Central Focus October 2009

CF

Lighthearted sayings disrespect victims p. 8 Mac vs. PC battle rages on p. 10

Elimination avoided

Spectra is verified as a positive use of resources

Athletes rely on leaders to guide their teams to victory

Windows redesigned

Windows 7 is anticipated by current Windows users

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10.26.2009

Leadership

FRANCIS HOWELL CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL VOLUME 13 ISSUE 2

Pinkt ber

Pinktober is an opportunity for unification. Communities are given a chance during the month of October, while also carving pumpkins and jumping in leaf piles, to turn their heads toward victims of breast cancer and give. Whether it be time, energy, money or loving care, people are asked to give something to the victims who have had much taken from their lives. “Pinktober is all about celebrating life, spreading awareness and going pink in support of the fight against breast cancer,� said pinktober.org.

The battle against cancer is anything but won. While new detection methods are being discovered, so are newer forms of breast cancer, such as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).

Victims of breast cancer need our help.

Their families, too, need help. Pinktober events raise awareness; it is the duty of American citizens, as well as international organizations, to do something with the information they are given. Without action, awareness is futile.

Cottleville and its surrounding areas have many opportunities for involvement (see pages 12-14). Take advantage of the remainder of this breast cancer awareness month to help when and where you can.

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Central

Focus

2

To raise awareness of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Eurkea High School football team wore pink socks during all games in October.

1

FocalPoints

It’s nice to see the most recent graduates return during their college’s fall break.

2

The “Feed the Need” concert at Jive & Wail featured new up-and-coming musicians from St. Charles and St. Peters. Local bands such as BAMF and Good Luck Friday performed.

6

6-year-old Falcon Heene was thought to be in a hot air balloon, but it was just a hoax.

While “missing” he caused the National Guard to deploy.

7 There are now cases of swine flu at school.

Make sure to wash your hands!

3 4

Oscar Wrigley (seen on the left), age 2, is the youngest boy ever to be accepted

by MENSA, a worldwide high-IQ society.Wrigley has already matched the IQ’s of Einstein and Hawking.

A girl in Australia died in a car crash and her parents found out about it via Facebook.

8

”Carving Out Cyststic Fibrosis” helped to raise money in support of Michelle Neukirk’s family.

5

After being demanded online, Paranormal Activity is being shown in St. Louis. The movie features a young couple, who find themselves frightened by some sort of presence in their suburban home.

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The movie ’Where the Wild Things Are’, based on the children’s book, helped teenagers to revist their childhood memories.

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O

ctober has a new name: effects of breast cancer. In this issue, Pinktober.

“Pinktober”

month-long

is

concentrated

we focus on two students who have

the been impacted by this disease.

effort

Because we want to help as much

of communities and organizations as we can, the staff is sponsoring a

to support patients with breast hat day today and a “pink-out” at cancer.

the Howell North football game.

The Central Focus staff is supporting We welcome and encourage your

this effort by making breast cancer participation. the focus of this issue. There are

Sincerely,

struggle with the battle and lasting

Kayla Mugler

students who walk these halls that

Page designed by Kayla Mugler

Facebook groups take out anger See page 4 | Fight begs examination See page 4

Wired Validation Spectra program proves its more than an easy out-of-class

By Alaina Babb Wired editor

M

rs. Sharon King, Spectra teacher, has verified with Mrs. Mary Hendrix-Harris, director of the district’s gifted program, that the Spectra program will not be eliminated, despite rumors from students.

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“That rumor is not true,” said Mrs. King. “There is no plan at this time to eliminate [the program].”

The rumor began when administration officials began observations in Spectra classrooms all over the district. “[Administration] looks at different programs every year

Please read more | SPECTRA, PAGE 6

Photo by Margaret Borgmeyer

Junior DJ Eshenroder plays the keyboard to record a composition for his Spectra project. DJ used the apple program Garage Band to aid him while recording his composition.

Scores earn exemptions

By George Yu Copy editor

Students who have taken the ACT too many times to count, or more than theywantto,haveanotherreasontotakeit.

As of this year, a score of 26 or higher on the ACT earns a student one final exemption.

The ACT exemption is a recent addition to final exemption policies; Senior Andrew Buffa is in favor of this change.

“I’m for it. This will make me take it more times,” said Buffa, “Taking it one more time won’t hurt. It can only help. I’d still take [the ACT] either

way, but I’d take it one more time just to get exempt.”

While senior Taylor McCoy agrees with the idea of allowing an ACT score to exempt a final, he is unsure of the required score of 26.

“Maybe a 30, something like a 26 is too low. You have too many students skipping out on a final,” said McCoy. “Eventually you’ll have people not taking any finals. You might have students getting exempt because of perfect attendance.”

Even though an exemption for perfect attendance has never been on the table,Dr. Sonny Arnel understands

the potential pitfall of allowing many opportunities for exemptions.

“There are teachers who feel that we are giving too many exemptions,” said Dr. Arnel. “[The AP tests] are one of the high-stakes challenges that students take. Allowing the exemptions makes tons of sense.”

Dr. Arnel’s attitude towards AP exemptions is the same for the ACT exemption.

“With [the ACT exemption], you’re celebrating achievement,” said Dr. Arnel. “I think high school is a wonderful place to showcase and reward our young talent.”

Page designed by Alaina Babb

Photo by Zac Hebert

Students with a score of 26 or higher on the ACT can use it as a final exemption. Administration decided to allow this because it encourages students to try harder on both the ACT and the EOC exams.

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Wired

October 26, 2009

FHCtoday.com

High lunch prices anger students

Real hate Students use Facebook to showcase their animosity

join in on the hatred.

“I think it’s stupid and pathetic If you hate something with a that people make groups about passion and want the world to know, teachers and other people,” said then Facebook might be just the freshman Jeff Moore. place for you.

“It really shows their immaturity,” If you’ve ever been on Facebook said senior Heather Brown. “You before, then you have probably aren’t obligated to put all your noticed the groups and fan pages feelings on Facebook. It just makes proclaiming people mad.” hatred for More and various different more of these “ You aren’t things, ranging hurtful type of from people obligated to put all hate group have that wear Crocs been appearing your feelings on to opposing on Facebook; football teams. more people join Facebook.”

These groups, them, and more — Heather Brown people get hurt. even though they are about “I actually find n e g a t i v e it entertaining,” emotions, are created in good fun and said junior Taylor Stewart. “The fact can actually bring together Facebook that someone wants to waste their users who can talk to other people time making a group and inviting that share a common hatred. They people, it’s just pointless.” also set high goals for themselves in As more and more of these groups terms of membership. show up, it raises the question of On the the darker side of things, whether or not Facebook supports some of these groups are created for this kind of behavior. It claims that the purpose of true, unbridled hatred. it does not allow “content that is Some Facebook users, after having a hateful, threatening...” but it’s there. bad day, or repeated bad days, decided “I think people really just need to show exactly how bad their day was to get over it and move on with by making a group or page about what their lives to something a little or who they hate and why they hate more significant,” said junior Sam them. They then invite their friends to Holder.

By Jesse Patch Staff reporter

By Brittany Kinealy Staff reporter

Due to the current state of the economy, school lunch costs have been affected. Just take one trip to the lunch room and you’re likely to hear complaints of increased lunch prices.

On its website, the Francis Howell School District says it has “seen a significant increase of cost in food over the past year with the rapid escalation in cost of both dairy and grain products.”

It goes on to say that the average lunch has increased by 15 cents.

According to the district, a lunch last year would cost on average $1.80 for a high school student.

Now, that same lunch is likely to cost $1.95.

Students insist the price hike is noticeable, and junior David Lanza plans to combat the pricing.

“I bring my lunch everyday because I refuse to spend my money on small, unhealthy portions that don’t even taste good,” says Lanza.

“I will not buy school lunches.”

Students who use the district’s free and reduced lunch program also are affected by the new price increase.

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Photo by Chelsea Carroll

Students bring their own lunches to school because of increased prices. The prices were raised because of the bad economy.

In order to help off set these costs, the United States Department of Agriculture has increased its lunch reimbursement funding to U.S. school districts by ten cents, as stated by the New York Times.

Recent inflation has raised the cost of milk by 12 percent, cheese by 15 percent, and bread by 17 percent, per msnbc.com. But with this, the National School Lunch Program has increased its funding

to school districts by just three percent.

But the question of how FHC’s students will react to this change still remains. While students like Lanza plan to boycott the cafeteria food, others aren’t too much concerned with the issue.

“It doesn’t stop me from buying lunch,” claims junior Michael Roundcount. “But the food and its prices were better my freshman year.”

Powderpuff fight lowers school spirit

By Kayla Mugler Managing editor

This year’s junior/senior powderpuff football game was less conventional than most. A fight broke out among three of the players.

Although many students consider powderpuff to be violent, this season proved worse than the past.

Principal Sonny Arnel says the events of the Sept. 30 game require further reflection.

“Our common protocol is to look at what we really like about it and what we don’t like about it,” said Dr. Arnel. “My first inclination is to not rush into anything. We’ll review it and do what we think is best.”

While Dr. Arnel enjoys the school’s powderpuff tradition, he thinks that the fight somewhat dampened the spirit of the evening.

“It definitely was disruptive,” said Dr. Arnel.

“It kind of tainted what was otherwise a great evening.”

Activities Director Terry Kasper believes students should be responsible and faculty

should be aware of the probability of students’ misbehavior.

“It just needs to be understood that this is a school function,” said Mr. Kasper. “School rules and discipline apply.”

This year’s team was reportedly close to disqualification.

“If we made one more tackle, we would get out,” said senior Brandi Wyatt. The teams are given a restriction on tackling; failure to submit can result in getting kicked out of the game.

If there were more volunteers, the fight could have at least been more quickly taken care of. Physical science teacher Mr. Scott Thorpe, who refereed at the game, thinks it’s a shame that more teachers didn’t volunteer.

Mr. Thorpe believes that the powderpuff game should remain the same.

“The people involved should have repercussions, but not everyone else,” said Mr. Thorpe. “We always have a little bit of tackling.”

Photo by Meghan Emring

After gathering both teams together in the middle of the field, referee Scott Thorpe warns both teams about continued physical play in the powderpuff football game after a fight had broken out during the game. The game ended in a 7-7 tie.

Page designed by Alli Keisker

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FHCtoday.com

October 26, 2009

Wired

5

Living with CF difficult task

By Alaina Babb Wired Editor

On Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009, senior Michelle Neukirch lost her battle with cystic fibrosis.

“She was a fighter, one of the strongest people I’ll ever know,” said senior Dominic Caraffa, a friend of Neukirch’s.

According to Neukirch’s aunt, Kathy Breuer, she had a remarkable beauty, passion, courage, love, and faith.

Other students, like Caraffa remember Neukirch as being a bright, young, positive and energetic girl. But what some students fail to realize is just how hard living with cystic fibrosis can really be.

“There is no cure for CF, so most patients spend half of their time on a transplant list,” said Dr. Matt McLaughlin of the University of Missouri Medical Center in Columbia.

According to cff.org, patients with cystic fibrosis show symptoms such as frequent coughing, frequent lung infections, wheezing or shortness of breath, poor growth and weight gain in spite of a good appetite, salty-tasting skin, and difficulty with bowel movements.

“We usually see these symptoms early on and do a sweat test to verify that the patient has cystic fibrosis,” said Dr. McLaughlin.

The sweat test is the most common test used to diagnose cystic fibrosis.

According to the website, a small electrode is placed on the skin to stimulate sweat glands and then the sweat is collected. The high level of chloride in the sweat determines if the patient has cystic fibrosis.

“Because there is no cure, you have to, first, determine if the patient has cystic fibrosis, then all we can really do is treat the symptoms,” said Dr. McLaughlin.

Treatments include a pancreatic enzyme supplement capsule, which helps the body break down food, which must be taken with every meal.

People affected also take various multivitamins because their body cannot easily absorb the vitamins from their food.

“They are usually prescribed some sort

Photo by Chelsea Carroll

Various decorated pumpkins are lined up on a table outside the cafeteria for students to vote on. DECA’s fundraiser, ‘Carving Out Cystic Fibrosis‘, was used to raise money to help the Neukirch family.

of airway clearance excercise that they must use at least once a day to rid the lungs of the mucus build-up,” said Dr. McLaughlin.

Even with these treatments, new advancements are being made with the cure for cystic fibrosis.

Ms. Tracy Davis, executive director of the Gateway chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, believes that the advancements would not happen without the help of all the money fundraised and advocates of the foundation.

“Participating in a fundraiser is the best way to help. Since we are a small organization, and there are 30,000 people

Michelle Neukirch Memorials may be made to Michelle Neukirch Trust Fund.

Michelle Neukirch, of St. Peters, died on Thursday, Sept. 24, at the age of 17. Cherished daughter of Lloyd and Kimberly Neukirch; dearest sister of James Neukirch and Kelly Neukirch; dear aunt of Payton Michelle Neukirch; beloved granddaughter of William and the

late Virginia Cox, and Lawrence (Patricia) Neukirch; dear niece of William (Susan) Neukirch, Karen (Gregory) Fisele and Kathy Breuer.

She is also survived by cousins and many dear friends.

Michelle was a senior at Francis Howell Central and will be dearly missed by all.

in the US with CF, every dollar counts and makes a significant impact,” said Ms. Davis.

“ There is no cure for CF, so most patients spend half of their time on a transplant list.”

— Dr. Matt McLaughlin

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation does many

fundraisers all throughout the year that everyone can participate in.

The next fundraiser that this chapter will be sponsoring is on Nov. 7. They will be doing a Bowl for Breath at Tropicana Lanes in Clayton and all proceeds will go to cystic fibrosis research.

“The activities will be a lot of fun,” said Ms. Davis.

However, this foundation is not the only group in the St. Louis area fundraising for people affected by cystic fibrosis.

DECA sponsored a Carving out Cystic Fibrosis fundraiser October 19-22 and donated all their proceeds to the Neukirch family.

Cystic fibrosis facts Symptoms: u very salty-tasting skin u persistent coughing, at times with phlegm u frequent lung infections u wheezing or shortness of breath u poor growth or weight gain in spite of a good appetite u difficulty with bowel movements

Page designed by George Yu

Statistics: u about 1,000 new cases of CF are diagnosed each year u more than 70 percent of patients are diagnosed by age 2 u more than 45 percent of CF patients are 18 or older u the average age of survival is more than 37 years old

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Wired

October 26, 2009

Spectra from page 3

this year was the gifted program,” said Mrs. King. “They looked at all levels of Spectra and evaluated them.”

Not only does the administration support the program, but senior M.K. Jacobi finds that it is exceptionally valuable.

“Spectra is a self-directed, independent study program,” said Jacobi, who is currently writing an in-depth research paper on the possibility of Dark Energy being Einstein’s Cosmological Constant in his theory of general relativity in the class.

As a part of the curriculum, students in Spectra are required to complete a project that takes their skills and topics that interest them and research them to the depth they desire.

“I can personally decide what curriculum I want to have and what

FHCtoday.com

I want to learn,” said sophomore Nick Deckard. “If I want to better my skills in creative writing, virtual reality, or even chess, I can’t just go to any of my teachers and say, ‘This is what I want to learn.’ “ In her classroom, Mrs. King poses many questions to her students to help them find out what they want to learn about.

“Because the news is always on in her classroom, we are free to share our ideas about war and taxes and health care reform with nothing to stop us, save our own ignorance,” said junior Adam Rollins.

Not only do students find intellectual development in Spectra, but relational development as well.

“For some students, this is the only place they belong because they can find family here,” said Mrs. King.

Senior Melody Davidson is one of these students.

“I sought somewhere where I could just be myself and be around people who would understand me,” said Davidson. “I found that shelter in Spectra.”

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Photo by Maggie Borgmeyer

Senior Brynden Raymo watches the news in the Spectra room. He discussed the stories that MSNBC reported that day, which included a report on Sweat Lodge Deaths.

Page designed by Brendan Kinnison

Problems with standardized testing See page 8 | Mac vs. PC debate See page 10

Heard Be

Tick ... tock Student finds success, inspiration in waiting until the last minute to complete major assignments

7

I

n my honest opinion, there is nothing better than cozying up on the couch at 11 p.m. the night before a paper is due and cranking out sentence after sentence to complete it.

Procrastination is an outlet that creates the most honest work a person

By Katie Schlimpert can do. During those late night hours The Scene editor rushing to get an assignment or project finished, people pull information to the forefront of their Please read more | TICK TOCK, PAGE 11

Photo by Zac Hebert

Waiting the night before to do important projects has become a habit for students. Some have waited until the last minute to turn in essays and have recieved good grades.

Small schools have big advantages for some Back in elementary school, before I had a real concept of what going to college

By Megan Berberich Be Heard editor meant, I thought I was going to attend UCLA. Those were some big dreams for a 10year-old.

Now, I know that UCLA is neither realistic for me, nor the best place for an education. Lots of my peers have hopes of going to larger schools such as University of Missouri and Washington University.

While these schools do have good reputations, there are a whole set of other schools many students ignore.

Smaller private schools give many students advantages that most kids never even discover or look into.

Larger schools come off as exciting and more oppurtunistic, but small schools offer their own unique opportunities.

The admissions process at small private schools are very different compared to the larger schools.

On the Drake University website the requirements “are reviewed individually,there is no single inflexible set of standards such as GPA, test

scores or years of courses.” This school focuses more on the individual than on common assessments.

Mizzou’s admission page says that all that is required is a composite ACT score of 24 and a specific number of high school credits.

I believe with such requirements, it is hard to tell the type of student applying to that school. With admission requirements like Drake, the individuality of the process shows the school what you offer.

Some students, like myself do not excel at standardized testing but are good students. It is good to show schools the whole range of what I

am capable of within the walls of the school and outside them too.

Many more schools have taken the approach of holistic admission or ‘test optional’ applications for admission.

The schools take many aspects of consideration — not just numbers.

St. John’s College in Maryland is just one of many schools where test scores are optional.

Once you are admitted to these smaller schools, you have great chances to excel in the classroom and you get experience earlier than at larger schools.

With 900 students, Peace University in Raleigh, North

Page designed by Megan Berberich

Carolina has a classroom philosophy that “thrives on collaborative learning between faculty and students by encouraging continuous dialogue.”

With an average of 11 students per class, it is easier to participate in lessons instead of being a lone person in a sea of many.

Now is the time to start bearing down and find the potential schools that you might be attending.

Before you apply to every school in the Big 12, take a look at those smaller schools and I bet you that you will find you will have a better college experience there than being lost in the crowd at Mizzou.

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BeHeard

October 26, 2009

FHCtoday.com

Staff cartoon by Zac Hebert

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Failing schools Classes are not preparing students for what they’ll see in college, jobs

Staff editorial: T-shirt slogans

Degrading shirts dishonor struggle

T

he fight against breast cancer is a force of men and women who ban together to walk, fundraise, and raise awareness about breast cancer.

Advocates for a breast cancer cure usually display their cause proudly though pink slogans that convey messages of hope and strength against breast cancer. These messages inspire and offer a means of support for those affected by breast cancer.

Some slogans, however, have taken the “supportive” messages a little too literally. Popular slogan phrases like “Save the ta-tas” have become an acceptable means to promote awareness for breast cancer.

For some, the slogans bring a positive sense of humor to the sensitive subject, but in all honesty, there is no excuse for that type of campaigning in any situation whatsoever.

“Save the ta-tas” is one thing, but that one saying has opened up the flood gates for brazen slogans like, “Don’t let cancer steal second base” and, “Save a life, grope your wife.”

It is tough to understand why anyone would stand behind slogans of that nature.

Breast cancer should be a topic handled with respect and dignity.

Messages of awareness and hope are

more inspiring than ones about “ta-tas.”

Slogans like that just focus on a woman’s breasts rather than the woman who is fighting for her life.

The fight for a cure is first and foremost about the stories and triumphs of women battling breast cancer, and about saving the “ta-tas” never.

Not only that, but one point that must be brought up for debate is that it is acceptable for people to say “Don’t let cancer steal second base,” but have there ever been slogans like “Don’t let cancer grab you by the balls?”

It seems possible that no man would ever stand for a slogan like that for strength against testicular cancer, so why do women declare it acceptable for themselves?

The existence of slogans based on breasts completely belittles every woman fighting for her life, and that is not something to be a fan of.

Any woman who ever has the misfortune of being diagnosed with breast cancer should be treated with dignity, and it is hard to believe they could be inspired to keep battling their cancer through slogans talking about their “ta-tas.”

Women are women, “tatas” or not, and the slogans for breast cancer awareness should emulate that point, not demean it.

Schools today put an extreme emphasis on test scores and formatives.

We take

By Brendan classes not to Kinnison Staff reporter prepare us for our future but to prepare us for the next “big test,” such as the ACT. A student’s entire future depends on such tests. Colleges now require certain scores to get in. According to ACT.org, only 24 percent of students in Missouri meet all four ACT benchmark scores.

With student’s futures riding on these test scores, they stress and groan about making the benchmark.

Some students even pay to take ACT prep classes;these

classes can be around $75 per hour. They do these things because they worry about being accepted.

What about the students who do not test well? Well, they get as many chances to retake the test, but, they are forced to pay again and again.

Students have to pay enormous amounts of money.

Everything costs something these days.

It costs money for college, you are recommended to take the ACT or SAT, which also cost money each time.

You are paying so that you are able to pay even more.

The average debt of a medical student is $154,607, says The American Medical Association.

How are they expected to pay back this money?

More than 79 percent of

medical students owe more than $100,000 says the AMA. Students take classes such as advanced placement and honors, these classes are supposed to run at a “college level.”

Yet, everyday students find their teachers talking about how “This will prepare you for the ACT,” or “This will help boost your test scores.”

Why are we not taught what pertains to our careers, instead of trying to meet such nationwide standards?

Who cares if we meet the benchmark, you can be as book smart as you want and still may not have what it takes to make it in the real world.

These days, it is not the students failing the school system, or failing to meet the benchmark, it is the school system failing us.

Students stress over getting a high composite score. This student recieved a 31.

Page designed by Brendan Kinnison

Photo by Chelsea Carroll

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FHCtoday.com

HOT BOX LOVE IT

October 26, 2009

Senior Morgan Vetter shares the hardship of switching schools her senior year

2. Rombac’s pumpkin patch 3. Clothing sales between seasons

4. New marquee

LIKE IT 1. 3 Day weekends 2. $4 Little Ceasar’s pizza 3. Windows 7

4. “Zombieland”

LEAVE IT 1. Cheesy CW programming 2. The Rams

4. Powderpuff fight

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Settling in

1. Fall Break

3. Cold weather

BeHeard

Photo by Maggie Borgmeyer

A new student to Francis Howell Central entering her senior year, Morgan Vetter has found it difficult to fit in. Vetter previously attended Francis Howell North.

Changing schools is more than just waking up every morning and going to a

By Morgan Vetter different place Staff designer at seven o’clock in the morning.

Changing schools is one of the hardest things I’ve done recently.

At the end of my junior year at Francis Howell North, my parents got the “oh so great” idea of moving.

As expected, I didn’t like this idea.

I knew everyone at that school. I had formed so many relationships, and I was afraid I would lose most of them.

This past summer, I tried to dedicate all of my time to my old friends, because I knew I wouldn’t see them as much as I used to.

This summer, we went to so many concerts, went on numerous road trips, and thousands of shopping sprees.

Eventually, the day came that I would start my final year of high school at Francis Howell Central. When I walked into those new school doors, I didn’t know

anybody... and nobody knew me.

There was no “Welcome back, Morgan!” or “Nice to see you again!”

I was just a body out of 2,000 who attended Central. I kept on thinking to myself that everyone already had there little group of friends, so why bother getting to know the new girl? I couldn’t even get myself to take the time out to wear something other than sweat pants and a t-shirt everyday.

I finally realized that I need to stand up and get myself out there instead of waiting for people to come to me. There may be people who ignore me or just don’t need me in their presence, but there are ten times more people who are outgoing and willing to get to know me. I’m a senior and I’m still making friends, and I will all my life.

So my advice to freshman and transfer students is to talk. Create conversation. Heck, talk about the weather! Have confidence in yourself. What’s the worst thing someone could say back to you? No one is going to take the chance of being your acquaintance if you are not willing to take the chance.

Swine flu inhibits students Web Poll

What is the best part of fall break?

42.1% “Spending more time with friends.”

Swine flu has managed to get its grimy little hands into every aspect of life. This,

By Kayla Mugler as we were Managing editor so kindly warned at its outbreak last spring, is no ordinary flu.

Not only has it damaged many an immune system, but it has literally slowed the pace of classes.

About half of the students in my classes were gone Oct. 19. While the rooms were a tad bit quieter, the production level was severely low.

The time it takes to catch up the absent students further inhibits productivity.

Students have suggested that

school should be closed for a week to flush out the dreaded H1N1 virus.

This means more make-up days, and in addition to my hatred for the idea of spending more June days taking finals, the fact that swine flu will not be gone is inescapable.

Swine flu has penetrated the mindset of students. As if senioritis isn’t already bad enough (when is it not?), now seniors can blame their lack of motivation on a common virus.

I’m actually impressed. Six months ago, every student in this school laughed at the mention of swine flu.

Now it has nearly incapacitated not only students, but teachers as well.

Just two seasons ago I gave this virus no credit, but it certainly has an outstanding ability to debilitate a country.

Page designed by Kayla Boone

Did we make you mad?

Yell at us in print ... or online!

Letters to the editor can be submitted at FHCtoday.com or in Room 139. Let your school, and the world, know what’s on your mind!

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BeHeard

FHCtoday.com

October 26, 2009

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Are you a Mac or a PC?

Macs are more reliable

By Morgan Vetter Staff designer

Let me just start off by saying Macs have made my life ten times easier! They have been proven to be more reliable, more safe, and more efficient.

A Mac is more reliable than a PC. Macs barely ever freeze or crash. PCs are made from more than just one company.

There is Dell, Gateway, Sony, and a lot of other companies who produce a PC. Apple is the only company that makes Macs, which means you don’t have to worry about whether Dell or Sony is a better pick.

Apple offers a great support system. This system, called AppleCare, gives you a one year warranty on your computer.

If you have a problem, you can simply go to the closest Apple store and figure out the issue in minutes!

You also have the option to extend this warranty for three more years for a small fee.

I’ve known many PC owners that had to send it back to the manufacturer and wait a couple weeks before they can discover a problem.

Let’s talk about viruses. Apple. com says, “A Mac is 100 percent

safe from viruses designed to attack PCs.” Macs come with security built right into it, so you can begin working as soon as you purchase the computer. With a PC, you are probably going to have to pay for a legitimate security system.

If you’re thinking, “I can’t get a Mac...it won’t recognize my cameras and printers!” you are wrong. Most devices are compatible with Macs.

Not only does a Mac recognize your device, it knows exactly what to do when you plug something in!

Macs are more advanced; therefore, they should be more complicated to use. I think not! All applications are created similar and have the same basic setup. Once you get the hang of one application, you get all of them.

Why spend more money on a Mac? In the long run, you aren’t spending more money. Once you buy a PC, all of its applications, a sufficient security system and all of its other needs, a PC could actually be more expensive. Macs come with all applications and security already built right in.

From it’s sleek, compact design, to all the viruses that I’m not getting, I conclude this argument by telling you that I am a Mac.

Editors and staff

Kayla Mugler Ted Noelker Zac Hebert Alaina Babb Megan Berberich Bryan McCreary Katie Schlimpert Margaret Borgmeyer Brett Story Cory Schmitt George Yu Kayla Boone Allie Corrier Hannah Ibos Alli Keisker Brittany Kinealy Brendan Kinnison Kyle Kofron Damiana McGraw Jesse Patch Morgan Vetter Kelci Davis Jessica DiMariano Chelsea Carroll

Managing editor Multimedia editor Photo editor Wired editor BeHeard editor Sweat editor TheScene editor Communications editor Design editor Copy editor Copy editor Staff reporter Staff reporter Staff reporter Staff reporter Staff reporter Staff reporter Staff reporter Staff reporter Staff reporter Staff designer Staff photographer Staff photographer Staff photographer

Ryan McPartland Dallas Tobin Mr. Matthew Schott

PC’s are more practical

Morgan Vetter

By Kayla Boone Staff reporter

Morgan believes Macs are more reliable than a PC.

Mac vs. PC: which computer do you prefer, and why?

Kayla Boone

Kayla believes that PC’s are more practical than Macs.

Staff photographer Staff photographer Adviser

The Central Focus is produced monthly as an integral part of the Newspaper Production class at Francis Howell Central High School. Students learn all aspects of printed media production and are responsible for contributing to each issue.

The Central Focus is a public forum for the students at Francis Howell Central High School. The staff ’s editorial policy is available in Room 139.

The staff welcomes comments and suggestions from the student body. All letters to the editor must be typed and no more than 300 words. Names must be included with the submission of the letter, but may be withheld at the request of the author. The staff reserves the right to withhold content at its discretion.

I have had the opportunity to use a Mac desktop computer, and while I have decent skills with my desktop PC, I had no idea what to do with this Mac. I couldn’t even figure out how to open the Internet browser, let alone actually use it for anything.

For the technologically and artistically inclined, and maybe even those with the free time to figure out how to use them, Mac computers are fun to play with, but as far as the average person, PCs are much easier to use and more useful than Macs.

Paying more than a thousand dollars for a computer that’s as difficult to use as a Mac seems ridiculous to me, unless perhaps it comes with a member of the GeekSquad in the box to show you how to use it, too.

The cheapest PC laptop, an ACER, was listed at $349.99 before tax. Though the ACER PC laptop isn’t as fast as the MacBook, I think that being able to pay the bills is a bit more important.

In this economic crisis, cost is important, and having cheaper options available for those who don’t have upwards of a thousand

dollars to fork over on a computer is even more important.

Plus, why not spend less money to get a computer that can access the same Internet and the same programs?

As the case may be, it is significantly more difficult to get a virus on a Mac. But, many email providers offer free virus scans for emails to help protect your computer.

Without all the excess software such as iPhoto, GarageBand, iTunes, and iWeb, you have freed hard drive space for things that you choose to put on your computer, such as free anti-virus and antiadware programs, rather than things chosen by the manufacturer, which are probably factored into the price and drive it up even more than the already sky high Apple prices.

While Mac’s may be handy for the artistically and technologically gifted, it is silly for the Average Joes in society who have better things to do than sit around on their laptops, and have better things to spend money on than a computer with all the bells and whistles that are not as functional as a typical PC. While both computers have their advantages, in today’s economy, a PC just makes more sense.

Who won this month’s PCP? Go to FHCtoday.com to vote!

The results of last month’s PCP about gay marriage:

Francis Howell Central High School 5199 Highway N St. Charles, Mo., 63304 Phone: 636.851.5636 Fax: 636.851.4111

Page designed by Morgan Vetter

Damiana McGraw won with 54.5% of the votes

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FHCtoday.com

October 26, 2009

BeHeard

11

Tick tock

paper, and you end up talking to people you never do in class. This only prolongs the procrastination process, but it is completely welcomed anyway. brain. There is no looking up words in The stress of all it all makes for a dictionaries and then spending hours race against the clock. Adrenaline is Googling synonyms to those words to pumping, thoughts are spewing onto make yourself sound interesting. There paper, and in all of the organized is no crazy elaborate graphic design or chaos you know you’re about to outline to organize ideas because, let’s hand in a paper saying ‘job well done face it; no one looks at those anyway.

– self.’

There is no superfluous editing Of course, waiting until the last or pointless minute to decoration. The do a really “ The work is raw work is raw and important and truthful to what truthful to what essay is not in a person is most anyone’s best a person is most capable of on interest, but his/her own. capable of on his/her p e r s o n a l l y, This very work I find it own.” you’re reading comforting to is an example of know my work procrastination at its very best. with no real concrete outline can The art of procrastination is sometimes surpass the work of those nothing new to most students, who slaved over theirs for days. especially seniors. We all know the So to those of you who are in the heart warming feeling we get when overachiever category when it comes we check Facebook in the middle to school, work, or life in general I of sweating out an intense essay and ask you to join the rest of us in the seeing half of the class sitting online world of procrastination. too.

The nights are long, the stress is There are always tons of comments crazy, but you can bet an experienced and status’s all relating to that one procrastinator can outwit you.

from page 7

Illustration by Zac Hebert

Political opinions are getting out of hand If you walked into school last November you would have noticed many students with “Vote for Obama”

By Alli Keisker Staff reporter or “Vote for McCain” shirts.

That was one of the many ways students showed who they wanted to be president. Really, they only liked that candidate because of their parents’ or friends’ opinions.

Yes, there was a small handful of people who actually knew what they were talking about, but other than those people, everyone was just trying to be obnoxious and/or go along with all their friends.

Unless you’re 18, you don’t decide who’s president. You can’t vote, so complaining about the candidates you don’t like will get you nowhere.

Some didn’t like John McCain because they thought he was old, while others didn’t like Barack Obama because he isn’t white.

That’s rude on our part. Who cares

how old you are or what color skin you have? You still can’t vote, so stop being ignorant.

This kind of stuff has been going on long before just this past election, though. I know many people who claimed they ‘hated’ George W. Bush, too, whenever he was president.

If you are 18 years or older, then you shouldn’t be complaining, because you can actually vote, unlike those don’t have that chance yet.

I’m not favoring McCain, Bush, or Obama, because my opnion on this doesn’t matter. People shouldn’t complain who is or isn’t president.

Do you know them personally? No. Do you know how hard it is to be in charge of the billions of people in our country? No, I highly doubt that.

So by saying that you still ‘hate’ them, because of the things they did, does nothing and won’t change what happened in the past. People make mistakes, but that’s only human.

Yeah, maybe they could have reacted differently to things, but if you were in their poistion, you wouldn’t know what to do either.

Now that Obama is president, people are getting mad over the health care policy he’s trying to start, while a majority of teens don’t even know the facts.

I sat there listening to students say, “Obama sucks. I hate him. He can’t be president,” as we watched the inauguration speech at lunch last fall.

Well, newsflash, he was already elected into presidency by then, so what was the point of saying these things?

Obama is president. Accept it and be quiet about it. People are just ignorant these days for saying those things about the president.

Complaining won’t make you get your way, and whining about the president after the election is over won’t do anything, either.

Unless you really know politics, do us all a favor and quit talking about it.

I don’t know a lot about politics, but I do know that people who complain about politics are annoying. I don’t like listening to people complain, especially when it won’t have a purpose or change anything.

Page designed by Alli Keisker

meet the bloggers

brett story Brett Story is writing about music most of the time, but he will often write on whatever is making him upset at the moment.

kayla mugler Kayla Mugler is documenting her odyssey of senior year through reading about, applying to and, ultimately, selecting a college.

kayla boone Kayla Boone is writing about eating healthy. She explores the different options available to consumers looking to eat well.

Katie Schlimpert is writing about the interesting things she sees while she is out and about.

katie schlimp

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InFocus

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October 26, 2009

Pinkt ber Personal stories, actions of community demonstrate devotion to helping victims

Cancer defeated Tammy Burgoyne, mother of freshman Jack Burgoyne, wins battle against breast cancer

By Cory Schmitt Copy editor

Scared, alone, unlucky, confused. All these words were circling through Tammy Burgoyne’s head when her doctors found cancer in her breast after her first mammogram.

The yearlong battle with the disease changed the life of Tammy and the rest of her family forever.

Tammy was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002, shocking her and her family. She had no prior symptoms.

“We got a phone call and Mom answered.

[She] starting crying but did not tell us why,” said her son, freshman Jack Burgoyne.

Soon after, Tammy had a mastectomy, a removal of the breasts, and six chemotherapy treatments in order to fight the cancer off.

Even while being bedridden for half a year, Tammy’s spirits never wavered. She remained a strong woman, giving her family

unending love while struggling to survive every day.

Every year, approximately 185,000 women are diagnosed with Breast Cancer in the United States. Of those, over 40,000 end up dying from the disease.

Breast cancer is the seventh leading cause of death in women in the United States. In Tammy’s case, her doctors found the cancer early and she survived.

However, the effects the cancer had on her life will never leave her.

“It changed my life. I’m not the same person [I was before breast cancer]. I felt like I was invincible ... now I’m grateful [to be alive],” said Tammy.

Tammy now makes time to do all the things she wanted to do in life — catching up with old friends, spending more time with her family, traveling more. Because cancer taught her that tomorrow might never come, Tammy

has decided to live instead of waiting around.

Every year since she was diagnosed, the Burgoyne family participated in the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure. The circumstances that his mother and other women were in made Jack feel like doing the race was a necessity.

“Every year, it’s the right thing to do to show support,” said Jack.

The amount of people participating in the race had a huge effect on Tammy. She realized that she was not the only one going through this battle and that support was there if you looked hard enough.

“During my treatment, it was incredible to realize how many women were going through it, as well,” said Tammy.

This was yet another reason not to give up hope in her fight with the disease.

“You can sit around and cry, or you can get up and fight this and move on,” said Tammy.

Senior Molly O’Connor holds in her hands the photo Molly remembered that day as “heart wrenching.”

Molly t

By Megan Berberich BeHeard editor

Sitting down at a picnic bench in a quiet, secluded area of the park, senior Molly O’Connor is reliving the worst years of her life; overcome with emotion, she tries to hold back the tears.

Molly has witnessed a lot over the span of six years. Her mom, Kathy O’Connor, was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2003 and on April 11, 2009 she lost the battle.

The instant Molly found out her mom had cancer, she broke down into tears.

“I started crying. She was sitting on the couch, and I just sat next to her and started crying,” said Molly.

From that moment on, life changed for

Molly. He and her supposed never a d thinking a “I realiz be here. I her,” said The r suddenly did not k became st “I beca keep anyth said Moll Colon c of cancer

95%

40,170

2,500,000

192,370

95% of new cases and 97% of breast cancer deaths occurred in women aged 40 and older.

In 2009, approximately 40, 170 women are expected to die from breast cancer.

The National Cancer Institute estimates that approximately 2.5 million women with a history of breast cancer were alive in January 2006

In 2009, an estimated 192,370 mew cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among women

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October 26, 2009

InFocus

13

Cottleville community, school go pink

By Kyle Kofron Staff reporter

Photo by Zac Hebert

of her mother, Kathy O’Connor, a victim of breast cancer. Kathy’s breast cancer took her life on April 11, 2009, and

Cancer awareness has literally transformed culture, specifically what happens during the month of October where the community comes together and raises money for breast cancer.

This is more commonly known as Pinktober.

School organizations are among many groups in Cottleville to involve themselves in Pinktober. FCCLA sold t-shirts with pink buttons on them for Lee Denim Day. T-shirts were sold for two weeks, and Lee Denim Day took place Oct. 2.

The day brought in about $2000, all of which will be donated to the Lee Denim Foundation.

The Lee Denim Foundation is an organization dedicated to raising money for breast cancer awareness and treatment research. Every year the foundation has a day in which everyone wears the designated t-shirt, the pink button and blue jeans. The uniformity is meant to symbolize the community, as a whole, pushing toward the same goal.

“This is the first time we’ve done [Lee Denim Day],” says Ms. Bethany Bear, the head of FCCLA. “We definitely plan on doing it next year.”

The St. Charles County Fire Department is wearing pink uniforms throughout October to contribute to the cause.

They are also selling t-shirts on Main Street during the season’s festivals. All the proceeds go straight to breast cancer awareness foundations.

Many businesses, like Schnucks, are supporting breast cancer by displaying pink in their shops and offering special deals where part of their profits are donated.

The True Spa in Chesterfield had sale items marked for Pinktober. Any proceeds from pink products were donated to breast cancer research and awareness foundations.

As citizens in a pink community, students have the opportunity to pull together to help women across the country who are fighting a common battle.

takes hard road

er outlook on life was different, perspective of how life was to work changed. There was day where she could not stop about her mom. zed that any day she might not I cherished the time I had with Molly. relationship with her mom changed; Molly and her mom keep any secrets, and their bond tronger. ame a lot more honest. I didn’t hing from her. It made us closer,” ly. cancer is a very dangerous form r. According to the Center of

Disease Control and Prevention, colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. The latest statistics show that in 2005, 53,005 people died of colon cancer.

Sitting at the table, Molly quietly recalls all of her mom’s surgeries. Molly’s mom had countless surgeries to remove tumors, multiple rounds of radiation, and as many chemotherapy treatments as were approved.

“I was there for every surgery, but she didn’t want us to see her after chemotherapy or radiation. She was the mom and was the one who thought she needed to take care of us and didn’t want anyone taking care of her,” said Molly.

Spending time at the hospital for her mom’s surgeries was really difficult to sit through, because Molly never knew if her mom would survive them.

“They were always really long and felt like an eternity. I never knew if she was going to hold on until the doctor would come and talk to us,” said Molly.

In the end, when cancer finally won the battle, the rest of the O’Connors had to stand together by supporting each other when they felt like they could not hold it together.

Talking about the day of her mom’s death triggers a sad reminder of what Please read more |O’CONNOR, PAGE 14

Photo by Zac Hebert

Three students sport Lee National Denim Day shirts in the cafeteria for Lee Denim Day. Lee Denim Day took place on October 2; the event raised $4-5 million nationwide, about $2000 of which was raised by FCCLA, for breast cancer awareness and treatment, which will be funded by Women’s Cancer Programs.

1 in 4

45

1.4, 441.9

40

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, accounting for nearly 1 in 4 cancers diagnosed in US women.

White women have a higher incidence of cancer than African-American women beginning at age 45. African American women have a higher rate before age 45.

During 2002-2006, women aged 20-24 had the lowest incidence rate, 1.4 cases per 100,000; women aged 75-79 had the highest rate, 441.9 cases per 100,000.

The American Cancer Society recommends women begin getting annual mammography at age 40.

Mugler and Ted Noelker

14

InFocus

FHCtoday.com

October 26, 2009 at the next Relay For Life. I also want to raise some awareness for colon cancer and maybe sell Tshirts for colon cancer awareness month, which is in March,” said Molly.

The American Cancer Society website says that Relay for Life is its signature activity.

Relay for Life is meant as a celebration for those who have battled cancer, to remember those loved ones who have been lost, and a time to fight back and find a cure

against the disease.

It raises money for cancers of all types. If you want to become involved in a Relay for Life team, you can sign up at www.cancer.org.

Molly advises those who are struggling with cancer in their families to stay hopeful and spend more time with them.

“At first I didn’t want to be around when she was sick, but then I realized how precious the time was with her,” said Molly. “You are not going to be given anything you can’t handle.

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Have faith. Hope for the best and believe.”

Molly’s story did not have the happiest of endings, but she assures that cancer will not always win. She does not want others to feel hopeless with their battles because they do often have positive outcomes.

Getting up from the picnic table and wiping the final tears away, Molly thanks me for listening to her story and leaves the park with a little less weight on her shoulders.

Photo by Zac Hebert

Senior Molly O’Connor looks at a photo of her mother, Kathy, who died from breast cancer in early April. Molly looked to friends and family in helping deal with her grief after her mother died.

O’Connor from page 13

Molly misses about her mom and everything she has been through.

“We were a wreck, but we had to handle it. I will never forget that day.

It was heart wrenching,” said Molly.

The funeral was somber but still had a feeling of closeness.

“It felt like a big group of family members. People I had never even met were there. It was one big reflection on my mom’s personality,” said Molly.

Molly has had a lot of support from family and friends in dealing with the loss of her mother.

“They came to the service and were there for me,” said Molly. “They keep my mind off of things when I’m trying not to think about it.”

Molly’s closest friend, senior Shelby Misuraco of Francis Howell North, was there for her throughout her whole journey. Just being there to listen was the best thing anyone could have done.

“I listened when she talked and tried to make her happy in any way possible. We went to a movie and a concert shortly after [her mom’s

death] because I just wanted to get her mind off of things” said Misuraco.

Now, Misuraco is still trying to help Molly cope with the day-to-day pains of missing her mom.

“I’m trying to help her move on and be happy,” said Misuraco. “She still has those days where all she can think about is her mom and I just sit and listen to what she has to say.”

Cancer is something Molly never wants anyone to have to go through, because losing someone close to her was the hardest thing she ever had to experience.

“I hated seeing her in pain 24/7.

I would never wish cancer on my worst enemy,” said Molly. “The hardest thing is waking up and not being able to go say ‘hi’ to her.”

There does not seem to be a lot of positive things that could come out of this situation, but Molly has found one. Molly has found the strength to still find happiness in her life.

“I’ve realized I’m a lot stronger than I thought I was,” said Molly.

Now that Molly has experienced this, she feels like she wants to give back to those who have been affected by cancer.

“I would love to be a speaker

DEFENd

AGAINST CHOCONOGO P r e p a r e f o r b a t t l e . Te x t C H O C O t o 7 4 6 4 2 .

Standard te x t a n d d a t a r a t e s a p p l y.

Page designed by Kayla Mugler

Liz Leath lifts softball team See page 16 | Gender makes a difference See page 18

Sweat Follow the leaders

Teams look for leadership from juniors, seniors, coaches

By Bryan McCreary Sweat editor

T

he intricacies of sports can be overwhelming. Talent, camaraderie, and chemistry all go into creating a winning team.

Perhaps more important than all, however, is the guidance and mentoring of leaders on the team. At Howell Central, this

15

vague statement has proven to be true, leading many programs to success.

In any sport there are leaders: people who guide or inspire their fellow athletes. With most sports, there are various ways that those leaders can demonstrate their leadership and lend helping hands.

Please read more | FOLLOW , PAGE 17

Photo by Kelci Davis

Senior defensive back Zackary Degrande holds hands with his teammates on the sideline as the offense drove to try to take the lead in the fourth quarter during the team’s last-minute loss to Troy at the Homecoming game. Degrande is one of the defensive leaders of the Spartans, who are currently 3-5 with only two games remaining in the season.

Work ethic, camaraderie render success

By Margaret Borgmeyer Communications editor

With better statistics this year, FHC sports teams have shown great improvement.

Teams have been hitting harder, volleying longer, driving further and running faster.

The football team has stepped up its game and scored some touch downs. With a mix of new talent and harder training, the team has won three games.

Sophomore Josh Wade has proven to be a great asset to the team this

season.

“There have been several newcomers to this year’s team who are very talented,” said Coach Travis Wilson.

Many varsity players played previously on the team as sophomores or juniors.

“Now that those guys have had a year of varsity experience, they are more prepared for the level of competition,” said Wilson.

With a few games left, Coach Wilson says there is still much to improve on in order for the team to

win.

Although the girls softball team lost its final game, the team showed great heart and perseverance this season.

Led by senior pitcher Sarah Shanika, the team played a winning game against Fort Zumwalt East with 10 strikeouts After winning their game against the Lions, the girls took on the Fort Zumwalt South Bulldogs, but were defeated.

Even after being defeated, the team came out of this season with an

excellent attitude.

With high rankings and great matches, the girls tennis team showed a new perspective in playing this past season. “[We had] better training, better coach, more dedication,” said sophomore Heather Sapa.

There were many new players on the team this year, but it seems like the mindsets of veteran players had changed also. The girls were more determined this season.

The cross country team has been placing well this season; they were in

Page designed by Bryan McCreary

the top 20s in many of the meets.

“We’ve ran a lot more miles at the beginning of this season,” said junior Alyson Martin.

The team has a mix of old and new talent, making for great chemistry on the team.

This season, the team has proven that they should be taken seriously.

Training harder and longer has proven to pay off for the team, yielding high rankings in meets.

In their last meet, the boys and girls placed twelfth. As the season draws closer, they focus on state.

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October 26, 2009

FHCtoday.com

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Liz Leath is a utility player for the varsity Softball team. Leath helped the team with many of its wins.

Photo by Margaret Borgmeyer

Leath leads team with three years expierience, determination, heart

By Bryan McCreary Sweat editor

Softball is a sport that encompasses many things, talent, athletic ability, leadership. The Spartan varsity softball team doesn’t have to look very far to find someone who fits this description: Liz Leath.

Liz is just a junior at Francis Howell Central, and yet she has had a starting spot on the varsity team for all three years of her high school career.

“I have coached her all three years that she has been in high school softball,” said softball Coach Brenda

Ellison. “She continuously gets better, and she always amazes us.”

At the end of her junior season Liz found herself batting .459 with four homeruns and 11 runs batted in. According to senior Sara Shanika Liz has been a huge part of the teams’ success.

“Liz is a great player and without her the team wouldn’t be as good as we are,” said Shanika.

Liz thinks her leadership for the team is extremely important. She feels that it is almost her duty to help the younger players through the system because a lot of the older

players helped push her to make her the best that she could be when she was a freshmen playing on the varsity team.

“A lot of the younger players need leadership,” said Leath. “I do my part by keeping everyone up when the team may not be playing so well. If someone makes a mistake I tell them to keep their heads up and make the next play because the past is the past.

Liz started playing softball when she was only seven years old.

According to her she always knew that softball would be her sport

Photo by Kelci Davis

Photo by Margaret Borgmeyer

Leath is a steady player on the field. She has hit five homeruns.

because her whole family had played and she grew up around the game.

“My parents both played and they started me in tee-ball and I’ve played ever since,” said Leath. “It just always seemed like that would be the sport that I played.”

Liz feels that her main goal out of softball is to get herself to college.

The irony in this statement is that now that she has gotten to be as talented as she is, colleges main goal is to get her to play for them.

“I have gotten offers from some division one schools like Saint Louis University, and also the University of

The team huddles together before the start of a game. The team often looks to Liz for leadership before, during and after the games.

Page designed by Morgan Vetter

Miami of Ohio,” said Leath. “I have not made up my mind where I want to go just yet, and I am not even sure what I want to do either.”

Liz is more than just an athlete according to former teammate, and senior Alexa Grubb.

“When I played with her she was always just a fun person to be around,” said Grubb. “She made people laugh but she knew when to be serious as well. She is a great person.”

Going into senior year, Leath is interested in always improving her game to help her achieve her goal of getting to college.

Photo by Margaret Borgmeyer

Leath hopes to use her softball talents to get to college. Leath has played softball since she was 7.

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October 26, 2009

Sweat

17

Varsity soccer team steps up

By Cory Schmitt Copy editor

After last season, many players on the varsity soccer team graduated, leaving many holes for Coach Dan Hogan to fill this season. Coach Hogan needed to include many sophomores onto his varsity team.

The team is 12-4-1, so the underclassmen are contributing and the seniors are leading.

They are all working together to create a winning team.

The seniors on the team who played on the varsity level last season are lending their hands to help sophomores and juniors adapt to varsity play.

“The seniors, along with the summer work outs, helped [us] get adapted [to varsity level] in the first few weeks,” said sophomore defender Brad Henderson.

Many on the team look up to senior captains Taylor Yocum, Joe Macke, Paul Haluzsczak and Corey Scharf.

“Yocum always knows what to say during huddles. Macke and Haluzsczak show leadership on the field,” said junior goalie Michael Caldwell. These seniors keep the underclassmen focused on the field in order to get the most out of their talent. “[We] played on a good team last year and have good winning experience, and the sophomores and juniors realize we know what we’re doing,” said senior forward Corey Scharf. The underclassmen are receiving valuable experience and lessons from watching the seniors play. “[The seniors] help us focus on winning and to do what needs to

Follow

from page 15 Sometimes players feel that this is more important than talent when it comes to certain sports.

Taylor Yocum, a varsity soccer captain, says his leadership opportunities present themselves most commonly before the game and at halftime.

“It’s so important to get the team pumped for the game before actually playing, because if the team is not excited to be playing, we won’t play as well as we can,” said Yocum. “If we are losing, or even winning, at halftime I’ll still give a speech to

Photo by Dallas Tobin

Senior Michael Shepard concentrates while he dribbles the soccer ball downfield. The boys soccer team is nearing the end of their fall 2009 season.

be done to win,” said Henderson.

The team is still relying on offense provided by the seniors in order to beat the opponents they face. Taylor

Yocum and Corey Scharf have each scored seven goals so far this season.

“I feel like my performance is good, but I could contribute a little

more by having more assists,” said Scharf. The team is continuing to score many goals.

With seniors leading and

underclassmen contributing, the varsity soccer team continues on its winning trek with another run to state on their minds.

keep the intensity up or to get the intensity to where it needs to be.”

For some sports it is more important just to keep the team loose and relaxed so that when they face their opponent, emotions are not so high that they get in the way of what needs to be accomplished.

Senior volleyball player Kaitlin Crafts comes into play for her volleyball team in this way. She feels that her role as a leader is to keep the team focused, but loose.

“I show leadership by being the goofiest person on the court,” said Crafts. “It keeps everyone loose, and we play better that way.”

Often there needs to be a balance.

According to Yocum, sometimes players have so much emotion and

intensity they let it affect the way they play. As a leader, Yocum said it is

“A lot of times players get so energized that they almost forget about the game,” said Yocum. “As a leader, I try to calm them down just enough so that the intensity is still there, but they can control it.”

The very dynamic of the game could be cause for distinction between leadership styles and strategies.

“Leadership is different for volleyball than other sports because of the number of people playing at one time,” said Crafts. “When I am on the court there are five other girls that I’m trying to help, but with other sports there’s a lot more people to keep watch over.”

In the same mindset that the sport itself changes the type of leadership that is present, and the type of

leadership that is needed, football shows great variation, according to senior defensive back Zack Degrande.

“When I am on the field I am pumping guys up the whole time.

The intensity is always up,” said Degrande. “I encourage the guys in the huddle and once we break from the huddle my leadership comes from pointing out offenses, and letting people know what they are supposed to be doing.”

According to Degrande, there is nothing more important than the leadership of fellow athletes on the field. He feels it is the key to any team’s success and that without it the team will not play to its full potential.

“

When I am on the

field I am pumping guys up the whole time. The intensity is always up. ”

— senior Zack Degrande

important to harness that excitement.

Page designed by Margaret Borgmeyer

18

Sweat: Editorials

October 26, 2009

FHCtoday.com

The Rams You know a football team is bad when you watch their games for the comic effect rather than the pride of

By Cory Schmitt watching your team perform. I don’t Copy editor care how hard the team is trying or how they have a positive attitude; the St. Louis Rams are flat out disgraceful to any St. Louis football fan.

Normally when I watch football, I watch it to be entertained by the talent of the teams and the competitiveness of the games. When I watch the Rams, I am entertained in a totally opposite manner: fumbles in the red zone, incomplete after incomplete passes, horrible blocking and Kyle Boller getting destroyed by the opposing defense.

It is hard not to start laughing aloud. It seems Steve Spagnuolo is a director for a comedy on Fox, not a head coach of a professional football team.

The futility of the Rams has gone past the stage of embarrassment and into the realm of disgrace.

My advice is to stop encouraging the players by saying they are doing well, get some real talent and turn a comedy into how a football game should be enjoyed.

C F

Big mistake “Let’s do it again next year. I’m comin’ back!”

Tim Tebow’s infamous last words at a national championship celebration held

By Bryan at the end of last year’s college football McCreary Sweat editor season at the University of Florida.

I wonder if he and Sam Bradford knew they were making quite possibly the worst mistake of their careers.

Mark Sanchez declared himself for the draft and, let’s be honest, Bradford and Tebow both were much more sought after prospects than Sanchez.

Sanchez, however, made the right choice. Now he is rollin’ in the Benjamins, and oh yeah, he’s on a pretty good football team too.

Did Bradford, and Tebow stay around for injuries that could cripple them for the rest of their careers, and for Bradford, a less than exceptional team to say the least?

When athletes have the talent to go pro, and are looking at making millions and securing their futures they need to stop trying to be Superman, and realize what is best for their future.

Gender causes athletic dispute A look into the differing popularity of men’s and women’s sports

By Cory Schmitt Copy editor

Students are always dying to hear the results of the most recent football, soccer and basketball games, but it seems that women’s sports at school and on a national level are not as valued or important.

Women today have the same legal rights as men do, so why are womens’ sports still not as mainstream as mens. Are men’s sports more popular due to the intensity and toughness of the games?

Or are Americans, myself included still struggling to get over the age-old views of superiority of men in society?

The National Basketball Association (NBA) averaged 17,980 fans per game during the 2008-2009 season, while its female counterpart, the Woman’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), only averaged 8,039 people per game during the 2009 regular season. That is a 9,941 person difference.

Major League Soccer (MLS) was founded in 1993 and averages 15,819 fans per game.

MLS’s female counterpart, the Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) league, founded in 2007, only averages 4,684 in attendance a game. At a school level as well, men’s

Sports Revenue MLB NFL NBA NHL Avg. Men’s WNBA

$6.2 billion $6.0 billion $3.2 billion $2.4 billion $4.5 billion $.85 billion

source: Plunkett Research ltd.

sports are attended by more students and parents than women’s sports. But why? “[It’s] tradition that guy’s sports are better. It’s sort of sexist, if you ask me,” said junior Jennifer Faron Traditions regarding women’s rights and acceptance have been broken in the past.

The mere ‘tradition’ argument is not viable in today’s culture.

Junior Jimmy McGrath is undecided as too why men’s sports are more popular.

“I think the fast paced action of guy’s sports is the main reason. It could be sexism too, but its never really talked about,” said McGrath.

Because the WNBA was founded in 1996 and the NBA was founded in 1948, it could be that the WNBA isn’t as mainstream yet.

But couldn’t that be said about women’s

rights in general?

Women only got the right to vote in 1920 and even still struggle to receive equal treatment in society. I believe that many may not watch a women’s sporting event at school or on TV because they don’t accept that women can be just as talented or entertaining on the field as men.

“Perhaps [there is sexism in sports], because women’s soccer and softball are considered a laughing matter, even though sometimes the teams are better than the guy counterparts,” said Faron.

However, some would argue it is merely the students who are sexist in their sport preferences.

“In terms of administrators and teachers, they are valued the same (men’s and women’s sports),” said softball coach Mr. John Miller.

But if it is merely student opinion, then why do men’s sports continue to draw over double the amount of spectators than women’s sports do? This is because of the more intense athleticism to many people.

While personally I try to value women’s sports just as much as men’s sports, I am just as guilty as any other person in my preference of men’s sports over the women counterparts.

Page designed by Cory Schmitt

Photo by Kelci Davis

The Central ball carrier is tackled after receiving a first down. The boys went down in a 17-14 loss against the Holt Indians.

Photo by Jessica Dimariano

Junior setter Maggie Mueller jumps to block the kill.

The Lady Spartans went on to win the game.

‘The Office’ fails to meet expectation See page 20 | Cover bands on the rise See page 21

Scene The

Fall treats Seasonal food can be delicious, easy

By Hannah Ibos Staff reporter

Nothing says fall like a pumpkin. Carved, displayed, or eaten, these orange fruits show up everywhere during the fall season, especially now, with Halloween and Thanksgiving

19

right around the corner. With the availability and popularity of pumpkins this time of year, there could not be a more perfect way to savor fall than to make a delicious pumpkin snack. This snack is pumpkin bread, another iconic fall food, and despite its

Please read more | PUMPKIN, PAGE 23

Photo by Margaret Borgmeyer

Desserts made with pumpkin, such as these pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, can help make your Halloween celebrations even sweeter. Treats like these are tasty, but also showcase the flavors of the season.

Windows upgrades with new OS

By Jesse Patch Staff reporter

Microsoft is coming out with the next big thing in computer operating systems: Windows 7.

You may have seen the commercials with the images of a pig, a unicorn, a kitten, and a bunny. The commercials also feature a young girl showing off her high tech Windows 7 savvy. The commercials focus on how easy it is for anyone to become familiar with and use Windows 7, even a little girl.

“The commercials for it look so random, but they do catch your attention,” said junior Allison Dwyre.

Windows 7 boasts many brand new features that hope to make it the most popular new operating system out there.

Some of the new features include JumpLists, the ability to sleep and resume activity faster, Windows Search, taskbar previews, and even HomeGroup which lets users share music, documents, and printers with all the other computers that run Windows 7 in your home.

Before it came out, junior Patrick Coffey heard the news after keeping an eye out for it.

“I’m really excited for it,” said Coffey. “It runs on much lower memory and can even run on my slow computer.”

Also, to help get the word out, Microsoft had a beta download of Windows 7 available for a limited time.

“I tried the beta and it really is what it claims to be,” said Coffey.

This next step for Microsoft is going to be compared to its rival, Apple’s Mac.

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“It’s really just Microsoft’s way of being more like Macs,” said senior Alex Evans. “Windows 7 is sleeker and more user friendly, which are areas that PCs have needed improvement on in the past.”

With its release almost three years after Vista, sophomore Micheal Strassner is expecting Microsoft to have made more than just a couple improvements.

“I just hope it’s better than Vista,” said Strassner.

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October 26, 2009

tune in volume my style delish

Return of the vampires Upcoming release of ‘New Moon’ movie incites ‘Twilight’ fan flare-up

By Allie Corrier Staff Reporter

Humans, vampires, wolves and love? Who would have thought such an interesting array of people could draw in so many teens to the monopoly that is the “Twilight” saga?

On Nov. 20 “New Moon,” the second book in the “Twilight” saga, will be released to the world as a movie. “New Moon” is the continuation of the love story of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan.

The twist in this movie is (spoiler alert!) that Edward leaves Bella.

The “perfect couple” breaks apart; teenage girls are left in tears. Edward Cullen, played by Robert Pattinson, has stolen the heart of many female fans.

“Anything with Rob Pattinson interests me,” said senior Keisha Horton.

The first book of the “Twilight” saga takes teenage love and glorifies it, leaving teenage girls longing for their own Edward.

“New Moon,” however, shows the darker side of teenage love, the hurt and the pain that it can cause when it is combined with adolescent boys transforming into beefy werewolves to defend their friends and loved ones against nomads (evil vampires).

Sprinkle that with some tears and nostalgia, and you have yourself “New Moon.”

“It’s different than most movies out right now,” said junior Cameron Jones. “I think that’s what is really getting people intrigued and pumped about it. Plus it’s just downright interesting.”

Photo by Zac Hebert

“New Moon” is the second book in Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” saga. “Twilight” sold almost $36 million in ticket sales on its opening day, Nov. 21, 2008.

However, it is not just the sloppy romances that have people so interested. “New Moon” is taking viewers to Italy and is packed with intense vampire-on-vampire and werewolf-on-vampire fights.

“I want to see the fight scenes. The transformations [between werewolf and vampire] are epic,” said senior

Cameron Aldrich.

Special effects play a large part in this movie. Taylor Lautner plays the hunky werewolf Jacob who is trying to win Bella’s affection, while Bella is trying to get her Edward back. This is really just a giant messy love triangle, but it’s more action-packed.

“Have you seen the previews? It

looks super intense,” said Horton.

Junior John Daniel Gresham says that “Twilight” has become an obsession and is unhealthy.

“There are definitely better books out there, and the idea of “Twilight” isn’t exactly original, except for maybe the part about vampires glittering,” said Gresham, but he says Twilight

is only a mild obsession. Horton says she is, in fact, obsessed.

“Heck yes, and proud of it,” said Horton. The “Twilight” saga is all the rave. “It’s really amazing, and I’m sure if you actually read it and not go by what other people say, you’ll find that you enjoy it,” said Horton.

Season 6 disappoints expectant viewer

By Kayla Mugler Managing editor

All good things must come to an end eventually. Though I will always remain a devoted fan of The Office, I have to say at this point that its best days are behind it.

Everything was fine until a crucial point last season when Michael quit his job and created the Michael Scott Paper Company.

The plot of the show then plummeted too far from its typical

storyline. Even to someone who willingly embraces change, this cannot be considered a positive turn of events.

“Last season...the direction of The Office didn’t really go anywhere,” said sophomore Sean Carroll, an avid watcher of the show. “I’m hoping this season that it’s more directive and still funny.”

Season 6, though it has occasional moments of hilarity, has been a disappointment. It’s fantastic that

Jim has become manager, except that he is not even the same character anymore.

There are few reasons to watch this show if the opportunity to see Jim prank Dwight is nonexistent.

A similar effect occurred in season 3 when Jim relocated to Stamford.

That was actually more painful because Jim was completely removed from the office in Scranton, but this same forced withdrawal from Jim’s comedy is unacceptable.

Page designed by Kayla Mugler

Even more agonizing is the sad realization that Jim is becoming more like Michael with every episode.

The toast scene from “Niagara” where he revealed Pam’s pregnancy to everyone was nearly unbearable and completely out of Jim’s cool, collected character.

The rest of the office workers, as well as the quality humor infused into every episode from the early seasons, have faded into the

background as the writers focus excessively on the plot.

Little is going on aside from Jim and Pam’s wedding. While this has proven to be a good focal point for the season, it takes away from the other, smaller story lines.

Season 6 has time left to go, leaving room for great potential. This Thursday’s episode, “Koi Pond,” will hopefully return to earlier seasons’ tactics of more humor and less focus on plot development.

21 tune in volume my style delish

Secondhand songs take center stage

By Hannah Ibos Staff Reporter

Music has changed and evolved throughout time, creating new, distinct styles for each era or generation. Lately, it seems that music has hit a wall. With cover bands on the rise and popular songs of yesterday making their way back to the surface on music sites and playlists, it seems that music of this generation is slowly becoming just a mix of the past eras.

The evidence that old songs are coming back and taking over the music scene is piling up every day. iTunes is becoming overrun with cover songs, and it seems like almost every song has a cover now.

There is also a wide variety of cover bands, all wanting to pay homage to popular artists of past decades, from the most popular groups of the ‘60s, to the most obscure artists of the ‘90s.

There are many popular cover bands out there, giving everyone

a chance to experience live performances of bands that are not around any longer.

According to the most recent poll on usacoverbands.com, the most popular cover band in the country is Made In America, a “first-rate party/show cover band, meticulously performing the greatest rock hits of yesteryear and today.”

Another popular cover band is The Return, a Beatles tribute band whose performances were described

by Good Morning America as “like being at an actual Beatles concert all those years ago”.

Single artists also cover songs.

A popular cover artist is Richard Cheese, who slows down many popular songs by various artists and turns them into lounge music.

However, most cover artists and bands typically only cover one specific band or artist. The top five most covered bands and artists are The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, The Ramones,

and The Rolling Stones, according to Secondhand Songs (SHS), an online database for cover songs.

Not all music covered is necessarily from bands of long ago. There are popular cover bands for groups that have made their fame in this decade, and while they may not sound exactly the same, they perform and look similar to the originals.

One such example is The Fillers, a Killers tribute band that almost exactly mimics the actual group.

Another example is The Antarctic Monkeys, a popular British group that covers The Arctic Monkeys.

Many popular artists of today also cover songs of other newer bands, such as Lilly Allen covering Keane, The Last Shadow Puppets covering Rihanna, and Paramore covering Kings of Leon.

With all this sharing of music between bands, “cover chains” are created.

The Covers Project, a database for cover music that is dedicated

Photo by Kelci Davis

The Beatles’ music inspires many new artists to pick up their instruments and start playing. The Beatles are the most covered band of all time and have even inspired movies and video games.

Online

music reviews

to “building the web’s best database of cover songs,” follows and outlines these cover chains to show how covers make their way to so many bands and artists.

The longest cover chain, which is more than 50 bands long, can also be found on their website. However, bands are not all that is being covered.

Aside from bands covering bands, they also cover many individual songs. This is often done to increase the popularity of the artist, or help a new artist get the attention of the public with a familiar tune.

According to SHS, the most covered song is “Eleanor Rigby”

by The Beatles, which has been recorded by more than 130 artists.

Other heavily covered songs include “Over the Rainbow,” “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” “Imagine,” and “Summertime.”

In recent years, movies like “Across the Universe” and “Mamma Mia” have inspired the revival of many songs and an increase in popularity for their original artists.

Covering songs has even hit the world of television, as can be seen on the Fox show “Glee.” This show’s songs can also be purchased on iTunes, and five of their covers have even made their way into the iTunes top 100 songs.

With so much variety of covers and tributes, these bands and songs appear to be making their own genre entirely. If the popularity of reproduced music keeps increasing, this generation may be responsible for its own contribution to musical history after all. This will be the tribute generation.

Ten Most

COVERED

SONGS By: Hannah Ibos

1. “Eleanor Rigby” - The Beatles

2. “Yesterday” -The Beatles 3. “Cry Me a River” -Julie London 4. “And I Love Her“ -The Beatles 5. “Satisfaction“ -The Rolling Stones 6. “Imagine“ -John Lennon 7. “Summertime“ -Abbie Mitchell 8. “Blackbird“ -The Beatles 9. “Over the Rainbow“ -Judy Garland 10. “The Look of Love“ -Dusty Springfield

Upcoming local shows 11/10

David Cook @ The Pageant “Bad Veins”

by Bad Veins

“Love Drunk”

by Boys Like Girls

“A Rhythm in Cages”

by The Taxpayers

See full reviews on our website, FHCtoday.com Page designed by Hannah Ibos

11/3

Paramore w/ Paper Route @ The Pageant

10/30

Kelly Clarkson @ The Family Arena

10/28

Miley Cyrus @ The Savvis Center

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October 26, 2009

tune in volume my style delish Students are gettting creative this Halloween by using pieces they already own or ones that they borrow from someone else. The economic crisis has lead many students to strech the realm of their creativity to come up with a costume idea.

Photo by Zac Hebert

Students become innovative in Halloween costume design

By Megan Berberich BeHeard editor

With the current economic situation, many students would like to use their money for things other than Halloween costumes.

Shopping at the nearest halloween store can leave people with a hole in their wallet.

The average cost of an adult costume at the Spirit Halloween store is $50, and many of the more elaborate ones, such as the ‘Pirate Ghost’ costume, can be as much as $190.

NBC news says that consumers will cut down on Halloween spending by $10 million as a nation this year.

By no means does this mean that you cannot have a fantastic costume by just sifting through your own closet. Sophomore Kyle Braden has been in previous theatre

productions and has always been coming up with costumes from his own closet, even before the current economic situation.

“The best place to find costumes are usually at your own house or your friend’s house. Your clothes are already good quality,” said Braden.

Last year, he combined pieces to dress up as a cowboy.

“I bought the hat, but everything else I had at home,” said Braden. “I picked out my western-looking clothes and put them together. I also threw on cowboy boots.”

Braden believes that if you must buy something, you should pick up a hat or makeup.

“These accessories are timeless and can be used for many other occasions,” said

Braden.

If you are stuck coming up with ideas, the Internet is another place to browse for inspiration.

Costumeideazone.com has many categories to search, such as “Use your closet for costume inspiration”, “Traditional” and “Quick and Easy”. It has ideas for celebrity costumes such as Flava Flav and Britney Spears.

You can be Marilyn Monroe by wearing a classic white halter dress and heels, curly blond wig and red lipstick.

Senior Emily Dorn thinks that you should go into your closet first because it automatically cuts down on your cost. Dorn picks all of her costumes from her own closet instead of resorting to the costume

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shops.

“Look at what you have first before you go out and buy something you already have,” said Dorn.

There are lots of classic costumes that are very easy to put together.

“You can be a Greek god and just throw on a towel. Anything with sheets is pretty simple,” said Dorn. “You can also dress any costume up with the zombie look. Just add the makeup and you’ve got the whole zombie vibe.”

With creative costumes, you can save items for an outfit to wear later for another occasion.

“I’ve used my Halloween costumes for school spirit days and also in school theatre performances,” said Braden.

My Style

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October 26, 2009

tune in volume my style delish

Pumpkin from page 19

...rather long list of ingredients, it is actually one of the simpler pumpkin treats to make.

Ingredients: 1 can of pumpkin (15 ounces) 1 2/3 cup sugar 2/3 cup vegetable oil 2 teaspoons vanilla 4 eggs 3 cups flour 1/2 chopped nuts (optional) 1/2 cup raisins (optional) 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves Before taking the first step towards completing this delicious fall treat, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease the bottom and sides of an eight inch loaf pan.

Now, mix together the pumpkin, sugar, oil,

vanilla, and eggs in a large bowl. Mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and cloves) together in a separate, medium sized bowl.

Then, mix these dry ingredients into the mixture in the large bowl. Once this is completely combined, stir in the nuts and raisins, if desired.

After these are mixed in, it is time to move on to the baking.

Pour the mixture evenly into the two greased eight inch pans. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes.

When it is completely cooked, you should be able to stick a toothpick in it and have it come out clean.

The actual cooking time, however, may vary, depending on the oven.

Once it is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Loosen the sides from the pan and carefully remove it from the pan.

Delish

Then, place the bread on a wire rack to cool completely. This may take up to two hours. It is now ready to slice, serve, and enjoy.

It can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for about 4 days, or refrigerated for up to 10 days.

Another delicious pumpkin baked good is the pumpkin muffin.

A sweeter, more portable version of pumpkin bread, this is certainly a fall treat that can be enjoyed anywhere, with any meal, from breakfast to dessert.

This treat is also very simple to make, and does not require much cooking experience. The sweet flavor of chocolate, alongside the savory flavor of pumpkin make this dish perfect for the season (see table to right).

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Pumpkin muffin recipe Ingredients: 6 oz. mini chocolate chips 1 package Sweet Bread mix from Homeade Gourmet 1 can of pumpkin 2 eggs 1/2 cup oil

Start making the muffins by preheating the oven to 325 degrees. Then, mix the Sweet Bread mix, pumpkin, eggs, and oil in a large bowl.

After this is completely mixed, stir in the mini chocolate chips. Place in paper cups in a muffin pan, or a greased muffin pan, and bake for about 10 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

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FHCtoday.com

October 26, 2009

Aperture

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St. Louisans walk for cure The Juvenile Diabetes Relief Foundation walk is one that changes lives. Family and friends come to support their loved ones during their struggles with diabetes.

Photo by Kelci Davis

A boy dances through bubbles that are being blown from The Bubble Bus. The Bubble Bus used blacklight bubbles as well as scented bubbles.

Photo by Kelci Davis

A child sports Energizer bunny ears as he rides on his father’s shoulders. Energizer was the main sponsor at the walk.

LEFT: Teams walk to support family members, friends and loved ones. Some wore matching shirts to represent their link to juvenile diabetes.

Photo by Kelci Davis

ABOVE: A father and daughter walk the 3K along with hundreds of other supporters. Many families walked together to sponsor people they love.

RIGHT: The board members of JDRF cuts the ribbon to start the race. The board was recognized before the race began, and they spoke about the race for the cure.

Photo by Margaret Borgmeyer

Page designed by Zac Hebert and Kelci Davis

Photo by Margaret Borgmeyer