October 2021: Back to Normal

Francis Howell Central Vol. 25, Issue 1

Back To

Students, teachers find themselves balancing the old normal with the new normal

STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Tea Perez PHOTO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Keaton Frye EDITORS CENTRAL FOCUS: Faith Beckmann MULTIMEDIA: Hannah Bernard SOCIAL MEDIA: Maya Culian HISTORIAN: Madi Hermeyer VIDEO: Aniya Sparrow DESIGN: Sydney Tran FHCTODAY.COM: Rachel Vrazel PHOTO: Riley Wania STAFF REPORTERS Elisa Carter, Lorelai Finoch, Clara Kilen, Olivia McCary, Lauren Rhode, Riley Scobey STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Samantha Jaramillo Castille, Isaiah Flowers, Rebecca Hornberger, Charlie Rosser, Raina Straughter ADVISER: Matthew Schott

THOUGHTS?

Have a letter for the editor or a question for us?

If something we wrote demands your voice, please e-mail us at fhcpub@gmail.com or drop your handwritten letter off with Mr. Schott in Room 139.

We can also be reached via snail mail at 5199 State Highway N, St Charles, MO 63304. The Central Focus staff will print the entirety of your letter, providing it meets the standards of publication laid out in the FHC Publications editorial policy, which is available in Room 139 or at www.fhctoday.com for your perusal.

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN: Junior Natalie Reise throws white towels into the student section.

Students who caught these towels waved them around energetically Photo by Keaton Frye

From the Editors T

he moment that the COVID-19 pandemic was classified as a serious public health issue, peoples’ lives were

uprooted from the “normal” they had known in order to protect themselves and others. Suddenly, many students were pushed online and saw their high school experience seemingly vanish before their eyes. Though some students were able to return to school in-person last year with certain precautions, this school year marks the return of some sense of normalcy to student lives. This issue will discuss the transition back into the “normal” school environment with the perspective of students transitioning back from virtual learning and student and staff opinions on seeing people without masks for the first time since early 2020. We will cover the return of several standard trademarks of the school experience with the return of Friday Night Lights and the three lunch system. However, we as reporters aim to emphasize the idea that life is not fully “normal’’ yet and that certain precautions, such as wearing masks, should still be taken to ensure that the safety of self and others is maintained.

SINCERELY, Tea Perez and Faith Beckmann

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FINALLY NIGHT LIGHTS: The student section at the Sept. 3 USA Football game showed off their patriotic spirit. Yell leader senior Sam Emrick shows off his attire for the event, including the megaphone he uses to raise school spirit. Photo by Madi Hermeyer

DISCOVER 4

Teachers blend in new techniques

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District revamps grading formula

FEATURE 7 8 10

Senior Alayna Benz crafts earrings Seniors bring flair to parking spots

MOVE

takes 19 Radigan over football

is your 20 What favorite PE class? peace with 21 Finding mediation in class

VOICE

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The struggles of speech therapy

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A new chapter of normalcy Staff editorial

ENTERTAIN

up! Concerts 22 Lights are back and it sounds just like a song

Clubs come back after long year away

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FLASHLIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: Thousands of Harry Style’s fans used their phones to light up the Enterprise Stadium to create a starry night effect. Fans have waited patiently to see him live since 2019 and were certainly not disappointed. Photo by Hannah Bernard

CONTENT

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A Blended Beginning

Evolution to a more innovative campus starts with blended learning

By Tea Perez Editor-in-Chief

The idea of taking a course in which some days you spend in the classroom and others you spend doing your classwork in a coffee shop, library, or at home, is one that is often reserved for college. However, these “blended classes” are soon to become a widespread reality on campus.

This year, the Francis Howell School District is piloting these classes in all three high schools. At Central there are three blended classes being offered, Coach Malach Radigan’s Teen

Health and Wellness course, Mrs. Jessica Bulva’s English 3 course, and Mrs. Emily Harris’ AP Statistics course. The students taking these classes have the opportunity to learn in class on some days, and on other days go to the library to do work, or meet with their teacher for more individualized help. Mrs. Bulva further explained what she envisions with these kinds of courses.

“My hope is that on tasks that are more independent, a student doesn’t need to be in my classroom,” Mrs. Bulva said. “If I don’t have a classroom full of 28 kids, and they’re off reading their books all over the

building or from home, I can use that time to meet with a couple of students.”

The goal is to introduce students to these college environment classes to better prepare them for if they find themselves on an actual college campus. “[Students] are trusted to get these tasks done either during their own time or during that designated time for class ... they can learn time management,” Mrs. Bulva said.

Blended classes can also provide students with a better choice in course

SYNTHESIZED SCHOOLING: A student doing schoolwork in a library melts into an actual classroom. Blended learning creates the opportunity to expand the classroom outside of the standard cement walls of a school. Photo Illustration by Riley Wania and Tea Perez

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options, for those who struggle in APs, yet find regular classes not challenging enough.

“There are some students that might not necessarily choose to take an AP class... but are still capable of more of a challenge than they might be getting in our regular [class],” Mrs. Bulva said. “Sometimes other students’ behaviors, a teacher needing to spend time on classroom management, or other [interruptions] might stand in the way of a kid getting the challenge that they need to get.”

These courses also provide a more individualized approach to each student’s learning; there is no classroom pace to be set on. This allows teachers to meet each student’s educational needs, giving them the room they need to reach their full potential.

“If I can sit down with [students] and talk to them about their writing, then I can build them to where they need to be,” Mrs. Bulva said.

While the system is still new, Mrs. Bulva’s students have already started to see the benefit in blended learning. Junior Elaina Rainwater enjoys the freedom and maturity it gives her.

“It’s nice to be in control of where I do my work, it makes me feel like an adult,” Rainwater said. “It’s a nice way to manage my time and practice doing that.”

The idea for blended

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learning stems from observing other schools similar to our own that have implemented programs like this into their curriculum. Through observing these innovative schools, the Francis Howell School District was inspired to test it out in our schools. This task was passed down to April Burton, the Instructional Technology content leader at FHSD, who took the idea and ran with it. Burton is now working to fully develop the program for the district.

“We’ve done a ton of research from districts all across the country on how they implemented their blended programs,” Burton said. “So we know what the best practices are, but we’re also working on how that fits with our schools and our students.”

The only way for this program to truly succeed is for the students to succeed, especially since they will be in an environment in which they aren’t being constantly monitored. “[We will] focus on student goals, because for students to be successful in a course where they don’t necessarily have to be in class every single day, students have to really tighten up on their responsibilities,” Burton said.

The goal is to introduce students to these college environment classes to better prepare them for when they find themselves on an actual college campus.

Ingraining more college campus traits into campus is a goal Dr. Sonny Arnel has been wanting to work toward.

“For several years we’ve looked at ways that we can help our students look for [college] transition opportunities,” Dr. Arnel said. “So how can we create

a learning opportunity that will help you transition?”

Students taking blended classes have to deal with the responsibilities a college student would have, needing to stay on task, build a calendar, study, and manage time, all of which are vital skills to have when entering college. “[Blended classes] allows students to have some exposure to that [management], and then implement and develop those skills,” Dr. Arnel said. “It’s our responsibility to teach kids the skills they need.”

This year there are only three blended classes being offered as the school works out any kinks in this new system, but more and more teachers are ready to begin implementing them in their courses for next year.

“We’re going to be learning from our students and faculty and what’s best for them to make it function the way we want, the way we envision,” Dr. Arnel said. “So this year is going to be a great learning opportunity for us.”

This new program will work to help students in all aspects of their learning, to meet their needs, to help them get the most out of their education. As this program develops, Dr. Arnel hopes to continue to move towards this vision of an academic oasis, wanting to implement more programs such as power lunches, and the development of specific high-level programs that students can be a part of and travel to the other FHSD high school campuses for.

“I think within five or six years a lot of these [programs] are going to be here, and I think that’s really awesome for our students,” Dr. Arnel said.

DISCOVER 5

DISCUSSING THE CHANGE: Counselor Trevor Wolfe speaks to a student. Discussing with students their grades and how they look could be beneficial to students. Photo by Rebecca Hornberger

Switching the System Brand new grading format causes some worry

By Lauren Rohde Staff Reporter For those who are academically inclined, having a fresh start every quarter for grades is a stress reliever. It provides a clean slate for those who have had a rough time keeping good grades.

Francis Howell Central has kept the same grading system in place for the previous 24 years, yet for lucky number 25 they decided to change it up. Guidance Counselor Trevor Wolfe gave an explanation of what grades will look like for the school year.

“It boils down to 90 percent of your semester grade is your classroom work.

And ten percent is your final, as opposed to the old system of being 40 percent first quarter, 40 percent second quarter, and 20 percent final,” Mr. Wolfe said.

With the new change, quarters have been eliminated and instead have been combined to create a single semester. With these alterations, Mr. Wolfe has formed his own theories revolving around the change.

“I’m gonna assume the reason behind it was to place less emphasis on one test at the end of the semester, so they narrowed or they went from 20 percent to ten percent,” Mr. Wolfe said.

Looking into the past four years of school, the majority of the student body has not taken a final, because of a disastrous combination: snowstorms

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and the Covid-19 pandemic. Because so many students further their education in college, it is important for them to have the experience of finals because it’s expected of them in college, according to Mr. Wolfe.

“I think we’ve done an injustice if we don’t have finals for students to take at this level, to introduce themselves to it,” Mr. Wolfe said. “When I first think about it, ten percent... I like that better than 20 percent because so much of it is not heavily weighted on your semester grade.”

Science teacher Patrick Reed said teachers did not know about the change until the week before the school year started.

“I officially had it spelled out in a meeting Friday [the week before school] so five days later,” Human Anatomy and Physiology teacher Patrick Reed said.

“I think some students immediately expressed ‘What … oh no,’ and they had like a momentary panic attack,” Mr. Reed said when gauging student reactions after going over the new syllabi that incorporated the change of systems.

A large number of the student population had no idea there was a change with the grading system until the first day of school, where, like Mr. Reed’s students... they panicked.

Senior Grace Hutchinson was one to find out about the switch on the first day

of school, and like her peers, has concerns revolving around the combination of quarters into semesters.

“It will be something to adjust to,” Hutchinson said. “[However], it will motivate [students] to keep [their] grades up throughout the semester rather than just worrying about the quarter.”

For every person returning to school, the new grading system will be something they will have to adapt to. Whether it’s adapting by putting more effort into doing homework or studying for tests, some students will have an easy time with the adjustments. However, not all students will change as easily as others.

“Not having quarters [might] jeopardize grades because [students] don’t have the chance to reflect on their grades midsemester,” Hutchinson said.

While the number of students who might end up impacted is unknown, it is still a consequence. With the nature of the change and how sudden it was, there have not yet been any issues with the new structure.

Like testing a hypothesis without experimentation and data collecting, the currently unknown effectiveness of the new grading system will remain so until students can experience it to its fullest extent. For now, students and staff will have to remain satisfied with waiting patiently to watch for the outcome.

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Earrings & Experimentation

BIRD WATCHING: Two pairs of birds sit in presentation on a string of lights. These colorful birds are made to be mixed and matched.

Photo Courtesy of Katie Koziatek.

Alayna Benz shares her creativity in an inventive way

By Lorelai Finoch Staff Reporter

Nowadays, jewelry is something most everyone wears, whether it be rings, necklaces, earrings, or any other variety of piercings. It’s become commonplace for many people to adorn their bodies in silver, gold and everything in-between as a form of self-expression and accessorization, something senior Alayna Benz has taken to in a novel way, explaining her urge to do so came from wanting to better connect with the LGBTQ+ community within her school.

“I started making my own earrings early junior year,” Benz said.

Posting on Instagram, whenever Benz had whipped up a new pair of earrings, she would have giveaways, happily gifting the pair to whichever of her friends had won, before starting on the next.

“And that’s how it started, and I kept doing that for the rest of last year,” Benz said.

Benz has

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always loved the reactions her earrings would get from the recipients of each unique pair, remembering them with fondness, accomplishment, and, most notably, joy.

“One of my friends, last year, I made some bird earrings for her, and she just absolutely loved them, she was so happy to see them. When I handed her the box with that pair of little birds, she just squealed,” Benz said.

Sophomore Chloe Tam is one of such lucky individuals who has received two personalized gifts from Benz. Tam and Benz met each other in Tam’s freshman year of marching band, where she also received her first pair of earrings.

“My favorite [pair] was the one Toad pair that she made me, because our section theme was Mario Kart, so she made Toad earrings,” Tam said. “I was really surprised because she’s a really good artist, she’s made one, it was a lollipop for me, and it was really colorful and, like, really good technique.”

Alumna Savannah Carbutt, another friend to get a pair of these hand-crafted earrings, recounts her friend’s offer of a personalized pair.

“So, I guess the story behind it is she approached me one day and, because she knows I love Harry Potter, asked if I wanted her to make a pair of earrings, and she was like: ‘Hey, do you want me to make something for you? They could be whatever you want, or I could just surprise you,’ and I was like: ‘That sounds great.’ A couple of weeks later she gave me these little broomstick earrings… I was so excited to get them from her,” Carbutt said.

Despite her great love for the gift, she often avoids wearing the earrings, describing herself to be quite clumsy, Growing Grapes: Senior Alayna Benz shows off her favorite pair of purple earrings. These grape bundles have been Benz’s favorite from the start. Photo by Riley Wania.

and justifiably worried about breaking them.

“I’ve only worn them once or twice because I don’t want to break them because I’m so clumsy with everything,” Carbutt said.

Despite the effort, time, and care Benz has put into each pair of earrings, she has been hesitant to turn it into a monetary venture.

“I haven’t really sold any pairs, I don’t like to bring money into it,” Benz said. “I give them away to friends and family. I have recently been considering the idea of turning it more into a business… it wouldn’t be a big thing, it would more likely be asking for a couple of dollars.”

Hesitant as Benz may be, both Tam and Carbutt believe that Benz could easily turn this into a money-making business, showing quite a bit of enthusiasm at the thought of this becoming something more.

“I think her craftsmanship is definitely worth it, because she took the time, like, even when she wasn’t charging anything, but still put in the time to make them such good quality, which is amazing,” Carbutt said.

“It’s a boost to my own confidence,” Benz said. “It brightens other people’s day to see these wacky, crazy earrings.”

According to Benz, the best pair she’s made so far also hold a certain sentimental weight, being the first she’d made.

“The first pair I ever gave away was a pair of dangly grape bundles… They have a special place in my heart,” Benz said.

With these “wacky, crazy” earrings floating around the school, Benz keeps her offer for requests open, and continues to experiment with whatever new ideas she might conjure up roaming the aisles of Michael’s.

DISCOVER

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Leaving Their Mark Seniors paint their legacy on the lot

By Clara Kilen Staff Reporter Seniors swarmed the parking lot, paintbrushes in hand, ready to make their mark on the campus. Paint cans littered the lot, as brushes were dipped, and the blacktop was coated. Bright colors and Pinterest inspired ideas lined the rows, soon to be hidden by the student’s vehicles.

As the 2021 school year swung into motion, senior parking lot painting commenced on Aug. 26 and 28. Seniors got busy bringing their creations to life and adding a flare of color to the bland lot. Senior Jenna Woelfel used this event to express herself and add a touch of personality to her spot.

“I wanted to do something that kind of represents me and what I like,” Woefel said.

Similarly, senior Leah Couteranis designed her spot with her personality in mind and utilized colors to reflect this.

“I honestly was just thinking about different colors because I’m really into like going bold and vibrant with colors so I just kind of did little droplets, making it look like melted crayons,” Couteranis said.

This opportunity was a creative outlet for seniors after a year of disappointment and let downs.

This event, as any other school function, took a lot of work behind the scenes. Arica Vester, the president of the 2022 Parent Club, explains how this idea came about: “It was a vision of Dr. [Sonny] Arnel’s that he wanted to implement ... And then it sort of got tabled for a while, which means it kind of got put on hold. And then

COVID happened... And over the [summer of 2020] there was communication with [the] parent club and Dr. Arnel, that he still wanted to pursue this idea,” Vester said. “Because we had had the basis in place and we knew that since it was an outdoor event that it might be an activity that would be really good.”

In order to carry out the painting night, the senior parents called upon the junior parents to supervise the painting as a gift to the senior class.

“I really can’t volunteer [at] the events because I want to be there with my kids. So if it’s only for the seniors, then, you know, it makes sense that the junior class would sort of host the event and run it,” Vester said.

Although the birth of this idea goes back a few years, last year was the first year of this tradition, and this year it blossomed as participation nearly doubled. This fun tradition is not as simple as it may look, it requires preparation from the school and students.On the night of the painting the radar was looking dismal. The question of if the event would occur was swarming around and cancelation was up in the air.

“The day of [the painting] it was raining and we were afraid that we wouldn’t be able to, but it dried enough that we got to,” Woelfel said.

During the first hour on Aug. 26, parents could be seen attempting to dry off spots with a leaf blower. Despite the struggle with the rain, the event was allowed to proceed without interruption; however, there was still one more hurdle: cost.

“I bought all of the paint at Home Depot because there was a code to get a discount, and that helped out a lot since it was pretty expensive,” Couteranis said.

Seniors were required to buy their own supplies which included paint, painters tape, brushes, and any additional tools needed for their specific design. Despite the struggle to bring this event to life and the costly supplies, both Woelfel and Couteranis would recommend this tradition to future seniors.

“It was so fun and it’s so nice to have a parking spot that’s yours specifically,” Woelfel said.

“I wanted to do something that kind of represents me and what I like.”

Jenna Woelfel

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Page by Sydney Tran

SKY HIGH VIEW: The newly painted parking spots are showcased on campus. Students painted these spots in August. and are on display all year long. Photo by Matthew Schott

SKETCH IT OUT: Morgan Corbitt sketches in her design using a piece of yellow chalk as she prepares to paint her spot on the parking lot.“It lot. was super fun, but also really really stressful,” Corbitt said. Photo by Samantha Castille

SUN SPOT: Relaxing in the sun she spent two days painting, senior Kyla Traman sits on her parking spot to showcase her hard work.

She painted senior 22 on the spot to conmemorate her final year of high school in an artistic way. Photo by Shawn Traman ROLLIN’: Sivannah Smith applies the base coat of her parking spot using a roller on Aug. 28. Smith pre-designed her vision and it was approved by Dr. Sonny Arnel before she began painting. Photo by Samantha Castille

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DISCOVER

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Involved Again ON BOARD: Preparing to create a bulletin board for Epsilon Beta, seniors Lorelei Hill and Zoe Michals plan out where they will put what on the board outside the library.

After a year of limited activity, most clubs are back to their full schedules. Photo by Aniya Sparrow

By Olivia McCary Staff Reporter The after school hallways are full of life as teens run to cars, get on the buses, hangout in groups, attend sports, and wait to be picked up. Perhaps a favorite is club activities. Ranging from HOSA to NAHS and DECA, there is a wide array of choices.

However, last year was very different in terms of club recruitment and activities.

Science teacher Kellie Staback started the Environmental Club three years agothe year COVID-19 hit. Mrs. Staback had planned to organize trash cleanups and tree planting around the community.

Last year, the Environmental Club was limited to hosting craft nights and early morning meetings with presentations talking about various environmental issues.

“We had one partial year and that was crazy. Then we had mostly been around since COVID,” Mrs. Staback said.

Mrs. Staback plans to go forward with craft nights and movie nights, much like her first year with the club. She also plans to host environmental clean ups around the area.

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Clubs get back into action after a year of restrictions

“Without COVID, hopefully this year we’re gonna do a lot more community involvement so I’m looking at a tree planting activity where we actually go out and plant saplings in the community in different areas to promote tree growth,” Mrs. Staback said.

Much like Mrs. Staback, Media Specialist Tonishia LaMartina plans for Epsilon Beta to move forward from last year and get more involved with the community again. Epsilon Beta meets in the Learning Commons and has various book meetings and activities such as Cram Central.

“Last year we only did the national ones, we did like banned book week, Janetober, [and] National Library Week and we did cab tops,” Mrs. LaMartina said.

The clubs are valued by the sponsors, who choose to put the time and effort into making sure the students are involved.

“The thing about Epsilon Beta is it’s all about giving back to the community aspect of it. It draws in students that really enjoy reading and it draws in students that don’t like reading, but we still find

something common and it’s just neat to bring everyone together that you may never see hanging out, that are so different and they have something in common,” Mrs. Lamartina said.

Junior Marissa Wortkoetter is involved primarly in the environmental club.

“I think clubs and activities at FHC are another opportunity to find people that have the same interests as you and sets up activities that allow you to better your relationship and the community,” Wortkoetter said.

At FHC, the teachers and principals emphasize a community oriented environment. Clubs are a big part of this community oriented environment and help kids meet people who they would have never talked to or thought they had anything in common with.

“I think clubs are a way to feel attached to the school, to have different opinions on how to get involved. I think that is an important part of highschool,” Mrs. LaMartina said.

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Seeing Doub l e Students and faculty adjust to seeing each other in a new perspective: without a mask

TWO FACED: An illustration of a student wearing a mask and not wearing a mask overlaps each other. As students transition to not wearing masks, there is an added challenge of recognizing faces because last year only their eyes were visible.

Illustration by Tea Perez

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By Elisa Carter Staff Reporter The last two years have been nothing less than chaotic. Even though we have come back to school with COVID-19 calmed, it is still apparent that has been an adjustment. One adjustment that everyone can relate to is how strange it has been seeing people’s faces again or for the first time.

Returning to school with not only masks being optional, but with many more people in school as well, has been a transition for not only students, but teachers and faculty as well. This transition is something that can be described as strange for some people. For math teacher Dena Dauve, this is something she can agree with whole heartedly.

“For me, it is very strange, I know it makes a lot of people glad and happy. It just makes me feel worried because I want to keep everybody safe here,” Mrs.Duave said.

However, for others it’s a sign of a return to normalcy.

Junior Dylan Hirth finds it strange that people had to wear masks to begin with.

“It is not strange because I have gone to school without a mask before and it feels normal again,” Hirth said. “Because it was strange coming to school with a mask, I

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don’t think it’s strange coming back without one.”

Seeing people’s faces again is not only strange but makes it harder to recognize people as well. Junior Hanna Lange has experienced the struggle of not being able to recognize people.

“Some people have come up to me and said ‘Hi Hanna’ and all I think is ‘I don’t know who you are,’” Lange said.

Mrs. Dauve comes from the other side of the spectrum, just being a person that is good with facial recognition she doesn’t struggle as much as others with recognizing students she’s only known behind a mask.

“I am big on facial recognition, I really like to put faces to names and I really like to imprint that,” Mrs. Dauve said. “So for me it is not hard, there have been a couple people that I look at and I get a little thrown off but then I just look at the eyes and I’m like ‘Oh it’s you.’”

With all of this change and transition happening it has made many question: is this the new normal or is normal a concept that is constantly changing?

For Hirth it is the latter, not only because of everything evolving with COVID-19, but also because of today’s day and age and the changes happening with society.

“Normal is a concept that is changing because everybody is trying to normalize all different kinds of things nowadays other than what has been set by society,” Dylan said.

For Lange she believes that normal is not only constantly changing but also that how life now is considered to be the new temporary normal.

“Normal is a concept that is constantly changing but normal is also seeing some people wear masks, seeing some people who don’t,” Hanna said.

For Mrs. Dauve it is neither, she believes that what we consider normal is neither changing nor new. For Mrs. Dauve it is what life used to be.

“I think this feels so unnormal to us because we have never experienced anything like this in our lives. Do I feel like we will get back to what things were like pre-COVID? Yes. I don’t think this is our new normal,” Mrs. Dauve said. “Sure things ebb and flow and change, but I know that at some point in the near future things will look like they did pre-COVID. As far as what we consider normal, yes normal is what life was like pre-COVID.”

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The District Breakdown

since Aug. 23

ZUMWALT

WENTZVILLE

FHSD

ORCHARD FARMS

213 QUARANTINES 78 CASES

3,252 QUARANTINES 416 CASES

1,685 QUARANTINES 505 QUARANTINES 337 CASES 67 CASES Data From: Francis Howell School District COVID-19 Dashboard Wentzville School District COVID-19 Dashboard Orchard Farms School District COVID-19 Dashboard Fort Zumwalt School District COVID-19 Dashboard

Fort Zumwalt Masks Mandated Wentzville Masks optional K-12 Francis Howell Masks optional 7-12 How does our school compare?

BOUNDARY BASICS: A map, that is coincidentally shaped like an elephant, of the the local school district boundaries highlights their mask policies.

Each district has differing policies and differing COVID-19 numbers. Illustration by Sydney Tran

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The Elephant in the Room

Districts in St. Charles County face a decision: To mask or not to mask

Masks Optional K-12

Orchard Farms

By Tea Perez and Sydney Tran

Overview of St. Charles COVID-19 County Cummulative data since Aug. 23 Within a survey of 290 FHC students, grades 9-12

25.86%

of those students mask up Since Aug. 23 there have been:

226 students quarantined 42 positive COVID-19 student cases

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Data from St. Charles County COVID-19 Dashboard

1,225

positive COVID-19 cases (ages 5-19)

1,992

people ages 11-19 are vaccinated FOCUS 13

JUST A SCREEN AWAY: a student sits behind a computer screen doing her schoolwork. Around her is the faded image of her classmates learning in the classroom, reflecting the isolation virtual students faced during the 2020-2021 school year. Photo by Riley Wania

T

ransition o raditional

Return to classrooms cause for celebration, struggle

By Rachel Vrazel Web Editor

S

enior Lauren Sirtak walks into the school building, smiling at her friends and heading to her first hour Human Body Systems class. An involved student ready to enjoy all of the wonder and

excitement of her senior year, Sirtak’s year looks incredibly different from her virtual junior year - as it does for all students returning to inperson school.

These students, who were virtual for over an entire school year between the original outbreak of COVID-19 and this August, visually blend in with the rest of the student body as they walk through the halls and sit in their classes. But their experience is anything but blended with that of their peers who spent last year inbuilding. While they didn’t have the same

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concerns with frequent quarantine or the sheer amount of potential exposure in the school setting, they experienced their own unique challenges - not the least of which was disconnection and isolation from their school community.

For Sirtak, this struggle of constant separation was a defining feature of her virtual junior year. Despite being a social

person who loved being inside the school building, Sirtak made the decision to stay virtual for the 2020-2021 school year to protect a close family member who was immunocompromised.

“I was worried that I was going to catch [COVID-19], or I was going to be the one to give it to them and I didn’t want to be that person,” Sirtak said.

However, this decision came with a lot of sacrifice. Going from being incredibly involved in her school and outside community, Sirtak faced the very abrupt change of interacting with her peers only through small, black squares on a screen.

This led to a development and worsening of depression for Sirtak, who admits that her isolation from others and the environment of online school had a very negative impact on her mental health.

“It was hard to stay in touch with people,

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so it was easy to just give in to not being as close with people anymore,” Sirtak said. “I definitely slept a lot more during the day and was more unmotivated to do schoolwork than I usually was.”

For Sirtak and her family, this was the biggest factor in her decision to come back. With her family feeling more safe and secure due to vaccinations, Sirtak was excited and ready to head back into school in August.

“It felt like a relief [to be in-person], like my life was finally unpaused again,” Sirtak said. “I’ve been waiting to come back since I left and now I’m back, it’s a relief.”

This excitement was shared by sophomore Xavier Hood. While involved in Marching Band and able to experience the school community throughout the first semester, Hood attended all of his classes virtually. Similar to Sirtak, Hood made the decision to stay home to protect himself and those around him from the spread of the virus. He also experienced the disconnection from his school community in his virtual classes.

“No one really talked, there were no cameras [kept on], there was no one really there,” Hood said. “It was just basically being by yourself in your room all day, every day, and it was just so different from the years before.”

Hood also notes that virtual learning made doing well in classes much harder, as he didn’t feel he had the same connection with teachers and students as in years past.

“My grades definitely dropped,” Hood said. “[Being back in-person] they have improved. It’s been a lot. I just learn a lot better without the distractions from being at home.”

The gaps in academic learning for virtual students are also something that has not gone unnoticed. Whether it’s due to gaps from virtual classes or simply from the prevalence of quarantines last year, it’s something math teacher Mrs. Brittany Williams says is evident in her classes.

“You can definitely tell that there are some learning gaps, there are some things I’m used to my Algebra I students being able to do that they just can’t do,” Mrs. William said. “I think their transition socially has been okay, but there are just some gaps.”

The difference in the amount of work given and the amount of time to complete

Page by Tea Perez

it is also a huge difference Mrs. Williams has noticed students have struggled to adjust to, as many of their teachers gave out less assignments or gave more time to complete them. Especially with the asynchronous days - days where students didn’t have to attend zoom class and used the school day to complete pre-assigned work.

“I do miss the asynchronous days, and I know a lot of the students coming back into in-person, they’re struggling with the workload because the workload is all of a sudden increased again,” Williams said.

Even for students who have been taking the academic and social shifts well, there are still other hurdles to jump.

Coming in as a sophomore has been a challenge for Hood, who has experienced

“It felt like a relief [to be in-person], like my life was finally unpaused again.”

Lauren Sirtak

some of the typical freshman struggles as a sophomore new to the building. He notes that navigating the building was particularly difficult during the first two weeks.

“It was really confusing just trying to get around in such a big building. I got lost many times and had to ask teachers [for help]. I was late to classes, it was just so big,” Hood said.

However, while he did share some struggles with the Freshman, Hood wishes the school had been more mindful of the differences in the experiences between freshman and virtual sophomores when planning to help them adjust for the year, particularly at Transition Day. This year, the freshman and the sophomores who had been virtual attended the day together.

“It made it more difficult, because… I’ve seen some of the places just coming to

school events during Freshman year. But then we were just spending the whole day going through things the Freshman have never seen,” Hood said. “I didn’t learn things about the school that would have been more important to me.”

Similarly, Sirtak wishes the school had made more of an effort to support students coming back virtually. Because so many students struggled with their mental health during their virtual year, she feels the school should have made more of an effort in the first several weeks to check in on student’s well-being during their transition back and make sure they were doing okay.

“I think [the school] probably should have… set time to talk to each of the virtual students to get them back and really be able to communicate with them how they’re doing,” Sirtak said. “Where they feel more comfortable to tell how they’re truly feeling, and they can go over some more extensive ways to bring a solution to that.”

However, there are many aspects of the transition that Sirtak has appreciated, such as being able to start fresh with new extracurricular involvement. Prior to the pandemic, Sirtak played softball and soccer for both FHC and select teams. This year, she has changed it up.

“I’m in girl’s golf this year and I’m in Central Outreach, HOSA, and NHS,” Sirtak said. “I like getting a new start, because it’s not going back to what it once was. It’s good to accept the changes that happened and it’s nice to get a new start on different activities and stuff like that.”

Despite the difficult year virtual students endured and the things students wished could have been changed, Sirtak believes everyone was doing the best they could in the middle of a difficult and unforeseen situation.

“It was definitely hard on all of us, including the school. I mean, although I think that they could have done a lot of things better, I get that it was new for everybody and sprung on everybody at once,” Sirtak said. “It wasn’t a good experience for many people, including myself, but I’m not holding a grudge against the school. It’s not their fault. It was an incident nobody could prevent and they tried their best, I think.”

FOCUS

15

Fans Never Left A COLORFUL CELEBRATION: Red, white, and blue powder is thrown up into the air in the student section at the red, white, and blue themed football game. There is a newfound sense of school spirit that shines through in the student section. Photo by Riley Wania

By Hannah Bernard and Keaton Frye Painted bodies cram together in the student section. A cloud of colored powder is tossed above. Yell leaders call out cheers waiting for students to shout back. The new school year has brought back many old favorites, but for many FHC students, the return of Friday Night Lights has been the most important.

For many Spartans, FNL symbolizes what used to be. Friday evenings full of fun, friends, and football. By painting their faces and packing the student section, many chase the feeling of life pre-Covid. Yell Leader

Luke Cummings has enjoyed the return of the student section this year.

“Things are getting better,” Cummings said. “We’re FUN RUN: Spartan flag in hand, senior Sam Milliken runs across the football field on Sept. 3, the home opener, an important kickoff to the season. “It was just a lot of fun to run [the flag] out there at full speed, getting everyone hyped,” Milliken said. Photo by Riley Wania

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allowed to have these fans and we’re allowed to have these huge crowds ... I think it’s back to normal.”

Page by Hannah Bernard

SHOUT IT OUT: Senior Luke Cummings cheering on the Spartans from the Student Section on Sept. 3.Even though the game was a close 25-21 loss, school spirit was at an all time high. “FNL is some of the best moments you have in life, so I’m trying to cherish everything,” Cummings said. Photo

by Madi Hermeyer SHOWING SUPPORT: Calling out chants to the student section, senior Jordan Andrews shows his support of FHC football at the Homecoming game on Sept.

18. Students dressed in all white to cheer on the Spartans. “I go to games to support my friends who play on the team,” Andrews said.

Photo by Keaton Frye

ALL OUT: Senior Bobby Soderstrom waves his hands in the student section on Sept. 10th.

The students are celebrating a Spartan first down. “We were all getting into this game,” Soderstrom said. “Everyone wants to go all out this year...we need to step it up with not having it last year” Photo by Keaton Frye

PHOTO BY KEATON FRYE: Friends gather around senior Gabi Hellman as she takes a selfie. Her and her friends are decked out in patriotic gear for the USA-themed game on Sept. 3. “I like going because we’re seniors, and we’re in the front row, so we’re kind of in control,” Hellman said. Photo by Riley Wania

Page by Hannah Bernard

FOCUS

17

Dine,,No No Dash All Dine Switch to three lunches causes crowds, confusion

CROWDS AND CHAOS: The cafeteria is full of students eating lunch and socializing with one another. The crowdedness of the cafeteria can be overwhelming for some students. Photo by Rebecca Hornberger

Cashier

Chip rack

Beverage Cooler Chip rack

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Entrance

Cashier

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Exit

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Beverage Cooler

Beverage Cooler

Grill Grill

Sides/Salads

Deli

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Entrance

Fries

Walking into lunch this year students are met with the excited chattering and full tables of the crowded cafeteria. Due to last year’s COVID-19 restrictions, the school implemented five lunches, but this year we’re back to three. While the three-lunch schedule is what should have always been commonplace, the adjustment back has still been difficult. Junior Joseph Hornberger is one of many that see’s the difficulties in this switch. “[The cafeteria is] just chaos,” Hornberger said. “Especially if you want to get into something along the lines of the deli, you’re going to be there for upwards of 10 minutes for one sandwich.”

The atmosphere of the cafeteria can sometimes be overwhelming for senior Kouper Campbell as well.

“It’s really crowded in [the cafeteria] and really loud, so it’s hard to hear people,” Campbell said.

Not only have the long lines and crowded kitchen been undesirable, but many students preferred the split lunch they got in the five lunch system.

“I had a split lunch so not only could I have a break mentally from my classes, but then when I got into a line I could go through it quickly, eat, and then check up on grades and my homework,” Hornberger said. “Now if I finish lunch by the time the bell rings, I’m lucky.”

To be able to have a break in the middle of class gave many students the opportunity to get a reprieve from the monotony of a full 50-minute class. “[Split lunch] was nice because mine was in the middle of English, you would do [classwork] and then you got a break,” Campbell said. “[After lunch] you got to go back to that class and it was way quieter in there and you could just enjoy it more, it wasn’t so stressful.”

While students worry about getting in and out of the lunch lines with enough time to eat, the cafeteria staff are working to deal with the renewed influx of students coming through these lines.

Cafeteria worker Heather Toebben works hard to make sure the flow of students stays consistent.

“I’ve been timing [how long it takes for students to get through the lines] [...] I’ve been manually ringing some of the kids out to try to push them through, we’d like to keep [the wait] around seven or eight minutes,” Mrs. Toebben said.

The miscommunication within the lunch lines also add to the wait. Many students, especially freshmen, will simply go into a line without knowing what that line is for.

Cafeteria Layout

Condiments

By Tea Perez Editor-in-Chief

Adventure *changes weekly

ALONG THE ARROWS: A map of the school cafeteria shows the preferred flow of traffic and the location of each food item. Knowledge of the cafeteria’s layout may help students get through the line faster. Illustration by Sydney Tran

“A lot of times people see a line and go in and stand in them and they don’t realize there are other lines,” Mrs. Toebben said. “[I’ve had to ask students] if they’re in line for pasta or nachos and some will say yes, some will look confused and say no, and then you move them on.”

No matter the workload, the cafeteria staff does all they can to ensure each student who comes through is fed and has the proper energy to get them through the school day.

“Nutrition is a very important part of the learning process, [students] need that nutrition to focus and retain [information],” Mrs. Toebben said.

This task is taken extremely seriously by the lunchroom staff who are always available to assist anyone who may need help.

“We love what we do [...] If students have questions, concerns, dietary needs, or anything like that they know to just reach out, that’s what we’re here for,” Toebben said.

Page by Tea Perez

Radigan’s New Role

By Clara Kilen Staff Reporter

The football team has undergone a major transition in the leadership of the team. Malach Radigan has become the head coach and has initiated change from within.

Although Radigan has been coaching for nine years, this new role is a major step for him and his players, but it has been well received.

Senior Brock Spinale has embraced the energy that Coach Radigan has brought and is accepting of new leadership.

“Radigan came in with a new culture.

He just came in wanting to build the team and push it forwards. I think he is doing a good job of that,” Spinale said.

Radigan has taken on many new responsibilities, juggling his team and his family. The amount of administrative work he must complete has greatly increased and he is still learning how to best utilize his time.

“It’s very easy to go longer in practice, but I’m learning that it’s not necessarily [length that determines the quality of practice],” Radigan said.”It’s just

organizing and structuring your time a lot better and so we are always taking notes to see how we can revamp something.”

In years past, players mentioned that it was much more laid back, but Coach Radigan has tightened the reins in an effort to maximize the team’s success.

He has added more structure to practice and is always looking to enhance his team’s performance.

“We come in, we might be joking around, at first you know, during warmups or something like that and as soon as the whistle blows, we get locked in and we go and we work all day long and then we’re done,” Spinale said.

As head coach, Radigan values character above all else. Although winning may be a gratifying feeling it is not long-term. He is emphasizing the core values and wants to ensure that his athletes live them out.

“Our core values: number one is servant leadership, number two is relentless effort, and number three is love,” Coach Radigan said. ”I want our kids to really embody that.”

Coach Radigan wants to ensure

that football is a safe place for his athletes where they can have fun, build comradery, and learn responsibility. He brings an optimistic outlook that players, such as junior Aidan Hernandez, recognize and appreciate. “[He] has brought a lot more energy and enthusiasm to the football team than previous years. He is just a high tempo guy who loves to get after it.”

Hernandez said. “Now everybody’s enjoying football again, happy to be at practice and workouts and all that.”

Many students can attest to the positivity Coach Radigan brings to the classroom and the impact he has had on them. As head coach, Radigan will spread his influence even further and has also been impacted by the athletes he coaches.

“They taught me how to persevere through adversity, like I’ve come through a kind of troubled background, but when I hear some of our kids stories and they’re still showing up, they are still buying in, they’re still doing everything that we asked of them,” said Radigan. “It’s really special to see, that’s encouraging to myself.”

RALLYING THE TEAM: Speaking to his team after its Aug. 20 jamboree, new head coach Malach Radigan drives home a point to his kneeling players. Coach Radigan’s team has gotten off to a 2-4 season as he tries to instill his values into the program. Photo by Keaton Frye

Page by Clara Kilen

MOVE 19

TAKING A SWING: Seniors Jayden Jones (left) and Cameron Hill (right) play badminton in their seventh hour Net Sports class. “The three main sports we cover are badminton, volleyball, and tennis. We also play pickleball,” Coach Jennifer Denny, who teachers the class, said. Photo by Charlie Rosser

Finding the Right

FIT Knowing which elective PE class is best for you

By Rachel Vrazel Web Editor

Advanced Weight Training Taught by Coach Radigan, this class features a more in-depth approach that builds off of the information and concepts taught in Introduction to Weight Training. In this class, students will take a baseline test and have a personalized workout plan based on their own abilities.

“There’s a lot of autonomy in the class,” Coach Radigan says.

“They get to create their own workouts so it’s really cool to see kids growing… and watching their hard work pay off.”

Coach Radigan recommends this class to students who want to become more physically fit, have a stress reliever during the day, and learn what it looks like to have a healthy, consistent workout.

Sports Enhancement This class is taught by Coach Radigan and focuses on helping students improve and grow their athletic abilities. Sports Enhancement is perfect for students who have specific athleticbased goals, such as being able to make varsity teams or play a sport in college. Similar to Advanced Weight Training, the workouts and activities students participate in during class will be geared toward their own abilities to challenge the student to improve.

Senior Phoebe Kemper recommends Sports Enhancement to others and notes how it has helped her grow.

“One of the biggest reasons the class helps so much is because Radigan pushes you to do the work and try hard,” Kemper said. “And it just makes you a better athlete, honestly, by the end of the year.”

Net Sports In this class taught by Coach Denny, students will participate in team, net-based sports including tennis, volleyball, and badminton. This class allows students to enjoy sports in a laid-back environment that encourages them to improve and grow.

Junior Sam Deuser, who is currently enrolled in the class for the second time, highly recommends the class to other students.

“It’s really fun and it’s relaxed and it gets your energy out,” Deuser said. “It’s really fun sports that we play.”

20 MOVE

U

p until high school, most physical education classes look fairly similar - repetitive stretch and warm-up routines, rotations of different sports , the dreaded running of the mile every so often, and sporadic games of dodgeball sprinkled in throughout the school year. However, after students fulfill their freshman PE requirements, there is much more freedom to choose the content of your class.

Whether you’re trying to find a laid-back class to obtain your second half credit for graduation or you’re looking to be challenged, FHC has a class that can satisfy your needs.

Fitness for Life Coach Jennifer Denny teaches Fitness for Life, which focuses on giving students the tools and resources they need to stay fit in the midst of everyday life. The class includes learning how to access free workout plans online via YouTube and other resources, as well as workouts such as walking through Cottleville or playing Just Dance.

Senior Kylie Brown enjoys Fitness for Life because of the fun she has with her classmates, particularly while playing Just Dance.

“You get your energy out, and it’s funny,” Brown said.

Coach Denny recommends this class to any student looking for a way to stay fit and wanting to be able to develop simple consistent skills for lifelong health and wellbeing in a personally challenging yet laid-back environment.

Teen Health and Wellness Teen Health and Wellness, taught by Coach Malach Radigan, is a health class based on the mental and emotional wellbeing of students. Focusing on helping students discover who they are and who they want to be through introspection and reflection on their life, it helps students learn healthy coping techniques for mental, emotional, and social struggles.

The class also is not structured in the way that the mandatory freshman health course is.

“It’s not your typical class, so a lot of it is conversational, reflection-based, project-based, in regards of learning who you are and things like that,” Radigan said.

Radigan recommends this class to all students willing to do work to grow in their health not only physically but also emotionally, socially, and mentally.

Page by Rachel Vrazel

Integrating

Meditating

Teachers incorporate meditation as means for relieving stress

By Reilly Scobey Staff Reporter Freshman Birdie Brereton is an active meditator, meditating every day. She started exploring meditation in order to connect with Wicca, her religion. She sees meditation as a tool that many teenagers could use to effectively relieve their stress and become more connected to themselves.

Stress is something that many teenagers deal with. With loads of homework, sports, clubs, and for some students, jobs as well, It can be hard to find a way to properly relax and deal with the stress of daily life. Now more than ever new ways to relieve students of their stress need to be found.

Michael Bunton, a physical education teacher, details why he decided to incorporate meditation in his classroom.

“Mental health has always kind of been a big thing in my life,” Mr. Bunton said.

“So five years ago when I started this, I realized kids don’t know the techniques to actually relieve themselves and how to have a stress reliever.”

Physical education teachers have been practicing meditation in their classrooms for years now, but now Andrew Carter feels it is more important than ever for students to be able to find relief.

“If we can take moments and figure out ways for us to clear our mind, that’s a big thing,” Mr. Carter said.

Brereton said meditation helps her calm her mind and take a step back from what is bothering her.

“I believe that this helps me manage my stress because I have time to quiet my mind and forget about responsibilities and worries,” Brereton said.

Many times stress can cause us to think about things differently. When you are too

Page by Reilly Scobey

WEDNESDAY MEDITATION: Students in Mr. Michael Bunton’s class practice meditation as he instructs them.

Physical education teachers have been incorporating meditation in their curriculum for years now, but they feel that finding a way to realive stress is now more important than ever. Photo by Isaiah Flowers

overwhelmed you can make a decision without thinking it through causing you to regret it later. When we take the time to relax and evaluate our thoughts we can come to a proper solution. “[Meditation] gives me the time to think [my problems] through in a calm manner and come to a conclusion that’s not rushed, but instead in a contemplative way that I won’t regret in the future” Brereton said.

Meditation is not just good for lowering stress levels but can help students academically as well. Studies show that meditation can not only benefit mental health but can also help our brain cells communicate faster and improve concentration which can help students focus on homework and perform better on exams.

“Pending failure with their school work, especially those that are taking high-level classes or stressful classes,” Coach Carter

and gives themselves a mental break.”

Physical education teachers have been receiving positive feedback from students for awhile now. With such positive feedback, why not include it in other classes?

Brereton thinks it is important for teachers to try to incorporate meditation into their classroom.

“I think it would be great to include meditation,” Brereton said. “When there is a lull in the class or they finish something early, the teachers can let the students meditate.

With many students enjoying learning about meditation, Coach Carter is finding new ways to educate and engage students in the topic.

“I want students to find a healthy way to deal with and cope with stress,” Coach Carter said. “Giving ourselves time to meditate allows us a way to deal with coping with stress, that’s a big thing, to try

said. “By doing this it kind of allows them to get themselves rechanneled, refocused,

to reduce that stress and come up with another way [to handle it].”

DISCOVER 21

REFLECTIONS OF LIGHT: A mirrorball reflected light down onto the audience at the Harry Styles concert on Sept. 15. The return of concerts such as the Harry Styles concert reflects a glimpse of light into a post-pandemic world. PHOTO BY SYDNEY TRAN

On the Road Again

Return of concerts brings back crucial part of teen identity

By Faith Beckmann Newspaper Editor The atmosphere was buzzing as hundreds of people filled the stadium.

They were all talking and laughing as they made their way to their seats, maybe even stopping for a quick photo. As the music started blaring and a figure appeared on stage, everyone began screaming with excitement. A year ago, this would not have been possible. Thanks to preventative methods and the wide-availability of vaccines, however, concerts are back, and they are better than ever.

When COVID-19 took control, the majority of heavily populated events were either cancelled or postponed, including concerts. One of these postponed concerts was the Harry Styles concert held at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis on Sept. 15.

Junior Mary Grace Cummings attended the concert with tickets a friend had received for her birthday almost two years ago.

“A good friend of mine got [the tickets] as her 15th birthday present,” Cummings said. “It’s funny though because now she’s

22 ENTERTAIN

turning 17 soon.”

Another student attending a concert previously postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is sophomore Ava Schriber, who is attending the Lauren Daigle concert on Oct. 30 at the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis.

“I got [the tickets] for Christmas 2019,” Schriber stated. “[So] it’s been a while. I was supposed to go in 2020 in April, but then, COVID happened and she postponed it, and now it’s like, ‘Okay, it’s time to do it now. I haven’t listened to your music for a long time, but okay, let’s go!’”

Both of these concerts were or are being held in arenas that can seat thousands of people. With that being said, many concert venues have had to make the choice of wait requirements they want to include to keep concertgoers safe and happy.

Cummings described the requirements at the Enterprise Center for the concert.

“You had to get a negative COVID test three or two days before the concert or you had to have proof of vaccination,” Cummings said. “And your other proof of that negative test too. You had to keep on

your mask for the most time. You could take it off for photos, but you had to try and keep it on as much as you could.”

The concert Schriber is going to does not have any specific requirements in place, but Schrieber said she will be wearing a mask anyway to protect her friends and family.

“I think my mom will make me wear a mask,” Schriber said. “My grandparents are at high risk [and] I don’t want to get anything and spread it to my friends and family because that wouldn’t be good.”

Other students, like senior Quinn McDonald, think that even preventative measures won’t be enough to stop the spread of new variants, making concerts still unsafe.

“Even though we have concerts coming back, which is very exciting, there is a bit of a risk,” McDonald explained. “We still have COVID and not very many people are getting [vaccinated] and [the Delta variant] is getting worse than it already is.

You have a bigger risk, especially having a lot of people in an area like that.”

Even with requirements in place,

Page by Faith Beckmann

McDonald worries about the lack of people following them.

“They can’t always enforce a limited capacity. They also can’t enforce masks either since not everybody’s gonna comply with that,” McDonald said.

Despite this, many concertgoers have felt safe returning to venues to see their favorite artists.

Many feel like the concerts they go to generally appeal to audiences who follow COVID-19 restrictions and have gotten their vaccines, so walking in and seeing hundreds of people does not frighten them as much as it would have last year.

“I think it was really liberating, especially the fact that I think most people, at least the certain IN THE LIMELIGHT: A member of the band, The Backseat demographic the concert I went to drew, were Lovers, performs dur ing their concert in St. Louis. This con cer t is an exa mp people who were very responsible primarily. I was le of how smaller ven ues have begun returning to hos ting concerts even wit pretty comfortable,” Cummings explained. h COVID-19 regulations. PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARY GRACE CU MM ING S However, Cummings believes that whether or not you attend a concert should depend on if you know how to keep yourself and others safe.

“I was safe after both, and I think a lot of people are safe, but… it really just depends on you. Are you going to be responsible? Are the people around you going to be responsible? Do you have a disease?” Cummings stated. “But if you know how to act and you know how to safely take actions and quarantine and be aware and recognize the fact that if you get symptoms after a concert you need to stay home and stop going to school, I say go for it. But if you’re not going to know how to act, don’t go.”

Schriber believes that whether or not someone goes to a concert right now depends on their comfort level.

“I think it’s up to [the concertgoers], if you feel Molly s and ming rt at Off comfortable going then you should [go] and have m u C e c ce ss up rs con ry Gra a good time while there are concerts and while rs Ma kseat Love nce to dre Junio a c : h a T c B H a e ED NIG attend Th ows teens you’re still young,” Schriber said. “But if you don’t feel NTICIZ to all certs ROMA dress up w comfortable going because of COVID that’s up to you.” to con . a r g G in c o M fe G way. heir li Regardless of any changes or restrictions, Broad anticize t om r d n a concerts still remain a highlight of many adolescents’ lives. For many, the artists they see have touched a part of their soul, and getting to be with a group of people that share that feeling gives them a sense of belonging. Cummings gave her opinion on why concerts are such a meaningful experience for those who choose to go. “[As] teens [concerts are] such a staple because we fall in love with these artists, [their music] is the soundtrack to our lives, and every teenager romanticizes their life so much,” Cummings described. “Whenever you find someone you really, BRIGH really love, and then you can go be surrounded by T LIGH Style TS: M sc u people who also love that artist, it’s pretty magical. of the oncert in lticolored St. Lo lights first r u e p s a c n h We [also] don’t get to go downtown that much and demic edule is. Harry S filled the a d tou . rs to r tyles’ Love rena at th e esum it’s such a cool feeling to dress up. It’s just such an e afte On Tour wa Harry r t he s one C exciting new experience.”

OVID19

Page by Faith Beckmann

ENTERTAIN 23

IT’S A LEARNING PROCESS: Examples of worksheets lay scattered with various words and phrases highlighted among each of them. These are all examples of worksheets given to speech therapy students to help them correct improper pronounciations. Photo by Samantha Castille

Say It Again

The unspoken contradictory experience of being a gifted kid in speech therapy

24

REPEAT AFTER ME: Inside the speech bubble are words and phrases that Faith Beckmann would say in speech therpy. By repeating them, she was able to correct her speech habits over a span of four years. Iluustration by Sydney Tran and Faith Beckmann

VOICE

Page by Sydney Tran and Faith Beckmann

By Faith Beckmann Newspaper Editor Speaking is the most common way of communicating between fellow members of the human race. It is a skill that the majority of people are taught as infants and further develop throughout the rest of their lives. For some of the population, however, the skill of speech does not come as easily as it does for most.

When I was seven years old, I was sent home with a note from my school announcing that I had been diagnosed with a speech disorder and was being recommended for speech therapy. This did not come as a surprise to my parents as they had brought up concerns with my speech quality months prior with my teacher, prompting an observation and some testing.

At the time, it was determined that I suffered from a Speech Impairment in the area of Sound System Disorder, which impacted my ability to pronounce the sounds of s, z, w, l, m, f and th. The concern of those involved at the time was that if not corrected, the disorder would affect my ability for my peers and others to understand what I was saying.

Following my diagnosis I started attending speech therapy classes once a week during the school day for around 20-30 minutes. When I first entered the class, the coursework primarily consisted of playing games that prompted us to pronounce words using the sounds we had issues with. If we messed up, our teacher would instruct us to repeat the word several more times until we consistently pronounced the word accurately.

As I got older, that format switched to reading short stories and tongue twisters, using flashcards and reading off lists of

Six Toxic Taxis

words to eventually full 20 minute conversations.

In the beginning, there were about two other kids with me in the class and one of them “graduated” from the class shortly after I had arrived. They had only been in the class for about a year, so I thought I’d get out of the class pretty easily. As the years went by, however, I remained in my classes as more and more people were able to move on.

Around the time I was placed into speech therapy was when I was also placed into the gifted program. Now, I share a lot of the same grievances with the gifted program as other former “gifted kids,” but unique to me is the idea in my head that I didn’t belong in the class. I

Zest Zinc Zing

wasn’t smart enough to be there. Part of that stemmed from the fact that I, from my knowledge both then and now, was the only student who was in both the gifted program and some sort of individual education program. Though I took the same test to get my placement as all the

because I felt like being in speech therapy made me seem less smart to my classmates. When you get put into the gifted program you often grow to obtain a superiority complex which mentally places you on a pedestal much higher than other students, so in a way, being in speech therapy challenged that concept in my mind.

As a result of all my feelings back then, I decided the summer between fourth and fifth grade that I was going to graduate speech therapy before I left elementary school. It was my mission. That summer I got some summer homework from my speech therapist: word lists, riddles and tongue twisters, conversation starters and other various activities.

Every day that summer, with a mirror in hand to watch my mouth formations and my mother by my side, those sentences and stories were read over-and-over until they were almost memorized. I was so motivated to not have to continue speech therapy in middle school that by the time school started again, I had risen in accuracy in all of the sounds I was practicing. On Jan. 30, 2015, I received the news I had long awaited to hear: after nearly four and a half years, I was finally being released from my speech therapy courses.

Looking back on it now, I’m grateful for

other students, the fact that I needed help with something as simple as speaking made me feel like I was somehow less worthy of my place in the class.

In my regular class I also felt embarrassed about being in speech therapy. As I got older, less people were in speech therapy and labels were starting to be placed onto us by our fellow students.

Though I was often viewed as the “shy girl” and a “book nerd,” I also got the label of “smart kid” placed onto me since I was in the gifted program. With that being said, I felt so embarrassed getting pulled out of class once I reached third grade

my opportunity to be in speech therapy.

During that portion of my life, I learned a lot about perseverance and grit as well as self-discipline while learning to correct my pronunciations on my own. There was also no reason for me to be embarrassed either. I needed a little more help with talking than other people. That’s okay.

There’s no reason to be ashamed of asking or receiving help when you need it. The labels we put onto ourselves and others should never fully define us to the point we are scared and uncomfortable with a part of ourselves that goes against that image.

“When you get put into the gifted program you often grow to obtain a superiority complex... being in speech therapy challenged that concept in my mind.”

Faith Beckmann

Page by Sydney Tran and Faith Beckmann

VOICE

25

A New Chapter

The new school year has many wondering if life will ever be the same

By Hannah Bernard Multimedia Editor

Questioning Reality: With many still masking, it can be hard to tell if life is truly back to normal. This year poses more questions than it answers. Photo by Keaton Frye

26 VOICE

Returning to normal means something different for every one of us. For some, normal means painting your face, putting on a special outfit, and cramming yourself into the student section. For others, normal means finally getting to act in front of an audience or walk in the Homecoming parade. The return of such positive events excites many of us, but are things actually back to the way they were?

To put it simply: no. Covid cases in St. Charles County have been trending upward since late July, and students at FHC continue to be quarantined.

According to the FHSD Covid dashboard, in just our first month back at school, 226 Spartans have had to quarantine. As much as we may want to put it all behind us, we can’t ignore our family, friends, and fellow Spartans who continue to get sick.

The real problem with returning to normal, however, is not case numbers or quarantines, but the trauma associated with such a major life disruption. It can be incredibly difficult to transition from staying distant and masked to being in big crowds maskless. For me, the transition has been anything but smooth. The school events that used to bring me joy now leave me feeling uncomfortable and overwhelmed.

This problem can be seen across

the student body. Freshmen and sophomores who never got to truly adjust to high school are being thrown into school without a lifeline. Virtual students have to adjust to crowded lunchrooms and hallways after not being at school in over a year. It’s not easy.

We are all coping differently. Some of us go to every game and event possible to fill the void last year created.

Others rely on time spent at home to recuperate. The bottom line is, this year is not normal, and neither are we.

The question we should be asking is: do we actually want things to go back to the way they were? The past couple of years have been marked by misinformation, division and stress. We were too naive; we never thought this could happen. Our best path forward is not to cling to the past. The past that got us into this mess. But instead, use what we’ve learned over the course of this past year to make things better.

Wearing masks, washing our hands regularly, distancing ourselves from others, and staying up-to-date on the latest guidelines and statistics are not just Covid protocols, but tools we can use to prevent spreading illness in the future. By continuing these practices, we can stop viruses old and new from infecting others rapidly, and by extension, we can save lives.

Sure, it sucks that things won’t ever be the same, but it allows us to make sure this never happens again.

Page by Hannah Bernard

Trust in a Truce Every student who walks into FHC’s campus, both masked and unmasked, walks in with a trust in each other. A trust that the girl sitting next to them in English is following the proper CDC guidelines, that their teacher also wears a mask outside of school, that the people crammed next to them in their small social studies class are vaccinated, and that the school is doing all they can to keep them safe.

As we begin to go about life as we did prior to the pandemic, many people will forgo the thought of COVID-19, but many will remain haunted by the havoc it wreaked upon our lives. It is essential that in order to get truly “back to normal” everyone feels ready for that transition.

Those who feel unprepared to stop wearing their masks and social distancing deserve to feel safe, especially when coming to a place of learning, a place where mental strain should only come from the essay they have due next hour. They come to school and they are forced to trust their peers, they have to trust that their physical health won’t be put at risk, they have to trust that they won’t be quarantined due to the reckless behavior of others.

Those ready to go “back to normal” have to trust that things will get better, that rushing the process does more harm than good. They have to trust that those who choose to wear masks will ease back into a more normal idea of life when they feel comfortable enough to do so. They must realize that progression is not always linear. They also have to realize that they have a direct impact on the rate at which things change. Safety guidelines and restrictions may be weakened and strengthened as time goes on, but our trust in each other should remain the same.

This mutual idea of trust between these two groups needs to be recognized further. If everyone is constantly wary of each other, filled with resentment of each other’s choices and beliefs how can we ever progress? If there is an acknowledgment and understanding on both sides, an alliance of sorts can be formed. In order to get life back to a state where everyone is finally comfortable, participation is required from every side and everybody. To wear a mask or to not wear a mask, that is the issue on the surface, but when looking at the root of the problem it’s the mistrust between people. Believe in each other, in the good of humanity, and that everyone wants to work towards the same end goal: normalcy.

The Editorial Board

Page by Sydney Tran

To have a “normal life” we have to have a trust in each other

VOICE 27

Hang time

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Senior Tino Javier peers down at the other “Mensations” after they had sent him flying as a part of their routine during the outdoor Homecoming pep rally on Sept. 17.

I love this picture for a few reasons, the first being how high he is in the air. The second, being his facial expression, and

By Riley Wania Photo Editor the amount of focus he has, and the third, being the idea of the picture as a whole.

These boys have known each other for a really long time, so not only watching, but capturing this special senior moment was really amazing.

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FINAL FRAME

28 FINAL FRAME

Page by Riley Wania