Traveling Show

Winning Thescon 1 State Thespian Officer 1 Tech Scholar 2 Excellent Ratings 41 College Callbacks

PERFORMANCE PERFECT: Seniors Josiah Haan and Isaiah Henry perform their Individual Event in which they ended up getting a superior. They had planned to top their performance from the previous year. “It was really really nice because there were so many workshops and opportunities to kind of improve my skill. I got to audition for colleges so it kind of gave me a path towards the future in the acting profession,” Henry said. PHOTO BY ZOE MICHALS

FEATURE 9 Page by Natalie Walsh and Ruthann Kimbrel Spotlight Players snatch “Excellent” ratings at annual conference By Ruthann Kimbrel Staff Reporter

Getting on the stage to accept a scholarship in front of hundreds of people who share the love of theatre and those who also wanted that scholarship, adrenaline rushed through senior Josiah Haan’s veins as he crossed the stage to accept his Tech Scholarship from a college representative at the annual Troupe 5743 trip to the Missouri State Thespian Conference or Thescon 2020, which was held in Kansas City, Missouri. Thescon is a yearly convention for theatre groups nationwide that helps actors and actresses grow their talent set, and provide college scholarships and community building opportunities.

“It is such an amazing learning opportunity. You get to go to so many workshops, whether it be acting workshops, singing workshops, lighting workshops or set workshops, really anything you can imagine, so in this one little weekend you can learn so much, but also what it does is builds community so I’ve made so many friends through Thescon and it strengthens the relationships I have made with people here,” Haan said. Haan, along with fellow senior Isaiah Henry, participated in one of the individual events and got the highest award possible for his performance. “We did win last year too and were lucky enough to get a superior. Then this year we were like ‘we’re going to top ourselves and do even better!’ and we scored superior again and it was so exciting because getting that rating is such an honor and that means we qualify for nationals, which is really really cool,” Haan said.

“I was so excited because I’m going into technical theatre for college and as my career and for this, I had to set up a table that had a ton of my work and documentation of the work I’ve done, and then college representatives came through and talked to me for about 20 minutes each about what I’ve done,” Haan said. When he received the award, everyone who knew him cheered for his accomplishment that he worked hard for and Haan was in complete shock.

“It was a very long four hour process but when it got announced that I had won it, I was very ecstatic. The scholarship was a really nice surprise as well as our team that did the tech design challenge and they got superior as well so that was a surprise,” said Haan. “It was just a very good weekend.”

Along with Haan and Henry, senior Catherine Analla also participated in the college scholarship performances.

“We were called back to multiple colleges and I think in total for us, because we were the only three that did scholarships, I think we got a total of 41 college callbacks now,” Henry said.

Henry, excited for the callbacks, also praises the troupe as a whole for getting the Honor Troupe Award.

“Our troupe was selected as Honor Troupe, which means we’ve been very involved in the thespian community, have helped out other troupes and have taken our theater into the real community and expanded on that and that was probably our biggest group achievement,” Henry said.

Henry believes Thescon is most important due to the workshops being led by professionals in certain departments and the chance to show off their talents to the attendees.

“It has a lot of workshops with professionals, whether it’s acting or technical or dancing. And you get to learn so much. Just about whatever you’re interested in theatre and also improve and make connections through with other troops or with the people that are in the professional business,” Henry said.

“It also gives us performance opportunities with the scholarships and paths towards the future with colleges and there’s an improv show and a tech show that we participate in which gives us more opportunities to perform and kind of showcase what we have in our truth on a statewide level,” Henry said.

On the tech side of the stage, junior Margaret Wilkerson participated in a scenic design competition with the design crew she works with during musicals and plays.

“It was kind of nerve wracking because we had to bring all of our own supplies and the rules were kind of foggy so we had to kind of take our best guess and get all the stuff we thought we might need, even weird stuff we didn’t think we realized we’d even need, so we kind of over prepared and brought a lot of stuff but it was really fun,” Wilkerson said.

“I really love my work and the group that I worked with, and it helped me build a better bond with them and have fun with them,” Wilkerson said.

Wilkerson and her group did the competition project over the play ‘She Kills Monsters’ by Qui Ngyen.

“So it’s kind of her journey, she plays Dungeons and Dragons since her sister used to play it all the time. So she gets to know who our sister was and she kind of accepts her [sister’s] death and moves through it. So we kind of built this tree that was holding all the different levels together, because it was kind of like the whole theme of family, grief and forgiveness,” Wilkerson said.

“I think our thing we made was the most complex out of all the ones of all the people [participating] but it was kind of messy because there was just so much that we tried to pack onto this tiny thing, but it was really exciting because we were the first group to ever go and actually connect something that good,” Wilkerson said.

CAR-NVERGING: This photo combines Adam Decker’s Subaru BRZ, Hunter Bowman’s Acura RSX, and Zach Kofron’s Mazda Miata. Together, they enjoy taking pictures of their cars and post it to their car instagram accounts. PHOTO COURTESY OF ADAM DECKER, ZACH KOFRON AND HUNTER BOWMAN

Shifting into the Car-Munity An expanding car community at FHC and those dedicated to it

By Ty Nedungadi Staff Reporter

There are clubs and activities at FHC for students to share their passion and love for whatever activity they love to do; however, some students feel left in the dust for something that they truly feel passion for. This doesn’t mean that it stops them from continuing to share what they love. Senior Adam Decker has grown up with a love for cars ever since he was younger, playing video games and eventually expanding his horizon and love for different cars. While there isn’t an activity or club like cars, he and other students like seniors Hunter Bowman and Zach Kofron outlined a community at FHC to spread car culture and their love for them.

Even when you’re far away, you’ll hear the scream of the machine that makes us perk our heads up like a pack of wolves. They’re fast, they’re loud, they’re appealing to our eyes, and whether or not you’re into cars, there’s a lot of admiration for them shared by a lot of people. Sporty, Luxurious, Old, or Classic, we can’t help but glare eyes at them, and there’s so much to love about it: the performance, the machinery, and the technology. Car culture has been a developing social group that has expanded around the world, where many people share love for these vehicles. Across generations and races, people try to be a part of this culture and intimacy. Cars have always been

10 Page by Ty Nedungadi a primary topic when starting conversations. As many people share the same passion for cars, it helps connect people together and creates a community for people to be involved in. There are car shows, blogs, forums, and social media for people to communicate and share their passion. There are numerous different communities within this car culture that people are a part of and there’s so many different ways to bond with each other over cars.

As it turns out, Francis Howell Central has a car culture and community amongst it’s students. There’s many students at FHC who show passion for cars and this interest group is expanding. While it may not be a club here and while they are limited with the way they can gather at school, they all partake in events outside of school and congregate with people from different places.

Decker is a well-known car enthusiast around FHC, and shares a passion for cars with other students. He believes that their car culture brings people together to appreciate cars in general, whether or not they have different perspectives and opinions.

“Our culture is really the way that people enjoy cars together like whether you like Japanese cars or you like older American cars,” Decker said. “It’s really just about how you like to share that passion.”

The topic of cars is an effective and significant way to meet new people and get to know them. Decker believes it’s like a conversation starter, and it can bounce off of establishing the passion for cars. It’s a way to put yourself out there and it helps create a strong bond with someone.

“You can ask, ‘Oh what kind of cars do you like, or do you have a car,’ you know, stuff like that and that can kind of help you strike up a conversation with that person,” Decker said.

Decker strongly feels that the car community has made him more open after putting himself out there. At first, it was extremely nerve wracking for him to talk to other people and go to events alone and share his opinions.

“But you really just have to put yourself out there because you don’t know what’s gonna happen,” Decker said.

Decker believes that his willingness to learn and talk to others has impacted his feelings towards the car community both outside and inside FHC. As he’s put himself out there, he’s been able to spread his love for cars to other people and allow them to become more open with their feelings as well. This car community at FHC spreads around this way.

“I’m sure you might be extremely nervous that something’s going to go wrong when in reality you might be overthinking just a little bit,” Decker said. “And that you’re really going to find that most people in the car community are really nice

people and they’re willing to like teach you if you don’t know, you just have to be open and willing to learn.”

Creating conversations and friendships has allowed Decker to influence others into getting into cars. He feels as though he’s helped Bowman have a deeper liking in cars after talking to him. Bowman is also a very avid car enthusiast who has felt impacted by the car community at FHC. Through the culture, he’s made friends with people and opened up.

“I’ve met a bunch of new friends through the car community people that you know you would really never talk to outside of it you know people they don’t really know,” Bowman said

Like Decker, he feels that he really connected with new people through the car community at FHC, people that he would not likely talk to outside of it. Bowman believes that it’s a way that you can really get to know somebody and discover th

“And you come to find that a lot of the time, your impressions of people are wrong,” Bowman said. “You know, you start to assume things based on what people look like, what they do and you start talking to people and you find out that you know you’re completely wrong.”

Bowman agrees with Decker that the car community at FHC really helped him adapt to high school socially and act as a stress reliever. Bowman is a high achieving student who takes many AP classes and performs well, and the overloading of work builds up stress and frustration. He feels that going to the car community at FHC has helped him look for a way to escape the turmoil of school and make him happy.

“It has kind of made high school easier. It helps to have something that you’re really passionate about, that you can bond with other people with, because I know that, you know, I take a lot of really difficult classes, and sometimes that can be emotionally stressful,” Bowman said. “When you have something to fall back onto and something that really just makes you happy and just being around really good people.”

Zach Kofron tells that the community helped him decide what to do with his car and gave him advice about the best options and ways to modify. “It made a difference for me because I bought a Miata because of the car community at school,” Kofron said. A lot of people have been a big influence for modifying my car.”

Kofron has also used the community to make new friends and acquaintances and believes that the community really brings together people at events. FHC doesn’t host any car events where people could come together, so Kofron added that there could be a new Cars and Coffee event and add more people to this community.

“I wouldn’t mind our own small little Cars and Coffee event,” Kofron said. Like if we could have our own events and you know get more people involved in cars and one on.”

Kofron, Bowman and Decker all conclude that people shouldn’t be afraid to include themselves in the community ay FHC. Decker and Bowman believe that it can really expand people’s social horizons. In the long run, it is really good for people to be nervous, put oneself out there and be nervous about being involved because people don’t know what’s gonna happen, and they believe that it can be good for people. One might meet somebody who, who could be a really good friend who could be helpful.

Bowman believes that people are afraid to include themselves in the community because there’s lots of knowledge about cars

“Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and don’t be afraid to try to include yourself,” Bowman said. “It’s kind of scary that there’s a lot out there to learn and you feel like you might embarrass yourself, you feel like an outcast or you don’t know everything, but that’s not the case whatsoever.”

The car community is an expanding place at FHC for people to feel at home. The community is more than just talking about cars, it’s a place to establish connections to people and have fun. Cars aren’t meant for specific people, they’re made for mostly everyone to enjoy learning and talking about them. More and more people join the community, whether in FHC or outside of school, it’s only getting bigger each day. It’s just a matter of how someone puts themselves out there and chooses to become social. Decker concludes that this car community is friendly and willing to teach and include people in events and activities, and he believes that the community really helps people change their perspectives and be open.

“There’s absolutely always room for expansion. Now that doesn’t mean that everybody who wants to join is going to be informed about everything because there’s a lot of stuff you can learn,” Decker said. “There’s a lot of stuff you learn as you kind of involve yourself into cars and the car community. But as long as you’re open minded and you’re willing to learn, then it’s always open.”

MONITERING THE MECHANISMS: Zach Kofron (right) observes the engine and other parts and questions Adam Decker (left) PHOTO BY GRACIE KRUEP

TELLING THEIR TAILS : Adam Decker’s Subaru BRZ (top) and Hunter Bowman’s Acura RSX (bottom) is depicted in these pictures. They have dedicated instagrams to their cars. Follow @gunma.brz , @shizuoka276 and @ Redey1290 PHOTO COURTESY OF ADAM DECKER AND HUNTER BOWMAN

WORKING AROUND GLUTEN: A student in Mrs. Bethany Bear’s Foods class makes a pretzel for a class assignment. The dough contains the grains which contain gluten, the substance that those with Celiac disease have to avoid. According to FACS teacher Kathryn McGuire, students with celiac’s need accomodations to ensure they don’t eat gluten. “Sometimes they’ll bring in their own flower or their own ingredients, or the teacher could purchase gluten-free products,” Mrs. McGuire said. PHOTO BY ANIYA SPARROW

navigating celiac disease Alyssa Winkler’s struggle with the inabilty to eat gluten

By Rachel Vrazel Social Media Editor Alyssa Winkler is a typical high school junior — she wakes up and goes to school every day with her peers. She spends much of her time involved in extracurriculars such as marching band, National Honor Society and Spanish Honors Society. She goes to work and then comes home to do homework and study. She even volunteers at her local Salvation Army food kitchen to provide meals for those in need. But what many people might not know about Winkler is that, though she is passionate about providing food for those in need, she cannot eat many different foods.

This is because Winkler suffers from Celiac Disease, an immune disease in which gluten cannot be properly digested. According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, “When people with Celiac Disease eat gluten … their body mounts an immune response that attacks the small intestine. These attacks lead to damage on the villi, small fingerlike projections that line the small intestine, that promote nutrient absorption. When the villi get damaged, nutrients cannot be absorbed properly into the body.”

Because the illness is a severe allergy, its symptoms are not like the typical food allergy. According to FACS teacher Kathryn McGuire, unlike peanut, tree nut, or similar allergies, this gluten allergy will not result in as many outward reactions when gluten is ingested.

“[Their] body’s allergic to it and [they] eat it. However, most likely [they’re] not gonna go into anaphylaxis … [or have] hives, things of that nature. Most of the time they’re going to get sick in terms of throwing up, diarrhea, severe stomach cramping, they can break into sweats, that type of thing,” Mrs. McGuire said.

And these symptoms aren’t the only scary thing about Celiac disease. If left untreated, the damage to the small intestine due to Celiac disease can cause many more severe and long term problems. Luckily, it would take quite a long time for these symptoms to appear, and most people with Celiac disease have been treated before they can occur. However, the road to discovering that a person has celiac disease is not always an easy process. In fact, Winkler didn’t even discover she had the illness until March of 2017.

“My stomach hurt every time I ate, and I thought it was just stress… I was throwing up all the time and my parents thought that I was bulimic, but it was just because my stomach hurt all the time. I just thought it was normal and everyone else felt like that, too,” Winkler said.

However, her family recognized that what Winkler was feeling was not common, and helped to find and resolve the source of her pain. Winkler’s mother was very convinced that her severe stomach had to be connected to her daughter’s diet.

“We tried cutting out milk and dairy, and then we tried cutting out gluten and that’s what worked the best,” said Winkler.

After this discovery, it didn’t take long before they could officially call gluten the source of her pain. They visited some doctors and did some tests. Winkler was then redirected to visit a gastroenterologist, a doctor who specializes in the gastrointestinal tract where the small intestine is located.

“She put me on a full gluten diet for two weeks to see how severe it was, and it was horrible. [So] I went to the hospital to get a full biopsy of my small intestine to see how much of the villi were flat, and they said it was really severe,” Winkler said.

Once she finally knew, the course of action was clear — she had to cut gluten out of her diet completely. However, this doesn’t just include the typical food products containing flour that many people with gluten intolerances avoid. Because trace amounts of gluten can be found in many packaged and processed foods, finding foods that are safe to eat is often much more difficult for those with Celiac disease.

“People often think that if a package says ‘gluten free,’ they can just go ahead and pick that up. And that’s not necessarily true because … there’s percentages [of gluten] out there, so as long as the product has less than whatever the percentage is, they can say it’s gluten free.”

And while this does complicate the search for celiac-friendly food, it’s not the biggest challenge celiac’s poses. According to Winkler, the most difficult part is being separate from her peers.

“It makes me upset when people go out places together and like to eat and then I can’t because I can’t eat the same things they do,” Winkler said. “It’s just certain things like that just get me that shouldn’t get me, like not being like everyone else.” But even in the midst of all of the difficulties with her pain, being on a restrictive diet, and juggling the day to day complications of eating healthy and being a busy teen, Winkler has remained positive. “[If you have Celiac disease,] it’ll get better. It’s definitely not easy, but nothing’s really easy … It’ll get better over time and you’ll get more used to eating different food.”

By Grace Bahru Staff Reporter ROM-COMS my favorite: 1 “Crazy Rich Asians” does not only have the stunning Henry Golding and Constance Wu, but it also provides a storyline like none other. This movie tells the story of love and money and contains Asian culture which is rather rare or never displayed highly in any Hollywood films. The story is filled with ups and downs; betrayal and lust. If you are one of the few people who have yet to see this amazing movie, you’re missing out.

Inside Celiac Disease

Normal Villi Villi are finger-like projections that line the inside of the small intestine and absorb essential nutrients into the body. For a person with Celiac disease, eating gluten will cause the villi to become flattened, hindering the absorption of the nutrients and causing symptoms such as stomach cramps, vomitting, and diharrea.

Villi affected by Celiac Disease

2 4 5 3 Teenage love stories are seen best in “10 Things I Hate About You”. Even though the story line is far from the reality of most high school love stories, it still has an amazing plot and is filled with emotions. From laughter to annoyance, you get the chance to see how very different people can end up together. From the cool bad boy Patrick Verona to the stubborn Kat Statferd, we see a mix of people blending into one plot where they all have different goals they wish to accomplish. This is a movie that you can watch over and over again.

As kids, we always dream of growing up and making a life for ourselves. “13 Going On 30” gives viewers an idea of what growing up too fast can do to us, and it reminds us to not be in a rush out of our childhood and enjoy the time we have as kids and teens. This story also gives us the perspective of still believing in childish things while being adults. From innocence and purity to being a kick butt boss, Jenna is a stone cold woman. We see her 13 year old self appear in her 30 year old body. Jenna goes to find her middle school bestfriend and as they get to reconnect with each other, they fall in love and avoid the perfect childhood love story (but with a twist).

Ryan Renolds and Sandra Bullock are not new names to the movie industry, and neither is their ability to make their audience feel what they are conveying through the big screen. While Margaret is a cruel and unjust boss who makes her workers cower at her feet, she is forced to fake a proposal with her employee, Andrew, in order to not get deported back to Canada. With unlikely terms and circumstances, the two form a bond and a connection that no one saw coming. It’s a for sure watch and is highly likely to become one of your new favorite movies.

While Adam Sandler is widely known for his comedies and his lovable humor, he took a new direction when making “50 Firsts Dates”. With the iconic Drew Barymore, this movie plays a love story unlike many others. When a man meets and falls for a woman who can only remember things for one day, he’s gifted with the task of making her fall back in love with him every morning when she wakes up. Even though this sounds primarily like a sad romantic movie, the writers did a great job of putting a fun and light twist into the story. And because of the stories combination of undying but renewable love filled with light hearted and funny commentary this movie is a definite watch.