Making their move

Francis Howell Central High School

CENTRAL

FOCUS

VOLUME 20, ISSUE 5 MARCH 17, 2017

Making their move

Normandy transfer students approaching end of their senior year reflect on move to FHSD

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DEAR READERS,

STAFF

Print Executive Editor

On August 8, 2013 54 transfers from Normandy school district arrived at Emily Mann school, to much Print Executive Editor fanfare and media attention. Now, four years later, eight Normandy students approach the end of their high school career here at FHC. After all of the change, the raucous town hall meetings, the fear, and the new additions to their life, we tell their stories. In addition, we look deeper into the effects of the past four years on these students, and the district as a whole, seeing the difference it has made.

Emily Mann

Multimedia Executive Editor Elisa Swanson

Move Editor

Elizabeth Gerger

Feature Editor Skylar Laird

Voice Editor

Mackenzie Morris

Discover Editor Elaine Mallon

Entertain Editor Juliet Fuhrmann

Copy Editor

Lukas Mendel

Staff Reporters

Garrett Allen, Liz Baker, Abbie Bartell, Jessica Fults, Caleb Harmon, Whitney Klein, Bryce Lee, Reese McLaughlin, Conor Ruffin, Millenia Simmons, Hailey Stewart, Sydney Trendley, Veronica Zieman

ON THE COVER: Here we recognize the eight Normandy students who have remained at their adopted school, and how it has been for them over that period of time. We discuss with other students and teachers as well to reveal emotions concerning the time, the benefits of the transfer, and even the things we wish we could have changed. PHOTO BY BELEN HERRERA

THOUGHTS?

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The Central Focus staff will print the entirety of your letter, providing it meets the standards of publication laid out in the FHC Publications editorial policy, which is available in Room 139 or at www.fhctoday.com for your perusal.

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PUMPING IRON Why females should lift weights, and why it is not just a male activity. PHOTO BY GRACIE KRUEP

DeVos’ department ... 4-5

DeVos and her Effect on education, the district, and our school.

Far from home ... 6

Students going out-of-state for college share their concerns.

Sleepless students ... 7

Taking a look on how lack of sleep is affecting student success.

Reading rules ... 8

Books for people who are convinced they aren’t readers.

Who is with who? ... 9

Different groups of students amongst our school.

Behind a band ... 10-11

The benefits students experience from being in their own band.

DECA is not done ... 12

Austin McKinley, DECA competitor qualifies for nationals.

When it all began ... 14-15 DECA DETERMINATION Junior Austin McKinley tells his experience getting first place, automatically qualifying for nationals in California to compete. PHOTO BY BELEN HERRERA

The who, what, when, where, and why concerning the Normandy transfers.

Making the most of it ... 16-17 Skylr Smith tells how she used her opportunities to her advantage.

How it felt... 18-19

Mah’Riah Pruitt-Martin recalls how the happenings affected her.

GIRL POWER Veronica Zieman explains what feminism means and its purpose and intentions. PHOTO BY HALEY KARLAS

“It was” ... 20

Initial thoughts of students and teachers alike on the process and education.

Was it worth it?... 21

The reflection from the students, teachers, and district officials on the past four years.

Managers matter ... 22

Explaining the importance of team managers and the impact they have.

Girls can do it too ... 23

Reasons why boys should not be the only ones to lift.

Successful season... 24-25 Winter teams discuss success.

Feminism defined... 27

Veronica Zieman breaks down the meaning of feminism.

Smart shaming ... 28

Skylar Laird relays the importance of not shaming those who are smart.

Staff editorial ... 29 FAR FROM HOME Carli Buchanan will move to Oklahoma when she graduates to pursue a degree in meteorology. PHOTO BY ABBIE BARTELL

TEACHER TRIVIA Can you guess which teacher has done what? Take this quiz to find out interesting facts about our teachers.

MARCH 17, 2017

Learning to accept change, and understanding the importance of diversity is vital.

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The new American education School lobbyist Betsy DeVos confirmed as Secretary of Education DEVOS’ FUTURE The eleventh and current secretary of Education of the United States. PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

By Garrett Allen

Staff reporter In a stunning 50-50 vote on the Senate floor, Vice President Mike Pence broke the tie to confirm our new Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, on the 7th of February.

A Michigan-based billionaire, Republican megadonor, and charter school lobbyist, her new position at the Department of Education has been widely controversial, with pundits on both sides speculating on what new changes lie in the pipeline.

Along with the election of Republican Eric Greitens as the governor of Missouri, the new educational power, both state and national, currently stands to take our educational system in a new direction: toward business. The newly appointed Secretary’s lack of experience dealing with public schools, teachers, or administrators of any kind outside of lobbying has worried many, yet some hope to see the American education system

potentially benefit from competition in the free market.

Before her nomination by President Trump, DeVos was better known for her father, Richard DeVos Sr., who was the co-founder of marketing giant Amway, and is the 88th richest person in the world.

With the majority of her family. in large business ownerships or executive positions, DeVos has been able to use her family’s money to further her political goals.

As a lobbyist, DeVos donates money to political groups, most notably conservative think tanks, Christian advocacy groups, and Republican elected officials. Her vocal support and monetary contributions to the President during his campaign led to their meeting and subsequent partnership, and it is widely thought that her donation of over $160,000 (according to OpenSecrets) to

senators on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee contributed to securing her confirmation.

“She donated to a campaign and she was rewarded,” said AP Government teacher Mr. Nicholas Beckmann. “People look at this as

the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, and the School Superintendents Association, it was stated that DeVos “had used her considerable wealth to influence legislation and the outcomes of elections to advance policies that have undermined public education and proved harmful to many of our most vulnerable students.”

Her lack of experience in the educational field outside the private sector has proven to be a standing contention for skeptics.

“I think it is vital for those making decisions, in any arena, to have experience in it; that is why principals have to have at least three years in the classroom,” said Mrs. Laurie Fay, teacher of AP Language and Composition. “I had knee surgery and know many who havehad similar knee surgeries...that doesn’t qualify me to be a doctor.”

“It is vital for those making decisions, in any area, to have experience in it” - Mrs. Laurie Penuel (Fay) a lesser cabinet position, so it was really just one he [the President] would give to a supporter.”

Opposition to her nomination was fierce, especially by public school organizations and teacher unions. In a letter sent to the HELP committee on the Jan. 17 from 17 massive education groups including

Essentially, DeVos may know teachers and has contributed monetarily to the educational industry, but there remains a question as to whether or not that stands as qualification to be the educational leader of the nation.

There are three tenets to DeVosianism. Her support for these, being school choice, Christian education, and charter schools, will be the main educational topics of the next four years.

Beginning with school choice, a policy already taking place in many states or urban areas nationwide, what is essentially advocated is the ability of parents to withdraw from the public school their kids are already enrolled in based on where they live to another school of their choice - usually a higher quality one - or, as recent studies indicate, one more racially homogeneous.

It can make perfect sense to allow parents to give their children the best opportunity for education they possibly can school choice would allow for that degree of independence. Yet, In Michigan, school choice has led to the mass flight of mostly white students from their designated school districts, and the flight of their tax dollars with them. In the Holland School District, a newly implemented school choice policy led to the white population of the school dropping by over 60%, and similar stories across Detroit as well as Michigan have showed school choice to lessen diversity. The main opposition to school choice advocates for a system built on keeping all public schools viable and diverse; however, that policy has yet to come to full fruition.

Past the public eye, DeVos has pushed for in tandem with school choice is the implementation of Christian values in American education. In a 2001 interview obtained by Politico at a religious business conference called “The Gathering,” she and her husband explained how school choice could lead to the furthering of “God’s Kingdom.”

“School choice, they say, leads to ‘greater Kingdom gain.” The two also lament that public schools have ‘displaced’ the Church as the center of communities, and they cite school choice as a way to reverse that trend, Politico reported.

In past years, DeVos is known

to have devoted hundreds of thousands “Focus on the Family,” an organization that fights for legislation approving taxpayer dollars for Christian private schools, and a vocal supporter of gay conversion counseling.

In the same interview, she did voice sentiment for the use of Christian values in public schools, such as caring, compassion, and devotion to all kids. However, there remain reasons why religion doesn’t play a large part in America’s public schools.

city areas of Detroit, many public schools are failing. There are a multitude of benefits to having a private alternative to public education in areas with miserably low student success rates, and many parents have praised DeVos for “bankrolling” legislation to allow their proliferation.

The main question raised to charter school activists, however, is accountability. The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS) has strongly advocated that they, for the most part, are

“She’s there for one reason, and that’s to push her agenda. But her [lack of experience] just goes to show, this isn’t part of Trump’s America.”

- Mr Nicholas Beckmann As Mr. Beckmann said, “Religion should be an individual choice, and soon as you start making it part of the public education system, it’s no longer a choice. Our Founding Fathers agreed on that.”

Though the majority of students at FHC and in American public schools are Christian, the reason they don’t exclusively support it, according to principal Dr. Sonny Arnel, lies in creating a learning environment for kids of all backgrounds.

“We want to create a learning environment; I must make sure that this building provides that as the foundation,” he said. “If I have people that are against transgender students, then that’s not acceptable. If I have people who are against those of different nationalities or ethnic groups, then that’s unacceptable. And of course, if I have people who are against different religions, then that’s not acceptable. When students come into this building, they should feel free to be who they are.”

The schools who are allowed to have that capability, are of course private schools, and the central tenet of Sec. DeVos’ and Gov Greitens’ agendas - charter schools.

Charter schools, essentially, are for-profit schools run by a company. Michigan has one of the most relaxed regulatory systems for charter schools, as in the inner

accountable - in a 2014 report published to dissuade “myths” about charter schools, and is widely cited by activists and lawmakers nationwide.

However. In 2015, researchers at the University of Colorado National Education Policy Center analyzed the NAPCS report, and concluded that it was steeped in misleading and manipulating facts, relying on a “small and selective set of sources.”

What they found is that though there are many charter schools run with reputable and accountable boards of directors, many more are run by private education management organizations, otherwise known as educational corporations. Accountability, the researchers say, is run not by accredited community directors, but “corporate headquarters halfway across the country.”

When prompted by journalists and researchers for Freedom of Information Act requests, which for public schools are mandatory to send, on average only 20% of charter schools comply, and 70% don’t respond altogether.

As Mr Beckmann asked, “Are we going to measure charter schools the same way as public schools?”

Sec. DeVos was adamant during her confirmation hearing about not answering that question.

Charter schools don’t have to hold

themselves accountable.”

“Not all charter schools require teachers to be certified; they have more flexibility,” Mrs. Fay said. “I have had a few friends who taught in charter schools in St. Louis; they were friends who did not pass their certification test.”

This lack of accountability has led to the majority of charter schools in DeVos’ Michigan to continue performing largely in the lowest academic percentile.

Stephen Henderson of the Detroit Free Press wrote in December of 2016: “Just take Brightmoor [an area of Detroit]. The only high school left is Detroit Community Schools, a charter boasting more than a decade of abysmal test scores and, until recently, a superintendent who earned $130,000 a year despite a dearth of educational experience or credentials.”

“If you talk to people in Michigan who have experienced what it’s like to have a boom of the charter schools she pushed for, they will tell you that for the most part they failed miserably,” Mr. Beckmann said. The Henderson article was just one of many coming from Detroit and Michigan-based papers.

Despite this, DeVos has funneled millions into legislation pushing for charter schools. Between June and July of 2016, she was donating over $25,000 per day for seven weeks to lawmakers, according to Henderson. In St. Louis, Gov. Greitens will have “partners in the Missouri House; school choice and charter schools are one of the top priorities,” according to state speaker Todd Robinson.

We shouldn’t be worried, though, according to Dr. Arnel and Mr. Beckmann.

“Sometimes they make sense to promote learning in an area,” Dr. Arnel said. “However, I feel like we provide an incredible education here, so we don’t need charter schools in this area.”

“She’s there for one reason, and that’s to push her agenda,” Mr Beckmann added. “But [her lack of experience] just goes to show, this isn’t really part of Trump’s America.

Trump’s America is immigration reform, it’s cut taxes across the board, it’s build up our military.

Nowhere is education. He doesn’t really care about education, and that’s why he put the people he did in charge.”

- MORE INFORMATION Are the “myths” about charter schools really myths? - goo.gl/L7qeXy How can school choice lead to segregation? - goo.gl/F9HU8J Could Betsy DeVos make a great Secretary of Education? - goo.gl/iwpzPe

MARCH. 17, 2017

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“I’m really excited to start my career and try something new and when I visited, I fell in love.”

- Carli Buchanan College: University of Oklahoma Distance: 507 miles and seven-and-a- half hour drive Major: Meteorology

“I’m excited to get out and try something new and get out of my comfort zone.”

- Trent Diener

College: Florida Gulf Coast University Distance: 1,173 miles and 16-and-a-half hour drive Major: Business administration

New state of mind

Four seniors share their thoughts on attending an out-of-state college

By Abbie Bartell

Staff reporter All our lives, education has been guiding us along each year, stacking more knowledge, experience, and responsibility on top of one another starting at Kindergarten stretching all the way through our senior year of highschool. All of this leading up to one of our biggest academic milestones: college.

Many Seniors here at Francis Howell Central have decided to attend an out of state college, some as close as Illinois or as far away as Oregon. Each of them excited to begin their independent college life.

Senior Carli Buchanan, plans on attending the University of Oklahoma. Buchanan chose this college because it was the best school that focused on her major, Meteorology.

“I’m majoring in meteorology, there are very few schools in the US that have majors for that and Oklahoma was ranked number one in the country,” Buchanan said. Not only does her college specifically meet her needs for her major but it’s

one of the best in the world and offers even more benefits that can aid her future with meteorology.

“Just the fact they have a meteorology major and they are really good, and the National Weather Service is based on their campus so it will be really nice to get internships and jobs,” Buchanan Said, “That would probably be the biggest benefit just being with the national weather service and I’m just really excited to start my career,” Buchanan said.

The University of Oklahoma suited her major of Meteorology, other students decisions for college however don’t always have to do with their major.

Senior, Quentin Webert made his decision for a school based more on athletics. Virginia Wesleyan College is where Webert plans to attend and continue his educational and track career with the school.

“I’m very excited for the track program. I’ll be going there and throwing,” Webert said. “I’m very excited to compete with them .They also travel to other states and different places and supply all of

the goods and what not, so that will be very cool.”

While Webert’s school guides him down his athletic path, senior Emma Campbell has her academic needs met with her very prestigious school.

Campbell plans on attending Boston University, a highly-ranked school known for academics, something she looks forward to experiencing while at college.

“I’m really excited to be surrounded by people who care about school as much as I do and other people who are dedicated as much as I am,” Campbell said. “I specifically picked Boston because of the academics, I really like that area and I just want to get out of the suburbs.”

With Campbell’s academic aspirations being fulfilled, senior Trent Diener hopes of attending his dream college have become a reality. Diener plans on attending Florida Gulf Coast University simply because he just likes the school.

“It was just the school I liked and the one I visited the most and it just was very nice and that’s

PHOTOS BY ABBIE BARTELL

“I’m looking forward to the whole experience. I’m excited for college.

New and better things, I say.”

- Quentin Webert

“It’s exciting, because even though I love everyone here I feel like it’s time for a change.”

-Emma Campbell

College: Virginia Wesleyan Distance: 985 miles and fifteen-hour drive Major: Environmental science andeducation

College: Boston University Distance: 1,211 miles and 18-hour drive Major: Psychology

why I chose it.” Diener said. “I get to meet new people and it’s going to be fun to be in a new atmosphere and of course stuff just like the weather and new people. Just different kinds of things like that.”

Each of these seniors have their own unique reason for attending their college, but as a whole share similar ideas regarding the nuances from high school.

Being in an unfamiliar environment with new people is both exhilarating and frightening at the same time. Ambiguity of the new surroundings can often lead to intense nerves and an array of emotions, but all these seniors share a common factor. They all are going to a school where they will know nobody; however, all of them are excited about being able to get out and meet new people.

“I get to meet new people, so I’m not that nervous,” Diener said. “It actually feels pretty good not knowing the people or the area. I get to meet new people and it’s going to be fun to be in a new atmosphere and of course stuff just like the weather, people, just different kinds of things like that.”

While Diener has a more nonchalant approach to the new situation, Webert finds the nerves to definitely be present in the whole experience.

“It’s a little bit of a scary thought, but I don’t think I have trouble adjusting to places and finding new people to talk to because I talk all the time, so someone is bound to listen. I’m really excited to meet new people, and basically start over.” Webert said. “Nervous? Not exactly.

After I visited for the second time, I’m more

excited than anything, but there’s still some things, you know? Like, you’re 14 hours away from your family, so you’re kind of alone.”

With the greater distance between student and family, being home-sick is definitely a major concern for Buchanan and Campbell.

“At first definitely being kind of home sick and possibly getting adjusted to having to meet and make new friends because I kind of have known the same people my whole life, and I have lived in St.Louis all my life, so I don’t know if they do things differently down there and I don’t know anybody going there, but i’m really excited just to meet new people,”Buchanan said. Campbell shares some of her same feelings as well.

“I’m afraid I’m going to be home sick, but I am excited as well because even though I love everyone here, I just feel it’s time for a change and to meet new people and I’m really excited for that,” Campbell said.

So all though each of these seniors have completely different means of attending their college of choice, they can all agree that being able to meet new people will be a great opportunity.

College brings many new responsibilities and Senior Emma Campbell and Quentin Webert discuss how they think this is a golden opportunity to learn what living on your own is like and how it forces you to grow up faster.

“I think it will be hard being completely separated, from my mom especially, if I ever need something because I have seen my sister come home and get stuff and I know I won’t be able to do that,” Campbell Said. “Living completely on

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my own is going to be kind of hard, but I think it will help me figure out how to live on my own a lot faster just because I won’t have my mom and dad as a crutch...because I won’t be able to come home nearly as much.” said Campbell.

With the absence of family members, the students feel they are forced to adapt and make that personal change, needing to become more independent and more responsible.

Webert feels as if this is a necessity if you want to make it through college.

“I think it will kind of boost my individuality. It will help me become more of an independent person,” Webert said. “Just being on my own, I feel like will make me more responsible. I feel like I’m already a responsible person now but when you’re isolated, thats when you really start to realize, ‘It’s up to me. You’re out here doing this by yourself so you better get it done.’

You need to do everything you possibly can at 100 percent effort or you’re not going to make it.”

With college comes new responsibilities and newfound maturity and a independence most of us have yet to experience in our educational careers. Most people see college as the stepping stones to their future, creating a journey that will last with you for the rest of your life.

Webert shared, “I feel like I will have a better idea of who I am. I feel like college will definitely help me achieve the goals I want to in life, it’ll really help me be what I want to be, and help me along the way. I’m really excited. I’m really excited to meet new people, and basically start over.”

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8 The National Sleep Foundation recommends that teenagers receive between 8.5 hours and 9.25 hours each night.

DROP DEAD DROWSY: Sophomore Elizabeth Baker falls asleep while finishing homework. Many students understand the struggle of staying awake long enough to get through everything. PHOTO BY EMILY MANN

Too tired to function

Lack of sleep leaves students unable to perform in school

By Whitney Klein

Staff Reporter Every day, freshman Olivia Fong falls her way out of bed at 6:15 a.m. The drowsy teen is dropped off at school only to be dozing and daydreaming.

Fong, like many of today’s youth, has not been getting enough sleep due to things like stress, homework, and after school activities. This results in not being able to concentrate or understand what they’re supposed to be learning. These students are left moody and tired throughout the school day.

“Sleep is pretty important because I feel like if I don’t get enough sleep, I can’t function or concentrate,” Fong said.

Bella Davis, fellow freshman, thespian and friend of Fong, also has trouble with sleep. She has multiple after school rehearsals that contribute to the issue.

This lack of sleep causes her to not feel as up to participating in classes.

“If I don’t sleep, I’ll be in a really bad mood, and I won’t feel like learning or concentrating on anything,” Davis said.

Sophomore Sydney Love has multiple AP and honors classes with lots of work that leads to her not being able to sleep until later in the night.

“I definitely get a lot less sleep because I have classes with large work loads. I have to finish the homework after all of my after school stuff or it just won’t get done,” Love said.

Teenagers are supposed to have 8-10 hours of sleep, but most are only getting five or six. This is caused by many different things: early school start times, after school activities and jobs. This kind

of sleep deprivation has side effects: not being able to concentrate, messing with eating habits and acne.

Love said she only gets a small amount of sleep at night, but she knows that she should be getting more.

“A lot of sleep studies say that I should be getting nine or 10 hours of sleep, but that does not happen. If I get a good night’s sleep, it’s only about 6 hours,” Love said.

School nurse Christy Gerling notices many students coming into her office aren’t getting enough sleep. She recommends specific hour amounts.

“Sleep is very important. Teenagers should be getting at least 8-10 hours.

It helps with the immune system, memory, concentration, basically overall health,” Gerling said.

Research from the Sleep Foundation says, sleep is an essential in life like food or water. A good night’s sleep can help you maintain a healthy diet and manage the stress of being a teen (which everyone knows is a lot). Lack of sleep can limit your ability to learn, listen, concentrate, and solve problems.

It could even cause you to forget important things like names, numbers, and homework assignments. Sleep is necessary to consolidate a memory so that it can be recalled in the future.

Senior Theo Ingram said the lack of sleep made him feel out of it. He was not exactly moody, just mellow.

“It affects my performance to the point where there isn’t any. I’m basically like a very chill zombie. It affects my mood.

Nothing really makes me angry. I’m just

mellow and passive about things when I’m tired,” Ingram said.

Not getting enough sleep can also cause you to be more hungry. Since you aren’t getting energy from sleep, you have to get it somewhere else like donuts or a giant, sugary coffee.

Almost every adolescent will tell you they don’t fall asleep until 10, 11, or even midnight. Because of early school start times, this leaves the teenagers with only 6 or 7 hours of sleep.

According to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, young adults aren’t supposed to sleep until later in the night. It’s natural and normal for teenagers.

“After puberty, there is a biological shift in an adolescent’s internal clock of about two hours, meaning that a teenager who used to fall asleep at 9 p.m. will now not be able to fall asleep until 11 p.m.. It also means waking two hours later in the morning,” Nationwide Children’s Hospital said.

Teenagers biologically aren’t supposed be able to sleep until later in the night.

Early school start times cause students to lose hours of sleep that are vital for their health. Adults urge students to go to sleep earlier because they wake up so early, but they physically aren’t supposed to.

The lack of sleep affects students’ understanding and concentration in class and their overall performance throughout their day. Their assignments won’t have as much effort put into them, quizzes are nightmares, and tests are just out of the question. No amount of studying will help if there’s a lack of sleep.

42 42.5 percent of high schools in the United states start before 8 am, 10 percent start before 7:30 am, and 14.4 percent start at 8:30 am or later.

87 87 percent of U.S. high school students were getting less than recommended hours of sleep on school nights Source: The National Sleep Foundtaion & Centers for Disease Control

Finding their sound Creative students find a special way to express themselves through music

By Hunter Rodgers

Staff reporter Whether it be in their parents’ garage or at their little sister’s birthday party, teenagers have had a certain attraction to performing music for generations. This is most likely because, for many, finding a way to express one’s opinions or feelings can be burdensome and even terrifying, but to many, the creative process of writing and producing music serves as the ultimate outlet for self expression. Often times, when a person reaches a point of personal turmoil they have a harder time, not with what to say, but more so how to say it.

Words don’t always cut it when it comes to a person coping with their issues. When people begin to try to explain their feelings. Details and sentiment can often get lost in translation and therefor meaning is lost. This age old issue begs the corny, yet truthful, platitude, “Where words fail, music speaks.”

“The act of writing and creating music has a greater sense of passion that you don’t always get from everything else,” Bill Sanders said.

The reason music evokes so much emotion in the listener is not simply due to the lyrics, but more so the combination of all the factors. The tempo, the instruments being played, the voice inflection by the vocalist, all of these variables when combined allow the musician to perfectly encapsulate exactly what they’re trying to say rather than simply stating their message head on. This being said, lyrics do indeed play a major

SOUNDING OFF: Sophomore Bill Sanders, lead singer and guitarist of The Slow Boys, stands surrounded by guitars, during band practice. PHOTO BY HUNTER RODGERS

“The act of writing and creating music has a greater sense of passion that you don’t always get from everything else.”

- Bill Sanders, musician role in the song. Due to the fact that the lyrics most directly relay the message of the song to the listener.

More often than not the lyrics give a lot of insight into the musician’s mental and emotional state. This is the case for Sanders and his band, The Slow Boys. Best described as an Indie-Punk duo, Sanders and his fellow bandmate Jack Boly will typically bounce ideas off each other when it comes to what they are wanting from the song but when it comes to the lyrics it’s more of an individual project.

“We collaborate as far as the instrumentals go but the lyrics tend to be more personal so I’ll write those alone,” Sanders said.

For many young musicians sharing their music is a huge part of the creative process.

Often, Finding a bandmate who is open minded and willing to give constructive, yet honest, criticism can be difficult. However, when the

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right combination of personalities is achieved it allows the band to develop their sound in a manner that both musicians feel as if both their ideas are being heard and considered.

“Collaboration allows us to bounce ideas off each other and it’s good to have somebody who’s not afraid to to say ‘Yeah that kind of sucks,’” Sanders said.

In this age of technology it is easier than ever to share a song not only with bandmates but with people all around the world. Amateur musicians most commonly publish their projects on services such as SoundCloud or YouTube as a way to create a following of sorts or easily show their friends what they’ve been working on as well as receiving criticism.

Sure, playing a gig at a small local venue or at someone’s house is cool but with today’s technology, musicians are handed so many new, incredible opportunities.

“Being able to share my music on the Internet has affected me by making it easier to reach anyone I want with my music. For instance, I have friends in other countries who have heard our songs which would have never been possible without the Internet,” Sanders said.

No matter how technologically advanced the creative process becomes in the future one thing is certain, musics ability to help a person express themselves. The process proves, time and time again that it not only helps the musician but anybody who can relate to what the musician is going through.

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FRIENDLY GATHERING: Students gather in the hallways before school to talk. It’s common for students to be seen in cliques with friends and those in their activities. PHOTOS BY MILLENNIA SIMMONS

Creating cliques

Friendships and activities cause students to group up

By Millennia SImmons

Staff reporter Throughout the school day they are noticed by all, gathering in the cafeteria and in the middle of the hallways, same time, same place. Those students, sometimes with similar clothes or similar drinks in their hands, joke and socialize, occasionally making it hard for students to reach their destination, carefree of the late bell.

Cliques, or groups with shared interests, are just one of the many stereotypical terms students will hear about during high school. With numerous activities and hundreds of students in one building, students at FHC believe that they are prominent here as well.

Students who have been here since freshman year have different views on school cliques and how they affect the student body.

Senior Madilynn Van Dillen, for example, believes that cliques are present at FHC, even some within the large groups she is in such as cheer.

“I have a couple of cliques on my cheer team that are only about hanging with a certain group of people. DECA definitely has some cliques, you see the popular people always together ... I don’t think it’s as bad here as it is in some other schools,” Van Dillen said.

Van Dillen, however, also believes the cause of cliques are the friendships formed with groups prior to high school.

“I think it’s challenging at first coming from different schools. People who come from Bryan obviously are going to have a hard time or people coming from Hollenbeck or private schools and they have a harder time fitting in because most of these Saeger kids that come in already have their cliques made and they know who they like and who they don’t like. It’s hard to let in other people who you don’t know,” she said.

Senior Micah Skebo agrees with Van Dillen; being involved with football, track and DECA, he believes cliques have less to do with what makes people similar and more about spending so much time with these people.

“People are always going to think about any group [like that]. People on the football team are always going to be friends, are going to hang out with each other. People in DECA...it’s not really a cult or anything, it’s just who you spend time with so you kind of form those groups,” Skebo said.

Senior Trent Diener, someone who is involved in DECA and volleyball, finds being stereotyped as a clique to be judgemental; the thought of the clique itself is what makes people so stand-offish.

“Everything is going to be a clique. No matter what you do, you have to do it with those people and if you’re not involved you’re not ‘in,’” Deiner said, “Some people can be so called ‘scared’ to get into the [group] at first because they think it’s cliquish, but once you get in, it’s pretty easy because every club and activity wants new members.”

Senior Taylor Fumagalli, being highly involved in clubs like DECA, Sensations and Student Council, understands where the clique assumptions come from.

“I see it because everyone says the dance team’s a cult. It makes sense because we’re always together, wear the same stuff sometimes, but mostly we’re not [a clique] because we are all individuals...I have a lot of different groups,” Fumagalli said.

Although cliques sometimes cannot be helped, it sometimes makes it hard for the occasional student to meet new people. Take some new Spartans for example, senior Ciara Bell started last semester and agrees cliques are very prominent at this school compared to her previous one with only a class of about 80.

“The school is huge, there are so many people at this school,” Bell said. “ [They’re] more in groups, it’s hard to become friends with people because they are already in these big groups and have known each other for like 10 years.”

However, she’s not the only one. On Feb. 22, students from Parkway North High School shadowed fellow Spartans for Gateway to Change. Sophomore Kaylyn Mckoy noticed cliques to be present here, slightly more than at

her school, which is just as big.

“Because I’m shadowing someone I really only met the people they talk to and since it’s all small, combined groups, I only met a few. I feel like it’s more cliquey than my school,” Mckoy said.

She and Bell both agree that for newbies making friends here doesn’t seem easy, and with cliques it hinders students from experiencing different people.

“It’s hard to make friends, there are cliques that don’t like each other, it’s hard to be friends with someone that your friends hate,” Bell said.

“It limits people from having access to different people and different experiences,” Mckoy said.

Junior Leslie Dethrow, however, doesn’t think having groups at school is a bad thing. After being here for only a month, he believes a clique is just a group one can always go to when trying to branch out.

“People here are more open, they are able to show me other [students] that are good to be friends with [and] you can always have a group of friends you can trust,” Dethrow said.

With all all these supposed cliques, student believe the best way to meet new people is to get involved.

Junior Dianni Guerra for example is president of Anime Club and has only been present for a semester. She believes the best way to find friends is to get involved, even if you’re not the “social type” like herself.

“If I wasn’t social I think it would be hard to meet people because some people won’t give you the time of day, and if they don’t know you they won’t talk to you,” Crowe said.

Senior Cole Kenney believes when you get involved you getting benefits of not only meeting new people but a place free of judgements of your interests.

“It’s more of a place, a haven in a way, for people with similar interests. When you’re getting involved with other clubs you’re finding a common interest, not just as a specific thing, you’re still meeting new people as you go,” Kenney said.

Top

10 Books

The following books are not necessarily the books you will be assigned in the classroom, but they have great plotlines that excite the reader from cover to cover.

1. “Catcher in the Rye” - J.D. Salinger

This classic is not just relevant to your parent’s generation. While the jury is still out about Holden Caulfield, this novel relates to all levels of teenage angst and alienation.

2. “And Then There Were None” Agatha Christie

This book is read best when the killer’s name has been blacked out requiring you to read the entire book and guess who could possibly kill an entire island of people.

3. “13 Reasons Why” - Jay Asher

This book soon-to-be Netflix show is a heart-wrencher. It reflects the impact of you and your actions on other’s lives. This book is more about life than ending it.

4. “Harry Potter” (the entire series) J.K. Rowling Whether you have watched the movies or you haven’t, this series gets the people who love love stories, love adventure, or just love a good story. J.K. Rowling has a character for every person and dives readers into a magical escape.

5. “Nil” - Lynne Matson

This love story is set in paradise, but it does have an island, which I assume makes it better. Read the struggle of survival and the ultimate yolo-s in this book about learning to life with an uncertain tomorrow and taking the future into your own hands.

6. “Eleanor and Park” - Rainbow Rowell

This is another classic that was a Gateway nominee a few years ago. It tells what seems like a “typical” high school relationship on the surface and really the connectedness of a strong friendship that overcomes tough family lives, awkward teenage lives, and just life in general.

7. “Paper Towns” - John Green

Anything John Green is a good place to start, but this story has the perfect quirks. There’s crazy Margo who gets fixated on paper towns, towns that don’t show up on any map and Quentin who’s been in love with the idea of the girl next door, a love any teenager with a crush understands.

Turning on the reading light Reading is more than just a nerdy pastime

By Elisa Swanson

Web executive editor English is the only core class that requires four credits to graduate; that being said, it does not mean it is a favorite among students. One of the most basic skills taught in English is reading. English teacher Tonisha LaMartina understands the struggle of getting students to realize the appeals of reading in and outside the classroom.

“Reading improves vocabulary, reduces stress, and helps with concentration,” Mrs. LaMartina said. “It is important for adults to model reading and share their experiences with reading. Then allowing time for students to read and talk about it. If we read all the time, it would be the norm instead of being ‘uncool.’”

For Mrs. LaMartina, as an English major, she was required to read each genre from science fiction to romance and this vast book knowledge has revealed gems in every corner of the library.

“I can find merit in any book I read, and every book offers something different. I like many books for different reasons,” Mrs. LaMartina said. “Every book has wisdom to bestow on their reader, and as the reader, it is our job to open our minds to that wisdom.”

Someone who helps students find their niche in the book world is Library Specialist Andrea Head.

She sees a vast number of students every day, and each student’s book preference is just as unique as the person themselves.

“If you think you dislike reading, you haven’t found the right book yet. Everyone has a genre they prefer. If I only tried reading science fiction books, I probably wouldn’t read either,” Head said. “I couldn’t

recommend one particular book because what I like might be very different than what [the student might] like. I would first ask them what kind of movie they like to watch then recommend a book that meets that genre.”

Reading can be entertaining for all ages. For senior Faith Hiles, reading is an escape from the real world.

“I think I love how I can escape into a book. I love feeling like I am a part of the story and I can have so many adventures through an author’s mind without leaving my comfy reading chair,” Hiles said.

As a senior mentor for English success classes, Hiles spends her sixth hour in an English classroom. She finds one of the struggles in English as a student and a mentor is assigned reading.

“Personally, I hate school reading. To me, reading is a personal time to relax and dive into a topic I enjoy.

I don’t like being forced to read a certain thing by a certain due date,” Hiles said.

Reading, like any other hobby, requires an open mind and even then, is not for everyone. It can be the perfect thing to do while curled up in a coffee shop or something to do while enjoying nature in a hammock.

“Most people who don’t like reading are people who have been forced to read something that they don’t want to. I would suggest that they go to a bookstore and find a book that interests them. Go somewhere you would think is an ideal place to read.

Give it a shot, you may fall in love. If not, reading isn’t for everyone,” Hiles said. “I wouldn’t recommend anything specific because it should be something that interests the person.”

8. “ Don’t Look Back” -Jennifer Armentrout

This thriller is about a girl who had everything: the rich family, the hot boyfriend, the surplus of friends, and all of it shatters when she wakes up and forgets everything that’s happened and her best friend is gone... or dead.

9. “Life as we knew it” - Susan Beth Pfeffer

This book is the kind that can be read over and over again and the tattered copy of it just doesn’t get old. The world may be ending, literally people are running out of food, but really it’s the end of world that is familiar and the rebuilding of life and its new wonders.

10. “All the Bright Places” -Jennifer Niven This book is another soon-to-be blockbuster and on the topic of suicide, but this book’s realism is admirable and it has an optimistic edge to it.

March 17, 2017

11

12

feature

California bound

Leadership skills land McKinley a spot in DECA nationals

By Jessica Fults

Staff reporter Everyone has to write essays in their high school career, and how they write it puts their grade on the line. In DECA, an essay consisting of 250 words or less could give you a trip with a one of a kind experience. The trip, to compete in California for nationals, compelled junior Austin McKinley to enter an essay about leadership and what it meant to him. He awaited his destiny while the judges read through the essays.

Although it’s McKinley’s first time in DECA this year, he was awarded first place in the leadership delegate. It wasn’t an easy task, and he was ecstatic when he found out. “[My biggest accomplishment so far is] definitely the leadership delegate. I took first in that, that was insane. I mean first of all you have to be picked out of our school, and second you get picked out of 10 people in our district. It’s just awesome,” said McKinley.

While McKinley isn’t sure about everything that will take place in California, he explains what he’s heard, and what he’s excited for.

“I know we go [to California for around] a week.

Apparently we have a few days where students get to pick what to do like go to the beach or Disneyland, which is super cool, and then from there we go to the competition to compete in nationals.”

For newcomers who might be curious about what DECA entails, McKinley describes the atmosphere.

“DECA is a marketing-based activity, you have to like marketing to be in it. We focus on competing in role plays and we go on field trips, it’s a family type of experience,” he said McKinley's interest in DECA peaked when he learned that field trips were a part of the experience.

“I just heard about how fun the field trips were [that] I missed from elementary school and middle school, and [once I joined DECA I found out] the field trips are really fun,” said McKinley.

The field trips vary, depending on what the group is doing that day. Aside from the role plays, there are other fun activities to engage in.

“The field trips [are my favorite part of DECA]. I’ve only been on two so far, the first one was, to be honest, a little stressful, but the second one we went to a mall and we competed, and I got first in the leadership roleplay, and that was really cool. And we also got to walk around, shop and eat food.”

McKinley recalled when his brother was in

VICTORY. Austin McKinley, junior, awaits his trip to nationals. It’s the event he’s most excited for this year in DECA, “[My favorite event coming up is] definitely going to California. It’s going to be awesome.” PHOTO BY BELEN HERRERA

DECA, and laughed about his infamous nickname that was given to him by the head of DECA. “My brother went here and was in [DECA] but he didn’t actually compete, and I found out Steve Cross, the head of the group, called him the DECA chicken because he didn’t go to the competitions,” McKinley said.

During his first year in DECA, he’s grown close to the seniors, including Micah Skebo and Trent Diener.

Skebo, who has been in DECA for two years, mentions how big of a deal it is for McKinley to accomplish something so prominent.

“At first I was really happy for him because I didn’t realize how much it actually meant, but then when I found out that he would be going

“Honestly I just want to have fun and be a positive guy, and I want to lead some way or another, an​d make a positive impact in people’s lives.” junior Austin McKinley

straight to nationals I was really excited for him and I made sure to congratulate him because it’s a really big deal, it’s an opportunity not a lot of people get,” Skebo said.

Diener was really excited for McKinley because he’s been training him from his past experience in DECA. “[I’ve been on DECA] for two years, I’ve been training my whole life though. I was extremely happy for him because I have been training him for years. I’ve known him since he was a freshman,” Diener said.

Aside from participating in DECA, McKinley used to play football.

“He’s really nice, cool, fun to be around, confident, just a good guy to be around. I’ve known him since my sophomore year because he played on the football team, and I was friends with his older brother, so I’ve known him for a while,” Skebo said.

McKinley wants to bring his quality as a natural leader into his future outside of high school, and apply his skills from DECA into his future career.

“Honestly I just want to have fun and be a positive guy, and I want to lead some way or another, and make a positive impact in people’s lives,” he said.

2016-17 YEARBOOK ORDER FORM

BUY IT! The 2016-17 yearbook will be FHC’s 20th. Celebrate our school’s 20th anniversary by giving us some information and $50 and you’ll have your name put down for one copy of FHC’s award-winning yearbook, the Odyssey.

What we need from you (please write clearly): Your name:____________________________ Year in school:_________________________ Cash or check:_________________________ Date:______________ (ALL CHECKS MUST BE MADE OUT TO FHC PUBLICATIONS)

If you prefer to use a credit card, you can do so at this registration or at this address: www.jostensyearbook.com Once you are there, type in Francis Howell Central and follow the directions IMPORTANT DEADLINES: $50 price: from the start of school until Dec. 25, 2016 $65 price: from Jan. 1 until end of school year $75 price: at pick-up, no extra copies guaranteed

RECEIPT

Thanks for ordering your copy of the 2016-17 Odyssey.

Books will be available at registration in the summer of 2017 (typically, late July). If you have questions, please contact Matthew Schott at matthew.schott@fhsdschools.org Order date:_______________

Staff signature

Amount paid:_____________

__________________

Dates to know FHC Publications has partnered with Club’s Choice to give students a chance to earn a free yearbook.

Sell 15 tubs of cookie dough and you’ll earn a copy of the 2016-17 Odyssey for free! Get order forms at schedule pickup Collect all money and checks (made out to FHC Publications) at the time of order.

Money is due when you submit order forms.

IMPORTANT DATES:

Order forms submitted to Rm. 139 by: Monday, Aug. 22 Cookie pick-up: Tuesday, Sept. 20 in school cafeteria (2:30-5p) All orders MUST be picked up, as FHC Publications has no way to store your cookie dough if it is not picked up Questions?

Ask Mr. Schott at matthew.schott@ fhsdschools.org

Show us your skills!

ReplayIt is an app from our yearbook publisher, Jostens, which allows amazing student photographers like you the chance to share photos you take from the events and classes you attend so we can use them in FHC Publications!

Just download the app from the Apple App Store or Android App Store and find our school in there. Upload your photos and the app does the rest!

APPLE APP

ANDROID APP

in focus

14

REAL TALK Senior Clarion Brown has a discussion concerning school, and ways to improve. Brown came her to get a better education, similar to other transfer students. PHOTO BY ZACHARY JONES

Standarized statistics

A look at average ACT scores, number of students who took ACT in the district since transfers began 2012-the year before the Normandy students transferred to the school district 2013-the year the Normandy students transferred 2016-this year’s statistics

22.8

2012

22.7

2013

average ACT score

Source: District overall data dashboard, Francis Howell School District website

75% percent of students took the ACT

average ACT score

21.9

77% percent of students took the ACT

average ACT score

2016

94% percent of students took the ACT

Transferred outrage Concerns disproved and truths revealed about Normandy transfers

By Liz Baker Staff reporter

I

n July 2013, parents of the FHSD were allowed in a town hall meeting to voice their concerns and problems with Normandy transfer students coming to school here.

Many expressed a concern for test scores, violent behavior, and drugs becoming a problem in “their” school district when the students arrived. Despite this, Normandy students were able to transfer because the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that students of unaccredited districts were allowed to transfer to other districts.

Unaccredited districts, according to District Board President Mark Lafata, are those who have failed to meet six performance requirements set by Missouri.

These requirements are things such as assessments, end-of-course exams, ACT scores, advanced placement scores, college readiness, attendance rates, graduation rates, as well as other benchmarks the state has set, there are 14 in total. This standing isn’t permanent and the state can change it when the school has been reevaluated and meets the requirements.

More outrage came from FHSD parents in August 2014, when Judge Michael Burton ruled in favor of Normandy parents who were suing the state for making Normandy a “state oversight” district. Being a “state oversight” would mean that the students who had transferred into other districts (including Francis Howell District) when Normandy was

unaccredited in the previous school year, would no longer have the tuition in their transfer school paid for by their first district.

Mr. Lafata elaborated on why the parents were so concerned.

“I don’t know much about Normandy, however our community is heavily invested in our district and that’s what it takes to maintain a high achieving school district.” Mr. Lafata said.

He also commented on how the ruling allowed little time to adjust for the students entering the district.

“I think the initial preparation time did not allow us to roll out some district wide initiatives, however, I believe the students that came wanted to learn and there was no disruption to learning. I believe our administrators and staff did a wonderful job transitioning these students to a better educational program.” Mr. Lafata said.

Judge Burton’s ruling said that children named in the suit must be admitted into the transfer schools. FHSD was the only district to make it difficult, they required a court order for the students to be readmitted. The judge made a more widespread rule in Feb. 2015 that didn’t allow FHSD to continue this policy, the ruling didn’t allow districts to reject transfer students and the students original districts must pay their tuition.

Despite opposition, the students were allowed to return to school in the FHSD throughout the year after Burton’s ruling in August. Many started here, but as of March 2016 only eight have been here since freshman year. Senior Lynny Swain is one of these transfer students, his mom put him in the transfer program to get Swain away from the city schools. “(When I went to Normandy Schools) they weren’t good, they were bad schools. The teachers didn’t teach,” Swain said. “So my mom signed me up (for the transfer program), she didn’t want me in city schools anymore.”

Swain was one of the many students named in the lawsuit above. He shared the length of the process to get back into school in the FHSD and when he felt it was the right place

march 17, 2017

for him. “(Transferring) didn’t take that long, it wasn’t a long process, it took maybe two months,” Swain said. “(I felt I belonged) when the teachers actually taught me something. I regret not paying attention in my freshman year.”

While parents in Normandy were pushing for their kids to receive better education, the FHSD parents were arguing back about their students’ schooling being disrupted with drugs or violence from transfer students. During the aforementioned town hall meeting, Mr. Lafata was present and took note of the tone in the room. “ [The tone was] fear. I think parents were just really concerned what effect that would have on their child’s education.” Mr. Lafata said.“The common theme I heard that night the parents were concerned about the safety of their kids. A newspaper story was done on the Normandy High School and the Headlines read: ‘Normandy High school the most dangerous school in the area.’ I believe they were concerned about the safety and how was that going to impact our school district.”

The parents weren’t alone in fearing what was to come Mr. Lafata had his concerns as well.

“This is a state issue not a Francis Howell School District Issue. They transferred the responsibility to us. The state of Missouri needs to work with these inner city schools and provide incentives to the teachers and administrators to begin the process of reform.

Passing the buck to a successful school district is not the answer,” Mr. Lafata said.

Even though many people opposed the transfers (including those in positions of power), state rulings required school districts to accept students from the unaccredited districts and since the lawsuit from the transfer parents, the students have been generally accepted as a part the FHSD community.

As part of the community the students have received the same education as any other FHSD student.

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16

in focus

New beginnings Skylr Smith was one of the many to transfer from Normandy four years ago, and she took advantage of the opportunity

By Kenzie Morris Voice editor

L

ifelong friends, a school near her house, a life she knew.

Those are just a few of the things Skylr Smith left behind when she took the step to transferring to Francis Howell Central her freshman year. She is now a senior, applying to colleges, just a few months away from graduation, and going through all of the struggles many students this age go through, but she had one struggle not many students had to experience: a community against her education.

When Normandy lost it’s accreditation in 2013, nearly 475 students of all ages from the district were bused to the Francis Howell School District despite facing objection by many affiliates of the district: student, parent, and teacher alike. Smith is one of eight seniors who remain after the controversial move, and she made the most of her time here as much as any other student in the district.

“At first, I really didn’t want to go because all of my friends, I grew up with them, but at the same time, I have to think about my future and what was best for me,” Smith said.

There was no doubt the decision to move was a hard one, and there is a stark contrast in the social environment between the two schools.

“At Normandy, it was more like a fashion show than education.

There were some kids who were into their education, but you could see that appearance and popularity was a big factor. When I came to Francis Howell Central, it was more quiet. I heard drama only now and then, but not as major as Normandy,” Smith said, “Normandy trained me who I am as a person. When I came here, I used to dress up everyday to avoid being talked about, but this has been the longest I haven’t been wearing makeup and I feel like I won’t get judged for that. At Normandy, I feel like I had to worry about my appearance so much versus here.”

This contrast among the school’s and their atmospheres has set the foundation for Smith to focus more efficiently in school. Both in and out of the classroom, Smith states that order and tranquility was a rarity in the Normandy school district, and this affected the

environment in which the students learned.

“The classrooms [in Normandy] aren’t quiet. There was always something going on. Either the teacher was yelling, the students were doing something to be funny. It just wasn’t a peaceful atmosphere. Some teachers, they had that control, but there were some other teachers that were stressed or and didn’t know how to handle the students,” Smith said. “ Normandy to me was more of a loud environment, and here it’s pretty quiet.”

The environment, though a big factor, is not the only difference amidst the Francis Howell and Normandy districts. How Smith went about her day during her time at Normandy seems foreign to those who have spent their whole lives in the Francis Howell district.

“When we first get [to Normandy], we have to go through a metal detector to make sure we didn’t bring any weapons or anything and then we go to the cafeteria, and the cafeteria is just naturally loud in the morning. Sometimes there’d be a fight in the morning, but it’s not that common,” Smith said.

Learning to adjust and adapt to the environment discrepancies amongst the schools has created problematic and difficult situations for Smith and her fellow transfer students “My freshman year, it was kind of hard because I’m coming from middle school from a district that’s known for not being academically well so when I came here, especially in math and stuff, I was struggling for a long time, but luckily my teacher was trying to help me. I was kind of struggling with the studying aspect, with the homework aspect, and basically trying to catch myself up.

I wasn’t where I was supposed to be,” Smith said.

Smith has seen her educational background reflecting in her ACT and SAT, and it has caused her to have to do a lot of relearning to get herself ready to apply to college and scholarships. Academics were not the only thing that came as a difficulty. Smith has seen the darker side of some people as she was incorporated into FHC. She noticed differences amongst people’s viewpoints, emotions, and their overall treatment of people.

“You get to see a lot of true colors, especially in AP classes, especially in AP Gov. during the debates. Like ‘Wow, I see how you feel about minorities.’ A lot of people take off that filter when it comes to debate,” Smith said.

Smith’s close friend, Krysten Vaughn understands how her transition affected her in that she was seeing a different side of things than she had grown up with, and for Smith it was a bit of a culture shock.

“She talked about how she liked being able to see both sides of things, go to a completely different school, be in a school in a predominately white versus a predominately black and to see the difference,” Vaughn said.

Transferring to a community with new beliefs after living in one

SMILE: Senior Skylar Smih smiles while working for her goals in environmental sciences. She is taking advantage of many opportunities offered by Francis Howell School Distrct. PHOTO

BY RACHEL HARVEY

place all her life was no easy feat, but Smith made the most ofher time here. Vaughn claims her favorite of Smith’s qualities is that she is outgoing, ambitious, and personable, and her extracurricular activities exhibit that well.

As a member of Arete, Youth in Government, FBLA, Gateway to Change, and community service outside of school, Smith has had many opportunities she may not have had in the Normandy district.

This past November, Smith acted as House Rules Committee Chair at Missouri’s Youth and Government Convention and was offered to job shadow Kurt Bahr. Unfortunately, she had to turn down the chance due to lack of transportation. This position, along with her position as a Student Leader of Gateway to Change, illustrate just how Smith is making her mark on our community. Smith’s teacher, Ashley Eiswirth, has worked with Smith closely in Gateway to Change.

“In addition to having her for success mentoring, we have also had a chance to work with her with gateway to change. She is our student leader for gateway to change, and she’s been very involved with that. I would say she’s very committed to anything she is being an activist for. She wants to bring about change in her community,” Mrs. Eiswirth said, “She is responsible, she is a motivator, and she is definitely a leader.”

Smith has embraced this school and put her all into these clubs,

March 17, 2017

driven by her desire to help others, but also to set herself up for a successful future.

“I made myself involved because you know college applications, you have to make yourself seem like a great candidate,” Smith said.

She hopes to attend a historically black university to embrace her culture. “I want a good education because the career path I want to go in it’s more of a challenge if you come from a background that isn’t educating you the best. I want to go into politics and in order to do that, you need to go to a good college, you need to go to law school and things like that, and I knew if I stayed at Normandy some colleges would never have even accepted me because of the status my school was in.”

Smith focused on her education and resume building during her time here, but she has also involved herself in the social environment by building friendships.

“About two years ago, my freshman year we did chorus together and we were in the same section, we were both sopranos. From there, we just became friends,” Vaughn said.

Vaughn and Smith have been friends since, and Smith, being a year older, has aided Vaughn in her classes and prepared her by helping her look for colleges for their similar career endeavors.

We asked Vaughn to describe her friend in one word.

“I’d say ‘fantastic.’ She pretty much has it all together.”

17

18

in focus

Seeking growth Junior Mah’Riah Pruitt-Martin explains her experience transferring from Normandy into Francis Howell school district and how it has affected her as a person

By Emily Mann

Print executive editor

I

t is four-thirty in the morning, the alarm is going off, as junior Mah’Riah PruittMartin realizes it is time to get ready for school. As she sleepily drags herself from her bed, and goes about preparing for her 18-hour day, she reminds herself of what she has to do.

She goes through the list:

Bus 6:01, ride bus for 30 minutes, school 7:20-2:20, volleyball 10:00-11:00, drive for 30 minutes, home at 11:30, go to sleep 11:304:30. She repeats this cycle of long hours and exhaustion, though others would have given up, due to her drive for a better education.

“Here I am more challenged [than I was at Normandy] there are more people around me that I feel like actually want to go to college and get further in life,” Pruitt-Martin said. “At Normandy, yeah, we were going to high school, but like it was all just a game.”

Though Pruitt-Martin’s education was the first and foremost priority for her, the constant transfer back and forth between districts did have its faults, that sometime times took a toll on her.

“No [I don’t regret coming here] I am happy here, I just wish I did not transfer back and forth between the schools because I just wanted to be set in high school I didn’t want to worry about oh ‘I have to move again’ or oh ‘I have to try to fit in again’ or explain why I transferred back to another school,” PruittMartin said. “[Or] ‘okay I made friends but now I have to leave again, and I may not ever

see you again.’”

Friendships back in St. Louis were important to Pruitt-Martin; however, the academic opportunities she was missing at Normandy were too much to overlook.

“The social part [at Normandy] was cool and everyone was nice to each other and the group that I hung around with we actually learned in school and we had good grades and stuff,” Pruitt-Martin said. “I felt like I wasn’t challenged [at Normandy] and it was so unorganized, it was everywhere. In classrooms, there would be kids that couldn’t focus and the teachers would just focus on them the whole hour instead of actually teaching us and removing them from the class … it was just everywhere.”

This sporadic and chaotic environment that was produced within the Normandy High School, was similarly mimicked in her life outside of the school throughout the entire transfer process.

“My mom sacrifices a lot for me and I know that she was literally in the car on her lunch break at work trying to figure out which schools I would go to because she didn’t want me transitioning back and forth between Francis Howell and Normandy, so I was trying to keep her in check and keep me from getting super stressed out and keep me from getting too far into it and just stay level headed.”

Finally, Pruitt-Martin was able to move out to St. Charles, which one might assume would alleviate the stress and complications but this was unfortunately not the case for Pruitt-Martin as the switch from Normandy to Francis Howell brought along a lot of vigourous academic differences, that she was not used to handling. “[My biggest challenge was] accepting the academic challenges I have like here the teachers pushes you to do your work and be better like at Normandy they just gave you the work and said do it and this is when it is due turn-it-in like here they give you the

work and they actually like teach you and I like that,” Pruitt-Martin said.

Despite these hindrances of academic barrier she had to hurdle over, Pruitt-Martin never stopped trying. Her drive and longing to improve was evident to those around her, which was admirable to say the least, according to Mrs. Roxanne Fetch.

“I would describe her as a go getter. She always wanted to make sure she had the right answers in math and worked hard until she did. She was passionate about volleyball and worked hard to accomplish making the team,” Mrs. Fetsch said.

Though one would hope that previously mentioned challenges would be all PruittMartin had faced, this was far from the truth.

Past losing friends, moving far from home, and adapting to the academic differences FHC had to offer, Pruitt-Martin further struggled accepting her newfound issue: becoming a minority.

“There is a low percent of African Americans here, obviously, and that has taught me to be myself and not make it a big deal that I am a black person in a predominately white space.

To no surprise, Pruitt-martin’s resilience and determination prevailed yet again as she is “used to it now, I am who I am, and I’m good.” As Her personality was a large factor in her ability to overcome the social difference, she also attributes much credit to those around her.

“I surround myself with people I want to become or people I am around with positive energy not drama, not people who don’t have good grades in school and not on the right track and i try to surround myself with good people.”

Pruitt-Martin’s mother, Nedra Martin, relieved her daughter was presented with this opportunity to surround herself with positive influences there to help guide and further build Pruitt-Martin’s character. The transition was one Martin had long hoped for, and was pleased to say the least when

FOCUS FURTHER Junior Mahria Puritt-Martin works diligently on her Spanish assignment. “Coming back [to FHC] people were excited to see me [back]. The first time I came here, people helped me out and showed me around. It was cool it wasn’t anything bad ,” Pruitt-Martin said. PHOTO BY ZACHARY JONES

they were finally able to make the move.

“When Normandy lost it’s accreditation, I knew it was time ... It was a smooth transition that was long overdue ... I knew eventually we would move,” Martin said.

For the duration of the years PruittMartin spent transferring, adapting, and learning, she recognizes the one piece of her puzzle that was missing.

The understanding from those around her, that in some instances was lacking. “[I wish people knew] not every kid that transfers from normandy is a bad kid. Not every kid that transfers from Normandy doesn’t want to learn. I want to learn. I want to go somewhere in my life, you can’t put everyone in a box. Everybody is different so that just irritated me how they just put everybody in a box,” Pruitt-Martin said.

Everything taken into consideration, Martin

still believed the move would bring about the best for her child, as this was her intent throughout the entire process: provide a better opportunity for her daughter. That opportunity, she found, was FHC.

2005,” Martin said. “My hope is for Mah’RIa to receive the education and resources she needs to graduate and go on to college.”

This hope for her daughter to receive new beginnings, and find open doors did end up happening to Martin’s delight. The entire experience has been humbling, and overall positive for Pruitt-Martin, as “growth” is the one word she used to describe her years here.

“In this case change is a very very very good thing. I think about it sometimes if I would have stayed at normandy I would not have had any idea what I would be doing with my life. I probably wouldn’t be playing volleyball anymore, I probably would be slacking and hanging out with the wrong people and getting into the wrong things,” Pruitt-Martin said. “Here I’ve changed, I’ve evolved as a person and I know who I am, I know what I wanna do with my life.”

“In this case change is a very very very good thing ... Here I’ve changed, I’ve evolved as a person and I know who I am”

-Mah’Ria Pruitt-Martin “I had always heard Francis Howell was a stellar school district highly ranked in the state of Missouri so I began to consider relocation in

March 17, 2017

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in focus

WORK IT: Senior Charles Powell, works on an English assignment. The trend with transfer students is that they realize the worth of their education. “[Normandy being uncredited] was bad, but as long as I was away from it, I really didn’t mind, as long as I was at another school that had credit,” Powell said. PHOTO BY ABRAM CUTSHALL

Molding mindsets The journey of the Normandy students transfer revealed maturation of the district and the minds of students

By Sydney Trendley Staff reporter

June 11, 2013 the district administration announced the Normandy students would transfer to our district, an upheaval of emotions and reactions emerged from students, faculty, parents, the city, and the nation. A plethora of different views and opinions caused a problematic environment for the incoming students from Normandy school district.

Teachers had to accommodate to the growing classroom size, administration had to handle the dissatisfaction, our students had to learn to welcome and appreciate diversity, parents had to open their minds to new ideas, and most of all, the Normandy students got the opportunity to grow in their education.

Normandy’s accreditation meant for the students graduating, that in short, their high school diploma would inherently mean nothing to colleges. The students who decided to transfer to our district were driven by a hope of a better education and future for themselves as students, even if it meant the stereotypes and bias that would follow. English teacher Christina Young had the opportunity to lead and teach some of the transfers. “[The Normandy student transfers] were excited to be here, hungry for approval and

comfort, and willing to put in the effort to succeed.” Ms. Young said.

Many students who had grown up in the Francis Howell district had to quickly learn to accept others for their backgrounds and push away all preconceived notions of what these students would be like.

Junior McKenna Starich explained her initial emotions of the students arrival and how her mindset evolved into so much more than her fear.

“I was intimidated,” Starich said, “I didn’t know if they were going to be good kids or bad kids.”

Starich wasn’t alone in her fear. Many students feared troubles of racism and the problems that would arise from it.

“We had to overcome the fact that people come from a different place,” Starich said, “We are all here to learn.

The initial upheaval that occurred in the district was settled through time and understanding. Education is crucial and essential to the lives of everyone. Many students in the Francis Howell district take for granted the education they receive and it isn’t until they see the other side of educational spectrum that they fully appreciate their education.

What the transfer of the Normandy students accomplished is so much bigger than the

racist and stereotypical comments made.

This transfer gave students like Lynny Swain, Charles, Powell, D’Andre Perkins, Skylar Smith, Clarion Brown, Donald Harris, and Vernon Hampton hope for something much greater.

Normandy transfer, Skylr Smith, has stayed at Francis Howell Central for the duration of four years.

“I want a good education because the career path I want to go in it’s more of a challenge if you come from a background that isn’t educating you the best,” Smith said.

Although many people in St. Charles expected drug deals, violence, crime, and test scores being lowered among the district, this is far from the truth of what occurred. The students who have been waking up at 5a.mto take a bus a half an hour away from their homes for the duration of four years have proved St. Charles wrong. They didn’t have a motive of violence, they weren’t here to lower our test scores, or have drug deals, these students were here to learn. This is what school is all about.

It’s about getting an education and building a future for yourself. The Normandy transfer students reminded us all of the importance of education.

“Everybody deserves a good education,” Starich said, “No matter where you come from or what you look like.”

Open to change STUDY HARD Senior Donald Harris. a transfer student, completes a math assignment. “[Here at FHC]You have a lot more things to do like clubs, activities, you got a lot more classes as well, so a lot more, just more,” Harris said. PHOTO BY HALEY KARLAS

Open to change

The impact of the Normandy transfer on our community as a whole

By Veronica Ziemann Staff reporter

Despite so many people in the community vehemently opposing the Normandy students’ enrollment in Francis Howell schools, around 450 students were still able to seek a better education in our district. The battle was hardwon, but four years later, eight students from Normandy have remained at our school of the original 54 students that came to this school according to Fox 2. It’s hard to say how much their experiences here have changed their futures. It is a bit easier, however, to see how the Normandy students affected our community.

According to Dr. Pam Sloan, who was the superintendant of the Francis Howell School District for six years and during the transfer, the largest change that she saw was the community being forced to think about certain issues in a new way.

“I think it forced us to have some conversations about race and diversity and inclusiveness that we needed to have,” Dr. Sloan said.

Senior Donald Harris was one of the students who transferred here from Normandy the first year, and he believes that over the past four years, our school’s environment has reflected those changes. He moved to Kentucky and back during the past four years, so he was

able to see the differences more clearly than someone who was here to witness the gradual change.

“It got different, like a lot of people started to come out here … a lot of different races and stuff,” Harris said. “It’s like, more equal now.”

Our community wasn’t the only one to experience change as a result of these events.

The Normandy school district has a new superintendent, Dr. Charles Pearson, who is working hard to improve the quality of education in his schools, although the schools are still considered unaccredited.

“It takes a while to make changes systematically in education,” Dr. Sloan said, though she and the community are hopeful that the changes that Dr. Pearson is making will have a positive effect on the education that the students who are still attending Normandy schools receive.

“As we each do our part — administration leading, teachers teaching, partners nurturing, parents providing and supporting, we will get our tasks done — accreditation in the short term and ongoing excellence long term,” Dr. Pearson wrote in a letter to the community on the Normandy school district’s website.

The transfer of the Normandy students to our district affected both communities individually, but it also created many opportunities for our

March 17, 2017

two communities to work together to make the environment as welcoming and safe for both groups of students as possible. The negativity that surrounded the transfer early on gets a lot of publicity, but few people know about the positivity that many people from both communities expressed as well.

“We had all kinds of organizations volunteering to help us,” Dr. Sloan said. “Parents were very willing to step up to the plate and help kids get situated and find the things that they need. [The Normandy] community wanted to make sure their kids were taken care of here.”

It was the common belief that all students deserve a quality education and a safe place to go to school that brought our communities together. Because hundreds of students made the sacrifice to attend a high school far from where they lived, full of strangers whose parents had shown a strong opposition to their coming here, our school was forced to have necessary conversations about inclusiveness and diversity. The students that transferred to our school now have the same opportunities as any other student and have bright futures ahead of them. Their coming here opened up doors not only for themselves, but for our community and for the students that follow them.

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Managers matter

move

From filling up water bottles to recording plays, managers play special role for sports teams

By Bryce Lee

assistant coach, says how much junior, Staff reporter Jillian Thro helps the team.

During 2017 there are nine sports are “I think it's very helpful to have being played in the spring and more managers like Jillian around. Jillian than 20 throughout the year. These does a great job of supporting the team sports are being played by the players members and helping with task like and being coached by the coaches, but equipment adjustments. It’s definitely a who’s doing the unseen water getting good thing for the team to have.” Greco and jersey washing after the games? The said. managers.

This football season was Thro’s The managers for the teams play a first year helping the team and she’ll role just as much as the players and consider coming back next season. coaches.

“I had a lot of fun times while I was Girls varsity volleyball there, it helped having manager Austin Smith friends their helping me expressed what his job with my job and it even is as a varsity volleyball made it better because I manager. wasn’t by myself,” Thro said.

“Managing is honestly The varsity girls basketball like a job that pays with manager, Gerica Hall, has fun. I enjoy being being been keeping up with her able to help the team win job in a way that very few and see them go out there have considered attempting.

Read Elisa and compete knowing During the season, Hall that I helped them in some came up with the idea Swanson’s ways,” Smith said. to share her managing personal Smith clarified what his experience by posting daily point of view job is during practice as pictures and videos of the well as during games. team's practices as well as on managing “My job during the game the games. at fhctoday. is to get the net setup “I came up with the idea com. to the required height, one day to start recording get the game balls in the everything that the team racks, make sure that all did one for fun, and two the players have their because this was one of our proper equipment to play and other best seasons we’ve had so I wanted to things to help the team win,” Smith keep and share our winning moments,” said. “Sometimes when the team needs Hall explained. equipment, I’ll hold onto their stuff that The managers for these sports way they know where it is at all times.” play a huge factor in their sports but Managers like Smith make differences these aren’t the only managers that because, not only are they helping the are contributing to their teams. All team physically, but also mentally. managers somehow help their teams Coach James Greco, varsity football out in their own way.

PRE-PRACTICE FILL UP: Sophomore Jordan Merli fills the water jug before girls lacrosse practice on Wendesday, March 8. This is Merli’s first year managing for the team. PHOTO BY SYDNEY ROBBINS

Girl gains Lifting weights helps women keep fit, get stronger, just like for men PUMPED: Kaitlyn Chadwick gets in the position to do a set of squats, having her feet and hands equally apart and the bar behind her neck and lightly under her shoulders. PHOTO BY GRACIE KRUEP

Juliet Fuhrmann

Entertain Editor The common misconception with females lifting weights are that they’ll get bulky or look manly. But that is not the case, and many of our coaches, weight training teacher Raymond Howard, Hayley Leake and Kurt Kruse, agree with that.

“Weight training should be something everyone is able to do for the rest of their lives,” physical education teacher, Raymond Howard said.

The number of girls that are in the sixth hour weight training class is two. That is not a high number of girls, when there is a total of 28 students in the class; are girls scared to join because they shouldn’t be. Lifting weights is very healthy for a woman’s body.

Kaitlyn Chadwick, softball catcher and lacrosse goalie, lifts weights with her team. She very much likes it and sees her and the team’s benefit in it.

“I have gained strength to enhance my abilities and it is a great experience to create a

bond with the team,” Chadwick said.

Many coaches encourage their girls teams to lift weights during the offseason. Girls varsity basketball has morning lifting pretty much everyday with their coach, Leake, who feels very strongly about girls lifting.

“The truth is, lifting creates more muscles, which burns more fat, leading to a more defined look that can build a ton of confidence,” Coach Leake said.

When lifting, a woman’s body will change dramastically, and it’s a good thing.

“Girls get stronger and tend to get defined rather than bulking up because they don’t have the levels of testosterone that males do,” physical education teacher and track coach , Kurt Kruse said.

Another misconception at our school is that girls are scared they’ll be the only girl in the class.

“If there are not a lot of girls in the course, perhaps this makes others feel hesitant to give it a try even if they are interested. Maybe girls would prefer to have a course that was for girls specifically - they would not need to worry about

perception while lifting,” Coach Leake said.

Our female students should not be afraid to join and participate in the class because as they now realize, it is very beneficial. Not only does lifting weights make you more healthy, but it can lead to more confidence in a women, the feeling of being undefeated. The more a female is willing to join the class, more females will join as well as learning and knowing about it.

“Girls should not be scared or intimidated if [they] can’t lift as much as the others, we all start at some point and it will help you in the long run,” Chadwick said.

Weight lifting is not scary. Yes, there is certain things to know when doing so; how to hold the equipment, how to have your arms or back, making sure that your knees don’t cave in, etc. As long as you’re using the equipment correcting, results will show and improve in your body.

“I believe that if a girl enjoys lifting as a part of their path to a healthy body and mind, that they should follow it full-heartedly. It is all about your passion and what you enjoy in staying healthy,” Coach Leake said.

These things will happen to a woman’s body when she starts lifting weights: “While I think it has improved, the idea of ‘being strong and beautiful’ usually have not been linked,” girls basketball coach, Hayley Leake said.

Build more muscle Burn fat Toned body Overall stronger A healthy lifestyle More confidence More energy Burn more calories

BIG CHANGES: Kaitlyn Chadwick, senior, gets her gains by doing bench press, with her hands equally apart and then making a J motion pushing upward.

PHOTO BY GRACIE KRUEP

March 17, 2017

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move

Winter winners

From GAC tournaments to placing at nationals, many of our winter sports found success this season

By Elizabeth Gerger and Elaine Mallon

Move editor and Discover editor

Girls basketball GAC South: First (share) Overall record: 18-8

“I think every year it’s been preparation, but this year specifically I think we just had more of a by-in. Like everyone on the team was working towards the same goals this year,” sophomore Yani Curry said.

“Every single win was a team win, there was no selfish play, everybody worked together. We were a cohesive unit throughout the whole season,” senior Mackinsey Hamer said.

Yani Curry as she shoots a free throw during the girls game against Fort Zumwalt West. The girls end their season 18-8. PHOTO BY GRACIE KRUEP

Cheer State: First place in small co-ed division Regionals: First

“Practice made us cry sometimes, but it made us bond and that’s what made season perfect,” senior Madie Van Dillen said.

Seniors Carson Spinale, Hannah Cooper, and Sarah Soderstrom during the Pink Out pep assembly.

PHOTO BY ZACH JONES

“We were a really close and bonded team this year, it was fun to get out and win our titles. It was amazing winning state and regionals,” senior Carson Spinale said.

Sensations Nationals: 6th in hip hop

“It was crazy to know that we actually did it [6th at Nationals].

We did it. We made history at our school,” senior Taylor Fumagalli State: 3rd in hip hop and jazz

“We bonded more than we usually do and we just spent a lot of time together because we had two a day practices, it was nice for all of our work to pay off,” sophomore Callie Bratsch said.

Sensations preforming their hip hop routine at state. The team placed third with their hip hop and jazz routines.

PHOTO BY TAYLOR AMLONG

Girls swim and dive Diving state qualifier: Mariah Javier GAC top 16 finishers Carli Buchanan Nicole Webb Sydney Taylor Jane Eilers Jhoerrance Inaclang Corrina Trimble Kayla Steinmeyer Jensen Schletter

“This year was really cool. We [her teammates] all got along really well, and worked together. It was a good way to end my high school career,” senior Carli Buchanan said.

Carli Buchanan swims during her meet against rivals Francis Howell North on Dec. 14. Many swimmers placed top sixteen at GACs later in the season. PHOTO BY ASHLEY GAULT

Wrestling State qualifiers and placers: Alex Flerlage 106 lbs.

Andrew Godier 126 lbs., 4th place Quentin Smith 132 lbs.

Corey Wait 138 lbs., 3rd place Trevor Liggett 145 lbs.

Jonathan Floyd 160 lbs., 5th place Dylan Gillette 195 lbs.

Jackson Berck 220 lbs., 2nd place As a team: 2nd in districts 7th in state Dual record: 7-8

Jonathan Floyd hugs Coach Vencher as he captures 5th place at 160lbs. at the state tournament. Floyd was one of four Spartans who placed at state. Photo

by Elizabeth Gerger

March 17, 2017

“I think everyone, as far as doing their best for every match, was accomplished, but there’s always room for improvement,” sophomore Corey Wait said.

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Basketball starts through March! FHCtoday.com will be at the court to broadcast the following games: UPCOMING STREAMS: March 29: FHSD Board of education candidate forum Stay tuned for the start of spring sports season!

The world still needs

FEMINISM

On January 21, Saint Louis was one of more than 600 sister Women’s Marches to take place across the planet. The Saint Louis branch of the march had an estimated 13-20,000 people in attendance, according to the Saint Louis Post Dispatch.

The principals of feminism have evolved, but it is just as vital as ever Feminism is one of the most controversial words in the English language.

When it is mentioned, some people feel pride, Veronica while others feel anger, but what does feminism Zieman Staff reporter actually mean?

Feminism, in its literal definition, means “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.” It does not mean raising women above men; it means raising women above where society has placed them.

Because of feminism, women now have the same rights as men. We can vote, be employed, and get a quality education. Until the mid1990’s, women could not press charges against their husbands for sexual or physical abuse, and feminism helped change that. Many of these issues are tough to face as a society, but the truth is, they happened, and the reason they stopped happening was because brave women brought them to light and refused to be silenced.

Feminism goes beyond just women; feminists also helped further the civil rights and gay rights

movements. Over time, feminism has evolved to encompass much more than just women’s rights. Most feminists nowadays consider feminism to cover fighting for equality among all races, genders, sexual orientations, body types, and religions.

If you think women deserve more than men, you are not a feminist; if you do not consider transgender women to be real women, you are not a feminist; if you do not support women of all races, religions, and ethnicities, you are not a feminist; if you do not respect a woman’s choice to dress however she wants, you are not a feminist. Feminism is about supporting women, not tearing them down.

So if feminism is such a supportive community, why do so many people detest feminists? The issue lies with a very small, very loud group of people who take feminism a few steps too far.

Just like any other group of people, feminism has its extremists. There are a few people out there who truly believe society should evolve into a more matriarchal system, putting women above men. This is not feminism; this is misandry. These people may use the term “feminist,” but their views are far from feminist.

March 17, 2017

Feminists have certainly helped women immensely, but they have also helped men in much more subtle, but still very important, ways. One thing that feminists have recently began to focus on is the subject of masculinity.

Specifically, on how society’s expectation of how a man should behave can be extremely toxic.

Think about it: men are expected to be charismatic, strong, and relatively stoic.

Anything else is considered weak. If a man cries, he’s a wimp. If he likes to read, if he likes rom-coms instead of action movies, if he isn’t interested in dating women, he is ostracised.

It may sound cheesy, but emotional health is just as important as physical health, and everyone has to have a way to express their feelings, no matter what their gender is.

Feminists are fighting to break down society’s ideas of what a man is supposed to be, because not everyone can fit in such a narrow box.

Your sex should not determine what rights you have, what things you’re allowed to like, or how fairly you’re treated. It’s time that people recognize feminism as something other than the stereotype of bra-burning man-haters.

Feminism has done, and is still doing, a lot to help the world, if only we would let it.

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voice

Culture of jealousy perpetuates division among students I never asked to be good at tests.

Let me clarify: I like being good at tests. I like being able to skimp on studying and still grab a low A, I like being able to walk confidently into the Skylar Laird Feature editor ACT without preparation, I like that I have strong enough analysis and deduction skills to be able to do remarkably well on standardized tests with little to no preparation beforehand. But I never asked to be able to do this. It’s just a skill, as arbitrary as being able to solve complex math equations or throw a ball well (neither of which I can do). And yet, this skill is one that has garnered a significant amount of importance in the eyes of students because this is the skill that gets kids into colleges, the skill that gets kids scholarships, the skill that is easy to compare and compete.

It’s also the skill that has created an enormous divide between students, separating them into two groups: those who do well in school and those who don’t, or, as teachers commonly like to say, “honors kids” and “regular kids,” terms hurtful to everyone involved.

I have never been a “regular” kid. Even in elementary school, I did well in school. This may be because of a certain amount of intelligence, it may be due to a rigged school system that prizes test-taking, memorization, and essay-writing — three things I happen to excel in — above all else, including work ethic, actual intelligence, or even something as simple as compassion. From the moment I started middle school, I was an “honors kid”, no question about it. There was no hesitancy in anyone’s minds that I should be placed in honors classes and that I should do well in these classes.

I was a lucky kid.

At least, that was what I thought. In elementary

and middle school, I coasted through classes.

Getting straight A’s became expected of me, mostly by myself. I still remember the first time I ever got a B in a class: honors Algebra 1 in eighth grade. It was devastating. Looking back, I was never a kid who was good at math; a B really should have been something I was proud of. And yet, all I could see was myself falling from this pedestal of high expectations I had created for myself. But I needed help getting onto that pedestal in the first place, and what gave me that boost was the school system itself.

Our system has created an environment in which honors kids are seen as “better than.” They’re the good kids, the ones with prospects, the ones who are going to go somewhere in life — even though this isn’t necessarily true. And this belief creates a divide between students, making the honors kids feel superior to everyone else and the non-honors kids resent them for succeeding in school while they’re pushed by the wayside.

It creates a culture of jealousy, in which everyone hates the person who does better than them, everyone wants what someone else has. This can even be said just for honors kids as a group: the top 10 in the class are all vying for first, ACT scores are compared relentlessly, we all feel the need to compete constantly. And this is the result of a school system that prioritizes grades and test scores above all else. It turns us on each other, makes us hate each other over nothing more than a number.

And in this, the honors kids get more hate than they deserve.

It’s easy to see the problems of the “regular” kids who are looked down on for being “below” honors kids. But the honors kids don’t get missed by their own share of problems; we exist in an atmosphere of insecurity and perfectionism, creating a rougher life than any of us wanted. And yet, these issues get

ignored because honors kids are the smart ones who should be able to do anything, so we’re the subjects of scrutiny and disregard from our peers.

Like I said, I didn’t ask for this.

While I’m proud I’m an honors kid, that I’m good at school and tests, while I’m proud of good grades and test scores, I didn’t ask to be resented for these successes. Some people joke when they say they hate me for being so smart, but there is always a grain of truth there. And this just feeds into the separation between students. Our school system of competition has a remarkable ability for alienating students based on their GPA. Without even realizing it, our perception of a person changes based on a test score or grade in a class. Our perceptions of ourselves change based on our grades and test scores. And we begin to surround ourselves with the people we think we deserve, the people with similar grades and test scores.

Part of this is based on who we’re surrounded by in our classes, but another aspect is definitely this culture of jealousy and competition. And at this point it’s so intrinsically ingrained in us that it seems basically impossible to fix. But really, it all boils down to disregarding other people’s grades and becoming secure enough in our own that we can stop competing so heavily.

We’re all struggling, we all have our own problems, regardless of whether we’ve had straight A’s since kindergarten or straight D’s — especially those honors kids whose problems are seen as less-than just because they’re honors kids. This divide is perpetuated by us. We make the honors kids look down on everyone who’s not up to their standards, we cause the non-honors kids to look at the top of the class with contempt. All this does is give teenagers one more reason to hate each other - an unnecessary addition to the millions of reasons we already have.

F O C A L

POINTS Each issue, the editorial staff of the Central Focus picks three issues focused on the school and gives you insight and impact in just a couple quick sentences.

Elizabeth Gerger: Water fountains

Elkay ezH2O (fancy water fountain in activities hallway) is super duper sick. I drink at least four bottles of water and all of the other water fountains have people’s nasty mouth germs and don’t even fill your bottle all the way up. Not only does walking across the school to the Elkay give me more steps on my FitBit, but it also means I get an actually full bottle of water — even though I usually drink half of it on my way back to class. I highly recommend the school install more of these water fountains. Not to mention it’s better for the environment by eliminating the use of more plastic bottles.

Emily Mann: Finding yourself

Though a difficult quest, it is essential one figures themselves out before diving into something else, whether it be a friendship, activities, or even a relationship.

It will not come easy, and it will not come fast, but the effort to find oneself and understand who they are and what they value is detrimental to their ability to build prosperous relations in life. The catch, is not to be completely figured out, and stable- the catch is the will to want to get there, and the capability to work on yourself before investing into other things.

Lukas Mendel: Skipping tests

Obviously people generally are not too excited about any kind of upcoming assessments, but there are a group of students who continuously skip classes anytime there is a test simply because they are unprepared. Well listen up, we are all a little unprepared, and I understand the stress and the anxiety, but as someone that is in 6 AP classes, works and, is in two clubs where I hold significant roles, I show up for every test. It’s just infuriating because these are people who sign up for difficult AP classes and usually are the first one to brag about how well they did, or the first one to complain about how the teacher does not teach when they refuse to learn. It not only is unfair to every other student that works diligently to be prepared, but it is also a major display of disrespect to those teachers.

The new norm Diversifying our school gave new students a home, and us a new perspective While most of us fear change, it is necessary.

Without change we would never learn, never grow, never improve, and most importantly, never adapt.

Adapting to your surroundings, and ‘rolling with the punches’ is vital in life. Diversity brings about different stories, perceptions, and ways of living. Differences give room for new thoughts and ideas, new concepts and theories, and new exploration and discoveries. If everyone and everything was the same, everything would be boring, standard, and frankly meaningless: diversity creates meaning. Four years ago, Francis Howell School District accepted this type of change, adapted, and is now flourishing with our Normandy transfer students.

With the addition of the Normandy students to our school district, we have seen students and classrooms excel in numerous ways. Anomaly could not be more pertinent to our school.

Without differences there would be no growth.

Only accepting the few ‘perfect’ individuals eliminates and essentially destroys everything the millions of other just as important skills, thoughts, and contributions to the world. School is a

“I do feel like I belong here, it’s way better than Normandy.”

- Charles Powell

wonderful platform for students to develop ideas, and acquire talents and habits that will shape them in the future. Allowing the Normandy students to transfer into our school district has allowed our students to be involved, and make changes for themselves and our school. People want to change the world, and be the difference, but this can not be achieved without diversity.

You can not change the world if we allow for no differences.

Imagine, if we only accepted someone similar to Albert Einstein. White male, intelligent with an immaculate IQ, and perhaps a bit crazy. We would never have our Martin Luther King Jr, our Amelia Earhart, our George Washington, our Walt Disney, our Bill Gates. These people are considered to be some of the most successful, and influential people in history. They all differ, between age, sex, and race, but predominantlytheir abilities. Everyone is unique, having their own talents, and capabilities. Whether it be people skills, knowledge, business, inventions, or art- everyone has something to offer. And without all of these something’s we have got a whole lot of nothing.

“I would say (coming here was) helpful cause I learned a lot of things here like as a person and as a student.”

- Vernon Hampton “I feel like Francis Howell Central helped me a lot especially because of the position I was in.”

-Skylr Smith

“(I felt I belonged) when the teachers actually taught me something.” - Lynny Swain

The remaining seven seniors from Normandy share their thoughts on the transfer.

“I like how the principals and counselors (at FHC) really care “(Being here) was actually fun. My “The education is great and I and talk to you and want your first day here was fun.” feel accepted out here.” input.” -D’Andre Perkins - Clarion Brown - Donald Harris

March 17, 2017

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entertain

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fun facts you may not have known about your school Hailey Stewart Staff reporter

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FHC is the youngest high school in the Francis Howell District, but not the youngest school in the district.

Our mascot was going to be the Cougars, but they decided not to break the warrior theme.

The first year, football games were held at Hollenbeck because our stadium was not completed yet.

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We used to play music during dismissal every Friday. The music ranged from pop to oldies.

All students used to have to wear their student identification cards at all times for security purposes.

We used to have our school dances in the cafe because we didn’t have the “main gym” or auditorium built yet.

7 FHC used to host a

10 We used to have “late

exams were 8 Final 10 percent of the

used to be 11 Teachers able to make their own

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first students 12 The at FHC came from

play in which only teachers performed; students throughly enjoyed it.

semester grade with an “alternative assessment,” which was also 10 percent.

In the 1998, there were 952 students and 75 teachers. Now, there are 113 teachers and 1,811 students.

start Wednesdays” instead of early release days. School did not start until 8:05 a.m .

assessments and final exams- there were no district tests at all.

Francis Howell and Francis Howell North High School.

Guess the

TEACHER Our school has some pretty interesting teachers, try to solve the answers to our quiz!

By Reese McLaughlin Staff reporter

1) Who is the teacher who has bowled a perfect game?

4) Who once participated in decorating the White House for Christmas this winter?

2) What teacher is married to a police officer?

5) Whose husband is an MMA fighter?

3) Who was a pitcher on the Canadian softball team?

6) What teacher skateboards?

7) Who is obsessed with cheese puffs (cheesy poofs)?

8) Which teacher works at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre during the summer?

9) What teacher went to Central and played on the girls soccer team?

10) What math teacher just got married this school year?

Answers: 1) Mr. Koz 2) Mrs. Penuel 3) Mrs. Rity 4) Mrs.Sellers 5) Mrs. Crain 6) Mr.Le 7) Mr.Lober 8) Mr. Heumann 9) Ms. Young 10) Ms. Henry/ Mrs. Fetsch

Mar. 17, 2017

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