with the hurricane cause. According to senior and club member Amelia Schulte, their main goal is to help Hurricane Harvey victims in Texas as it is part of the mainland United States.

“Young Americans for Freedom is a club that Sophia Giocondo, Gabby Pesek, Claire Witt, myself and Anne Sulzer created basically to foster civil conversation between those who have more conservative views and those with liberal views in politics,” Schulte said. “[This is] to become educated and have

an understanding from both sides of view. But also, we really want to just be all about everything American, so it’s about being patriotic and having respect for your country.”

She was happy to know her club was doing something to support victims who might have no one else to help them.

“It’s one thing to hear about it, but we saw the pictures of people’s houses destroyed,” Schulte said. “I know [Gabby Pesek], the president of YAF, has a lot of family down there. All of her family’s from there, so it kind of hit close to home with us, and we wanted to help out in the best way we could.”

The fundraiser for Hurricane Harvey

victims was held Sept. 6-8 in the Commons by YAF, and the group was able to raise over $500 with their efforts. Although the fundraiser was held multiple weeks ago, Schulte and other members still aren’t exactly sure if the money will go to Catholic Charities or one single family in the Houston area.

While YAF decides what to do with their donations, they may have another chance for a fundraiser as the southern Gulf states were recently hit by the Category 1 storm Hurricane Nate. It was the first storm since Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to hit Mississippi.

While many Americans focused on helping victims in the contiguous United

States, Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, endured Hurricanes Maria (a Category 4 storm out of 5) and Irma. The island was in a severe debt crisis before the storms hit and is now desperately in need of financial assistance. After hearing about these storms affecting not only the U.S. Virgin Islands, but other places as well, Lowe hopes that families will be able to move forward.

“I get really sad for everybody else in the process of rebuilding,” Lowe said.

“Hopefully it will get back to normal soon.” H

HURRICANES THROUGHOUT HISTORY Alternative coverage by Anna Ronan Page Designer

page design by Zoe Butler

5

Star spotlight

Brynn slattery Junior Brynn Slattery owns ConsideredJoyCo, her own Christian-inspired jewelry store.

Slattery handmakes necklaces and ships them out or hand-delivers them to classmates.

Story by Trang Nguyen Breaking News Editor Photos by Maggie Hart | Photographer

6 October 16, 2017

Junior Brynn Slattery makes a necklace while sitting at her desk Sep. 28.

She sells these necklaces on her Etsy shop, ConsideredJoyCo.

Junior Brynn Slattery models a necklace that she made Sept. 28.

Slattery sells this necklace along with other necklaces and bracelets on her Etsy shop, ConsideredJoyCo.

W

hy did you start your jewelry business, ConsideredJoyCo? I started making jewelry last year.

I kind of just did it as birthday gifts and Christmas gifts at first. When I went to camp [Kanakuk] this summer, I wore my necklaces everyday. My friends were all wearing them and everybody would ask where they were from. My friends would say, 'Brynn makes them.' They would all just come up to me. It was just so hard to get all their contact information, so I made an Etsy store.

It’s just easier to manage.

Where do you get your ideas for your jewelry?

For designing it, my first designs were really my own, and then I’ve gotten a lot of other ideas from Pura Vida. They make beaded bracelets, and I take the color scheme and make them into necklaces. Then I’ll add a turtle or cross to it. Pinterest also has a lot of ideas, and I have a Jewelry Co that is like a private board that has ideas.

Why is your store called ConsideredJoyCo? [The name] comes from James 1:23: 'Consider it pure joy brothers and

sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.' I just decided this can be a good reminder to just consider it joy even when you’re in a hard time or good time.

Where do you buy your materials?

Do you get a profit or is it just for fun?

I do get profit. It’s definitely more expensive at first. One tube of beads can make a ton of necklaces. Michael’s and Hobby Lobby is where I get most of it. It’s six dollars a tube of beads and the strings are five dollars. The little clasp is three dollars.

Does it take up a lot of your time?

It’s time-consuming because it’s 30 minutes for each necklace, but it’s not as time-consuming as I thought.

When I first opened [the Etsy page], I was juggling it with school, so I was doing an hour a night for making like two necklaces, and I still had six more to do. It’s set up six days before it ships out. It will warn me two days before, but I normally have it out already by then.

Who normally buys your products?

My best friends have them just because I’ve given them, and they’ll

have like four or five of them. I have a friend in Minnesota who puts it on her Instagram and a couple people from my church. There's a couple here [at STA], and a majority of [of sales are here] in KC. When they order, it puts in their name and address, so I always know who it is. Then it’s like a dollar extra for shipping. People that go here just pay me in cash, and I just hand deliver it to them.

What new jewelry are you working on?

I have new ones coming out that will have turquoise turtles and starfish. So I’m working on those for something different, and I’m working on brown cardboard journals. I’ll do this white calligraphy which is what I kind of do with a lot of the envelopes that I send with the jewelry. I’m starting to do the same brown material with a verse on it so you can pin it on your bulletin board.

What’s the best aspect of having ConsideredJoyCo? I enjoy making it and it’s fun to see everybody say, 'Oh I love that necklace.” And then hear, “Oh Brynn made it!'H

page design by Julia Kerrigan

7

bits & pieces

PHOTO OF THE ISSUE

Photo by Anna Louise Sih

The Dart chooses a student-taken photo to be featured each month.

My life sucks

Choir teacher Steve Perry sits in front of the rest of the auction skit cast while lip synching to Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do" Oct. 5. Perry is dressed as Eleven from the TV show Stranger Things, which the skit was based off of.

My life rocks

by Olivia Wirtz | Writer "It all started when I was born. Like actually, I was born with an extra bone in my foot. I was doing an irish jig at school and rolled my ankle... I had dislodged the bone/broke it out of place. I had to take time off dance to alleviate the pain and make it easier to dance. But right now, I'm in more pain just walking around school."

-Grace Coleman, junior

MONTHLY REPORT

Each month, the Dart makes a graphic with results from the online poll.

by Aspen Cherrito | Instagram and Facebook Editor

WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF FALL? 8 October 16, 2017

"My dad told me that my older brother, who is away at college, sent me a package and that it was on my bed. So I went upstairs to get it and my brother was sitting on my bed!

-Maggie Thompson, sophomore

*Out of 88 responses

A&E

GRAPHIC DESIGN CLUB OPENS NEW DOORS The Dart interviewed Graphic Design Club president Caroline Reynolds on what to expect from the new club.

Sophmore Julia Flores sketches ideas for her design for graphic design club. Graphic design club met Sept. 29 in teacher Kelly Scott's room.

This is the first year Graphic Design Club has been introduced. It is a club that all grades can participate in during club days. Caroline Reynolds, junior and president of the club started it this year with Ruthie McKee, senior and vice president and Kelly Scott, moderator and graphic design teacher.

What made you want to start this club?

One day I was walking past the STA shirts that were hung up in the M&A front hallway and I thought it’d be cool to have a club that makes t-shirts because everyone loves them. So I thought of an idea that this club would make shirts for the STA community.

I thought it was a stupid idea at first.

I’ve always had a close relationship with K. Scott so I talked to her about it and she encouraged me and told me this is could be really good. We talked to [principal of student affairs] Dr. [Liz] Baker and she liked the idea.

Ruthie McKee is really good at graphic design so I convinced her to be my vice president. At first, the name was T-shirt Club but then we thought Graphic Design Club sounded much better.

Has it gotten a lot of interest?

We didn’t know if a lot of people would be interested, so K. Scott suggested I go around the lunchroom with a survey and see if people would

be interested. I got so many signatures it was insane, and that was only during one lunch/activity period. Right now, there are 25 people in the club, 20 designers and five organizers.

The designers create the shirts. The organizers do the business side of things, like making Google forms to send to clients so they can decide what type of product they want, including all the details. A lot of clubs have already contacted us. We then send back three designs and the client gets to decide their favorite.

"You don't have to be artistic to do graphic design."

What goes into graphic designing?

Do you have to be creative?

There are no prerequisites but it is nice to have some experience to make it a little easier on yourself. About half

Story by Kendall Lanier Sports Editor Photo by Olivia Wirtz Writer are experienced and half are not, so on our first club day we went over all the basics and what goes into it. It’s funny because I did not know much about graphic design before this, I kind of was self taught. The process would generally be sketching the design on paper then putting it into one of the different programs we use, including Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign.

What are some things Graphic Design Club will be doing this year?

I’m in charge of the t-shirt part of the club and Ruthie is more in charge of the organization and the marketing. Another thing we are doing is making posters because a lot of clubs and groups are interested.

The organizational people will play a big role in helping with outreach and social media. We would love to just show our portfolio and get ourselves out there.

Can this club help if you are interested in a career in graphic design?

You can do a lot with a graphic design major. You don't have to be artistic to do graphic design. You can become an art editor or any web designer just to name a few. People in this club could send their pieces to colleges to look at so this club could really be beneficial to them. H page design by Amy Schaffer

9

REVIEWS

We all scream for the kc haunts

HHHH

This haunted house is so frightening, I couldn't even make it past the first room.

Story by Madeline Loehr Photographer Photos by Grace Fiorella Writer

F

or as long as I can remember every year around Halloween I would see posters for the infamous haunted houses in the West Bottoms. Every time I would drive by the gigantic posters I would think to myself, “I wouldn’t do that even if you paid me.” Well here I am going to the haunted houses in the West Bottoms and I’m not even being paid.

If you know me, you know that I am quite possibly the easiest person to scare on this entire planet, so why I willingly signed up to go review two of the best haunted houses in the country I will never know. In fact, the only other time I have been to a haunted house was in seventh grade and I basically paid $25 to walk into the first room, run back to the entrance after two minutes and beg the lady who let me into the haunted house to please let me leave, all while crying hysterically. So you could say that I wasn’t necessarily thrilled to be going to not only one. but two, haunted houses.

The two most well known haunted houses in Kansas City are The Beast and the Edge of Hell. The Beast opened in 1991 and is the largest haunted house in America. The Edge of Hell was built in 1975 and is the oldest and most well known haunted house in Kansas City.

Before this, I knew almost nothing about the haunted houses. All I knew was there was some “rat man” who

10 October 16, 2017

The Edge of Hell's sign glows in the West Bottoms Oct. 6. The Edge of Hell is open through Nov. 4.

apparently sticks, well, rats in his mouth, a giant snake, other live animals and that the only way out of the buildings is to ride down giant slides.

Finally, the day arrived that I would face my fears. I’m not gonna lie, I had zero faith that this was going to go well and I was seriously regretting signing up for this. However, I was determined to power through.

Our first stop was the Beast. Fellow juniors Grace Fiorella, Margaux Renee and I arrived a little before the doors opened and luckily there wasn’t a very long line. Although we got there around 7:15, we didn’t get into the haunted house until about 8:45 which was expected but still a little annoying.

While waiting in line we chatted with some frequent haunted house goers and interacted with some characters like a werewolf. I was initially intimidated by the characters at first, they seemed funny after a while, dancing with the little kids and fist-bumping people waiting in line. While the time passed I grew more and more confident that I could do it, I would finally face my fears of haunted houses. Little did I know that I could not.

After going through a metal detector,

we scanned our tickets and they scanned our thumbs. We walked up a large staircase, holding onto each other so we wouldn’t get separated (and because I was terrified). The first room was very open and looked somewhat like an antique living room and was it was pretty dark but light enough that you could still see. Once we figure out which way to go, the first thing I saw was a man dressed in all black, wearing some sort of mask or makeup and standing on all fours. I stopped in my tracks. Every time he would move closer I would step back, it was horrifying.

After a few seconds he started running directly at us and I completely lost it. I started hyperventilating and fell onto the ground out of pure terror. I was trying to remember that it was all fake, but that wasn’t working, and after trying to go through again one more time, I ran out immediately. History seemed to repeat itself as I had a flashback to my 7th grade self.

Yes, I left The Beast after about two minutes. I know, it's very pathetic and extremely embarrassing but my fight or flight instincts were kicking in and I wasn't about to fight the guy running towards me on all fours.

Check out the vlog on Dartnewsonline A man in a skeleton costume hides behind a trash can outside of The Edge Of Hell's entrance Oct. 6.

After the other girls jumped out the two story window onto the giant inflatable pad, we headed over to The Edge of Hell. It was pretty late by the time we got there, about 10 p.m.. Waiting in line was really fun. There was people dancing with colorful hula hoops and live music. We didn’t even go into The Edge of Hell because it took so long to get in and if we were going to get in, it was going to be after midnight before we would be able to leave.

Overall, I really enjoyed waiting in line, interacting with the characters, meeting interesting

"I was trying to remember that

PULL QUOTE

it was all fake,

but that wasn’t working."

people around us and just hanging out with friends. Pretty much everything was great except the part of actually going into the haunted house.Would I ever go back to the haunted houses? Most definitely not.

However, I would recommend going to the haunted houses downtown if you are a real Halloween “junkie” or if you can handle being scared. However, if you’re like me and can’t even watch “Stranger Things” at night, I would recommend staying home. H page design by Margaux Renee

11

features

Theater teacher Shana Prentiss laughs as a group of students perform a skit in their Improv class Oct. 17. Improv is one of the classes offered in the Fine Arts department.

Fine arts program drops IN

Numbers but not integrity Due to the increase in electives and the push for STEAM, the fine arts program faced lower enrollment numbers for the 2017-18 year.

Story by Anna Ronan page designer Photos by Lily Manning Editor-in-Chief Brush strokes, computer mouses clicking, and pencils scratching are loved sounds by art students. These sounds are a bit more faint this year than they were before.

The push for STEM/STEAM programs and the addition of new P.E electives took a toll on the enrolment numbers in the arts department.

With the retirement of one of the previous visual arts teachers, art teacher Kelly Scott has taken on most of the visual arts classes. Though she hasn’t been in this position for very long and doesn’t have an enrollment pattern yet, she is aware of the dropping numbers in art classes.

“I think you could use a pizza or pie analogy for this. The more pieces we cut it up into, the less students there are for each class," Scott said.

In the 2016-17 school year, there were six elective classes available.

This year, there are 18. Drama teacher Shana Prentiss teaches mostly freshmen, so this addition of new electives took a major toll on her numbers.

12 October 16, 2017

“It’s seven teachers worth of courses,” Prentiss said. “It’s a lot to put under one umbrella. It becomes incredibly competitive between us and we don’t like that. Our hope as a department is that we can focus in on what we’re offering.”

Scott has been with STA since 2014, and she is hoping that the fine arts

"our hope as a department is that we can focus in on what we're offering" -shana prentiss

department will become more inviting and inclusive.

“If students want to see if they like graphic design, they can come take a semester of it, while students who want to pursue graphic design in college can get what they need out of the class and start building a career,” Scott said.

One way of pursuing arts in college is through studying STEAM or STEM courses. The difference between STEM and STEAM is the addition of art, making it much more applicable for students wishing to pursue that in college and in the work force.

Students will have experience in STEAM programs, which jobs and colleges are really starting to look at with more consideration in the hiring or acceptance process.

Students can apply for a STEM certificate to go into engineering, math, or sciences. However, the addition of the “A” for art is a way for students to go into programs like architecture or graphic design with a STEAM certificate.

Academic principal Barbara McCormick is a noticeable figure in the push for STEM and STEAM at STA. As the academic principal, she oversees the courses offered at STA. “I don’t see [STEM and STEAM] as separate,” McCormick said. “I see them as coming together and finding ways to embed digital usage.”

The STEM and STEAM programs have been picking up speed in the past few years at STA. A STEM club has been established, More girls are enrolling in robotics classes and the after school robotics team, and classes like forensic science and anatomy are growing in numbers.

Senior Lizzy Zirkel has been enrolled in fine arts classes all four years at STA, she has taken almost every single art class that is offered.

“I understand [STEAM], but I also feel as though visual and performing arts are just as important.” Zirkel said.

“I hope that the fine arts department really escalates and many people enjoy it as much as I have.”

Prentiss had similar worries about the STEAM program.

“The concern that I have with STEAM is not a complete understanding that everyone has about what that ‘A’ in terms of arts means,” Prentiss said. “The ‘A’ is really all of the humanities, and finding new ways to use art and humanities and any of those studies of life to bring on innovation.”

Prentiss has been at STA for seventeen years now, and she has seen many changes to the fine arts department in her time here.

The program started with four electives, and in recent years grew to six, and now there are eighteen. While this expansion has been a great way for students to widen their horizons on classes they can take, it is tough for teachers like Prentiss to go from having multiple large classes to one or two small ones.

“We have amazing fine arts programs here.” Prentiss said. “We always have, I know we will continue to have them, now it’s just making sure we have enough students who are taking the classes.”H

fine arts vs stem There are more STEM classes offered than fine arts this year.

Alternative coverage compiled by Lily Hart page designer

Students laugh as they perform a skit in their Improv class Oct 17. Improv is one of the many classes that has seen a drop in enrolment numbers this year.

page design by Anna Ronan

13

Features

ANTICIPATING THE OUTCOME OF

daca

Debate over DACA's termination has been going back and forth on whether it should be terminated or reformed. STA students weigh in their opinions.

Story by Gabrielle Pesek | Writer Photos by Amy Schaffer Photograher Imagine this: You are driving home after cross country practice just like any other day. You are jamming to some old One Direction on the radio with the windows down and mentally preparing yourself for tomorrow’s English test.

The song ends and a certain phrase on the radio interrupts your thought.

“Congress is considering terminating DACA.” As the words reach your ears, your heart stops and everything in the world seems to come to a halt as you try to figure out what will happen to you now. Will the only country you have ever known kick you out? Will you have to go back to your home country that you have no memory of? What is going to happen to you?

President Donald Trump has given Congress six months to decide whether to terminate DACA - Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals - or to reform and pass it while leaving approximately 800,000 DACA recipients in a panic.

DACA is a program that serves to protect illegal alien children younger than age 16 who came to the U.S. before June 15, 2007, from deportation, while also allowing them to get a driver’s license and work legally.

In June of 2012, former president Barack Obama passed DACA as a

14 October 16, 2017

policy however, the Constitution gives Congress the authority to determine who may legally enter and live in the U.S. Because of this, DACA is currently unconstitutional because it was an executive order from former President Obama rather than a law passed through Congress.

Senior Sarah Mendez is a supporter of DACA and the daughter of Mexican immigrants.

“I honestly believe Obama made it an executive order because he knew Congress wouldn’t want DACA to be a thing because many don’t even want immigrants in the U.S. to begin with,” Mendez said.

According to Angela Allard, an Immigration lawyer at Austin & Ferguson LLC whose daughter is an STA alumnae, Dreamers should continue to be protected under DACA. “I do not believe that DACA should

be terminated because the temporary legal status of these youth helps our communities and businesses in many ways,” Allard said.

She also made the point that these children did not willingly enter the U.S..

“It was not their fault that they entered or overstayed illegally,” Allard said. “It is the moral thing to do and Congress should pass the real ‘Dream Act.’” Allard continued on, explaining her hopes for what the new act would entail.

“The real Dream Act [should] provide these youth the ability to be legal in the short term and obtain permanent residence in the long term. There have been proposals to add requirements that the applicant attend college, join the military, etc. to earn permanent resident status,” Allard said.

Sophomore Isabela Pleitez was born in El Salvador but moved to Kansas City to come to STA for a semester. Pleitez supports DACA, but believes changes should be made to the act.

“I agree that DACA should be reformed and the government should judge [dreamers] by how good of legal citizens they could potentially be and if they are being helpful and beneficial to their community and the U.S.,” Pleitez said.

Some opposers have concerns that

Sophomore Isabela Pleitez poses in the Donnelly hallway on Oct. 2. Pleitez is spending a semester at STA until she returns to her home in El Salvador. photo by Amy Schaffer

DACA provides criminal immigrants with possible “loopholes”. According to the Washington Post, “2,139 out of almost 800,000 DACA recipients have lost their permits because of criminal or public safety concerns.” However, DACA recipients are required to undergo background checks during the application process.

“Naturalization is available for a person who has had Lawful Permanent Resident status for a period of time,” Allard said.

Naturalization is the process by which U.S. citizenship is granted to foreign citizens.

“It is hard for some people because dealing with [the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services] is scary and intimidating,” Allard said.

Allard added that the high cost is a deterring factor for some immigrants as well.

Allard said that filing for Naturalization can be a long process, especially for Middle-Easterners.

“Non-Middle Easterners can get approved in about five months if the cases are perfect,” Allard said. “It is more difficult than it used to be because now, the policy of USCIS is to ask about every single ticket that a person has ever received and sometimes, it is difficult to obtain old records. Then, if the person's English is not good enough it can be even scarier being interviewed and orally tested on civics, history and geography in English.”

Liz Ritchey is a sophomore who has

lived her whole life in the U.S.. She believes DACA should be terminated and that the DACA recipients should re-enter legally.

“Even though it can be timeconsuming to go through the work of becoming a U.S. citizen, if someone really wants to be here they should respect the U.S. enough to be here the legal way,” Ritchey said. n the coming months, lawmakers will debate whether to maintain, reform or terminate DACA, as Dreamers anticipate their decision. H

Sophomore Elizabeth Ritchey stands outside Rietbrock Advisory.

Ritchey has lived in America her entire life. photo by Amy Schaffer

FAST FACTS ON DACA Alternative coverage compiled by Faith Andrews-O'Neal Designed by Delaney Hupke more than 1800 governors, attorneys, mayors, state representatives and other leaders signed a letter supporting dreamers and the DACA program

The center for American progress estimated about $460 in GDP losses over 10 years without DACA

California has approved the most DACA applicants of any state at 222,795.

78% of all dreamers come from Mexico

Aproximately 1.3 million people are elligible for DACA, and about 800,000 people are elligible

page design by Delaney Hupke

15

centerspread

SPEAKing OUT: swastika fuels a public reaction As members both inside and outside St. Teresa’s community react to last month’s swastika incident, the Dart investigates recurring opinions, feelings and misconceptions.

Story by Zoe Butler | Editor-in-Chief Lily Manning | Editor-in-Chief Photos by Gabby Staker | Design Editor

16 October 16, 2017

Seniors Bella Pichardo, Sophie Bunch, Sophia Brown, Kelsey Zimmerman, Bridget Graham, Maura Graham, Emilie Blanck, Courtney Talken, Kate Jones, Eve Aspinwall and Gabby Martinez decorated the Quad Sept. 24.

W

ednesday’s for STA girls mean one of two things. Either you set your alarm 30 minutes later than usual, somehow feeling completely revitalized from how much sleep you gained, or you begrudgingly wake up at the same time as every other morning, envious of those soaking in their late start.

For freshman Tess Jones, it was the latter, and as she slipped on her notyet-broken-in sweater, she knew that the only way she could stay awake for class mass was to get whatever kind of cheap coffee drink QuikTrip had to offer.

Feeling slightly rushed and not fully awake, she made her way there, eager for her greatly needed cup of caffeine.

But as she held the door for the man behind her, it was something else that shocked her right awake. Although quiet, there was no doubt the man had mumbled “neo-nazi” as he walked in.

Taken aback, she tried to quickly think of something she could say in return. “It was only nine girls out of a school of 600.” “You don’t know the full story.” “Can’t we just move on?” But she decided taking “the high road” and not responding would be the best response of all.

At the beginning of September, a group of STA students participated in an off-campus drinking game where the cups were at one point arranged into the shape of a swastika and posted on Snapchat. A screenshot of this post was sent to the administration.

In the weeks following this incident, members of both St. Teresa’s direct and indirect community voiced opinions and concerns over issues stemming from this incident. Two of the most prevalent concerns were over how much punishment the students received, and if the administration handled the

situation correctly.

According to STA president Nan Bone, it is the administration’s policy to keep private any punishments meted out to students.

“As administrators, that’s our job, we don’t share consequences,” Bone said. “If we’re going to start telling everybody what every student got as [punishment], whatever it is that they’ve done, everybody will weigh in. ‘I like that.’ ‘No, I don’t like that.’

‘That should’ve been this.’ And they are minors.

I would [also] say schools across the United States don’t share consequences.”

Despite this policy of confidentiality, rumors quickly spread around school and within the wider community about the exact nature of the punishment the girls received. Much of the speculation was due to false media reports. Several different news sites caught onto the story, both locally and nationally, where it was reported that the students only received “one day of in-school reflection.”

“As always, in every situation, the press don’t know everything,” Bone said.

“And it’s so hard for us to take criticism when they’re reporting on one thing, and that has caused the outrage.”

English teacher Sarah Taber talked with friends outside St. Teresa’s direct community, and found that most everyone responded to the news with calls for justice.

“Everyone I talked to, with the exception of one person, who continually responded that he thought people were blowing it out of proportion, but everyone else reacted with a need for justice,” Taber said.

“And not punitive, but fair-minded ‘We don’t stand for this, this shouldn’t be

tolerated, and we need to send that message.’”

As the news articles spread, anger in the surrounding community grew. The STA Facebook page was flooded with comments, the administration received an onslaught of letters from angered alumnae, and students endured a backlash from the public. This massive response wasn’t directed at the nine girls specifically; it became a war against the school as a whole.

Senior Gabby Martinez is one example of a student who was initially shocked by what the girls did and felt a need for justice. She believes, however, that many of the comments on Facebook were centered around other ideas not having to do with the situation. “[People on Facebook] were commenting stuff about how STA girls are ‘sluts’ and ‘skanks’ and ‘privileged little bastards’, and just so much unhelpful and hurtful stuff,” Martinez said. “I was amazed that people would comment on stuff that they weren’t really a part of and not be helpful or supportive towards the girls that weren’t involved.”

Senior Emily Livingston thinks the page design by Gabby Staker

17

Facebook comments generalized the entire school’s character based off one group's mistake.

“It’s like [we’re] guilty by association, but it was unnecessary for them to take [their anger out on the school] as a whole,” Livingston said. “Be mad at the administration for handling it in a way you didn’t like, but don’t be mad at the rest of the student body.”

Most of the backlash has been received over Facebook, with a few posts from STA’s account receiving hundreds of comments. Senior Taylor Staves has been helping run the account this year as part of her Social Media Practicum course. Staves was “astounded” by the comments she saw.

“It really showed how powerful social media can be, but one of the things that really stood out was the number of alumnae who were speaking up,” Staves said. “It was kind of interesting in a cool way to see how STA really trains their girls to have a voice, and they were using theirs.”

A petition written by several alumnae circulated around Facebook and received 622 signatures as of Oct. 2. The signatures were from alumnae ranging from the classes of 1967 all the way up to the class of 2017.

The petition’s message to STA’s Board of Directors maintained that “the normalization of hate symbols grows their power.” It also called on the administration to take a number of actions. Martinez agrees with these alumnae, and thinks they make valid claims.

“They remember STA as their high school and they remember it how they remember it,” Martinez said. “To have a group of current students jeopardize what they know as STA, I think that would be difficult as alumnae, to have your whole school’s reputation be ruined.”

Others, like Livingston, disagree with alumnae who claim St. Teresa’s is no longer the same school that it used to be. Livingston blames this disenchantment on faulty news reports

that have consistently misreported the consequences of the incident.

Bone recognizes the alumnae’s concerns, and hopes they can move forward with the school.

“St. Teresa’s is a safe place for girls to express their opinion,” Bone said. “And we’ve listened to them all. I’ve never closed the comments on Facebook because that’s what we believe: strong women have opinions. It’s now a time for us to unite as a school and show our alums that it is the school that they went to, but it’s even stronger and better.”

While some comments and articles called for the school to disclose details about the punishment the girls received, senior Grace Laird believes this would only cause more turmoil.

“There’s never going be a solution that makes everyone happy,” Laird said. “There’s going to be people in the community that are going to be like ‘Oh, that punishment was too harsh,’ and there are going to be people who are like ‘That punishment was too light.’

And there’s never going to be an equal balance and there’s never going to be an agreement because every person views it so differently and has such strong opinions.”

One of the calls from alumnae and other members outside the school’s direct community was for expulsion.

However, Bone says that this punitive action would defeat any kind of learning experience. She says that expulsion is obviously not out of the question for everything, but that more good can be done if “we educate again.”

Livingston agrees that a more “rehabilitative” solution of teaching and learning from this mistake would be more beneficial for everyone in the long run.

According to Martinez, she has questioned the intentions behind their displaying of the swastika, believing the symbol holds just as much gravity today as it did back during World War II. “In a historical context, it was used to justify the killing of thousands

of people,” Martinez said. “Now, present day, you see it with the white nationalists in Charlottesville, and other situations like that.”

Livingston thinks that the girls did not form the swastika out of any racist intent, but rather as a “dumb joke” and swayed intentions from being under the influence. She also feels that media has pulled the story further out of context.

“How many Snapchat stories do you see of guys with Confederate flags?”

Livingston said. “But it’s the first time it’s been brought to the attention of administration and media as something bigger than itself, and people are just taking this story and drawing it out.

Especially through social media and through the media.”

Taber was one of many who included this incident in her curriculum, seeing as that’s where most students’ minds were at. She realized most of the girls were “upset by the enormity of the issue,” and decided to change the topic of their socratic seminar from short stories to an open discussion on their opinions regarding the incident.

“One of the things I’m trying to work with my seniors this year is being curious and developing a sense of inquiry,” Taber said. “We’re working a lot on taking a topic and asking questions and so in terms of that day, I proposed that we address the issue by asking some questions about it.”

But the anger for justice was also shared by many teachers and students at St. Teresa’s. Many voiced their concerns via social media, class discussions and with senior Sophia Brown, even staging a walk-out.

“I was happy about Sophia Brown out there; I was supportive about it,” Bone said. “That’s what we teach [our] girls.

I’ve heard there might be this, there might be that. People are panicked. I said let it be. That’s what we teach. Does it weigh heavy on us? Absolutely.”

Martinez was angered when the incident first took place, and, along with other seniors, has made strides to make change inside the STA community.

“[People on Facebook] were commenting stuff about how STA girls unhelpful and hurtful stuff. “I was amazed that people would comm supportive towards the girls that weren’t involved.” -senior gabby mart

18 October 16, 2017

One of these actions took place one Sunday afternoon, when a several seniors came together and drew uplifting images and quotes throughout the quad.

“I think we felt that [the chalk] obviously wasn't a solution to what happened, but I think it was a way to kind of bring together our community a little bit and give girls more of a positive outlook moving forward, so that we can then work on learning about it,” Martinez said. “I think that I’d say it is more important that as a community we recognize that it happened and learn from it [rather than discipline those involved more].”

Senior Kate Jones also started a project in hopes of reminding the community of what STA is really about.

She’s making a video of past and current students sharing good memories they’ve gained from their time at STA, including alumnae going all the way back to class of 1966.

“I think we’ve gotten a lot of bad press around STA, but before this happened, anyone you talked to who thought about STA would be like ‘Yeah, STA is a great place,’” Jones said. I want to bring that back and bring back the focus on the positive aspects of our school.”

Martinez, who is also a member of Cultural Diversity Committee, said the committee is working to bring in speakers and possibly sell t-shirts, where the money earned would be donated to the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education.

With the enormity of what this issue has become, Livingston thinks that people forget how strongly this is affecting the nine girls involved. She’s talked with a couple of the girls who were involved in the incident, who have told her how hard it is to go about their day “knowing they caused so much pain to so many people”.

“[One of the girls] said at this point, she’s so emotionally drained, she’s not even crying anymore,” Livingston said. “She said she was numb. It’s not even a matter of them being mad that they did this anymore, it’s like ‘I ruined so many people’s lives’ at least for the time being. It’s more or less like they are past any sadness and it’s all 100 percent guilt all the time.”

The students involved sent out an apology letter, where they explained their guilt and what they plan on doing to move forward to amend their actions. Many, including Marinez, view this apology as necessary to acknowledging and moving past the incident.

“I think that [the apology] was a good start,” Martinez said. “Without them saying that they’re sorry and trying to understand how serious what they did was, without that apology, you can’t really move forward.”

Along with the student initiatives made, administration has also sent out a list of steps the school is taking to ensure this incident is taken as a learning opportunity. The list includes things like the screening of Big Sonia,

the story of a Holocaust survivor, and a presentation given by Mindy Corporon, who lost her son and father to the tragic Jewish Community Center shooting.

Bone clearly expressed how important the healing process is in all of this, and how close the community is to reaching it.

“We are listeners,” Bone said with tears in her eyes. “We make mistakes.

So it’s a time for us to move on.” H

s are ‘sluts’ and ‘skanks’ and ‘privileged little bastards’, and just so much ment on stuff that they weren’t really a part of and not be helpful or tinez page design by Gabby Staker

19

main ed

The Media's response is not justified 30/30 staffers voted in agreement

U

p until about a month ago, St Teresa’s girls would have never second guessed wearing their uniform or STA apparel. In fact, it has provided many with opportunities, including more likely to land an afterschool job, etc. Outside of sports, they go about their business, proud to wear the “STA” on their shirts, and tartan plaid on their skirts. However, recently, that has become a little challenging.

Unfortunately, us students have experienced encounters that have made us feel extremely uncomfortable and scared. An STA sophomore was walking her dog one afternoon with STA apparel on when a man yelled at her while running past her.

“Stop being racist you privileged bitch,” the man said. The reasoning behind these specific confrontations is because people outside of the direct STA community have spoken about a situation that occurred with STA students. The problem with this is that news outlets have been reporting on rumors and false information about our school which has influenced outside opinions about the character of STA as a whole. Because of these inaccurate or incomplete statements, comments and opinions coming from people outside of STA are not justified nor warranted.

Many judgemental statements have degraded the moral qualities of not only the students, but the administration as well. Critics are upset with the administration because they feel as if the administration’s punishment for the students was dismissive and not harsh enough. While everyone has the freedom to voice their opinions, they’re not appropriate because these harsh remarks have been based solely on false information. It’d be a completely different situation if the came from the people involved in the incident the news is reporting about, but they weren’t. The news outlets have made it seem like going to school at STA is like walking to your death everyday.

The media has a responsibility to inform the general population in a fair and truthful manner. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Instead, they have been biased and inaccurate, with sources of only distant ties to our school, who also don’t know all the information they’re being interviewed about. In one instance, they have also been lazy enough to report that our school is in Kentucky. They’ve blown certain facts out of proportion, making it seem like going to school is like going to a place where everyone is tortured and bullied, which is not the case. By

purposely stereotyping us as the ‘rich, Catholic and privileged all-girls school’, they’ve dismissed the honest and great personalities of STA girls. that make up STA because of the students that have gone through the school.

Alumnae particularly have been the most upset and have been the most outspoken about the situation.

This anger is understandable. They respect and love this school as much as the current students do. Shamefully, the media used that pride to their advantage to attract negative attention.

They’ve made alumnae question the integrity of all of the students and the school that they once attended.

Only the students of STA know how we’ve felt when we walked into school everyday and it’s not the absolute worst.

Yes, everyone’s experience is different, but it’s not right to generalize the entire student body’s experience. We’ve made and are in the process of making friends we’ll know for the rest of our lives, beginning our adult lives, and learning life lessons.

The front of the student handbook includes a poem by St. Teresa of Avila: “In this house, all must be friends, all must be loved, all must be held dear, all must be helped.” And at St. Teresa’s Academy, this house is united. H

Right on Target

The Dart asked students, "Was the media's response to the swastika incident justified?"

Compiled by Faith Andrews-O'Neal | Writer Junior Cece Curran “I guess I believe that everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but I don’t think that some of the media that came out was necessarily true, and I think that that makes it wrong, I suppose. I don't think that some of the sources that came out and spoke their opinion necessarily gave the best view of what really happened, and obviously some of the information that was given out wasn't true.”

20 October 16, 2017

Senior Kelsey zimmerman "Yes, in a way. But I think there should have been more emphasis on the students' opinions. I feel like the criticism of the administration handling it was fair game, but I don't think the criticism of the current students that weren't involved in it, that came from other people outside of media and random people and the Internet.

But I do think the media going from what administration had done was justified."

perspectives

taking a knee is taking a stand Athletes recently have taken a knee during the National Anthem before games.

Americans should be able to kneel for their rights.

Story by Torri Henry | Writer Kendall Lanier | Sports Editor Growing up attending numerous football games, it has always been so easy to stand up for the National Anthem. Recently, professional athletes have started kneeling during the singing of The National Anthem before a game which has attracted a lot of controversial attention. It has had a ripple effect causing more celebrities and athletes to participate in this action.

While we are going to continue to stand to show respect for our country, Americans should have the right to choose.

First and foremost, many critics do not understand the reason behind the kneeling. The athletes are kneeling because too many unarmed African Americans have been wrongly murdered by policemen and have not gotten justice. Time after time, the system has failed to give justice to people of color that have been unlawfully mistreated or killed for harmless actions.

For example, Philando Castile was pulled over and while reaching for his license, he was shot due to the officer

mistaking it for a gun. Trayvon Martin who was walking home in his own neighborhood late at night was followed by a neighborhood security guard and then was shot after an altercation.

There has been no conviction for these two and the list goes on. How can you proudly stand for a country that has left you with disappointment countless times by not supporting all citizens?

Colin Kaepernick, the face of the protests, has sacrificed his football career by kneeling during the anthem.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick said while playing for the San Francisco 49ers in 2016 to The Washington Post. The American Flag is supposed to represent the dignity and freedom of America, but for some, those are the two things that this country is missing most right now.

Now, many people feel as though Kaepernick and many others should speak about "political" issues outside of work or sporting events. But here is the reality, this isn’t a "political" issue, this is a common decency for humanity issue. Many figures have spoken out and have wondered why those kneeling don’t just voice to the public what they are protesting. What the public does not understand is that they have tried countless times and no one has seemed to listen.

People like Kaepernick are using

their platform to stand up for injustice because doing it any other way would not attract attention to this majorly ignored matter. If you were quiet while countless minorities were being killed, then you are not at liberty to speak about the protesting that comes with it.

The opposers believe that kneeling is disrespectful to the soldiers who have fought for the country, but kneeling is not intended to disrespect soldiers. It is about the Constitution the soldiers fought for which states that all people are equal and gives us the freedom to be able to stand up for our beliefs. A righteous indignation was turned into “disrespect” by those who choose to ignore the issues in our country. The saying, “actions speak louder than words” really becomes true in this situation.

President Trump has been very outspoken about respecting The National Anthem and suggested that the NFL should fire anyone who kneels during the anthem on the spot. He even went out of his way to call those players a disrespectful name during a rally in Alabama. Instead of uniting Americans, President Trump’s actions tend to divide the country.

If this country wants people to stop kneeling during the National Anthem, then this country needs to respect the lives of everyone. If we do not fight for what is right despite the backlash, we, as a country, will never move forward. H page design by Lily Hart

21

Gun violence is an issue america Must come Together to stop As Americans we are obligated to solve a problem that has affected so many of our fellow citizens.

Story by Lily Manning Editor-in-Chief On the morning of Oct. 2, I woke up to notifications that we have had yet another mass shooting in America.

As sad as it is, these mass killings have started to no longer shock me. I feel sadness and devastation for those involved, but I no longer feel shocked or surprised.

The fact that I no longer find these shocking is extremely worrisome to me. America has been debating over gun control for years, but we have seen very little progress actually made on the subject. It is time that our government comes together to find an answer to this problem. I think this answer needs to be stricter gun laws.

I wouldn’t say I have historically supported stricter gun control. In supporting the Constitution and, in my opinion, that also means citizens of the United States have the right to own guns. In American culture, gunmanship has become a sport and owning guns has become a ‘necessity’ for self defense. I do not see a problem with this as long as citizens are respectful of their right. In being respectful of your right, this means prioritizing gun safety, and I do not believe this is something all American gun owners practice.

We have seen too many mass shootings in the past few years to stand

22 October 16 2017

by and not make a change in our gun laws. A respectful gun owning citizen should not have a problem with going through more background checks or safety training before purchasing a gun.

"We have seen too many mass shootings in the past few years to stand by and not make a change..."

In your choice to purchase this potentially deadly tool, you comply to the responsibility that comes with it.

Part of government means compromise and not always receiving all the change

you hope to see. We owe it to the victims of these mass tragedies to create change in our society and its gun laws.

At this point, I no longer find gun control to be a political issue.

Thousands of people a year die from gun-related deaths. With numbers like this, it is nearly impossible to say that gun violence hasn’t touched you or someone you know in some way. No matter your political stance, you suffer from gun violence in America in some way, you have lost fellow friends, family and citizens because of it.

Gun violence is an issue we face as a people and we need to set our political biases aside to solve this problem. If a more liberal view of gun control is what we need to stop this problem in America, then that’s the approach we need to embrace. We are not doing the victims justice by standing by and not enacting change. Even if it isn’t your ideal solution, we need to create change that will solve the problems we are bombarded with. H

The Van, The Myth,

The Legend My car has impacted my life and taught me valuable lessons along the way.

Story by Maggie Hart | Writer There is a 1993 Dodge Caravan parked at St. Teresa’s. It is blue, white and rusty with some bullet hole stickers and peeling window tint. My four older siblings and I have all had the privilege of driving this fine van.

This van is not just a van, she has become a member of my family and her name is Babe. There are endless stories that go along with her and many have left visible marks on Babe. My parents purchased Babe as a used car in 1995. My brothers, who were five and three at the time, decided to name her Babe after Babe the Big Blue Ox in the story of Paul Bunyan because Babe was completely blue at that time. Since then, we have put over 223,350 miles on her. Each mile is a memory.

My very first memory in this car was at the age of three when we took a family vacation to Colorado. With a family of eight, flying is very expensive so we drive everywhere. In 2004 we went on a road trip to Colorado. The reason that this is my first memory of Babe is because at about 2 a.m. in the middle of Kansas her tire fell off. We pulled into a Walmart, got it fixed and I went back to sleep and woke up to the sight of the Rocky Mountains. After that it was smooth sailing for about four years.

My next memory might just be the scariest experience I have ever had in Babe. I must have been around years years old, and my brothers drove my sisters and I to school one day when we missed the bus. I remember this so vividly because my brother, James, not

only was a teenage boy driving his four terrified sisters, but he was speeding down Gregory Blvd. as fast as he could… while playing air-guitar. We were swerving all over the place but luckily I made it out alive.

Both of my older brothers went to Rockhurst High School and they also drove Babe to and from school every day. My brother Mark won a parking spot in the front of the school one year in a raffle. Every day Babe would be parked next to some of the most expensive cars in the parking lot. Mark somehow kept this spot for two years in a row, and he often tells of the numerous kids who would wait for their parents to pick them up, passing time by peeling the paint off of Babe. Since then, Babe’s paint chipping condition has only gotten worse. Now she is not just blue with a few white chips, she is mostly white with a few blue spots.

After Mark, my sister Mary was next in line to drive this fine minivan. She drove it to and from school every day just like our brothers. One particular day Mary left the windows down, and it rained. When it first began to rain, she asked her teacher if she could run out and roll up her windows and he said no. Now if any of you have ever left your windows down when it rains, you’ll know that it smells terrible for the next couple of days. The next day Mary and her friends complained to their teacher about how it smelled like a wet dog, and he felt so bad that he got her an air freshener. On the first day of school, this teacher mentioned this incident

to me and I not only remember Mary being mad at him, I also remember that air freshener because it stayed in Babe even after it was all out of scent.

Mary’s advisor was Ms. Taber, who is also my advisor. Babe has been prominent in both advisories, and is even on the 2017 Taber Advisory shirts.

For me, Babe is almost like a bus. I take three people to school every day and up to five people home in the afternoon. I also nanny, and my kids either love or hate the car. Some kids will get inside and peel the tint or stick things in the hole in the ceiling. One of my kids told me once that, “this car looks like it’s going to break down when you turn it on.”

Babe is now 24 years old, and my Dad’s only goal for her is to have her stay alive until my 13 year old sister is old enough to drive her. Some of Babe’s features include a missing radio, a broken emergency brake, a weird sound that is heard when you turn right, white smoke that spills out of the exhaust and windows that have to be manually rolled up.

The point in me writing about my nothing-less-than-iconic car is to prove that you do not need a brand new Jeep Wrangler to have the coolest car in the STA parking lot. Babe is probably not worth much money, but she has immense sentimental value and more character than any other car I have seen. So just remember, even if you do not have a really nice car or have no car at all, you can still make endless memories. H page design by Lily Hart

23

sports feature

A group of dancers from varsity dance te

JV Dance team offers a second chance The JV dance team, starting this fall, will allow more another opportunity to dance for STA. Story by Mary Massman | Writer Photos by Riley McNett Snapchat Editor

A

s the music becomes louder, the judges lean forward in their seats and all eyes are on three dancers as the room seems to intensify with pressure. However, as freshman Molly Hirner begins to perform the first few steps of the routine, her nerves fade, and she is reminded of why she loves to dance.

“My mom put me in a [dance] class when I was young and I just kept doing it, especially when I got better and really enjoyed it,” Hirner said. “It kind of became my passion.”

Hirner, who began dancing at age two, danced for about 10 years before quitting two years ago when competitive dance became too much of a time commitment. So when she received the email that she had been

24

October 16, 2017

Sophomore Molly Langdon performs her dance routine at Jennifer's Rising Dance Stars Oct. 2.

cut from dance team, she wondered what went wrong in her audition.

“You just never know what to expect with dance tryouts,” Hirner said. “I went to so many auditions when I danced. As much as you could prepare, you were never really sure what to expect.”

Hirner represents one of many dancers who have been cut from the varsity team, despite having years of dance experience. However, the new JV dance team, starting this fall, will give these dancers another opportunity to dance for STA. English teacher Katie Weber, a former dancer with 15 years of experience, will be coaching the team.

“A lot of students voiced interest in expanding the dance program, and then teachers were the ones who came forward and said this is something that we need to do,” Weber said. “ I would say this is more student driven than anything.”

Many students have been pleasantly surprised by the news of a JV team, while others have raised questions about what the team will look like.

Sophomore Katie Moore, who has danced since she was two years old,

Sophomore Molly Langdon s Langdon plans to tryout for J

recalls having doubts about the team.

“I was excited but I was also kind of skeptical,” Moore said. “I feel like a lot of people are doing it just so they can say they're doing dance team, and they're not classically trained.”

Weber, however, has a set plan of how to evaluate all of the girls who audition, and has a clear idea of what to look for to make a strong team. She is aiming to accept around 15 people, but no more than 20. “[I’m looking for] someone who has been technically trained and knows terminology, has good technique, straight legs and pointed feet,” Weber said. “Those people will actually understand what I'm saying as opposed to the people who wouldn't.”

The season will run from October to January, with two morning practices every week, performances at JV basketball games and a competition in January. Moore feels that the team is ideal because it allows her time to continue going to studio dance practices.

“I don't think it will be as big of a commitment as varsity, but with any

eam bend down at practice Sep. 29.

stretches before her dance practice Oct. 2.

JV dance team.

team, it is a commitment,” Moore said.

“I feel like varsity is more competitive than JV, and I like to compete, but I would rather have more fun than [being] strict.”

Hirner, who is planning on trying out for swim this winter and lacrosse in the spring, agrees with Moore in that she is grateful morning practices will allow for other involvement outside of dance team.

“I was excited about it, but I didn't really know at first if I was going to try out,” Hirner said. “But since they said that we can do other sports, I decided to tryout.”

The tryouts will be open to all grades.

However, the team may begin to change after a few years as girls move to the varsity team.

“We want to try to keep it at some point, if it does continue, more of the underclassmen and then have the transition to varsity in due time,” Weber said. “But that would be something that we would have to keep doing for a few years for it to work.”

The development of skills and the transition to varsity is common in

the majority of school sports. Sophomore varsity dancer Emily Lanning made varsity her freshman year, but feels that the JV team could be a better option for underclassmen “It would probably be easier to transition from JV to varsity because you get an idea of what it’s like,” Lanning said. “In the beginning of the year we're just learning dances for games, and it's not as intense, but when it gets close to competition and state, it gets a lot more intense.”

Similar to Moore and Hirner, the dancers who have been to varsity tryouts and now plan to tryout for JV are thrilled to have a second shot at dance team.

Lanning recalls seeing a lot of potential at both the varsity audition for last year and this year.

“I thought that at least six freshmen were gonna make it, but only two did,” Lanning said. “I think there's gonna be a lot more people from JV that make it to varsity the next year.”

Weber also acknowledges the importance of giving more dancers with studio background and studio knowledge this opportunity to be involved at school through dance. She hopes to unify their skills with dance team to reach that varsity goal.

“There's obviously a large pool of people that are interested in dancing,

and I think if we just offered varsity we’re not catering to all the other people that like to dance too,” Weber said. “It makes sense, we have JV teams for every sport but we don't have one for dance.”

Although Hirner remembers wondering about what might have caused her to not make varsity, she also remembers shrugging it off, as she was familiar with the tryout process.

“Especially when you dance in the competitive world, like at conventions and competitions, there will always be cuts, tryouts and auditions for different things,” Hirner said. “You just always kind of had to expect to be cut because they would always just take a certain few."

Hirner was not discouraged by the cut, but rather she feels it served to motivate her, as she is hoping to make the JV team and will work to be prepared.

“It motivated me to work and try harder in dance,” Hirner said. “[I’m looking forward to] dancing again, I haven't danced in a while, and I loved it so much.”

Now, she pulls up an old video of her dancing to review the basics. She stretches and rehearses the routine with a friend. She is ready to take on the tryout, no matter what the outcome ends up being. H

Dancing with the stars

The Dart explores the statistics behind dance team.

Alternative Coverage by Ella Norton | Page Designer There are currently 14 girls on the varsity dance team.

52 girls filled out the form saying they were interested in potentially joining a JV dance team. out of the girls who filled out the form, Freshman and sophomore were the most interested.

Jv dance will accept 15 to 20 girls. most girls who filled out the form have been dancing for three to five years.

page design by Riley McNett

25

Cultured Trash, a vendor at River Market Antiques, showcases vintage clothes, shoes and jewelry.

Community

selling memories:

mall.

She worked there from 1993 to ‘97 when the building was sold, and then she opened up a booth in a shop on 5th St. Shortly after, she found herself in Springfield, operating a thrift store at a domestic violence organization called The Harmony House, introducing the women to a retail atmosphere and teaching them skills like how to work and dress.

But Caulkins still had that booth in Kansas City, and in 1999 she moved back, applied for the manager position, and has been at 115 W. 5th St. ever since.

In River Market Antiques, booths are rented out to 175 different vendors- artistswho search for valuable items at estate sales, garage sales, auctions and thrift stores that they can then turn around and sell.

“Everybody has their own little vision,” Caulkins said. “Some people just do mid-century. Some people like Victorian. Some just like pottery.”

It’s as much a business for Caulkins as an art form. She’s good with numbers and speaks like a leader, but the art of the business is what’s kept her there for 23 years.

“It’s business, it’s figures, it’s money, but every day is a new adventure,” she said. “All the people that you meet, the artists, the creative people.”

She’s even waited on Taylor Swift, who apparently does not look the same in person, two members of the

kansas city gentrification hits the antiques In the past 20 years, the antiques business in Kansas City has seen a push to embrace the old. Denese Caulkins of River Market Antiques shares her story.

Story by Gabby Staker Design editor Photos by Lucy Hoop Photographer

T

Caulkins, the manager of River Market Antiques, first moved to Kansas City in 1989 from a small town in Iowa, where she found work at a gun manufacturer a floor above an old antique mall. Growing up, her parents would frequent auctions and she remembers buying things secondhand. She was was always intrigued by the store below, and began to stop by after work. When the owner told her the current manager had been stealing money, Caulkins volunteered to review the books and find out what was going on. She did, and she became manager of her first antique

here’s a feeling a person gets when they walk into an antique mall. It comes from Vendor #785 at River Market Antiques features those shelves of ancient books and eclectic signs in various sizes. collectors’ mugs, those 1920s art deco mirrors, those action figures, those smells, those memories. It’s like walking through another person’s experience, sometimes physically in their shoes and socks.

The first time Denese Caulkins cried at her job was when she sold a pair of baby shoes. How could anyone sell their child’s shoes? she thought. “It’s a sad business, because it depends a lot on people dying. But then, it’s really people who don’t have anybody to give [things] to… We always like to think that we’re recycling lives and giving people’s style another shot in life.”

26

October 16, 2017

Rolling Stones, and she’s got Kid Rock’s signature hanging on a wall in her office.

She says there’s really no typical client, but she has noticed a dramatic shift in clientele over the past two decades. There’s a revival of the old, a push by twenty-somethings to buy vintage furniture and clothing.

They’re also shifting the definition of “vintage,” itself. “If you’re 25 years old and in here shopping, the 80s is vintage,” Caulkins said.

But it’s a positive shift. Every year, there’s a teacher from the Kansas City Art Institute who brings her freshman class to the mall, allowing them to find items on a budget that they can then turn into their first art project. It’s a shift towards renewed creativity and interest in the past.

“It’s not just about the buying, it’s keeping the past going,” Caulkins said.

She shares stories of a man hiding an engagement ring in something he wanted to show his girlfriend, of McCoy planters and Dorothy Thorpe glasses, of a couple finding a portrait of long lost relatives hanging above the door.

The store supplies the raw materials for the artists. The artists make it art.

There’s a man who always comes in to buy old discarded metal and turns them into “the most beautiful sculptures.” Just the other day, there was a model who spent an hour among the clothes racks and emerged with some of the most beautiful outfits Caulkins had ever seen.

As glamorous as it sounds, it’s a lot of work, and a lot of times, you fail. “You just love something, and then six years later, no one’s bought it,” Caulkins said. “I have dealers I see five days a week because they know that if you sell five items, you need to bring five more items in.”

They have to search for an item, bring it home, clean it, research it, price it accordingly, pack it, bring it into the mall, unload it, take it to their booth, arrange it, and keep a maintain a fresh

Stores around KC Alternative Coverage by Ella Norton

display.

“It’s an overwhelming job to keep 175 artistic people happy,” she said.

“Because they’re all kind of their own little business within a business, just to keep everybody going on the same level, I’ve often been referred to as ‘The Cat Herder.’”

She’s saddened by the competitiveness of the industry.

It all comes down to knowledge of vendors, and who is the most educated. Vendors who are adept at the history of brands can find an item

priced for $50 at another vendor’s table, buy it, and sell it for $350, because it’s not just a dresser, it’s a such-and-such such-and-such dresser.

But that’s what’s important about the business. It’s recognizing value in things that would otherwise be forgotten. People come to find old plates like their mothers’, or Star Wars figurines that they played with as little kids. “It’s about buying back memories,” Caulkins said. H page design by Katie Gregory

27

lAST LOOK

capture the season with a See Kansas City through a new lens at these beautiful spots around town.

Story by Lily Hart Page designer Photos by Meghan Baker Photo editor

fall photoshoot The fall foliage makes the outside of the Nelson-Atkins Museum just as breathtaking as the art inside, and allows you to create art of your own.

From taking more classic photos with the building in the background, surrounded by trees, to posing with the outdoor statues, the grounds of the Nelson make for a beautiful photoshoot, especially in the fall.

the Nelson-Atkins Museum Loose Park Loose Park offers many different sceneries to choose from for a photoshoot. From the classic sidewalk in the trees shot, to artsy pictures in the japanese garden, this is a great location for a casual photo shoot. The number of the places you can take advantage of will give your photos more variety than other places, which is perfect if you’re going into it not knowing what you’re looking for.

28 October 16, 2017

Observation Park This is a perfect location if you can’t pick your favorite place in Kansas City because you will end up with the entire city in the background. With the skyline in the background, Observation Park gives you a unique backdrop for your fall photos. This can work for any vibe that you are trying to capture - formal, casual, family, you name it.

The Crossroads The Crossroads of Kansas City give a photoshoot a more urban vibe.

The old and intricate architecture, as well as the graffitied walls, make for great backdrops. Being in the city will give your shoot a different feel than traditional fall photos. City photos will feel more genuine because that’s where people are. People aren’t always dressed up in and in parks, no matter how natural photographers try to make it seem.

page design by Anna Louise Sih

29

ask the dart

WHAT HappeneD TO SILENT sTUDY? Each month, the Dart lets students submit their questions and we choose one to answer.

Story by Kailee Ford | Writer Illustration courtesy of Mara Kugler

S

ilent study was the amazing place where you could sit without distraction or disturbance and do homework that you probably didn’t do last night.

And there are so many places to get the silent study experience, such as the math hub and the library.

But there’s one thing that’s wrong with this year’s silent study: Where did it go? One minute it was there and the next minute it’s gone.

Well do not worry fellow sisters, for your beloved silent study has not gone missing. It has just been relocated.

According to principal of academic affairs Barbara McCormick, silent study has been changed so that it includes classrooms and not just the commons or Verheyen (because Verheyen is nonexistent at the moment).

30 October 6, 2017

Silent study was modified in this way to allow more spaces for students to work on general homework without distraction. But, only certain rooms are designated as silent study.

Along with the classrooms, students still have the library and the math hub. Also, when the renovations to the gym are over, the library that currently holds 18-20 people will hold about twice that size. When the gym is done, the classrooms will still remain, so that students won’t go back to being limited on a few spaces for silent study.

So there you have it. Silent study has gone away, but only for a little while. But honestly, going to silent study is really up to you. Sometimes it’s a good thing to hang out with friends in an open room that isn’t strictly silent study.

You should always make time for friends, fun and relaxation.

Silent study can also be the perfect place for that too. Life is never fun if you’re always stressed over school work. You can read a book or watch Youtube or something. Everyone uses the resources around them in a different way. Just like people say, the world is your oyster. H

Disclaimer: for entertainment purposes only.

on the DNO Here’s what’s happening on Dart News Online

Gallery: teresian Photos by Anna Louise Sih, Megan Baker and Ella Kugler

update: meyer circle fountain

Story by Delaney Hupke Senior campout Brief by Anna Louise Sih

pop culture podcast Podcast by Kate Jones The faces of STA: Kylie Schuster Blog by Aspen Cherrito

page design by Gabby Staker

31

SPEAK OUT