central
FOCUS VOLUME 21, ISSUE 6, MAY 2018 FRANCIS HOWELL CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL
Their stories
Multiple students share how mental illness has affected their lives
2
MAY 2018
ABOUT
DEAR READERS,
In December, our school was wracked with the loss of a student due to suicide. Immediately, the issue of mental illness was thrust into the spotlight and became a more prevalent conversation than before, with teachers urging students and students urging each other to seek help if they were also struggling. However, mental illness is not a sudden problem; it’s an underlying issue at least a quarter of teenagers battle on a daily basis. Through the stories of students who are currently struggling to survive, who knew someone who did not survive, or who have survived themselves, we hope anyone who may be struggling can find a ray of hope and anyone who is not can find a new understanding for those around them who may be. Above all else, we want anyone who may be reading these stories to know there is always time and a way to get help. You are not alone.
STAFF
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF
Skylar Laird & Emily Mann & Belen Herrera WEB EDITOR: Liz Baker DISCOVER EDITOR: Garrett Allen FEATURE EDITOR: Lanie Sanders MOVE EDITOR: Juliet Fuhrmann VOICE EDITOR: Whitney Klein ENTERTAIN EDITOR: Millennia Simmons PHOTO EDITOR: Sydney Robbins VIDEO EDITOR: Connor Crites LIVESTREAM EDITOR: Zach Jones SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR: Tyler Summers STAFF REPORTERS: Catherine Analla, Craig Eddy, Carlin Bippen, Chloe Bockhorst, Kana Chung, Marcus Falcomata, Jennifer Ferry, Jessica Fults, Justin Hedrick, Bryce Lee, Annalise Davis, Gillian Pendel, Megan Percy, Lanie Sanders, PJ Sheehan,
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS:
Alura Berry, Mackenzie Craven, Jordan Dusenberg, Kierston Fisher, Olivia Fong, Emily Hall, Brynlee Hendricks, Liv Hritzkowin, Grace James, Gracie Kruep, Gillian Lee, Zoe Lentz, Josie Prince, Ethan Wagman, Doug West.
THOUGHTS?
Have a letter for the editor or a question for us?
If something we wrote demands your voice, please e-mail us at fhcpub@gmail.com or drop your handwritten letter off with Mr. Schott in Room 139. 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.
CONNECT
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TEST TAKING: Math tests are a difficult ordeal for anyone who doesn’t enjoy math. Craig Eddy’s comic on page 30 reflects this panic. ILLUSTRATION BY CRAIG EDDY
MAY 2018
content
3
DISCOVER
Proposition Learn ... 4-5
An analysis of what could happen next year after the district’s third tax levy failed
AP testing debacle ...6
AP tests overlap with last week of school, causing more stress for students
Toxic landfill ... 7
Earth City landfill spreads radiation, infecting city’s residents FEATURE
Flying high ... 9
Along with getting her driver’s license, Steffany Hinkebein has a pilot’s license
Westbound ... 10-11
Senior Abigail Green was accepted to the U.S. Militay Academy
Unusual hobbies ... 12
Students practice uncommon hobbies outside of school
A noble man ... 13
Self-taught musician Ryan Noble receives global recognition OVERSCHEDULED: Hamad Khan, senior, pours diligently over his notes. Due to scheduling, the second week of AP testing will coincide with the last days of school, impeding students’ usual relief and celebrations. PHOTO BY DOUG WEST
FOCUS
The battle ... 14-15
Mental illness can be an uphill battle for those afflicted, making daily life harder
The aftermath ... 16-17
Entire communities are affected by suicide: family, friends, even strangers
The facts ... 18-19
Mental illness can spur from traumatic events, genetics, or chemical imbalances
The process ... 20-21
Though it can be difficult, recovery is possible and has been done MOVE
Diet versus exercise ... 23
The benefits of working out regularly versus just eating healthy
Committed ... 24
ENDANGERED: A green sea turtle swims in the ocean, one of an increasing number of animals on the endangered species list. This list will continue growing at an alarming rate without human intervention.
Sophomore Jay Viola commits to SIUE’s soccer team at an early age
Equestrian excellence ... 25
Ally Huffman receives accolades for horse riding abilities VOICE
Cannabis conflict ... 27
The debate about legalizing marijuana comes to Central
Invisible illness ... 28
Even though mental illnesses can not be seen, they are still valid
Going extinct ... 29
As more species go extinct, conservation efforts become more important
COMEDY CARD: Senior Seth Ferrell performs at Improv Night, a club he does to accompany his participation in a barbershop choir. He is one of the students who have unique hobbies outside of school. PHOTO BY GILLIAN
HEALTH ADDICT: Reese McLaughlin holds up one of her favorite foods: an apple. Though McLaughlin does not work out regularly, she does maintain her health by eating clean, sparking a debate about the merits of exercise versus eating right. PHOTO BY OLIVIA FONG
ENTERTAIN
Math testing ... 30
Math tests are never easy, as Craig Eddy expressed in this comic
4
MAY 2018
discover
Cracks in the system
How Proposition Learn failed and its’ effects on the district in future years
DOWN IN THE DUMPS: Mr. Patrick Reed, teacher of Biology and Zoology/Botany, gazes out from within a garbage dumpster. Following the failure of Proposition Learn, many faculty members will continue to have their salaries frozen and left without cost-of-living adjustments causing morale to be at its lowest in decades. PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS BY GRACIE KRUEP
By Garrett Allen
Discover editor When the doors to polling stations finally closed at 7 p.m. on the evening of April 3, the news was quickly apparent. After over one month of intense campaigning, countercampaigning, and months of strategic planning prior, the Francis Howell School District’s major tax/ spending legislation – Proposition Learn – had failed. Voted down with a simple majority of 51.59 percent, the proposal was to be the district’s first funding increase in 14 years and had been the third failed proposal in three. Met with intense and widely varying emotions from teachers, administrators, students, and constituent taxpayers, the reasons as to why FHSD has struggled so significantly with passing a tax levy are still ambiguous to many. Many in the community believe the district is mismanaged; many believe it’s running on fumes. Public schools across the nation are funded through a variety of federal, state, and local sources, and property tax revenue from the community is one of the biggest
streams—56 percent. Proposition Learn represented a 46-cent increase in the property taxes paid per-dollar of assessed value, approximately $15 more per month in a home valued at $200,000. It would have allowed the district to restore resources that have been cut over the past eight years, including paraprofessionals and psychologists, and pursue plans that have been in the books for even longer, like a full overhaul of technology-based resources, as well as the curriculums surrounding them. To understand why every proposal in the past 14 years has been shut down, one has to return to the aftermath of Proposition Howell, two years ago.
Cracks forming
Since the passage of a large tax levy in 2004, the district remained financially stable and growing. Purchases of new technology were at an all time high. And yet, come autumn 2014, without any additional funding, gaps began to form between money coming in and out. Proposition Y was introduced in 2015, but failed handedly when voters
viewed the attempt as a sneak-by tax increase. Proposition Howell, on the November 2016 general election ballot, carried the major hope of the district for new funding. On the forefront of solving the impending financial emergency was Mr. Kevin Supple, FHSD Chief Operations Officer and Chairperson of the Finance and Operations Committee. “The district had, for many years, been able to have a balanced budget, and so when we got to fiscal year ‘15, we started to see that picture shift,” Mr. Supple said. “An emphasis [of] Proposition Howell was to provide additional revenue so we didn’t have an excess of expenditures over revenue.” Regardless of the need, however, the local community rejected Prop. Howell by a close tie, throwing the district into disarray and calling into question what could have been done to change the final outcome. “An advantage that may have turned out to be a disadvantage was that Proposition Howell was on the November 2016 ballot, so it was among a series of things, including a presidential election, that needed to
be voted on,” Mr. Supple said. “There was an enormous voter turnout for that election; we had to cast our net very broadly to reach a very broad constituency.” Voting overwhelmingly for President Trump, the community turnout reflected the same partisanship in Prop. Howell. “We were hopeful that the larger community turnout would work in our favor, perhaps not necessarily as a result of anything we did or didn’t do, but of the changing political climate in the country,” Mr. Supple said. “There was a much more conservative outcome than we might have been able to anticipate.” In the aftermath of Prop. Howell’s failure, the district’s financial planning team finally sat down to make enormous cuts to the overall budget in order to bring it back into a balanced state. The equivalency of over 250 full-time positions was cut. An “Activities Fee” of $40 was introduced at the start of this school year. “We subsequently made some reducations to our expenditures in order to bring revenue and expense closer into line, so we currently have
discover
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MAY 2018
5
After getting to know some of my teachers on more of a personal level, I can see them struggling with [being] able to make ends meet. I see them pouring their entire lives into [us].” - Junior JD Salser
a balanced budget, as a result of those changes that were made,” Mr. Supple said. The result was a budget that was balanced but weakened. Educators like FHC Teachers’ Union Representative and FACS teacher Mrs. Grace Clifford were shocked by the outcome but believed improvements were made in prospect for the next attempt, Proposition Learn. “I know on the night of the election, I thought it was going to pass,” Mrs. Clifford said. “But when you look at how much further we’ve come in educating the public since then, we’ve really taken the education level so much higher.”
New efforts dashed
One of the most fundamental aspects of local politics involves the simple fact that few actually care about it. Local elections and ballots have the lowest turnouts out of any type of election, and as such, for a school district to pass funding legislation. it is essential to educate the public. According to Mrs. Clifford, with Prop. Learn, the district employed new tactics. “What we did with Prop L. that was a little different was that we specifically targeted families in the schools that had previously voted in the past election in November,” Mrs. Clifford said. “It [helped] so much just to help people understand what the frequently asked questions were.” However, even with a greater emphasis on
directed, specific community education, the “No” advocacy group pushed back hard. Their use of signs simply broadcasting a “10 percent tax increase” was contentious to many. “I think it’s a fair statement; if you think about our current levy, four dollars and 85 cents, then 46 cents would be approximately a ten-percent tax increase….to property taxes. I think we all know that the tagline doesn’t tell the whole story,” Mr. Supple said. “You have to remember that the increase is going to be used over a span of time. It’s important to realize that, yes, it’s a ten percent property tax rate increase, but that’s to fund us for the next ten years. It’s been 14 years since we’ve had an increase.” Regardless, at the polls, Mr. Supple heard numerous conflicting reasons as to why the community was shutting down Prop. Learn. “We’ve made a very concerted effort to alert the community of what our needs are, but I believe that there are a number of misconceptions that continue to persist despite our best efforts to educate people,” Mr. Supple said. “I had a gentlemen tell me that we spent too much money advertising this to the community and he thought that was wasteful, so that’s why he was voting no. I had another gentlemen tell me we didn’t spend enough money to educate the community about this, we were trying to sneak it by, and that’s why he was voting no. Well, I don’t know how both of those things can be true.”
He continued, “I had one gentleman tell me, ‘Look at your performance; your academic performance as a school district is very high. You don’t need the money.’ I had another gentleman tell me, ‘Look at your performance, you’re not the highest scoring school district, so you’re not using your money properly.’ How do you bridge those communication gaps?” he said. “If we were consistently hearing one message - ‘You get this wrong, you’re not doing enough of this’ - it would be less of a problem. But when there are those conflicting messages, I don’t know how to bridge those gaps. It’s very difficult.” Mrs. Clifford believes the misconceptions, as a result of faulty community education, continue to hamper progress. “I read several Facebook posts afterward from people who voted it down, and they were talking about how there wasn’t much transparency. So I went to BoardDocs, and you can go look how every check is spent on BoardDocs,” she said. By the day’s end, Proposition Learn, the lowest tax levy the district has ever proposed, failed by approximately 500 votes. The repercussions will not be immediately apparent, but the district’s future, as of now, is bleak. According to Mr. Supple and the Board of Education, the district is expected to feel immense strain in technological funding, teacher/faculty pay, and support for students with emotional needs,.
Continue reading about the eroding FHSD budget, its direct impacts on teachers, and what a future attempt will look like on FHCToday. com https://www.fhctoday.com/24376/showcase/cracks-in-the-system/
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MAY 2018
DISCOVER
Exam conflicts Overlap of finals, AP exam schedules causes problems
DIGGING DEEP: Senior Hamad Khan studies in the learning commons for end of the year testing. This year’s overlap causes students to stress out more during long study periods. PHOTO BY DOUG WEST
By Patrick Sheehan
Staff reporter At the end of every school year, there is always an incoming wave of stress as AP tests and finals approach. Before this year, AP testing has taken place before finals, but this year they have switched up the testing to overlap with finals. Of course, this is a new and different situation that has many students worried about studying and preparing for these grueling tests at the end of the year. Some students have no problem with the schedule because of the minimal amount of AP classes that they are taking. Sophomore Ethan White, along with many other sophomores, is only taking one AP class. “Considering that I’m not really taking any of the AP testing, it really doesn’t have an affect on me,” White said. “But I know [the new schedule is] struggling with a lot of other people’s [finals].” Because of the new schedule, stress is on a whole new level for some students, especially for juniors. Junior Stephanie Monson understands the pressure of the testing at the end of the year and is taking steps to prepare. “For AP testing in general, there is stress to
perform, especially since it’s my junior year. That’s going to be the scores a lot of colleges are looking at,” Monson said. “Especially since it’s like at the very end of the year and everything else is happening. Like, everyone’s got prom and concerts and just all of the end-of-the-year banquets, so it’s definitely a really busy time.” The schedule is created by the college board two years in advance, so none of the schools that have AP testing have a say about the testing until the board sends out the schedules. Chief Human Resource Officer Mrs. Lisa Simpkins had no warning about the new schedule until the end of last year. “The 2017-2018 calendar was originally approved on December 17, 2015. FHSD has no control over the AP testing window,” Mrs. Simpkins said. “In the past, the College Board designated the AP testing window during the first two weeks of May. At the end of last school year, we learned that the College Board changed the AP testing window to the second and third week of May. The College Board also sets which AP exams are given on which dates and during which session (AM or PM).” In these last stressful weeks of school, it
is important to know how to destress while studying. Every student has their own way to destress themselves from studying. “I like to listen to music like right before or the night before,” Monson said. “[I also] like [to] go workout or run or something, just any type of physical activity that just kind of helps me get my mind off of it.” Talking to other people can also help relieve stress. Even at school, students can get help to relax. “I would encourage [students] to speak to their counselor to work through the issue,” Mrs. Simpkins said. “If a student has taken an AP class and has elected to take the corresponding AP exam, they will be exempt from taking any final exam(s) scheduled during that same date/time as the AP exam.” AP testing overlapping with finals can be a really stressful time for students. It is important to keep calm and take a break every now and then. These end of the year tests are very important and studying for long periods of time does help but take a break every now and then. Stressing too much can cause distraction from studying.
Week of May 13th Monday
Tuesday
Biology Calculus AB Music Theory Calculus BC Physics C: Computer Science A Mechanics Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
Wednesday English Language and Composition Macroeconomics
Thursday World History Statistics
Friday Human Geo Microeconomics European History
DISCOVER
MAY 2018
Toxic city
7
How the West Lake Landfill is spreading cancer and the initial causes By Bella Davis
waste was spilling the radioactive material on Staff reporter every single roadway to the airport and back. Certain illnesses, such as heart disease, With the disapproval of leaving the uranium ebola, and leukemia, have been incurable for at the airport, the trucks went to Coldwater years. So the temporary solution for trying to Creek and several St. Louis suburbs to spare lives is to get to the bottom of the issue discreetly dump this waste, then proceeded and prevent initial causes. The hardest part is to put the rest in the West Lake Landfill in finding those sources. Landfills have been in Bridgeton, Missouri. existence for a long time and people are just Houses and basements have been now hearing about their role in the causes of inspected and tested to have radioactivity cancer. It is getting to a dangerous point and and that is something that has become citizens should be warned of the real risks of impossible to escape. Because it happened living so close to a killing machine. in many different locations, the radioactive Mrs. Kellie Staback, Genetics and material has become extremely difficult to Environmental Science teacher, gave track down and get rid of completely. information about what happened with “Our citizens are in need and seek the uranium and environmental justice. about what it can They want answers do to your body. to decades worth of This is critical when unanswered questions,” thinking upon this Mrs. Staback said. “Many topic because the community members in whole concern St. Louis have strived for is about human justice in regards to the health. public health concerns “Radioactive surrounding the landfill material can controversy.” damage our cells. Families constantly Some cells die run into the problem off while others of not knowing if it become abnormal is even safe to walk due to mutations outside. Parents cannot -Genetics and Environmental teacher in your DNA. When let their kids outside Kellie Staback DNA is mutated, to play because the cancer can occur,” severity is uncertain. Mrs. Staback said. Even dogs are having The reason why this is such a big deal is tumors and lumps visibly grow all over them. because people do not realize what the real Uranium decayed product is radon. The danger is because they are not informed and reason radon is so dangerous is it directly do not realize it is a problem until it is too causes cancer because it is a beta emitter. late. Fast moving and extremely dangerous, it is When the nuclear waste was being no joke. transported, the Environmental Protection “Some citizens have joined forces to seek Agency (EPA) moved it from Weldon Springs environmental justice through the removal to the West Lake Landfill. of the radioactive waste. Many are fearful “During World War II, St. Louis factories about how the radiation is impacting their were responsible for making materials for the family’s health,” Mrs. Staback said. Manhattan Project,” Mrs. Staback said. “This The area in which this waste was spilled project used uranium to produce nuclear and dumped was not only a residential area, weapons. The radioactive waste produced at but a commercial/business area. For workers these factories was dumped in sites such as who have to be in that area every day because West Lake.” of their jobs, it can cause problems, so much When millions of pounds of uranium so that some workers have even quit their ore were transported to the Lambert jobs because they do not think it is worth International Airport, disaster struck. Not only the risk. Some of the waste was dumped just did the airport reject the truck’s request to south of Coldwater Creek. Whenever it rains, leave the waste, the truck moving all of this the water tends to run off into the creek. That
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Many are fearful about how the radiation is
impacting their
family’s health.”
run off path happens to be right where the radioactive waste was dumped. Inside the landfill, there is fire under all of the waste. Not only is there radioactive waste dumped in random spots in the St. Louis area, the waste that is in the West Lake Landfill is just a few hundred feet above flames to burn other waste. If that radioactive material meets those flames, a once horrible situation gets a whole lot worse. Because this situation has become so dangerous, the West Lake Landfill is now known as a Superfund site. That is a site where toxic waste has been dumped and has become dangerous to the point where it needs to be cleaned up, but then that brings up the fact that it can not just simply be removed. “The EPA has decided to do a partial excavation and removal of the radioactive material, meaning that some of the material will remain in the landfill,” Mrs. Staback said. “Despite the long-term protection cover, this may mean that radioactivity could be left behind causing potential contamination to surrounding water and sediment.” The one thing that still can be done is to keep informing people. The more people who know, the more lives potentially saved because people can never predict the behavior of radioactivity.
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MAY 2018
DISCOVER
SAY WHAT?!?!?! You haven’t bought your yearbook yet?
Well, this is what the cover looks like. Buy your copy (using the order form on the back page) before the year ends. The price is $65 and books are on sale until the final day of school.
feature
MAY 2018
9
Pilot’s passion Steffany Hinkebein makes unique hobby into career By Chloe Bockhorst
Her love grew so much that since then, the airport has set up permanent residence in her thoughts and daily life. Senior Alex Caudillo is a friend of Hinkebein’s and has noticed how quickly it has changed her friend’s life, even in the small ways. “She makes a lot of references [to flying], to be honest, about things that I have no idea about. I just kind of act like I know,” Caudillo said. Even though her friend’s knowledge and ability to relate is limited, Hinkebein’s enthusiasm is not. With flight being such a large part of her life, it’s difficult for her to not show her love for it. Learning to command the pit, working at a pilot shop nearby, and even just watching other pilots fly consumes the remainder of her hours after school. Along with her extensive lessons, Hinkebein also took a job next to the airport to further her knowledge. With everything she’s involved in for flight, it’s difficult not to be so enthusiastic. FLYING SOLO: Steffany Hinkebein prepares for a flight lesson. It takes lots of time to get to fly a solo flight; the minimum is six months. PHOTO COURTESY OF STEFFANY “I was down there every single HINKEBEIN day, at least for three hours a day minimum. If I wasn’t, [I was] there for do - aspiration of being a pilot for said. six to nine hours,” Hinkebein said. the military - is time consuming, Her excitement for life, though To anyone else, this seems requires extensive education, and great before, has increased due excessive. To Hinkebein, it is merely calls for a wide range of skills. to finding her passion. Even if in preparation for what she will be “I’m for sure going to check Hinkebein’s friends often don’t working on for the rest of her life. into the reserves… it’s a lot of understand her flying references Commercial flying takes up most of a commitment. It’s a lot of travel. or in-depth explanations, they pilot’s time. What Hinkebein wants to It’s a lot of stress. It is a lot of stress understand why it’s so important because you have to worry about to her. FLYING HIGH: Hinkebein flies over Central during one of her flights. Flying is not what’s going on in the air, as well “I think it’s kind of like freedom, only a time for learning, but a “time to think... time to relfect.” PHOTO COURTESY OF as what’s going all below you,” because not many teenagers really STEFFANY HINKEBEIN Hinkebein said. have that freedom to do that sort Despite such a big job looming of thing,” Caudillo said. “It sets before her, the time she puts into her apart from everyone else, just flight is well on its way to pay itself something that’s unique that not off. Flying for the military requires many people get to do.” lots of positive characteristics that As Hinkebein prepares to her friends and family believes she graduate, she also prepares for her possesses. career in high places. Junior Vinny Graczyk is also a “Everybody wants to be a friend of Hinkebein’s. Knowing teacher. Everybody wants to be what she has currently and ahead of a nurse, everybody wants to be her, he has full faith in her abilities. everything else. But whenever “[Flying is] something that you hear pilot that’s like, ‘Whoa,’... she really loves... I mean, there’s I think some people question nobody really like Steff. She’s really like ‘Why would you do that,’... passionate for people,” Graczyk I don’t know, it’s not me.”
Staff reporter An ever present, deafening drone surrounds the Chesterfield airport as aircrafts come and goes in the sky surrounding it. Above the airport, pilots in training learn to make split decisions nearly every second they’re commanding in the pit. Below, students learn the techniques that only scrape the surface of everything they need to know to actually fly a plane. One of those students hunches over a book, reading about everything that could go wrong during her flight. Though startling, learning these facts doesn’t deter her from pursuing a career as a pilot. Steffany Hinkebein has been training to be a pilot since the beginning of her junior year. Now a senior, flight has become a significant part of her life. She has had the privilege of finding her passion early in life. Over a year ago, she had no idea that her life would be changed. Now, flight pushes her to pursue her future career. “I actually went to the air show they had two years ago, then my dad got this Groupon [for a flight lesson]... he was like, ‘You get to go up for this free introduction flight, and if you like it we can get you into it,’ and so I did it and I loved it,” Hinkebein said.
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MAY 2018
feature
POINTED WEST: From left to right: Abigail Green poses with West Point sophomore and her host, Lauren Schultz, in the West Point field house. Green tests her skills in West Point’s simulated weapons arena. Green smiles next to the huge West Point logo on the school’s football field. PHOTOS COURTESY OF ABIGAIL GREEN
To be armed and ready Abigail Green receives appointment to West Point after working tirelessly By Skylar Laird
Co-editor in chief Senior Abigail Green sits attentively in her classes, eyes magnified by her glasses focused on her paper. Someone speaks to her and she turns, listening attentively, laughing brightly as they joke. Looking at her, with her bright mind and kind personality, she doesn’t seem like the stereotypical type of person to be seeking a future in the military. Green spins, discus in hand, and hurls one of her record-breaking throws. Glasses off now, out on the track, throwing with a strong arm, Green does not seem like someone who would be pursuing a school with Ivy League-comparable academics. But on Feb. 15, Green received a call from state representative Ann Wagner congratulating her on her success in both fields with an appointment to the US Military Academy at West Point, a historically renowned school with a 10 percent acceptance rate, reserved for the best of the best academically, physically, and in character. Despite its prestige and notoriety, Green did not even know West Point existed until junior year, when she received a recruiting letter based on her record with the track team. Knowing she wanted to go to college to study engineering but having no idea where, she read through the letter out of curiosity. Immediately, it piqued her interest, checking off every criteria she had for a college, from an outstanding engineering program to the opportunity to continue throwing discus for their team.
“I would say it’s a combination of things [that made me consider West Point],” Green said. “I think I want to go into engineering and it’s one of the top engineering schools; that’s kind of their main thing, they’re known for their engineering. Another thing is the military aspect, that I’ll be able to serve in the Army, and then it was little things, like how I get to wear a uniform every day
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I just like the fact that [West Point is] everything I want and everything I know I want to do and I know I’m supposed to be there. It’s been made so clear to me this is what I’m supposed to pursue, so why not go all out?” - Senior Abigail Green
and I don’t have to worry about what to wear, and how I’ll be able to throw there, I’ll be able to do track and field at a pretty competitive level. As I kept researching it, it just seemed to fit so well.”
West Point offers its students the opportunity to graduate both with a bachelor’s degree and as a second lieutenant army officer, meaning Green will go directly from the school to a leadership position. Ironically, though, Green does not come from a military family; before West Point, joining the military had never even crossed her mind. “I actually didn’t really consider [the military] until I started looking into West Point and what it was all about,” Green said. “I don’t come from a military family at all, so I really don’t know anything about it, but the more I looked into it, it just checked off a bunch of boxes. I love the whole service aspect; I just know that where I’m supposed to be and where I’m supposed to help people is in the military.” The difficulty level of earning acceptance to the school was reflected in its arduous application process, entailing the usual transcripts and test scores mandated by the majority of colleges as well as three essays, four teacher recommendations, a recommendation from either a state senator or representative, a physical evaluation administered by a public clinician, and a fitness test. Green was able to pass every aspect with relative ease until she reached the fitness test, where she struggled, failing it several times. Administered by a PE teacher and recorded by her younger sister, sophomore Olivia Green, Green sent in three different submissions before one was finally accepted without being sent back to her. “[The fitness test] was so frustrating because it
MAY 2018
feature
4,400 students attend
10%
acceptance rate
sounds easy, and it is, and I’m sure a lot of people have no problems with it, but that was my big stumbling block,” Green said. “I couldn’t do the pull-up because I’ve never done a pull-up before. I couldn’t do it. Even times when I thought it was good enough, [the admissions office sent back my video] and they either said that no, I didn’t get my chin level above the bar, or no, this was invalid, and… that was just really defeating. In those times, I was like, ‘Okay, this is hard, I can’t do this. If I can’t pass this dumb pull-up, why am I supposed to go here?’ But eventually, I got it and got going.” Green’s perseverance eventually paid off, though, when she received a call over the intercom asking her to come down to Assistant Principal Michelle Breuer’s office. According to Green’s admissions liaison and West Point’s track coach, admission was looking good for Green, but she still had yet to hear a final decision. Sporting her West Point hoodie, unsure of what would happen next, Green made her way to the main office, where Ann Wagner congratulated Green over the phone as Green’s parents and younger sister walked in behind her, wrapping her in excited hugs. Green felt a weight lifted from her chest; she had made it in. All her hard work had paid off. “I felt really proud of myself,” Green said. “I mean, just with the little stuff, like not being able to pass that fitness test, and [not having] perfect grades — I’m definitely not the smartest person ever — I was just proud because, even regardless of all that, to be able to still get in and reach that goal I had set for myself a year ago, to pursue that… it just felt really good. Plus, I just know my parents and my family and friends were really excited about [it].” Olivia was especially excited, having watched her older sister’s journey from beginning to end, being present for every failure, and now, for the biggest success. “I was so excited. I mean, I knew before she did,” Olivia said. “When I got called down [to the
OFFICIAL: Abigail Green poses with her West Point acceptance letter. Only ten percent of applicants receive the honor of attending this prestigious school. PHOTO COURTESY OF ABIGAIL GREEN
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how much Green will pay to attend
office], I thought something was wrong, but [Mrs. Breuer] told us [Green was admitted] and then we surprised Abigail and came in behind her while she was on the phone, so it was really cool.” From here, Green just has to finish her senior year before heading off to basic training to prepare for her next four years . Like any military academy, she will undergo training accompanied by West Point’s rigorous academics and emphasis on leadership. Green anticipates it being a challenge, but not one she can’t overcome. “I’m expecting it to be really really hard,” Green said. “This July, I leave for basic training and there are going to be people yelling in my face and it’s going to be probably a lot more physical than my regular day-to-day life now. I’m kind of afraid, but I’m excited because I know going through that will definitely just make me a better person and will be nothing but positive. So as far as that goes, I’m expecting it to be very hard but worth it. You know, like anything hard, it’ll be worth it.” Green’s competitive nature will hopefully help her be successful despite the challenges of attending such a cutthroat school, just as it pushed her achieve so highly during high school. This, accompanied with Green’s ongoing goal of making it into West Point, drove her to strive for greatness and ultimately lead to her appointment at the school of her dreams. “I’ve always wanted to go to a pretty prestigious school because I know I can; if I would apply myself and work towards it, I knew I’d be able to. But where it was, I wasn’t sure,” she said. “But when I found out [about West Point, I was] like, ‘okay, West Point. This can happen. I can do this.’ Then I think just the excitement of knowing that I’ll be able to go to a place that’s so historically phenomenal and so prestigious… I mean, that’s almost all the motivation I need. I just know that it’s going to like set me up for success… I just like the fact that it’s everything I want and everything I know I want to do and that I know I’m supposed to be there. It’s been made so clear to me that’s what I’m supposed to pursue, so why not go all out?”
POINTED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION: See Green’s acceptance video and more about her record-breaking discus throws on FHCToday.com
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As children, everyone dreams of growing up one day to be a superhero. These imaginary warriors have always shown us what we all want to become.
Superheroes 1. Wonder Woman This female demigod is a powerhouse of justice and compassion, using her lasso of truth and bullet proof bracelets.
2. Batman
The Dark Knight is a shadowed warrior who is the protector of Gotham City.
3. Spiderman
Your friendly neighborhood Spiderman is one of the funniest and brightest heroes seen swinging around Marvel’s New York City.
4. Superman
The classic superhero everyone looks to as an example of strength, power and heroism.
5. Captain America
This zero-to-hero soldier showed everyone that anyone can be a hero, as long as they have the will to do what is right.
6. Black Panther
The Wakandan King is the feline protector of his hidden African kingdom and is a strong fighter for peace.
7. Wolverine
The edgy self-healing outcast of the X-Men, scarred by the experiementation he went through in the Weapon X program.
8. The Flash
Barry Allen is the speedy hero of Central City who saw the horrifying murder of his mother as a child, which his father was unjustly incarcerated for.
9. Dr. Strange
The metaphysical master of the mystic arts, he is the Sorcerer Supreme and former star surgeon who occupies the New York City Sanctum.
10. Squirrel Girl
Central Park’s infamous protector, she once took down Dr. Doom using her ability to control squirrels alone.
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feature
Passions without precedence
To read more about these students and their atypical activities, snap the QR code below:
AIRBORNE AGILITY: Joshlyn Enochs, using beautiful purple silks, suspends herself in mid-air while doing the splits. Tricks like these are not uncommon in aerial silks, the unusual art Enochs practices, which requires great flexibility for her to do safely. PHOTO BY KAITLYN NIXON
Supressing stress with silks Long, elegant drapes hang from the high ceiling of the FlipSide gym. Down below, on the floor, sophomore Joshlyn Enochs stretches in preparation and anticipation for climbing up the beautiful silks and twisting in the colorful drapes, leaving all the day’s stressors up in the air. “When I go, it’s a relief [from] the whole day, and if I’m just stressed out during the day, I just think ‘I’m going to go to this tonight, and it’s all going to be good,’” Enochs said. Enochs started aerial silks three years ago, and now practices once a week at FlipSide. Since the start of her career, she has gotten stronger and more flexible, giving her the ability to do tricks with the silks without fear. “When I first started, I was … super skinny, no muscle, and now I’m super flexible and strong,” Enochs said. While a lot of people might shake in fear at the thought of dangling several feet in the air with only themselves and the silks to prevent them from falling, Enochs believes that it’s something a person has to accept may happen and go for regardless. “It’s fearful sometimes. I’ve hurt myself before doing it, but it’s just a thing that you have to know is going to happen. There’s always a risk,” Enochs said.
Three students talk about the unusual activities they love By Megan Percy Staff reporter
Budding in barbershop When senior Seth Ferrell sings with a group of his friends, it is on a stage, in front of an audience. His quartet must keep careful focus on the tonality and expression they are conveying to their audience. It is in stark contrast to singing in the car, which is usually just a casual, carefree activity which most teenagers enjoy while they are out. The singing is usually loud and full of laughter, with none of the participants taking their performance seriously, much differently than the concentration Ferrell places on his singing during performances. “Usually I’m focused on ‘Does this not match with this note?’, but also am I conveying the right message,” said Ferrell.
“You‘ve got to focus on the mood of the piece while also keeping that musicality apart of it.” Ferrell was a freshman when the singing club Central Attractions began. Now, his quartet meets once a week, and, though they are not at a level to compete in competitions yet, they have done performances at events like the Fine Arts Festival. In rehearsal, Ferrell and his group work “tags,” which are short, four measure songs that help them prepare for fulllength performances. “Basically, [they] just help you warm up so when you are doing these longer pieces, 50 measures or more, you’ll be more warmed up and know how to tune chords better,” said Ferrell.
SINGING SENSATION: Seth Ferrell performs in the improv show “Laughter Is the Best Medicine.” As well as acting, Ferrell participates as a soprano voice in a barbershop quartet. PHOTO BY GILLIAN PENDEL
Crazy for cricket A normal Sunday spring afternoon for most kids in St. Charles might be the day for relaxation, last-minute homework scrambling, or practice for spring sports. For sophomore Ty Nedungadi, it is a day of bat-swinging, base-running, and ball-catching. No, he isn’t playing baseball; he’s playing a sport that is native to his country, India, where his family members play the sport as well, a cultural bond that reaches even across an ocean. For Nedungadi, Sunday is the day for cricket. Nedungadi plays on a team of at least 20, who meet and play every Sunday during the spring season and practice on either Sundays or Saturdays. He likens the league to a Sunday school league because he plays with and against others of his background. “I’m on a team full of Indian people, so it’s a part of our Sunday school, and we go around facing other ethnic people,” Nedungadi said.
CULTURE SHOCK: Ty Nedungadi stands in the outfit he normally wears to play cricket. Cricket is a sport that has a very personal connection to himwhile not commonly played in America, it is very popular in India, wear his family comes from. PHOTO BY JOSIE PRINCE
feature
MAY 2018
Producing a career
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Senior Ryan Noble faces a bright career in the music industry By Jennifer Ferry
Staff reporter Here in St. Louis, the bright lights and stardom of Hollywood seem far away and unobtainable. While most students can recognize A-list names such as Nicki Minaj and Kim Kardashian, few have ever met or interacted with such big celebrities. However, senior and up-and-coming music artist and producer Ryan Noble may soon have to opportunity to meet with and produce music for some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Noble is currently in talks with producers who want to fly him to Los Angeles and possibly even use one of his tracks for singer Jason Derulo. Noble is so talented at producing because he started at an early age. “I’ve been producing for almost three years,” said Noble. “I started getting seriously into it the beginning of sophomore year. I learned by spending hours and hours just using the software and equipment, and also looking online and seeing how other people did it.” “‘Hard Hearts’ [a track produced by Noble] came together quickly. I came up with it in one session,” Noble revealed. “I sat there for probably eight hours straight working on it and spent the next couple of days polishing it up and mixing/mastering it to get it ready for the release. All in all, it probably took about 20 hours.” Although it took him hours of tedious work, once fame struck, everything seemed to move quickly. “‘Hard Hearts’ blew up overnight,” reflected Noble. “When I woke up the morning after, my music business email was blown up with tons of people wanting to contact me about the track. A lot of people wanted to know more about me and to hear more about what I’m working on.” “Hard Hearts”, the song that originally caught producers interest, is quickly becoming Noble’s signature song with over 50,000 views on YouTube and gleaming reviews from critics. Lilyera.com describes “Hard Hearts” as, “a subtle yet sweet poptune that somehow found its way into my head and got stuck there on repeat for a few days already”. Gems and Secrets, a website whose tagline is, “Discovering
the undiscovered-a music blog for the world’s hidden gems” echoes this sentiment, saying, “‘Hard Hearts’ is a fun new record from 18-year-old rn (Ryan Noble). The melody and production are minimalistic sounding but the melodies are really catchy. The real magic lies within the lyrics and the vocal delivery though from none other than Ryan himself. Topped with vocal chops and a punchy drum beat, ‘Hard Hearts’ is a delicious tune for relaxing and singing along too. We’re hoping to hear even more original music from rn this year.” Perhaps the biggest opportunity offered to Noble because of “Hard Hearts” is the fact one of his songs is being considered for a new project by major celebrity and recording artist Jason Derulo. “Derulo’s management team has asked me to come up with new ideas,” Noble said, “We’ve discussed the possibility of them flying me out to L.A. to work on tracks that Derulo could potentially use.” This opportunity has inspired Noble to keep producing and performing songs in preparation. He estimates he has now produced over 100 tracks, even if most of them will never be released, “They’re only for the purpose of me learning more and more about production and just working a lot on it” said Noble. What makes his newfound fortune so exciting for Noble and his family is the fact that they know that being in the music industry has always been his dream. When they found out about his opportunity with Derulo, they were all excited. “We all started freaking out. My family has known that my biggest dream is to become and artist/ producer and to see it come together has been so exciting and unreal for all of us,” Noble said When asked about his future, Noble said, “Right now, I’m not sure what opportunities will open up. Now more than ever, I’m working hard to make more music and I’ve been making tacks that are next-level, even compared to ‘Hard Hearts’, The only way for me as an artist and producer is up.”
STRUMMING TO FAME: Ryan Noble practices his music at home. Because of his dedication to music and producing, he faces a bright future in the industry. PHOTO BY ANALISE BENZ
MASTER MIXER: Ryan Noble uses his equipment to digitally edit and produce music. His skills with digitally editing music helped him get discovered by music producers in Los Angeles. PHOTO BY ANALISE BENZ
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Living through Only living to surivive another day
ABSENT: Senior John Adams struggles with depression. This illness invades life and can make daily tasks difficult to work through. “To me, mental illness is an obstacle, but I try extremely hard to fight against it. It feels very suffocating at times, but I have to tell myself that pain is never permanent,� fellow senior Allie Kirkpatrick said. PHOTO BY BELEN HERRERA
focus By Emily Mann
Co Editor-in-chief A completely dark room, a bed torn apart with sheets, trash and tissues strewn about. A sole person, shriveled alone in his bed. This is what depression looks like. No, that is not what depression looks like. A brightly lit room filled with inviting friends and vibrant colors, mimicking the actions and laughter amongst his friends. Not in the dark, not alone, not crying; instead, he is surrounded by those who should make him happy, in an environment that should be lively. But something isn’t right. It has never really felt right for senior John Adams. Adams has been plagued with depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts for several years, and every day in between has been a continuous and exhausting uphill battle, a war between the two extremities within his own mind. Adams is constantly fighting himself and his mind in hopes of coming out alive. “I just kind of live in order to cope. I live as a different person, I just throw who I am and my real thoughts away. I become a different person completely so that my brain doesn’t have mental illness. It is literally like I am someone else in my body… you never really feel like you are who you are and you never really feel like you’re around… you feel lost,” Adams said. “[Depression] has prevented me from having a lot of fun. There have been times where I have been sitting there with people, they’re having a blast and I am acting like I’m having fun, but I’m not. I’d just rather sooner be at home, alone.” Alone, absent and afraid, Mabelle Dooley* is all too familiar with feeling lost, as she has suffered from severe anxiety and depression her entire life, leaving her prone to slipping into depressive episodes for hours, weeks or even months at a time without warning. “Oftentimes, a depressive episode for me could be characterized as nothing. There’s no thoughts, there’s no actions,” Dooley said. “I’ve spent hours upon hours blankly staring at the wall opposite my bed. This can lead to the suicidal thoughts. It’s a process of, ‘Why am I like this?’ ‘No one could like me,’ then I might slip into a PTSD attack, which in the past has resulted in me staring into a mirror with a knife to my throat telling myself, ‘Everyone would be better without me.’” This numb, almost catatonic state leaves Dooley feeling helpless as it generates doom, sorrow, and pain—which,
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unfortunately, have become her norm. “[Mental illness], in my opinion, [is] impossible. It feels impossible to talk to people and for them to understand. It feels like it’s impossible to ever see a future where I could be happy and normal,” Dooley said. Guidance counselor Mr. Kristopher Miller attests to the strangling effects of mental illness and the way in which its disconnected effects leave the student drained of motivation and hope, deeming things impossible. “When you are so agitated with anxiety you can’t get stuff done, you just keep looking at the same side [of things] and you’re like ‘I don’t know how to do this’ or ‘I don’t know what to do,’ Or, you know, with depression, you don’t want to do things, you don’t want to go, you just want to go home and sleep,” Mr. Miller said. “To think, ‘I have to deal with [mental illness] and try to keep up with everything that everybody else does and try to keep it together, it’s hard. It’s really hard when your brain turns against you.” Mental illness leaves Adams unable to shake this depersonalized feeling and finds himself immobilized as he is only able to see his illness, his “weakness,” rather than himself. “It just affects how you think, so you’re never really having the same thoughts as everyone else and you’re never really able to be in the moment,” Adams said. “I didn’t want to accept that I had a mental illness, because I think it makes me weak.” While some may think of mental illness as a freely moving state or temporary feeling, senior Allie Kirkpatrick disagrees entirely, describing it as something you take with you everywhere you go, dipping its foot into every corner of your life. “I don’t do a lot of things because of my anxiety. It makes me just not want to do anything really, like I just feel like staying home where I know I will be ‘okay,’” Kirkpatrick said. “I think a lot of the times you just feel stuck, like nothing will ever change.” Even though it appears easy to recognize that feelings and symptoms of mental illness are not healthy and should be eliminated and worked on, moving forward past this realization is far more difficult than it seems. “My own struggle with anxiety is heartbreaking, I feel stuck. I say this because there’s so much hope in my heart [to recover], yet sometimes, I can’t seem to transfer that hope into my thoughts and actions, no matter how badly I want
MAY 2018
to,” Kirkpatrick said. Though mental illness is an illness of the mind, it is not all in the head- it is not just a mental game, it brings about medical concerns as well. “I went to the doctor for a checkup and then we told her about my racing heart and irregular heart beats and that I feel like I can’t breathe and my lungs are constricting,” Kirkpatrick said. “I had an echo test done on my heart to see if I had a heart disease… I also had blood work done to check my iron levels, but they were all relatively normal. It’s all just because of my anxiety.” Adams is held captive by his depression as it continues to bring his life to an unprecedented, alarming stop. “Your brain just wants to stop, it wants to stop thinking, you just want to be done. You feel completely alone all of a sudden; it doesn’t matter if someone is literally letting you cry on their shoulder, you feel alone,” Adams said. “It’s like this falling feeling of falling away from everything that you have, and then you feel like nothing you have or had was ever real; people who say they care about you don’t.” Panic attacks are just as detrimental, according to Adams, as they can manifest into a debilitating force and prevent someone from living freely, from feeling under control, from happiness. “A panic attack is just scary. It is just a full body fear. It’s so much different from when you get pulled over by the cops because there is no imminent danger, there is just a fear... with a cop you’re afraid you’re going to get a ticket, but with a panic attack, you’re just scared [of everything],” Adams said. Above all else, mental illness plagues Dooley by leaving her helpless, drained, and hopeless; longing for a better life, a life in which she feels alive. “I don’t really know, for me the hardest part might be the inner debate of, ‘Why do I have to feel this?’ Many tears have been shed over the thoughts of, ‘I might never be happy,’ and I question, ‘Why can’t I just be normal?,’ ‘Why can’t I just be happy?’” Dooley said. Despite the agonizing weight of mental illness day in and day out, the seemingly never ending battle, and the painful effects, it is possible to live on and get past it, no matter how grim the chances seem. “You are not alone, and, with time, this will get better. Mental illness is not a death sentence, it is not a sentence to failure,” Miller said.
I just kind of live in order to cope. I live as a different person, I just throw who I am and my real thoughts away... It is literally like I am someone else in my body.” - senior John Adams
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By Lanie Sanders
Feature editor March, 1999. Stacey Dennigmann woke up thinking it would be a normal day. The sun rose. Cars drove by. Everything seemed normal. However, she would soon discover that it would be one of the worst days of her life. After hearing a knock, Mrs. Dennigmann was greeted by State Patrol on her doorstep. The news they delivered changed her life forever: her father had committed suicide. “They went to my mom’s house, and she couldn’t deal with it because she was just devastated,” Mrs. Dennigmann said. “They came to tell me and I was just in disbelief. I didn’t break down right away because I was just like, ‘I have to be there for my mom, I’ve got to contact my sisters.’ I became a person with a mission. Once everything was done, I was wiped out. I came to school the next day to teach, and one of my colleagues came up to me and said, ‘What’s going on?’ and I said, ‘Well my dad died last night.’ I couldn’t think clearly enough. They were like, ‘You can’t be here.’ I was a basket case without realizing I was a basket case.” Senior Talia Thambyrajah was also jarred when she was given the news of her friend’s death. She was in a state of shock, not registering any particular emotions. “There isn’t one word that is accurate enough to describe how I was feeling,” Thambyrajah said. “I found out one of the most joyful, loving people died due to suicide.” Suicide is a huge issue that takes one million lives each year, according to the World Health Organization. Every day, friends and families lose loved ones and are thrown into the deep, dark hole that is grief, because in just a split second, the person they once knew and loved has disappeared forever. “I was shocked and confused and I didn’t process it for a long time,” Thambyrajah said. “The way this person lived still lives on.” For many, grief is a long and painful process that cannot be avoided. Although it is different for everyone, the stages come in different orders, and junior Alyssea Braun has personally experienced these phases. “[The grief process] started with a lot of denial, then anger, then I just didn’t understand, then it finally just clicked that he was actually gone,” Braun said. “At first I was angry. I didn’t understand suicide,” Mrs. Dennigmann said. “I thought, ‘How could you do this?’ and then it moved from being angry to me needing to understand why. It was like ‘How did I not realize?’ It was a guilt process, ‘How did I not realize they were hurting so much?’ And
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then it was acceptance. It was advice I was given by an uncle: ‘You live for the living. Always keep moving forward to accomplish what you need to.’” Although grief is a rough process for anyone, Mrs. Heather Borah wants to remind others that teenagers grieve and react to death differently than adults. “Their brains are still developing,” Dr. Borah said. “They are still learning about the world and still developing their cells. So having a loss as a teenager can be very different from adults. [It’s] not in a black and white way, grief is different for every single person who experiences it.” During any discussion involving mental health, there will be those who say that mental health is not real and that suicide has no impact on other people. However, for anyone who has ever had someone in their life die due to suicide, they know this is not true. “No matter what, it doesn’t matter who they are, what they do, it’s going to impact someone, someway, somehow,” Braun said. “That’s someone’s child, brother, sister, cousin, friend; it’s always going to impact someone.” Recovering from a death takes time, but no matter how long it takes, it should be at the pace of the person experiencing it. Sadly enough, some recovering students feel as if society rushed their recovery. “I am still grieving,” Thambyrajah said. “It has been a month and two days since this person died, and many of my friends who were closer to this person than I was are still grieving like [he] died yesterday. People grieve differently and process differently. There should not be a time limit on the [grief] process.” In terms of recovery, Braun feels that she was supposed to act as if everything was fine, and that nothing changed. “But then, after it all happened, they just expect everyone to go back to normal,” Braun said. “After a week or something they made it seem like everybody should be okay, knowing that people weren’t.” With pain comes experience and with experience comes the ability to guide others through their own pain. Braun provided some advice of her own for those coping with the aftermath of suicide. “Just hang in there, and [know] that it’s going to get better in the end,” Braun said. “God didn’t just take him for just some random reason, he took him for a good reason.” Mrs. Dennigmann urges others who are
grieving to find support. Friends, family, and even teachers can provide comfort. “Have a support group, whether it’s your friends at school, a parent, a trusted adult, someone you can open up to,” Mrs. Dennigmann said. “Because a lot of times, you’re not looking for answers, you don’t want someone to tell you, ‘I know what you’re going through’ because you don’t. You might have lost, but you may have lost in a different way. You might have been affected by suicide, but I’ve been affected differently. Reach out for people just to listen to you, just to be there. Look for a support group who cares enough about you to just let you be you, let you cry, let you laugh, let you give them hugs. I really think that helps.” Thambyrajah suggests giving yourself time to heal, and not to rush the grief process. “Grieving with others who are going through the same pain as you are is healing,” Thambyrajah said. “But don’t be reluctant to give yourself some space from the world to grieve and reflect on your own. I personally cherish my alone time, but I feel that grieving with others is especially important for the healing of a community as a whole.” Having a suicide in a community will impact everyone, but in different ways. Some people are able to recover quicker, while others have a more serious reaction. “It can put fear into people,” Dr. Borah said. “It can also divide a community based on what people think the response should be. How do we address it? How do we talk to kids about it? So why do you think that mental illnesses are such a prevalent issue among teenagers. [They’re] really learning how they fit into the world, and many kids don’t have the support they need to do that.” Talking about and being more open about mental health could potentially be a way to help those suffering notice that they are not alone and that help could be more readily available than they think. “I think we need to realize that when we look at it, and talking mental illness, we need to know what’s our definition of normal,” Dennigmann said. “What is our definition of abnormal, is this something appropriate for society, is this something that’s inappropriate for society? When we’re talking mental illness, when we’re talking psychological disorders, there’s a ton. They have eating disorders, they have PTSD, they have compulsive disorders, they have anxiety disorders, autism. There is a huge classification, one you’re aware of something, and once you start talking about it, it’s easier to accept, and easier to realize that you’re not alone.”
No matter what, it doesn’t matter who they are, what they do, it’s going to impact someone, someway, somehow.” - junior Alyssea Braun
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Never alone
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Dealing with the suicide of a loved one
MAJOR LOSS: Senior Talia Thambyrajah has struggled with the pain of losing people close to her. She’s living proof that everyone matters to someone. “After a week or something they made it seem like everybody should be okay, knowing that people weren’t,” Braun said about the expected grieving process. PHOTO BY BELEN HERRERA
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Take the time
There is one suicide for every twenty-five attempts
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255
For preferred Spanish speakers, dial the number above and press 2
National Hopeline Network (KBHC): 1-800-784-2433 TrevorLifeline for LGBTQ youth: 1-866-488-7386
Sources: Do Something org., Unstress Yourself, Calm Clinic.com,.Healthy Place, OC Register
Every one in twentyfive adults struggle with mental illness
National Suicide Prevention Chatline: 1-800-799-4889 CHADS Family Support: 314-952-8274 Access Crisis Intervention: 1-800-833-3915 SAMHSA Treatment Refferal hotline: 1-877-726-4727 GRAPHICS BY EMILY MANN
MAY 2018
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Individual solutions for private problems By Jessica Fults pretty good search engine for counselors Staff reporter where you can check boxes for anxiety or Behind every mental illness, there is other [mental illnesses]. There’s a Behavioral someone with a complex story: those Medicine Institute that specializes in affected have different personalities, anxiety disorders, eating disorders and different home lives, different backgrounds, other things like that. So if you have a very different genes, and different experiences. specific disorder, you can see someone that Like each person, the causes of mental specializes in it.” illness are varied and unique within an Doing research on the topics surrounding individual. Exploring the different causes mental illnesses can improve a person’s can guide someone in the correct direction knowledge, which makes it easier to better understand themselves and figure to comprehend it. Marti Jennings, a out what type of recovery is suitable for provisional licensed professional counselor them. (PLPC), recommends looking into various There are various factors that resources in addition to play into the development therapy when delving of a mental illness, and, for into the causes of mental many, it can be confusing on illnesses. where to begin, but the first “‘Understanding Mental step to discovering the root of Illness’ from Missouri a mental illness is going to a Department of Health, professional to help diagnose. along with links to lots of Mrs. Shannon Harting, the great information on the school stress counselor, has a NAMI [National Alliance list of professionals who can of Mental Illness]-St. help. Louis Website, fact sheets, Scan this QR code to get “The only way to know [if you support groups, etc taken to the full length have a mental illness] for sure these are just a few of the version of these stories and is to meet with a mental health resources that I provide their related editorials on professional. Professionals who for clients, whether they FHCtoday.com specialize in understanding are the individual dealing and treating psychological with a mental health disorder are licensed clinical social workers, issue or a loved one. This, of course, is just a licensed professional counselors, licensed starting point. There are so many resources psychologists and psychiatrists,” Mrs. available,” Jennings said. Harting said. “Some nurse practitioners also An individual who believes they possess specialize in mental health. The guidance a mental illness should not self-diagnose department has two licensed professional because it is essential to talk to a therapist counselors and a licensed clinical social or counselor, according to AP Psychology worker. teacher Mrs. Stacey Denningmann. Family support counselor Heather Borah, “Don’t self-diagnose, WebMD is not your who works for Chad’s coalition - a group friend, and if you’re not feeling how you that raises awareness for depression and felt a week or two weeks ago, you should preventing suicide - knows of numerous look at what’s going on in your life,” Mrs. sources that are helpful for people with Denningmann said. different mental illnesses and circumstances Although one should not self-diagnose, it “If [a person] thinks they have a mental is useful to know some possible indicators of illness, they should probably talk to their a mental illness. primary doctor or pediatrician. They can “If you’re just feeling out of sorts, you’re help you rule out any medical causes and tired all the time, you never want to do then also get you help. You could start with anything, things you used to enjoy are no your insurance company and they can give longer enjoyable, you don’t want to get up in you a list of counselors who are covered,” the morning and go to school, you’re letting Borah said. “Psychology Today also has a your personal hygiene slip, you don’t care if
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you fix your hair, you don’t care if you have clean clothes on; those are some indicators,” Mrs. Denningmann said. As Mrs. Denningmann says, there are various different traumatic events in a person’s life that can cause a mental illness. Learning about your mental illness can be a confusing process, but there are certain signs that should not be ignored. “When we look at stress, we look for PTSD, which is newly identified in the psych world as a real psychological disorder. A survivor of a tornado, someone who has come back from war, someone who has been assaulted, robbed or sexually attacked, [are all examples of potential triggering events],” Mrs. Denningmann said. Borah finds that another common cause of mental illness is that it can run in the genes of a family, but while the chances of getting that specific illness are elevated, it is not inevitable. “If you have a parent or two parents who have been diagnosed with depression or bipolar [disorder], then that increases your risk of developing those disorders. It doesn’t mean you’re necessarily going to develop, you’re just at a higher risk,” Mrs. Borah said. When it comes to finding the root cause of a mental illness, it can be more complicated than one certain gene or event or percentage. “Usually [mental illness] is some sort of combination; it’s not going to be clear cut. It’s not that black and white. Oftentimes, what happens in people is they’re predisposed to something like depression, and then a precipitating event happens… the loss of a loved one or the loss of a job or something dramatic happens, and it can trigger that depression,” Mrs. Borah said. While Mrs. Denningmann agrees diagnosing a mental illness takes time and patience, it can be comforting to know that you are not alone and various treatments can assist in recovery. “[Many factors] can trigger a mental illness, and the most commonly diagnosed mental illness we have is depression, and, fortunately, it is the most easily cured one, but it takes time,” Mrs. Denningmann said. “There are different ways to deal with mental illnesses and those would be medication and/or counseling. You just have to be patient.”
There are different ways to deal with mental illnesses and those would be medication and/or counseling. You just have to be patient.” - Psychology teacher Stacey Dennigmann
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By Skylar Laird
Co Editor-in-chief The pale walls surrounding Brianna English reflected how she was feeling: colorless. Numb. Empty. The room, however, was familiar; this was not her first stay in a psychiatric hospital. Her stepmother sat next to her on her bed — nothing more than a wood cot — at DePaul Hospital, where English had been staying, holding back tears as she spoke to the girl she loved as her own daughter, the girl she was scared of losing. As they talked, she told English she was sorry the family wasn’t more understanding of what she was going through. She told English she couldn’t stand losing another daughter. She told English she owed it to no one except herself to keep going; it was up to her to keep taking her meds, to keep fighting, to be responsible for her own recovery. In that room, on the anniversary of her best friend’s death, English made a decision: she was not going to let her mental health issues consume her any longer. She was going to keep fighting. She was done with the stays in psychiatric hospitals, done getting her stomach pumped, done attempting suicide. After eleven years, she was done. English’s road of struggling was a long and arduous one, beginning as young as seven years old as she bounced between foster homes, worsening with the loss of her close friend and sister, and continuing through now, her senior year, when she finally began her recovery. “I, up until recently, have been suicidal almost every single day of my life,” she said. “And that doesn’t mean I try to kill myself every day; it’s more suicidal idealization, which means that you’d be okay if your life ended for any reason, if it was by you or by anyone else — anything. It was more just every single day I didn’t want to get up, every time I went to bed I hoped I wouldn’t wake up, I hoped I would get hit by a car.” English was first diagnosed with bipolar psychosis disorder, manic depression, severe anxiety disorder and anorexia nervosa at age 10, but she had already been struggling with suicidal thoughts for years without knowing what they were. “It’s actually kind of a sad thing,” she said. “I was about seven… I didn’t realize what I was doing because I didn’t know what it was called or anything like that, [but]... I didn’t always want to be there and it wasn’t just the place, it was in general.” Teegan Winkeler, senior, is no stranger to this feeling. Having dealt with depression, anxiety and OCD since elementary school, she has also experienced persistent suicidal
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thoughts for years. “You feel like you’re not making an effect and there’s no reason for you to be alive,” she explained. “You’re not feeling anything, and it’s such an effort to go through life that you feel like it’d be a lot easier if you just didn’t because you feel like you’re not doing anything anyway, so why not just stop?” This shared mentality lead to both Winkeler and English spending time in psychiatric hospitals. Although they were not free physically, these stays offered time for reflection, specifically on the people surrounding them. English was visited by her father and stepmother whenever possible while others called her stays grabs for attention or believed they made her more trouble than she was worth, which, while it served as a reminder for her that not everyone was supportive, lead her to realize there were people in her corner no matter what. According to Winkeler, these people can offer additional support. “Your friends can help you some, but they’re not trained in this; professional help would be better,” Winkeler said. “But your friends can help you through this.” Heather Borah, family support advisor for CHADs coalition, a group that attempts to raise awareness about suicide and depression in teenagers, agrees that a good way to help out someone who might be struggling is simply by being that friend and lending a kind ear - considering, of course, that the person also finds help in a professional therapist. “I think [those around someone with a mental illness] can listen, they can listen and be supportive without making a judgement, without telling that person what they should or shouldn’t be doing. They can validate that this is a rough time and what they’re going through is rough,” Mrs. Borah said. “I think a lot of times, adults are not great at validating teenagers… but just validating that it’s okay to feel whatever they’re feeling, that it’s safe to feel that, safe to share that, that’s the best you [as an adult] can do.” After struggling for years, Winkeler and English have both improved, but neither feel as though they’ve been cured or have gotten over their mental illnesses; both still have bad days, both still struggle sometimes. The difference, though, is that they now know what to do to continue progressing in their respective recoveries instead of reverting back to suicidality. “Obviously I’m not ever going to truly get over my issues because that’s not how they work, but by continuing to go to therapy, by continuing to take the medicine I was prescribed, and just working to get better, [I can improve],” Winkeler said. “It’s a lot of work, but [it’s worth it].”
Mrs. Borah believes continued improvement relies on continuous effort: going to therapy, taking prescribed medications, doing what is recommended by psychiatrists and therapists. This, she believes, is the best way to remain on the path to recovery. “If [a person] is on that journey [to recovery] already, [I would suggest] to make sure that they’re following through with their appointments, that if they’re taking medication to be taking it regularly, [to make sure they’re] following those instructions from the doctor about medications and reaching out for additional support if they need it, especially if they’re starting to have thoughts of suicide,” Mrs. Borah said. Following this advice has not always been easy for English in the past, leading to her most recent hospitalization, but she has since discovered a desire to keep striving for more out of her life, which motivates her to keep going even when she begins to fall back into old bad habits and mentalities. “Every now and then, I feel like I’m slipping back, like I’m not doing enough, I’m not good enough, but then I have to remind myself that that isn’t true,” she said. “It’s very rocky, the process, and it’s always gonna be rocky until things level out. I don’t think that I’m never gonna feel suicidal again, but I don’t want to end things, I don’t want to, I want to keep trying, I want to do something with my life.” English believes this improvement is possible, no matter how bleak the situation; after all, she did it. Before being admitted into DePaul that last time, she didn’t think it would be possible to get better, but she is still here to tell her story, still here to follow her dreams to teach kindergarten, still here to dance and write and laugh and cry and live. As someone who knows firsthand how difficult getting help can be, she encourages anyone who may be struggling to get help and reminds them, just as she’s reminded herself time and time again, “How can you see the sunshine if you’re always looking at the dirt?” “Sometimes people are ashamed to get help because they don’t want to admit [they need it],” she said. “But all those cliche sayings and posters, you don’t realize that they’re true until after your recovery starts, but they are. You have to admit it, you have to find some sort of help, and you have to want it. You can’t just say, ‘Oh, I want it,’ but not work towards it. And if you think that there aren’t people who are gonna miss you, you’re an idiot. Sometimes the best advice [is] blunt and kind of hurtful, but sugarcoating things for people who are suicidal isn’t gonna do anything. It’s not… If things weren’t meant to get better, then you would never have been here in the first place.”
It’s very rocky, the process, and it’s always gonna be rocky until things level out. I don’t think that I’m never gonna feel suicidal again, but I don’t want to end things... I want to keep trying.” - senior Brianna English
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Finding the light
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Being happy is possible
THRIVING: “All those cliche sayings and posters, you don’t realize that they’re true until after your recovery starts, but they are. You have to admit it, you have to find some sort of help, and you have to want it,” Enlgish said. She has faced a long path full of obstacles in her journey with mental health. More recently though, her path has been one towards recovery. PHOTO BY BELEN HERRERA
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‘She’s just
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A BEAST’
LEGENDARY: Curry works to pass a defender and score in the girls’ semi finals game. Curry has been playing on the varsity team since her freshman year. PHOTO BY OLIVIA FONG
By Justin Hedrick
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Staff reporter eing a varsity athlete and taking the responsibility of being a starter is an extremely successful and difficult task. Doing it as an underclassman is almost unheard of, save for some sophomores. Yet some of the most elite athletes you’ll ever find started on varsity as a freshman. This means that these people were competing against 18 year old athletes at just 14-or-so years old. That’s about the same as putting an eighth grader against college athletes. Yaniah Curry is one of the select few who was talented enough to hold her own on the court with anyone as a freshman. She has started on the varsity team all of her three years at Central. Coach Leake, head coach of the Girls Basketball team, came to Spartan Nation four years ago; she immediately began pulling up a select few freshman to fill spots on her varsity roster. Not as backups, though. No, for Leake, the freshmen are on the same level as all of her other players. Ashley
Roland, a senior who has been a great leader for the girls team, doesn’t think anything of freshmen playing up. “Especially in our program, it’s just kind of normal for us to have freshmen around,” Roland said. “And I think that by the end of the season, they fit in and we just forget that they’re even younger than us because they are so good.” The team of upperclassmen don’t really think anything of sharing playing time with younger players. They know that it is important to grow the team, so they take the young players under their wing and the team is better because of it. Senior Makenzie Schierding was in the same situation as Curry, but in the first year that Leake was a coach at central. She knows firsthand what it is like to play as a freshman. “[Leake] had the same expectations whether you were a freshman or a senior,” Schierding said. “[Leake] expected you to give your best all the time. We know we need [underclassmen]. They’re good, so if you can play, I don’t care how old you are as long as you are
mature out there.” The type of culture that has been created by mixing athletes of all ages is one of development. They are willing to bring in and help any teammate who has potential and is willing to work. The team has had successful season after successful season because they don’t care about who the other people are, they care about the game and how they can find a way to make each other better. “[The seniors] showed us the ropes,” recalled Curry. “Kinda the culture that Leake enforces that you take care of the little kids: you show them the ropes, take them under your wing.” Taking the risk of starting a freshman paid off for Leake and the team. Curry quickly became a leader at a young age and has been a star for the Spartans for the last three years. She is on track to be a four year varsity starter on a very competitive team; a feat not easily accomplished. “She is just a beast,” Schierding said. She was able to inspire and help teammates both younger
and older than her, and, even as a sophomore, she was able to take on responsibilities of a senior. “Next year, she is definitely going to step up and be a super good leader,” predicted Roland confidently. “She was a pretty good leader this year and we will see what she has in it next year too.” Curry has definitely made waves in Spartan Nation, and she will continue to do so in years to come, thanks to her leadership and devotion to making her team better. She has been one of the greats to pass through Francis Howell Central and she still has one more season to come back even stronger. “[I] most definitely feel like [starting as a freshman] gave me more experience than if I were to come into it and start varsity my junior year,” Curry said. “I would still kind of have to adapt, but I don’t have to. I’m just kind of ready.” Curry is now the leader of the girls basketball team. She knows exactly how to handle the responsibility, and she knows what she needs to work on with her team to be successful.
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Healthy minds, healthy bodies STRENGTH FROM WITHIN: Senior Zac Bishop is doing a workout called, “Military press”. This workout is used for strengthening a person’s shoulders. It can be used with the bar (like shown in the photo) or with dumbbells. It takes time and patience to go up in weight for military press, which taught Bishop how to stay focused. PHOTO BY JULIET FUHRMANN
No workout, no problem
Hidden benefits to work outs
By Catherine Analla
By Juliet Fuhrmann
Staff reporter Exercising: the one solution to everyone’s problemsor so it’s supposed to be. Working out and keeping your physical health in shape seems to be the one act that can solve many problems. Despite these concepts, exercising might cause more problems with and allow more time without it. Junior Reese McLaughlin considers herself to be a healthy person without exercising regularly. “I don’t like to sweat, I hate cardio, I can’t find the motivation,” McLaughlin said. “I’m not athletic. I also don’t have time.” Along with McLaughlin, senior Chase Thompson chooses not to work out for simpler reasons than the benefits. “I just don’t really have the time or the self control to work out, [and I get to] study more for my classes.” “I have a lot more time,” McLaughlin said. “So instead of going out of your way to do that; I can just make sure I’m making healthy decisions, and I’ve lost a bunch of weight just by doing that. Eating healthy is very easy, and [I] would say eating healthy makes me feel better about myself.” According to nutritionist Sarah Philipp, owner of the account “Abundelicious”, 80% of weight loss is dependent upon what types of food and how much of it you put into your body. If someone is purely exercising and not limiting their calories and measuring what is the right about of food is good for their bodies, excessive amounts of working out could be the opposite of healthy- even detrimental.
Move editor Working out can improve everyone’s life for the better. it has many benefits that don’t just include losing weight and getting more into shape. Senior Zac Bishop has been regularly working out since freshman year. He believes that it has improved his life for the better and as well helps him stay in shape for football. “Working out teaches you how to focus more, and if you are working out all the time, you are going to be less tired because you then get a lot of sleep,” Bishop said. “You’re gonna be eating more, you have to keep up with your body. You would not be dozing off at work or missing out on anything.” Another senior, Kaitlyn Chadwick, uses working out as a stress reliever. It puts her into a great mood and gets all of her aggression out. in a safe way. “Mentally, it gives me confidence, and emotionally it helps me be a better person all around while helping with stress,” Chadwick said. “Just going a few times a week, I just feel refreshed after.” Working out on a regular basis can be difficult, so motivation is the key. For Chadwick, what motivates her is softball. She has to stay in shape so she can do her best during a game. “Softball motivates me to work out. I want to be that girl people are scared of on the field,” Chadwick said. AN APPLE A DAY: Junior Reese McLaughlin holding one of her favorite healthy snacks. Eating a apple a day is her favorite way to stay healthy. PHOTO BY OLIVIA FONG
Read Juliet Fuhrmann’s full story on why working out is benefitial for the mind
Read Catherine Analla’s full story on those who don’t workout but still live a healthy life style
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College committed
Jadeyn Viola commits to SIUE as the next stage of her soccer career
MAKING STRIDES: Jayden Viola bounds after the ball in a game against Timberland High School. The game ends in a 1-0 win by the spartans. PHOTO BY ALURA BERRY
By Kana Chung
Staff reporter She struggles to catch her breath. A bead of sweat drips down her temple. She has just sprinted the entire length of the football field. Now she has 30 seconds to recover before she’s off again. This process repeats over and over. It seems relentless, yet she pushes on, leading the girls varsity soccer team by a fair margin each set. This is only a small portion of the work this determined athlete puts in every day after school. Sophomore Jadeyn (Jay) Viola is spending her second year on the varsity soccer team as a captain. After making the varsity team as a freshman last year, Viola has put in endless hours of hard work to reach her current position as captain. And now, as of February 25, Viola is committed to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). This is an exciting accomplishment for anyone, especially so for someone who still has over two years of high school before she’s off to college. According to head varsity coach for both boys and girls soccer, Coach Derek Phillips, this is no small feat. “[It’s] not often that you see a player make a college commitment as a sophomore. That is a tribute to her as a player,” Coach Phillips said. Since the age of four, soccer has been a huge part of Viola’s life. As she has grown, so has the demand of the sport; hours growing in number, work growing in intensity, and dedication growing stronger. Now playing in high school at the varsity level, the commitment and competition is at a new severity, but Viola has risen to the challenge and gone above and beyond. However, she wasn’t always the confident and skilled player she is today. According to her, it took a lot of work to achieve the level of play she currently upholds. She got her start playing goalie, which she continued until age eleven. Since then, she has played every position aside from center back. As of right now, she plays center mid. She explained how much time she dedicated outside of practices to better herself. “[Outside of practice I train] a lot, I guess. While I was growing up, I kind of had to train on my own and a little bit more than everyone else, because I was new to the field, because I played goalie. So I had to catch up on all of that. I do little stuff on my own and train. I even had a
trainer when I was a little bit younger. I do a lot of stuff on the side, usually during weekends. If we don’t have training or games for high school, I go [then],” Viola said. From her early days up to the present, Viola has continued this work ethic and grown a great deal as a player. Senior Kaylei Kambak, one of Viola’s varsity teammates, has seen how she’s grown from freshman year. “I’ve definitely seen her take more confidence in herself. Obviously she’s a very good and talented player, but [now] she’s kind of led that on to the team as a whole. She’s more of a role
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You can tell since the day that she’s been here that her goal was to play at a high level,” - Coach Eddie Mulholland
model,” Kambak said. Someone who shares Kambak’s views is senior and Viola’s co-captain Bailey Beeler. She too has seen great improvement in Viola’s confidence and overall performance. “I think she’s gained confidence. She dribbles the ball up the field better than she did, although she was always a really strong player,” Beeler said. Not only does soccer take up a large sum of her energy, but also her time, causing her to miss out on opportunities to spend time with her friends. “I don’t have as much time with friends and social things. Especially during club season because we go out of town so much and travel, that my friends will ask ‘Hey, do you want to hang out this weekend?’ And I have to say ‘Sorry, I’m out of town,’” Viola said. “[That applies to] training too. I try to fit in the social stuff for balance, but it’s more soccer than social life.” Viola said. In addition to her social life, her entire lifestyle revolves around her needs for soccer. This includes her sleep schedule and diet. “Time management is a big thing because, at least for high school, it’s right after school and then you’re pooped and you’re dead tired. So I’ve
kind of had to find ways to get my homework done during school, because I’m honestly so dead. Then I have to eat properly, because if I eat junk food before games, I play horrible. So I have to watch what I eat all of the time,” Viola said. Taking into consideration all of the time and effort that she puts into soccer, there’s no denying her commitment to the sport, and it shows in her performance. Coach Phillips has come to know that very well. He says that her hard work has brought her to where she is. “Jay contributes a lot of different things during games with her skills as a player, but I think the number one thing she gives to our team is a relentless work rate that bleeds over to other players. She never takes a day off in training or how she plays the game. Toughness is a good word to describe what she brings to our team,” Coach Phillips said. Assistant varsity coach Coach Eddie Mulholland is another advocate of Viola’s talent and work ethic. In fact, he believes it to be part of the reason she was able to commit to a college team at such a young age. “I think work rate. That’s what describes Jay’s biggest attributes. Her work rate, and the talent’s there. And if she continues to work, she’s going to continue to make strides,” Mulholland said. Viola is also able to take advice. Instead of brushing off the suggestions of others, she takes them into consideration and makes adjustments when needed. “I think she’s coachable. Whatever the coaches say, she definitely takes that into account, and changes what she needs to,” Beeler said. Overall, Viola has proved herself to her club coaches, high school coaches, and future college coaches. She has made a great deal of progress since beginning her soccer career, and is only going up from here. “Jay is unique. She’s been on varsity for the second year, and as a sophomore, she’s our captain. I think that kind of describes her right there, as a sophomore captain. She’s a leader. She comes out and works hard. She doesn’t just make strides during the season, but she also makes a lot of strides during the off season. You can tell since the day that she’s been here that her goal was to play at a high level, and at the college level,” Coach Mulholland said.
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Atypical athlete
Taking a chance on a different sport changed one girl’s life
BEST FRIENDS: Huffman poses with her horse, she has been passionate about horses since she was four. Her passion has driven her since early on in elementary school. PHOTO COURTESY OF ALLY HUFFMAN
By Justin Hendricks
Staff reporter In a world where there are fewer and fewer students participate in different or abnormal sports in an attempt to conform to the norm, one athlete takes part in a sport which is almost unheard of for a teenager to participate in. Ally Huffman, a junior, competes in the centuries old sport of show jumping. Show jumping is a form of English riding, which is a style of horse riding that dates back to the 1600s, in which riders and horses compete racing around and over obstacles. Huffman had a dream of riding horses, and this dream of riding horses eventually developed into a passion that would change her life. Like most athletes in a sport like English riding, Huffman had a parent who used to participate in the sport. “When I was four,” Huffman said, “I went to a carnival, and they had pony rides. After the pony ride, I wouldn’t stop bothering my parents [about horses], and my mom [rode] when she was younger.” The riders start from a fairly young age. Huffman began competing with fellow sophomore Paige Butterfield in second grade. “Based on your family, if they have a
background in horses, [or] if they own horses or are trainers, you start right when you can walk,” Butterfield said. Starting from a young age helps riders build up experience and technique in what has proven to be a very difficult sport to be successful in. English riding is both time consuming and expensive and there are many responsibilities associated with it, which also prove to be a challenge for a younger participant. “I’d say it’s pretty hard,” Huffman said. “Not the sport itself, but everything about it, [like] taking care of the horses, [but] that’s the point. Riding horses isn’t the only thing that you do. You have to take care of [the horse] and you have to prep it and you have to prep yourself. It’s a lot of responsibility, and it’s a lot of real world; it’s kind of multitasking.” Nevertheless, Huffman has truly found what she wants to do with her life thanks to show jumping. She has decided a career dealing with the health and wellbeing of horses is right for her, a decision which she may have never made if it weren’t for her participation in show jumping. Thanks to the experience she has gained with horses firsthand, she knows what all goes into keeping them healthy and performing their best.
TAKING THE JUMP: Huffman and her horse compete. They have to both be prepared and give it their all to compete with others. PHOTO COURTESY OF ALLY HUFFMAN
“I want to go into a field of work with horses,” Huffman said. “I want to be a physical therapist for them, for sport horses and racehorses,” Had she not been so dedicated
to the little known sport in which she competes, Huffman may not have ever found what she is passionate about. For Huffman, taking the road less traveled uncovered her true passion in life.
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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @FHCToday for upcoming streams
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MAY 2018
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Cannabis conundrum Legalizing marijuana serves to benefit society - with restriction Using marijuana is certainly a favorite pastime among certain subsets of students at Central. Every Monday, you hear the crazy cannabis adventures of the previous weekend in intense detail. Those who partake in weed culture desperately want to #legalizeit. By Marc Falcomta Although its popularity Staff reporter has surged amongst America’s youth, a decriminalization of weed would not affect those under 21, as use would probably still be illegal for them. In many cases, advocates support legalization of recreational marijuana because it would empty private prisons, bring in loads of tax money to the state, and because they believe it has positive effects on society. To me, recreational use of weed should be legalized, but for none of these reasons. My reasons include the extinction of violence attached to weed dealing, the increased freedoms it would bring to US citizens, and the huge new industry that would be created for weed vendors. According to Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know, U.S. prisons house 40,000 inmates who are connected with marijuana charges, but less than one percent are in for possession charges alone. Only around 20,000
of those inmates had marijuana related charges as their worst offense. If weed were to be legalized, the government should not make tons of tax money off of it. The industry should be regulated, but the taxation should be extremely limited in order to prevent a massive industry from going to waste. In order for sale of marijuana to reach its full success threshold, taxes on marijuana purchase should be very limited, as this could turn away the buyer to other drug options, and hurt the vendor. On the idea that marijuana has positive effects on society, I don’t see the proof. It may have some health benefits in certain situations, but if used recreationally, is not wholly beneficial. On the stressed out individual, it has the same effect as alcohol, pushing the problems out of the mind temporarily until the user falls back into reality. That distraction can only hurt society. Along with marijuana’s harmful distraction from life, there are facts to back up the assertion that it is a lead in to use of other, more harmful drugs. People who are addicted to marijuana are 3 times more likely to be addicted to heroin. Even with the risk of moving on to harder drugs, I think other
benefits make legalization worth it. The current system by which people obtain weed illegally is extremely dangerous. There are many violent cases around the nation which are a direct cause of weed dealing. If weed were legal, this danger would no longer exist and buying weed would be as simple as buying tobacco. US citizens need the freedom to do whatever they want, as long as it does not hurt anyone else. Liberty can only be attained if this is true. The founding fathers were very strict on the idea that individual freedoms trump any opposition to them which does not also include a defense of personal freedoms. Using their guidelines, there is no reason why marijuana should be illegal. Marijuana could also become a large stimulant of the economy. There is a huge demand for weed amongst people in their twenties and thirties. If weed is legalized and privatized, a whole new facet of our economy could be opened up. This would mean jobs, and a higher GDP for America. Overall, there is some danger to allow marijuana usage, but with an age restriction, a more responsible population would use it recreationally. The economic benefits and extended freedom make a legalization of marijuana worth it.
579
drug related homicides in 2007
20,000
US prison inmates with marijuana related charges as their worst offense
Over half
Percent of arrests in the US which occured due to marijuana
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F O C A L
POINTS
Each issue, the editorial staff picks three issues focused on the school and gives you insight and impact in a couple quick sentences.
Juliet Fuhrmann: Tattooed
“You will regret it in the future.” “Wow, what a dumb tattoo.” “That is disgusting, how you could mark your body like that?” No. As long as my tattoo means something to me, I am going to get it. As long as I like it, the ink is going to be on my body. My body is not your body, so instead of hating or judging someone with tattoos, praise them for it, give them a nice compliment, because they just made their body a work of art.
Whitney Klein: Keep reading
If you like to read, you’re a rare thing in high school. Everyone’s love of reading seems to slowly disappear as they get older. Everyone gives the same excuse of they don’t have enough time, but it’s not true. Most people just don’t understand when they’re spending time scrolling through their Instagram feed or binging Netflix, they could actually be reading and improving themselves. Reading exercises your brain and improves concentration, vocab, and language skills. No one should ever stop reading. Reading shouldn’t be thought of as a dying hobby just because technology is growing.
Jessica Fults: Interruptions The bell rings and everyone sits down, prepared to share their thoughts about the book they read last night for the class discussion. Someone is immediately interrupted mid-sentence because the other person doesn’t agree with their opinion. Would it be that difficult to let someone finish their sentence? We should all be mature enough to sit and listen before responding.
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“It’s just a phase.” “You’re doing it for attention.” “It could be worse.” “Everyone’s depressed.” “Quit worrying so much.” “You’re just making it up.” “You are just overreacting.”
“It’s all in your head.” Be open to the pain you can’t see or feel It may all be in their head. After all, mental illnesses stem from an experience stored in a memory or from a chemical imbalance in the brain. It is all in their head. But that doesn’t make it any less real or valid or painful. That doesn’t mean they don’t deserve help and understanding and sympathy when they reach out to you. When someone looks to you for comfort and help, treating their struggle as invalid is a slap in the face. As their confidante, it is basically your duty to come from a place of compassion and understanding. Do not be offhand or dismissive in your advice or comfort. Do not stand idle when you know someone has a problem and all they need is someone to confide in, do not let ignorance turn them into a statistic. When someone looks to you for comfort, they trust you, they want you to help, they need you to understand what they are going through, whether they need physical comfort or they get more terrified by being touched when they’re upset; whether all they need is someone to talk to or text when feeling down or someone to distract them from everything in their head. Start talking to your loved ones about what they need from you. Don’t be afraid to start the conversation with them. Don’t be afraid to ask if they need some help. Don’t be afraid. The only thing to be scared of when trying to helping a loved one is what might happen if you don’t offer your support.
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ENDANGERED: A green sea turtle swims off the coast of Hawaii. With an increase in global temperatures, male sea turles are becoming a rarity.
Gone forever Extinction of a species affects humans
RECOVERING: An American Bison roaming the grasslands of the Midwest. Saved from the brink of extinction, there is an estimated population of 800,000 left.
The Christmas Island Pipistrelle, the Lister’s Gecko, Blue-Tailed Skink, Beaverpond Marstonia, the Indonesian Fishing Cat. These are just some of the species that have been added to the extinct species list. Seven species we will never see Patrick Sheehan again. Seven species we can Staff reporter no longer study in the wild. And it’s our fault. The Christmas Island Pipistrelle, a species of bat native to Christmas Island, the Lister’s Gecko, BlueTailed Skink, and the Christmas Island Forest Skink have all gone extinct because of the introduction of species into their environment, primarily the wolf snake. All because we interrupted their ecosystem by bringing a snake to an island. That’s how easy it is to drive a species to extinction. The Lister’s Gecko and Blue-Tailed Skink still have captive populations, so they are hanging on by a thread. The Center for Biological Diversity was seeking protection for the Beaverpond Marstonia in 2010 and they got a response from the US Fish and Wildlife Service after SEVEN YEARS. They responded that it was extinct. The Indonesian Fishing Cat was declared extinct after an extensive search all over the region for the animal. To survive we depend on other species on our planet. If bees go extinct then we are toast. Plants would die out and in turn so would animals like us. Even venomous creatures are beneficial to us. We
DISAPPEARING: An Axolotl swimming in its enclosure. They are currently endangered due to the urbanization of Mexico City.
use their venom to create medicine, insects keep population in control, domestic animals provide food, the sea star’s outer body has a non-stick material with the ability to treat arthritis and hay fever, but it also keeps the clam population down. They eat more clams than humans do and that’s why the ocean isn’t exploding with nothing but clams. There are some amazing and weird animals out there that are essential to their ecosystem, like the cuttlefish. The cuttlefish is an amazing creature that can create pulsating colors and change its color completely, much like the octopus. Then there’re all the other animals that keep our ecosystem alive and diverse. There are many conservation groups seeking to help species survive this new extinction crisis. Among these groups is the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) whose goal is to preserve natural diversity all over the world. They hold athletic events like runs and tough mudders. They even allow you to adopt tigers to help the wildlife fund. They organize their work around six main areas of concern: food, freshwater, ocean, climate, wildlife, and forests. Right now, there is a proposal to create an open pit gold and copper mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska, one of the most diverse and intact ecosystems in North America. This mining operation could absolutely destroy the ecosystem of the area. The Great Barrier Reef is under attack by invasive species, pollution, and coral bleaching. The WWF is also working to prevent the decline of species and destruction
of coral cover. There are estimates of 1-9 million species that call the reef their home supporting diversity the likes of which is rivaled nowhere in the world. The problem of invasive species isn’t just in some other obscure part of the world, it’s impacting the ecosystems around us as well. There are many invasive species in Missouri that the Department of Conservation are trying to keep in control. The species that are destroying our ecosystem include the Asian Carp, Asian LongHorned Beetle, Emerald Ash Borer, European Wood Wasps, Feral Hogs, Common Pigeons, Starlings and Zebra mussels. Each of these species can have a huge impact on our ecosystem. My neighbor lost his banana tree to Emerald Ash Borers last week. I’ve seen ruined fences where feral hogs have come through trampling anything in their path. Asian Carps eat local fishes food driving them to extinction in Missouri and Asian Long-Horned Beetles kill hardwood trees at an alarming rate. Our government is taking steps to reduce and even eradicate these invasive species and you can help them do it. It is illegal to use Asian Carp as live bait because of the potential for them to escape the hook. Report any damage or suspicious beetle to the government so that you can save a neighbor’s tree or even a whole forest. You can make a difference for your environment just by following the guidelines and suggestions of your local government. Go to mdc.mo.gov to find out how you can help your local environment.
MAY 2018
entertain
All of the above
Craig Eddy
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entertain
MAY 2018
Note-worthy tips Ways to kick off school for a better year
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By Whitney Klein Voice editor
Develop new study habit. Notecards are cheap and writing them helps with memorization. Find new and creative ways to write notes that'll help commit them to memory better. Splurge and get yourself a planner. Keep track of due dates and activities. Get a good amount of pencils, paper, highlighters while they’re on sale. You don’t want to run out halfway through the semester and be the guy with the broken wooden pencil from the teacher or the duct taped binder that keeps falling apart and spilling papers on the floor. Find colorful ways to organize your notes. Organization helps people stay collected. Spend your summer reading. Keeping the mind active in a progressive way, not regressive like the endless hours of Netflix binging everyone’s planning. Find internships or volunteer work to occupy free time this summer. Boost college applications while helping the community and gaining experience Don’t get hung up on little things. Drama can be captivating and seem like the most important thing at the time, but don’t let it interfere with school. It’s never too early to start checking out colleges or whichever form of education people plan on pursuing after high school. Research events, visits, or tours to go on
MAY 2018
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2017-18 YEARBOOK FORM
FHC, SAY WHAT?!?!
Reserve your copy of the 2017-18 yearbook at registration. Cost of the book is now $65. You can also order the book online: www.jostens.com (this goes live on July 25)
Order form for the 2017-18 yearbook
Grade: ____
Date:________
Cash: ____
Check#_____ All checks must be made payable to FHC Publications
The price of the yearbook will be $65 until THE FINAL DAY OF SCHOOL. After that date, any extra copies of the book will sell for $70 and will only be available on a first-come, first serve basis Staff signature:
RECEIPT
____________________
REMINDER: All yearbooks are delivered at summer registration.
GET YOUR YEARBOOK FOR FREE!! FHC Publications has partnered with Club’s Choice to give FHC students the chance to earn a free yearbook. Sell 15 tubs of cookie dough and you’ll get your 2017-18 copy of the Odyssey for free. Order forms are available at our table at summer registration DATES TO KNOW Last day of yearbook sales: FINAL DAY OF SCHOOL Yearbook pick-up: 2018-19 registration, usually late July
Name: _________________________________________
RECEIPT
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Questions? matthew.schott@ fhsdschools.org 636.851.5636 Room 139 @FHC