Central Focus November 2011

focus central { } francis howell central high school | volume fifteen | issue four | 11.16.2011

finding balance teens struggle to manage pregnancies

delve 3-8 | sweat 9-13 | in focus 14-19 | the scene 21-26 | be heard 27-30 | interact 31 | aperture 32

THREE {spaced out} Despite all the empty parking spaces in the student parking lot, student drivers struggle to obtain a parking pass when they need it.

FIVE {adding up} Senior year brings many things for students, especially expenses. The Central Focus evaluated all the costs of senior year to see how it all adds up.

NINE {sibling rivalry}

11

chase rey

Sibling athletes stuggle to outshine one another and take their place as number on the family tree. Are the tensions left on the field, or brought home?

TWENTY-ONE {get childish} Teenagers embrace modern-day cartoons despite the lose of quality compared to the 90's and the immaturity associated with it.

TWENTY-SEVEN {failed fans} choir members

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13

krista swanigan

opening shots | november 16, 2011

18

The lack of fans at the football games, and all sporting events, destroys school spirit and is at an all time, depressing low for the school.

{delve}

Empty spots raise questions Students wonder why they see so many empty parking spots in the school lot

photo by kelci davis

I

By Karley Canova staff reporter

n order to be able to park in the student parking lot, a student needs to have the materials needed for the specific type of parking pass they desire.

The minimum requirements for a daily parking pass are a valid driver’s license and a drug form that is on file. The cost of a daily pass is either $2.00 or $3.00, depending on whether the student gets it in advance or the day that they will be driving to and from school.

“That’s to encourage kids to get [their pass] ahead of time,” said Ms. Dot O’Hara Pinkham, who sells parking passes to students.

Yearly parking permits cost $50.00; a semester permit, $25.00; and a seasonal, $15.00, according to Mr. David Stofer.

These types of passes ask for a copy of a valid license and insurance card.

“Some [kids] bring in expired insurance cards,” said Ms. Pinkham. “They don’t have the required documents.”

This is one of the many reasons

why people are seeing so many empty parking spaces in the lot. Another reason seems to be that students continue to buy daily passes when it seems convenient.

“You end up spending twice as much on the parking pass than on the permit,” said Mr. Stofer.

Also according to Mr. Stofer, it seems that empty spaces will always be a common theme, due to students leaving for the work program or tech school.

“It depends on what time you’re looking [at the parking lot],” said

Mr. Stofer.

The parking office posts posters and signs around the school letting kids know when season permits will be expiring, and when the new permits will be available.

When the parking permits go on sale, students with after school activities, such as a sport or a club, have a week to come in with a signature from a sponsor, and will be the first group eligible to buy a permit for that time. After those students, the permits go to seniors, then juniors, and lastly

sophomores.

However, permits are not selling like they used to, according to Mr. Stofer and Ms. Pinkham.

“Usually every season we’d sell out; we’d have to send people away,” said Mr. Stofer. “This is my sixth year, and we’ve never sold out in fall or winter.”

Another reason why students seem to be avoiding taking the drive to school is the costs.

“Gas has gone too high, or people are car pooling with friends,” said Ms. Pinkham. “[It is] too expensive.”

fhctoday.com | delve

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Scrambling for scholarships By: Madelyn Newton Staff Reporter

As students are beginning high school, colleges are beginning to recruit. Although college is the best route for most students, many people have troubles paying for their education.

Students can earn scholarships for a variety of reasons. If a student were to go to a college they would only be offered a few scholarships that can be challenging to achieve.

What many students do not realize is there are many more scholarships they do not know about. These can be found on scholarship websites.

Generally, scholarships are given for academics and athletics.

However, on these websites other scholarships can be found

according to guidance counselor Mr. Kris Miller.

“This is a free way to get scholarship money for unique or strange things. There are so many avenues that people can search for scholarships,” Miller said.

These scholarships are usually not sent to the schools because they are small and do not apply to many students. Scholarships are awarded to students from many categories. The Society of Vacuum Coaters Foundation, The National Marbles Tournament, and the Chick and Sophie Major Memorial Duck Calling Contest all are just a few.

“These websites give extra resources to find scholarships that aren’t advertised as much and are small or unique to different students,” Miller said.

“I won a $1,000 scholarship for writing just three sentences about how I would make this school year different than years before.” { Michelle Aiello} senior Aiello used one of the scholarship websites to find a scholarship that she could apply to in as little as three sentences and was able to win $1,000 dollars in scholarship money. These websites include www. scholarships.com, www.cappex.com and www. fastweb.com.

Senior Michelle Aiello uses scholarship websites as a way to reduce the cost of her tuition.

“I’m hoping to get some scholarships to pay for college since my family doesn’t have a way for paying for it,” Aiello said.

Miller and Aiello both suggest using fastweb.com, cappex.com, scholarships.com and to find extra scholarship opportunities.

Although these websites can be successful, there are ways to go about using them.

“I suggest that students have an alternate email account because these websites send a lot of junk mail. Also, I tell students to always apply if there is a chance of getting a scholarship. It might just be a few hundred dollars, but it helps,” said Miller.

Aiello was one to take initiative and start looking at these websites on her own. She has already received a scholarship and hopes to get more from these sites.

“I won a $1,000 scholarship for writing just three sentences about

how I would make this school year different than years before,” Aiello said.

In addition to he websites that list scholarships by company or organization, www.meritaid.com is another website that students should utilize if they have a certain school they want to attend.

Www.meritaid.com is a website run by www.cappex.com that lists the scholarships each individual school offers, rather than scholarships that are offered by outside companies and organizations. This helps students to be aware of the aid they can receive from a specific college where they may be applying.

These scholarships include alumni association awards, presidential scholarships, and departmental awards.

SCHOLARSHIPS.COM

. ...........

requires an account sponsored by themself features scholarships and college matches for profiles

FASTWEB.COM

............

requires an account for specific features sponsored by themself features scholarship matches, student finances, colleges, jobs, etc.

CAPPEX.COM

. ........... ............

requires an account sponsored by themself features college options, scholarship chances and admissions chances

MERITAID.COM

requires an account sponsored by cappex.com features scholarship information for specific colleges of your choice

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delve | november 16, 2011

2,064.43 $.

From buying a yearbook at the beginning of the year

to paying for the senior trip to Daytona, the Central Focus investigates

THE REAL COST OF BEING A SENIOR

.... ............................. ... ... . .. . . .. . . .. . . . . ... ... ... . .

GRADUATION *

{paying for that “classic senior year” could cost you this much - or more*}

AUGUST

Homecoming

Homecoming dance ticket -$16

Party Central fees (all 4 years) -$100

Average girls’ ensemble -$150

Activities pass -$25

Average boys’ ensemble -$75

Yearbook with a senior ad -$155

OCTOBER

SEPTEMBER

DECEMBER

NOVEMBER

Senior panoramic picture -$24.95

ACT fees (per test) -$30

College application fees -$150

College applications can cost up to $100.00 a pop; most are around $50.00.

This figure is based on the average student applying to three schools.

Senior shirt -$17.95

Senior hoodie -$33.95

-$28 Graduation announcements -$107.05 Graduation party invitations

APRIL

Cap and gown -$26.95

Want to buy a corsage for your date? Add $25.00 to your prom expenses.

Tickets to all theatre performances -$29

FEBRUARY

MARCH

Senior photos -$315

The cost of getting senior photos done includes both a sitting fee and the price of prints at most studios. Prestige Portrait Studio says that the average senior photo package costs arounfd $300, but this can be much more or much less.

Corsage -$25

Prom

Prom ticket (dinner included) -$65 Average girls’ ensemble -$300 Average boys’ ensemble -$150

JANUARY

MAY

AP test fees (per test) -$87

Senior trip to Daytona, FL -$520

Costs are based on the median package for each expense (neither the highest nor the lowest price listed). The total cost listed at the top is based on a hypothetical senior year containing all of the items displayed on this page; for girls, this number may be higher after prices for formal dreses are factored in (approximately $2,179.90).

For boys, the estimate is around $1,978.95. Additional costs, such as college visits, foreign language department trips, and additional senior gear are not included

fhctoday.com | delve

Research and infographic by Maddie Wilson

Many students take the test more than once; ACT allows up to 12 tests per student.This fee can be waived for qualifying families through the guidance office.

The cost of a homecoming dress can range from $25.00 to hundreds of dollars. This figure also factors in shoes; actual costs vary.

}5

margaret joshua borgmeyer burns

- started singing in fifth grade for a musical - women’s chamber choir, saeger singing sensations, metro 8 middle school honor choir, treble choir, patt holt connection and metro 8 high school choir - attended the Missouri Fine Arts Academy in the summer of 2010 - she is an alto in the all-state choir

- introduced to music in fourth grade - he was in all-state multiple times in middle school along with being in the district’s choir three times - he was the prince in “Cinderella” his sophomore year - his inspirations are the choir teachers he’s had - he is a tenor alternate in the all-state choir

anna gingrich

- her first solo was in pre-school - she is inspired by her family, who are all musically inclined - leads worship every Sunday for kids at church - she is an alto in the all-state choir

“

melissa mossinghoff

kyle chumbley

I sing in my car, I sing in my head, I breathe the beats to songs, and I sing every single day.

”

- started singing as a toddler in front of a mass at Saint William’s Academy - he’s inspired by his parents and grandma - Saeger singing sensations, metro 8 honor choir, chamber choir, metro honor district choir and all-state choir - he is a tenor alternate in the all-state choir

- has been in saeger singing sensations, middle school choir, the metro 8 middle school honor choir, the district middle school honor choir, FHC’s Treble Choir, church choir; women’s chamber choir, all-district honor choir - has been in many musicals - she is an alto in the all-state choir

Sweet sound of success

Five students’ hard work pays off as they are accepted to be in all-state choir

By Caitlan Good staff repoter

Three seniors have earned all-state recognition for choir this year — seniors Margaret Borgmeyer, Melissa Mossinghoff, and Anna Gingrich — along with alternates Joshua Burns and Kyle Chumbley. The process of getting into state for choir is not well known to most students, however, it is a four-month process that takes a lot of work.

The process began when the students auditioned for Districts on Oct. 8. Schools can send as many as eight students from each voice group to the auditions. Voice groups include soprano, alto, tenor and bass. The judges chose 40 of the top singers from each section for Districts.

Once the students were selected by Choir Director Elisabeth Baird to audition for districts, they all prepared 90 seconds of a song from one of two books they were allowed to choose from. The students also practiced sight-singing for the second half of the audition.

“All of the candidates for district

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delve | november 16, 2011

prepare the solo on their own, and I listen to them twice before the audition to make sure it is ready. Some of the students work with private instructors, but some don’t,” Baird said. “We work on the sight-reading skills in class on a regular basis, and the tracks for the audition are all online so they can practice with that.”

The sight-singing audition allows the student to demonstrate their understanding of sharp and flat key signatures and their ability to sing a given song a cappella, with only the first note given.

Schools found out whether their students made it into Districts on Oct. 9. The judges also chose the top 16 singers out of the top 40 from each district to audition for the all-state choir.

There are 11 districts in Missouri, so there are about 176 students in the choir. These students were given a four-part song entitled “Locus Iste” to learn for their all-state audition, which took place on the first night of District practice. This audition was sung with accompaniment and the other three

voices on the recording.

Each student had their own way to prepare for their audition, but they all are on one strict schedule.

“For all-state auditions, we worked on the four-part song in class, they worked on it together and in private lessons,” Baird said.

Judges combined the score from districts, along with the score for the new four-part song, to select the top four singers from each part to send to All-State, along with two alternates.

During the blind auditions, students are judged on tone quality, dynamic contrast and overall musicianship of their solo. As for the judges, there is one judge for the sight-singing audition, three for solos at districts and three at State.

There is only one round in each part of the audition process, but the audition itself can prove to be difficult. Students begin preparing for their audition at the beginning of the school year, the actual audition for district is in October and state audition is in November. The AllState concert takes place in Tan-Tar-A

at the end of January.

Students in Districts must prepare six songs within a small window of time, having only two rehearsals all together before meeting with the District clinician who directs the concert, according to Mrs. Baird.

Students must get to know the director, and learn how to vocally blend with the other people in their groups.

The schedule during state is even more time-consuming, students begin practicing very early in the morning, and go late into the night.

“Rehearsals are intense,” said Mrs. Baird.

Although there is no winner, all students involved in all-state can get scholarships to any college who has a choir, even if they do not intend on majoring in singing.

“When it all comes down to it, the challenge of state is worth it.” said Chumbley, who is the only contender who has attended state before. “You meet fantastic new people, and you get to do what you love for a weekend at the Ozarks. Nothing is better than that.”

New classes get green light District has approved the addition of AP Psychology, AP Economics and Digital Electronics to next year’s course roster

By Maddie Wilson design editor

With college tuition rates continuing to rise at unprecedented rates, the possibility of receiving college credit for courses taken in high school is becoming more and more appealing.

The Francis Howell School District currently offers over 20 classes that can be taken for Advanced Credit (AC), Advanced Placement (AP) and careerspecific preparation.

Dr. Travis Bracht, the district’s director of curriculum, recently announced the addition of three new honors classes to the high school course list for the 20122013 school year.

Starting next fall, AP Psychology, AP Economics and honors Digital Technology will be available to students at all three district high schools.

The introduction of these classes comes with FHSD’s efforts to meet the criteria for ‘Distinction in Performance’ accreditation from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), as well as teacher and student interest in the opportunity of college-level credit.

“The ability to offer these courses depends on many factors, such as student enrollment, teacher certification [and] training,” Dr. Bracht said.

“It is the preference of [the DESE] that high schools have as many courses as possible that fit into advanced [and] career education categories ... the higher the percentage of credits earned [by students in these courses] the better it is for [a school’s] Annual Performance Report status.”

Guidance counselor Dr. Joyce Gang said the district is offering these classes in the interest of students earning college credit as well as accreditation.

“I know the district’s very concerned about offering highlevel classes,” said Dr. Gang. “It’s

a way of saving families money ... In these economic times, the more kids that can take the AP exams, the better.”

A major benefit of AC, AP and career-oriented classes lies in their relative cost; high school classes taken for college credit are drastically less expensive than college tuition fees.

The College Board’s Trends in Higher Education Report estimates the cost per credit hour at an in-state public university (like Missouri University or Truman State University) at $253.50 per hour. By contrast, one AP test is $87.00; if a student passes, it can be redeemed for as many as six credit hours, a potential saving of almost $1,400.

Advantages of advanced coursework in high school are not strictly financial; the workload of such courses are a good way for high school students to prepare for a college learning environment, according to Dr. Gang.

AP courses are also often requested by students for their content.

“We believe that the material contained in these advanced placement courses are interesting and engaging to students,” said Dr. Bracht. “Obviously, if there are a large number of students who request these courses it will be a priority to offer them.”

AP Psychology Of the three courses, AP Psychology was the one most requested by students. FHC currently offers a semester-long psychology class, taught by Mr. Steve Bohning, that covers approximately 50-60 percent of the material addressed in AP Psychology. “[AP Psychology] is a class that quite a few students on this campus have asked for,” said Ms. Lisa Niswonger, social studies department chair. “With Mr. Bohning as the instructor, I know

that it will be a success.”

The course, which is a year long, covers human behavior, as well as scientific and historical applications of psychology.

The curriculum, which is going to be developed by Mr. Bohning in collaboration with other district teachers, will also include topics such as learning, psychological research, personality, the brain, psychological disorders, and social psychology.

“I would recommend to anyone who took regular psychology and enjoyed it to take AP Psychology,” said Mr. Bohning.

“Take this class if you want to expand your knowledge of the human condition and possibly earn college credit. You’ll have to take an [introductory] psychology course in college, and in most universities that means you’ll have about 300 other kids in the class.”

Senior Elliot Russo said that he would have been interested in the class had it been offered this year.

“I would have taken AP Psychology,” Russo said. “It would have been fun to have a full year of psychology ... I heard about the [current] psychology class from previous students that took [it] and they really enjoyed it.”

AP Economics The Advanced Placement Economics course will be the first college-level class offered by the business department.

The introduction of this course is unique in that taking the course can take the place of the required Personal Finance class, which is required by the state of Missouri for graduation.

“Students [in AP Economics] will be taught the necessary components of Personal Finance to successfully pass the staterequired finance test,” said Ms. Cindy Schaeffer, business department chair. “As in any AP course, it will be a lot to cover

in one class, but those seriously wanting to take AP will be able to handle the workload.”

The nationally certified AP Economics course actually consists of two sub-courses: AP Microeconomics and AP Macroeconomics.

Students enrolled in the yearlong course should be prepared to take both AP tests in the spring, Ms. Schaeffer said.

AP Economics should not be considered only by students who intend to major in business in college; Ms. Schaeffer said that the course has cross-disciplinary benefits.

“It is definitely recommended for students in multiple areas as the large majority of students go into business in one way or another in their professional lives,” she said.

Digital Electronics The third new class of the 2012-2013 school year is neither an Advanced Credit nor an Advanced Placement course, but its engineering-focused curriculum lends itself to collegepreparatory material, as well as an earned honors point for students.

The class will be the third installment of the district’s preengineering program, Project Lead The Way (PLTW). To be eligible to enroll, prospective students must have passed both the Introduction to Engineering Design and the Principles of Engineering Design classes.

The district’s course listing describes Digital Electronics as “the foundation of all modern electronic devices such as cellular phones, MP3 players, laptop computers, digital cameras and high-definition televisions.”

The class will be heavily linked to math and science, and the district has announced that it plans to roll out two new engineering courses, Civil Engineering and Archicture and Engineering Design and Development, for the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 school year.

AP

Psychology

COURSE DESCRIPTION “...designed to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings, and other animals...They also learn about ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice.”

TOPICS COVERED Research methods, biology of psychollogy, the brain, genetics and evolution, sensation and perception, states of consciousness, learning, memory, creativity, motivation and emotion, stress and health, developmental psychology, personality, personal differences, abnormal psychology, treatment of psychological disorders, social psychology TEACHER ADVICE “Dont take the class if you don’t like science.

It’s very technical,” said Mr. Bohning.

AP

Economics

COURSE DESCRIPTION “The purpose of the AP Economics course is to give students a thorough understanding of the principles of micro and macro economics that apply to the functions of individual decision makers...It places primary emphasis on the nature and functions of product markets, and includes the study of factor markets and of the role of governments in promoting greater efficiency and equity in the economy. The study of national income and price-level determination,... economics performance measures, the financial sector, stabilization policies, economic growth, and international economies will be included.”

PERSONAL FINANCE TIE-IN “Students will be taught the necessary components of personal finance to pass the state finance test,” said Ms. Schaeffer.

Digital Electronics HONORS

TOPICS COVERED Combinational/sequential logic, teamwork, communication methods, engineering standards and technical documentation

PREREQUISITES Intro to Engineering, Principles of Engineering fhctoday.com | delve

}7

NHS service projects give perspective

By Jessica Mugler staff reporter

{OASIS service project} Oct. 29 - shopping lists are requested - volunteers fill food on list, carry food to cars - add food from OASIS pantry

{Crisis Nursery Center} Nov. 5 - 5 student volunteers - volunteers played with kids - organized clothes and donations [located 315 1st Capitol Drive

In the midst of their busy teenage lives, students in National Honor Society (NHS) are giving back to their community. Service projects that the club is volunteering at include OASIS food pantry, the Crisis Nursery Center and Adopt-A-Family.

“At OASIS, we will be stocking and sorting cans, as well as cleaning and organizing for them,” senior Becca Vadalabene, NHS president, said.

NHS students will participate in this project on Nov. 19 and have already worked at the pantry on Oct. 29.

“The management there was so nice,” said senior Anna Gingrich. “Everyone said thank you and seemed very grateful.”

According to Mrs. Dena Rulo, the club’s sponsor, all these projects were held last year and the students enjoyed doing the different projects. “[The service projects] give the students a sense of purpose and responsibility and helps them see how fortunate they are,” said Mrs. Rulo.

“These projects will help students appreciate At the Crisis Nursery Center, the students will play with kids who do not have safe what they have while knowing they can help homes or need somewhere to go, as well as other people,” Vadalabene said.

For the Adopt-A-Family organization, NHS organize donations for them. will wrap presents that According to people have donated crisisnurserykids.com, for a family in need 88 children are abused “The nursery provides a at Christmastime. nationally every hour, safehouse for kids with According to Mrs. but 7,275 children at parents that could be in a Rulo, this is a massive risk of abuse were crunch amd don’t have a undertaking. provided a safe haven in babysitter.”

“There are so many the fiscal year 2010. jobs to do- wrapping “The nursery provides presents, collecting a safe-house for kids { Mrs. Dena Rulo } NHS sponsor and sorting presents with parents that could and delivering out be in a crunch and don’t Mrs. Dena Rulo is the club sponsor for the National Honor presents,” said Mrs. have a babysitter,” Mrs. Society (NHS). She and the club volunteer at service projects such as the OASIS food pantry, the Crisis Nursery Center and Rulo.

Rulo said.

Adopt-A-Family. Those who participate from NHS benefit from the volunteer projects.

Students not The Crisis Nursery involved in NHS can was visited by NHS on not participate in the Nov. 5 and will again service projects, as there is only limited see them on Dec. 3.

According to Mrs. Rulo, last year the kids volunteer space available.

“If someone is involved in an organization got really involved in the project and tried to split their time between organizing for the and needs help, contact us and we’ll try to help,” Rulo said. nursery and helping with the kids.

“After graduating high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. SCC gave me the time to figure it out before transferring to a four-year university.” ~ DJ Shocklee SCC alum Francis Howell Central alum

Find SCC on : Ask your counselor how to get started at St. Charles Community College. Call 636-922-8000 or visit stchas.edu.

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{sweat}

By Cody Jones

T

Living up to legends Motivation found by students who aspire to live up to siblings’ feats

photo by kelci davis

Staff reporter

he Terry Kasper Corridor drapes its walls with athletic achievements that current athletes and teams can only dream of accomplishing.

You will not find posters with t-shirts for sale here, but rather, a plaque dedicated to alumnus Pierre Desir.

Looking for information about your next club meeting? It’s probably not on the wall with Shakara Jones’s framed jersey and magazine cover. The board detailing track and field records?

I bet it has nothing to do with an upcoming pep rally.

Only the best make their mark in the corridor, and select students know exactly what it takes to reach those heights.

These students watched the legends submit their legacies from the stands, then laughed with them at the dinner table.

Years have passed and now it’s the siblings’ times to shine.

It’s not so much sibling rivalry, rather stepping out of the siblings shadow to make a name for themselves. Junior Jeff Desir knows all about living in the shadows of a sibling.

“When people see me in a jersey, they expect me to play like my brother.” Desir said.

His brother, Pierre, was statistically one of the best football players in school history.

His 144 points in 2006 is a school record. During that season he averaged 10.1 yards a carry, second best all time. Jeff never appreciated those stats until he stepped on the field himself.

“Until you’re out there, with all the speed and aggressiveness, you can never really respect what he did,” he said. Stats never really tell the whole story.

Junior Joe McDevitt understands that concept. Since

please read more: RIVALRY, PAGE 13

fhctoday.com | sweat

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Shooting for success on, off the ice Senior Chase Rey shoots for his ultimate goal of earning a Division I scholarship

By Blake Beck staff reporter

Walking on to the ice at the Scottrade Center, a calm and collected senior Chase Rey and his teammates prepared to take on the Christian Brothers College (CBC) Cadets.

As the championship game got underway, Rey notched in two goals along with an assist, contributing to the Spartans’ upset victory over the Cadets.

Despite being the heavy underdogs, Rey was not surprised he and his teammates went home the state champions.

“I definitely wasn’t expecting the performance out of CBC, but I knew we had arguably the best line in the state,” Rey said. “Our whole team came out fired up and CBC thought they already had it in the bag.”

Reflecting on his performance that night in March, Rey believes it was nothing spectacular, even with a total of two goals and an assist.

“It wasn’t a top performance for me, but I did what I had to do,” Rey said. “I was just in the right place a t

10}

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the right time and [alumni] Kyle Novak and Jalen Krogman set me up.”

Rey’s journey to the state championship began at the tender age of six when he decided to follow his brother’s footsteps and begin playing roller hockey.

“Chase has all the qualities of a player that sets him apart from the rest. As a coach, he’s the type of player you always wish you have but only get once in a great while.” { Tom Mueller } Hockey coach Coach Tom Mueller is the coach of Central’s hockey team. He has worked with many different students who have been on the team over the years, including senior Chase Rey. Coach Mueller feels Chase is a player that is hard to come by.

Three years later, Rey transitioned to ice hockey, which he has played ever since.

He currently plays for the under 18 junior Blues and was recently called up to play by the Des Moines Buccaneers, a member of the United States Hockey League, which drafted him in 2010. Regg Simon, head coach of the Buccaneers, based his decision to draft Rey on his hockey intelligence.

“Chase has a good head for the game,” Coach Simon said.

“Finding players with a hockey sense is always important and that’s something we like about him.”

With an already rigorous schedule demanded by the junior Blues and the addition of the Buccaneers, Chase had to make the difficult decision of leaving the FHC hockey team in order to ease his workload.

“It was tough. It’s always fun playing with your school buddies and in front of the school,” Rey said. “But I want to focus more on my Blues team and my coaches aren’t very fond of high school hockey.”

Rey leaves behind a tremendous legacy, as he is in the top five in most offensive categories, including total points and goals. In his final season with the Spartans, Rey led the team with 39 points, a combination of 22 goals and 17 assists, in just 17 games. According to Coach Tom Mueller, Rey is a player that is hard to come by.

“Chase has all the qualities of a player that sets him apart from the rest,” Coach Mueller said. “As a coach, he’s the type of player you always wish you have but only get once in a great while.”

Rey’s decision was made in the best interest of his future. Once he graduates from high school, Rey plans to play a year of junior hockey before moving to the collegiate level. There is no specific college Rey favors at the moment, but any Division one scholarship will do.

“I definitely hope to play college hockey in the near future,” Rey said. “I don’t really have any favorites right now, where ever I can get a Division I scholarship would be awesome.”

With the skill Rey possesses, his goal of receiving a scholarship may one day be achieved. Rey has already been noticed by teams such as the Buccaneers and his coaches are well aware of his talent. Now it is all about execution.

“There are plenty of stories of players with talent that never do anything with it,” Coach Simon said. “Chase has the ability, but now he needs to have the drive and will behind it.”

{the stats} *

in his hockey career with the Spartan hockey team, senior Chase Rey has racked up a total of:

87 48 39 points

goals

assists

48

Senior Chase Rey (center) and the junior Blues all surround the coaches as they are informed on what drills the team will be doing during practice. The team practiced multiple days in a row to prepare for its tournament on the weekend of Nov. 11.

games

* for the Spartans

photos by savannah mceachern

Rey races after the puck during practice on Nov. 9. They practiced a lot over the last few weeks in order to prepare for two tournaments held two weekends in a row.

Rey and a teammate stand as they wait for a new drill to start. The team practices on week nights and travels on weekends for tournaments.

fhctoday.com | sweat

}11

Bitter fans fuel fire

Rivalry between Central, Howell is too strong to die out anytime soon Highway 94 separates Howell Central from its rival Francis Howell. This stretch of road is crossed each year by teams from each school eager to

By Matthew compete and by fans Lundberg who hold a grudge sweat editor against the other school.

As teams travel down this road, be it in silence or on a bus filled with sounds of teams getting wired for a big game, thoughts go through the heads of athletes who are reminding themselves of the task to come. Through the players’ mix of headphones iPods and other devices, junior football and basketball player Derrick Puni goes through the game plan in his head.

“When I’m on the bus I get excited about the upcoming game. I know that there will be a lot of people at the game because it’s

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sweat | november 16, 2011

a big game,” Puni said.

These games have always recorded record attendance for both teams. No matter what the record is, teams can almost always count on a good, intense game, according to senior Caitlin Geringer. “[Howell] has always been the team we have the most intense games with,” Geringer said, “so beating them is a big deal.”

For the past few years, Howell seems to own the Spartans when it comes to sports. Last year, the basketball team beat Howell for the first time in four years and senior football players this year have never beaten the Vikings in a varsity game.

The scene is different, however, for sports such boys volleyball, the team who has had Howell’s number for the past few years.

This trend of Howell beating us on the playing field can also be seen in the stands. At Howell games, the Howell student section is always more lively and

this held true at the volleyball district championship game this year. While the Howell Central section had a few loyal fans standing up and getting loud for the team, Howell filled a section and dominated with their numbers. The true question about this rivalry is not who owns it, but why it is such a big deal.

There are a few ways that people believe this rivalry is started. The rivalry is between the fans more than the players while others feel that it goes between both. The heart of the rivalry may very possibly come from the difference in economic status or a jealousy for the success of the other.

Last year, Howell’s baseball won the state championships in Springfield Missouri on the day of graduation, but earlier in the year, Howell Central’s baseball team beat Howell at TR Hughes ballpark. Could it be from this almost deadlock match-up that a rivalry emerges? This could very well be the case.

While the source of this bitter rivalry may be uncertain, one this is for sure a constant.

Students in attendance are going to get an emotion-filled, intense game that more often than not, goes down to the wire to determine a victor.

This is a rivalry that will be around for the future of this school district as long as these two schools are in existence.

Students pack the stands to watch these games and the future will hopefully be no different.

The bitter nature of the fans has always added to the atmosphere of these games and made them more intense and emotional.

This basketball season, the boys basketball team plays Howell on a Friday that we do not have school. This could likely affect attendance for this game, but last year the game took place on a snow day and the stands were packed. Derrick Puni wants to see the same turnout and energy level this year.

“Last years game was a lot of fun with all of the fans there, and hopefully this year will be just as much fun,” Puni said.

to break the school’s male distance record for discus, something his sister, Kate McDevitt, has already done for the women’s. Kate accomplished this feat in her junior year, so the pressure of time is on for Joe to finally make his own mark.

“Our sibling rivalry isn’t serious, but I want to get the record as fast as she did,” McDevitt said.

He also acknowledged the difficulty of what his sister was able to do.

“I knew she was doing good, but I didn’t exactly know how good,” McDevitt said.

If McDevitt sets the record, him and his sister would dominate the record books for discus.

The record books are a familiar subject to the family of Shakara and senior Sharese Jones.

photo by amber roth

jump from page 9: RIVALRY

Statistically the most prolific sibling duo to step on the basketball court. Sharese is currently a senior, heading into this season with two straight All GAC first team honors. Her sister, Shakara, was able to accomplish even higher honors. For three years straight she was named a first team all state player by coaches and sportswriters alike. Her 2439 points stand unmatched by any other basketball player in the school.

Shakara went on to play three seasons at Mizzou, before leaving the country to play professionally in Athens, Greece.

Sharese, like Desir and McDevitt, grew up surrounded by sibling success. They knew what struggles came with being a successful athlete, but also knew the sweetness that came along with hard work.

“Watching what Shakara went through made me realize what it would take to get to the level shes at.” Jones said. It is this knowledge that helps push these players to the brink to earn high honors on their own.

Senior Sharese Jones brings the ball up court during a game against Hazelwood West last season.

Jones has spent the past four years on the varsity squad, following after her sister Shakara, who plays professional basketball in Greece.

fhctoday.com | sweat

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photos by kelci

Planning

davis

Senior Hannah ly 26 Edler is current her in ng weeks alo s pregnancy. It wa ler Ed at th ed predict baby would have her boy in Feb. 2011.

By Alli Keisker

print executive editor

Minutes passed as senior Hannah Edler anxiously fixed her eyes on a pregnancy test hoping a little red negative sign would appear before her and all of her worries would be over.

As the little green plus sign appeared, she sat wishing it were a negative sign—as if all of this was just a dream—but deep inside she knew that was not the truth.

In the United States, approximately 750,000 teenagers become pregnant each year, according to dosomething.org. In 2012, Hannah will be a part of that statistic.

“When I first took the pregnancy test I was at my boyfriend, Grant [Nickle]’s house. I think Grant was scared and nervous when I told him,” Hannah said. “My first reaction was just to cry.”

“

I’m ho p baby w ing my il up to b l grow e a goo d person .

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in focus | november 16, 2011

”

Out in the open...

Other than Grant, the first person she told was her older sister, alumnus Belinda Edler.

“The first person I told was my sister,” Hannah said. “At first she didn’t believe me, but she definitely did once I showed her the test.”

Once Hannah told Belinda, her sister was able to help her to find the courage to tell her mom, Michele Fong. But, it was not as difficult as she thought it would be.

“I am very excited to be having a grandson. As I told Hannah from the very beginning, even though it is not the ideal time or situation to be having a baby, we are going to welcome this baby into our family and love him,” Mrs. Fong said. “We are not going to be disappointed or call him a mistake or anything negative because he is not, he is her son and my grandson.”

Though Mrs. Fong is excited, she was not as excited at first.

“My first reaction was shocked and then it moved on to worried. I was very worried about Hannah because I knew this would be difficult. She is a very quiet person and does not like a lot of attention. This was certainly going to change.”

Because he was out of town when she found out she was pregnant, Hannah was unable to tell her father right away. Now that both of her parents know, along with Grant’s parents, Hannah feels she has a lot of people supporting her.

“My parents have been really

for the unexpected supportive about it. My mom would be the most supportive of me,” Hannah said. “She’s willing to help me out with pretty much everything. [My parents] said there’s no point in being angry, but they are disappointed in me.”

At her first doctor appointment, her mom was with her, but at her first ultrasound appointment both her mom and Grant were there for support. The first time she heard the heartbeat of her baby boy, everything inside of her changed.

“I was so nervous before the ultrasound because it makes it so real that something’s really in there. I realized this was serious when I heard his heartbeat for the first time,” Hannah said. “I’ve even felt him kick and it’s a really weird feeling. It’s kind of like flutters in your stomach.”

Finally sinking in...

Once the reality had set in, she and Grant felt comfortable telling their friends. Though she and Grant told their families right away about it, Hannah says they waited to tell their friends because they did not know how they would react.

“I didn’t tell anyone for awhile other than Grant, his family and my family, but when I told my friends they were kinda shocked—not necessarily in a bad way, but in an excited way,” Hannah said.

Now that her peers know about her pregnancy, her friends are always checking on her and the baby.

“My friends are supportive and always asking how I’m doing,” Hannah said. “They are all willing to help me now and once I have the baby.”

Although friend and co-worker at Dairy Queen, senior Dalton Clark was surprised when Hannah told her the news, Clark sympathized for her. Clark agrees that Hannah has a very supportive family to help her out.

“I was really shocked when she told me, and honestly, I wanted to cry for her,” Clark said.

“But, I think I’m supportive in general. If she needs anything at all, I’ll help her. We already are planning to work out together when she’s ready to get back into shape [after she gives birth.]”

Though Hannah says she gets negative reactions from people, Clark feels that a lot of Hannah’s peers are looking at her pregnancy in a positive way.

“Everyone’s really nice [to Hannah] and saying she looks ‘precious’ with her baby bump,” Clark said. “ Where she is now...

Edler is currently 26 weeks along in her

pregnancy. She found out she was pregnant in the end of June of this year, but has been pregnant since the end of May. Few things have changed since she has gotten pregnant, according to Hannah.

She has had to make changes in her work schedule, spend less time with friends and missed out on school events such as her senior Homecoming.

“I work less hours now because it’s hard to stand on my feet for long periods of time. I really don’t hang out with my friends as much as I use to,” Hannah said. “I haven’t lost any [friends], but I have become more distant with them.”

Clark says she has not seen many changes in Hannah’s life now when compared to her life prior to becoming pregnant when it comes to school and work. “[Hannah’s] shifts are a little shorter now, but she manages well. She doesn’t really take any more breaks than we normally would get,” Clark said. “I don’t think [her pregnancy] has affected her school work—at least not yet.

She’s still a really hard worker.”

Preparing for the unplanned...

As she awaits for her due date, Feb. 19, 2012, Hannah and Grant are preparing as much as they can for the baby by taking classes, saving money and buying baby furniture and clothes.

“I’m preparing by taking a birthing class with Grant for teen parents and saving up money with both of our families. People don’t realize that having a baby is still expensive no matter what age you are,” Hannah said. “But, both of our families are very willing to help us so it’s not as stressful as I thought it would be.”

Hannah also attends the Teen Parent Group in the guidance office. The group is the reason she signed up for birthing classes with Grant, which begin Nov. 10.

“I found out from my counselor that our school holds a teen pregnancy group every Thursday in the guidance office during second, third and sixth hour, so I go to that. The group is to help us through our pregnancy, labor and life after we have the baby.”

Hannah attends group, with four other pregnant girls, every Thursday; it is held a different hour every week so the students are not being pulled out during the same hours. The group is led by Jennifer Marino from Parents As Teachers. Though there are currently only teen moms who attend the meeting, fathers are welcome to join too, according to guidance counselor Mrs. Linda Johnson.

“Jennifer works with them not only inside school, but also outside of school. The group

discusses relevant issues for young parents,” Mrs. Johnson said. “She brings in guest speakers from places such as Youth in Need.”

Planning for the future...

Although, in the United States, only eight out of 10 teen boys do not stay with their first child’s mother after having the baby, Hannah says she and Grant’s relationship is different.

“We’re planning on staying together, but not just because of the baby,” Edler said. “I think we would still be together [whether or not I’m pregnant] because we didn’t really have any problems before.”

Hannah and Grant may be staying together, but marriage is not something they are looking into just yet.

“I’m not sure about getting married, but we want to plan a future together,” Edler said. “You just never know what’s gonna happen though.”

Though they are not getting married, Mrs. Fong feels Hannah and Grant will be good parents to their baby.

“Hannah and Grant are going to make awesome parents. They both love the baby already and are getting excited for it to get here. They have the support of both their families,” Mrs. Fong said.

Thinking ahead...

Because they are keeping the baby, once the baby is born, he will live at Hannah’s house. Hannah will be out of school for a few weeks of second semester.

Despite the fact she will be absent so long during her last semester of high school, she still plans to graduate on time and go to college.

“Once I have my baby I will be homebound for six weeks,” Hannah said. “The school will send a tutor to come to my house and help me with my school work.”

Hannah and Grant hope to be good parents to their baby and support him through everything. Although they were teen parents, they hope their son does not follow in their footsteps, and that they may serve as examples for him to learn from.

“I hope to be the kind of mom that’s able to support by child no matter what both emotionally and financially,” Hannah said. “I’m hoping my baby will grow up to be a good person. I hope he doesn’t become a teen parent too, but I will inform him enough so that he won’t be.”

fhctoday.com | in focus

}15

113 ou 1,000 t of every teens will get pr egnan t.

“

They we shocked, said, ‘We gonna g through t

Support allows to overcome

By Jessica Mugler Copy Manager

8 p.m.: Put Ava to bed.

4 a.m.: Wake up to feed her.

6 a.m.: Wake up with Ava, get her dressed.

7 a.m.: Get to Sean’s house and have him take her to daycare.

7:55 a.m.-1:50 p.m.: Go to school.

2-2:30 p.m.: Pick Ava up from daycare.

4-5 p.m.: Ava takes a nap.

8 p.m.: Start all over.

16 }

in focus | november 16, 2011

Along with fitting additional daycare meetings and doctor appointments into her hectic schedule, this is a typical day for senior Megan Geisler and her four-monthold baby, Ava. Geisler describes Ava as happy, talkative and advanced for her age.

As any big change impacts a person’s life, this change also hugely affected Geisler.

A baby requires much attention, feeding time, playing time and sleeping time from its parents, making their new schedules revolve completely around their baby.

“I had to give up on sleeping; that was the hardest thing,” Geisler said. “When she got home from the hospital she had to feed every two hours, so I would sleep for two hours then be up for two hours.”

When Geisler and Sean Brooks found out about being pregnant, it changed their life drastically. Geisler could not continue to go to Central and chose to go to Francis Howell Union instead.

“I was behind on credits and they wanted me to go to night school, which I could not afford because I don’t work many hours and I wouldn’t have a sitter for her, so I chose to go to Francis Howell Union,” Geisler said.

“Instead of graduating in June, I get to graduate in March.”

Also, although her friends are very supportive, according to Geisler, she is not able to hang out with them anymore.

“Sean is really the only one I see,” said Geisler. “A lot of my friends were really supportive about it. They were shocked, but said, ‘We’re gonna get through this.’”

Not only has Ava impacted her parents, but Geisler’s family as well.

“My dad cried and my mom was upset, but now they love Ava and are very supportive,” said Geisler. “I’m very thankful to have a family like them.”

According to Geisler, her parents watch Ava when she is at work, has to go to meetings or will come get her when they wake up on weekends to allow Geisler some sleep. As for Brooks’s parents, they were accepting right away.

“Sean was scared, he thought his dad was gonna kick him out, but his parents weren’t really upset and accepted it right away,” Geisler said.

Although in the beginning of Geisler’s pregnancy she and Brooks fought a lot, now they are tightly knit and working together to take care of Ava. “Me and Sean have been together every day,” said Geisler. “We’re doing good with her.”

Geisler’s first reactions to being pregnant were what most teenage girls would expect to feel. Most teens are shocked, as was Geisler. According to a study done by The Guttmacher Institute in 2006, 82 percent of all teen pregnancies are unintended.

“I was not prepared for this at all. I was not expecting to get pregnant in high school, I was hoping to finish high school and college and get married, and then have a family,” said Geisler. “But, that didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to.”

The Guttmacher Institute study also informs that nearly a third of pregnant teenagers choose abortion. According to Geisler, this was never an option for her, but adoption was.

“I was thinking about adoption, but Sean did not want to give her up, he thought it would be very hard,” said Geisler. “It all changed in the end of my pregnancy when everything was starting to fall together

ere , but e’re get this.’

”

ri, u o s s i In M ,666 2 e r e there w ths from ir teen b between rs mothe and 17. age 15

photo

s teen mom struggles and it got easier. My parents were accepting it, everyone was getting excited, Sean and I were getting along; we were just ready.”

Although Brooks and Geisler were ready to have a baby, others were not as ready to be accepting about it. According to Geisler, people would give her dirty looks at the mall while she was pregnant or use her pregnancy against her.

“If I was ever in an argument with someone they’d be like, ‘Oh, well, at least I’m not having a kid, or, at least I don’t got a kid,’” Geisler said.

Surprisingly, instead of her peers, Geisler says she was most concerned about what her teachers would think. She was involved in the teen parents group at Central, called Parents as Teachers, which is how most of her teachers found out about her pregnancy.

“I was very nervous about what my teachers would think, that was my main concern. I liked a lot of my teachers and I was scared what they would think,” said Geisler.

According to Mrs. Linda Johnson, a guidance counselor at Central, the teen parent group is good support for the students because they meet others who have a similar experiences as theirs.

Due to pregnancy pains and penalties, Geisler was forced to miss some school during the pregnancy. Fortunately, she gave birth during summer break and did not have to miss school for this, but in the early parts of her pregnancy this was not possible.

“In my first trimester, I got morning sickness really bad; I got it every morning. I would sometimes get it at school and I could not eat at all. I would throw up everything I ate and then became dehydrated,” Geisler said. “It caused my organs to spaz, so I was having bad back pains. I had to go to the hospital and they took my blood and realized I was dehydrated. Then, I had to go to the ER and I was in the hospital for two days, so I missed school last year.”

The pain component of pregnancy is inevitable, and for students it would be close to impossible

s by e

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Sen Geisle ior Megan r play s with her f old da our month Geisle ughter, Av a. r ha over s d her baby umme r found , and out s pregn ant as he was a junio r.

not to m i s s school. “ I missed a lot of school because I couldn’t sleep near the end of my pregnancy because it was just so uncomfortable,” said Geisler. “Then sometimes I would get contractions and my feet would swell up so bad and cause me not to go to school.”

Unfortunately, missing school and the pregnancy has taken its toll on Geisler’s career path for the future.

Although she will still graduate the same time as she would have, she can no longer pursue the same career she had hoped to “I was going to try to get into nursing somewhere in the health field, but now I have to put it back on that,” Geisler said. “I don’t know if I’m going to do nursing anymore because the field I was looking into was 8 years, so I might work at the hospital where my mom works or become a teacher.”

Geisler loves kids, and plans to do something involving kids. So, although baby Ava has changed her career path, she may have helped her see what she was truly meant to do.

*facts from Stay Teen, The National Campaign and Do Something.

fhctoday.com | in focus

}17

Complications

arise with young age At the age of 14, junior Krista Swanigan struggled to handle the responsibility of her new son, Jaylen

By Lizzi Holland the scene editor

If one had asked junior Krista Swanigan three years ago what the biggest concern in her life was she would have most likely answered with, “homework” or “living with my parents’ rules” or some other superficial dilemma.

However, since then she has developed much more complicated and stressful obstacles in her life.

Swanigan was merely 13 years old she came face-to-face with what might be a young girl’s nightmare: pregnancy.

However, despite the frightening future, Swanigan kept a level head.

“I was sad when I first found out and my mom was disappointed in me,” said Swanigan. “But, I knew right away that I was going to keep it. I knew things were going to be difficult, but there wasn’t any other option.”

Fortunately, the child’s father, Marcus Blackman, was ready to accept the responsibility of having a baby so young.

Swanigan says that he was supportive and excited, but still contained the reasonable fears any teen parent would have.

“I guess [Marcus] had the normal reaction,” said Swanigan. “He was eager to have a child and excited and

1 8}

in focus | november 16, 2011

scared, but then again, we were only 13 child were hard. The constant crying and years old, so there wasn’t exactly much to being woken up every two hours for night feeding certainly took their toll, but Swanigan be excited about.”

After processing the surreal reality of being made it through. Things certainly had their pregnant, Swanigan had more hardships to ups and downs, especially with her young deal with in school, both academically and age, but in the end, everything turned out all right. socially.

“I hated the crying in the beginning and The harsh reality of being pregnant in eighth grade took quite a toll on Swanigan, I hated being woken up every two hours and never getting enough as did the morning sickness sleep to even function the she experienced every day next day,” said Swanigan. for the first six months of her “He was the most “But, I loved waking up pregnancy. beautiful thing I have to someone that I knew This severe morning would love me no matter sickness resulted in many ever seen. I said what, that depended on of her fellow students and to myself, ‘I went school faculty to wonder through all of this hell me and no one else.”

Years later, Swanigan still about her condition. just for someone so has a hectic life. School, “In eighth grade I was small like you.’ He work and motherhood are always throwing up and people always wondered, was so indescribable. all quite time consuming tasks and she somehow but never knew the full truth So perfect, and manages them all. and, even when they didn’t small and innocent; “I have a great support know, I still got talked about.

I couldn’t believe I system from my mom So, in the end, I decided to was responsible for and dad,” said Swanigan. just be home-schooled,” said Swanigan. “I didn’t something so fragile.” “The rest of my family is very supportive also. I also want to have to deal with the have a lot of determination stress and the drama of it all { Krista Swanigan } junior because I now have a because I lost a lot of friends. reason to get a great Some of their parents didn’t Junior Krista Swanigan got pregnant at 13 years education and a good job, want them to hang out with old. She was in eighth grade and had to take all of the struggles of motherhood at such an so I can support myself me anymore because they onearly age. Despite the struggles, she realized it was worth it when she had her son, Jaylen. and my son.” didn’t think that I was a good Despite it all, Swanigan girl.”

Despite the frequent morning sickness and says she would not go back and change social troubles, Swanigan made it through, anything.

“Honestly, I think about [going back and having her son, Jaylen, at the age of 14.

“I always joke and say that despite changing things] all of the time, but I really everything being pregnant was the easy wouldn’t. My son brought me joy and part that I wish I could go back to,” said happiness that I could have never found without him. If it wasn’t for him I would have Swanigan.

However, the moment Swanigan had been so much worst off. I enjoy where I am at, and the people I have met, and the Jaylen her life changed forever.

“He was the most beautiful thing I have experiences I have endured.”

Swanigan does however leave the ever seen,” said Swanigan. “I said to myself ‘I went through all this hell just for someone teenagers with a few words of wisdom to so small like you.’ He was indescribable. So consider.

“Really though, [having a child so young] is perfect, and small and innocent; I couldn’t believe I was responsible for something so not what you think it is,” said Swanigan. “It’s so much harder than all of those T.V. shows fragile.”

The first few months of having a newborn like Teen Mom make it out to be.”

Junior Krista Sw an her and he anigan r two year old son, Jayl en, play at a nearby park . Swanigan concieved he r son at the age of 13, w hen she was in eighth gr ade.

photos by k

elci davis

A sexua teen wh lly active o use con does not t has a 90 raceptives % chan c becomi ng preg e of nant within a year. *facts from Stay Teen, The National Campaign and Do Something. fhctoday.com | in focus

}19

Only two days left!

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advertisements | november 16, 2011

{the scene}

Transforming ‘toons

Teenagers remain faithful to cartoons, despite the changing times graphic by Maddie Wilson

By Sean Gundersen communications editor

E

ver since the 1930’s, cartoons have been capturing the inner child of people everywhere.

With classic animations such as Mickey Mouse and Tom and Jerry come and gone, a new breed of shows has come into focus for this generation’s entertainment.

The most popular of these are found on Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Disney Channel: including but not limited to, “Adventure Time,” “Regular Show,” “Phineas & Ferb” and

older animes such as “Lupin III” and “Death Note.”

“The real appeal of today’s popular cartoons is the randomness of it all. The ‘why and how did that just happen’ factor and the way it all seems to fit together perfectly,” said freshman Tanner Canova.

Although Canova notes a decrease in quality of shows over the past couple years, the shows he does enjoy, such as “Adventure Time” and “Regular Show” he praises. To him, cartoons have changed drastically in their content, namely wording, situations and the

increased reliance on violence.

As a result, his transition from watching cartoons as a kid to a young adult in high school has been relatively painless because of the ever changing nature of the shows.

“As much as we don’t want to believe it, we are still kids in high school. Our inner child doesn’t have to grow up yet, and when it does, life will be extremely boring,” said Canova.

To others, such as sophomore Evan Richard, cartoonswhether they be western or anime style - will always be a crucial and integral part of his lifestyle.

“Put plainly, cartoons are cool.

They’ve been something I’ve been really into since I was a kid, and going through high school isn’t going to change that,” said Richard.

The main concern for cartoons today is the aim of the programs.

Nickelodeon being one of the more notable networks to “sell-out” in recent years, has disappointed many across the board.

“Recently, older cartoons such as Spongebob and Mickey Mouse have become less of an entertainment source and more of a money outlet. Because of this, in a decade or so, I imagine most

creativity will have diminished and all cartoons will be like this,” said Richard.

Truthfully, most people would agree that one is never too old to watch cartoons. The timeless classics put together by Disney and Warner Brothers will never go away, but it is up to this generation to keep cartoons as a driving force in the lives of generations to come.

“We are the generation that still has an active and vivid imagination, it’s our outlet of hope and personally, I don’t plan on ever giving it up,” said junior Alex Layton.

fhctoday.com | the scene

}21

playlist

“a distorted nirvana” The

genre

of

metal has gained a lot of popularity over the past decades, and it has changed form in many ways as well. Bands like Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer and Budgie seem to not be as huge of an influence, some bands carry on their legacy and have

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

by ben sandfortformed doom and sludge metal.

“Parchment Farm” by Blue Cheer

“Understand” by Carmen Maki & Blues Creation If you get punk-styled drums, crunchy, bluesy rhythm guitar and a vocalist Carmen Maki sounds like a wilder and crazier Janis Joplin, you would have this song.

“Sunrise Again” by Eternal Elysium This is extremely strong lyrically, and is one of my favorite songs of all time.

“Evil” by Cactus

The Howlin’ Wolf/Willie Dixon blues tune, redone by one of Jeff Beck’s many bands. Full of deep distorted bluesy rhythms, rough vocals, and outstanding solo work by the Jeff Beck, and it’s extremely catchy.

“Finger Paintings” of the Insane by Acid Bath

The song starts out with a jazzy bass riff before going into their sludgy instruments while singing about parasites infecting brains. They mix screaming vocals and clean vocals perfectly

“The Coast Explodes” by Mammatus

This 12-minute epic, is a great example of Mammatus’s style. They mix your usual doom metal and mix it with other genres including stoner rock.

“Death Is Gonna’ Die” by Socrates Drank The Codium

This Greek band mixes progressive rock, blues and hard rock. The track kicks off with the arpeggio that stays the same through the whole song.

photo by cody jones

They are often renowned as the first metal band. This classic blues song sounds like it’s been redone by Black Sabbath with John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival on vocals.

The Saint Charles Coffee House holds open mic night on Tuesday's and Thursday's at 7 p.m.

Students, such as alumnus Samuel Holder, have performed at the Coffee House.

A variety of venues for local music

By Cody Jones staff reporter

Everyone knows the hit songs. From Lady GaGa to Disturbed, if it’s on the radio, people are going to know it and like it. Music wouldn't be what it is without mainstream artists and popular performers.

However, what truly make the scene what it is is the local music. It’s all there in local music, whether it’s broke rappers talking about ‘pimping hoes’, or death metal bands screaming about how much they hate their families.

Somewhere in the midst of that junk, there are actually very good musicians

performing their very good songs. The main problem music lovers face when looking for great music is where these musicians play at.

Music venues. Venues are a band's best friend. They get to perform for an audience while the venue gets more profit as fans come and go. Venues are everywhere, but finding a good one is a dime in a dozen. The best way to find a good venue is to break it down into four main categories: size, sound, atmosphere and style.

Size means stage size, floor size and overall venue size. Sound refers to the sound system and the acoustics of the

venue.

Atmosphere in basically what is going on around the place. Is the venue a quiet, open mic place, or does it have a bar next to the stage? Last but not least, style.

What genres of music does this venue tend to allow? If a fellow with an ear for jazz goes to a sleazy metal venue expecting piano and sax, they will be severely disappointed.

Based on the earlier criteria, myself and fellow music lovers will break down some of our favorite and most popular venues, then you can chose which one will be the one to satisfy your musical taste buds.

“No Grace” by Indian

The song kicks of with a distorted bluesy riff that builds as bass and crashing symbols come in before going into a slow doom riff. Indian is at the forefront of current doom metal. They mix their doom metal with long distorted drones and black metal howls.

“War” by Psilocybinide

Trippy Wicked and his band are an outstanding group.

They make traditional doom with a vocalist that sounds a lot like Chris Cornell from Audioslave/Soundgarden.

22}

the scene | november 16, 2011

photo by cody jones

“Sea Shanty” by Trippy Wicked & The Cosmic Children of the Knight

The Saint Charles Coffee House is located off Jungermann road, on McClay road.

Many students at Central have performed live at the Coffee House.

scan the code to the right and see video review of scotty mccrery by staff member cody jones. check out fhctoday.com to see more updates on things you may like. also, follow us on twitter at @fhctoday.

or visit fhctoday.com/ifocus

photo by cody jones

want to see more?

The female fronted doom outfit’s debut EP is impressive. This 4 minute track is full of Jimi Hendrix guitar, punk drums and shouts of war.

Open mic night is held every Tuesday and Thursday at 7 p.m. The Coffee House has had performers ranging from acoustic to comedians.

1 St. Charles Coffee House

2 The Pageant

3

4

Basement shows

5

Picasso’s

Fubar

{The Pageant} senior Cody Collier

Size:

“Not to big, yet not to small. It’s just perfect.”

Sound:

“It’s good quality. It has better sound then a lot of venues around here.

You can hear everything clearly.”

Atmosphere: “Everyone is friendly and into the music, nobody fights because everyone just wants to listen to the music.”

Style: “It’s a lot of indie and pop punk as of recent. There’s not a lot of rap or hardcore music there.

{Picasso’s}

sophomore Logan Slone

Size:

“It’s a pretty small place, with a few tables and chairs.”

Sound: “The venue has great sound equipment for an acoustic show. It carries well and fills the room easily.”

Atmosphere: “It has a great atomsphere and vibe to it. It has a very warm feeling inside the venue and the people who work there are friendly.”

Style: “You can find any genre, that can be played acoustically, in Picasso’s, including poetry.”

{St. Charles Coffee House}

{Basement shows}

Size:

“Usually around the size of well... a basement really. The best I could describe it would probably have to be the size of a classroom.”

Sound:

Sound:

Sound:

“I honestly like the sound from basement shows better than at bigger venues. It has more of a warm and personal sound. It’s extremely loud most of the time.”

“Not so swell. Sound guy rushes through setup.

Vocals are almost always overpowered by the rest of the instruments.”

sophomore Abbey Schnieder “The St. Charles Coffee House is small, but it’s great for an open mic night.”

“The sound is great. No one complains about it.”

Atmosphere: “The atmosphere in the Coffee House is hipsterish.”

Style: “It can be classical to pop-punk, and everything in between.”

junior Alex Layton

{Fubar}

by Cody Jones staff reporter

Size:

Atmosphere: “Basement shows have a really comfortable. You’re right up next to the band, on the same level, and it’s just great.”

Size:

“The floor is not large as they have a bar located in the back.

Ideal for local shows though.”

Atmosphere:

“Not a lot of people get into the music, so it can be awkward. The bar in the back is often inhabited by strange looking adults.

The feel really prevents enjoyment.” fhctoday.com | the scene

}23

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the scene | november 16, 2011

Face off: mexican restaraunts

By Caitlan Good staff reporter

El Maguey

I

n my opinion, El Maguey is, hands beef and queso as there were chips. It had down, the best Mexican Restaurant good flavor. Simplicity was achieved in this in the area. From the decoration dish. There are three basic ingredients: to the servers to the chip guy - chips, beef and queso. Even with the simpleness of the dish, the flavors made everything there is authentic. a huge impact. It was The scents, wafting in quite possibly the best from the kitchen, make thing I’ve had from your mouth water, your there, aside from their stomach growl and you sopapillas. instantly know the food The sopapillas are must come soon. fried tortillas covered in Although the main sugar and honey, with a dishes and desserts scoop of ice cream on are fantastic, the chips top. The tortillas are still and salsa are lacking warm when it comes any flavor. out, and the ice cream The salsa just tastes { Tyler Everton } junior melts over it. The flavor like they put a generic and texture contrasts brand into a blender, are amazing, which thinned it and called it their own. It’s nothing special in my opinion, is odd coming from me, because I hate unlike at Chevy’s, where the salsa is made changes in texture, but they make it work.

Without a doubt, El Maguey has amazing fresh, and has the perfect amount of kick.

The last time I went there I got the beef food, and the best desserts from this side nachos. They were amazing, aside from of the border. Just skip out on the salsa, the fact that there was two times as much and go straight for the sweets.

“I like El Maguey the best because they have great service, and their food is always the best.”

Chevy’s

A

fter visiting Chevy’s, I noticed a best part of the whole meal were the chips world of differences between it and salsa, which were so much better than and El Maguey. The atmosphere, El Maguey’s. The sweet corn tomalito, which for instance, was more laid until now I called “corn mush,” is kind of like back, and more of a family setting. They had a corn bread pudding, that definitely hits a long tables lined up, that could probably fit sweet tooth during such a savory meal. If I could, I would just get 30 or more people, and a bowl of that with the everything was arranged chips and salsa, and together for more “My favorite place to go it would be fantastic. closeness during the is Chevy’s, and the best However, I felt that their meal. The waiters were fajitas were extremely very polite, and came to way to end my meal is lacking in flavor, and not check on my table every something sweet, like near as good at the steak fifteen minutes or so, Fried Ice Cream. The fajitas at El Maguey. where as at El Maguey, warm bread, with the Ice To end my meal, I had the waiter only visited Cream, just melts in my a mini portion of the fried our table once every ice cream. It was one half hour. If I was picking mouth.” scoop of the ice cream, the restaurant based on drizzled with chocolate service, Chevy’s is the { Sean Nanney } junior syrup and placed with winner. fried tortillas covered in The food, however, cinnamon sugar. was not as tasty. I had It was exceptionally good, and probably the chicken fajitas, which were completely different from El Maguey. The beans were the best way to end a meal like this one. So whole, instead of just mush; it came with when you go to Chevy’s, don’t worry about mainly meat and not many vegetables. The filling up on salsa and not finishing the meal.

{ The Verdict } A

ll in all, I think that El Maguey had the best food, but Chevy’s had the best service, with cheaper food and more hospitality. I don’t think I’ll stop going to Chevy’s or El Maguey any time soon. I do think, however, that the two restaurants should combine and take the best parts of each place to combine into one fantastic place, but if I had to choose one as my favorite, it would definitely be El Maguey.

fhctoday.com | the scene

}25

New age of music

The music site Spotify is growing in popularity, pulling focus from Internet radio sites such as Pandora and Jango.

By Margaret Borgmeyer be heard editor

What is Spotify?

Spotify is a “digital music service that gives you access to millions of songs,” according to their website.

What makes it different?

Unlike popular sites such as Pandora, with Spotify you choose your own music. By saving tracks to your library or instant que, you can access them on your computer at anytime - rather than listening to stations that may never play the song you want to hear.

Free

12 oz. Blizzard Treat

When you purchase any 12 oz. or larger Blizzard Treat at regular price

26}

the scene | november 16, 2011

What does it cost?

Spotify is completely free, as long as you only use it on your computer. For mobile access and more, you will have to pay for a premium or unlimited amount.

1015 St. Peters Howell Rd., St. Peters, Mo. 63376 36.397.0501

Where do I get it?

Go to www.spotfiy.com, click the “Get Spotify” button. and choose which version of Spotify you want.

{be heard}

Tonight we play alone

Rather than roaring fans, the sound of crickets fills the student section at games

will stick with students for now, turn their back at the smallest mistake or a loss to a good team.

The lack of spirit at FHC is an issue that has been escalating over the years and has an impact on players, according to senior Daulton Daies.

“Honestly, the kids at our school

By Matthew never believe that we’re gonna win.

Lundberg They always come up to us in the sweat editor hallways and tell us ‘how good we’re going to do’ and then behind our backs all they do is talk about volleyball).

Despite this success our so- how bad we are? When we win called fans, which at this point everyone loves us, when we lose I shouldn’t even be called fans so we guess we’re the worst team in the Our school is home to 19 sports teams, four of which were ranked in the top 20 among their class in the state of Missouri for the fall season (football, soccer, golf,

world,” Daies said.

Let’s face it, some FHC students would rather ride the bandwagon rather than actually play the sport they bash.

Athletes work their hardest to prepare for games despite the outcome. This hard work should be mirrored by the students in the school by showing up to support these teams.

Whether the sport is soccer, football or softball, the teams deserve to be supported and at this point FHC misses the mark.

I understand students who have to work and miss a game or have a

family trip, but if you are a student who stays home instead of coming to watch a game then just keep your mouth shut and keep your criticism to yourself even if you say it to somebody who doesn’t play the sport you are bashing.

Forget the things people say to an athlete’s face to make them feel better, it’s the bashing behind the back that really tears things apart.

The bandwagon fans are the source of this problem. They simply show up and talk to friends and wait for something great to happen and when the great play is absent from the action, they lose all interest

and turn on the team.

Junior Jeremy Karp feels that the bandwagon attitude needs to go away.

“They are a bunch of bandwagons, they only like us when we win, and when we do win, they still don’t respect us. There are two types of fans: Ones that push the wagon, and ones that ride it. I want everyone off the damn wagon and to start help us push it.”

Respect is something that the team feels that they will never earn, according to Karp. please read more: SPIRIT, PAGE 30

fhctoday.com | be heard

}27

r a e D

, r e t n i W

By Margaret Borgmeyer

be heard editor

This is me breaking up with you. I hate the way you make me feel; I hate the things you make me do; I hate everything about you. Through a long, rough history, we have had many breaks; you know, when I was with spring, summer and then fall for a short time. Every time you are around, you thrust your cold winds upon me and just expect me to be okay with it. Well, not anymore. I refuse to wear unfashionable clothes because of you. I refuse to gain winter warmth weight for you. I refuse to leave summer.

Summer is wonderful, everything you are not. Whether it be the warm sun shining on my face, the midday rain or the summer glow my skin has, something has made me fall completely in love with summer and completely out of love with you. Sure, we have some great memories together, winter. You gave me snow days, which any girl is happy to have, but you also gave me illness. Every time I am with you, I get sick; my nose gets stuffy, my throat feels sore ... I am not myself with you.

I have tried my best for 17 years to make this work; but it’s not me, it’s you. You never care how much I shiver, you never care how blue my toes turn, you never care at all. Maybe if we had not tried this so early on, if we had waited until I was ready to appreciate all your beauty, we could have made this work. We could have had it all: long walks under Christmas lights, sleigh rides through the snow, making snow angels and snowmen, snowball fights. As a kid, I dreamed of white Christmases spent with the people I love; now I dream of Christmases on a beach, with no snow in sight.

When you are around, I am always stuck inside. It is such a hassle even attempting going outside. I have to put multiple upon multiple layers of clothing on just so I can get into school without getting frostbite; is that really necessary? I mean, sure, I do not like when it is 100 degrees outside, but I could deal with a temperature above 70. I do not think you even care about how miserable the cold makes me. My entire body aches and I lose feeling in my fingers and toes.

That is just not comfortable.

Oh, forget ever being warm in the car. Goodness, my car is nice, but by the time it finally warms up, I have already gotten into the parking lot at school. You know, if this were to ever work, there would have to be compromise and I just do not think you are ready for that.

Maybe this is just bad timing; maybe later in life this could have worked; maybe we just did not try hard enough. I suppose we will never know. I want you to know, you did mean a lot to me.

We had some great times together, but now, they end. I am so sorry it had to be this way, but I just could not go on with this charade that everything was fine and dandy any longer.

Love, Margaret

P.S. Do not hold any grudges against Spring, Summer or Fall.. You are very important to them; I do not think they could go on without you.

28}

be heard | november 16, 2011

Hundreds of protesters with Occupy LA, Good Jobs LA, march down Grand Avenue past the Walt Disney Concert Hall, on Nov. 5. Protesters have occupied Kiener Plaza in St. Louis since Oct. 1

Photo by MCT Campus

People’s rights ignored K i e n e r Plaza has become the temporary residence of more than 500 people since Oct. 1, and recently

By Allison they marched Comfort from the staff reporter plaza to Bank of A m e r i c a , shouting slogans all the way. Most

people are quick to dismiss it, but then again, at least 500 aren’t.

Most people didn’t even hear about the movement until weeks after it started in New York, and even then the news coverage was slim. The news refused to acknowledge the number of people actually there.

Popular news sites cited it as a small gathering, while the people who had access to their networking sites and were there instead saw hundreds and hundreds of people.

But that’s not why I support them.

In fact, I don’t always agree with their rally cries. What I do agree with, however, is the fact that they have the right to exercise their First Amendment rights in order to address the government.

This includes the right to peaceably assemble, and yes, they are assembling peacefully, despite countless acts of police brutality aimed at the protesters.

In the wake of the huge turnout in New York, an amazing amount of

gatherings have spread out across the country, and several have even popped up internationally. And despite the media claiming they do not have a clear message, they do; plastered all over Tumblr and YouTube, which apparently no one pays attention to.

The point of the whole protests is that people are unsatisfied. Despite the left vying for ownership of the movement and the right demonizing it (meanwhile having their protests being named after the most

celebrated act of vandalism in the history of the United States) half the people identify with and support the protesters.

Weeks and weeks have been spent in parks on Wall Street, and I think the government should start listening.

This is truly a grassroots movement, free from the influence of major news networks and politicians. So why is the government more than ignoring, but mostly actively condemning the people’s voices?

Money drives obsession with sequels These days its seems Hollywood’s goal is to remake all the classics of yesteryear.

While the issue has been

By Blake apparent for Beck quite some time, a staff reporter complete overload of remakes have graced the big screen over the past five years. Throw in the unnecessary amount of sequels, prequels, and reboots and we have a pandemic of epic proportions.

The issue worsened this year, as a fourth “Pirates of the Caribbean”, part two of “The Hangover”, yet another disappointing sequel to “Transformers”, and a remake of the

80’s film “Footloose” were all released in 2011. Don’t forget the countless remakes of horror flicks we’ve seen in the previous years, ranging from “Halloween” to “A Nightmare on Elm Street”.

Things cannot possibly get worse, can they? Oh yes, 2012 will feature a sequel to “Men in Black” and a reboot of “Spider-Man”, only four years after the previous series met its demise.

So, what’s the deal? Exactly why do these filmmakers insist on remaking these classics or adding an unnecessary sequel to a near perfect story? Well, the answer is quite simple: money.

Directors, producers, and movie studios intend to make as much money as possible, and creating another sequel to “Indiana Jones”

or remaking one of the countless horror classics definitely gets the job done.

Quite frankly it has gotten to the point where studios have no remorse for the quality of a film or the proud franchise it once was as long as puts people’s butts in seats. Forget about tarnishing an entire series, let’s make some dough!

Of course the butchering of countless series doesn’t stop with remakes and sequels. Oh no, just as George Lucas, who has re-released and remastered the “Star Wars” trilogy what seems like every year.

In fact, Lucas has made so many changes to “Star Wars” that it has sparked controversy among fans (Han shot first, by the way)! The nightmare only gets worst when “The Phantom Menace” will be re-

released in 3D next year, with the five other films to follow suit.

Now that the 3D craze has reached its peak, expect more of these classics to be converted into 3D. I’m nearly 100 percent sure none of these films will see a dollar of my money.

Truth be told, the creation of a remake, sequel, or prequel isn’t necessarily the death penalty. As a matter of fact, some of my all time favorites are remakes or sequels.

John Carpenter’s “The Thing”, a remake of “The Thing from Another World”, is full of suspense and action, exactly what my teenage brain demands.

I’m proud to say that “The Empire Strikes Back”, a sequel to the original “Star Wars” movie, is in my top five.

What sets these movies apart from

the more recent remakes and sequels is the fact that they are different, yet similar, to its predecessors.

“The Empire Strikes Back” was everything “A New Hope” was but with a dark twist; “The Thing” adds a new generation of horror and special effects to the 1982 original.

Nowadays, its only a competition to create the bloodiest horror movie ever made Unfortunately filmmakers will continue to do whatever they can to earn money and I will continue to pull my hair out. It’s the way Hollywood works and will continue to be for awhile.

For now, the best I can do is pray that George Lucas grows a brain, stops his antics, and sticks with the original version of the “Star Wars” trilogy.

fhctoday.com | be heard

}29

meet the bloggers Every day, one of FHCtoday’s bloggers post about what they’re feeling, what they’re up to, and what matters most to them.

Explore the more personal side of our staff members by checking out the new blogs each week.

jump from page 27: SPIRIT

“[Our students] have no faith in us whatsoever. We could be 9-1 and they would still not respect us,” Karp said.

The school creates these groups, such as the 300, that are supposed to be “true fans” which may sound all pretty and supportive, but even these groups skip games and stop supporting teams at the first sign of a loss or a losing streak in the season.

Believe it or not, the football team was ranked in class 6A for Missouri, which most students did not realize. I find it interesting how students here can only see the negative side to our sports teams and let the negative overshadow the positive success.

High school teams need support and FHC students are no source for that support right now.

The student section is pathetic.

Playing with a beach ball during a game is one thing, but making the ball a bigger issue than the game itself is absurd.

I don’t care what the score is or who it is that we are playing, support your school. Be proud of your high school or don’t bother showing up.

Show up at games if you truly want to support the schools teams, even if the team has a losing record. Don’t let the record keep you from showing up because sometimes the teams with the worst records need the most support.

MY LIFE AS LIZZI Do you enjoy sarcastic, witty banter? Do you hate the world? Then, ‘My Life as Lizzi’ might be the blog for you. Join Lizzi as she rants about life, how she sees it.

lizzi holland BLAH, BLAH BLOG Sean will be documenting the fascinations of his life. Music, movies and lifestyles that stike him as “the cat’s pajamas” are all fair game.

sean gundersen FASHION GAL Some people say there is no fashion in St. Charles - they’re right. Margaret will bring new light to small town fashion through tutorials, how-to’s and video blogs; all with inspiration from the big city scene.

margaret borgmeyer LYRICALLY INCLINED Karley will be analyzing selected lyrics from a song each week. The genres of the songs will range all the way from country to metal.

karley canova fhctoday.com/beheard/blogs

the box

{

in the net

boys soccer team beats hazelwood west 1-0 (4-3 in penalty kicks) and moved on to quarterfinals Saturday. Go to fhctoday.com for results.

staff editorial New life hangs in balance of high school ostracism

Every year, one girl gets the label of “that girl”. The one who had sex. The one who got pregnant. The one who didn’t use protection. The one without morals. The one everyone should shame.

We, as a student body, may as well plaster a giant, scarlet A on her hyper extended stomach and say Hail Mary’s anytime she crosses our path.

Yet, there’s no doubt that every night some high school girl is having unprotected sex with her boyfriend of two weeks; being just as careless, if not more careless, than the girl who is now three months pregnant and facing the wrath of the disapproving eyes.

When the majority of the student body is “doing the deed” just like our modern day Hester Prynne, there’s no rationale for ostracizing the one of the 2.8 percent of the sexually active teens that get pregnant (source: guttmacher.org) by pushing their luck too far.

Have you ever really thought about the consequences of your sideways, disapproving stares?

“That girl” has to wake up from sleepless nights, puke her guts out in the morning and then drag her exhausted body to a school full of people who judge her

novem-“beards”

as one of the few times when it’s socially acceptable to grow scraggly hairs out of one’s face, students across the board have taken to growing out their respective facial hair.

without any idea who she is.

So, what if she said no?

What if she decided it wasn’t worth it? She probably doesn’t

“‘That girl’ has to wake up from sleepless nights, puke her guts out in the morning and then drag her exhausted body to a school full of people who judge her without any idea who she is.” want to be a mother in the first place, considering more than 80 percent of teen pregnancies are unplanned, according to guttmacher.org. And with the threat of school-wide hatred around the corner, “that girl” may feel like it is just better to get rid of the problem before anyone can find out.

200,420 girls, aged 15-19, chose to have an abortion every year, according to guttmacher.

org. Choosing to not only have the responsibility of a child while still being a child is hard enough, but having to deal with the stereotypes, alienation, vicious stares and stress is a whole other level of consequence.

If you really think about it, the way you treat pregnant teens could decide whether a newly pregnant girl keeps her child; whether she aborts it or supports it.

The way our generation alienates “that girl” can easily define whether or not the next girl will keep her child or end its life before it has a chance. You decide whether or not the child lives.

It may not seem like much, but your actions alone can save or destroy the life of another’s child.

You may feel like one person isn’t enough to change anything, but one domino can knock over a thousand and one needle can end a life. Yet, one brave person can help to save a life.

So, the next time you see “that girl”, look her in her eyes, because you shouldn’t be looking down on anyone unless you’re helping them back up. It really could be the difference between new life, or death.

homeroom woes

}

it seems a waste to go through the motions of an early release day just to be caught in a room full of people, paying little to no attention to a presentation we won't retain.

LOVE LIKE LEAVE

districts' dexterity

A total of eight choir, and eight band students made it to districts in their respective fields, with a record five choir students reaching state choir under the direction of Ms. Elisabeth Baird, a first for FHC.

30}

be heard | november 16, 2011

AP abundance

AP Psychology, Economics, European History, and Digital Technology Engineering headline next year's blockbuster classes, adding to the more than 20 AP classes already available

tissue shortages

there is always that one kid, sniffling in the corner, needing to blow his perpetually runny nose. Unfortunately, budgeting doesn’t allow for the luxury of two-ply tissues, so he must suffer the unforgiving texture of paper towels or industrial toilet paper.

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Francis Howell Central High School 5199 Highway N St. Charles, Mo., 63304 Phone: 636.851.5636 Fax: 636.851.41

Alli Keisker - Print Executive Editor Kelci Davis - Visuals Executive Editor Ellen Hinze - Multimedia Executive Editor Claire Henderson - Delve Editor Matt Lundberg - Sweat Editor Lizzi Holland - The Scene Editor Margaret Borgmeyer - Be Heard Editor Maddie Wilson - Design Editor Sean Gundersen - Communications Editor Sean Carroll - iFocus Editor Blake Beck - Reporter

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the central focus, along with fhctoday.com, are student run publications which look to serve the francis howell central community through relevent, realiable journalism. the newsmagazine is meant to be have analytical outlook on topics and stories which matter to our readers. we are always looking to improve, and feedback is always appreciated. fhctoday.com | interact

}31

Mrs. Carina Magana cuts open a bag of ketchup to help begin prep for lunches. The workers had to prep both before, and in between, the lunches.

As lunch begins, Mr. Alvie Owens begins organizing the sliders to be put in the snack line. Mr. Owens began working in the cafeteria five years ago, and is the only male worker.

Reaching her hand into the cooler, Mrs. Kathy Robb finishes up the restocking aspect of prep. Prep before lunches took about two hours after breakfast.

Behind the lunch lines photos by margaret borgmeyer, reporting by claire henderson

With nearly 2,000 people to feed every day, the cafeteria workers spend their days prepping, serving and cleaning in order to make breakfast and lunches run smoothly. With fifteen workers, they have a lot to do to fill the stomachs of students. { to see more photos, go to the aperture section of fhctoday.com }

Ms. Darlene Barrette makes a transaction with senior Richie Simms.

There were four cashiers working the fuller lunches, while two or three worker the smaller ones.

Mr. Owens adds grilled cheese sandwhiches to the grill line. Grilled cheese has been offered for two years, and over time they have added four different versions of the classic lunch.

32}

aperture | november 16, 2011

With the lunches now over, Ms. Stacey Southard begins to label extra food to be returned to the fridge.

The only food that was kept for storage were the chicken patties, soups and hot vegetables.