Fresh Start New year, new policies: students and staff find changes to lunches, school policy, technology, and in the prinicpal’s office
francis howell central high school
vol. 26, issue 1
[ From the Editors ]
A
s we fall into the swing of things, the new school year is building its momentum, and with so many changes to our school and its culture, it’s going to
take time to find our footing and acquaint ourselves with this once familiar environment. So much has changed this past year, Dr. Leake now stands in place of the famous Dr. Sonny Arnel, the library and lunch policies have been changed, a nearly entirely new staff graces room 139, and most of us editors have no idea what we’re doing. There’s a lot of new territory to cover for everyone, students and staff, alike, but this is what seems to be bringing us together and getting us to talk about what we want to see, going forward. With this in mind, we as editors and staff would like to welcome you to the Central Focus, and thank you for reading.
SINCERELY, Lorelai Finoch, Emily Sirtak and Reilly Scobey
[ FHC PUBLICATIONS STAFF ]
CENTRAL FOCUS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Lorelai Finoch FHCTODAY.COM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Emily Sirtak ASSIGNMENTS EDITOR: Reilly Scobey PHOTO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Aniya Sparrow PHOTO ASSIGNMENTS EDITOR Samantha Castille, Raina Straughter
STAFF REPORTERS Emme Bernard, Rachel Blanchard, Birdie Brereton, MaryGrace Cummings, Amber Davis, Anabel Gundersen, Nolan Haberstroh, Ana Hollowood, Amity Ianiri, Megan Murray, Kailey Pallares, Moth Payne, Cadence Rulo, Matthew Rupp, Sarah Schmidt, Emma Schultheis, Makenzie Solis, Ian Spencer, Aly Wittig
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Gavin Bearup, Bryce Cash, Kyly Jacobs, Cait McInnis, Nathaniel Miller, Rocco Muich, Avah Pauck, Ava Reyes, Brock Slinkard, Bella Smith, Caroline Tarleton, Magi Temelkova, Isabella Totra, Andy Waliszewski ADVISER: Matthew Schott
[ DISCOVER ]
4 college isn’t the only option
University isn’t the only options for graduates these days
6 paycheck not going as far
Higher prices for things like gas continue to affect teens
[ feature ]
7 positive vibes
Class about construction of music sees big increase in class enrollment
8 leading the band
Schwarm, Tarleton lead Spartan Regiment into its performances, competitions
10 jazz man
Professional helps musicians in fifth, sixth hour band classes improve their solos
[ move ]
17 BUILDING A TEAM
Football coach uses core beliefs to bind team together
18 getting up to speed
Underclassmen detail what it’s like being on a varsity team
[ FOCUS ]
19 bit-by-bit is the key to being fit Teachers, students share tips for staying in shape
11 french, spanish classes see cuts Declining enrollment forces cuts to higher level courses
[ entertain ]
12 big shoes to fill
20 Beginning to end
14 into the phone pouch
21 What we’re listening to
Dr. Suzanne Leake steps into interim principal role More teachers requiring students to turn off electronics in class
How freshman and senior teachers experience classes Our staff shares what types of music they love
16 a bit more space at lunch
Cafeteria, learning commons revert to pre-Covid lunch rules
[ voice ]
22 life is about change
Brereton shares how two tough years have affected her
24 READING INTO THE PROBLEM New state law could land educators in jail
26 injury yields benefits
ACL tear teaches student-athlete to believe in herself
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College representative Sally Difani speaks to a student about the perks of attending State Tech. “We are really trying to give our students the college experience during the 2 years they are with us,” Difani said. Photo by Makenzie Solis
Looking for a Change
Trade schools have benefitted as more graduates are looking for a college alternative
By Emma Schultheis Staff Reporter Traditional school isn’t for everyone. Some people don’t mind long lectures over criteria in their field of interest when they know it’s going to get them where they want to go in the future but not every student learns the same way. College and Career counselor Michelle Breuer provides students with insight into the best college alternatives for those looking for different ways to further their education. “I suggest trying community college first, keep working, you may realize you need more school to make more money,” Breuer said. Other than a traditional four-year college, trade schools are the most popular alternative to further education after high school through hands-on learning and realistic job-like environments. The secondary schools specialize in teaching skills for specific jobs or careers and are completed in less time than traditional college to help students get where they want to go in half the time. Ranked the best two-year college in the country for the 4th year in a row, State Technical College of Missouri has gotten students to their dream jobs in half the time a regular four-year college does. The small school in Central Missouri has over 37 different programs to help give students the tools they need to succeed in their future careers. With over 500 industry partners reaching out and trying to attract our early graduates, 99 percent of students are employed within six months of graduation.
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ABOVE: Juniors from FHC and Francis Howell Union high school fill the large gym for the annual college fair. Surrounded by students, UCM college representative talks about a possible future at their school. Most students filled bags with different pamphlets and school-specific swag from the college, trade school or branch of the armed service. LEFT: Students speak to the U.S. army representative about his experiences in the military and how it has impacted his life. The district college fair was held on Sept. 28 and was attended by juniors from all four high schools in the district. Photos by Makenzie Solis
“We have a wide variety of programs that are teaching students the skills they need to hit the ground running when it comes to their careers. And they’re really going into high paying careers too with great earning potential,” St Louis Admissions Representative Sally Difani said. Most students don’t even realize that they have the opportunity to start a trade school in high school. Trade schools like Lewis and Clark Career Center, offer high school credit with dual enrollment as part of their teaching programs. The career center offers classes within its eight different fields of study to appeal to students’ interests. “I want to do something in the health occupation field,” former Lewis and Clark student Braden Miller said. “Going to the trade school I got my CNA (Certified Nurses’ Aid) certificates by the end of the year so it was definitely worth it.” Dual enrolled medical field students attended hospitals and nursing homes every few weeks to help assist nurses with patients and learn about new job environments. Students so much as even receive their CNA (Certified Nurses’ Aid) certificates by the end of the year. The professional environment is intended to give students the most realistic experience possible to prepare them for the real world. “They don’t treat you like you are in school, they teach you like this is your profession. You always had to dress nice. Especially when you’re at the hospital because you were representing the trade school,” Miller said.
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8.26
percent is the current rate of inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index.
Feeling the Pinch
Teens with jobs experiencing real world issues in work force By Lorelai Finoch Central Focus Editor-in-Chief Whether it be pressure from a parent or guardian, wanting the freedom of your own income, or just an excuse to get out of the house, high school students are no strangers to the world of part-time jobs. Whatever the reason, a job can be hard to manage for students, and with that understanding, it’s proven hard for big corporations and their management teams to remember that the student workers are just that: students. While work can be a big part of a student’s life, particularly college-bound upperclassmen, it can be hard to keep a genuine source of income for young workers, and the myriad of reasons only keeps growing larger, according to senior Jacob Dupre. “[Gas is] actually pretty much a lot of my paycheck, because I’m spending like $40-60 on gas every week to week-and-a-half and I only have a 15-gallon tank,” Dupre said. Dupre started his first and only job at Home Depot about a year ago. While he has enjoyed working there, he and his coworkers have experienced their fair share of pay gaps compared to new hires. “Well, I feel like, because we are still — we used to be short staffed — not as much anymore, but the pay is sort of unfair…[Management] used to bring on new hires on and have them paid more than the rest of us, who have been working there way longer,” Dupre said. “So new hires would be starting at like $14, while the rest of us are still at $12. So,
like, the pay was sort of uneven up until they switched some things around.” What is While this experience may be fairly specific to Dupre, inflation? there are other people, such as senior Leia Daughhetee who Inflation is an have faced the difficulties of uncompromising economic increase in the inflation and the smothering weight of expectations from price of goods themselves and others. Daughhetee has been working at MOD and services over Pizza for about a year now, and finding herself a part-time a period of time, worker in the age of low-employment rates, she hasn’t had an which results in a fall in the easy time of making a cohesive work schedule. purchasing value “We were just totally closed out, like, the whole day of money for a [last week] on Tuesday, because there’s not enough people consumer. and a lot of people have quit, I mean, so that adds to it. My schedule has been all kinds of crazy. I don’t have very Where inflation consistent hours because sometimes they’ll schedule me affects students: more or less,” Daughhetee said. “[But] I need certain hours At the gas pump for the work program, right? So in order to pass the class, I Cafeteria food need to have certain hours, and if my boss isn’t doing that for At restaurants me, then I don’t get to pass.” “[We’re] stuck While the current distribution of work-hours has proven in that perfect difficult for Daughhetee, she isn’t the only one struggling with spot where all the current underemployment crisis. Jayden Geirer, a senior companies are and professional special needs facilitator at Vacation Station, worried about job typically consists of administering guidance and care to inflation, and now her assigned charge. However, due to understaffing at her we’re all stuck. I location, and the unavailability of other workers, Geirer has don’t know. It’s been forced to sacrifice her and her student’s time by taking not fair,” Leia on the care of additional children, as well. Daughhettee said. “We’re really understaffed, so I’m scheduled a lot more than I should be and the kid I work with can be physical, and sometimes that behavior can affect the other children,” Geirer said. “So, that’s when it has the potential to become a dangerous environment, which we can’t do anything about, because not many of our remaining employees are qualified to work with our special needs kids.” With all of this accumulating into our current economic crisis of the simultaneous surplus of open positions, not enough jobs, and steadily rising income taxes, Daughhetee finds it hard to describe what it’s been like to navigate this environment. “Every little penny counts. Like every dollar that I get for college is one less dollar in student loans to pay off later in life…I just feel it’s unfair sometimes, you Working on an assignment in Business Entrepreneurship, senior Jacob Dupre completes classwork know, because I feel like, now especially, for Mrs. Shannon Carlson’s class. Dupre’s job at Home Depot has exposed him to some of difficulties we’re in a unique time, but the world teen members of the work force experience, such as understaffing and new hires being paid more doesn’t change very fast,” Daughhetee than existing employees. Photo by Magi Temelkova said.
7 Mr. Andy Messerli and his students work together to comprehend the complexeties of music theory. This class has faced many changes over the years, going from Central’s smallest class, to it’s largest. Photo by Aniya Sparrow
Finding the Tempo
Positive attitudes help AP Music Theory students adjust to large class size By Analiesa Hollowood “I know originally, this class before us was extremely small and was Staff Reporter taken in a choir room whereas this year we had 30 some odd kids shoved Tucked away within room 005b, during first hour every morning, in a closet and I think it works the same honestly. I think we’re closer students from all different backgrounds and experiences sit for AP Music together. And we could sing more often because you know we’re not in Theory, taught by Mr. Andrew Messerli. This fine arts credit explains in masks and we don’t have to worry about social distancing,” Lashley said. depth what makes up music, tackling topics such as chord progression and The day-to-day class hasn’t changed much over the years either; the interval notation. Historically one of the school’s smallest classes, this year routine of things hasn’t changed and the only difference has seemed to has brought on record-breaking numbers of enrollment; a class that was be simple and fixable attention issues. This year students are able to rely once 12 has turned to 30. The class that was once canceled is now stronger on more people than before due to the enrollment flux and this has led than anyone could’ve imagined due to the to a tighter bond than could have been imagined attitudes of the students taking it. Cassie Heyn, a before. senior involved in marching band, pep band, and “When somebody has a problem with a many other musical escapades, took this class to particular concept, people are able to jump in. understand the music she performs better. Everybody has their own strengths and weaknesses “I took this class because I was curious and so students that might struggle with one area are always interested in music. I wanted to take it able to help with another. I see this continue on for a while and just never had the opportunity not only in our classroom but into the rehearsals as before this year,” Heyn said. well when I see the students later on for Symphonic Music theory can be a difficult subject to Band, Wind ensemble, and marching band,” Mr. grasp, especially for those not heavily involved Mr. Messerli passionately explains chord progressions Messerli said. in the fine arts. What makes up music isn’t to his first hour class. This is just one of many topics Even though it isn’t as well known as other often given much thought to those who do not covered in AP Music Theory. Photo by Aniya Sparrow. classes, and was nearly cancelled before this year, specifically study it. Theory tackles what music those enrolled in AP Music Theory believe deeply is composed of and separates it from simple noise, a complex and difficult that it is important to the culture of FHC. thing worthy of years worth of study. Mr. Messerli describes music theory. “I feel like we need to have classes like [AP Music Theory] for people “We’re talking about how music is built, the construction of it, the that are still interested in music but don’t want to go through the whole building blocks of it. A choir and a band might be talking more about thing of multiple music classes. It’s a music opportunity for people that the performance aspect. [Theory] is looking behind the curtain a little aren’t in a band or choir; you don’t have to be in a band class to take the bit. Here’s why composers choose this chord. Here’s why this note works class. You can just take the class if you want to,” Heyn said. where that one might not. So it’s all about the construction of music,” Mr. Despite the class’s history and near cancellation, AP Music theory’s Messerli said. future is strong and promising. Enrollment is on the upward trend and This bizarre and unprecedented situation, which could have led to the passion of the students taking it does nothing but pave the way for some uncomfortable class periods, is surprisingly seen as a positive future success. Like many fine arts programs, it’s the students that make for its students. The tight first-hour classroom, previously a ping pong it special and the passion they have is strong. The course seems to not be storage closet, could have led to animosity between its inhabitants, but going anywhere any time soon and its impact is only growing. the perseverant tone has remained consistent and strong in the pupil’s “I’m happy to see so many students wanting to take music theory. attitudes. Liam Lashely, a senior and choir representative shares some I mean, it’s a challenge having a lot more students in there, but it’s a positive aspects of the class size. challenge I’m glad to take on,” Mr. Messerli said.
8 Senior Caroline Tarleton conducts the Spartan Regiment during the Sept. 16 football game The band plays an active part of keeping the crowd in the game by leading cheers and playing music to keep the atmosphere festive. Photo by Aniya Sparrow
MAJORLY
committed
The story behind the leaders of the band By MaryGrace Cummings Staff Reporter It’s another Friday Night, spirits are high as Anna Schwarm and Caroline Tartleton, senior drum majors, put on their uniform, adjust their gloves and prepare to lead 110 of their bandmates onto the field at Don Muench Memorial Stadium. The drum majors main job is to make sure the band is on the same page and provide leadership. “By definition, it’s just the word out there for conducting through. Like the performances, keeping everybody in time,” Tarleton said. “But it’s also a lot to do with leadership and meeting everybody through just everyday things and also competitions and football games.” Drum majors hold an enormous
amount of responsibility in the band and keeping it as one, and they have to go through a rigorous process to get this position beginning with an application. Drum major applicants then discuss their answers to questions on the application with band staff. “That starts to give us an insight to just who they are as leaders, how they’re thinking about leadership, their philosophy on leadership,” Band Director Nathan Griffin said. They then move onto a “nerve wracking” as Schwarm says interview in front of the rest of the band. Mr. Griffin explains that he does this for lots of reasons. Not only does it benefit the band, but seeing how the applicants do under pressure, seeing if their answers are either selfish or band-first, and just
seeing how they overall command the room is helpful. Drum major applicants have a long interview process because of how important their presence is to the band and the band staff. “[I’m] looking for somebody who is a servant, first and foremost because the responsibilities they’re going to have in this job is really going to be serving the band,” Mr. Griffin said. “They’re going to be put through so much, almost like staffing, they’re gonna be handed so many responsibilities.” Band majors truly do have many responsibilities outside of conducting the band on those tall podiums we all see. Whether it is having to find quick solutions to things when performing or dealing with drama, a lot goes on behind
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LEFT: Gazing up at fellow drum major Caroline Tarleton and band director Nathan Griffin, senior Anna Schwarm helps the majority of the band stay on the same page during the Pink Out Game Oct 7. In order to lead the band the majors rely on each other. Photo by Kyly Jacobs ABOVE: Tartleton screams to the band and they scream back as Troy faces a fourth down during the game. The band does this to support the team in their defensive efforts as best they can. Photo by Aniya Sparrow
“I’m looking for somebody who is a servant, first and foremost, because the responsibilities they’re going to have in this job is really going to be serving the band.” - band director Nathan Griffin the scenes, including the unpredictable. “When it rained, a lot of our instruments can’t get wet. Like, we’re at the beginning. We’re supposed to have a guitar solo, but because it’s electric, it can’t get wet,” Tarleton said. “So we have to improvise and explain to everybody what’s going on. And they’re asking us all these questions because they want to know what’s going on.” When encountering challenges, it helps that Schwarm and Tarleton are good friends with such a strong bond already. Tarleton describes her relationship with Schwarm as something special and useful. “We also like to read each other’s
minds. We call it twin telepathy, even though we’re not related,” Tarleton said. Drum majors are separated, feet apart, but have to be able to communicate and understand what the other needs, making this position even more challenging and special. As previously mentioned, to Mr. Griffin, being a good leader is obviously very important for drum majors so he takes lots of steps teaching them the ropes. Mr. Griffin also sends them to a camp at Kansas State University where they get as prepared as they can be for the coming season and experience. “[They] get to meet other drum
majors, from not only Missouri, but from, in this case, Kansas and other places where now they’re swapping stories, they’re learning from them, and maybe some different nuances that they hadn’t thought about,” Mr. Griffin said. “Or maybe they’re picking up new ideas that they can bring back to us.” Lots more goes into being in the band and especially being a drum major than outsiders could ever imagine. Next time you are enjoying a Friday night football game and dancing to our fight song, take a moment to listen and appreciate all the unseen work drum majors and the band put in for the students to have that experience.
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Holding his mallets at the ready and focused on his music, senior Michael Harris stands ready to play in fifth hour Jazz Band. The members of this class meet with professional musician Matt McKeever a couple times per month to help improve their musicianship and encourage them to take on more difficult pieces of music. Photo by Avah Pauck.
Pro Provides New Perspective Matt McKeever helps jazz musicians improve their craft
By Matthew Rupp Staff Reporter On every other Wednesday, Mr. Matt McKeever leads the rhythm section through a basic B flat blues progression as he plays a jazzy saxophone solo over top of it. FHC’s jazz students follow by playing a short solo. Mr. McKeever shows the students it’s not hard to play a solo and that is why Mr. Nathan Griffin has brought Mr. McKeever, who is a professional musician, into the classroom. Mr. Griffin has known Mr. McKeever for many years as a former band director who stopped teaching after this past school year. Mr. Griffin took a clinic led by Mr. McKeever in January after he stopped teaching and knew he could be a great person to help his students. “He understands education and the way it works,” Mr. Griffin said. “So having that knowledge base, too, just really helps, because I think that’s going to prepare us even more when he’s here.” Mr. McKeever really values teaching young musicians and prides himself everytime he helps a student. After his first clinics at FHC, McKeever has enjoyed helping out our students already. “The students were very receptive and already had a good understanding of some of the things I planned to cover, so I’m excited to move on to some more advanced things,” Mr. McKeever said.
Keeping their eyes focused on their music, trumpet player Brady Bounds and saxophone player Caden Scott practice during fifth hour Jazz Band class. Photo by Avah Pauck.
One student Mr. McKeever has helped already is junior Noah Layman, who is a saxophonist in sixth hour jazz ensemble. Layman has received clinics from other musicians through other groups at FHC. “It’s a new perspective in the program. It’s new information, even if it’s old information. It’s told to us in a different way and allows us more perspective,” Layman said. For some improvisation is freedom to express themselves or to others a hindrance that causes lots of anxiety. Mr. Griffin wants to eliminate that anxiety. “I would say that was one thing we can always improve upon. And it’s such a delicate thing. Such a hard concept to learn,” Mr. Griffin said. “I want there to be confidence where they know going into a solo.” Improvisation is a foundation of jazz music and can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different jazz musicians. Mr. Griffin has been
teaching jazz for many years and has always encouraged his students to take a solo. “Improvisation is sort of the difference maker for jazz music. It is, you know, in a sense, it’s what kind of sets jazz music apart from other things you know,” Griffin said. Layman can already tell that his approach to soloing has changed already only after one lesson with Mr. McKeever. “It’s [improvisation] very important. I’d say, I think, at least 50 percent of what jazz is you have music and then you have solos and those solos really, they’re the things that make those pieces interesting,” Layman said. Mr. McKeever sees jazz as a way to express oneself creatively and allow for uniqueness not seen in other forms of music. “Improvisation is what makes jazz so unique and exciting — you never know what is going to happen!” Mr. McKeever said.
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Sra. Caitlin Crain sits at her desk, putting in grades for her Spanish students. Sra. Crain teaches some of the upper level Spanish classes that have seen a decline in enrollment the past couple years.
Let’s Talk About It
Numbers of students taking higher level language classes diminish dissuade them from continuing their education in this field. “Even after three, four or five years of language, you’re still practicing speaking correctly in the present tense all the time,” Madame Roznos said. “Sometimes students make mistakes or they can’t speak exactly the way that they would in English after two years, and they’re like, well, I’m just not good at it, which isn’t the case. It’s just unrealistic expectations.” Madame Roznos believes that many students are led to think other departments like STEM are more important than humanities, and although STEM is an important department, it doesn’t negate the importance of other departments. “People have this idea that STEM careers are more difficult, and they’re more prestigious. You are proving that you’re a better person or you’re smarter if you do well in science, or math, or
something like that than if you do on a language and I don’t see that,” Madame Roznos said. “I feel like language and math are really similar. And that makes sense that they would go together.” Madame Roznos gives advice to students who are on the fence on continuing their education in languages. “I want to encourage students to set realistic expectations for themselves, and remember that it’s a skill, it takes practice and it takes time to develop a skill just like any other,” Roznos said. “I would encourage students to talk to adults in their life and ask them if they wish that they knew another language, because I feel like the answer is always yes.” One of the school counselors, Mr. Trevor Wolfe believes students learning another language is beneficial to their developing minds and can broaden their horizons. “I think World Language classes give
[
By Birdie Brereton Staff Reporter Human beings communicate through a plethora of different languages, and because of our reliance on speech to connect, as teenagers, every student is required to take at least two years of a world language class. Although these classes can bring merit and opportunity to students, many decide to stop there and pursue other classes. Because of this lack of interest from students, many of the upper level classes are forced to be cut from the final school schedule and replaced by other classes in higher demand from students. The French language is the one most affected by the cuts, as there is only one French teacher, and this year, the highest level of French being offered is level three. French teacher Amy Roznos says students focus too much on ‘mastering’ the language and set unrealistic expectations for themselves that can
“I want to
encourage students to set realistic expectations for themselves and remember it’s a skill, it takes practice and it takes time to develop.” - Mme. Amy Roznos
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Madame Amy Roznos is seated at her computer, working on assignments for her French students. She has been greatly affected by language cuts as she is the only French teacher, and her classes have been cut down to French 3 and below. Photo by Bella Smith
students the ability to learn a second language, which I feel can be very beneficial to them when they grow up,” Mr. Wolfe said. “I think learning another language not only benefits the student by knowing a second language, but it also stretches the brain a bit and helps a student learn to get out of their comfort zone.” Former Spanish student Ally Brower is a junior who took three years of Spanish before deciding to switch out Spanish with a different class. “I used it mostly as a filler class. Yeah, Spanish was like an important thing to know, but it didn’t really feel like I was retaining anything,” Brower said. “I had a bunch of classes to take instead this year. And so I just couldn’t fit into my schedule.” Head of the World Language Department, and one of the Spanish teachers, Dr. Jennifer Miller shared how a class makes it to the final schedule. “Everybody enrolls in December, January, and then the principal takes all those numbers, and they say, we’re gonna put an average of, say, 26 kids in a class. They’ll do the math and figure out, say, 200 kids signed up for Spanish two. We divide that by 26, we get roughly eight sessions of Spanish 2. So I get those numbers from the principal and then I try to build a schedule.” Dr. Miller said. “Sometimes the principal comes to me and says … not many kids signed up for this language class … Sometimes we can run this class if we combine it with another class and then sometimes there’s just not room.” Dr. Miller thinks that students perceive Spanish as easier than French and German, and therefore decide to take it for easier points, but there’s actually much nuance in what language a student would be best taking. “There’s this perception that Spanish is the easy one. And so we get a lot of people that think, well, French and German are hard, which is not true. They all have their pluses and minuses as far as easy and hard,” Dr. Miller said. “If you want to be an engineer, you should probably take German. If you want to be a chef or work in fashion, maybe French is the right idea because there’s a lot of people you’re going to be working with who speak French in those areas.” Dr. Miller continues to expand on her ideas by reiterating the fact that she believes that students stop learning the language at the most pivotal part of the learning process. “Level two, you really start to see how knowing this language can benefit you and the rest of the world and stopping after level two is like running a marathon and stopping after like the first mile,” Dr. Miller said. “ It’s like why did you even bother?”
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Watching on as seniors depart from the senior panoramic photo shoot, Principal Suzanne Leake helps get the class of 2023 back to their next classes. The new principal is attempting to honor the work of her predecessor, Dr. Sonny Arnel, while also leaving her own stamp on FHC. Photo by Makenzie Solis
Bringing Her Own Style By Cadence Rulo Staff Reporter After the wave of grief students succumbed to upon hearing Dr. Arnel had retired as principal of FHC, they were informed of the identity of the school's new leader, Dr. Suzanne Leake, on March 18. As the students and faculty begin the 2022-2023 school year they must not only transition into a new year with new classes, but a new leader. Dr. Leake was no stranger to some students. Before becoming FHC’s head principal she was a PE and health teacher for eight years and a principal for 16 years. In those 24 years, she was principal at Bryan Middle School for six years where some students attended. “I was ecstatic. I was really excited, but I felt like I had to temper that a little bit because I didn't want the people at Bryan to feel like [I’m] trying to leave [them] because that was not the case. I knew it was going to bring challenges,” Dr. Leake said. “It's been good so I was super excited, but I didn't want people to feel like I wanted to leave them. But you know, the kids at Bryan who come to Howell Central, we celebrated.” Even with all the excitement Dr. Leake was feeling, she was still worried. “I think it's just the big shoes to fill. Dr.
Arnel is a loved person. He [brought] a lot of energy. And while he and I share the same mission and vision for the school, we have very different styles,” Dr. Leake said. When Dr. Leake had heard students input on what they wanted in a principal, she was nervous. However, as the first spirit days came into play, Dr. Leake wanted to make sure students knew she was dedicated to them. “One of the things within the student input over and over was [that] Dr. Arnel will dress up in spirit days. Dr. Arnel, you know, has a lot of fun with the student body. So it's out of my comfort zone but it's not something I'm not willing to do.” Dr. Leake siad. “And if that is important to students, then it has to be important to me, because it's not about me. You know, it's those things we do for kids.” When Dr. Leake had heard the news of Dr. Arnel’s retirement, she wanted to make sure FHC was in good hands. “I just really take a lot of pride in this community and I believe that the person who has the opportunity to sit in this seat has to have a strong desire to want to sustain all those things that have already been built up. Because just like anything else, things can be torn down really quick.” Dr. Leake said. “We also live in this community. So it's important to me that the high school of the community
that we live in is a strong family welcoming, all inclusive place.” With the adjustment to a new year and new principal, Mrs. Kelly DuBois stood in the middle of it all. After being administrative assistant for Dr. Arnel for five years, she is now in the same role for Dr. Leake. “I feel like it was a smooth transition. It is different. They have different work styles and personalities, but I think it went smoothly. We are still trying to learn how to work together, but I think it's going very well. It’s been a positive change.” Mrs. DuBois said. Staff, and students, have been in the face of this new beginning. Trevor Wolfe is a guidance counselor at FHC and has been working there for 23 years. As the school year began, Mr. Wolfe felt Dr. Leake was a good fit for FHC. “Working with Dr. Leake has been awesome. She does a great job of seeing the big picture of our school needs.” Mr. Wolfe said. As Dr. Leake settles into FHC, she recognizes and cherishes the community it has. “You come first here and it's not about me and it's not about you individually, it's about us. And if we don't learn this curriculum today, it's okay. If you're taken care of, then we can do this tomorrow…So, that's what I love about here.”
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In Ms. Kristen Walerowicz’s third hour class, freshman Aymen Mohammad and his classmates pull out their phones for the first three minutes of class. Ms. Walerowicz allows each of her classes three minutes of screen time before the lesson starts each day. “We barely have any time to get on our phones during the day,” Mohammad said. Photo by Kyly Jacobs
Regulation Refresh Stricter phone, earbud policies appear after years of relaxed polices
Emme Bernard Staff Reporter Junior Ally Brower walks into class each day surrounded by students who share the same kind of attachment to her phone as she does, but there is one difference. Her peers fall into temptation each day and stay on their phone during the duration of lessons and teacher instruction. The teacher has to repeat themselves over and over again because the kids are distracted by their phones, so students like Ally have to hear instructions time and time again because of her peers’ lack of control. Cell phone and earbud policies have been relaxed the last few years as both students and staff navigated the years of Covid.
Regulations dwindled. So we experience the tradeoffs of having to go back to old regulations and experience a classroom that embodies what we had previously. Students noticed an abrupt shift when they stepped into class this year and teachers asked them to put away their phones and take out their earbuds. Are these changes too strict since high school students are old enough to manage their education or are teachers helping students in the long run? First of all, these policies are strictly in the hands of the teacher and therefore vary between classrooms. This power comes from the administration, specifically principle, Dr. Suzanne Leake, who believes in the teacher’s choice when it comes to phone policies.
15 “It’s the autonomy of the teacher. So if the teacher wants to allow that in the classroom, the teacher can allow that in the classroom,” Dr. Leake said. “Do I think it’ll get to a point where the teacher has no say, no, I don’t think so. And I think that’s because they have a responsibility to teach. And that comes with creating an environment that is conducive to learning.” Some argue that students struggle to resist internet temptation when others are accessing it because of our brain’s need to know what other’s are doing. Chemistry teacher Kristen Walerowicz said students have mirror neurons that entice us to check up on the virtual world. “Mirror neurons, that when somebody sees one person on their phone, they will want to do it too, that’s just an instinctual habit,” Ms. Walerowicz said. Students struggle to resist temptation when others have already fallen into In Mrs. Sarah LaRue’s class students put their phones in pockets before the start of class. Mrs. LaRue has had it, but are all students to blame for cell students put phones in pockets for years and only allows seniors to have phone access. “Just eliminating the temptation seems to work,” Mrs. Larue said. Photo by Kyly Jacobs. phone policies? Ally Brower has also been frustrated by students to have their phones been in the past because the frustration for us is out. just continuing to grow,” Mrs. LaRue said. “ I totally agree with teachers when it comes to Teachers are frustrated when it comes to putting phones up while they’re talking because students overusing their cell phones, but this idea students are very disrespectful,” Ally Brower said. isn’t a topic that is unheard of. Students have been “They ask a bunch of questions when they missed a told to not use their phones in class for years, yet lecture, which takes away from everyone who was why are stricter rules coming back with harder focusing during the lecture.” backlash than years previous? Maybe because we Other students have become frustrated with grew stronger connections in a time of need during their peers around them disrupting the learning our years of isolation and now we’re being forced to environment. Besides distraction, phones also come rip a bandaid off and join the life we used to live. with increased stress to keep moving. Dr. Leake “I have my phone out when I shouldn’t have my expresses concern for her student’s stress levels phone out,” Mrs. LaRue said. when it comes to the fast pace of our society due to Students and teacher’s alike struggle to our high technology usage. separate from their virtual world during the “So it just contributes to what I call a rat race of school days. Contrastingly, students are more a society. And we’re just always like, go, go, go. And interconnected with their phones and rely on them if we sit down, it’s like, okay, I should be doing this. for most forms of communication. They use a I should be doing that,” Dr. Leake said. wide variety of social media platforms that make Technology has greatly impacted the classroom students stressed by having to balance their time and more importantly the teacher’s ability to between each to check for updates. Ally Brower has manage their agenda with student interruptions. had these challenges throughout the school day. English teacher, Mrs. Sarah LaRue, has taken notice “I keep Snapchat on no notifications at all times of the frustration that comes with student’s using because I find myself getting on the app way too phones inappropriately. much,” Ally Brower said. “The more and more phones are prevalent in our Everyone is transitioning to a renewed society, the more and more frustrated teachers have environment that has been thrown at us this year, become,” Mrs. LaRue said. and taking away the support of our cell phones is Cell phones have many negatives With the increase in dependence on technology a small yet important step we need to take. We are affects on our student body. They can in today’s society, teachers are forced to become all struggling to get to the work ethic we once were cause stress, anxiety, are a distraction, mediators between students and their cellphones. at, so maybe we should all hit do not disturb for the and can impact academic integrity. Staff have reached their limit with their relaxed sake of our teachers who “like to teach and want to Illiustration by Emme Bernard technology policies from the previous years and impact students’ lives. But when students have their are seeking stricter rules to help them do their job: phones in their faces, it’s hard to do,” Mrs. LaRue educate their students. said. “I think that this year, there’s a lot stricter cell phone policies across the building than there have
16 As they talk during 4A lunch on Sept. 19, seniors Kyly Jacobs and Sydney Lamb enjoy their lunch in the Learning Commons. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, students were allowed to choose where they ate on a day-to-day basis; with the pandemic waning, that freedom has returned to students in the LC and the cafeteria. Photo by Raina Straughter.
Open Seating Returns
[ “It allows us
to give more people the opportunity to come in if they need a [quiet space] that can’t be [provided] to them in the cafe.” - librarian Keri Smith
Students now have choice of where to sit at lunch By Reilly Scobey Assignments Editor Walking into school this year, students didn’t really know what to expect. Would everything go back to “normal,” or would there still be pandemic restrictions to navigate? One of the biggest changes from the last couple years is the return of a prepandemic lunch policy which allowed students to choose where they wanted to sit each day, rather than be confined to one spot all year long. Whether it be a table in the cafeteria, a seat outside in the courtyard, or one of the many accommodations in the library, students have the option to pick and choose a seat that best fits their needs. The system gives 30 students the opportunity to sign out for a pass to eat in the library. Rather than having an assigned seat for the whole year, they’re able to chose day by day where they would like to eat. Librarian Keri Smith enjoys the flexibility this change has brought to the library. “It allows us to be a little more
flexible with our space,” Mrs. Smith said. “If we need to accommodate lastminute presentations [or] classes it’s not as disruptive to student schedules if this is where they always sit and then all of a sudden we’re like ‘Oh wait, we can’t be open today,’ it is a little less [stressful] and helps us feel a bit more flexible.” While the policy has provided the library with a new-found flexibility, Principal Suzanne Leake believes it has also brought back students’ ability to choose. “They have the opportunity to change and come and go, where previously, because of tracking for Covid we had assigned seats, so student choice was there, but once you chose, you stayed,” Dr. Leake said.” Mrs. Smith understands this is a huge adjustment for students who have only known the pandemic policy, but feels as if students are starting to see the benefits. “Sophomores and juniors who have only known eating in here, It is definitely
a change,” Mrs. Smith said. “It allows us to give more people the opportunity to come in if they need a [quiet space] that can’t be [provided] to them in the cafe.” Staff aren’t the only ones pleased with the system, senior Cassidy Low likes being able to come and go as she chooses. “I’m in the CAPS Healthcare program which means I get to school about an hour before my actual lunch so, there isn’t anywhere else for me to go,” Low said. “So, me and a friend meet up at the library [to study] and decide to eat in the library since we are already here.” While some students like the flexibility of the new system, senior Beth Tullock feels indifferent about the new procedures. “You spend half of your time sitting in the lunch line and then the rest of it trying to get a pass to even sit in there,” Tullock said. “I’m lucky because I don’t have to wait in a very long line because my class is right there, but the first week or so I had to wait a long [time] after getting my food.”
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A Foundational Philosophy Powerful team values inspire a winning culture
By Amity Ianiri Staff reporter Walking into room three during the football meeting, students are greeted with laughter and a bubbly team environment. Coach Malach Radigan discusses the team’s recent loss to Troy (53-21) as an opportunity, and not an indicator of their future performance. The team has been constructing a strong community throughout the off-season, resulting in a shift in the team’s overall culture. This all can be attributed to the philosophy of Coach Radigan, whose strong core values create a strong culture surrounding the team. Coach Radigan’s philosophy is built upon a distinct set of values that construct a tight-knit community, eager to win. “Our three core values are servant leadership, relentless effort, and love. You know, we often say we can only control the controllables. And so knowing that we can instill that in our kids, they control being a servant leader, they control their effort, and they control how they love and treat their teammates,” Coach Radigan said. These values have had an immense effect on the way the team is approaching this football season. The team’s great performance so far has resulted in a change in attitude going forward. “I think it gives our kids a glimmer of hope. It allows them to believe that they can be great and that they can do something special,” Coach
Coach Malach Radigan and his team discuss the Sept. 16 loss to Troy in their weekly Monday meetig. Coach Radigan rallied the team in preparation for its next game. “We spent our whole off-season from December 6 until now, really trying to build these kids,” Coach Radigan said. Photo by Raina Straughter
Coach Malach Radigan embraces Junior Amjaed Safi during a team meeting. Players talked about why the team matters to them. Photo by Raina Straughter
Radigan said. This has changed the overall perception of the team, with the students being very engaged in the team’s games. Senior Aidan Hernandez, has noticed these changes going into recent games. “People are starting to buy in and believe in it [the team], not just giving up and we’re actually fighting and practicing hard,” Hernandez said. The successes of Radigan’s philosophy cannot be understated. This does however pose an important question: Where did he get this philosophy? “It’s been a philosophy shaped by 10-plus years of coaching, and then another 10-plus years of playing. And so I’m just learning, kind of like, what makes me tick. It’s a little reflection of who I am,” Radigan said. Radigan’s values were not ingrained into the team’s structure overnight. It required hard work throughout the off-season that brought the team together. Senior Angelina Deidrick highlights the hard work during the months leading up to the season. “I think that our potential that we worked so hard for and everything is really kind of coming to the surface right now,” Deidrick said. This football season is looking really promising, but most importantly a powerful culture surrounding the team has arisen. Coach Radigan’s leadership abilities have truly created something special. Something that has brought us Spartans together. The past few years have been tough for the team, but Radigan has certainly molded this team into a force to be reckoned with. Radigan describes the team best: “We are underdog mentality, chip on your shoulder scrappy, blue collar workers; these kids, they know that St. Louis or St. Charles doubts us, they know that no one expects us to win, and so for them to own that and really run with it has been one of the coolest things,” Coach Radigan said.
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Fresh Faces on the Field
A glimpse of underclassmen’s lives as varsity athletes
By: Anabel Gundersen Staff Reporter Before the class of 2026 began roaming the hallways, they headed for the fields. Leading up to the week of tryouts, August 8th, fall participants had spent their whole summer, for multiple hours a day, five days a week training for their sport. Most freshmen expect to make C-Team, primarily an all freshman team. Some freshmen could see themselves making junior varsity. But a select few found themselves in the varsity lineup. Varsity softball, cheerleading, and Freshman Dominic Gianino watches the play happen in front of him in a game against Timberland. Gianino is the lone soccer had underclassmen join their teams. freshman on varsity and often plays nearly the whole game. Photo by Aniya Sparrow For incoming freshman Dominic Gianino, the thought of being on varsity soccer felt With teams having plenty of seniors, Besides the dynamic and team like a long-shot. boys soccer with 17, connecting with the responsibilities, underclassmen have to adjust “I mean, I was probably expecting to make upperclassmen is hard. Freshman Amelia Iden to their academics too. Beginning high school JV because I heard we had a lot of seniors on detailed how varsity cheer held team bonding and starting to play varsity sports all within the varsity so I didn’t think there was going to be a sessions over the summer to help acclimate same semester is challenging and takes an extra spot,” Gianino said. the upper and lower classmen in a lower stress step for success off of the field.
Sophomore Riley Henderson runs to first base after bunting against Troy. Henderson plays the outfield and pinch hits for pitchers and catchers. Photo by Brock Slinkard.
environment. For teams with existing chemistry, like varsity softball who went to state last season, joining seems intimidating. Sophomore Riley Henderson, joined the team this year and had no problems getting along with the upperclassmen on her team. “Today is [an] early release Wednesday, and after school, every single underclassmen will go with one of the upperclassmen and we’ll all get food I think, like they take care of us,” Henderson said. However, being on a new team comes with new expectations. With practice daily and games in between, standout freshman on the softball team, Kiana Kluesner described that the workload takes some help from her teammates to adjust to. “Yeah, we’re a little behind sometimes, but the upperclassmen normally, like, make sure we’re good. They don’t yell at us. They just tell us because they know we’re new,” Kluesner said. “So they’re very polite with things like that. Like say we forget to pick up a bucket of softballs, and they’ll remind us, you know, that we had to come back and help.”
“Well, it was a little difficult [to adjust] at first, but once you figure it out, like a set schedule, it makes [homework] easier,” Kluesner said. With all the new experiences for the underclassman, an upperclassman to help mentor them can be extremely helpful to ease some nerves. For the now-senior, year-round varsity athlete, Aidan Hernandez, seeing underclassmen succeed at this higher level hits close to home for him. He was once in their shoes, an underclassman playing on varsity. “It’s always special when a freshman makes varsity and I know it can be hard to adjust so I try to give any advice I can. I have ended up bonding with some of them and we end up having a pretty good friendship,” Hernandez said. Despite the changes to their daily lives, underclassmen have earned their spots on varsity and are excited to put their mark on the athletics here. “It’s definitely hard but it gives you something to look forward to and to give you a reason to be at school every single day,” Henderson said.
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Finding ways to
STAY FIT
Finding joy in keeping in shape
The cross country team begins a practice on the stadium track. Enjoying your activity is a key to keeping with an exercise program. Photo by Samantha Castille
Sophomore Keegan Richmond sits on a yoga mat in Ms. Jennifer Denny’s Fitness for Life class. This course focuses on giving students a variety of activities to help keep in shape, but also make the exercise something consistent and manageable for them to do. Photo by Samantha Castille
By Lorelai Finoch Central Focus Editor-in-Chief Whether you work the closing shift after school, have younger siblings to take care of, or are drowning in hours of homework, keeping up with physical health isn’t exactly at the top of a busy student’s priority list. According to Ms. Jennifer Denny, Fitness for Life teacher, staying active, even in menial ways, isn’t too hard for people willing to start small and be persistent. “I think really, they always say you should start gradually, you know, just walking in and get walking and then if you’re wanting to run, break it up, you know, walk for five minutes, jog for a minute … do something like that,” Ms. Denny said. In Ms. Denny’s Fitness for Life class, she and her students follow YouTube tutorials for accessible at-home workouts, go on regular walks, and find ways they can stay healthy and active even in the busyness of their day-to-day lives. “I try and do stuff that is accessible for [the students], like they can do on their own at home. Like, we try and walk twice a week. Because you can walk anywhere: you can walk outside, inside … you walk at the mall, things like that,” Ms. Denny said. “Then we do a program called Platform, which is something the school purchased for the athletics program,
and we try and do those two fitness activities, or if I don’t do one of those, I do another kind of fitness activity for the other two days. The fourth day, I just try to make it fun. A lot of videos and things, like, we do yoga. It’s all free … you can look up yoga, pilates, you can do so much without having to spend a fortune.” Ms. Denny also talked about the helpfulness of Coach Andrew Carter’s weightlifting class, as it gives students a chance to learn how to utilize equipment, and it gives them ample opportunity to utilize it. One of such students who developed his love for weight-lifting through Carter’s intro class during his sophomore year was now-junior, Noah Keen. “I was getting in that weight-training class before I started working out, and I just fell in love with it instantly. The feeling that I got, how good I felt about myself, even though I wasn’t really that, like, in shape, still I just felt so good about myself. And from that point forward, it’s just, like, something clicked in my brain and I loved it. It feels like I could do anything,” Keen said. From that point on, Keen was enthralled by recreating that feeling, keeping it up outside of school, and, by now, it’s become a regular part of his life, making time between school and work to get into the gym. “Early challenges really were just, you know, getting into the gym. So really what helped
me was, you know, taking a weight training class and then also, like, finding ways to go to the gym like that,” Keen said. “Before I started wrestling every day, after school, I would go [to the gym] in the mornings, which is really hard at first, to wake up. But then once again, as I got into that habit, I would just get up at 4:30 AM and go to the gym before going to school, and it was fine.” Another junior who has grown incredibly familiar with early-rising for her exercise routine is cross-country runner Laney Parmeley. “I always feel like morning runs are my favorite things and my friends think it’s crazy because they’re like ‘Why would you wake up at six o’clock in the morning?’” Parmeley said. “It just sets me up for the rest of the day to feel better.” While it can be hard, and the early tedium can feel like you’re dragging along, the general consensus is all too revealing: a regulated routine not only amplifies your physical health, but it gives a refreshed mindset to those who know their limits, and have found their own ways to keep up with their responsibilities. “It’s all about consistency … consistently moving up the time you work out, just trying to keep a consistent pattern,” Parmeley said. “Like, it’s gonna be hard to start but then once you get through it, you’re smooth sailing after that.”
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Seeing the Difference
Teachers share the differences they see about freshmen and senior classes By Analiesa Hollowood Staff Reporter Freshmen and seniors are very different classes. Many people assume that they know what to expect but whether it’s common misconceptions or stereotypes, there is a lot to get wrong when profiling an entire grade. Let’s peel back the curtain of mystery as teachers who specialize in teaching one grade over another share what they have learned to bridge the gap between grade levels, and show why this divide isn’t all that it seems. There are many positives to teaching a freshman-heavy class. Life Sciences teacher Jessica Rowe talks about her favorite things with the freshmen class. “Freshmen have so much potential and they come in with such a sense of wonder. Like wondering what high school will be like. ‘I wonder what I will get to do. I wonder who I will meet and what I will learn,’” Mrs. Rowe said. Mrs. Rowe, who teaches Pre-AP biology and Medical Interventions, talked in depth about how people tend to underestimate freshmen’s abilities. Many think that they are incapable of overcoming the fast-paced high school environment. The science department is known to limit labs. “It’s wrong to assume that because they’re freshmen, they don’t know how to be responsible or critically think or ask great questions,” Mrs. Rowe said. Freshmen are not the stumbling baby deer they are stereotyped to be, a freshman level classroom is far from herding cats. They often
just require extra help with adjusting to the high school environment. English teacher Kathryn Mastarokas speaks about this extra guidance. “Freshmen across the board, definitely need a lot more guidance in terms of, how to be organized and keep track of everything and just all that basic, how do you do high school kinds of things,” Mrs. Mastarokas said. While freshmen may require extra work, seniors are no walk in the park either. Mrs Mastarokas may love her senior classes but senioritis is rampant no matter what a teacher does. “[Seniors] are more, much more Mr. Reed holds wood in his Zoology and Botony class. This chill, sometimes too chill. They’re class, composed of primarily Juniors and Seniors, explores getting lazy because they’re seniors. the biology of plants and animals. Photo by Aniya Sparrow Senioritis is real,” Mrs. Mastarokas said. levels. Mr. Patrick Reed, Zoology and “I think freshmen are caterpillars. They come Botany and Human Anatomy and Physiology in and they’re just crunching and munching. teacher, feels right at home with his senior They’re eating and they can be sloppy. They can classes. be like this barge all the way around the plant “Seniors are my comfort zone,” Mr. Reed said. eating everything all the time. By the time you “I walk into my ZoBot or HAP classes and feel guys are seniors, you are butterflies. You come right at home. I feel like seniors know what they out senior year and it’s like, I’m ready to fly. Like need and I can be more sarcastic with them. Like let’s go,” Mr. Reed said. they are ready to receive all of my wisdom.” The differences, though they are stark in Freshmen with their newness and seniors contrast with one another, make sense once with their lack of motivation, there is no perfect you just view highschool as a circle of life. grade level. Freshmen and seniors are just in Every student was once a caterpillar and will all different parts of their journey. Seniors are eventually become a butterfly. Teachers just do ready to move on from high school while the what they can to lead and help their students freshmen are just beginning. Mr. Reed has the along on this journey. perfect analogy for describing these grade
Mrs. Katie Mastarokas is focused as she teaches her Pre-AP Eniglish I class. Her supportive teaching style doesn’t just help in the classroom but it also helps freshmen adjust to the high school environment. Photo by Brock Slinkard.
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Eclectic Tastes
Our staff shares the music they love to listen to
By Reilly Scobey Assignments Editor
Emily Sirtak FHCToday.com Editor-in-Chief Emily’s all-time favorite album is Young the Giant’s self-titled debut. Released electronically in 2010, this album contains 12 tracks, the most well known being: “Apartment.” Since their debut, Young the Giant have gone on to release four studio records and continue to tour.
Lorelai Finoch Central Focus Editor-in-Chief Lorelai’s all-time favorite album is The Crane Wives “Here I Am: Live from the Listening Room.” Released in 2020, this album contains 20 live tracks from previous albums. Since their debut, The Crane Wives have released five studio albums and continue to tour to this day.
Aniya Sparrow Photo Editor-in-Chief Aniya’s all-time favorite album is Queen’s “A Day at the Races.” Released in 1976, this album contains 10 tracks, the most well known being: “Somebody to Love” and “Tie Your Mother Down”. Since its release, A Day at the Races has sold over five million copies worldwide.
Reilly Scobey Assignments Editor Reilly’s all-time favorite album is Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumors.” This 1977 masterpiece contains 11 jaw dropping tracks, the most well known being: “The Chain,” “Dreams,” “Go Your Own Way” and “Gold Dust Women.” Since its release, Rumors has sold over 40 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best selling albums of all-time.
Samantha Castille Photo Editor Samantha’s favorite album is the soundtrack from the movie “La La Land.” Released in 2016, this album has 15 tracks, all composed by Justin Hurwitz, Justin Paul, and Benj Pasek. Singers on this album include: Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, and even John Legend who wrote “Start a Fire” from the album.
Raina Straughter Video Editor Raina’s all-time favorite album is “ANTI” by Rihanna. Released in 2016, this album contains 15 tracks, the biggest being: “Love on the Brain” and “Work.” Since its release ANTI has sold almost 11 million copies worldwide, making it one of Rihanna’s best-selling records.
Matt Rupp Staff Reporter Matt’s all-time favorite album is The Who’s “Quadrophenia.” Released in 1973, this double album contains 17 tracks, including: “The Punk and the Godfather,” “Love, Reign, O’er Me,” and “I’m One.” Since its release, Quadrophenia has sold a little over one million copies, but is ranked by fans as The Who’s best album.
Caroline Tarleton Staff Photgrapher Caroline’s all-time favorite album is Peach Pit’s “Being so Normal.” Released in 2017, this album contains nine tracks, the biggest being “Being so Normal.” Since their debut, Peach Pit have released three albums and continue to tour to this day.
Aly Wittig Staff Reporter Aly’s all-time favorite album is Harry Styles self-titled debut. Released in 2017, this album contains 10 tracks, the most well known being “Sign of the Times,” “Kiwi,” and “Sweet Creature.” Since his debut, Harry Styles has sold over five million records worldwide.
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Changing Perspectives
The effects of change on a student’s psyche
By Birdie Brereton Staff Reporter In the midst of the COVID epidemic, virtual schooling was put into place to protect vulnerable students. This was a huge change for many people, including me, I had never done very well in homeschooling before, and this was definitely not an exception. This huge upheaval was a blow to my mental health and in turn, my grades. Through this experience, I had no good ways to truly work through my feelings, so I would skip class and sleep all day to avoid my problems. This had substantially lowered my grades and also warranted calls and emails from my teachers. Although I knew what needed to be done, I couldn’t muster any energy to do it, and so I let the work pile up and up until it was basically impossible and far too daunting for me to even touch this mountain of schoolwork. Not only me, but many other students — especially after these past couple of years due to COVID-19 — have gone through a plethora of changes — good and bad — but most don’t have very developed strategies on coping with those changes. Me and many others relied on avoidance coping, which means they try to avoid thinking and interacting with anything that reminds them of a stressor in their life. This can not only affect a person’s mental health, but their academic achievement as well, as they are both deeply entwined. A student cannot achieve success without taking their mental well-being into account. Humans are habitual beings, so change naturally makes us uncomfortable. People like to be in control of situations, and when they
lose that control because they are in a position they are unfamiliar with, the brain creates a connection with those unpleasant situations and change. It’s hard to hand control to someone or something else because you cannot completely control the outcome, and it could turn out even worse than what their current situation is. Change comes in many different forms, like divorce, loss of friends, family, moving, or even growing up. Negative ideas similar to those listed are usually the first that pops into a student’s mind, but many times it can be a good thing. Leaving toxic relationships, getting a better paying job, taking classes that interest you more, or something as simple as getting a better computer is a change that can greatly affect someone’s mental health. Big changes bring unfamiliar factors to a student’s life, and this unknown allows the brain to wander to possible outcomes — most being negative — because of this, they start to hear those little voices say: Was this my fault? Why didn’t I stop this from happening? Am I not good enough? Because of these self-defeating statements, many people start to subconsciously maneuver themselves into the familiar, and reject change. The rejection of change causes stagnation and dissatisfaction with themself and those around them. The natural way that the human brain works means it will avoid those events that cause stress and anxiety, which also means even if students understand it may be best to face these changes head on, we will usually shrink away from that kind of confrontation. Students find their own ways to cope with difficult
situations, and as they get to experience more, they also get to learn what types of strategies help them cope and work towards a better future for themselves. After the disaster that was eighth grade, I decided to take a closer look at my mental health and develop strategies to help me through these massive transitions. Good coping strategies I’ve learned throughout my time as a student are things like meditation and introspection. Once you take the time to sit down and breathe, it’s much easier to think clearly. It allows you to think through your decisions and work on what changes need to happen and what changes you want to happen. Although these strategies help me through tough situations, that does not guarantee that others will feel the same. There is no one set way to deal with change, and many people have coping mechanisms that work for them, but make others more stressed, like exercising or writing journals. Change comes in many forms, good and bad, but no matter what it is, or how someone may deal with it, it’s completely natural and healthy. Just like rivers in a forest, running water allows a continuous flow that keeps bacteria from accumulating and reproducing to the point where it is undrinkable. Unlike stagnant water that allows bacteria and parasites to fester and reproduce, making the water undrinkable. Change moves the rivers forward, and allows fresh water to flow through it. Students should initiate and embrace change before the stagnation makes a toxic, undrinkable sludge out of a once coursing stream.
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A student reflects on the changes and stressors affecting their life. Change creates uncertainty and fear, but by reflection and meditation, a student can better accept and grow from these changes. Illustration by Birdie Brereton.
24
Back to Banning Missouri Senate bans books from public and private elementary and secondary schools with revision to law
illustr
ation by Ra ina Str aughte
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By Cadence Rulo Staff Reporter “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury is categorized as a dystopian novel where books are outlawed and burned. I always felt this book was frightening fiction with the control the authoritative figures had, taking away every book, gaining more power, stripping their people from the beauty a book can bring. However, with the Missouri Law on book bans, “Fahrenheit 451” is becoming less of a fiction and now a reality. On Aug. 28, the Missouri Senate enacted a revision to SB 775 stating schools cannot provide, assign, supply, or distribute books and/or materials that contain explicit sexual information to a student. If a person were to provide such material in school, they would spend a year in jail with a Class A misdemeanor or pay a $2,000 fine. Work that provides artistic or anthropological significance as well as materials in a science or health
25 class that contain explicit images are voided from this law. Adding this provision to SB 775 equates sex trafficking and sexual assault with being handed a book. How can a book come anywhere close to what is under SB 775? Books like “Stitches’’ by David Small, “Flamer’’ by Mike Curato, “Bleach, Vol. 21: Be My Family or Not” by Tite Kubo, and “Himawari House” by Harmony Becker were all rated above a 4.05 out of a 5.00 point scale on Goodreads, one of the largest websites to rate and recommend books, but were all on the list of books to be banned from students and were all removed from Francis Howell School District’s libraries. Some people who stand against the book ban believe this is happening so LGBTQIA and African-American writers are silenced. Others believe this is to open a gate to ban more and more books from schools and gain more authority over teachers and students. I believe the banning is to shield young adults from the real world, censor readers and writers, to have yet again more control in our lives. When we walk into school, we lose many freedoms. We cannot dress a certain way, say certain words, wear a
hood, and now read certain books. What harm does it cause anyone if I were to see something explicit in a well-written book over a video or picture in health class? Why does the Missouri Senate or a different child’s parent care what I read or where I read it? Why does my life, my escape become limited because adults are afraid of adolescents seeing what the real world is like? In an interview with 5 On Your Side, Republican Senator Rick Brattin — who filed the amendment to SB 775 — said he believes these books are, “literally destroying kids’ innocence.” In the beginning of getting the law finalized, Brattin admitted they wanted to go after literary aspects, but they decided upon the visual aspects instead. Brattin was surprised at how this topic has caused controversy. As if everyone would sit down and agree with him, because it’s okay for a book to talk about these explicit things, but they shouldn’t show it. As a 17-year-old Missouri citizen who has read multiple books on the ban list, my innocence is the same as before. Every morning I wake up in my bed covered in stuffed animals, cuddle my puppy, go to school, work, come home, talk to my parents, and sleep. I still collect small Harry Potter toys and watch the newest Disney movies. I can read, watch, listen to all these explicit things and still be exactly who I was before these books. I can have the same innocence I had before I opened a book. We can see the reality of the world in real-time, but reading or seeing it in a book at school is cause for legal prosecution? Literature is not the source of what these senators and adults believe is “destroying” our innocence. The fact is we are growing up. Seniors are leaving in less than a year to try and become an adult in this world. How can that happen when reality is being censored? I am worried for the people at risk of facing the consequences from this law. My librarians want to give me a book I can enjoy, and relate to. Why should they go to jail for doing their job? Why should someone’s opinion take away my options? I’m confused, angry. I have read the revisions to this bill over and over, I have listened to these senators and parents explain why this is happening, but it will never make sense as to why they have the right to tell my teachers, librarians, or principals what books they cannot give me.
Missouri SB 775: What it says SB 775 Information provided by Senate Bills nos. 775, 751, and 640: “Any person officially associated with public/private elementary and secondary schools who knowingly provides visually explicit sexual content is committing a Class A misdemeanor.”
Francis Howell School District According to information on the district website, the following books have been removed from FHSD libraries: “Attack on Titan” (manga series that consists of 34 volumes) by Hajime Isayama “Bleach” Volume 21 by Tite Kubo “Flamer” by Mike Curato “Himawari House” by Harmony Becker “Home After Dark” by David Small “Stitches” by David Small “This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson
St. Louis area district data, from area school districts Rockwood: removed 22 Webster Groves: removed 11 Kirkwood: removed 14 Hazelwood: removed 7 Ritenour: removed 6 Parkway: removed 5
Nationwide challenges Most Challenged Books of 2021, according to the American Library Association “Gender Queer,” by Maia Kobabe was banned, challenged, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content and was thought to conatin sexually explicit images. “Lawn Boy,” by Jonathan Evison was challenged and banned for LGBTQIA+ content and was thought to be sexually explicit. “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” by George M. Johnson was challenged and banned for LGBTQIA+ content, profanity, and was thought to be sexually explicit. “Out of Darkness,” by Ashley Hope Perez was challenged, restricted, and banned for representations of abuse and was thought to be sexually explicit. “The Hate U Give,” by Angie Thomas was challenged and banned for profanity, violence, and was thought to promote anti-police messages.
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A Crucial Moment
How the nine months after my surgery made me who I am today By MaryGrace Cummings Staff Reporter On the morning of October 17th, 2021 when I walked out of my house to go to my lacrosse tournament I did not once consider that I would not be able to walk by the end. I was starting out my third game of the day and I was on fire this game, scoring left and right. Tensions quickly began to rise between my defender and I, on my fifth goal, I went to shoot the ball then felt my defender push me and fall onto my knee. I watched the ball hit the back of the net at the same time that I heard a snapping sound so loud it was equivalent to a gunshot. As the trainer tugged and pulled on my leg deciphering what she felt was wrong, she eventually sighed, looked at me and said, “it might be your ACL.” I broke down; any athlete knows what that means. It meant my life was over for the next nine months. The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is one of most important ligaments that stabilizes the knee. It is most used for stopping, starting, and sudden movements. The average recovery time for ACL tear surgeries is 9-12 months. This looks different for everyone, but for me it was six months of non-stop physical therapy, doctors appointments and lots of emotional ups and downs. Almost all complete tears of the ligament require surgery. On Nov. 4, I underwent surgery and began my nine month journey. Right after surgery, I expected to be ready for recovery with a positive attitude. However, I cannot say I was. The week following, I was crying what seemed like every hour, could not sleep, could not leave my bed without my crutches, and did not really feel like trying anyway. I was bitter and angry, I wanted someone to blame and I thought “Why me?” I felt entirely dejected and scared, having to accept that I would not be able to do simple tasks like reaching things on my floor, putting on pants, showering, and driving.
LEFT: MaryGrace Cummings lies in bed after her three-hour surgery to rebuild the anterior cruciate ligament she injured playing lacrosse in October 2021. ABOVE: Cummings pulls a weighted sled at physical therapy, three months post surgery as a weigh to rebuild strength in her knees.
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ABOVE: MaryGrace Cummings plays in a game her sophomore year prior to the tear and the last time she played a high school lacrosse game. Photo by JP Cummings LEFT: Cummings knee can be seen from the first time she was allowed to take the doctors wrap off her knee, five days after surgery.
For a prideful person like myself, that is my worst nightmare, asking for help. My friends and family, although wonderful, could not understand why this brought me as far into a depression as it did. For the first time in my life, I even went to therapy. With time I started accepting it. I started finding the old me, being excited to go to physical therapy and celebrating the little things. Every time I bent my knee one more inch, finally lifted up my leg by myself, or walked one extra step were all wins in my book. Eventually, things began to come like running, lifting weights, and jumping. At five months post-surgery, high school lacrosse season began. This season was going to be incredibly important to my future. It was my junior year — my chance for colleges to actually begin recruiting me. I had worked extremely hard sophomore year and the off-season for this, but this derailed my train. Nothing matched the feeling of going to practice and not being able to play, going to games and thinking that I would do anything just to go in. It annoyed me when I would hear girls on my team say “God I’d do anything not to run these sprints” or complain about playing time when I was sitting right next to them willing to do anything for just a minute on the field.
The only people that really understand the feeling truly are other athletes; our sport becomes our homes and working out and practicing are our emotional outlets. I had to work on fighting that sadness and jealousy that I felt while at practices and games, I worked to transition that into loving watching my teammates do great things and getting to see my sport from a whole new perspective- the sidelines. I took a new love in helping my teammates when they were down in the dumps and just getting to be my girls biggest cheerleader. My hard work for those nine months paid off and I was cleared in August. When I got into my car after I got official clearance I broke down crying. It was over, I did it, something that nine months ago I thought was impossible. In a way I am glad I tore my ACL, I was given an eye opening perspective in lacrosse, introduced me to some amazing people who then introduced me to a love for physical therapy and helping injured athletes, but also gave me a new work ethic that I never had before. I was no longer competing against other people, I was competing against myself. I had to learn to push myself through literal pain, forcing myself to do things especially when I did not want to.
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‘I knew they would catch me’ S
[ FINAL FRAME
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By Aniya Sparrow Photo Editor-in-Chief
enior Evan Erickson enthusiastically shoots into the air as the Senior Showmen, the cheerleaders of the Powderpuff game, toss him up during the Homecoming pep assembly. Some of the boys from the Class of 2023 performed a dance routine to different song clips from the Emmy-award-winning TV show “Stranger Things.” The routine drew a lot of laughs from
the student section, the teachers, and even the administrators, who enjoyed seeing the boys put on their dancing shoes and hype up the crowd for Homecoming. “It was a really fun thing to do, and it was a little bit scary to be honest,” Erickson said. “But, I knew they would catch me. And being a Showman helped me make friends with people I haven’t ever talked to before.”
This is a photo that I wanted to get the minute I decided to shoot the pep assembly, because I knew it was going to be the biggest part of the Senior Showmen routine. I felt as though I grabbed the perfect reaction shots for not only Erickson, but the ones catching him too. It really encapsulates how much fun the boys were having during this performance. That’s my favorite part of the photo.
