April 5, 2017: The Photo Edition

NORTH | STAR FRANCIS HOWELL NORTH | ST. CHARLES, MO | 04.05.17 | VOL 31 ISSUE 07

THE PHOTO EDITION

CHECK OUT THESE COLLECTIONS OF IMAGES

BY OUR PHOTOGRAPHERS

The Photo Edition Photos have the power to express emotion and tell stories without words. In this issue, we showcase some photo collections from our photographers.

ON THE COVER

A man uses his phone to record a video of Mexican free-tailed bats that fly out from under Congress Bridge over a river in Austin, TX. (Photo by Kamryn Bell)

WE’RE SOCIAL,

ARE YOU? TWITTER

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Netflix Originals

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Here are some Netflix original shows to consider binge watching.

ENTERTAINMENT

Top Parks Check out these parks this spring and enjoy the great outdoors.

@fhntoday

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SNAPCHAT

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Drama Club will perform the musical “Grease” in the auditorium April 6-8.

fhntoday

INSTAGRAM

“Grease”

NEWS

Mr. FHN The annual male beauty pageant, Mr. FHN, will be held in the auditorium April 21.

@fhntoday

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FACEBOOK @fhntodayfan

Animal Shelter

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Each week, paras take their students to different businesses to complete tasks.

Stray Rescue is an animal shelter that saves strays in hopes of finding them homes.

FEATURES

Students & Paras

TUMBLR fhntoday

YOUTUBE fhntoday

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No Fly Zone The varsity baseball coaches hope their team can surpass the “no fly zone” this year.

SPORTS

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Rugby Update Find out how the rugby team has been doing this season with new members.

PINTEREST fhntoday

SMUGMUG fhntoday

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OPINIONS

CONTENTS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY SYDNEY WISE

Nike vs. Adidas Which is the better brand, Nike or Adidas? Find out more.

42 Staying Informed If Americans really want to be informed, they need to explore more news sources.

ANOTHER TEENAGE DAY I got you a fortune cookie.

Yes, oh my gosh! We have to get started right away, we need a dress, shoes, a tux, a limo! Oh, imagine when we move into a house and have kids! This is just wonderful!

What?

I made a mistake.

Prom?

Throwback snacks

(Comic by Jake Price)

WATCH

Learn how to make the candy sushi: goo.gl/xjSo1J

Learn about some recipes for snacks you used to make in elementary school Ants on a Log Ingredients: Five celery sticks, 1/2 cup of peanut butter and 1/4 a cup of raisins Directions: Cut each celery stick in half. Then, use a butter knife to spread peanut butter onto each celery stick.

After that, grab some raisins, and sprinkle 3-4 raisins onto each celery stick.

“It gives kids a way to eat healthy foods and to have fun making the food, so they would want to eat it more often.” - Brittany Zylka, 11

Dirt in a Cup Ingredients: 1 package instant chocolate pudding, 1 package Oreos (crushed), 2 cups cold milk, 1 container of whipped cream (frozen then thawed) and bag gummy worms.

Candy Sushi Ingredients: One bag jumbo marshmallows, 1 tablespoon butter, 8 cups Rice Krispies, Swedish Fish candies and box(es) of Fruit by the Foot.

Directions: In a bowl, mix the butter and all of the marshmallows, and then microwave for 2- 2 1/2 minutes. Then, stir the Rice Krispie cereal in the marshmallows. Put the mixture in a pan lined with wax paper and sprayed with non-stick, and then refrigerate until cool. Then cut the crispy treats into small rectangles, and form them into a sushi shape. Place a Swedish Fish onto the crispy treat, and wrap a horizontally-trimmed Fruit by the Foot (must be long enough to wrap around it) around the treat.

“The snack is very fun, very creative and it’s very easy for little kids to make.”

- Shelby Willenbrock, 10

Puppy Chow Ingredients: 9 cups of crispy rice cereal squares, 1 cup of peanut butter, 1 cup milk chocolate chips and 1 1/2 cups of confectioner’s sugar.

Directions: Beat the milk and pudding mix in a bowl, and then let it stand for 5 minutes. Then, stir whipped topping and half of the crushed Oreos into the pudding. Spoon 1 tablespoon of crushed Oreos in a cup, and then fill the cup with 3/4 cup of the pudding mixture. Add remaining crushed Oreos on top with gummy worms.

Directions: Melt the chocolate chips in a sauce pan over low heat. Then, add peanut butter to the melted chocolate and mix until smooth.

Remove the saucepan from heat, and pour the rice squares into the pan, and stir until the squares are coated. Pour the sugar on the coated cereal in a large plastic bag and shake until the squares are well coated.

“It’s one of the easier snacks for kids to make, and it’s also something they like to eat.”

- Ben Kohlman, 12

“It’s good for kids because it’s simple, it’s easy and it’s delicious; it’s basically an everyday dish.” - DJ Thrist, 12 (Recipes from wonkywonderful.com and allrecipies.com)

ENTERTAINMENT | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY JAKE PRICE

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TOP 6

ORIGINALS

Everyone should consider binge-watching these shows created by Netflix

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STRANGER THINGS

A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS

In this series, a young boy named Will Byers goes missing, so it’s up to his three closest friends, his mother and his older brother to find him. On a race to save Will, the three boys, Mike, Dustin and Lucas, come into many strange encounters including running into a confused girl who goes by her tag number, Eleven. There’s even a monster called the Demigorgon who is the reason their friend went missing.

The show is adapted from the books by Lemony Snickett published back in the early 2000s.

The series follows the story of three orphans named Violet, Sunny and Klaus. After they get stuck with their new guardian Count Olaf, the orphans begin to investigate their parents’ deaths. Olaf’s goal is to take their inheritance, so it’s up to the kids to outsmart and foil all of his disguises and attempts to get his hands on their money.

“‘Stranger Things’ is by far one of the best shows I’ve seen because it kind of focuses on the aspect of friendship. It’s also awesome because it’s short and sweet, and you can easily finish it.”

- Maddi Sparks, 10

“I really enjoyed watching ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ because the Count guy is funny, and all the situations that he puts himself into to get the kids money is funny as well.”

- Bradley Malone, 10

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LOVE

This original series is about two seemingly unsuited people who start a relationship. Mickey is a charismatic girl who drowns herself in alcohol, and Gus is a high-strung nerd who acts like a child. When she meets him, she thinks he’s the nice guy who can help get her life together.

When he meets her, he thinks she’s the cool, cute girl he can score a date with. Neither of them live up to the stereotype they believed they were, and they soon learn about each other’s complications as they begin to date. “‘Love’ is a good show for anyone who’s single because you can laugh at their relationship. For anyone who’s in a relationship you can relate to how complicated it is to stay together.”

- Kendra Hahn, 9

DAREDEVIL

In the show, adapted from Marvel, Matt Murdock was blinded as a boy by a tragic accident, but was given extraordinary senses. He now lives in Hell’s Kitchen, New York where he sets up practice to fight injustice in the courtroom as an attorney by day but as a suited vigilante protector, who plans to bring order to the city, by night.

“I would recommend ‘Daredevil’ because it’s by Marvel and Marvel seems to make good movies and shows. There’re a lot of twists and turns in Matt’s lifestyle. He seems like he would be an interesting person.”

- Kyleigh MacMann, 11

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JESSICA JONES

BLACK MIRROR

Another show adapted from Marvel, Jessica Jones attempts to become a superhero but her attempt ends in tragedy. She then begins to rebuild her career and personal life as a private detective in Hell’s Kitchen, New York City. She’s overcome with a strong hatred for herself, so Jessica ends up battling demons from within herself and in real life. She uses her extraordinary abilities as a detective to be an unlikely hero for those in need of help.

This show takes a deeper look into today’s society. This is done through technology, which ties into the name of the show. Every episode has a different story with a different person to tell it. It focuses on how the technological phenomena can affect the future of the world, our society and individual people. The show exaggerates to make points, but none of it is based off of true stories.

“Definitely watch it if you’re a Marvel fan. I personally like how it ties into ‘Daredevil’ with the crossovers they make.”

- Megn Hays, 12

“I would recommend ‘Black Mirror’ because some people need a better outlook on reality.

People miss out on a lot of things, and this show would help people understand technology better.”

- Gabby Reed, 10

(Information by Sammie Herr)

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ENTERTAINMENT | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY ANNA LINDQUIST

MAKE YOUR WAY TO A GREAT PARK TODAY

Now that the weather is warmer and the days are longer, here are a few outdoor places within an hour’s drive to spend time

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Photos by Alex Rowe)

Laumeier Sculpture Park (24 min) Laumeier park is a place that you can visit and explore art. There is plenty of art to look at outside as well as inside, such as a large sculpture of an eye and other abstract sculptures. Plus it’s a good place to have a picnic and to walk it off on a trail afterward. Dogs are welcome in the outdoor galleries at Laumeier, but they are not allowed during some special events such as summer concerts.

Weldon Spring Disposal Site (20 min) In St. Charles County, there is a large mound of rocks rising high out of the ground. Underneath the mound it is tons of hazardous waste produced by a chemical plant that once stood in its place. Today, Weldon Spring draws tons of interested visitors each year. They climb to the top of the 75-foot tall dome. The view at the top is what visitors love the most.

Frontier Park (13 min) Frontier park is a park with a Lewis & Clark Statue and a paved hike/bike trail and a view of the water.

At the park there are events year round such as Festival of the Little Hills, Christmas Traditions, Oktoberfest and more. There is also an outdoor Jaycee Stage where bands perform. There are also two picnic spots so pack a lunch and go see what it has to offer.

Creve Coeur Park Picnic Site (17 min) This park offers multiple areas to have a nice picnic with some friends, and they each include a barbeque pit and about five tables. There is a large lake where visiters can rent kayaks, canoes and paddle boats and go explore the waters. Also, there is a lot of land to travel though and visiters can even rent quadricycles and ride with friends or bicycles and enjoy the trail yourself, a nice way to get around the lake path.

Cliff Cave County Park (40 min) Cliff Cave is located in Mississippian St. Louis limestone. With 4,723 feet of cave, it is the second longest cave in St. Louis County. The park offers various trails that are suitable for all levels of biking and hiking, ranging from one to five miles. It has water passages and lots of greenery. Also if you get lucky you’ll see a variety of wildlife, including wild turkey, fox, rabbits, squirrel, deer and raccoon.

by Jake Price

japrice024@gmail.com | @dragonjake158

This fantasy, musical film is a live action adaptation of the iconic Disney animated movie “Beauty and the Beast.” The story is about a girl who gets captured in a castle by a hideous, cursed beast, but then starts to fall in love him and his magical servants.

This film is the best movie that has debuted in 2017 because of the musical numbers, and the overall look of the film.

The best thing about this movie is the music. From the lyrics to the actors’ singing everything was spectacular. The first song, “Belle,” is the best one because it pulls you into the movie, which is the point of the opening song.

The design of this film was fantastic. The town where Belle, the main character, lives is all shot on a soundstage, which is very hard to believe because everything was designed so perfectly. The castle where the Beast lived was also very beautiful. The architecture of the castle was really unique because it would curve around in the shape of a rose, a very pivotal object in the movie.

If I had to give one flaw about the movie, it would be the special effects. Although everything was beautiful, it was tough to believe that the beast and the servants looked realistic. They tried making the servants look like humans which made them look cheesy, and the should have given the beast some practical effects on the face to go along with effects of the whole body, so it would look more realistic.

“Beauty and the Beast” has some minor problems, but it is one of the best films Disney has made since “Jungle Book.”

ENTERTAINMENT | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY OLIVIA FETSCH

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GET TO KNOW YOUR TEACHERS Learn about a few teachers by completing this crossword puzzle with interesting facts about them

Across (Answer with teacher’s last name)

Word Bank Johnson Freedline Stoker Brown Sulzner Knight Wilkens Brune Just Louis Pentecost Steep Kuhl Sanders

1. She modeled for the cover of a magazine when she was 6 years old.

12.

Smith Yuede Martin Eaton Stemmerman Fritz Manfull Greer Jansen Santos Coil Leistner Mossinghoff Kiel

2. She has lived in 10 different states.

13.

3. She wants to live in the Victorian era because she is obsessed with the architecture.

1.

4. She loves to sing and cook. In fact, her dream job would be to host a cooking show where she could sing and cook with guests.

2.

5. She would live in the 50s because of the fashion.

6. She loves riding motorcycles.

4.

21.

17.

7. The most adventurous thing he’s ever done is sky dive.

8. She jumped off a three-story building to be certified as a stunt performer.

5.

20.

9. He was named after a famous baseball player.

10. He wants to go to Yukon, Canada to hunt a moose.

14.

7.

6.

11. He has taught at FHN longer than any other teacher.

Down (Answer with teacher’s last name)

15.

12. She has an adopted dog named Tanya.

13. He originally wanted to be an astrophysicist.

16.

14. She owns a photography business.

8.

15. She learned to play the ukulele in college.

19.

16. Her first job was stacking and delivering ice for an ice house.

17. He also relates to Sheldon Cooper because he loves dry and honest humor.

9.

3.

18.

18. Her first job was a swim instructor at the YMCA. 19.Her biggest role model is Michelle Obama because she inspires her to be a better teacher, mother and overall person.

10.

20. If she could live anywhere in the world, she would live in a remote bungalow in Figi for quiet.

11.

21. He would visit Japan because some of his favorite video games originated there.

ANSWERS Find all the answers to the puzzle here: goo.gl/UsjRo5

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ENTERTAINMENT | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY KYLAH WOODS

FHNTodayTV Featured Videos All NORTH February all STARVideos videos https://goo.gl/sl18H3 goo.gl/XVv8Uw

Spirit Week Poster Informs Students Watch here: goo.gl/ZJ6EAF • Features student council member Han Cam and StuCo president Grant Freitas • Shows the process StuCo goes through to make posters for the commons.

(Video By: Emily Hood)

FHNTODAYTV’S MOST RECENT PODCAST Watch here: goo.gl/uuP69x In this edition of FHNtodayTV, anchors Kelsey Decker and Brayton Larson talk about Renewed Treasures, a thrift shop that gives back to Christian missionaries, an immigrant school that helps students adjust to the American education system, FHN student and

national spelling contestant Uma Upamaka and the recent thoughts of the students on the sudden news of club penguin shutting down.

(Produced by: Taylor Sheridan).

Knights of the Round Table Ceremony Honors Students Watch here: goo.gl/aXtY8F

People Featured: Lindsey Scheller & Ephiphanie Collins On Feburary 23, ninety-nine students were given the Knights of the Round Table award. This award is one given to any student of a teacher’s choice for any reason. The award is meant to honor students who go the extra step in classes.

(Video By: Lily Sontheimer)

Top 10 Ways to Promposal

Watch here: goo.gl/Ye9n9r • Ethan Slaughter and Rachel Kehoe show 10 different ways to promose to someone.

• Anyone can prompse to someone, here are some good ways to do it (Video by: Alyssa Barber)

Awaken Project Encourages Students to Make the Right Decision about Heroin Watch here: goo.gl/jBbNbq

People Featured: Joe Richardson On March tenth the Awaken Project visited FHN to inform students on the dangers of taking different illegal drugs such as heroin. They use music before their presentation to give the students something easy to connect to such as a musical performance.

(Video by: Kelsey Decker).

Snow Factory Brings a New Experience to STL Watch here: goo.gl/navjdw

• Features the owner of Snow Factory • Located on the Delmar Loop (Video by: Taylor Sheridan and Madi Shinault)

ENTERTAINMENT | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY KELSEY DECKER

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ACT TESTING CHANGES

Changes are occurring in the ACT testing process this year. Though the schedule is the same as last year, on April 19, juniors will be testing in the gym instead of in classrooms. In previous years, FHN has been limited on substitute teachers to cover the classrooms that are being used for the ACT. The solution to this problem was a location change.

This is not the first time FHN has attempted to perform ACT testing in the gym.

Sophomores for the past few years have been taking their practice ACT, and PSAT testing occurs in the gym as well. So this change of locations from ACT testing in classrooms to testing in the gym is something familiar for the school.

EOC SCHEDULE Monday 4-10 2nd Hr: 7:20-9:00 Homeroom and Junior ACT registration: 9:05-10:35 4th Hr: 10:40-12:35 A Lunch: 10:35-11:00 A Class: 11:05-12:35 B Lunch: 10:40-11:15 B Class: 11:45-12:35 C Class: 10:40-12:10 C Lunch: 12:10-12:35 6th Hr: 12:40-2:20

Kaitlynn Jansen stands pointing at the Smart Board teaching her ACT prep class a math lesson to prep the students for the upcoming ACT. (Photo by Kamryn Bell)

Tuesday 4-11 and Thursday 4-13 1st Hr: 7:20-9:00 3rd Hr: 9:05-10:35 5th Hr: 10:40-12:35 A Lunch: 10:35-11:00 A Class: 11:05-12:35 B Lunch: 10:40-11:15 B Class: 11:45-12:35 C Class: 10:40-12:10 C Lunch: 12:10-12:35 7th Hr: 12:40-2:20

Wednesday 4-12 2nd Hr: 7:20-9:00 Homeroom: 9:05-9:40 4th Hr: 9:45-11:50 A Lunch: 9:40-10:05 A Class: 10:10-11:50 B Lunch: 10:35-11:00 B Class: 9:45-10:35 C Class: 9:45-11:25 C Lunch: 11:25-11:50 6th Hr: 11:55-1:35 Friday 4-14 No school

ACT WEEK Monday 4-17 No school - PD day Wednesday 4-19 ACT for seniors and juniors eat 5B lunch Normal schedule all other students

HONORING THIS YEAR’S SENIORS With the end of the school year coming up quick, it’s now that time of the year when seniors are recognized at Senior Awards Night. The ceremony will be held on April 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the large gym. It is an invitation-only event, with the seniors invited allowed to bring their friends and family along with them to celebrate their achievements from their high school career.

“This is a celebration of four years of hard work,” Lisa Woodrum, event coordinator and guidance counselor, said. “It’s a true collaborative effort, culminating high school experience for our most deserving seniors.”

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This event is held annually to honor seniors chosen by faculty or members of the community and for other academic reasons. It is an opportunity for seniors to receive their academic accolades before graduation, such as their cords for NHS, departments, clubs and community awards as well as scholarships.

“I’m excited to get my cords because it represents all of the hard work I’ve put into this program for the past two years,” senior NHS member Ethan Aylesworth said. “It’s important to me because it will help me achieve my goals later in life.” (Brief by Paige Prinster)

NEWS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY PAIGE PRINSTER

Alumna Tessa Smith smiles as she walks to receive her award on Senior Award Night of last year.

Smith graduated with the class of 2016. (File Photo)

CALENDAR OF EVENTS TUESDAY

MONDAY

SUNDAY

APRIL 2017

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

1 2

3

4

5

6

9

10

11

12

13

EOC TESTING GSA GUEST SPEAKER

NO SCHOOL

16

17

18

19

20

JR. KNIGHTS FLAG FOOTBALL EOC TESTING GIRLS LACROSSE VS ND

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EOC TESTING JUNIORS COLLEGE FAIR COLLEGE SIGNING DAY

PD DAY-NO SCHOOL BASEBALL VS PATTONILLE

SPRING PLAY GIRLS SOCCER VS THS BOYS VOLLEYBALL VS FHHS

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25

JR. KNIGHTS FLAG FOOTBALL TRACK MEET @FZW

SENIOR AWARDS NIGHT

FOOTBALL OPEN GYM PAPER DAY

EOC TESTING BASEBALL VS FHC

JUNIORS ACT TESTING FOOTBALL OPEN GYM

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GOLF DISTRICTS BASEBALL VS FHHS

SPRING PLAY GIRLS SOCCER VS THS BOYS VOLLEYBALL VS FHHS

SPRING PLAY GIRLS SOCCER VS THS BOYS VOLLEYBALL VS FHHS

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COLLEGE 101 @SCCC BASEBALL VS HOLT

7

8

14

15

21

22

MR. FHN MSHAA SPEECH AND DEBATE

MSHAA SPEECH AND DEBATE

SPRING PLAY BASEBALL VS FZS GIRLS LACROSSE VS WHS

SPRING PLAY SCHOLAR BOWL DISTRICTS ACT TESTING

FZS VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

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29

VIETNAM VET GUEST SPEAKERS

CHEER CHOREOGRAPHY CLINIC

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JR. KNIGHTS FLAG FOOTBALL

RUNNING IN THE PAINT

On April 16, 2016 sophomores Sam Cary, Hannah DeGraw and Mackenzie Pugh with seniors Andrew Santel, Adam Quigley, Brenden Mollett, Josh Fajardo and Drew Lanig pose for a photo while biting a medal they received after completing the race in Downtown St. Louis. (Photo submitted)

The Color Run is a 5k marathon run held in different cities and countries around the world. All the money raised by the event goes to charities. This year they’re donating to Autism Speaks and Rett Syndrome. As the runners jog through the race, they are splattered in paint by staff members and spectators.

This year, the event will be held in St. Louis on April 22 and it will cost $39.99 to be a team runner and $44.99 to be an individual runner.

“I’m not trying to beat my race record from last year,” senior Josh Fajardo said. “I just want to enjoy myself and feel really good about the run and paint.”

Each year, the Color Run has a new theme for their runs. Last year was a tropicolor theme, which had an island-style vibe and bright colors for the runners. The theme for this years run will be “Dream Tour” and will have a cloud foam zone for runners to run through. The cloud foam zone contains foam paint for the runners to run through. And at the end of the race, there is a Finish Festival that includes a DJ as well as music.

“The mini concert after the race is my favorite part because it feels like a movie and paint is thrown everywhere on everyone,” sophomore Hannah DeGraw said. (Brief by Alex Lane)

NEWS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY PAIGE PRINSTER

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DRAMA CLUB PREPARING TO PERFORM “GREASE”

Drama Club’s spring musical will be performed in the auditorium this week

by Keegan Schuster

keeganschuster98@gmail.com The classic movie “Grease” will soon be performed as Drama Club’s next musical. Continuing the tradition of following the annual fall play with a spring musical, “Grease” was selected as a lighthearted option for students and families alike. The show will be performed on April 6-8 at 7 p.m. in the school auditorium.

“I’m very excited to see how everything turns out,” stage manager Bree Williams said. “It’s a lot of work, but we came up with some cool things that are really outside the box.”

Led by stage director and drama teacher Kimberly Sulzner, “Grease” was picked as the spring musical early in the school year, with production starting in November. Like every school play, the cast and crew work on different tasks to stay on schedule. While the crew works behind the scenes to make things like costumes and set designs, the cast practices dance

Zac Cary and Nick Bowers rehearse for FHN Drama Club’s production of Grease. Both play Burger Palace Boys, Cary in the role of Kenickie and Bowers in the role of Doody. The cast starts full dress rehearsals on April 3 leading up to opening night on April 6. (Photo by Bernadette Kornberger)

moves and memorizes lines.

“I can’t wait to see the audience’s reaction to our dances and characters,” cast member Bryan Ochoa said. “Having a role in the musical is a big responsibility, and we really want to make it our own.”

With some adjustments made to keep the show suitable for a high school performance, it will follow the original musical in telling the tale of two teens in love in the 1950s. The musical will star seniors Dan Borrelli and Audrey Baker, playing the lead roles of Danny and Sandy, respectively. According to Ochoa, the drama crew hopes their own take on the story will entertain both longtime fans of the movie and those who are new to it.

“The movie holds a special place in the hearts of most people,” senior “Grease” fan Tyler Masters said.

“I feel like giving our theater kids an opportunity to participate in such an inspirational production really hypes them up. I’m sure everyone will put in hard work to make for a quality show.”

MEET THE CAST OF “GREASE”

The main cast members of the musical reflect on their time in Drama Club

Dan Borrelli, 12

Audrey Baker, 12

Zac Cary, 12

Emily Henry, 12

Role: Danny

Role: Sandy

Role: Kenickie

Role: Rizzo

Favorite musical: “Hairspray”

Favorite musical: A tie between “A Christmas Story” and “Matilda”

Favorite musical: “Jekyll and Hyde”

Favorite musical: “Mamma Mia!”

“Grease” will be Dan’s fifth performance at FHN.

“Grease” will be Audrey’s second performance at FHN.

“Grease” will be Zac’s eigth performance at FHN.

“Grease” will be Emily’s fifth performance at FHN.

“Drama Club has just always been a big part of my life. It’s been important for me to carry on.”

“Drama Club has been apart of my life for as long as I can remember and I just love everything about it.”

“The drama room was the first place I went to on the first day of freshman year. Since that day, it has been my everything.”

“Drama Club is really special because everyone can be themselves without being judged.”

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NEWS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY KEEGAN SCHUSTER

Senior Nic Savala makes a DECA diamond with his hands. Savala is this year’s DECA President and has been in DECA for two years.

Savala got first in his section at state and is going to ICDC. (Photo by Sam Alexander)

DECA INTERNATIONALS 10 students from FHSD qualified to go to Anaheim, California by placing first through tenth at state

by Ronald Joel

ronaldt.joel@gmail.com

The Francis Howell School District’s robot climbs up the rope to finish the first round. On March 10 and 11 at the Chaefitz Arena the FHSD high schools worked together to build the robot. the point system was based off of how many tasks the robot could complete in the given time. (Photo by Jared Kinnard)

Going To Worlds The Robotics team got second at their first competition and are now moving on to Worlds

by Sydney Wise swise475@gmail.com

After their first competition, Robotics is moving on to Worlds on April 28 and 29. The last time they made it to Worlds was four years ago. The competition was March 10 and 11 at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis. Their alliance made it to finals and placed second, and now they’re going to Worlds. Overall, the team placed in the top six out of a total of 52 teams.

“I enjoyed watching how all of the robots worked,” junior Kristen Warhover said. “It was also exciting when we made it to finals.”

The drive team, which is the team that works on the robot during competitions, has two more people helping them this year because they need extra people to pull up gears during the game they play at competitions. The drive team this year includes senior Eric Hanson, senior Gavin Lewis,

junior Evie Edwards, junior Timothy Davis and junior Ashley Roberts.

“My favorite part has been getting to see everything come together,” senior James Dorhman said. “I feel like our robot is pretty well designed.”

Build season lasted a total of six weeks. At the very beginning of build season, the team found out what the theme was. This year’s theme is steampunk, and at competitions they play a game that relates to that theme. During build season, they had to design and build their robot. What they had at the end of those six weeks is what they had to work with. Since the team was able to finish their robot in that amount of time, they didn’t have many problems at the competition.

“I think build season went really well,” Dohrman said. “The bot has things we probably could’ve done better, but with the amount of time we were given I think we did a pretty good job.”

This year the FHN DECA team had 10 people qualify for International Career Development Conference (ICDC). The people who qualified include: Grace Stevenson, Kevin Welch, Kyle Rohlfing, Madison Clifton, Jamie Sneed, Maggie Hillmann, Nic Savala, Peyton Rives, Ben Jamison and Brandon Bauer. At state, which was held at Lake of the Ozarks, all the qualifiers were ranked from first through thirty-eighth by judges and from a test they had taken. As there were thousands of competitors from everywhere from Missouri, these 10 from FHN ranked first through tenth in their department allowing them to move on to ICDC. None of them know exactly what they got, but they knew they did well enough in order for them to qualify to internationals which is held in Anaheim, California.

“This is my first year of DECA,” senior Kyle Rohlfing said. “Which in that case I didn’t think I’d do so well in DECA, but somehow I managed to qualify to internationals which I’m proud of myself for.”

The competitors get 10 minutes to prepare a business plan, present, go over marketing tools and must be prepared to answer anything the judges ask them. They also take a multiple choice test, in it the test asks about their department as well as general questions, which they all have to study for, if a person were to do poorly in the presentation they must excel in the test scores in order to move on to the next competition.

“I love it so much,” junior Grace Stevenson said.

“It really improves your communication skills seeing how you present and talk on the fly.”

NEWS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY REBEKAH MAYE

10

Sophomore Jacqueline Jansen pulls a tarp during the Winter Guard performance titled “Remembering You,” at the annual Art in Motion competition. FHN hosted this competition on March 11, and guards from 49 different schools from the Missouri and Illinois areas participated. This event was a fundraiser for the guard and band and helped to prepare Winter Guard for their performance in Dayton, Ohio this April, where they will compete in the Winter Guard International World Championships. (Photo by Michaela Erfling)

Spinning into the End of the Season Winter Guard is going to Dayton, Ohio for Color Guard World Championships after a challenging season

by Christian Witte

christianwitte2@gmail.com | @reader524

H

ard work, sweat and the occasional bruise describe a typical practice for Winter Guard as they prepare for the end of their season. Winter Guard International (WGI) World Championships are this week, April 6-8 in Dayton, Ohio, where Winter Guard will compete against other groups from countries all over the world.

“I’m so excited,” color guard coach John Miller said.

“These kids, while they are extremely young, they are extremely talented, and I am very proud. This is also the first year that we’re staying for world finals. I’m excited to share that with everyone.”

The guard has competed in four WGI regionals to qualify to compete at Worlds. The group will perform in the preliminary round and if they score high enough, they will move on to semifinals to compete against 35 other groups. If the guard scores within the top 20, they will advance to World finals. Also while in Dayton, the guard will help a world class group with

their props and floor for the group’s performances. up to their first competition. Because of these many “We’ve been working very hard to finish our changes and transitions, the guard feels a bit uneasy show and beef it up a little bit,” sophomore guard about their upcoming performance at Worlds. member Jacqueline Jansen said. “We’re working on “Every year is different and causes a different togetherness: emotionally and physically.” result,” junior Theresa Winkle said. “This is one of This year, the guard has faced much change with our transition years, so it’s been one of the hardest new coaches, new members making up a majority seasons since I’ve been here.” of the team and a new style of the guard overall.

In preparation, the guard has started to have Of the 11 members, only four have spun on the sectionals before rehearsals. They have also been winter team before. The experiencing changes to their members of the guard are work and staging of their show to See how Winter performing a different style score higher. More advanced work Guard has of work, which includes has been added to their routine prepared for World choreography being taught along with some changes to their Championships this to the words and sounds staging, and the guard has been season: goo.gl/QGpzqh of the music and not with working on cleaning their show. counts with the music, “I think we’re trying to be more alongside the new style of of a team,” freshman guard coaching. In previous years, the guard had eight-hour member Candace Siem said. “We’re being nicer to camps every Saturday from the start of December each other and encouraging each other. I’m excited and this year they have had 12 hour camps every to see the other guards and see how we do when our Saturday from the beginning of November leading show is completely done.”

WGI REGIONALS ST. LOUIS, MO / FEB. 4 63.700 / 2nd place INDIANAPOLIS, IN / FEB. 18 64.300 / 9th place OMAHA, NE / FEB. 25 66.900 / 3rd place BOWLING GREEN, KY / MARCH 25 75.400 / 8th place 11

NEWS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY CHRISTIAN WITTE

WATCH

GUARD LINGO Work

The way the guard moves their bodies with their equipment to the music

Clean

Performing the work in the show in time and together at show tempo

Sectionals

Small rehearsal groups of people that have the same work in the show

Rifle

Piece of equipment that Winter Guard uses that resembles a gun

Sabre

Piece of equipment that Winter Guard uses that resembles a sword

MEET THE MISTERS

Christian Witte Mr. Dancing Queen Nahed Chapman American Academy

Trevor Bonhert Mr. Indecisive ASPCA

Sean Rhomberg Mr. Magic Man Lustgarten

Anthony Kristensen Mr. North Star Seedbearers

MR. FHN

Michael Shine Mr. President Breast Cancer Research Foundation

Logan Mordvar Mr. Fresh Make a Wish Foundation

Illustration by Heeral Patel Chris St. Aubin Mr. Speech and Debate UNHCR

Students participate in this pageant to raise money for charities

by Mia Kristensen

mnj.kristensen@gmail.com

Zac Cary Mr. Drama Variety Children’s Theatre St. Louis

Mr. FHN is an annual male beauty pageant held April 21 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium, and admissions will be $5. Within Mr. FHN there is a dance to kick off the show, and then contestants must give a pick-up line, perform a talent and answer a random question. Also, the contestants raise money for a charity or cause of their choice. For some of the contestants it might be something close to their hearts or something they are very passionate about.

They start raising money for their cause a

Eli Bowen Mr. Politics National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Kyle Rohlfing Mr. Photogenic Inner City Impact

month before the event. For senior Ethan Samson, he is raising money for Doctors Without Borders to help with their international operations, and for senior Kyle Rohlfing, it’s keeping Chicago kids off the streets, with all the contestants donating money to a charity that has a different meaning to each of them.

Each year, the contestants and the audience both look forward to the dance and the talent portion of the show, and they are excited to raise money for their causes.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to just joke around on stage and raise money for charity in the process,” Samson said.

Ethan Samson Mr. Music Doctors Without Borders

Jaxion Stutsman Mr. Country Wounded Warrior Project

Bryce Perry Mr. Steal Yo Gurl Make a Wish Foundation

Drew Lanig Mr. HOSA Canines for Disabled Kids

NEWS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY SAMMIE HERR

12

Butterflies don’t have lungs, instead they breathe through openings called spiracles on their abdomens. Butterflies are unable to hear but can feel vibrations and are only able to see the colors, red, green and yellow.

Fluttering around

The Butterfly House is located in Chesterfield Missouri and is home to over 1,000 butterflies and 60 different species.

It was established by Sophia Sacs in 1995 to increase awareness of the natural, tropical habitat that butterflies live in. This is a nonprofit organization and is funded through donations and members and offers educational classes, lectures, and events. The Butterfly House offers visitors the opportunity to see butterflies in a tropical environment as well as a native one. Visitors can watch the butterflies fly freely in the 8,000 square foot glass conservatory as well as see butterflies emerge from chrysalis Butterflies get their nourishment from drinking through a proboscis which acts like a straw. They typically feed on nectar from flowers, pollen, or fruit.

Butterflies can taste with their feet through sensors allowing them to be able to know exactly what a flower tastes like as soon as they land on it. (Photos by Michaela Erfling)

The lifespan of a butterfly is approximately one month. The size and climate are also factors of how long a butterfly can survive, smaller butterflies typically live for one week compared to the brimstone butterfly having the longest life span of nine to ten months. No butterfly can survive over for over a year.

There are 24,000 different species of butterflies around the world. Antarctica is the only continent that is not home to any butterflies. This is due to the inhospitable climate because butterflies must live in a somewhat tropical climate and can’t fly if their body temperature is less then 86 degrees.

PHOTO STORIES | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY CAROLYNN GONZALEZ

14

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STRAY FACTS

There are millions of stray animals in the U.S. that still need a loving home and these are a few facts about them 4 million

2.7 million

8m

illi

on

70 million

Strays in the U.S. Animals in shelters Animals euthanized in the U.S. Animals adopted in the U.S.

30% of all shelter dogs are reclaimed by their original owners.

A rescue dog named Harley from Stray Rescue looks cuiously into the lens of the camera. One of the goal’s of the non-profit organization is to nurture and heal the animals through various training sessions and other programs. (Photo by Hannah Medlin)

RESCUING FOR AN IMPORTANT CAUSE

Stray Rescue of St. Louis saves stray animals on the streets in hopes of finding a home with a loving family for the rest of their lives

30%

by Kylah Woods

kylahwoods27592@gmail.com | @kylahrw

2-5% of all shelter cats are reclaimed by their original owners.

2-5%

For every one homeless person, there are five homeless dogs.

(Sources: Onegreenplanet.org, ASPCA.org, dosomething.org)

17

T

he non-profit organization, Stray Rescue of St. Louis is dedicated to rescuing stray animals and restoring them back to health so they can have a second chance at life.

“I love seeing the animals,” volunteer Julie Hayes said. “I love seeing them get happy and healthy again.”

Stray Rescue was formed in 1998 by Randy Grim and is located in downtown St. Louis on Pine Street.

Their main goal is to turn the St. Louis area into a city where every animal knows health and love. Stray Rescue takes a direct approach to achieve this goal by sheltering, rescuing, participating in community outreach programs, educating and encouraging good pet ownership.

“Stray Rescue does everything in its power to make every single dog and cat healthy,” marketing manager Natalie Thomson said. “Every dog deserves a chance.”

They offer foster programs to help pets in transition before they find their forever homes. Foster families help nurse the pets back to health and teach them to trust again after being neglected and abused. Most dogs aren’t kept in the shelter, they are sent to a foster home. The dogs come back to the shelter for check ups and meetings with potential owners.

FEATURES | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY KYLAH WOODS

“I’ve had one successful foster out of two,” Haynes said. “I mean, they were both successful, but I decided to adopt one of the dogs I fostered.”

They also offer a volunteer program for anyone 18 and older. The volunteers do more than just handling donations and cleaning up around the building. Some volunteers actually go out and rescue stray animals to bring back to the shelter. The way they trap the animals varies because the type of trap needed depends on the animal and the situation the animal is in. Usually, they use traps that when the animals walk in, the door on the cage closes and the volunteers take the cage back to the shelter.

“There was one dog that I remember coming in, Foster, he was all beat up and sad looking,” volunteer Theresa Cronin said. “Now he’s healthy and has a wonderful foster mother.”

Sometimes a rescued dog becomes a service dog.

They can become Pets for Patriots, Rescues 2 the Rescue or Seniors for Seniors. Pets for Patriots are for veterans at any stage of duty. Rescues 2 the Rescue are search and retrieval dogs. Seniors for Seniors dogs are service animals for anyone over the age of 60.

“When the dogs walk in the door they just look defeated and deflated,” Cronin said. “When they walk out the door a few weeks or months later and you can tell they know they’ve found a family. It’s amazing really.”

THE PATRIOTIC HISTORY OF MY HANDYWORKS

My Handyworks is an art studio on Main Street with a military-inspired background

by Rebekah Maye

rebekahmaye@gmail.com | @RebekahMaye1

O

n Main Street in St. Charles, there lies a place, full of history, where all are welcome to come in and create. This is My Handyworks, a nearly limitless interactive art studio started by an Air Force veteran and his wife as a form of therapy. The scent of paint bounces off the art-covered walls, giving a liberating feeling as you walk in, and the shop is always full of energy, from both the employees and the artists visiting.

“It’s entertaining,” employee Mackenzie Brady said.

“There’s never a boring day, even if you’re here by yourself.”

My Handyworks began setting up stands at Silver Dollar City, Six Flags, St. Louis Zoo and craft festivals in spring of 2005. Founded by Air Force veteran Greg Miller and his wife Heather Miller, My Handyworks was originally created to help co-founder Greg in treating Learn how they work his PTSD. When Greg came home from deployment in with handicapped and Afghanistan in 2008, he wanted to turn his passion for special needs children art into a form of therapy, and My Handyworks changed & adults: from a part-time hobby to a full-time job. The storefront goo.gl/TIDXUT on Main Street opened in April of 2010.

“A goal in mind was to introduce art to people,” Greg said. “There’s a healing aspect in art, and we wanted to inspire people.”

Because the store was inspired by Greg’s military background, there is a 20 percent discount for all visiting veterans, and many projects and promotions are military-related. On certain nights, anyone could come in and make a card to be mailed over to a deployed soldier, and handprint paintings could be sent to a

WATCH

A young girl reaches for more paint to decorate her suncatcher with at My Handyworks on Main street. My Handyworks offers several different projects to choose from, including wax hand molds, tie-dye t-shirts, and more. Most projects are ready to be brought home on the day they’re made.

(Photo by Shannon Lane)

deployed loved one at no cost.

“When you walked in, our goal was that you felt like we cared about you and we cared about you making a product that you loved and were proud of and excited to give as a gift,” Heather said.

In June of 2014, the Millers sold My Handyworks after owning the studio became too stressful to be considered therapeutic for Greg. However, the dream of introducing art to the community lives on in current owners, Bonnie and Brian Matthews. While owning the studio is challenging, every day brings on new surprises for the staff.

“As the owners, it has definitely increased our stress levels, but when I’m here, it’s enjoyable,” Bonnie said.

Even with the stress of owning an art studio, the Matthews are happy to be a part of the magic behind My Handyworks. When thinking of the feeling people have when creating art, co-owner Brian has one word: joy.

“I think it provides a service to the community, it gives the kids an outlet for their creativity,” Brian said.

LEADERSHIP, LEARNING AND LESSONS AT THE ZOO

Junior Maggie Cox volunteers in the Zoo ALIVE leadership and education volunteer program at the St. Louis Zoo

by Sarah Zimmerman volleyballtwin8@gmail.com

Whether rain or shine, junior Maggie Cox volunteers at the St. Louis Zoo in the Zoo ALIVE (Active Leaders in Volunteer Education) program year round to teach kids about conservation and animals, while she learns life lessons and leadership.

“It helps volunteers because they have to learn how to schedule their life,” Eve Cooney, Manager of Youth Programs at the St. Louis Zoo, said.

“I’ve heard from the volunteers that it’s a really great experience from that perspective, with learning to schedule transportation and meet deadlines.

Another one of the biggest impacts is they meet people with similar interests and make lifelong friends. It’s really just a special experience and the volunteers get to learn about actions to help the earth and they can see how they can make a difference.”

At least twice a month, Maggie must attend meetings to learn about activities she will conduct for younger children and students. On top of that, every year, she must volunteer for two consecutive weeks at the summer camp program Camp KangaZoo, which according to Maggie, is a large time commitment. At the camp, Maggie is a camp counselor who conducts conservation-based games and crafts and teaches the kids about different animals and how they can help them. This opportunity to teach youth gives her more responsibility and leadership opportunities.

“She’s grown as a leader by showing example, not just to the children, but to the other volunteers... that you do the best job that you can do,” mother Jane Cox said. “I think it’s been a really good thing for her. It’s kept her busy and it’s given her work experience. I think it’s been a good experience.”

Regardless of the time commitment,

Junior Maggie Cox brushes a goat in the Children’s Zoo. Cox typically works in The Living World Building which houses the gift shop as well as several educational classes. (Photo by Savannah Wandzel)

Maggie finds volunteering rewarding to both help teach the younger students and be a leader to providing a role model for the younger kids she guides.

By singing animal songs and helping kids in the Discovery Room, she is able to encourage the younger kids that science and education is important.

“The biggest impact that it’s had on me overall is that it’s helped me realize how I can help other people and how that can affect them and how all my actions have impact on others,” Maggie said. “If I’m trying to help other people, then that might bring them to help other people too.”

FEATURES | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY ALEX LANE

18

FAST FACTS ABOUT NARCOLEPSY It is estimated that only

25 percent of people

who have narcolepsy have been diagnosed and are receiving treatment.

Although there is no cure, narcolepsy can be treated with medications and

lifestyle adjustments.

Narcolepsy is diagnosed through a sleep study, a set of

medical tests requiring an overnight stay in a sleep lab.

Narcolepsy affects an estimated 1 in every 2,000 people in the U.S. That’s 200,000 Americans and approximately 3 million people worldwide.

In a recent study, 60 percent of patients were misdiagnosed.

The most common misdiagnosis was depression, followed by insomnia and obstructive

sleep apnea.

Symptoms typically begin to occur between the ages of 10 and

30, although narcolepsy can occur at any age.

Narcolepsy is caused by the loss of the two brain chemicals called hypocretins. These are neurotransmitters involved the sleep cycle.

Symptoms include excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep

attacks, cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hallucinations and disrupted nighttime sleep.

(Source: Narcolepsy Network)

19

Dreary, Drained and Drowsy Junior Kira Stock has had narcolepsy since she was 9 years old, and it affects her life today

by Anna Lindquist

alindquist709@gmail.com | @annalindquistt

I

n junior Kira Stock’s seventh hour, AP Language and Composition, she finds her eyes drooping and her energy fading as the hour goes on. The feeling of exhaustion is constant for her but especially a problem after spending hours focusing on her classes. This is due to the disorder she was diagnosed with as a young child: narcolepsy, a neurological disorder that affects and changes a person’s sleep cycles so that they can only get three to four hours of sleep at a time.

“It’s difficult a lot of times when I want to go do something with friends but I just constantly feel tired,” Kira said. “In the car, I’m asleep as soon as I get in. I’ll fall asleep in the middle of conversations with people, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

When she was 9 years old, her parents noticed she didn’t act the same as she did earlier in her childhood.

She was less energetic and lively, according to her mother, Melinda Stock. They took her to a doctor and she was diagnosed with narcolepsy.

“This is just a theory from the doctors, but they think that she caught a virus in her nervous system,” Melinda said. “Now, the neurons that fire in her brain don’t work the same as someone without narcolepsy. It’s not very easy for her to deal with, especially since we don’t have a definitive cause.”

Even though there is no cure for narcolepsy, people can take stimulants to stay awake for long periods of time.

Though the medication helps, it still leaves the recipient feeling fatigued.

“It’s annoying a lot of times,” Kira said. “I used to have so much energy and now I have none and even when I take my medicine, it keeps me awake but I still feel tired. I can do things but I don’t feel fully energized like everyone else does. During marching band season it’s especially

FEATURES | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY HEIDI HAUPTMAN

Junior Kira Stock does class work in AP Language. The class is taught

by Jani Wilkens. They were working on a satire piece by Ed Yeems titled “Live Every Day as if You’re Dying of a Contagious Disease that Turns people You Bite into Zombies.” (Photo by Savannah Wandzel)

hard because after school is over, I’ll have rehearsal then maybe a football game. That’s 15 straight hours of being awake. I have to make sure I’m prepared and that I have access to my medicine to be alert even though I still feel worn-out.”

Because of Kira’s sporadic sleep patterns, her family and friends help out in ways they can, like getting up for school or making sure she gets the notes from an hour she wasn’t fully awake for.

“I’ve been best friends with her since preschool, and when she was diagnosed and even before we knew, I would do my best to help her in school by keeping her from falling asleep,” junior Amanda Denno said.

According to Kira, her grades are very important to her.

Kira’s inability to pay attention while doing homework or in class can negatively affect her performance in school.

She has to work harder to make sure she gets all her work done and has learned the material.

“It affects her recollection and test-taking,” Melinda said. “When she’s taking the ACT, she does well on the questions that are short, but in things like reading comprehension, if she has one of her brain lapses, she’ll have to start over at the beginning. She has a hard time reading a passage and truly comprehending what it says. We just figured that it was something that was unfortunate, but Kira has so many other talents like being in band, DECA and swimming and she is doing well in school despite this. We just thank God everyday for her and our kids. It is just a bump in the road that you deal with and keep moving on.”

Expanding the Journey They say that everything is bigger in Texas, but what’s even bigger is the amount of fun you can have on a trip.

Don’t overlook the little cities that you may not expect much from. Spread your horizons and make it about the journey, not the destination. From Joplin, Missouri, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, all the way down to Corpus Christi, Texas, there are many sights to experience that you wouldn’t see in your everyday life

A girl stands in the middle of the Center of the Universe in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This broken concrete circle catches people’s attention because of its unique feature. If you stand in the center and talk, the sound is echoed back louder behind your ears. No one outside the circle will be able to hear the echo.

A couple sits on a ledge by the Colorado River at Louneff Point while viewing the Austin, Texas skyline. Here you are able to canoe and paddle board. Places like this are perfect to stop by, have fun and relax. (Photos by Kamryn Bell) A mother takes photos of her son posing on an antiaircraft cannon that sits in front of the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi, Texas. The ship was made during World War II and fought in battles in the Pacific. It received severe damage from a kamikaze pilot but serves today as a museum.

Children pose for their mother in front of the Lone Star at the Texas welcome center. The giant star is located at the border of Oklahoma and Texas and is a place to get maps and information about the state.

A man holds a stencil as he spray paints the design onto the wall. The public graffiti park is located in downtown Austin where people can create artwork on walls for others to see.

A man describes his travels to a girl while he points to Joplin, Missouri on the Route 66 map mural. Route 66 is an original highway that stretches from Chicago, Illinois all the way to Santa Monica, California.

Joplin has three Route 66 alignments as they realigned the highway twice after its original construction.

Two customers order at the window of Amy’s Ice Cream while others enjoy their delicious ice cream. The shop is an Austin original and was established in 1984.

Amy’s Ice Cream is a local favorite that in Texas.

PHOTO COLLECTIONS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY KAMRYN BELL

20

MEETING A Star

Some students and staff have done something that many dream of and few get to do: meet a famous person

VLADIMIR TARASENKO Senior Brenden Mollett met St. Louis Blues player Vladimir Tarasenko.

Through a contest, his family got the chance to attend a Q&A and a meet and greet with Tarasenko. In his first NHL game, Tarasenko scored two goals for the Blues, and quickly became one of Mollett’s favorites.

Aside from Tarasenko’s hockey skills, being a good person stood out to Mollett.

JON FOREMAN

Junior Christina Turnbull met Switchfoot’s leadsinger, Jon Foreman, while at a concert for the band OK Go in Sept 2014. Foreman was spotted in the crowd, and when Turnbull turned to look for him, she found him next to her. She recalls him being down-to-earth and like any other normal person. At the concert, Turnbull had the opportunity to thank her idol for his music and influence on her life.

“He’s so relatable, and he doesn’t really exclude anyone,” Turnbull said, “He’s the one who made me realize that in order to promote Christianity, you don’t have to really push it in people’s faces. You can just have a conversation like, ‘this is what I believe, but I totally respect you.”

“[My mom] made me ask him if he would come to my hockey game that Friday,” Mollett said. “He asked when and where. I told him, and sadly he didn’t end up showing up, but you could tell he was asking because he wanted to but he really couldn’t.”

TYLER JOSEPH

On Halloween 2015, senior Dan Borrelli met Tyler Joseph, frontman of Twenty One Pilots after the St. Louis show of their Blurryface Tour.

After the concert, Borrelli and his friends were waiting by the tour bus.

As the crowd grew larger, security grew more intense. Meeting the band seemed unlikely. Security moved the crowd back and handed out a deck of cards, anyone that got to a card got to meet Joseph. For Borrelli, everything from getting his card to meeting his idol felt unreal.

“It was really cool because I play ukulele and I played piano too, and a lot of the lyrics he wrote are super important to me,” Borrelli said.

SWOOZIE

RICK SPRINGFIELD

Theater Director, Kim Sulzner, has met musician Rick Springfield, whom she has been a huge fan of for most of her life, numerous times. The first time she met him was a charity benefit concert in Cape Girardeau. Sulzner bought tickets to both the show and an after party. It turned out that most of the guests were friends and family of Springfield’s, leaving about 10 fans. At one point, Springfield was sitting by himself. Sulzner approached him and got the opportunity to tell him how his song, “Misty Water Woman,” had gotten her her very first part when she was very young.

“It was all tied into when I started theater,” Sulzner said. “The music was kind of a secondary. I think [the fact] that it was my first part and his song got me there so I think that’s a big part of it.”

21

FEATURES | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY MACKENZIE PUGH

Sophomore Sarah Maye met Adande Thorne, sWooZie on YouTube, at Playlist Live in 2015. His unique way of storytelling and experience in animating is what drew Maye’s attention toward Thorne. On the first day of the convention, Throne had set up a meet up. Through this, Maye got to meet and talk with him. Hours later, when Maye passed by again, Thorne was still meeting fans.

“For a couple of months he made me consider working at Disney,” Maye said. “While I’m still doing that, I don’t think I will get that chance. It would’ve been a cool opportunity and it would have shaped my life.”

(By Heeral Patel)

Sophomore Alexander Connolly works with his para Barbara Chaperilo on his morning assignments in second hour on March 27.

Senior Allison Hieb works with her Para Scott Auchly on her sentences about her spring break.

In Juli Smith’s second hour class Alexander Connolly volunteers to share about his assignment the students wrote about Spring Break. Smith’s room is located on the bottom floor in room 27A near the weight room and the small gym. (Photos by Hannah Medlin)

A DAy for learning Once a week ,students with activity limitations travel to different businesses to help improve their working skills and get experience to help prepare them for a job in the future

by Myah Blocker

myah447@yahoo.com | @ughmyah_

E

very Thursday, students with different activity limitations travel to a variety of places through the CBI, Community Based Instructor, program. In this program, they are able to do hands-on tasks with the thirst to learn something new by learning new responsibilities with their teachers by their side.

“Every week we give them tasks so they can feel what it’s like to be in a normal work setting and we want to help them prepare for the real world,” Old Hickory Bistro Manager, Brittany Schmidt said.

They travel to places like McDonald’s, Old Hickory, Savers, Gordmans and many more through the CBI and Essential Skills program. Each place gives the students a different task and allows for them to learn new skills that may be considered easy by some, but for these students it takes a little more time to grasp.

“What makes my job rewarding is the look on [the students] faces when they accomplish something,” Essential Skills teacher Kelly Stemmermann said. “They get so excited because it’s something they thought they could never accomplish but they do. It could be something basic but they get super excited to learn.”

Stemmermann has been a teacher for students with activity limitations for four years, and this year is her first year at FHN. Becoming a teacher has molded her into a humble person and has made her job more enjoyable. Stemmermann takes what she learns from the kids and instills it into herself and her life, and everyday

she is learning how to be grateful for what she has.

“Everyday they teach me that it’s important to be patient and that everyone learns at their own pace,” said Stemmermann. “Eventually, the task will get accomplished it’s just that sometimes you might have to find a couple different ways to get to that ending result.”

When doing their jobs, the students are assisted by either their teachers or paras and are critiqued on their skills to mold them into better workers and help them with their job.

“We check on them to make sure they’re doing their task correctly,” Schmidt said. “We want to help them with interaction, communication, and work ethic.

There’s wouldn’t be a point of them working if they’re not learning something and gaining from the experience.”

Like everyone, they all have different areas of strengths and weaknesses. Their teachers and paras try to assign them to a place where they are most likely to succeed and which place they find the most entertaining.

“I like to work at McDonald’s,” junior Tyler Haynes said. “I like cleaning the chairs and tables. ” After graduating, students are able to continue with a job if they’re really fond of it. Haynes favorite place to travel to is McDonald’s and he plans on continuing working there after he graduates to continue to go higher in the corporation.

“I learned the food menu, and [how to] greet and respect,” Hanyes said. “I like to work with my friends because we work together as a team.”

FEATURES | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY SYDNEY WISE

22

An Asian elephant faces a crowd of spectators in outside of the elephant enclosure located in River’s Edge. The Saint Louis Zoo works with their elephants on animal enrichment. This enrichment helps the elephants encourage brain activity and development. They work with the elephants senses by giving them different enrichment items such as mirrors for sight and bubbles for touch.

FUN AT THE ZOO

The Saint Louis Zoo has recently been voted America’s top free attraction. The zoo opened in 1910 and is located in Forest Park. The zoo takes up 90 acres of the park. As of 2015 the zoo is home to over 14,840 animals and the park itself brings in around 3 million guests per year

An Amur tiger basks in the sunlight at the Saint Louis Zoo. Amur tigers are one of three critically endangered species of tigers in the world.

The Saint Louis Zoo participates in the Species Survival Plans in order to preserve the Amur tigers.

The species survival plans involve several zoos bringing animals together to breed in order to preserve the species. (Photos

by Alex Rowe) An American white pelican hunts for food in the lake that is located in The Wild. These pelicans feed off of fish and collect their food by dipping their heads under the water and scooping the fish into their beaks.

A Southern Rockhopper penguin spreads its wings on top of a rock in Penguin and Puffin Coast. The Penguin and Puffin Coast exhibit holds seven species of penguins and puffins. The Rockhopper penguins share the Lichtenstein Penguin Cove with the Gentoo penguin and the King penguin.

PHOTO COLLECTIONS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY ALEX ROWE

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Sophomore Sandy Han walks behind junior Christian Witte during their hike at Klondike Park. Klondike is 450 acres and includes over four miles of hiking trails. Klondike not only can people hike there, it also serves as a camping ground with six cabins, 10 basic campsites and 31 primitive campsites. (Photo by Elise Gordon)

Hitting the trails Missouri is full of hills, lakes, caves and rivers. This wide variety of landscaping makes Missouri a perfect place for hikes with scenic views. In Missouri, there are over 200 trails. Hiking is not only a great way spend time with friends and see new places, it’s great exercise, making it a perfect thing to do in the spring or over summer break. There are many trails around St. Charles County, and even more are just a short drive away. One of the local trail lies in Klondike Park and it is well known for its steep hill. The Lewis and Clark trail is another trail in the area; it consists of one trail that splits off into a two trails that end up finishing together A man skips a rock across the lake at Klondike Park.

Sandstone covers the area around the lake, due to the area’s past of being a silica sand quarry. This rock, worn down by weather and made flat, makes the perfect rock to skip. To skip one should find a flat rock, hold it slightly upward in their hand, use a sidearm throw while flicking it slightly to get the rock to skip across the water. (Photo by Rachel Kehoe)

Han hikes up the hill that leads to an overlook of the Missouri River. This is one of three trails that exists within Klondike.

Along with hiking, fishing, and camping, Klondike holds many activities through the year, including weekly stargazing and a monthly nature program for preschoolers. (Photo by Elise Gordon)

A man and his daughter walk along the side of the fishing lake at Klondike. The lake contains largemouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill, and sunfish. To fish in this lake, people have to obtain a Missouri Fishing Permit, and are expected to follow the daily fishing limit which is set so the fish do not die out. (Photo by Elise Gordon)

A boy places a rock down upon the pile of other rocks that other hikers have left behind with messages written on them. While hiking on the Lewis and Clark Trail, hikers can find a rock along the hike and write their own message on it. Many hikers should make sure to bring a permanent marker when they hike on the Lewis and Clark Trail to leave their own message. (Photo by Rachel Kehoe)

PHOTO COLLECTIONS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY CAROLYNN GONZALEZ

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Volleyball coaches Robin Yuede, Michelle Oppenborn, and Hannah Snyder talk after practice. They have all coached girls’ volleyball. (Photo by Sam Alexander)

FAMILIAR FACES, UNFAMILIAR TO THE BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL PROGRAM Three new coaches move from girls’ volleyball to boys’ volleyball this season The boys’ volleyball teams are serving into the new season with a few coaches that are new to the program but not new to coaching.

Although fairly new to the boys program, the previous girls’ volleyball coaches have taken over the boys program with Robin Yuede coaching varsity, Hannah Snider coaching JV, and Kent Stover coaching C team.

“It’s certainly a change, but they’re respected coaches so I think it’ll be alright,” senior Jake Oppenborn said. “They’ll help us with learning new, different approaches and actually working on our form and our passing and everything. That will actually help us with individual skills.”

With different coaches, who are fairly new to coaching the boys, current team standards are being set again for the season to come.

“We are really working on upping the expectations on what everyone has to do and looking at everyone to be a leader on the team,” Yuede said. “My goal is to get better every game.” (Brief by Sarah Zimmerman)

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Sophomore Olivia Routh passes the ball to senior Rachel Arena to catch at lacrosse tryouts on March 1. This is the second year FHN has had a girls’ lacrosse team. Many new students and returning team members tried out for the teams this year. (Photo by Rachel Kehoe)

FRESH START TO A NEW SEASON Lacrosse tryouts were on Feb. 27 through March 1 and freshman Riley Witherbee, who has never played lacrosse before, got the spot as one of the goalies on the team.

“Before tryouts started I was really nervous because I had never played the sport so it was weird to jump into,” Witherbee said. “I was still pretty nervous after they all ended, but I felt accomplished that I actually tried out for something. I’m super excited for the season.”

The team’s first tournament started on March 27. The main focus for the team was to learn how to play lacrosse properly, which is a skill they didn’t have fully down last year, because it was their first year playing for the Knights.

“I’m looking forward to see the team grow and take another step for the program,” head coach Ryan Darks said.

“We have a lot of potential to make it a good successful season.” (Brief by Sammie Herr)

NO FLY ZONE

The “no fly zone” was what the varsity baseball coaches called three senior outfielders that graduated last year, leaving the new varsity outfielders with big shoes to fill.

“The outfielders last year were all really close,” sophomore Hunter Tabor said. “Whenever you saw one of them, you saw another. They had each other’s back on the field and I think that’s what made them great.”

The “no fly zone” got its name because any ball hit in the air was caught. The three players replacing them this year are Tabor, junior Jake Needham and junior Chris Connolly.

Varsity baseball coach Mike Freedline doesn’t think that the speed of the “no fly zone” can be replaced, but he does have high hopes for the rest of the season.

“Last year we knew what to expect,” Freedline said. “We knew the players’ skills. This year we have a lot of new players, but I know they are going to do great.” (Brief by Kylah Woods)

SPORTS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY MYAH BLOCKER

Junior Chris Connolly catches a pop fly ball that was thrown to him.

Connolly began playing tee ball when he was younger and is now a member of the FHN varsity baseball team. (Photo by Kamryn Bell)

NEW PLAYERS FOR A NEW SEASON

Seniors Jessica Jones and Sam Alexander stretch during the Friday Night relays. This is an annual event hosted by FHN where track teams competed in various relay races. The meet this year was held on Friday March 31. (File photo)

RUNNING TO THE FINISH LINE Track and field is a sport that consists of a number of events.

These events include running, jumping and throwing. Most of the events are individual but a few, like relay events, involve a team.

FHN Track and Field started Feb. 27 and ends early in May right before districts and conference which is May 13. Each year there are new runners for different events that consist of 4x200m, 4x100m, 100m dash, 200m dash, triple jump, long jump and high jump. Track and field will be going to new track meets, one will be at Washington University March 25th.

“This is my last season on this team and being able to be a

sprinter and run in meets are going to be the highlight of this season,” said senior Casie Pierce.

Staying in shape is important to performing well during meets and during practices. It also helps the coaches see who will run and who will not. They practice everyday after school from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., doing sprints and stretching.

“Overall, this season is definitely going to be a great one; you have upcoming runners and new workouts so it’s always something going on. We have by far the most energizing teams so this will be the best season of them all,” said sophomore Kathryn Brooks. (Brief

by Ashya Roberson)

The Francis Howell Force rugby team makes a play during a game against Marquette. The game was on April 15 and FHN lost with an ending score of 24-36.

(File photo)

The rugby team has high hopes for the rest of the season despite losing eight seniors.

There are a few players that returned from last year, but according to rugby coach Trevor Locke they do not have as many players as they did last year.

“We just don’t have the numbers this year,” Locke said.

“But what we do have is new kids that are eager to learn.”

Locke and his team are excited to see how the rest of the season will go with 12 new players. A large amount of new players affects most teams the same way because of the coach not knowing what to expect. The players are not only new to the game, but also to each other. The returning players are excited to be a bigger part of the team and teach the new players.

“I’m looking forward to playing more this year,” sophomore Connor Hodgkins said. “Everyone works so well together.” (Brief by Kylah Woods)

SWINGING INTO THE SPRING SEASON

Sophomore Alex Pintor prepares to hit a forehand. There were 18 seniors who graduated last year, leading to the influx of new players. The boys’ team has sent people to state two years in a row and hopes to continue that tradition even with the new players. (Photo by Kyra Peper)

The boys’ tennis team only and making sure to stay fit for has two returning senior players the season. Some of the players from last year, five other returning began their preparation for members and ten members who this season beginning back in are new to the summer. This sport. preparation has UPCOMING TENNIS been in hopes “It’ll be a lot different this for the guys to be MATCHES 4/5/17 - 3:30 p.m. FHN vs Timberland year,” senior able to win more (Home) Eric Dickherber matches this year 4/10/17 - 3:30 p.m. FHN vs Holt said. “Everybody than previous (Away) 4/11/17 - 4:00 p.m. FHN vs Parkway playing except years and getting South (Away) for me has as many players 4/12/17 - 3:30 p.m. FHN vs St. Charles never played on qualified for State High (Home) varsity. It’ll be as possible. interesting.”

“We have been To prepare for the season, stressing that our team is a team the team has been training by for a reason,” student manager participating in various drills Maddie Oswald said. “We have during practices to make sure to support each other.” (Brief by everyone knows how to hit well Christian Witte)

SPORTS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY MIA KRISTENSEN

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Junior Maggie Cox and sophomore Gabby Delarue place their foot on a soccer ball while Delarue wears a basketball shoe and Cox wears a volleyball shoe. Both girls have been practicing daily to improve their soccer skills. The first game of the season was March 21 against Incarnet Word Academy, where they lost 2-1.

Making The save Sophomore Gabby Delaure and junior Maggie Cox play high school soccer for the first time

by Hannah Wilson

hannahmae691@gmail.com | @hannahwilson30

Delarue and Cox hold a volleyball after practice with their soccer gear on. Cox and Delarue are both heavily involved with the school and wanted to join soccer to help them become more versatile. This season they will be rotating between the JV and varsity teams. (Photos by Sam Cary)

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SPORTS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY HANNAH WILSON

Change can come in many forms. For sophomore Gabby Delaure and junior Maggie Cox, that change took the shape of a soccer ball. The two both were interested in soccer and wanted to try a new challenge.

“I wanted to try something new and stay active in spring,” Delaure said. “I enjoy that it’s an outside sport, I’ve never done an outside sport before. It’s pretty different from all the other sports I’ve done.”

Delaure has been playing basketball for eight years, making varsity as a freshman, and volleyball for four years. Having played a year of soccer with the St. Charles County Youth Soccer Association, Delaure was feeling rather anxious for the tryout.

“I was really nervous, I didn’t really know a lot or what to do but the girls were really comforting and accepting,” Delaure said. “I had watched a lot of Youtube videos of basic soccer skills and just practiced basic soccer skills before the tryout.”

Cox was able to find a way to involve her main sport, which is volleyball, in this newfound game. Diving around and making the save enables Cox to enjoy the best of both worlds.

“I heard from other people that they were looking for goalies and I’ve always been interested in being a goalie so I thought it would be really fun,” Cox said. “I like being able to make the save or make a cool dive. It’s like volleyball a lot, because I like to dive around.”

Because the new goalies don’t know the position, they spend practices going over the basics and trying to get as much game-like experience as possible. They shoot at each other in order to perfect their reaction time and practiced with other teammates to better their skills and their footwork.

“They haven’t played soccer in a while, or at all, but they want to. I think that’s the first thing that they want to and they want to get better. They listen to what you’re saying and what you’re trying to and they’re trying to get better and they work hard at it,” varsity assistant coach Larry Scheller said.

Both new goalies are looking forward to what the season brings and the new friendships they will gain. They plan to work hard for the team and improve throughout the season by developing their skills and giving everything they can for the good of the team.

“I’m looking forward to learning more about the game and getting close to the team,” Cox said.

On 1120 Country Club Rd. sits what once was the Bogey Hills Country Club that caught fire after 55 years. The Club was 36,000 square-feet and was a popular place for Weddings and parties. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but it was declared not to be arson.

THE SPORTS STRIP

WISE WORDS FROM THOSE WHO CARE

by Heidi Hauptman

heidihauptman9@gmail.com

The remains of Bogey Hills Country Club sits after the fire died out. The fire destroyed the clubs main building, and has put many people out of their jobs.

Firefighters responded to the call at 11:30 p.m. over 50 firefighters showed up to the scene from four agencies. (Photos by Matthew Jewson)

BOGEY HILLS BURNS DOWN Local golf course burns down, affecting the girls’ golf team

by Mackenzie Pugh

kenzie2019@gmail.com | @mackenziepugh_

Bogey Hills Country Club, where the FHN girls’ golf team practices, caught fire. The fire started on Thursday, Feb. 17, at around 11:30 p.m. and quickly spread, destroying the clubhouse. About 15 firetrucks and 50 firefighters were called in to extinguish the flames. However, there were no injuries.

“When I first heard about Bogey Hills I was shocked and kind of upset, but relieved that the course didn’t get burned,” golfer Briana Schmidt said.

Bogey Hills is the location where FHN’s girls’ golf team holds practice everyday. Although the course is still open for play, many girls on the team hold a

strong bond with the clubhouse and were upset to hear about the destruction that was caused by the fire.

“Since my freshman year, I started playing at Bogey Hills, and I think it helped me grow as a golfer and make a lot of great memories,” golfer Jessica Qian said.

The boys’ golf team will be unaffected by the fire as they hold practice at Cave Springs Driving Range and Links of Dardenne, out in O’Fallon. They do have an upcoming competition at Bogey Hills, but it will not be canceled because of the fire.

“I was definitely surprised to hear what had happened,” boys’ golf coach Mark Wright said. “I’m glad the course is still open.”

A good coach will put their time, effort and energy into helping their athletes. This is why the athlete should always respect their coach and listen to what they have to say. Coaches always want what is best for the athlete as a competitor and as a person. Coaches always seem to know what is good for someone.

When they offer help, the athlete should be open to receiving it.

A coach’s primary responsibility is to motivate the athlete to achieve their potential in their sport and to be there for them as they grow as a person. Coaches work hard to better the athlete and a good coach will always have their athletes’ wellbeing in mind.

In my past, I have had many times I didn’t want to listen to what my coach told me to do. There was a point in one of my seasons I had a stress fracture and my coach wanted me to take time off to recover. It was not what I wanted, and it went against what I thought should happen. I was being stubborn and didn’t want to accept that my coaches had my best interest at heart and that I needed to listen to them if I wanted to have the best opportunity at being the strongest athlete that I could be. Looking back, I realize that it was right to do what my coaches told me to do. I was able to recover and have a strong finish to my season. My situation could have been a lot worse if I hadn’t respected my coaches and given them the benefit of the doubt. I just needed to trust that they knew what they were doing.

A good coach will have a strong love and respect for all of their athletes. They put in hours to make sure that they are taken care of and that they will become the best athletes that they can be. They care about the athletes as if they were family. Coaches deserve to be treated with the utmost respect that an athlete has to offer.

SPORTS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY ETHAN SLAUGHTER 32

From field to sidelines

Hamilton runs down the sidelines in order to make an offsides call.

Hamilton enjoys reffing because it helps her to appreciate the game of soccer each time she refs.

Bria Hamilton has been reffing soccer for two years through the St. Louis Soccer Association. She refs most weekends and has spent many hours at soccer fields around St. Louis. Hamilton refs SLYSA league games and tournaments for athletes ages 6-18. She has always had a passion for soccer and believes that this is the ideal job for her Hamilton pulls up her socks before reffing a soccer game on March 25. Hamilton plays soccer for St. Louis Scott Gallagher and she is on the FHN varsity soccer team. (Photos by Sam Cary)

Hamilton watches the play while reffing at the Sport Port facilities. Hamilton refs soccer in order to make money. She makes $20 a game for being an assistant referee, and $40 a game for being a center referee.

Hamilton waves her flag signaling for substitutes. Hamilton has played soccer for 13 years. She knew that she wanted her first job to be reffing because it is a great way to make money and she already knew the game so well.

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PHOTO COLLECTIONS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY ALEX ROWE

The Perfect Fit

Many girls go shopping for prom dresses over spring break. For Taylor Wallsmith, finding the “perfect” dress is a very important part of prom. Wallsmith heard about Robin’s Bridal through a friend and she went to look for her dress. There are many types of dresses for different body types and many people feel the pressure of finding the best one for them Senior Taylor Wallsmith gets assistance from a Robin’s Bridal employee while trying on a dress.

Robin’s Bridal is one of many stores where people find their prom dresses. Prices on dresses can range from $50-$600. (Photos by Sam Cary)

Multi-colored prom dresses sit on the rack at Robin’s Bridal. Robin’s Bridal is located in Kirkwood and supplies clothing for various events such as weddings, proms and quinceañeras.

Wallsmith looks for her “perfect” prom dress. FHN’s prom will be held on May 6 at New Town Events in St. Charles. Tickets will cost $50 and will be sold at lunches.

PHOTO COLLECTIONS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY ALEX ROWE

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A light bulb at Joy’s Collective Market sits on a table.

Joy’s is open Sunday through Thursday (excluding Monday) from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

THE EYES OF MAIN STREET Strolling down Main Street, you’ll see anything from people riding scooters to historical buildings.

Many people visit Main Street for its unique shops and artsy creative style. Main Street also has a variety of different restaurants to dine at as well as delicious ice cream, popcorn and cookie shops.

An old historical camera sits on a book at Joy’s Collective Market located on 600 S Main Street. Joy’s Collective Market is a gathering of local artisans located behind the original store, the store has many unique items that are the main attracting to the store. They sell tems anywhere from edgy headbands to vintage picture frames to tall decorations. (Photos by Riley McCrackin) A variation of six different spices sit in a basket at Old Town Spice Shoppe located on 334 South Main Street.

Its building was built in 1811 and was originally Castor Oil factory. The shop sells, herbs and seasonings, teas, sauces and has approximately 250 spices.

An old light blue Chevrolet Greenbrier drives down Main Street. The streets have many potholes in the road due to the presence of water in the soil and traffic passing over. The holes are a part of the soul to the area and are just another touch to make the streets feel more historical.

PHOTO COLLECTIONS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY RILEY MCCRACKIN

8

adidas vs. nike

by Ashya Roberson

by Heidi Hauptman

There has always been a big argument on which brand is better, Adidas or Nike. Adidas is a great brand to me because it’s like iPhones vs. Androids.

Half of the teen population would rather have an iPhone because of the new updates and cool features that always come out, but Android just copies what iPhone does. Adidas is like the iPhone of shoes. Nike are basically made for fashion rather than an actual purpose because people use the brand for photoshoots and for playing. Wearing Adidas is just fun in general and there is so much to get from it, plus there are stores all over the world selling Adidas clothes and shoes. I believe Adidas will conquer the shoe industry.

Adidas shoes come in many types, ranging from sporty to classy. The famous Adidas soccer shoe was built to help Germany, the underdogs, according to Sneaker magazine. The shoe helped them gain confidence and win the 1954 FIFA World Cup, which was also known as “The Miracle of Bern.”

Although Adidas is famous for their shoes, they are more known for the three stripes down the side.

They are the only shoe with a logo that actually helps to perform a function.

The three stripes on the side of the shoe were originally added to the upper part to hold the shoe together and provide stability. The three stripes make the shoe better because it started out as helping the shoe stay together and not just as a fashion logo. Now people wear the symbol with about anything that is Adidas.

This hit brand is universal and can be worn with anything. Run DMC is one of the most famous hip hop rap groups of the 1990s. They wore Adidas with anything and made songs to get people to buy Adidas. With the song “My Adidas” hitting the number one chart on Rolling Stone in 1986, it only made helped to make Adidas more popular than Nike according to Rolling Stone.

A normal Adidas shoe costs $55.99, while Nike shoes typically cost $75.99 which is too much.

Adidas are a brand that is affordable and they stay together for years. Adidas are great to me because they are made for so many sports and fashion statements all around the world.

The Dassler Brothers made an impact on the world by making the best looking shoe in history.

Everyone is familiar with the swoosh that accompanies every article of Nike apparel and the three stripes that are the trademark for the Adidas brand. It’s no secret that Nike and Adidas aren’t the best of friends. Both have been very successful throughout the years since they were founded, but which is the better brand? With its large success and great customer satisfaction, Nike is by far the superior brand.

Nike was founded on Jan. 25, 1964. Since then, Nike has had great success. Nike, as of late 2016, was nearly tripling the market share, the portion of a market controlled by a particular company or product, of Adidas. The former had $65.8 billion, and the latter had $22.7 billion in total market share. Nike also commands 62 percent of the U.S. athletic footwear market. This shows that people prefer it over other sporting brands.

Part of Nike’s success could be attributed to the Nike Sport Research Laboratory (NSRL). In the lab, they quantify athletes’ movements, the environments they play in and the products they use.

Then they analyze the results and use that knowledge to make really unbelievable products. Although Senior Chase Jefferson has a the other side may shoe collection argue that Adidas including products are less many brands: expensive, Nike goo.gl/C7Mas7 customers know what they are paying for and appreciate the high standards that Nike sets.

There is one name that puts Nike over the top and that name is Michael Jordan, one of the greatest professional athletes of all time. In 1984, Adidas had a chance to sponsor Jordan, but they passed, a large mistake on their part. Jordan has helped make Nike one of the most recognized brands ever. Although Adidas has a partnership with Kanye West, Nike’s connections with athletes make it more legitimate.

Although both brands have made quite a name for themselves, it is clear that Nike is the superior brand over Adidas. With their highquality products, good customer appeal and large market success, Nike is just doing it better.

shayroberson48@gmail.com | @aweezyroberson

heidihauptman9@gmail.com | @HauptmanHeidi

WATCH

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OPINIONS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY ASHYA ROBERSON

SEX EDUCATION OR EVASION?

The U.S. needs to revamp their sexual health education laws so that all states require schools to teach medically and factually correct information that is inclusive in order to reduce teen pregnancy and STD rates

by Sami Schmid

saminiccole102@gmail.com | @Sami_nicole101

It’s time to talk about sex. Everyone seems to be obsessed with this three-letter word. Everywhere you turn, the media makes references toward the heat of the moment, yet teenagers in our society are seldom exposed to the truth about sex.

While our favorite TV shows have the witty main characters going at it on screen in a happy-go-lucky manner, our schools want to bottle the topic. Unfortunately, we put a stigma on anything relating to sex as something that is dirty or naughty, when in reality sex is a natural, biological process that does not need to be kept hush hush.

We’ve allowed our laws to be shaped by this stigma and everyone is affected by it. The problem is that in the U.S. not all of the states require medically or factually correct information in public schools. According to a Guttmacher Institute article, only 24 states require sex education and only 13 require that instruction be medically correct. No wonder the U.S. has some of the highest teen pregnancy and STD rates.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, not only is the teen pregnancy rate the highest in the U.S., but roughly one in four girls will become pregnant at least once by their 20th birthday. Teen pregnancy has been proven to be linked to having trouble getting education and being more likely to live in poverty. There are also links to children of teen parents being more likely to live in poverty, have poor education and health, have cognitive disadvantages and become teen parents themselves.

These rates are largely due to the lack of information we are giving today’s youth. Making the information teens receive inclusive and medically correct is the best course of action to reduce pregnancy and STD rates. However, many schools use abstinence-based education. While we can all agree that not having sex is a surefire way to not get pregnant, the reality is that people are having sex and in fact those who are taught by abstinence-based programs have been proven to be more likely to have sex. In an Advocates For Youth article, researchers studied the National Survey of Family Growth to determine the impact of sexuality education

on youth sexual risk-taking for young people ages 15-19. The researchers found that teens who received comprehensive sex education were 50 percent less likely to experience teen pregnancy than those who received abstinence-only education.

Furthermore, few abstinence-based programs have proven themselves to be medically and factually accurate. In December 2004, the U.S. House of Representative’s Committee on Government Reform led by Rep. Henry A. Waxman released a report on the most popular federally funded abstinence-only education programs.

Evidence showed that 80 percent of them use curricula that distort information and misrepresent facts about abortion and contraceptives. They were also found to blur the line between religion and science and treat stereotypes about girls and boys as scientific fact, overall containing basic scientific errors.

Many of these programs claim to teach medically and factually correct information, but when questioned by parents and school districts they lack transparency. FHSD recently let go of Best Choice powered by Thrive, an abstinence-based sex education program in St. Louis, due to parent concerns.

When parents began speaking out about their concerns that the material be correct and inclusive, the District tried looking into the course material to determine its legitimacy. However, Thrive would not comply with requests.

What public schools need is comprehensive sex education, which has been proven to be effective. In order to have comprehensive sex ed, schools should ensure an inclusive environment that covers sexuality and gender identity. Not only should pregnancy prevention be discussed, but so should afterpregnancy options. Schools should also cover abuse, relationships, consent and sexual abuse. Since the goal of all education is to promote healthy, well-informed individuals, having proper sex ed will further that goal in promoting sexual health.

World Health Organization (WHO) determined the right to sexual information as an integral part of proper sexual health. By failing to provide proper information, schools are failing to promote the health of their students. We can see that the best solution to preventing future accidents is to implement comprehensive and inclusive education.

U.S. SEX EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS States that have laws requiring sex education States that require sex education and medically correct information States that do not require sex education but require information to be medically correct States that have no laws regarding either (Source: Guttmacher Institute, Sexetc.org )

OPINIONS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY SAMI SCHMID 40

THE SYSTEM OF MANY FLAWS

The U.S. spent a total of $632 billion on public education in 2010, yet we still trail behind many other nations

by Stacy Beasley

sbeazley125@gmail.com | @sbeazley125

No two human brains are the same, and anyone with children can testify to this. It doesn’t make sense to put children in rows inside of a room, teach the same lesson and expect every child to learn that lesson the same way. As time goes on, kids are becoming more and more diverse. Countries like Finland and Singapore have taken this into consideration in order to better educate their students, and we should too.

The high school graduation rate is higher than ever in the U.S., with over 80 percent of kids receiving their diploma, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. However, the number of people with a bachelor’s degree or higher is much lower. Only around 22 percent of Americans have a college degree. We rank 35th in math and 27th in science according to Pew Research. For a country that claims to be one of the greatest in the world, our numbers are relatively elementary.

Finland has one of the greatest education systems in the world. Their rank may vary from source to source, but they are consistently in the top five. This is for many reasons. One is because they focus on collaboration between students rather than competitiveness. The classrooms are smaller, so each student gets more one-on-one time with the teacher if they are having trouble. Students rarely receive homework assignments and are only required to take one standardized test. This may sound very unorthodox, but it works. Over 66 percent of students move onto universities, according to Business Insider. The craziest part might be that the government pays for all of this, yet Finland spends 30 percent less on each student compared to the U.S. Other countries such as Singapore, South Korea and Japan are all outperforming the U.S. in almost every category. The students are in smaller classes and each child can receive extra help if needed.

Education reform takes time, but there are many things our government could do to help our students be fully prepared for the real world. Having smaller classrooms would give each student more one-on-one attention, and kids would be able to concentrate better. Also, creating more of a focus on each student’s needs would help each kid learn in their own way. While our system still works relatively well, it is still flawed, and those flaws are becoming more and more.

Amy Stoker helps sophomore Bailey Harrell in English II while they analyze a book they are reading in class called “The Pact”. With some classroom sizes increasing, students will get less one-on-one time with their teachers. (Photo by Jared Kinnard)

RELIGION IN AMERICA

Many Americans encourage blurring the lines between the separation of church and state

by Anna Lindquist

alindquist@gmail.com | @annalindquistt

The American dream, simply put, is freedom. We are a melting pot of cultures, ethnicities, religions and so much more. Our rights protect us in many ways and give us a lot of free reign. In the U.S., every single citizen is entitled to their first amendment rights, specifically freedom of religion. For those who practice a religion, like myself, it’s a blessing we shouldn’t take for granted. Most do anyway. People across our nation try to push their religious ideals into becoming government policy. While most us would prefer to have laws made to ban actions that go against our religious ideals, that isn’t what happens. The phrase “separation of church and state,” first introduced by Thomas Jefferson, is the reason why that isn’t allowed to happen in our government.

In 2008, there were over 310 identifiable religions in the U.S., according to ProCon. We have a choice as people to choose to put our faith in a higher power or no power at all. The most popular religion in the U.S. is Christianity. Just in the St. Louis metro area, 75 percent polled were a denomination of Christianity,

41 OPINIONS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY STACY BEASLEY

according to the Pew Research Center. If laws were made to only satisfy the majority faith, is that law just?

No. The First Amendment states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

This encompasses all court cases, proposed bills or executive orders that challenge our freedoms for the sake of one religion and not the American people.

A common argument amongst Christians is of the legalization of gay marriage in June 2015. In the bible, homosexuality is condemned, but not everyone is a Christian or believes in the bible’s teachings. Anyone can choose not to act on things prohibited by their established religion, but it shouldn’t limit the actions of the rest of America.

This country gives people a choice to have faith in whatever they choose.

Making laws or even approving of laws introduced to confine their choices to a religious text(s) they may not agree with is not just unfair but also undemocratic.

It is our responsibility to make sure that we are informed enough to know not to encourage or try to integrate our religious views into a government meant for such a diverse group of people.

TOP NEWS APPS The Skimm - This app puts out a short summary of the main headlines every morning, all in a conversational and laid-back way. It doesn’t go in-depth on stories, but it’s a great way to quickly catch up on the news, especially for people who don’t have as much exposure to current events.

Reuters TV - This is a really great option for people who prefer to watch the news.

Users can set a time limit ranging from 5-30 minutes, and the app then condenses or adds stories accordingly.

Reuters TV also gives viewers the option of skipping stories and moving on to the next one.

A laptop sits on a table, surrounded by different newspapers and a cup of tea. According to a Pew study published in September 2016, about 40 percent of Americans get their news online, and 62 percent of American adults get their news from social media sites. (Source: Shutterstock/Stokkete)

DON’T JUST READ IT AND WEEP If Americans really want to be informed and get all sides of a story, it’s important for us to get our news from multiple different sources and viewpoints

by Noah Slaughter

reader524@gmail.com | @noahslaughterr

To listeners of Mark Levin’s evening radio show, it seemed that there had just been a “big scandal.” According to the show’s host, President Donald Trump was the victim of spying and wiretapping by the Obama administration, all in an attempt to undermine his campaign. Within hours, Breitbart News picked up the story, which eventually found its way to President Trump’s desk and, ultimately, his Twitter feed, where he openly accused the former president of this scheming.

There was only one problem.

There was no evidence to support Levin’s claim.

President Trump’s willingness to accept these accusations is indicative of a greater problem that seems to be hitting Democrats, Republicans and independents alike: a reliance on only a select few sources for news. A 2016 Pew Research Poll found that 76 percent of U.S. adults usually rely on the same sources for news. While there’s nothing wrong with preferring one news organization over another, getting all news from one or two sites while ignoring any other possible viewpoints can

be dangerous.

This isn’t to say that most news organizations are inaccurate or blatantly biased one way or the other. They’re not. Instead, it’s important for Americans on both sides of the aisle to explore different opinions, to read widely and to think critically about the information they ingest.

Instead of flocking straight to Twitter for news, where everything is curated algorithmically to fit your preferences, try getting a subscription to the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal. Rather than waiting to get BuzzFeed notifications, try out the Reuters or BBC News apps. Unless we stop to doublecheck information and explore multiple sides of a story, our political climate is only going to get more and more divided and close-minded. If we want to truly understand each other, we have to sometimes go beyond our comfort zone and see what others have to say.

Only when we stop to think about where our news comes from and look at what other sources have to say can we really be informed. Until we do that, we’ll be stuck in the darkness, lit only by the ephemeral glow of Tweets and Facebook notifications.

BBC News - The well-known British news source does a great job of publishing stories that readers can breeze through in a few minutes. BBC also has a solid reputation for being one of the least biased and most reputable sources in the world, making the app a great addition to everyone’s smartphone.

NPR News - NPR’s app lets users listen to its hourly news updates, which usually last about four minutes. This is a nice way to get a rundown of the hour’s top stories from around the world, without having to wade through longer articles, which the app also offers.

Associated Press - The world’s oldest and largest news organization, AP has reporters around the world, bringing readers the latest breaking news. According to their website, they publish about 2,000 stories every day and 1 million photos per year.

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Freshman Elizabeth Cox writes a sentence in Spanish on the Smart Board while in Anelise Mossinghoff’s fifth hour Spanish I class. The students got a few minutes to themselves to write down sentences containing “duelen” or “duele,” which means “they hurt” or “it hurts” to understand the different ways to conjugate with different words. (Photo by Riley McCrackin)

New Languages open new worlds The best way to learn a new language is through language immersion and continued opportunities in school

by Chris St. Aubin

I have been in Spanish since eighth grade, and I am in Spanish V, yet I still could barely hold a conversation with a first grader in the language without outside learning that I have done. It has been a goal of mine to learn as many languages At FHN we offer four foreign languages with numerous other languages online. as possible within my lifetime, and to do this there is one way that I feel that is the It is also recommended that students take two years of foreign language for best way to learn: immersion. college. So why do we put an emphasis on learning the basics of a language? It is For a person to immerse themselves in a language means to travel to an area proven that professionals who speak multiple languages are more marketable to that speaks a foreign language and then for that person to start to interact employers. However, the public school system of language normally with people. This year Spanish, German, French learning sometimes cannot accomplish fluency itself. The and Chinese classes from FHN are going on trips to immerse of Americans speak easiest, although sometimes frustrating, way to become themselves in their respective languages and cultures. a second language fluent is through immersing yourself in a language.

German classes are going to Germany, Spanish classes are of Europeans Learning a language not only makes you more marketable traveling to Ecuador, France is going to France and Chinese is speak a second to future employers, but it also helps to expand your going to China. The Ecuador trip will be focused on exploring language horizons. During the process of learning a language, you the South American culture and service. The Spanish students are then able to communicate with a portion of the world will be joined by the Spanish classes from FHC. The German, of U.S. adults are proficient in that you were not able to before. Sure there are alternatives, French and Chinese trips will be focused on taking in their the languages such as translators and software, but imagine a game of cultures and languages. Through these class’ experiences, the they learned in telephone. As the message is passed through multiple students will benefit immensely through cultural intake and a U.S. classroom parties, things get lost in translation. To be able to unlock language immersion.

(Sources: Forbes, The Atlantic) these new worlds, we must strive to learn more languages These trips were the initiative of active students and and circumnavigate the barriers. passionate teachers. However, these experiences and language The U.S. is lagging in their education of foreign languages. It is not compulsory learning is decreasing in prevalence. As our district continues to deliberate to learn a foreign language in the U.S., whereas various countries in Europe on class cuts for next year, some language classes feel the hardest decline in require all of their students to learn two languages. Europe is unique in each enrollment. The passion for learning languages is not as high as it should be, country is only a few hours from a different language and culture. Thus, this and a way to increase that is by continuing to engage students in international strong emphasis on language learning is placed because those countries experiences. In the future, more opportunities for language and cultural encourage cooperation and diffusion of ideas. In the U.S., we offer such classes, immersion should continue to be available so that students at FHN can procure but do not place as much emphasis as we should. new cultures and new worlds. cgs8833@gmail.com | @chris_staubin

18 percent

53 percent Less than 1 percent

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OPINIONS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY HEERAL PATEL

Former President Barack Obama hosts a meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House in November 2016. It was the first meeting between the two after President Trump was elected. (Photo used under Creative Commons license)

THE UNAFFORDABLE CARE ACT

The failure of the Affordable Care Act to provide affordable healthcare for all Americans, having actually increased costs rather than lowering them, makes reform now more important than ever

by Martin Groves

has happened as a result of the continuously rising rates is that the working and middle class are seemingly only willing to pay for the unappealing plans if they are sick or have a preexisting condition, because to do so otherwise would make little The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, was signed into financial sense. law in 2010. In short, the intention of the program was to provide more The main problem with the current American healthcare system as a whole, affordable healthcare coverage to the American people. However, as we as well as the failed AHCA, is that the mixture of privatization and federal control have seen over the last few years, what has happened is this once seemingly that is not compatible in its current form. What needs to happen is one of two promising program has turned out to be detrimental to the middle class, hurt things, either increasing privatization to promote competition, or having a totally small businesses, significantly increased insurance premiums federal system. The latter of the two options has already been and has been generally detrimental to the American healthcare implemented in many parts of the world, particularly in Europe. system.

Founded in 1948, the National Health Service (NHS) is a publicly For years, Republicans have promised to repeal and replace funded national healthcare system in the U.K., established on its Check out the Congressional the ACA, yet despite desperate support from President Trump founding principles of being comprehensive, universal and free Budget Office’s assesment of the and Speaker Paul Ryan, the vote in the U.S. House on the highly at the point of delivery. It also happens to be the oldest singleAHCA: goo.gl/McmPfj anticipated Republican bill, the American Health Care Act (AHCA), payer healthcare system in the world. Over the years, the NHS was cancelled the day of the vote. The AHCA was opposed by has proven itself to be a successful and sustainable healthcare Democrats and some moderate Republicans, who felt that the cuts to healthcare system, favored by most people across the political spectrum. That being said, were to severe, and also by some far-right conservatives who felt there was still the NHS does suffer from problems commonly seen in federalized healthcare too much government intervention, referring to the bill as “Obamacare 2.0.” systems, particularly the shortage of doctors and availability of hospital beds.

In 2014, several major revisions were made to the ACA, namely the This often results in long wait lists for treatment and operations, and people being implementation of small business tax credits, federal subsidies allocated based sent home early when not fully ready, which can be particularly detrimental to the on income and a requirement that those with preexisting conditions could not elderly and those who are in life-threatening situations. be denied coverage. Prior to that in 2013, there were an estimated 44 million In the U.S., many doctors have been long against the Affordable Care Act, Americans who had no health insurance, about 16 percent of the population. arguing that the wave of rules and regulations prevents them from providing By 2015, this rate had fallen to below 10 percent of the population. According proper care to their patients. In a story for CNN, Atlanta urologist Brian Hill said to a survey conducted by the New York Times in 2015, the majority of those not “the ACA took this terrible broken healthcare system and added a lot of burden covered by health insurance were working-class families who could not afford onto physicians.” A side effect of the ACA has been the irrevocable power that coverage, which is ironic considering how the ‘Affordable’ Care Act has raised rates insurance companies now hold in the healthcare industry. Nowadays, patients significantly for everyone else. walk into a doctor’s office or get some procedure performed on them, often not While Obamacare has put millions more Americans on health insurance, the knowing how much they will eventually have to pay out of pocket, because it program has been detrimental to the working and middle class. The poorest depends entirely on how much their insurance company is willing to pay out. of Americans gain the most from the program, benefiting from the lowest “We’re losing the focus of who we’re supposed to be taking care of: the patient. deductibles and highest subsidies, the result of which has been the skyrocketing You’re not my customer anymore. Now, I’ve got to respond to the federal of rates for everyone else. According to a study conducted by the Kaiser Family bureaucracy, not you,” Hill said.

Foundation in 2008, the average employer-sponsored family plan cost employees The replacement for the failing Affordable Care Act has been long overdue, and $3,354. By 2016, that cost had risen by over 50 percent to $5,277. Furthermore, the significant opposition to and failure to pass the American Health Care Act the number of covered workers on high-deductible plans of at least $1,000 has means that it will be months, if not years, before the real change that much of the increased from 35 percent in 2008 to a majority of over 50 percent today. What American people want will be implemented. martin@groves.hk

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MORE INFO

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STUDENT TAKE:

DO YOU THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO VOTE IN THE UPCOMING STUCO ELECTION?

“They don’t really do much for me, but at the same time it’s good to get kids involved in politics.”

RANDY HOSEA III, 11

“I do believe it is important because a lot of people like to complain about the outcome, but they have the opportunity to voice their opinions by voting.”

KATHRYN BROOKS, 10

“Yes, I think it’s very important because it gives us a chance to share our perspective and point of view.”

STERLING JONES, 9

“It’s important to vote for what you believe in because otherwise things go against what you believe in. It’s important to vote for StuCo because StuCo makes decisions on what goes on around the school.”

HALIE WILLBRAND, 10

“No, because it doesn’t matter. No matter who I pick, they’re just going to be doing the same thing anyway.”

NICK WALKER, 12

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NORTH STAR TAKE:

VOTE FOR INVOLVEMENT

Students need to participate in student government in order to be prepared for their lives after graduation On Behalf of the Editorial Staff yourfhn@fhntoday.com | @FHNtoday

The clock is ticking for students to get involved and make the school a place they do not mind spending eight hours a day in. The clock is ticking for students to make the school a better place: one they’re proud to call their school. The clock is ticking for students to have a say in what goes on inside these walls. StuCo elections are approaching, giving students the opportunity to do just that.

Students need to step up and exercise their duty and responsibility to vote. As the week of April 24-29 approaches, StuCo candidates will make their case to be voted onto the organization’s cabinet for the 2017-18 school

OPINIONS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY ANTHONY KRISTENSEN

year. StuCo plays a large part in student’s everyday lives as the student government organization for the school. They plan out dances, coordinate fundraisers and more.

This is the time students can make their voice heard. By voting for those who they believe will step up to the challenge, students can put others who have the ability to lead, create change and provide a wholesome educational experience into power.

With the right leaders, the organization can host fundraisers, sponsor drives and coordinate volunteer efforts to help out students in the school along with the surrounding community. With the upcoming Mr. FHN, StuCo demonstrates its power to influence the student body to contribute to a good cause.

Students and their priorities

north | star

Editor-in-Chief: Carolynn Gonzalez Business Manager: Kayla Martinez Business: Gabriel Avalos Madison Clifton Managing Editor: Aly Doty Copy Editor: Noah Slaughter Content Director: Anthony Kristensen Team Editors: McKayla Bogda Ethan Slaughter

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8- p Gr Re 11 e w ag y’s at c A a 19 in na h to .

Sc Wa m y ho tc fo ol h H r M tim the us igh bi ica e lli 20 l on .V th ot ef or Stu Co

General Staff: Stacy Beasley Jake Price Myah Blocker Paige Prinster Olivia Fetsch Mackenzie Pugh Martin Groves Ashya Roberson Heidi Hauptman Samantha Schmid Samantha Herr Keegan Schuster Ronald Joel Christopher St. Aubin Mia Kristensen Hannah Wilson Alex Lane Sydney Wise Anna Lindquist Christian Witte Rebekah Maye Kylah Woods Heeral Patel Sarah Zimmerman Editor-in-Chief of Photography: Alex Rowe Newspaper Photo Editor: Riley McCrackin

(Illustration by Heeral Patel)

Yearbook Photo Editor: Hannah Medlin Photographers: Sam Alexander Rachel Kehoe Kamryn Bell Jared Kinnard Sam Cary Bernadette Kornberger Michaela Erfling Sarah LaLonde Elise Gordon Shannon Lane Matthew Jewsen Kyra Peper Savannah Wandzel

FHNTODAY STAFF

Donations to the performance will go to charities throughout the community. With the right leadership, the organization can do more of this.

FHSD is a district whose Board of Education operates under many values, including the intent to develop responsible citizens. A majority of high school students are ineligible to vote in federal, state and local elections, but the District allows students to choose who will have an effect on their educational experience.

Students are allowed to vote in club and student government elections. In fact, they should exercise their right to participate in such a decision.

Voting is a fundamental part of a democracy’s ability to function. Taking part in the process is beneficial for teaching students to be responsible adults who help the democracy their country is based on run with as much citizen engagement as possible.

With only one third of the FHN student population voting in last year’s student council election, that remaining two thirds are not off

to a great start in their voting careers. When comparing these numbers to general elections throughout history in the U.S., FHN is not sizing up.

60 percent of eligible voters throughout America traveled to the polls last November to participate in the presidential, gubernatorial and other local elections. That’s more than 30 percent more voters that went to vote than students who bothered to walk a few minutes to the Commons to cast their opinion on a ballot.

To produce responsible, involved citizens, organizations throughout the school need to call out to students and educate them on why their vote matters. Show students why candidates can help make the best homecoming of their high school career, or why candidates are the best because of their community service.

The FHN community needs to come together to increase student involvement in their dayto-day lives. Doing so could be the difference between a successful or failing society in the future.

Editors-in-Chief: Michal Basford Chase Meyer Social Media Editor: Isaiah Bryant FHNgameday Editor: Jacob Lintner Web Staff: Madison Abanathie Dalia Gonzalez Gavin Atkinson Jadon Herrman Joel Boenitz Riley Kampff Kyle Dearing Tyler Rogers Editor-in-Chief of Video: Brayton Larson Special Projects Editor: Alyssa Barber Podcast Editor: Taylor Sheridan Video and Social Media Manager: Kelsey Decker Video Staff: Carsten Adams Reide Pearson Jacob Dulaney Taylor Perry Emily Hood Madilyn Shinault Dominic Hoscher William Skaggs Daniel Kuhn KalI Skikas Lupe Medina Lily Sontheimer Nathan Williams Advisers: Aaron Manfull Jordyn Kiel

OPINIONS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY ANTHONY KRISTENSEN

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