focus central { } francis howell central high school | volume fifteen | issue nine |
delve 3-8 | sweat 9-13 | in focus 14-19 | the scene 21-26 | be heard 27-30 | interact 31 | aperture 32
THREE {mollin’ it over} Current theatre director, Ms. Michelle Moll, struggles with the decision of keeping her part-time job, with full-time requirements, as money gets tight.
SIX {get prank’d, punk} The Central Focus weighs in on current senior prank rumors that have been floating around, and shows what is likely to happen if one is executed.
NINETEEN {zombie-fied}
record breakers
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Everybody loves zombies, and zombies love every body. Run for your life, and for charity, at "Run for Your Lives" 5k Zombie Obstacle course.
TWENTY {fashion fouls} Ever looked in the mirror and wondered if your v-neck tank that reveals your manly chest hair is attractive? Check out what the opposite sex had to say on current fashion trends.
TWENTY-FIVE {hipster hate} kellie grezinger
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opening shots | may 18, 2012
baseball seniors
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Staff reporter Maddie Newton bashes the hipster "race" for their hypocrisy in the way they conform to non-conformist trends.
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Spotlight’s demands denied Administration denies Spotlight Players’ request for Ms. Moll’s full-time job next year By Ben Morrison staff reporter
On Thursday, May 3, the theatre department attended the scheduled school board meeting. However, they attended for a very specific reason: to try and get Ms. Michelle Moll, the theatre director, a full-time job at FHC. Her job is currently part-time, and she would not be able to support herself on a part-time salary for a third year. Because of this, the theatre department gathered together a group and went to the school board meeting to add their input on their beloved director. “A big group of about 20 of us attended the May 3 meeting because in the theatre department, the job of director is currently
part-time, and we were trying to change that,” said junior Andrew Henke, who spoke at the meeting. For the past two years, this was not a problem, but Ms. Moll would not be able to take the job in its current form for her third year. “My position is not offered full-time,” said Ms. Moll. “I’m not sure if I can come back for financial reasons.” Ms. Moll was offered an extra hour for next year, along with a plan period, but this was still not enough to make her job a full-time position. “This is my second year, and I currently have four hours without a plan period,” said Ms. Moll. “I was offered five hours plus a plan
period for next year, but a position needs six hours and a plan period to be considered fulltime.” The idea of having a full-time director is not a foreign one at FHC, because according to Henke, there used to be one. “The part was originally full-time, but it got cut,” said Henke. “We were trying to show the board how much theatre means to us and get theatre to grow and keep our family bond.” The first thing the theatre members did was gather signatures for a petition to keep Ms. Moll, and then they brought the petition to Dr. Arnel. “A few of us met with Arnel,” said Henke. “We ultimately had to bring the issue to the board.”
The idea to go to the board meeting originally came from a parent of some of the current members, and it managed to spiral into something more. “Mrs. Mossinghoff brought up the idea, and I relayed it to the kids, and the officers decided who would speak and how to do it,” said Ms. Moll. So the kids went to the meeting, and during the 30 minutes reserved for patron comments, the theatre department voiced their need for Ms. Moll to stay their director. “25 kids and parents came and talked about how important I am to them, to try to keep the department consistent,” said Ms. Moll. please read more: Moll, PAGE 8
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Victims of heroin speak out Town Hall meeting informs community of the effects of drug use
By Sean Gundersen communications editor
Standing on stage, he talked of his new car, his new clothes — his new life. Nick Yuede, a former student at Francis Howell High, spoke of his first underage cigarette and how it transformed into heroin and nearly killed him. He lingered on the downfall heroin brought into his life — from the first time he tried it to his seventh relapse. “It’s not even just a physical death that heroin can bring. You experience an emotional death, a mental death,” said Yuede. “There was a time where I couldn’t stand to look at myself in the mirror. I would go to the bathroom in the dark, hoping that the man in that room would simply disappear.” Granted, Nick’s situation has certainly not reached the mainstream for St. Charles as of yet, but the Heroin Town Hall Meeting was poised to nip any drug related problems of
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the county in the bud. A popular commodity in recent years, town hall meetings have effectively lowered heroin related deaths in St. Louis city and have now spread to St. Charles to stop any subsequent spreading of heroin use according to the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. The opening slide to the evening’s presentation read, “Heroin ‘A Community Response’,” and the meeting on the evening of May 7 proved to be just that. Roughly 250 anxious parents, patrons, students and teachers were gathered in the Francis Howell Central auditorium, many unaware of what exactly to expect, but nevertheless showing their support. Six varied speakers sat on the stage and were each introduced by the proactively characterized Sheriff Tom Neer. “We are not holding this forum [here at FHC] to come down on this district or any other in the area for a lack of action,” Neer
said. “This is a preemptive county-wide war on a looming epidemic. They come from all reaches of society, and all economic backgrounds. But this war can be won.” Over the last five years, St. Charles county has experienced 80 deaths directly connected to heroin, and the yearly totals have risen as well. To put this in perspective, in 2007 the county experienced seven deaths from this cause, and in the first four months of 2012 St. Charles has already matched this mortality rate. One of those 80 deaths was Daniel Anderson, whose mother, Laurie Anderson, was present at the town hall meeting. Telling her story and Daniel’s downfall for the first time in front of a large group of people. “He was one that died shortly after starting. [From the best I could tell] he died without a strong addiction after a year and a half. Having gotten free of heroin’s grasp for a whole year, he
got back on and was dead within a weekend,” said Anderson. “The mindset of ‘not even once’ is key — once is the time that starts you on a path toward almost certain disaster.” School board president Marty Hodits was also present at the event — holding with him the grief of his own run-in with heroin’s effects. Terry and Pam Jones had been family friends of the Hodits for years, and Mrs. Hodits had even taught their son Daniel in his Kindergarten year at Castlio. “One day we just saw [that Daniel had died] in the newspaper. It’s a touchy subject, but the road to recovery is not wants — expect the backtrip. Step back, or go forward was the message of the night. Terry and Pam didn’t believe their son was an addict, the realization of parental suspicions is the piece of the puzzle that will save our community. We need to recognize the signs instead of continuing to ignore them,” said Hodits. “The truth is our best weapon.”
How to say no: Steer clear
negative effects
photo by matthew cochran
Matt Bargen, a supervisor with St Charles County Regional Drug Task Force, outlines the telltale signs of a heroin addict. Bargen was one of many speakers at the meeting.
according to not-even-once.com
Avoid places and situations in which you know drugs such as heroin will be.
Say ‘no’ and mean it
photo by matthew cochran
Sheriff Tom Neer was the first speaker at the Heroin Town Hall meeting. The meeting was held May 8 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium.
slowed and slurred speech impaired night vision droopy eyelids, constricted pupils dry skin, itching, skin infections vomiting and constipation repertory depression HIV infection from injection reduced appetite slow, irregular heart rate irregular blood pressure death from overdose
according to the National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse
“No thanks, I’m just not interested.” You may have to refuse more than once.
Ignore
Move or walk away after saying no once or twice.
Use a reason or excuse
“I can’t, thanks. I have a lot to do later and don’t want to get messed up right now.”
Reverse the pressure
Say “Why are you pressuring me?” or “If you were my friend you wouldn’t try to get me to do that.”
State the facts
Let them know the reality — “This stuff kills people” or “It gets people put in prison ... no thanks.” “Ah, no thanks. That stuff makes me crazy and I’m crazy enough already.”
photo by matthew cochran
Use humor
The speakers at the Heroin Town Hall meeting hope to reach out to the community with the hope of helping the lives of others. Each speaker had their own personal story on how heroin has impacted them.
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Pranks lead to disruption, discipline By Blake Beck delve editor
As the final days of high school near, seniors prepare for graduation and hope to leave a lasting legacy at school. Some may do this through winning academic awards, others by breaking records in sports. And then there are the class clowns, who hope to become a legend in the hallways by conspiring a prank of epic proportions. The consequences of successfully pulling off such a prank are dire. According to Dr. Sonny Arnel, the discipline for committing an end of the year prank can range from police action in more severe cases, paying for damages and cleanup, and, ultimately, no participation in graduation exercises. “You put your participation in graduation in jeopardy,” Dr. Arnel said. “I hate to be so blunt, but that’s where we are at this time of the year. We work very hard to maintain the safety of the school.” In cases of vandalism and destruction, there is further discipline. “When there’s vandalism involved, cost to clean it up is charged to the student,” Dr. Arnel said. “When something is broken, cost for replacement is charged.” There have not been many cases of severe shenanigans in the history of the school. Most of the pranks that have occurred have been minor. Dr. Arnel still sees these as troublesome. “In the past we’ve always had some kind of vandalism and there have been some humorous pranks,” Dr. Arnel said. “Problem is, they are disruptive to the educational process. Sometimes they get out of hand and you just don’t know how they will play out.”
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Sophomore Melissa Albers will be attending the Missouri Scholars Academy this summer where she will study humanities to help her continue developing her creativity.
Thespian Kellie Grezinger - acting here in last year’s “Barefoot in the Park” - will be headed to the Missouri Fine Arts Academy this summer to hone her acting talents.
photo by amber roth
photo by savannah mceachern
Headline Headline Headline
Missouri Honor students shine By Allison Comfort staff reporter
It is opening night. She suddenly notices there is sweat on her forehead and her heart is beating steadily and rapidly in anticipation for the curtain to rise. She takes her position onstage, and, like the professional she knows she will be, she slips into the second skin of the character, knowing that she can do this--she can make magic. At the same time, another student faces down what is only a small sheet of paper, numbered, empty, but is actually so much more than that; a test that could make her or break her. Two of the school’s most exceptional students who go through these kinds of trials on a regular basis, junior Kellie Grezinger and sophomore Melissa Albers were nominated and applied to participate in two programs for students with extraordinary talent or scholastic motivation. Grezinger applied to the Missouri Fine Arts Academy for her work in drama, and Albers was nominated to participate in the Missouri Scholars Academy for her work in academics. In Albers’ case, she was nominated among students from each district and chosen to be among the 330 students who will be attending the three-week program on Mizzou’s campus. The district decided based on the student’s
GPA, testing scores, an IQ test, teacher recommendation and submitted essays. “I wanted to do it because I like to be challenged and I like learning, and there’s no pressure of grades like in school,” Albers said. “And I’m looking forward to being in an environment with kids who work hard and want to learn like me.” Albers says she works hard in school and is happy that she is finally getting recognized for it. “I work pretty hard in school. I study a lot, do all my homework, and basically, do what I need to do to get A’s in classes,” Albers said. “For me, education is enjoyment, but I think it’s going to be more about learning and meeting people who work hard like you.” The students who participate have to chose a major and a minor course. There is the choice of science, math, social studies, and humanities. “I chose humanities because I like to write a lot,” Albers said. “I like to be creative, and I write every day. They haven’t gotten back to me yet, but hopefully I get the courses I picked.” Although Albers is more into the line of academics, Kellie Grezinger is taking the plunge for three weeks in the MFAA for her art--in this case, acting. “Kids apply if they want to go, and then they’re selected by the arts director,” Grezinger said.
110 of the applicants are chosen to go to the conference, which is going to be held at Missouri State University. “It’s going to be really fun, because I don’t know all these people, and they’re probably all really artsy-fartsy,” Grezinger said. “I’m really, really looking forward to it. People who have gone before me have said it was one of the best experiences of their lives.” Grezinger has moved from school to school, each time joining theatre. She wants to be an actress, but it has not always been that way. “I didn’t really know it was important to me at first,” Grezinger said. “I was just doing it because all my friends were doing it. But I thought it was so awesome, because it was like we all came together to make magic.” Then she moved to FHC, and although she did not think she could perform on a different stage, she joined the Spotlight Players anyway. “I fell in love with the theatre here because of the atmosphere. It was so professional,” Grezinger said. Drama teacher Mrs. Michelle Moll says she knew that Grezinger was talented from the start. “I first saw Kellie audition for the Student Directed One-Acts last year and immediately thought she was very talented. The first chance I had to work with her was Barefoot in the Park. She
really blew me away with her commitment to her character and her realistic approach. We worked again together on The Crucible and she did a fabulous job of portraying Abigail Williams,” Mrs. Moll said. “Kellie really understood the motives behind Abigail’s antagonist behavior and wasn’t afraid to go above and beyond her comfort level to become such an evil character.” Grezinger plans to be an actress. This, she says, is not something most of her teachers or others consider to be a realistic plan, but she is optimistic anyway. “People ask me, ‘what’s your back-up plan?’ and I don’t really have one. I feel like back-up plans are for people who give up on their dreams,” Grezinger said. “You should do what makes you happy.” And, for Grezinger, that is definitely acting. “I’ve wanted to be front and center from the beginning,” Grezinger said. “On stage, I can release all these emotions that I can’t in real life. Acting is really the only thing that keeps me sane.” “I believe she can do anything she sets her mind to,” Mrs. Moll said. “She has shared with me that she would really love to move to Los Angeles after she graduates to pursue a film career. I definitely think this would be a great place for her to belong and grow as an actress. It won’t be easy but I think if she loves acting, then that’s what she should pursue.”
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“I think hearing the kids speak does make an impact. I don’t know if they can do anything, but they thanked the kids and seemed to be genuinely listening and appreciated the kids.” { Ms. Michelle Moll} theatre director 20 members of The Spotlight Players showed up at the May 3 board meeting to ask the board to create a full-time position for Ms. Michelle Moll
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concerned with a separate issue, the theatre department started their comments. Their first speaker was Tom Emery, who is one of the parents involved in the SPOT program. Afterwards, the students who spoke department started their tirade of comments. Their first speaker was Tom Emery, who is one of the parents involved in the SPOT program. Afterwards, the students who spoke were, in order, junior Andrew Henke, junior Rachel Eikmann, senior Spencer Schuker, junior Jasmine Chandler, junior Chris Franklin, and sophomore John Emery, who was speaking on behalf of junior Sean Gundersen, who was not able to attend the meeting. They spoke about what the
theatre department is, and how losing Ms. Moll would affect them. “It was very humbling, I knew they felt that way, but I didn’t know how much I have affected the department,” said Ms. Moll. “It was definitely an amazing moment. I had to hold back tears.” The students were able to express their feelings in a variety of ways. Some used humor or other emotions to emphasize their point, and it seemed to stir the board. “I really feel we covered wide gamut of emotion,” said Henke. “I was shaking, Rachel Eikmann had a serious tone, some of the speakers were calm, cool, and collected.” However, within the 30 minutes allocated for patron comments, two of the speakers were not allowed to speak. To the surprise of those attending, the board made a motion to extend the time to allow the last two students, sophomore Charlie Grant and junior Ben Patty, a chance to speak. “The time extension really meant a lot, especially because the theatre department generally feels a lack of
support,” said Henke. “When the speaking time was extended, it showed the effect we were having.” The department, and Ms. Moll, were impressed with the board’s efforts to hear the kid’s thoughts. “I thought it was very kind of them,” said Ms. Moll. “It showed they were willing to listen, and made the last two students feel great.” According to Henke, the students were able to tell the board what they wanted. “I feel like we covered what theatre means,” said Henke. “We emphasized what we needed to emphasize and were able to hit what we needed to hit.” While the students feel the board was listening, but no one knows what will come out of it. “I’m not really sure [what is going to happen],” said Henke. “I feel like they definitely heard us, and I have a feeling they will discuss it and push for something to be done.” They aren’t the only ones. Ms. Moll is also unsure about the outcome of the meeting.
“I think hearing the kids speak does make an impact,” said Ms. Moll. “I don’t know if they can do anything, but they thanked the kids, and seemed to be genuinely listening and appreciated the kids.” Despite what initially looked like a successful mission to get Ms. Moll a contract, on May 10, the school board sent a letter to those involved.“As you can imagine, a district with over 17,000 students has many human and financial needs to support student learning,” said the letter from the school board. “While we do not have the staffing to support a full-time drama/theatre position at this time, we will continue to monitor the enrollment and staffing at your school and make adjustments in accordance with the district’s overall staffing and financial plan.” But the mission of the theatre kids is not over, because according to Ms. Moll, the theatre department will likely continue to try to get her a full-time job. “I have a feeling the kids will still fight,” said Ms. Moll. “But things will be different.”
“After graduating high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. SCC gave me the time to figure it out before transferring to a four-year university.” ~ DJ Shocklee SCC alum Francis Howell Central alum
Find SCC on : Ask your counselor how to get started at St. Charles Community College. Call 636-922-8000 or visit stchas.edu.
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photo by savannah mceachern
Seasoned seniors make impact
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Senior-laden squad brings experience, talent to varsity baseball
By Matt Lundberg sweat editor
t is game day! Walking from the school, students can see preparations being made to the baseball field in Don Muench stadium. Players touch up the stencil behind home plate as coaches drag the field. Players congregate down the left field line to stretch and start throwing to loosen their arms. Soon, nine Spartans will sprint out of the home dugout onto the field as game time approaches. Senior Alex Erb toes the mound, starts his wind up, kicks and pitches; the game is underway. After obtaining a share of the district championship last year, the varsity baseball team takes the field each game with seven starting seniors. It is no doubt that having this many seniors is beneficial when playing
in tough games. These guys know how to win; after beating the state champion Vikings on their home field and sharing a conference title with them last year, this was a team that was not a stranger to success. With these seniors, Coach Ray Howard is confident in their potential. “[We] think we have a lot of experience at higher levels of baseball,” Coach Howard said. “This might be one of the best teams we have fielded in quite some time.” Not only does the majority of the team consist of seniors, but some have committed to play at the next level. Many of the seniors have decided to continue their playing careers in college with many of them signing with schools, such as Erb signing with Lindenwood and senior Dean Ballenger playing for JUCO
southeastern. According to Coach Howard, the seniors’ talent combined with experience has been beneficial to the team. “They know the expectations,” Coach Howard said. “We don’t have to spend much time on the little things because they have been with us for three years.” The expectations have been the same for the past few years and even with the last loss of the season on Saturday, May 12, these seniors have not played the last game of their careers. Senior Jake Henson, who will play ball at SLU next year, also feels that the attitude brought to the field had a huge effect on the outcome of their careers. “We have to bring 100 percent to every game or we won’t reach our
goal,” Henson said. With the season ended, it becomes apparent that the seniors’ time as a Spartan baseball player is coming to an end, and according to Coach Howard, there are going to be things he, as a coach, will miss. “[I’m going to miss] being able to write their names in the line-up card and their experience and talent,” Coach Howard said. From a player’s standpoint, the absence of these players next year means the loss of camaraderie and experience. “The whole team is very close,” Henson said. “[When we leave], we will lose that aspect. Also, next year we will have seven new starters [joining shortstop junior Ryan Howard] and two new pitchers, so the experience will no longer be there.”
“The whole team is very close. We will lose that aspect. Also, next year we will have seven new starters and two new pitchers, so the experience will no longer be there.” { Jake Henson} senior baseball player The baseball team has seven seniors who are starting for them, providing the team with a bevy of playoff experience that the team hopes will lead to an extended run in the state playoffs this season.
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Make it or break it Senior Joshua McKinley ends track career having set multiple records By Mary Niebur staff reporter
His eyes are glued to the finish line and have been since the second the race started; he is running at the speed of lightning, and it is as natural as taking a breath for him. Then, as he approaches the final lap, he takes off and pushes himself towards the finish line. Senior and top cross country/track runner Joshua McKinley has just broken another school record. The two mile record was broken this year, on April 4, at the Ft. Zumwalt West Jaguar Invitational by a gaping 14 seconds, originally being 9:55 but now is set at 9:41 due to McKinley’s success. There is no doubt that this was quite an accomplishment for him, but according to McKinley, he knew he could easily beat the record if he just focused on it for one meet. “In order to make sure that I would beat the record, my coaches and I practiced sprints and made sure I got plenty of rest,” said McKinley. Besides the usual sprints and stretches before a race, McKinley has rituals he performs before each race as well. “Every night before a race, I take a Japanese mineral bath and wear a white bandana at the race for good luck,” said McKinley. McKinley’s reasoning for running is because he
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thought he wasn’t successful in any other sport. “I ain’t no good at anything else,” said McKinley. McKinley holds high expectations for himself for both the rest of the school year and his lifetime. “By the end of the season, I want to run a mile in 4:25 minutes, and before I die, I would like to run a four minute mile,” said McKinley. Head cross country coach Michelle Breuer describes McKinley as an independent runner that is confident in himself and his skills; these characteristics are necessary for him to possess in order to be a successful runner. “McKinley is confident in himself and his teammates and challenges them to try as hard as he does. He always puts his heart and soul into every meet and practice and definitely isn’t scared to take risks,” said Breuer. Although he is one of the better runners on the team, the other runners see it as a challenge to do better or as well as McKinley, according to Coach Breuer. McKinley is described as a team player, not in the fact of practicing with the team but more as a team supporter and an example for his peers. Junior Michael VanHorn has ran side by side with McKinley for three years and describes him as a great runner and an example setter for the rest of the team.
“McKinley definitely keeps things interesting; he’s really funny and sets an example that I try to keep up with,” said VanHorn. As a freshman, McKinley came in unknown but dominated the track team by breaking the one mile record. Along with the track records he has broken in his high school career, McKinley also broke a record for the 5k race in cross country. By the end of his high school running career, McKinley’s name was known, not only by the running community, but throughout the school as well. “I run because I like to run, but when I beat a record it makes me want to improve my running skills even more; it’s a good feeling to beat a school record,” McKinley said. His successful four-year running streak comes to an end as the class of 2012’s graduation is around the corner, but there is no doubt that McKinley’s success in track and cross country will be remembered and used as inspiration for the incoming classes to do better. He came in not having an idea as to what he would accomplish in his four years of high school and left with the confidence and experience he needs for college running. McKinley plans on continuing to run in college at Kansas State.
Senior Joshua McKinley
Mile run - 4:20 Two mile run - 9:41.87 “When I beat a record it makes me want to improve my running skills even more; it’s a good feeling to beat a school record.”
Junior Jarred Jefferson Triple jump “I was jumping up and down, smiling. I was pretty happy myself.”
Senior Haley Decker Pole vault - 9’9” “Breaking the record was indescribable.”
Junior Joe McDevitt
Senior Jessica Rekosh Shot put - 37’2.5”
“It was expected [for me to break the record]. It was almost failure if I didn’t.
Discus - 156’8” “When I broke the discus record with 156 feet, eight inches. I had been going for that record since the beginning of the year.”
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Third time’s a charm Boys volleyball earns a chance to compete for a state title By Alli Keisker
“We tried to cut down on serving The light at the end of the tunnel is errors [this year.] I knew we’d go to near, and the boys volleyball team is the next round if we won [on Monday] so close to victory they can almost and it made us want to try harder,” taste it. Other teams before them Gamache said. “It felt really good to have made it this far, but no volleyball win and be able to get as far as we team has won the state title in school have. It was awesome to beat kids history. I’m friends with from other schools.” In 2009, the boys volleyball team Along with Gamache, junior Justin made it to finals, but lost Cather thinks their to DeSmet. In 2010, the confidence, along with team was one match their teamwork, helped away from winning the “Towards the them win. championship game, but “At the beginning of the end, we’ve lost to St. Louis University year, we weren’t as much really worked of a team, but towards the High School, according to together. This end, we’ve really worked senior Jack Gamache. “My sophomore year together. This has been has been we played for the state the funnest tournament the funnest championship, [so] it to play in,” Cather said. tournament feels good to be back “It would mean so much to play in. It at Kirkwood. Our team’s to us because the school would mean hasn’t won a state been there for six straight years and in the final championship yet this so much to four three of those six year.” us [to win] years,” Gamache said. Because of the team’s because the “We’ve been in the state hard teamwork, they school hasn’t were able to have this championship twice but won a state lost, so hopefully third experience. time’s a charm.” “If we come out like we championship This year, the volleyball yet this year.” played on Monday, we team won quarterfinals should be fine [against against Marquette High DeSmet],” Gamache said. School on Monday at “It would be awesome [if { Justin Cather } junior Kirkwood High School. we win State]; it’s all our This year, only two other team talks about.” The boys volleyball team has teams have made it to The boys went into been to state two other times, this time being its third. The state: girls basketball Thursday’s game with boys have worked hard all year and boys soccer. This confidence, and they to get as far as they have. year, the boys were hoped they would leave given the chance to play victorious. But, their in the semifinals last night, May 17, opponent, DeSmet, may be a difficult at Kirkwood High School against opponent, Cather said. DeSmet. This year, if last night’s “DeSmet is ranked first so it will be game resulted in a win, the boys will a tough game, but I think we can do be headed to Lindenwood University it,” Cather said. tonight at 6:30 p.m. for the state Gamache, along with the team, championship. hopes to make it to Lindenwood The team felt confident going into tonight and leave with a state title. Monday night’s game, and Gamache “It would be a dream come true for thinks that contributed to their victory. us and for the coaches,” Gamache In addition to their confidence, the said. “It would be a good experience team has been correcting the team’s to be there two other times and for errors throughout the season in order us to finally capture the title for the to make it this far. first time.” print executive editor
photo by amber roth
{postseason play Jack Gamache {senior
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It would be a dream come true for us and for the coaches. It would be a good experience to be there two times and for us to finally capture the title for the first time.
vs. CBC.....................W 3-2
vs. FOX......................W 2-0 vs. SLUH....................L 0-2 Junior Connor Aldrich leaps for a spike during the boys’ game at St. Louis University High School. The boys left the game victorious and were headed towards the semifinals.
photo by amber roth
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“
Junior Connor Aldrich and senior Jake Heskin highfive senior Chip Miller after earning a point. The team played at St. Louis University High School on Saturday and at Kirkwood High School on Monday and Thursday.
vs. Parkway South..........W 2-0 vs. Marquette......W 2-0
14
2
seconds were on the clock when the varsity boys basketball team surged ahead of Fort Zumwalt West to win their last home game 56-55 in route to a 10-17 season.
district wins were earned by the girls volleyball team against Fort Zumwalt North and Saint Dominic. The next district game was lost against Francis Howell, ending the season with a 22-12 record.
29-27
was the score that won the boys football game at the Edward Jones Dome in the Great Football American Classic.
1-5
was the last score that the boys tennis team earned, ending the season with an 8-6 record.
343
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out of the 17 Ultimate Frisbee players were newcomers to the sport this year. The team earned seventh place out of ten teams at the state tournament, finishing with a 6-6 record.
points won the GAC championship for the boys swim team, who ended the season with 14th place at state.
Sports 2012, by the numbers 5
games in a row were won by the girls varsity soccer team from May 3-14, including triumphs against Howell and Howell North.
4
1
wins were totalled at the end of the varsity softball season, while 18 games were lost.
missed stroke prevented sophomore Ricky Barrett from advancing to the boys golf state competition. Although he received All-Conference and All-Districts, the team did not send anyone to state.
8
runners will advance to the track sectionals competition after competing in districts. They will race tomorrow to try to qualify for state.
5
wrestlers qualified for state championships with the team taking third place at the district tournament. Junior John Wood and senior Cole Anderson earned state medals.
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runs were batted in and 6 home runs were hit by senior Jake Henson. This helped lead the team to a 21-6 season record.
7-2
8
19
189
points was the cumulative score for the girls golf team’s season. This was scored in a tri-meet against Howell and Fort Zumwalt East, where three girls also broke personal records.
is the record that the girls tennis team finished at, with multiple matches being cancelled due to heat.
th place earned junior Alison Strickler a medal and a new school record at state. Strickler helped lead the girls swim team to a season record of 10-2.
th rank out of 41 teams gave the varsity hockey team the third seed in the Wickenhieser Cup tournament, which they won first place in, ending the season with a 17-12 record.
rounds of penalty kicks were played to win the boys soccer sectionals game 4-3 against Hazelwood. The next game was lost to Oakville, preventing the team from making it to the final four, but giving them an 18-10 record for the season.
3
cross country runners advanced from sectionals to the state meet. The runners were seniors Josh McKinley and Sydney Voss and freshman Brittney Kennedy.
20
wins made by the girls varsity basketball team during its season. They made school history by working their way to the Elite Eight tournament.
15
kills won the varsity boys volleyball team’s first districts game 1925 against CBC. The boys went on to win the match against CBC as well as two of three other matches in districts.
fhctoday.com | sweat
}13
the past is
CRYSTAL CLEAR
Chances are, at some point in your life, you’ve heard the saying “hindsight is 20/20” - meaning that our perspectives on life’s events are much clearer once they’re behind us. As the 2011-2012 school year draws to a close, the Central Focus asked seniors to share their most momrable high school moments. We challenge you to guess who said what about their years as a Spartan.
won the I en wh s] wa t en om m st ie pp ha “[My J.W. talent show two years in a row.”
“ “
EMBARASSING MOMENT
Freshman year, while walking up the Spanish stairs, I tripped up the stairs and rolled under the handrail and fell down the other side of the stairs.”
FUNNIEST MOMENT
Freshman soccer.”
K.G.
M.B.
“
“[My most emotiona procession for Lanc l moment was] the funeral e Cpl. Philip Vinned ge.” T.T.
HOW HAVE YOU GROWN
C.R. T.J.
I’ve grown a beard.
“
HOW HAVE YOU GROWN
. C.R. K.G.AM.S.M. H.G.
I have become more outgoing and mature.”
“
“
“
PROUDEST MOMENT
MOST EMOTIONAL
When my dog passed away.”
LIFECHANGING EVENT
Dating my girlfriend/boyfriend.”
H.G. C.R. T.J. A.B.
te for the a st g in n in w s] a w t en m “[My proudest mo s dance team.” H.G. varsity Sensation
A special thanks to...
these seniors for taking time and sharing their high school memories with the Central Focus.
M.B. A.S. T.J. J.W. M.M. L.E.
Graduating and getting accepted into college.
“
C.R.
H.G.L.E. Tripping on the stairs.” T.T. A.S. M.B.
EMBARASSING MOMENT
“[My happiest and proudest mom winning state hockey with my boysent was] !.” C.R. Chase Rey, Hannah Greco, Kristin Gregory, Alex Scott, Matt Martindale, Rachel Jordan, Lauren Eckman, Taylor Thode, Anna Gingrich, Jordan Wills, Maria Berra, Abby Benz, Tyler Jones
FREE
12 oz. Blizzard Treat
When you purchase any 12 oz. or larger Blizzard Treat at regular price
16 }
advertisements | may 18, 2012
1015 St. Peters Howell Rd., St. Peters, Mo. 63376 636.397.0501
{the scene}
“
Even though I’ve been in theatre since my freshman year, I never really felt like I truly belonged until now. Jasmine Chandler {junior
By Alli Keisker
A
print executive editor
Chandler charms children Theatre changes it up with show aimed at young people
s the auditorium darkened, the stage lights brightened, and all of the Spotlight Players’ hard work was coming to life in the children’s show, “Room 23.” Children, along with parents, students and staff, attentively watched as they saw the students who taught them at the workshop become the actors of the play. There was another pair of eyes in the audience though; these were the eyes of junior Jasmine Chandler, the writer of the play. Chandler says the play was about a classroom of advanced kindergarteners who has a temporary substitute teacher. The children convince the sub they are dumb, and she freaks out. Later on, the sub finds out they really are above average for their grade. “Room 23” was written over spring break and took Chandler the whole two weeks to write; the only advice she asked for was from juniors Andrew Henke and Rachel Eikmann. The play, along with the children’s workshop, were held on Saturday, May 12. The workshop took place of the usual dinner theatre this year. Because the department had not held a workshop in a few years, Chandler only expected 10-15 kids, but there ended up being about 25-30 that showed up. “There were so many kids,” Chandler said. “I didn’t think there would be as many as there were. Our publicity crew had been please read more: THEATRE, page 22
fhctoday.com | the scene
}17
playlist
“the summer set”
This random genre assortment makes a perfect playlist for songs to play with your windows rolled down during the summer. Catchy tunes that aren’t overplayed on the radio make for the perfect summer playlist.
by caitlan good
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Somebody I Used to Know by GOTYE I never listen to the radio, but the first time I heard “but you didn’t have to cut me off...” I was hooked to this song. We’ve all been there, and it’s just one of those songs you can listen to over and over again.
Flat Out of Luck by Lana Del Rey The beginning of this song kind of sucks; it’s hard to get into it. Once you get past it, you won’t regret listening to it. A comical song about killing people can never lose.
Coin-Operated Boy by The Dresden Dolls Coin-Operated Boy brings a peppy solution to every girl’s boy troubles.The Dresden Dolls are the only ones saying what we all really want, simplicity in a relationship. It’s a cute way to say boys suck.
Tell Me I’m A Wreck by Every Avenue This is the definition of the song that cheers you up when you’re upset. Every Avenue is perfection, writing about the annoying, crazy girl that you just want to run from.
Trending teen topics the best
Bittersweet by Jet Lag Gemini This song is the best song to belt out with your windows down when you’re in a bad mood. Bittersweet is a song about when you want something that you really shouldn’t have, but at the end of the day, it’s just the thing to do.
staff reporter
internet memes
An internet meme is when the same picture is used with different phrases put on each photo. Memes often affiliate themselves with one group or topic. Creators of memes often use them to poke fun at their chosen group. “I think memes are really funny because my friends and I always look at them and crack up laughing,” freshman Kevin Bayer said.
greater than or less than tweets Greater than or less than tweets are used to explain someone’s opinion on a topic or object. An example of a greater than or less than tweet would be “hot chocolate >>>>;” meaning they enjoy hot chocolate. “A lot of the greater than or less than tweets are funny and true. Some people put like twelve of them though and I don’t understand that,” senior Nicholle Turano said.
>>>>>>
Give A Damn by A Rocket To The Moon Everyone has been in the spot where you just “love” that person, but they don’t even know you exist. A Rocket To The Moon uses their lyrical genius to prove you don’t need the person you think that you do, ‘cause you’re way better than them.
By Jerianne Harrison
#probz The “#______probz” is a hashtag trend that is used to complain about something that relates to one specific group. For example someone might say “So ready for college #seniorprobz.” “I like them, unless you’re complaining about something dumb. Then you sound like a princess,” sophomore Madison Jilek said.
the worst hashtagging on facebook
If you are really craving some wild hashtagging action, try hashtagging on Facebook. Not only will there be no existing link to go to other people using the same hashtag as you, other Facebookers may even post a status about how annoying hashtagging on Facebook may be. “NO! It’s annoying. You’re not a trend setter, you look stupid,” senior Dean Ballenger said.
that awkward moment when...
If you recently just had the most awkward moment of your life you might want to use the phrase “that awkward moment when” then explain your moment after the phrase. You might even use this phrase if your moment wasn’t even awkward what-so-ever. For example: That awkward moment when someone looks at you in the hallway. “Sometimes it’s really funny and I start busting out laughing but sometimes it’s like, that wasn’t awkward,” junior Amber Khan said.
#yolo
YOLO stands for you only live once. This trend was started by the artist Drake when he used it in his song “The Motto.” If you are going out to the sickest party of your life and feel like tweeting excessively about it, you should use the hashtag YOLO. “It’s overused! People use it to often, even though I catch myself saying it all the time,” sophomore Kortney Sheahan said.
Topsy Turvy by Family Force 5 From Alice in Wonderland soundtrack and it’s about Alice needing an escape, but once she finds it she just wants to get back. I relate to this song in so many ways, I live a crazy life, but it’s easier to do what I know.
Alive for the First Time by Danger Radio I’ve just been introduced to Danger Radio, and I knew I wanted to put one of their songs on this playlist. It was hard to pick one, but this one is definitely the peppy playing-in-the-summer song I wanted.
Every Time You Go by Ellie Goulding Although I may be incredibly tone deaf, this is one of my favorite songs to belt out while driving around. Ellie Goulding has a beautiful voice that you just can’t help but love.
Over and Out by Alkaline Trio “Over and Out” is a song that, even if it has nothing to do with anything you’ve ever been through, you just can’t help but connect to it. I love songs that speak to me. Even if nothing is similar to anything to my life.
18 }
the scene | may 18, 2012
Instagram is a free photo sharing app. It allows users to take a photo, apply a digital filter the photo then share it on Instagram or different social networking websites. Instagram was first only used on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch “I love Instagram. I think it’s a great way to share pictures with effects that are more realistic looking compared to Camwow effects. I wish more people would get it,” sophomore Moriah Dutton said.
duck face The duck face is created mainly by teenage girls, or by those making fun of teenage girls. This face can be created by puffing out one’s lips to the extreme. To perfect this look, take a picture of yourself doing the face in a mirror — maybe even make a peace sign with your free hand in the picture. “Last time I checked I wasn’t attracted to birds, so quit acting like one,” senior Jake Henson said.
Run for your life ... or at least 5K By Cody Jones staff reporter
There is no denying zombies have infected pop culture with their unique combination of undead monstrosity and devastating terror. The concept of a zombie apocalypse is well received by society, and has lead to an increase in zombie-related productions. It is also a contributor to an interactive experience coming to Missouri: Run for Your Lives. On Aug. 18, zombies will be invading Wright City, and waves of survivors will attempt to navigate through a course with the “infected” lurking around every corner. This five kilometer obstacle race brings something new. No longer is there a cure to run
for, just personal survival. This unique zombie experience has garnered some attention from students. “It’s zombies, man! It’s going to be fun stuff,” junior Tyler Morris said. Run For Your Lives provides not just a run from start to finish, but fullscale zombie evasion and various obstacles to navigate. “I actually get to run from stuff, not just run 5k,” Morris said. After visiting runforyourlives.com, Morris posted the link on Facebook. Much like a zombie virus, it began spreading. “I saw this link from this kid Tyler Morris, so I looked it up and freaked out!” sophomore Emily Tedford said. “I’m all into Halloween and scary stuff, so this sounded cool.”
Tedford’s interest is not spurred purely from the zombies though. “I want to train and be able to say I got through it,” she said. Training is the next step to those who have already signed up. Tedford plans on training with the friends she is going to run with. “My friend and me are going down to the track here in a couple of weeks. We’ll probably do some hardcore parkour, and maybe have some people chase us around,” said Tedford. One thing that makes this 5k different is the fact that 5k is the minimum running distance. According to the runforyourlives. com, there are forks in the road that may lead runners down a longer path. Simply put, unlucky runners could be running for a long time.
Runforyourlives.com suggests running, but also and watching zombies films as forms of training. Morris plans on doing both to prepare for the race. “I’m going to do some running, watch some zombie movies with some friends, it’ll get me in the mind set,” Morris said. With over three months to train, Morris and Tedford expect that they’ll be prepared when the race comes. To Tedford, the goal is to survive. “I’m expecting a lot that day, but really all I want is to make it through,” Tedford said. The tickets for the race will remain on sale until Aug. 17, so there is still plenty of time to sign up for this interactive zombie experience.
fhctoday.com | the scene
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words of
“[V-necks are] sexy, but only without chest hair!”
from the
“anything that looks like it came out of your sister’s or girlfriend’s closet shouldn’t be worn.” -senior bree armer
“[hair should be] not too long, not too short. messy, but not the overly-gelled look.”
mantanks
-senior brittney steele
“tanks are okay ... if he doesn’t have moobs.”
“[tank tops] cut all the way down to your hips? sorry, you’re practically naked — no thanks! save it for the gym.” -senior sam kennedy
20}
the scene | may 18, 2012
skinny jeans
-senior sydney miller
-senior laila edwards
generally, girls like guys in tanktops ... as long as you are the kind of guy that goes to the gym everyday. so, if your idea of working out is playing video games, think twice before throwing on a mantank.
“please, pull your pants up." -senior khristine duncan it seems girls have two problems with the pants guys wear at school – they are too tight and too low. next time, take some advice from senior brittney steele. “guys should not wear jeans tight enough for their girlfriend to fit in them; oh, and pull your pants up!”
girls
wisdom
“[you’re] making it too easy for guys! some things need to be left up to the imagination.”
opposite sex
-junior andrew henke
yoga pants
“yoga pants are acceptable ... if you’re doing yoga.” -junior alex layton
if you are trying to pick up guys at the gym, yoga pants are probably the pant of choice ... but guys really don’t like to see yoga pants in school. junior andrew henke feels yoga pants are just, “a bit too revealing!” next time you get ready to go out, leave the yoga pants at home.
not
extreme like pink.”
-senior austin boden as cliche as it may be, most guys really like a natural beauty. junior michael braun thinks it’s all about what color the hair is actually being dyed. it seems guys are totally fine with hair dye as long as you don’t let roots grow out or the color fade for too long. from now on, do andrew henke a favor; “I just ask that it be done well and that they keep up with their color.”
hair color
“I like when it’s normal,
“if you’re going to put your hair in a bun, at least try and make it look nice.” -senior kurtis cato
“stop scrubbing everyday, bums.” -senior zac vanbooven
“I strongly dislike yoga pants. in my opinion, they reveal entirely too much that I don’t care to see while walking down the hallway. I would be overjoyed if the school banned them.” -junior james pugh
fhctoday.com | the scene
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or visit fhctoday.com/aperature
22}
photo by savannah mceachern
scan the code above and see a gallery on the children’s workshop.
A group of children show Director Ms. Michelle Moll the different make up designs they learned. Make up crew taught tiger and zebra designs.
the scene | may 18, 2012
Elementary school children laugh as they dress up in different costumes in the dressing rooms. The workshop had many stations for the kids to explore, such as painting and acting.
Junior Benjamin Patty teaches a little boy about paint crew during the work shop. The play, “Room 23,” was held after the workshop.
photo by savannah mceachern
want to see more?
Two girls enjoy painting at the paint station at the children's workshop. The workshop was held on Saturday.
photo by kelci davis
going to elementary schools to pass out information for the kids to take home to their parents.” All of the children enjoyed the workshop, according to Chandler, and the theatre department earned a lot of profits. Tickets for the play were $2 and the workshop was $10 per child. The workshop included stations for the children to go to such as make-up, props, set, acting and playwriting. Seniors Melissa Mossinghoff and Spencer Millfelt helped Chandler to teach a lesson on acting and playwriting. “We told the kids what it’s like to write a play, how to improve and we played a game called zipzap-zah,” Chandler said. “I think the kids were all inspired to see what it’s like to write a play.” Until “Room 23,” Chandler has been working behind the scenes of shows held by Spotlight Players, but also acted in “The Crucible.” Now that the play is over, Chandler feels “Room 23” and the workshop impacted the kids. “I really loved knowing that I helped inspire kids to do what they want to do, whether it’s writing, acting, whatever,” Chandler said. “It was nice seeing [the kids] get excited over receiving recognition for the things they did well.” Along with changing the children’s lives, being able to not only be involved with the workshop, but write the play, has made her realize something important. “Even though I’ve been in theatre since my freshman year, I never really felt like I truly belonged until now,” Chandler said. “Now I realize that I have something to offer to the department.”
photo by savannah mceachern
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{be heard} Back with a vengeance Congress passes another Internet censorship bill
Back in J a n u a r y, the Internet showed its influence when it brought about the demise of By Ben SOPA from Morrison a massive staff reporter response to an online petition. For that brief moment, the future looked bright for those who wanted a free and fair Internet. But history is destined to repeat itself, and Congress has done it again with the introduction of the CISPA act, or the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act. The bill, much like SOPA, is noble in cause. It is intended to allow the government to collect information that threatens cybersecurity from websites, including high traffic sites like Facebook and Twitter. However, again following the path of SOPA, opposition does not involve the intent of the bill. The thing most of the opponents of CISPA have a problem with is how vague the bill is on the definition of a cyberthreat. The description includes “theft or misappropriation of private or government information, intellectual property, or personally identifiable information” as a cyberthreat. Where most of the opposition comes from is the part of the definition that includes “intellectual property,” which has caused some opponents to describe the bill as a “big brother to SOPA”. The other main argument against the bill is that it basically allows the government access to any information you put on a site which feeds information to the government. It breaks down any previous barriers people believed there were when it came to privacy on the internet. Yet the bill has a large number of supporters, especially from large traffic telecommunication please read more: CISPA, PAGE 24
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My homosexual uncle is a great man. He grew up misunderstood in rural Kansas and metropolitan Arizona and California. He was a kid with a small friend circle because, in his time, not only was his life an undesirable one to be around, but also an unspoken one. However, he fought through the discrimination and has gone on to be arguably the most successful person in our family. By Sean Gundersen He’s certainly the staff reporter happiest. I cherish the moments I get to spend with him and his partner Larry at their three story home in St. Louis. From the tales of grandeur and wonder of their travels abroad, to stories about how he was a runner-up to represent our country in the 2000 Olympics as a swimmer in the 100-meter freestyle relays, to everyday small talk about how they caught a foul ball at the Cardinals game just a couple weeks ago, my uncle has been a role model and mentor for me in my life. Recently, a group of hard headed legislators have banded together to craft what seems to be a most irrelevant and unfounded piece of legislation that would inherently prevent me from discussing my weekend upon entering the school. I’ve already put my technological John Hancock on the petition to stop House Bill 2051 now circulating through the web, and I’m proud as can be to be in support of a cause that, in my mind, should’ve been settled a long time ago. HB2051 states that it, “Prohibits the discussion of sexual orientation in
President Barack Obama signaled his support for gay marriage on May 9 in an interview with ABC News. He has since called for a repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act.
public school instruction, material, or extracurricular activity except in scientific instruction on human reproduction.” I sincerely hope these words don’t sit well with you. I hope their crass nature makes you uncomfortable; makes you want to scream out, “What the hell?!” Are these legislators going to take away my right to discuss the weekend I spent with my family because it infringes on my ability to write an essay or do a math problem? I laugh in the face of the man who tries to enforce such nonsense, and I tip my hat as I bid him good day. This vile legislation is also set to deny lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students — some of my best friends and coworkers — a haven at their schools across the state of Missouri, possibly one of the few places where they feel safe. This flagrant denial of First Amendment rights would disband all school sponsored Gay-Straight Alliances, including the newly formed Francis Howell Central GSA of which I am a proud member and newly appointed Public Relations officer. At just
jump from page 23: THEATRE
companies. AT&T, Facebook, and Verizon are among the supporters, which is in high contrast to the amount of telecommunications companies which opposed SOPA. The main reason these companies and websites are supporting CISPA when they didn’t support SOPA is that in return for private information, the government provides participating
24}
be heard | may 18, 2012
three weeks old, the group is already 50 strong and still growing as more and more kids become aware of the club. My biggest concern is the aims of such laws. Supporters claim that the bills are not meant to be discriminatory, but simply to focus schools, teachers, and students on “the importance of core education.” Are they insinuating we aren’t mature enough? That we can’t handle the subject material? Plus, HB2051 would prohibit teachers from addressing bullying that pertains to sexual orientation, arguably the most prevalent kind of bullying in today’s day and age. I don’t know about you, but this is not adding up to a healthy learning environment. The fact of the matter is, if you prohibit discussion of LGBT issues in educational environments, you are also inherently prohibiting the much needed discussion of tolerance of these very “issues.” It is a much-needed lesson for the hundreds of students and teachers alike who refuse to acknowledge an LGBT population the vast majority of their friends and
websites with extra cybersecurity. While CISPA was actually introduced back in late November 2011, the bill is just now reaching the amount public attention that SOPA received. This is partially because of the recent “Stop Cyber Spying Week,” which spanned the week of April 16- 21 and was dedicated to raising public awareness of CISPA. But yet the momentum the opposition received was not enough to topple CISPA in the House, which passed CISPA with a vote of 248-168 on April 26. However, the bill passing in the House does not guarantee later success of the bill. The bill still has to go through the Senate, then past President Barack Obama.
photo by mct campus
HB2501 imperils LBGT students neighbors have begun to and already do accept and welcome. To do nothing would be insulting, not only to the LGBT community who have worked so hard to come as far as they have, but also to our society as a whole. We have ventured to incredible heights since the dark years of racial discrimination and opposition to women’s rights that plagued our history for so long. So why does this have to be any different? Keep in mind it is fair game to discuss race at school; there are no real bars on talking about religion — I guess someone forgot to tell me that conversing about sexual orientation is on the same magnitude as a cardinal sin. So go ahead, discourage the humanism that could grow up to be the next Neil Patrick Harris, Harvey Milk, or Ellen DeGeneres. But really folks, why are these deplorable representatives scrounging about, trying to account for a fine line that doesn’t even exist? One would assume that as government officials in charge of running our state, they would have more pressing matters to attend to, don’t you think? Missouri Republican Zach Wyatt has taken the lead in HB2051’s opposition by admirably becoming the first openly gay U.S. representative on the right wing of politics, and furthermore retracting his original support for HB2051. And now our commander-in-chief has thrown his support behind this cause as well. So hop to it. Show these reps what you truly value in life and how such an absurd bill would immediately detract from your inalienable rights and well-being as a student — growing and exploring a world that we all learn new and gripping things from every day.
But the bill still has a chance of passing and becoming law, and like SOPA, it would hurt the Internet, perhaps to a more drastic degree than SOPA ever could have. While the idea of more cybersecurity for websites is not necessarily a bad thing, the way CISPA intends to apply it is a disaster waiting to happen. If this bill passes, none of your information is safe. Any information you put on the Internet will essentially be the property of the government. The bill will make it so that you will either have an internet-less life filled with privacy, or a life on the internet with the government watching your every move. Sure, a website doesn’t have to participate, but why wouldn’t they? They are being rewarded for giving the government
Learn more about HB2501 Missouri House website Go to www.house. mo.gov/ and search HB2501 to find the full text of the bill. HB2051 states that it, “Prohibits the discussion of sexual orientation in public school instruction, material, or extracurricular activity except in scientific instruction on human reproduction.” If you’d like to stand alongside Sean, go to www. oktosaygay. org/ and click on “Sign the Petition.”
information that does not affect the website. If Pujols took a monetary bonus to betray his biggest fans, why won’t sites like Facebook or Twitter take extra security in return for giving away the information of non-paying customers? Like SOPA, CISPA is a bill which needs to be stopped before it passes through Congress. Unfortunately, its trip is already halfway complete. But the fight against CISPA is not yet lost. There are multiple petitions out there to sign, but that is not the most pressing matter. A petition won’t get Congress’ attention if only a couple hundred people sign it. What matters is raising more public attention to the bill before it passes under the radar again.
Hipster headaches Original trends are becoming too common, annoying, unoriginal Skinny jeans. Sweaters. Crazy hair. Coffee. Scarves. Indie music. Ridiculous glasses. Cats. All of these things are acceptable in society, but when combined and labeled with the term “hipster,” they are no longer By Madelyn hip at all. While “hipster” was used to describe people Newton staff reporter who dressed and acted in ways avoiding mainstream trends, hipsters have now become just as mainstream as they were trying to avoid. Skinny jeans and cardigans are an appropriate outfit for a school day; however, when the shirt has a picture of a cat, the cardigan is a winter sweater in 80 degree weather and the skinny jeans are green, this is not so acceptable. Some young women can pull off a short hairdo and some young men can pull off the slicked hair look, but not anyone and everyone. It makes no sense to cut off all of your hair and dye half of it pink. I’m sorry “hipsters,” but this is not a good look. Although everyone has the right to do what they want with their hair, it does not mean that they should do it. It
looks awful, people. Scarves are a female trend, gentlemen. This means that owning more than one or two scarves is not acceptable. Yes, a scarf can make an attractive man look put together, but there is no need to wear them more than one day a week. Also, scarves are generally a winter trend. The occasional floral print scarf for the ladies looks nice in spring or summer, but anything that you would wear in winter should not be a year round look. If you don’t need glasses, don’t wear them. They are used for seeing, not looking “cool.” Glasses used to be nerdy and dorky, but somehow over time they have become a fashion statement. Glasses should return back to their days of being used for sight instead of adding to the “hipster” style. It seems that hipsters are always carrying around a coffee mug or cup, no matter what time of day. Why? Are you really that sleep deprived? I do not think you are rich, hip or cool for constantly drinking coffee. I’ve never understood why listening to crappy music is “cool.” The fact that you “hipsters found it first” is only true because no one else wants to listen to it. Not all popular songs are good, but they are popular for a
the box
{
reason. There is also a reason that the songs you are listening to are not popular. It is because they sound awful. Not only is the hipster style confusing, I’ve never understood the strange obsession with cats. They are nasty, usually fat and hairy. They shed like crazy and make one’s home stink. Also, an owner has to clean up all of their messes. Why is this a popular trend? My grandma has a cat, does this make her a hipster? Eventually, this world will come to a place where everyone is conforming to the hipster style. This should be a world of expression and individuality. Instead, people who call themselves hipsters are setting this idea of “nonconformity” while they enjoy the following that they have received. Some hipsters will not even accept that they are these so called “hipsters” because it is too mainstream. I do not see a problem with conformity in itself, but there is no need to conform to the hipster group and claim to support nonconformity. In the end, liking cats or scarves or coffee does not make you hip. “Hipsters” should stop worrying about how they look and what people think of them and spend more time focusing on the more important things of life.
summer nights
a volley good time error
For most of us, we’ve become accustomed to a summer break starting in June. But for the first time since our elementary years, we get to taste the sweet victory of summer in the month of may.
The boys volleyball team was the third FHC sport to be in contention for state this year, including boys soccer and girls basketball.
Predicted as favorites for state contention, the varsity baseball team fell out of the playoffs at districts when they fell to St. Charles West.
avenged
endless expenses
{
LOVE LIKE LEAVE karma
Looks like St. Louis lucked out on the loss of Albert Pujols. The 250 million dollar man is stuck in first gear with the Los Angeles Angels as one of the worst hitters in the MLB with only one HR.
“The Avengers” has officially revived the superhero genre pulling in more than one billion dollars worldwide in just two weeks. Only a couple more years until fans will learnto forget busts like “Daredevil” and “The Incredible Hulk.”
AP Tests. Prom. Graduation (and subsequent grad parties). Senior trips. We’re just glad that these black holes for money have gone and passed.
fhctoday.com | be heard
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staffeditorial
future journey
looking back inspires
A
s graduation approaches, looking back at our past four years of high school has become a more common occurrence. It’s been four years since we first walked through the front door as new freshmen with high hopes, big dreams, expectations, and excitement for what the coming years had in store for our class. We firmly believe that as we get closer to the end of this school year, us seniors are experiencing the same feelings as when we finished our reign of terror in Francis Howell middle schools. Anxiety and excitement are coursing through the veins of many seniors who are ready to take the college world by storm as low life freshmen. Our reign here is coming to a close, so let’s take the time to look back on the past four years at Francis Howell Central. Our freshman year started off with the freshman orientation day and we entered to meet Dr. Sonny (awesome) Arnel in the auditorium to get the class pumped for the next four years. During our first assembly we all experienced the scare of 2011 graduate Jamyra Davis taking a back handspring off the stage. After confirmation that she was going to be alright, we moved on to take our first tour of the school. Our orientation was concluded with a run through of our classes and for many of us, long term friendships were made during this time. Freshman year came to an end, and we were finally sophomores, or “wise fools”. We were finally familiar with the school, some teachers and the majority of our classmates by this time. Boys volleyball made its second of two consecutive trips to the state final at Kirkwood High School. The wrestling team also had great success during this year, placing third in the state. Some students used this year to double up on science credits to free up some classes for senior year, and we did so at the advice of Mr. Thorpe. Biology and chemistry brought along challenges along with various math classes,
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be heard | may 18, 2012
world history and English II. We would venture to say that the conclusion of our sophomore year was slightly easier than freshman year because of our greater knowledge and experience with the horrors of final exams, but it wasn’t until junior year that we figured out that these exams only account for twenty percent of our final grade. Our junior year was met with early onset of senioritis for some, and for others more anxiety about the future. By this point, some of us were looking forward by exploring the world of college, and some of us were allowed to witness the greatness of Mr. Brian Cissell in American government or better yet in dunk contests with mini basketballs on his mini basketball hoop. This was also the year that we went into our first (semi) real lockdown after a bank robbery close by. At the end of the year, we witnessed a major change in the course of history when US navy SEALs killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. Our year wrapped up with Prom and AP tests for many of us. Finally, this year marked our senior year of high school. This publication
debated whether or not marching band was an activity or a sport, and later MSHSAA posted that it is in fact an activity and not a sport. Our football team played Wentzville Holt at the Edward Jones dome and won on the professional turf. Our swim team won conference. The Cardinals won the World Series and the Blues played in their first playoff game in a decade. We’ve all asked questions of why we didn’t graduate early, we know we ask ourselves this question every day when we wake up. We continue pushing towards graduation, which at this point is just around the corner. The relationships we have formed over the past four years, whether they be with friends or teachers, will be tested through our years in college. Superlatives we finally brought back in our homerooms and we all had the chance to give our input about who has the best hair. At this p o i n t many of us have looked into the future,
auditioned for college dance teams, gone through workouts with college sports teams, or auditioning for bands at the collegiate level. The work we have put in the past few years will surely come in handy as we enter the college world or the workforce as our high school days come to a close. Looking back on our personal experiences at FHC, we can say that we wouldn’t change much. We find it interesting that next year we won’t have to smell dead cats that send an atrocious scent from Mr. Dauve’s room. We will definitely miss watching as hypnotized students emerge from Mr. Bohning’s classroom on their post-hypnotic suggestion tasks. This truly is a bittersweet time, but there is a world outside of Howell Central that needs our generation as leaders for the future and this is our chance to capture it.
we want you to
wreck this paper!
Based on the book “Wreck This Journal” by Keri Smith, we want you to wreck this paper! Find the most creative way of changing a page in the paper to represent something about yourself — whether that be adding pounds of glitter or writing math equations all over the page. If you feel your wrecked page is creative enough, bring it to room 139 — yours just might be the page we choose!
and you can also win two
free tickets to
check the line-up: Blessthefall | Taking Back Sunday | Breathe Carolina | Of Mice & Men | Senses Fail | Pierce the Veil | The Used | All Time Low | Yellowcard | Anti-Flag | New Found Glory | We The Kings | Mayday Parade | Memphis May Fire | Bayside | Iwrestledabearonce | Rise Against to see the rest, go to fhctoday.com
Bring your page to room 139 to have a chance to win free tickets to WARPED TOUR
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Francis Howell Central High School 5199 Highway N St. Charles, Mo., 63304 Phone: 636.851.5636 Fax: 636.851.41
Alli Keisker - Print Executive Editor Kelci Davis - Visuals Executive Editor Ellen Hinze - Multimedia Executive Editor Blake Beck - Delve Editor Matt Lundberg - Sweat Editor Lizzi Holland - The Scene Editor Margaret Borgmeyer - Be Heard Editor Maddie Wilson - Design Editor Sean Gundersen - Communications Editor Sean Carroll - iFocus Editor Karley Canova - Reporter Allison Comfort - Reporter Caitlan Good - Reporter
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the central focus, along with fhctoday.com, are student run publications which look to serve the francis howell central community through relevent, realiable journalism. the newsmagazine is meant to be have analytical outlook on topics and stories which matter to our readers. we are always looking to improve, and feedback is always appreciated. fhctoday.com | interact
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Final recognition With prom right around the corner, students gathered at the pep assembly on May 4 to celebrate the accomplishments of the spring sports teams, to show appreciation to their teachers and to recognize those on Prom court. The assembly featured friendly competitions, various performances and dessert weaponry.
photos by alli keisker
Mrs. Ashley Wager anticipates being pied in the face by her T.A., senior Daulton Daies. Daies had to hold a bucket over his head and catch a ball in order to pie Mrs. Wager.
Junior Sarah O'Leary assaults her soccer coach, Ms. Christina Young, in the face with a pie. The assembly featured competitions between students and teachers.
Varsity baseball members cheer on senior Dean Ballenger as he participates in the home run derby. Ballenger performed the best at the derby by being the strongest and most consistent hitter.
Seniors Hannah Greco, Amber Rumbolo, Danielle Grieve, Sydne Glenn and Calli Fletcher wait for the music to begin. The performance at the Pep Assembly was their last as varsity Sensations.
Seniors Kyle Chumbley and Genesis Carter smile at their classmates as they are introduced as members of Prom court. The two later went on to receive the title of Prom King and Queen.
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aperture | may 18, 2012