More Than Just an Animal by North Star

NORTH | STAR FRANCIS HOWELL NORTH | ST. CHARLES, MO | 12.14.16 | VOL 31 ISSUE 03

more than just an animal PAGE 23

More Than Just an Animal To many people, they’re not just animals, they’re friends and family. Whether they are pets, strays or any other animal, everyone sees them in a different light.

ON THE COVER

Amos, senior Aly Doty’s cat, looks up as he lounges on the ground. (Photo by Bernadette Kornberger)

WE’RE SOCIAL,

ARE YOU? TWITTER

Car Safety

The top six things to keep in a car in order to guarantee a safer winter.

ENTERTAINMENT

Wrap a Bow Find out how to properly wrap a gift with the perfect bow this holiday season.

@fhntoday

SNAPCHAT

With Prop Howell failing, the board and administration discusses what should be cut.

fhntoday

INSTAGRAM

Prop Howell

NEWS

Drumline Band members seek ways to continue practicing now that marching band is over.

@fhntoday

FACEBOOK @fhntodayfan

Gold Award

Elliot Pearsall is a bus driver who juggles in front of buses and is a hired entertainer.

Junior Micheala Erfling works to create a lending library to get her Girl Scout Gold Award.

FEATURES

Bus Driver

TUMBLR fhntoday

YOUTUBE fhntoday

Coming Back Grace Stevenson returns after spending almost all of last season on the sidelines.

SPORTS

Brotherly Bond Drake and Brendan Johnston take on the hockey season together.

PINTEREST fhntoday

SMUGMUG fhntoday

OPINIONS

CONTENTS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY MACKENZIE PUGH

Face Off Olivia and Ashya battle it out to see which reigns supreme: Instagram or Snapchat stories.

44 Top Eight The top eight fast food french fries and why they each made the list.

WHICH CHRISTMAS CHARACTER ARE YOU?

MUSIC CHARTS Black Beatles Rae Sremmurd

24K Magic Bruno Mars

Have you ever wondered what Christmas character you are? Take this personality quiz to find out who your inner Christmas spirit is

“I like that it’s really uplifting and it’s a nice beat.” Brendan Johnston, 12

Ye s

ve tro In Red

e yb

Ye s

r Sta

Bad Things Machine Gun Kelly & Camila Cabello “It’s different. She sings soft and then his rap.” Tia Howard, 10

Do you prefer Star Wars or Harry Potter?

Are you getting the iPhone 7? No

Lea d Dogs

Harry Potter

Movies

m um

Do you prefer books or movies?

Do you prefer the color red or blue? Bl ue

Winter

eb all

Do you prefer winter or summer?

Don’t Wanna Know Maroon 5

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Cake

Are you planning to go to college?

Do you like football or baseball? Ba s Football

Do you prefer pie or cake?

Do you prefer dogs or cats? Ca ts

Pie

ro Ext

Are you a leader or a follower? Fo llo

It’s OK

Do you like Christmas?

Santa Claus

Frosty the Snowman

Rudolph the RedNose Reindeer

The Grinch

You are humble, hardworking and a born leader. You love to give to others and to help out everyone you can. When things go awry, you are there to step up and take charge; however, this causes people to think you are bossy and strict. You are determined, organized and responsible.

You are the life of the party. You are very outgoing and love to have fun; however, this may make you seem immature and irresponsible. You are never not happy, you try to make life more enjoyable, you brighten people’s days and people everywhere adore you. You have many friends due to your bright personality.

You are very introverted and shy, but you are kind and sweet. You are independent and tend to hang out with a small group of friends; this could make you seem like you aren’t very sociable and that you are different. However, you embrace your differences and you are never afraid to show your true self.

You are very unique, strong and passionate. You are never afraid to speak what’s on your mind. You have strong opinions, and you are never afraid to show them. However, this gives people the idea that you are pessimistic and have no filter. You may have strong preferences, but you have a big heart.

Starboy The Weeknd

Closer The Chainsmokers

“I just like how the song goes. It’s just the beat. I like how it goes.” Hannah Penning, 10

Love Can Build a Bridge Sundance Head (Source: iTunes Charts)

ENTERTAINMENT | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY JAKE PRICE

TOP 3 SHOP APPS

Canopy (Free)

Wish (Free)

Poshmark (Free)

Canopy helps users find all the nice things on Amazon a lot faster using categories.

Wish is good for shopping for trendy fashion or products that most don’t even know exist.

Poshmark has over 5,000 brands of clothing in every size, as well as the ability to sell your own clothes.

“I like how it makes finding things easier. It’s really organized.” - Alex Wood, 9

“I love the clothes on there. There’s tons of options and it’s easy to use.” - Gini Weisar, 10

“You can always find something unique and different.” - Marissa Harris, 10

CAR SAFETY KIT

Emergencies on the road can happen at any time, from something as common as snow on car windows to something extreme like a blizzard. Here are some necessities for unexpected situations

Ice Scraper

When car windows freeze over, it’s very inconvenient and timeconsuming to scrape ice off the windows with a credit card. “If your car freezes over and you don’t have an ice scraper, you’re screwed. What else are you going to use?” -Christian Blanchard, 12

Cash or Change

Don’t fully rely on credit cards. It’s possible to end up in a situation where the only thing the store accepts is cash. Then the credit card is about as useful as a piece of plastic. “I keep change and a couple dollar bills for meters or toll roads. No one thinks about toll roads. Especially if you’re on a road trip.” -Greg Brown, math teacher

First Aid Kit

First aid kits are always a necessity. People need them in the summer as well as the winter because it’s impossible to predict what will happen on the road. “You need a first aid kit to treat wounds. It’s just as important in the winter as it is in the summer. The same reasons apply.” -Conner Hosea, 11

Warm Clothes

Cars are unpredictable, and they can stop working for no reason at all. It could take a while for a ride home or a quick jump start. If being cold isn’t ideal then covering up is an option. “Cars take forever to heat up and you don’t want to be stranded on the side of the road in 2 degree weather with no blankets.” -Amanda Denno, 11

ENTERTAINMENT | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY KYLAH WOODS

Jumper Cables

Car batteries can die at any time, so it’s important to have and know how to use jumper cables. It’s also always good to have them to help someone else. “Cars are unpredictable and having jumper cables is always a good thing in case [your car] or someone else’s breaks down.” -Josef Murphy, 11

Phone Charger

It’s always important, in or out of the car, to have a fully charged phone, but that’s not always possible. So just in case, it’s good to have a phone charger and not just rely on the phone’s battery life. “You could be in an emergency and if your phone is dead and you have no charger, you’re screwed.” -Rizwan Hyder, 11

HOW TO TIE A GIFT BOW FOR THE HOLIDAYS With the holiday season coming up fast, go beyond wrapping paper and tape for your presents this year by following this quick DIY to learn how to tie a bow for the perfect holiday gift

STEP 1

MEASURE THE RIBBON

Measure the ribbon. An easy way to do this is to wrap the ribbon around the present twice. Loop the ribbon around the bottom of the present and bring the two ends together above the gift. Tie a knot with the two ends as if you were beginning to tie your shoes.

STEP 2

MAKE THE LOOPS

Make a loop with one end of the ribbon and pinch it in one hand. While still holding onto the loop, take the other end of the ribbon with your other hand and wrap the loop with the other end.

STEP 3

FINISH THE BOW Pull the other end through, as if you were tying your shoes. Pull on each loop until you get your desired bow size. Cut off any excess ribbon or adjust the place the bow is if needed and then you’re finished. “This was really helpful. For example, I didn’t know a good way to measure the amount of ribbon before, so this definitely taught me something,” sophomore Haley Peer said.

FINISHED

WATCH Follow this link to see these steps in action: goo.gl/KGcjmB

(Graphic by Paige Prinster, photos by Bernadette Kornberger)

MOANA IS STUNNING AND ALMOST MAGICAL by Jake Price

japrice024@gmail.com

I @dragonjake158

The new Disney princess film follows the journey of a Polynesian chieftain’s daughter, Moana, who seeks the help of the demigod Maui to get rid of a curse that threatens her island. They must travel across the ocean and face many dangerous monsters if they want to make it in time to save her home. Compared to every other Disney movie, Moana is not the best. However, the film is really well-crafted. The animation is beautiful. It’s amazing how well they were able to animate the water, the sky and even the people so realistically to where viewers almost forget they are watching an animated movie. The visuals are stunning, nothing looks out of place and the movie is really pretty to look at overall. The voice acting is really fantastic, specifically Dwayne Johnson. He is amazing. The way he voiced Maui adds such great humor and fun to the movie. The other cast members like Auli’i Cravalho, who plays Moana, did a great job, but not as good as Johnson. Since this is a Disney princess film, there were, in fact, musical numbers. The truth is the music was a bit weak. The music was very well made, but it just didn’t click like other Disney movies. This is mainly due to the music being overshadowed by the amazing animation and characters. The only flaw with this movie is the storytelling. The entire first act of the film felt very rushed, and the story got a bit repetitive in places. Overall, Moana is very entertaining, very well-made and very likable. This movie may have hit a few small bumps in the road, but if people don’t see this movie they will really miss out on a fun moving-going experience.

ENTERTAINMENT | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY PAIGE PRINSTER

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PLUNGING FOR A GOOD CAUSE For the past couple of years, HOSA has done the Polar Plunge in St. Louis to raise money for the Special Olympics in Missouri, and they plan on participating again on Feb. 27. It’s a time to see teachers and students from other schools dress up in costumes and enjoy the weather. “Jumping into that icy cold water gave me a rush,” senior Michael Shine said. “It made me want to jump in there over and over.” Each HOSA student must raise at least $75 to join and be a part of this event each year. This is how they raise money for children that compete in the Special Olympics. “It raises money for a good cause and it makes me and the HOSA kids feel good about it,” HOSA sponsor Matthew Riffee said. Last year, HOSA had 14 students participate and they raised over $3,000 and were featured on Fox 2 News in the morning. Matthew Riffee thought of a Disney theme for last year’s Polar Plunge, winning the Golden Plunger for best costume. “I didn’t think we were going to win best costume, but I’m glad we did because I’m hoping to keep that streak going for this year,” Riffee said. The Special Olympics are for intellectual developmental disabilities (IDD) kids who want to be a part of the real Olympics. Last year, every school raised over $3,000 for this cause. “It’s a lot of fun,” Riffee said. “It’s very rewarding to have your hard work pay off. It’s a sense of accomplishment for everyone who did the Polar Plunge.” (Brief by Ashya Roberson)

Graduates Brandi Wellman, Paige Ward, Madeline O’Laughlin, Lauren Wood, and Madison Vanek run into Creve Couer Lake in freezing cold temperatures on Feb. 27. The theme chosen for the last polar plunge was princesses and the participants from FHN were dressed in various Disney princess costumes. (File Photo)

SCAVENGING AROUND FCA gets ready for their annual December scavenger hunt, which will be later this month. In the FCA scavenger hunt, students have to take pictures of 28 places before time runs out. Huddle leaders Sara White and Dawn Hahn do the scavenger differently each year. For the last few years they have switched up the hints but have kept the Christmas theme alive since it’s usually around that time of year. “Being a part of the scavenger hunt is great because I can take my kids along with me and they can see how fun it is to be doing something safer than out partying,” White said. Before White graduated in 1996, the scavenger hunt was already a tradition with the old huddle coaches. However, over the years White and Hahn changed the location to Main Street because it’s safer and it’s convenient to eat food when students get hungry. (Brief by Ashya Roberson)

NEWS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY OLIVIA FETSCH

Sophomores Sophia Eimer, Katie Prinkey, Isabella Geldhill, Emily Biehle and Kaitlyn Bible get ready to take a photo for social media during the FCA scavenger hunt. (File photo)

UPCOMING EVENTS Saturday

December

What: Knightline Gateway Dance Challenge Time: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Place: The gyms

Knightline will host the annual Universal Dance Association Gateway Dance Competition. The JV and Varsity Knightline teams host this UD Acompetition every year. Different dance teams from around the area attend and will compete against one another. Knightline hosts this competition as a way to show their association with the UDA and to also give back to them. (Brief by Paige Prinster) Tues-Thurs

27-29

December

What: Holiday Hoops Tournament Time: All day Place: Rockwood

The girls’ JV and varsity basketball teams will participate in Rockwood Summit’s Holiday Hoops tournament, a year after finishing their best season in the last ten years. The tournament is held annually at Rockwood around the holiday season. Teams from the area as well teams from Kansas City will participate in the tournament this year. The tournmant is split into two different tournaments, JV and varsity, and will be held over the course of three days. “It’s going to be cool to not be the underdog and to really show ourselves,” senior Makaiah Williams said. (Brief by Paige Prinster) Wednesday

January

What: Senior Hat Day Time: All day Place: FHN

The senior hat day will be held in January. It is a fundraiser to support purchasingsenior gifts, which are given out every year to the entire senior class. They are usually small gifts like mugs or lunch boxes. Like most hat days held at FHN, it will cost $1 to wear a hat for the day and the money from this all goes toward the senior gifts to reward the effort they’ve put in over their four years at FHN. “The seniors deserve a gift for all the hard work they’ve done, so I’ll definitely be participating on hat day,” sophomore Rasha Shaker said. (Brief by Paige Prinster)

GLIDING THROUGH TSA

Seniors Joe Tierney, Alexander Burbank, and Brayton Larson look at the board to see what division they are placed in. The class will be separated into four teams with two divisions. The first division has three teams because it is not as difficult and the second division has one team consisting of intermediate participants. (Photo by Jared Kinnard)

The Technology Student Association (TSA) works to get ready for their glider competition on May 5. TSA meets every Tuesday after school for about an hour. The club consists of about 20 members, and they all plan and work on their projects and set up other competitions. “We have not gotten very far on the glider,” sophomore TSA member Erika Rogers said. “But I know we’ll do fine because we have really intelligent people in the club.” A glider is a small aircraft that flies without using an engine. There are three different divisions in the glider competition that schools can enter. In division one, they just have to make their glider move straight. In division two, the glider must carry a basket of balls, and in division three the glider must carry the basket of balls to a target and place it on the target. TSA will only participate in divisions one and two. TSA is a club for students who have an interest in technology and engineering. They partake in many competitions and events during the course of the year, including the glider competition. The theme this year for TSA is “Star Struck.” This is a game played across the world that is compared to war using robots. “We are a community of people who talk and like technology,” sponsor Michael Green said. “If you like robotics or talking technology, you may like the club.” (Brief by Olivia Fetsch)

NEWS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY ASHYA ROBERSON

Vice President Rene Cope and Director Mike Sommer sit together with other members of the board, discussing effects of Prop Howell failing to pass. The board members discuss the different cuts that the district may need to make for the 17-18 year. (Photo by Savannah Wandzel)

why prop howell failed

After community members voted down Proposition Howell on the Nov. 8 ballot, the board of education examines the reasons behind its defeat in order to look toward the future of the school district by Aimee Clive aclicve1@gmail.com

illions of Americans held their breath during the presidential election on Nov. 8, but teachers, students and parents in FHSD awaited another result as well. FHSD presented Prop Howell to the voters as a 60 cent operating levy increase, costing an owner of a $200,000 home approximately $19 per month. The proposition failed, with about 48 percent of the voters in favor and 52 percent of the voters in opposition of Prop Howell. A similar levy, Prop Y, of 90 cents was defeated in August 2015, with about 34 percent in favor of the proposition and about 66 percent voting against it. Prop Y was controversial to many because of both the size of the tax increase and the high price of the single-issue election. “I think we gained much support from the previous time that we went out, and that was because of our communication effort,” Superintendent Mary HendricksHarris said. “Obviously we still have not reached 50 percent of people, so it was much improved, but it was not where we needed to be.”

NEWS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY ALEX LANE

The District has cut $20 million from the budget over the last five years, including more than $12 million from just the last two years. While these cuts were significant, they went largely unnoticed due to the District’s efforts to maintain student programs as much as possible. “[Voters] didn’t understand it and they didn’t see the repercussions from Prop Y, so they just believed we had what we needed and we didn’t need any more,” senior Madison Clifton, school board student representative at the Nov. 17 meeting, said. Any presidential election ensures a large voter turnout at the polls, but this one seemed to provoke especially strong voter opinions. Chief of Communications and Community Relations Matt Deichmann believes the atmosphere surrounding the election may have contributed to the levy failure, as people had many different opinions on the candidates for the presidency. “We had two presidential candidates with historically low approval ratings, so I suspect there were a lot of people who went to the polls on election day to vote against someone or ‘no’ on something,” Deichmann said. “It was not a great environment for Proposition Howell. It was the perfect storm.”

Superintendent Mary Hendricks-Harris leans forward to speak into the microphone at the meeting on Nov. 11 about topics pertaining to Prop Howell not passing. (Photo by Riley McCrackin)

PROP HOWELL AND PROPERTY VALUES The failure of Proposition Howell could lead to a decrease in local property values

by Martin Groves

martingroves413@gmail.com | @avbrz

Wendy Nickrent and Cindy McGrail, teachers at Barnwell Middle School, sit together outside of Barnwell on Election Day, Nov. 8, advertising Prop Howell and informing voters as they walk into the school to vote. (Photo by Riley McCrackin)

As they are parents of a Central Elementary employee, retired couple Don and Lenora Funki supported Prop Howell from the beginning. But while personally understanding the necessity of the tax levy, they also believe that the District did not emphasize it enough to those without connections to FHSD. They imagine the proposal would have had greater community support had it been expressed more clearly as to what programs and materials the money from the tax levy would be funding. “It would have been helpful to a lot of people if it was more definitive and transparent as to specifically where the money was going to go,” Don Funki said. Following the failure of Prop Howell, it is now up to the Board of Education to determine where the district goes from here. More cuts will have to be made, and they are likely to have more severe long-term effects on the vitality of the student body and the school staffs, with topics such as transportation and classroom materials being mentioned in the talks of what could be cut for the years to come, until the district can find a way to increase funding. “I do think it’s important to express gratitude to everybody that did support it,” Hendricks-Harris said. “We did have 48 percent of our community support it. We had our students, staff and community out working all the time to ensure that this conversation didn’t have to happen. What makes me sad is that in Francis Howell, we are having conversations about ‘Are we going to have books? Are we going to have buses? Are we going to have the support counselors that we need in schools?’. That conversation shouldn’t be happening in a district like ours.”

With the failure of the second tax levy increase in as many years comes possible consequences for more than just the students. There have been multiple studies, including one by Redfin, a national realty brokerage, shows that the higher performing the district is, the higher the property value will be. “Those two-thirds of people that don’t have children in our schools, that’s probably our primary selling point with those folks,” Matt Deichmann, chief communications and community relations officer of FHSD, said. “The idea that even if you don’t have kids in our schools, quality schools in the Francis Howell School District help keep your property values high.” In the past two years, every school district within St. Charles County has increased funding, except for FHSD, which hasn’t seen an increase in 12 years. Missouri school districts receive a majority of revenue from property taxes, and valuation of property in FHSD has dropped $44 million since 2005. “I think the property values are going to decrease because parents want students to have good schools, and that’s why people live where they live,” business Watch to see how teacher the failure of Prop Howell can impact Angela Mason the district: said. “That’s goo.gl/km9Cv5 one of the reasons why my husband and I, before I even started teaching, were looking in this school district because I knew how good of a school district it was.” The day before the vote, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released its annual performance report, with FHSD receiving a 99.3 percent, one of the highest in the state. The district’s Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) scores also place it in the top 5 percent of the state. As Mason said, it is quite possible that with increased budget cuts on an already strained system, FHSD might struggle to sustain itself at its current level, resulting in the quality of schools going down and property values decreasing. “Part of the problem is that the Francis Howell school district is a victim of its own success,” Deichmann said. “We have achieved at a very high level for a very long time, and people have become accustomed to it.”

WATCH

NEWS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY ALEX LANE

Possible budget cuts to fhsd Cuts won’t be finalized until the board restructures the budget in January, but here are some of the top areas where the board could vote to decrease school spending

What FHSD staff would reduce... FHSD emailed out a survey to all district staff members on Nov. 18. About 25 percent of all staff members responded, and here, in order, is what respondents ranked as the areas where the District should reduce spending.

1. Transportation 2. Principals/APs/Interns 3. Administrators/Admin pay 4. Professional development 5. Move to a four-day week

What the district administration recommends...

6. Curriculum spending 7. Extra curriculars 8. Early release days 9. Content leaders 10. Mastery Connect/Galileo

This is one option for cuts the superintendent and other district administrators recommended at the Dec. 1 board meeting. The board has final voting power to decide what will be cut. •

Decrease high school extra-curricular spending, making students pay to play - $250,000

•

Cut teacher training/collaboration Wednesdays - $250,000

•

Implement “walk zones” for students within a certain distance of school - $250,000

•

Move the Alternative Intervention Program (AIP) to Union and hold it during the school day. AIP provides counseling and education services for students with no previous drug or alcohol offenses who are suspended for drug use and possession, reducing their suspension from 45 to no less than 15 days - $20,000

•

Stop providing buses on high school and middle school transition day - $40,000

•

Reduce curriculum and assessment spending - $150,000

•

Reduce capital by placing projects on hold - $200,000

•

Minimize security personnel - $180,000

NEWS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY NOAH SLAUGHTER

district faces budget cuts

The board of education and administration work to find ways to allocate resources and funding to necessary programs and is going to have to decide where to make budget cuts by Chris St. Aubin

cgs8833@gmail.com | @chris_staubin

he FHSD community rejected the tax levy Proposition Howell on Nov. 8, which could have provided needed revenue for the district, leaving the district in a position where cuts need to be made. However, the ideas for how to maintain the level of support and education of the district are diverse. Whatever ends up happening, board members have all agreed that there are necessary cuts because the District needs to update technology and fully reinstate tutoring for struggling students, among other services. The board meets again tomorrow to discuss actions the District must take, but the most pressing decision that the board will make is whether or not to maintain “status quo” staffing or to cut positions. “We’ve already cut the fat,” Renee Cope, school board vice president, said at a board meeting on Nov. 17. “We are down to the bone. Every cut will be hard. Since the failure of Proposition Y, FHSD has cut more than 90 positions and $12 million.” The board has spent two meetings since the election trying to figure out what to cut and what needs to be put into place. The District must allocate its resources toward programs that it cannot put off any more, such as a refresh in technology and a fully-funded tutoring program. The hope was that if Prop Howell had passed, the district would have had enough resources to fund these two things, among others, and not have to make any cuts. During the Nov. 18 board meeting and work session, the board requested that the superintendent and the rest of the administration come up with a status quo staffing plan, meaning no reduction in staffing. On Dec. 1, the administration presented three staffing options for the board to decide, and then the board gave direction to the administration as to what cuts need to be made. The administration pushed for the number two option as a sort of goldilocks solution: not too hot, not too cold. This option would allow for the necessary returns, but also not cut so much that the district ends up with extra money and a hazardously low number of student services. Option two would also not cut any classroom teachers, and no staff in the district would lose their jobs. “After much discussion and debate, our recommendation is option two: plan the 17-18 budget with the current projected deficit, use the typical positive variance between estimated and actual revenue to end the fiscal year with a balanced budget,” Superintendent Mary Hendricks-Harris said in the work session on Dec. 1. The board felt that it was pertinent in this search to hear from district staff members, so they directed the administration on Nov. 18 to send out a district-wide survey. By the next meeting, around 25 percent responded with

FHSD worked to create a variety of materials such as flyers and yard signs to promote the knowledge of Prop Howell’s tax levy. (Photo by Riley McCrackin)

their opinions on how the District should go about cutting programs. The top responses include cuts to administration, professional development days and transportation. The most popular cut that has been talked about has been cuts to transportation. “There is enough consensus on the board to look at transportation and alternative ways to provide it and efficiencies,” School Board President Mark Lafata said at a work session on Dec. 1. The proposed list of cuts to transportation adds up to nearly $290,000. This would include implementing “walk zones” for students within one mile of the school, and cutting transportation for transition days of middle school and high school students. A walk zone would mean that students who live within a certain radius from school would have no school-provided transportation. The administration has informed the board that they would need to conduct a study of how and where to implement walk zones. The administration has asserted that they would not force transportation cuts on anyone who does not have a walkable route to school. For example, there would need to be a sidewalk to campus and students cannot cross major roads or highways. “Every school district in St. Charles County has passed a tax levy or bond issue in the last two years, except for Francis Howell,” Deichmann said. “It’s been 12 years since the voters in the Francis Howell School District approved an increase in tax. So there are clearly two ways that school districts can deal with these funding challenges. Unfortunately, we are going to have to take the tougher route.”

NEWS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY ANNA LINDQUIST

Freshman Jayden Jaeger practices playing snare drum in the band room. Students in percussion ensemble practice for the first time on Dec. 1. The students were expected to play instruments that they might not normally play. They will have months to practice their pieces before their first performance on Feb. 16. (Photo by Kyra Peper)

Just keep drumming

Even though the marching band season ended in October, marching band percussionists find different ways to continue practicing, including percussion ensemble at FHN and Winter Drumline at FHHS by Sami Schmid

saminicole102@gmail.com

Three years ago, Winter Drumline was cut, causing percussionists to seek ways to get more performing time in the off season of marching band. This year, a few percussion students will go over to FHHS to play on their Winter Drumline. They will meet at Howell from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays. “I’m pretty excited,” senior August Wise said. “They had a really good percussion section in the marching band season, so a lot of that I hope transfers over to the Drumline season. There’s a lot of new elements obviously, with North members and others that don’t usually play percussion, but I think it’ll be a pretty successful season. The music and concept is interesting too.” Band director Rob Stegeman wishes to reintroduce Drumline at FHN in the future, but he currently focuses on building the programs already established. “I’m one of those people who likes to build what we have and then add when what we have is built properly,” Stegeman said. “We need to get our heads wrapped around our situation financially before we can kind of take care of those

NEWS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY CAROLYNN GONZALEZ

things and that’s not necessarily a bad thing to do. I need to get here a few years and get everything else settled before we add anything else to the plate.” Although there will be some time before Drumline is reintroduced, it’s not over for those who want to be on Drumline this year. Not only do they have the opportunity to play with FHHS, they also have the option to join percussion ensemble for the extra practice and playing time. Percussion ensemble is a concert-style form of performing for solely percussion instruments. They meet at FHN once a week with director Jeff Barudin and practice different pieces. They will then perform on Feb. 16 at school. “There’s something about playing percussion,” Barudin said. “It just seems like it attracts a certain kind of person. Everyone is very friendly, just very easy going, kind of goofy but fun to be around. I feel like that describes our current group. It seems like we’ve got a little bit of a mix of personalities which, for the most part, are people who are fun and a little quirky and who just keep things interesting. When you need to get right down to it, they’re interested in music and very looking forward to being a part of it. It’s a very fun environment. It’s very inclusive, very open to people with different personality types.”

ANOTHER FHN DECA OFFICER ELECTED

Senior Kevin Welch was voted District 6 vice president for Missouri DECA by Martin Groves

martingroves413@gmail.com

Senior Kevin Welch stands by the DECA wall while wearing his DECA blazer. He was elected vice president a year after joining the club. “I was very proud to say the least,” Welch said. “I worked very hard to be where I am. I would do it all over again if I had the opportunity.” (Photo by Haleigh Schlogl)

or the second year running, an FHN student has been elected as an officer for Missouri DECA. Following a tough-fought campaign at this year’s Fall Leadership Conference at the Lake of the Ozarks, senior Kevin Welch was elected District 6 vice president. “It was an extremely proud moment,” Welch said. “It was very reassuring to know that all my hard work and dedication that I put into making this organization a better experience for students finally paid off.” Hundreds of teachers and students from all over the state attended the annual state conference, with many of them running for leadership positions. District 6 is one of 12 districts in the state, incorporating multiple school districts, including Francis Howell, Fort Zumwalt, Wentzville and others nearby. This year, there were seven candidates for District 6 vice president, far more than last year. Candidates had to pass a written test and deliver a speech, after which the state delegates for the district cast their ballots. “It’s dedication more than determination now that I’m committed to it,” Welch said. “It’s almost like a second job.” With over 7,500 members, Missouri DECA has one of the largest memberships in the nation. It is an association of marketing students and co-curricular classes with Marketing I and Marketing II educating students on the business and management skills necessary to be successful in the future. Students holding officer positions have the opportunity to develop their leadership skills and learn about the ins and outs of today’s global industry. “It’s real-world experience,” DECA adviser Melissa Hanrahan said. “It also gives you the networking and exposure to different people.” District competitions for DECA begin in February. There will be four categories students can compete in, and they are finance, hospitality, management and marketing. The top eight students in each category move on to the state competition, then from there the top six move on to the international competition. As district vice president, Welch will be in charge of organizing the district competition, from arranging the entertainment to making sure students are where they need to be throughout the event. “We’re really excited to have two back-to-back years of having state officers,” Hanrahan said. “It keeps us connected with what’s happening in DECA at the state level.”

NEWS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY REBEKAH MAYE

LENDING A HAND In order to receive her Gold Award, Erfling collected 527 items for the Mid-America Family Transplant House. Here’s a breakdown of all the items that she put in the lending library.

38 movies

375 books

coloring books and supplies

33 puzzles

43 games

toys and other items

Junior Michaela Erfling shows the Girl Scout’s sign. Erfling has received her Bronze and Silver awards and is working on receiving her Gold Award. Erfling and her troop held a donation drive to receive their Bronze Awards. She received her Silver Award by donating items to Five Acres Animal Shelter. “I like how it benefits different organizations and I like the feeling of seeing the difference I’ve made,” Erfling said. (Photo by Alex Rowe)

Going for THE gold

Junior Michaela Erfling has been in Girl Scouts since kindergarten and currently works on a project to receive her Gold Award, the highest level in Girl Scouts by Heidi Hauptman

heidihauptman9@gmail.com | @HauptmanHeidi

nly 5.4 percent of eligible Girl Scouts successfully earn the Gold Award. Junior Michaela Erfling will soon become a part of that 5.4 percent. The Gold Award is the highest achievement within the Girl Scouts of the USA, earned by Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts. Erfling will receive her Gold Award by creating a lending library for the Mid-America Family Transplant House. This is a family house where people can stay and recover if they or their family member has an organ transplant in St. Louis. “I came up with the idea for my Gold Award project because my cousin Hayden had a kidney transplant when he was 2,” Erfling said. “Since then, me and my family have just kind of been in affiliation with them and it really just sort of fell into place.” Receiving a Gold Award in Girl Scouts is a seven-step process that requires a lot of time on the girl’s part. In order to get started working on her project, Erfling had to come up with a project idea in January. After she came up with the idea, she then had to do paperwork and get the project

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approved by the Girl Scout Council. This process involved filling out a questionnaire packet, creating a timeline and a budget for her project and then presenting this to a board. After the board approved Erfling’s project in March, she started working on it by collecting various items and talking to a contact at the Mid-America Family Transplant House. “Michaela has definitely shown a lot of great skills throughout this process,” Kelly Bogda, Erfling’s troop leader, said. “You have to put at least 80 hours of work into something like this. She is obviously very self motivated. She also has shown great time management. She has had to work hard to figure out how she is going to do this along with other school things as well.” Erfling will be the first girl in her troop to receive the Gold Award. After she finishes working on her project, she will have to reflect on what she learned by presenting her Girl Scout Gold Award final report to her council. “I am very excited to see how everything will turn out once I am done with my project,” Erfling said. “I have put a lot of time and effort into this and I know it will be something that I can be proud of for years to come and I am excited to see how it will benefit and help others.”

Amanda Puhse leans on her Robert Puhse. Amanda and her father have been working together with taekwondo for about 10 years. Taekwondo has become a growing part of both of their lives ever since they were young. (Photo by Erica Fada)

Bonding by Black Belt

Having black belts in taekwondo has created a bond for senior Amanda Puhse and her father by Myah Blocker

myah447@gmail.com | @nicolemyah_

Amanda and her father pose in a ready stance at their taekwondo studio. She and her father have been doing taekwondo together since she was eight years old. They do it to togther as a way to spend time together. (Photo submitted by Erica Fada)

efore the age of 8, senior Amanda Puhse knew she was different. She was never really interested in many sports until she started watching martial art movies with her dad, Robert Puhse. Together, they both learned taekwondo and found their niche in the world and in each other’s lives. “My dad and I knew that I wasn’t a girly-girl,” Amanda said. “When he realized I was into taekwondo, he wanted to do it again with his daughter.” Robert was in taekwondo during his childhood, but he stopped for a while after high school. He decided to continue again when he realized Amanda was interested in it as well. “I was very excited when Amanda wanted to join,” Robert said. “She wanted to find different sports she was interested in, but nothing really stuck, so when she mentioned she wanted to try it, I was so excited.” Both Amanda and Robert received their black belts on the same day four years ago at the Lyndell Institute of Taekwondo, when she was only 14 and he was 48. It came after the challenges of writing a 20-page essay and breaking wooden boards efficiently in front of their teachers. “I was super proud [when we passed] because we’ve been training for four years,” Robert said. “I was actually more excited for her getting her belt because she worked so hard.” Attending Lyndell has inspired both of them to eventually open their own martial arts studio. They want to achieve their dream of teaching children the ways of taekwondo, especially girls who are interested in the sport. “If you have any interest in it at all, then do it,” Robert said. “The girls especially, they’re actually more focused than the boys usually.” Being an influence for young girls in taekwondo is very important to Amanda. She wants young girls to know that they can be extraordinary and that they’re just as strong as anyone else. “I want girls to realize that they can do it too,” Amanda said. “All of my teachers are women, and I look up to them so much because they really influenced me to keep going. I wanted to be just as tough as they are.” Taekwondo has taught Amanda self defense and self confidence, something she didn’t have very much of before. Now she’s become more comfortable with herself and who she is. It’s given her strength both physically and mentally. She learned how to push herself and work harder to achieve what she wants. “I think [taekwondo] is a great learning experience,” Amanda’s sister Megan said. “It teaches her self discipline and self defense.” When it comes to taekwondo, Robert and Amanda agree that their favorite part of it all is getting to spend more time with each other and getting to know one another better. “My favorite part about doing [taekwondo] with him is that I am with him,” Amanda said. “Now that I’m older, I wouldn’t be in it if it didn’t mean that much to him.”

FEATURES | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY MYAH BLOCKER

juggling a bus route and an entertainment job Bus driver Elliot Pearsall often juggles in front of the buses and is also a hired entertainer for the entertainment company Circus Kaput in St. Louis

by Anna Lindquist

alindquist709@gmail.com | @annalindquistt

ut almost every afternoon when the weather permits, Elliot Pearsall stands in front of the buses juggling his bowling pins for all to see. The swift movements catch the attention of the surrounding students. Some students stand by to watch while others whisper excitedly to friends nearby. Every year, words spread when freshmen gaze upon him for the first time. Regardless of how many times he has been spotted throughout some students’ high school years, eyes still always follow Elliot the Entertainer. “I’m a bus driver, so I have a lot of time to myself when I’m waiting for the buses to get loaded, so why not do something I enjoy while I wait?” Pearsall said. Pearsall has been juggling for over five years now after suddenly deciding to try it out. He has always been in the entertainment business, but he decided he wanted to learn something different. From that point, he taught himself the art of juggling, impressing students while doing it. “I had him as my bus driver, and I think he’s really cool,” junior Erin Stock said. “At first, I didn’t know why [he juggled], but then I realized that he was an entertainer. He’s a super nice guy and always says nice things. If you meet him, he’s the type of person you’d think would be a magician. He’s just super nice and

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happy all the time. Juggling is such a unique thing that only certain people like to do, and he’s good at it.” As well as being a bus driver, Pearsall works for Circus Kaput, an entertainment agency in the St. Louis area. Alongside his usual juggling act, he works with stilts and balloon animals, and he firedances, an act where the entertainer juggles objects on fire, like torches. With hours and hours of practice and dedication on his side, he does it without injury. “If he’s spending his spare time practicing, then it’s definitely important to him,” Media Specialist Tara Willen said. “It’s really easy to tell that he likes doing it just by seeing him outside almost every day.” Being in the entertainment business can be somewhat exhausting according to Pearsall. This past year alone he worked 108 different performances at private parties, corporate events and other occasions like Festival of the Little Hills on Main Street. Despite doing that and working as a bus driver, he finds the time to devote himself to doing what he enjoys. “I was actually reading an article a while ago,” Elliot said. “The author was talking about magic, which I do as well and thoroughly enjoy. He had said something that really resonated with me that I could relate to. He said ‘I don’t consider myself a magician as much as I consider myself an artist, and magic is simply one of my mediums.’ So I definitely have to agree with that in this reference translated from magic to juggling. Juggling is my art.”

Believing in the Power of Potential Youth in Need, a local non-profit organization, supports the St. Charles area’s youth and families by offering different services, from counseling to education programs Teen Parent nurse Theresa Warner turns the page of her chart that explains the process of childbirth. Warner holds classes to help prepare pregnant teens for birth.

Warner reads through a folder that she hands out to expecting mothers. The folder is full of various resources such as information on childbirth and raising a child.

by Carolynn Gonzalez

carolynnnn.182@gmail.com | @carolynng0

alking into 516 Jefferson St., just shy of Main Street, one feels a sense of community and warmth. Though the building is old, it’s homey and inviting. This is one of Youth in Need’s many locations, where they have served the youth and families of the St. Charles area for more than 40 years. “I had an experience as a teenager,” April Klutenkamper, marketing director for Youth In Need, said. “I had a friend who needed some assistance and WATCH actually spoke with one of the therapists here at Youth In Need. It was just a one-time thing but I remember being with him when he was going through this stuff and being really impressed with the organization.” Youth In Need is a non-profit organization that provides counseling and education for the area’s youth and families. The organization serves an area of 100 miles with locations in St. Charles County, Warren County and Montgomery County. In 2015 alone, Youth I n Need served 12,500 children through its multiple programs. “There’s a need for an organization like us, unfortunately, because there are kids and families who experience crisis and trauma in their lives,” Klutenkamper said. “Sometimes that’s hard to navigate and there’s also experiences that families

FEATURES | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY CAROLYNN GONZALEZ & ALEX ROWE

and kids have that are beyond their control and they need somebody to help them through that. That’s where Youth in Need is going to come in a variety of capacities.” Youth In Need offers many services that cater to the needs of children and families. From shelters for homeless children, to the teen parent program, to standard counseling and support, Youth In Need’s variety of programs make sure to encompass a large portion of the community. “I think that all of our programs fall into one of three categories,” Klutenkamper said. “It’s all about crisis intervention, prevention and transition. And we are about helping kids and families Youth in Need offers a Safe Place through all three of those for young people things.” to go: The organization was formed goo.gl/2swG1m in 1974 in St. Charles to shelter homeless children. Before Youth In Need, the community lacked a place for the homeless youth to stay, and they were housed in the county jails with adult criminals, according to Klutenkamper. “One of the county jail chaplains and a sheriff saw that there was a need for a shelter, a need for a safe place for homeless kids to go, and that was when the emergency shelter opened,” Klutenkamper said. The staff with their passion and dedication toward helping people is what makes Youth In Need so special, according to both Klutenkamper and Tiffany Hilke, a child, youth and family therapist. Along with their dedicated staff, Youth In Need strives to

The main Youth In Need office is located at 516 Jefferson Street. The Teen Parent Program is held on the top floor of the building next door. The Teen parent program offers counseling for teenage mothers or teens expecting children.

assist anyone who needs help by offering their free counseling services. The organization even has a Spanish-speaking therapist for families and kids with Spanish as their predominant language. “Everybody from the CEO to the caseworker is really invested,” Hilke said. “I have had the opportunity to meet so many people across so many programs and they’re just on fire with what they do. They’re excited about helping people, they’re excited about learning.” According to Hilke, the community being involved in helping Youth In Need is very important. People in the area can support Youth In Need by providing cash donations, volunteering or participating in holiday drives like the one hosted by the radio station 93.7 The Bull. Those who are interested in being more active in helping Youth In Need can be a part of FLYIN (Future Leaders-Youth In Need), a community-based program to help families and children. “[FLYIN] kind of died out when the founding group moved on to their own life experiences and so we’re jump-starting that again,” Hilke said. “It’s more community-based than before with getting people involved with not just fundraisers, but events and activities so that way people can talk to us about what we do and why it’s important.” At Youth In Need, many believe in the power of potential. According to Hilke, every family and client can reach their full potential with the right support because they have it within themselves. “Just being able to see that people are happy and having any support or influence in that is incredible,” Hilke said.

Various closets in the Teen Parent Program building are filled with basic needs for raising children. They store various shampoos and soaps, diapers, car seats, clothing and baby food. The Teen Parent Program collects these items and offers them to their clients to help them in caring for their child. Many toys sit in the room where the Teen Parent Program holds group therapy sessions. Toys and books are kept in the room so children of the clients can keep themselves entertained while the parents talk with the Teen Parent therapist. The Teen Parent Program offers parents a place to receive therapy before and after their child’s birth. (Photos by Alex Rowe)

FEATURES | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY CAROLYNN GONZALEZ & ALEX ROWE

The Man in the mask

John Francisco visits Keira Stout while in his Darth Vader costume. Keira was honored on national TV during the All Star Game for Major League Baseball in July. Players and fans held up signs with the names of cancer patients to support the Stand Up To Cancer charity. Sportscaster Joe Buck held a sign with Keira’s name as Francisco watched in shock from home. (Photo submitted)

Alum John Francisco is part of a group that uses Star Wars costumes at various events to help local charities by Noah Slaughter

reader524@gmail.com | @noahslaughterr

ohn Francisco has a dark side. Standing at 6-foot-5, he cuts an imposing figure as he covers himself head-to-toe in pleather and spandex. He sweeps a dark cape over his shoulders and finishes with a black helmet. He is no longer an employee of the St. Charles Police Department and a 1993 graduate of FHN. He is a Sith Lord, a “tortured soul who wants to find good again,” as he puts it. He is Darth Vader. “When you’re out in public, people recognize the character and not you as a person,” Francisco said. “It’s kinda neat to play that character that you grew up with and just fell in love with.” Francisco is in the Gateway Squad, the local division of an international Star Wars costuming organization called the 501st Legion. The 501st began in 1997 as an outlet for fans interested in crafting high-quality Star Wars costumes. Since then, they have become the franchise’s premium costuming group, and their costumes must meet strict requirements to get approval. The group’s main focus, however, is charity work. They attend local events to draw attention to those in need, all free of charge. “To change somebody’s life, to put that smile on someone’s face, that obviously in that case extremely needs it, and to be able to try to change someone’s outlook, it’s pretty amazing,” Commanding Officer Richard Heffernan said. “It’s a very unique feeling that I don’t think a lot of people have ever truly felt.” Four years ago, Francisco had never heard of the 501st. That all changed after he took a photo with a stormtrooper at a concert and showed it to one of his coworkers. To his surprise, his friend was actually one of the stormtroopers that night. A few months later, he called Francisco to say that their Vader backed out of a Rascal’s game. Francisco jumped at the chance to cross this off his bucket list and has been in the group ever since. “The first time putting on the helmet I was claustrophobic, but after I wore it for about four hours, it just became natural,” Francisco said. Francisco goes to about 60 events every year, from children’s hospitals to the Make a Wish Foundation. One of the group’s recent events was on Nov. 13 at an alternative school called Coeur Academy. “The costumes were very realistic and it was a huge attraction for the kids,” Tenitra Harris, a teacher’s assistant at Coeur Academy, said. “They really liked how realistic they were.” Even though he goes to dozens of events every year, Francisco says he tries to make each moment special for the people he meets. His favorite events to go to are at children’s hospitals because he gets the most one-on-one time with kids. “I try to make the encounter as memorable as possible for the child so they don’t feel like they’re in an assembly line like they would at a stadium event,” Francisco said. “You only have so many wear times with the suit, otherwise you’re going to get some failures with the suit, but I always try to make it count as much

FEATURES | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY NOAH SLAUGHTER

MORE INFO See a recent Gateway Squad event here: goo.gl/HJAP3Q

as possible.” It was at one of these hospitals that he first met Keira Stout, a 9-year-old girl diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a form of cancer that affects muscles. Francisco has been involved in her fundraising ever since, all with his cape and lightsaber “The girl’s been through so much,” Francisco said. “It’s just kinda hard to have her deal with such an adult disease to where she had to grow up so quickly to deal with it.” Connecting with people in need like Keira is what makes donning the Vader costume worthwhile for Francisco. When he’s in character, he stops thinking about how hot and restricting the suit is. Instead, he focuses on transporting people to their own galaxies far, far away. “Whenever I’m dressed as Vader and I’m around Keira, she doesn’t call me Darth Vader,” Francisco said. “She goes, ‘That’s my friend John.’”

Senior Ethan and junior Noah Slaughterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dog, Jack, chews on a toy bone. Jack enjoys playing outside, playing fetch and walks. (Photo by Jared Kinnard)

more than just an animal

THE IMPACT OF AN ANIMAL Animals can affect and impact people’s lives in many different shapes and forms

by McKayla Bogda

mckayla5bogda@gmail.com | @mbogda5

Animals are a considerably important part of humans’ lives for many people. Whether it is a farm animal, a service dog, a foster animal or a class pet, most everyone has had an animal in their lives at some point. Even if someone does not personally own one, they are still a part of people’s lives. “I think animals are companions that give unconditional love, entertainment and are great cuddlers,” Julie Housley, education organizer for the Humane Society of Missouri, said. Animals are one of humans’ number one choices for companions. According to the American Pet Product Association (APPA), approximately 70 to 80 million dogs and 74 to 96 million cats live in homes with people in the United States. According to The Top Tens, humans’ number one choice of animals is dogs and cats are the second choice. “I have a coworker and their son brings his dog everywhere,” Housley said. “It is a different kind of bond between a person and their dog.” According to studies done by the National Center for Health Research, the interactions between animals and humans

can help reduce stress and the feeling of isolation. Also, Anita Watkins, staff veterinarian at Harvester Animal Clinic, says that they even help lower humans’ blood pressure. People need socialization and so do animals, and pets can help people struggling with depression by giving the person a sense of purpose and increase self-confidence. “Animals engage their owners in stuff and help their owners get through a rough time just by loving them,” junior Amanda Denno said. Adopting pets is important, according to Housley, because many do not have homes. To put it in perspective, if everyone adopted the amount of pets alive now, they would each have 15 dogs and 45 cats, according to the Humane Society. Before adopting a pet, Watkins suggests that people look at their lifestyle. They are a lifetime commitment and it costs money to take care of them. Watkins says people should not rush into the decision, they need to seriously consider if it is the right choice for them. For the people that it is the right choice, she says the relationship is similar to a parent and a child or a really good friend. “I just think that life is not complete without an animal,” Watkins said.

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“

“[My pets are] pretty much a part of the family, we’ve always treated them as such. They’re always happy to see you and they always make your day better.”

“My pet is a ball python snake. I like that it’s somewhat exotic and a lot of people haven’t heard of having a snake instead of one of the traditional pets.”

“My dog likes to cuddle with me and he’s really big so he’s like a teddy bear and I like playing with him.”

-Savannah McCann, 12

-Christian Witte, 11

-Payton Stephenson, 10

CLASSROOM COMPANION

TEACHER: Joseph Brocksmith ANIMAL: Three California kingsnakes, three

gray-banded kingsnakes, one red milksnake, two yellow-bellied sliders, one Florida redbelly turtle, one Florida softshell turtle, one peninsula cooter.

TEACHER: Chris Dalton ANIMAL: About 20 fish

“I inherited them from Mrs. Montgomery two years ago because I didn’t want them to get flushed,” Dalton said. “A lot of kids think it’s a calming thing and provides a good ambiance for the room.”

“I have always been fascinated and enjoyed keeping reptiles since I was a kid,” Brocksmith said. “I really think they help the kids have a better understanding of the animals.”

TEACHER: Dawn Hahn ANIMAL: Red-eyed tree frog from Central

America “When I was a young teacher I went to Central America with a group of students to study tropical ecology. Knowing that they were all around me but I could never see them made me think it would be really cool to see one,” Hahn said. “When I found out that I could actually buy one I thought that was pretty cool.” (Graphic Information by Mackenzie Pugh)

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WATCH

TEACHER: Emily West ANIMAL: Guinea pig

Find out more about the different animals teachers have in their class here: goo.gl/QcRZLg

“I’ve had class pets for years,” West said. “I inherited my guinea pig from Mrs. Maples about five years ago. The kids love to interact with him.”

“Pets are important because they’re always happy so they can cheer you up.”

-Joanna Dohrman, 9

“My pets are important to me because they’re a part of my family. They always improve the atmosphere of my house and pick up my mood, no matter how I’m feeling.”

-Kyle Rohlfing, 12

MORE THAN JUST A TEMPORARY HOME Five Acres Animal Shelter offers more than just cages for animals to stay in. They interact, feed, treat and much more with each animal by Alex Lane

alexlanehockey@gmail.com | @ProdigyLane

Located off of Pralle Drive, Five Acres Animal Shelter does more than just give dogs a place to stay, they tether a bond with each dog who steps paw in the shelter. Cats and dogs who stay in the shelter will stay in the shelter until they find a home, no matter how long. The only one in Saint Charles, Five Acres is a nonprofit no-kill zone animal shelter. “We’ll keep them for years if we have to,” employee Casie Hahn said. “Recently, we kept one dog for one and a half years until it found a forever home.” The animals there stay active on the daily. Just in the backyard of the shelter, there are three play yards for regular exercise, and if the weather is between 32 and 82 degrees the animals will go outside. The animals are also placed in social groups. These are groups of animals that get along together and share similar interests. Some of the groups may change from week to week, introducing different animals to others. “I love seeing different dogs get along spontaneously,” Hahn said. “It’s like something clicks and they’re new best friends.” The jobs vary from taking care of animals to working and training them. Some days the shelter is so busy that all the workers are with a customer and in a cage with an animal, as opposed to other days when

they may only have a couple visits per day. Junior Nate Dennigmann has been employed at Five Acres since the summer. “I like working with dogs, and I like the job because it’s different from other jobs in our school,” Dennigmann said. “I’ve learned to distribute medicine and put in and remove staples from animals.” The shelter has a program for limitedincome pet owners called AniMeals. Every Sunday the shelter donates anything from food, leashes, collars and bowls to AniMeals, who then gives these supplies to low-income owners. Owners just have to show proof for the need to be accepted and a photo ID along with vet records to show the number of animals and weight for each animal. “Not everyone can afford all the supplies for their loved pets, so the least we can do is help out those in need,” Hahn said. Some animals don’t always step foot in the shelter feeling at their best. Some dogs at the shelter have experienced heartworms, an infection where a parasitic roundworm causes infection to the right side of the heart and in the great veins. The shelter treats this disease thoroughly with long-term treatment and takes evasive actions to prevent the disease for other dogs. All dogs are heartworm tested in the shelter. “Some dogs need a little more work than others, but no matter the problem, size or previous owner, we will always give our 100 percent to all animals,” Hahn said.

“The one thing I love about my dog is that he barks/howls which is way of talking.”

-Noe Bustos, 10

The Five Acres Animal Shelter is located at 1099 Pralle Lane in Saint Charles. The shelter houses both cats and dogs in separate building.

WATCH

Want more to know more about volunteering at Five Acres Animal Shelter in St. Charles? Follow this link to learn more: goo.gl/L4o51p

Rosie, a Boxer/Retriever mix, sits in her enclosure as families consider her for adoption. Five Acres Animal Shelters offers small rooms for families looking to adopt an animal to spend time with them before adopting. (Photos by Alex Rowe)

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“

“Pets are something that make the house feel more alive and they bring a lot of joy to the family. Without them, there wouldn’t be a lot of laughs in the house.”

“My dogs are Lexi, Gambit and Lucy. They’re just like family.”

-Cameron Sabourin, 10

-Laraya Griffith, 12

“My pets give me something to take care of, something to be responsible for, and something that loves me back and they let me cuddle them when I’m sad, even when they don’t want to be cuddled.”

-Angeliya Collins, 11

A boy reads ‘A Friend for Sam’ to Panda, a Newfoundland at Corporate Parkway branch in Wentzville. The library is located at 1200 Corporate Parkway Wentzville and is a part of the St. Charles CityCounty Library District. The library is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m to 8 p.m. weekends, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. (Submitted Photo)

READING WITH MAN’S BEST FRIEND

Therapy dogs come to libraries in the St. Charles City-County Library District for the Tale Waggers program to help children build confidence in their reading ability by Rebekah Maye

rebekahmaye@gmail.com | @RebekahMaye1

Dogs can help us in many ways, providing us with companionship, happiness and even some help with reading. Therapy dogs from the nonprofit organization Love on a Leash come to local libraries once a month for the Tale Waggers program. Tale Waggers invites local children to read to the dogs to practice reading and uplift their confidence in their skills. “Reading to the dogs actually helps the kids boost their confidence in reading because when you’re a kid, it can be hard to read out loud in front of your peers, especially if you’re a struggling reader,” McClay branch manager Asia Gross said. “Dogs are nonjudgmental and they don’t care if you mess up or if you make a mistake.” The program promotes literacy for children, giving them a chance to enhance their skills and boost their self-esteem while connecting with dogs.

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While the program’s main benefit is for the children, it can also help the dogs by giving them an opportunity to socialize with children, whose high energy levels can intimidate them. “Dogs are social animals, and these are specially trained, even-tempered dogs,” McClay children’s services librarian Ann Randolph said. “These dogs have that temperament of calmness and enjoy being around people. It’s good for the person and it’s good for the dogs.” For a child learning to read, reading to a parent or a teacher can be intimidating, while reading to a dog can make the child feel more comfortable and more eager to read. Therapy dogs have a very calm, docile nature, making the child feel more secure. “Reading to animals can make kids more enthusiastic about reading and learning,” Christina Turnbull, junior and library page, said. “It gives them a bit more of an incentive to read. They can come to the library and interact with dogs while improving their skills.”

-Ash Bozich, 9

“[My dog] keeps me company when no one is home. He’s like a security blanket.”

“Pets are important to me because they are loyal companions, they can’t argue with you, and they’re cute.”

-Austin Woodson, 12

-Hannah Neff, 10

“

“My cat, Milo, makes me feel responsible and cared for.”

A PUP WITH A PURPOSE Josh and Tia Keating’s mother, Vicky Keating, has a service dog to guide her by Heeral Patel

heeral.patel03@gmail.com | @HeeralPatel12

Vickey Keating and her service dog Watson. Watson leads Keatting with his harness on their walk around the neighborhood. Watson is a Lab and he is four years old. (Photo by Haleigh Schlogl)

Imagine not knowing what lies ahead, the fear of how potentially dangerous the path may be. Now imagine a companion, a protector, to help navigate through all the unseen obstacles in the world. This is just one aspect of the trust-filled relationship between senior Josh and junior Tia Keating’s mother, Vicky Keating, and her sight dogs. “Not only does he help me get around, he also helps me feel confident,” Vicky said. “I feel more confident. I’m not as nervous to go somewhere new if I have a dog with me. It just makes it easier.” Throughout her life, Vicky has had four guide dogs to aid her in getting around, as she is blind. These include the family’s two dogs, Erica Quick Tips Around and Watson. Erica is the older of the Service Dogs two dogs. The family got Watson -Ask before petting them two years ago when Erica retired and -Ask before trying to help Vicky needed another guide. Before them them, there was a period in her life -Keep your dog away from a when she had no dog. She just had her working dog family, which included two very young -Don’t feed service dogs children. -Service dogs can mess up. “It was regular, everyday, normal If their handler is correcting life,” Josh said. “My dad, my sister and their mistake, don’t interfere I would guide her around.” -Talk to the handler before Though Watson and Erica are interacting with their dog responsible for Vicky’s wellbeing, life at home with them is still very normal. At home, they act like any other dog, fun and energetic, each with their own personality. The family thinks of them, loves them and treats them like normal dogs. Josh and Tia both recall being excited about getting a dog. “I feel like in a way it brings us all closer because we’re all dog people, and we just love [them] so much,” Tia said. However, the second they put the harness on him, the second he starts working, Watson’s personality changes. He becomes serious when he’s doing his job to guide Vicky away from any obstacles and hazards in her path. “It can be scary when you can’t see and you can’t hear very well to go places and to do things,” Vicky said. “You know Watson’s there, and he guides me around, but he also just makes me feel better. He gives me the confidence I wouldn’t have without him.”

IN-DEPTH | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY MCKAYLA BOGDA

“

“Pets are important to me because they provide emotional support.”

-Corinne Stevens, 10

“My pets are like my children. People think I’m absolutely crazy when I say this, but I just wanna come home and squeeze them forever.”

“I have a Great Dane, a lab and a cat and they give me a lot of affection.”

-Courtney Crabtree, 12

-Devilyn Bedwell, 9

Finding a Friend from Fostering

Sophomore Kira Ward’s family fosters kittens to help the animal shelter by Sarah Zimmerman volleyballtwin8@gmail.com

Sick. Small. Underweight. Antisocial. These are all issues animals face before they can be adopted from an animal shelter. For these animals to become eligible to be adopted takes some small strides that can be reached with the help of a few fosterers. Sophomore Kira Ward and her family foster kittens before they can go up for adoption and become forever friends of their new families. “To me, [fostering] gives me a sense of purpose that I can help something that maybe can’t have its own voice,” Kira’s mother Dr. Joy Lee said. “At the same sense, it also helps the owners, who feel a lot of times like the animals are actually their own family member.” While the fostering Ward family continues to give voices to their foster pets, helping to bring these kittens to become adoptable still demands compassionate care from all of them. They often Sophomore Kira Ward and her mother, Dr. Joy Lee Ward, sit together with two kittens, Chloe and Max, at their home. care for the animals medically by trying to bring the pets’ weight Chloe and Max are foster kittens that the Wards take care of. The Wards foster three or more kittens at a time. (Photo up before they can go into surgery, for neutering or spaying, or by by Bernatette Kornberger) helping the kittens get well by treating any illness with medication. don’t always have to be a safety net.” However, the kittens must also be socialized for them to have a While fostering allows the Ward family to care for kittens and animals in need, greater chance at getting adopted. they weren’t always able to keep themselves from letting go of the animals they “Fostering is important so that [the kittens are] not just there just really cared for. bored,” Kira’s brother Avery Ward said. “They need the social interactions in “We ended up with what we call a foster failure, which is essentially we failed order to be good household animals if anyone is to adopt them.” as foster parents,” Kira said. “We are supposed to send the animals Though fostering may require a bit of care, the Ward family back, but we decided to keep her, our cat. Her name is Smalls. She has has the work down. After fostering for over seven years, they’ve to be our most fond memory because she’s ours now.” left an impact with a variety of kittens and even a litter of Regardless of usually having to say “goodbye” to the kittens so they Watch to see Kira and puppies. With the help of Joy’s veterinarian knowledge, they her interest in being a can say “hello” to new families, the Wards continue to foster and help can even take on kittens that need special attention to become veternarian: both the shelter and community by leaving an impact on the animals adoptable. goo.gl/ff5VPu and their families. “For me, [fostering] is easy because I can recognize if “I would say [fostering] is a lot of work, but it’s really rewarding,” Kira there’s an illness and I can also recognize whether or not the said. “It’s fun having animals come in and out of your house and you pet is getting better or getting worse and when it comes to get to meet a lot of different types of animals and a lot of different personalities. medication and basic care, it’s a no-brainer on my part,” Joy said. “Sometimes I think it’s a good experience and then you know you are helping the animals there are some foster families that haven’t done it for very long and they get and in turn they are going to make someone happy.” concerned. Being a veterinarian makes it easier on the shelter because they

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IN-DEPTH | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY MCKAYLA BOGDA

“I think pets are a really good judge of character, it’s like they can sense someone’s behavior before it happens and they’re there to protect you.”

-Sarah Latham, 11

-Meagan Dulaney, 12

LIVING THE SIMPLE LIFE

“My dogs are very playful. They’re cute and fluffy. I love them.”-

-Katie Prinkey, 10

“

“I have two dogs, Maggie and Winnie. They’re super annoying, which is funny. Their company is important to me.”

Grace Lodes and Deb Lodes feed their pet chickens in their backyard. The Lodes family calls their backyard “common ground”. The family owns chickens named Stella, Anelle, Miles, Trudy, Shelby and Cher. (Submitted Photo)

The Lodes family works together to keep their chickens safe and healthy but the story behind the chickens is more than meets the eye by Sammie Herr

sammieherr17@gmail.com | @ouchthatherrt

Walking into her backyard across the common ground, junior Grace Lodes strides over to the coop sitting along a fence in the back corner. She rarely comes back here, but on that occasion, she’s helping out and taking care of the family chickens for her mom. “When I was smaller, [having pet chickens] was exciting,” Grace said. “I’m not overly excited now. They’re more annoying because they run over all the yard, but I think it’s sweet because they make my mom happy.” Grace’s mother Deb Lodes, a nurse at Harvest Ridge Elementary, considers herself very nature-oriented. She and her family first got the chickens about seven years ago. Her husband, Jim Lodes, actually brought chickens home to surprise her. Today, Deb has seven chickens in total and they all live in their backyard. The chickens reside in a coop that Jim built. “I knew we had a lot of common ground behind us,” Deb said. “I love to garden and fish. I’m always outside, so I figured we ought to get some chickens. They are really gentle and I love getting the eggs and caring for animals. I can’t really pick one thing that I like the most about them, but they’re like any other pet. They’re just small, kind of low maintenance and beautiful.” A normal night for Deb includes letting the chickens out and fixing up their coop, which is now decorated in Christmas lights for the holiday season. There are three main steps that the whole family helps out with to keep their coop healthy. First they check that the chickens have enough fresh food and water. Then they make sure that the coop is clean; Deb usually does this portion. Finally they lock them up, making sure they’re in the coop away from harm. “[Deb] loves to be outside taking care of everything and everybody,” Grace’s father Jim Lodes said. “I built her a great chicken coop. I’ll do anything to make her happy.” Deb thinks that the most unique part of her chickens are their names. She really enjoys the movie “Steel Magnolias,” so the majority of her chickens are named after the main characters in that movie. The oldest chicken’s name is Daisy and isn’t named after that movie. In fact, she’s had Daisy since the original group. Deb feels that she should have been born on a farm a hundred years ago, taking care of her chickens there. “Would it be easier to live that life [on a farm] rather than in a suburban area now?” Deb said. “No, but I would love that life, hard work and all. Waking up early with my days filled with chores and working with my hands. To me, that’s the simple life.”

IN-DEPTH | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY MCKAYLA BOGDA

“

“I have two dogs and it’s a cool story because the first dog I got the dog was a surprise. I was mad at my dad and then my mom surprised me with it.”

“My dogs Cisco, Semo, and Koda are important because they are always happy and energetic and it makes me happy and energetic.”

-Haley Peer, 10

-Dan Sommer, 9

“[My dog] Albert is good company. We named him after Albert Pujols.”

-Annie Henry, 11

Senior Emma Meyers smiles as she eats a vegetarian friendly, leafy sandwich made from Subway. Subway is Meyers favorite place to go and get something to eat. Meyers has been a pescitarian for about two years, and has been a vegetarian for almost 6 months. (Photo by Sam Alexander)

FOR THE LOVE OF THE ANIMALS Emma Meyers cuts out meat in her diet because of the treatment of animals in the process of getting the food by Hannah Wilson

hannahmae691@gmail.com | @hannahwilson30

Meat can be found on the menu at almost any restaurant, but senior Emma Meyers doesn’t want anything to do with that. Meyers has been a vegetarian for six months, after being a pescatarian for a year. A pescatarian is someone who cuts out all meat except for fish. Meyers decided to transition from a pescatarian to a vegetarian because she wanted to take it to the next level. “I became a vegetarian at first because of the animal rights,” Meyers said. “I just really think that the way that the meat industry has grown is really inhumane. And then when I furthered my education with it, I realized how bad it is for the environment, like the meat industry, and I’m a really big “green” person. I like the planet. I’m in recycling club, too.” Along with Meyers, many other vegetarians share the same views on the treatment of cattle and other animals. Junior Olivia Archibald also become a vegetarian for some of the same reasons. “I became a vegetarian because I see all animals the way most people view their cats and dogs,” Archibald said. “I just don’t think it’s right to eat a living creature.” There are many variations of vegetarianism. Imitation meat and

IN-DEPTH | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY MCKAYLA BOGDA

semi-vegetarianism are ways that someone can get the taste of meat while still saving the animals. The goal is to completely wean meat out of the diet. By substituting imitation meat, the leap to vegetarianism is not so drastic. “In my view, it cuts down on pollution and the needless slaughter of innocent animals,” Yvonne Kehoe, teacher and fellow vegetarian, said. “I know that’s the part where the hunters cringe, but yeah I love animals, and I think that they are just as important as people, so I can’t [eat meat].” A common misconception includes the opinion that all vegetarians will try and change someone’s eating habits, but Meyers doesn’t judge meat-eaters. She just wants to help the animals as much as she can. “It’s not easy,” Kehoe said. “It’s not easy. She has tenacity. I think that she, like most of my vegetarians, [exposes herself] in the face of ridicule. So, she’s unafraid to do that. She’s not afraid to expose her beliefs, but she doesn’t force them on you. She’s only there to educate you, if you want the information.” There are many ways to preserve the environment and protect the animals. Becoming a vegetarian means that one less animal has to go through pain for one meal. “As long as you know how to balance your diet, you’re helping the animals, you’re gonna feel better and you’re helping the environment,” Meyers said. “There’s nothing bad about any of those three things in my opinion.”

“I have a dog named Harley. We found Harley at Six Flags and she’s closer with me than anyone else. I like how she’s obsessed with me and only me.”

“My dog’s name is Dixie. She’s really sweet and loves dogs and humans.”

-Olivia Schindler, 12

“I love [pets] so much because they’re so sweet and treat me good… My cat Skittles is always with me.”

-Sammie Burke, 10

-Reagan Miller, 9

SMILES, SELFIES AND SPECIAL FRIENDS Students pose with their animal and give the basic information on their pets

NAME: Olivia Archibald GRADE: Junior PET’S NAME: Gary PET’S BREED: Leopard

NAME: Sarah Maye GRADE: Sophomore PET’S NAME: Riley PET’S BREED:

Gecko

Labrador Chow Chow Mix

NAME: Alex Nelson GRADE: Junior PET’S NAME: Daisy PET’S BREED: Terrier

NAME: Savannah Hart GRADE: Junior PET’S NAME: Malcolm PET’S BREED: Russian

Pit Mix

Blue Cat

NAME: Kyle Rohlfing GRADE: Senior PET’S NAME: Norman PET’S BREED: Cocker Spaniel Mix

NAME: Peter Lucido GRADE: Senior PET’S NAME: Ali PET’S BREED: Pygmy Goat

NAME: Courtney Crabtree GRADE: Senior PET’S NAME: Jazi PET’S BREED: Chocolate Lab

(Graphic Information by Keegan Schuster) IN-DEPTH | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY MCKAYLA BOGDA

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SCHEDULE BOYS’ BASKETBALL 12/15 FHN VS HZE: AWAY 12/16 FHN VS FHC: AWAY 1/10 FHN VS THS: HOME

2015-16 RECORD WINS: 5 LOSSES: 21 TIES: 0

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL 1/16 FHN VS FHC: AWAY 1/17 FHN VS THS: AWAY 1/20 FHN VS FHHS: AWAY

2015-16 RECORD WINS: 13 LOSSES: 12 TIES: 0

WRESTLING 12/14 FHN VS FHC: HOME 1/4 FHN VS FZW: HOME 1/11 FHN VS THS: HOME

2015-16 RECORD WINS: 1 LOSSES: 3 TIES: 5

GIRLS’ SWIMMING 12/14 FHN VS FHC: HOME 1/12 FHN VS SCW: AWAY 1/13 FHN VS FZW: AWAY

YOUNG WRESTING TEAM KICKS OFF SEASON He walks to the mat. He has the headgear, the uniform, the knee pads and he’s ready. For freshman Drake Whitehead and the rest of the wrestling team, the season has begun. Their first meets were on Nov. 30 and Dec. 2. “There’s a lot of moves I have to remember and learn, but it’s worth it,” Whitehead said. “Wrestling has helped a lot with my balance in my other sports.” As the Knights go through the season, freshman Da’Vion Tabor has high hopes for the team: to make it to State. Meet after meet, only time will tell if the Knights will make it. “You can’t give up,” Tabor said. “You have to bring your best to every match. Wrestling has taught me so much like sportsmanship and teamwork.” Every year, the team looks forward to the annual lock-in. This year, the lock-in was on Nov. 18 and started at 7 p.m. “It was great to be able to spend time with my team,” Tabor said. “We played games and watched a movie. It was a lot of fun.” (Brief by Mia Kristensen) Nathan Tatum pins down his Howell opponent on Dec. 8. This was their 2nd duel of the season. “We have a lot to learn after tonight,” Coach Fowler said. “I was helping out with the freshman tonight and we were making a lot of basic mistakes...” (Photo by Kyra Peper)

BACK IN THE WATER

Girls’ swimming dove into their season with practices that began on Nov. 7. The team, consisting of 21 girls, works toward getting faster and stronger in the water after their first meet on Dec. 2 at Pattonville High School. “I can already see their endurance levels have improved and I see them getting faster,” coach Karen Whitten said. “They’re very energetic and hardworking and are an overall great group of girls.” They hope to get more competitive this year by making every practice count. The team finds itself striving to improve their technique and increase speed as well as growing closer as a team out of the water. “We’re more competitive this year than previous years,” junior Erin Stock said. “We want to be there and win as many meets as we can.” The team will compete in a total of 16 meets, including State, and hopes to have a few relays make it to State and beat their biggest rival for this season, FHHS. (Brief by Kelsey Decker)

SPORTS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY HANNAH WILSON

Abigail Coffman competes in a meet hosted by Fort Zumwalt West last year. The girls swim team ended the 2015-16 season with 8 losses and 3 wins. (File Photo)

The varsity hockey team face the Howell Vikings on Oct. 28, the game is the first of the season and is a fundraiser for the two schools hockey teams’. The game is known as “Gold Cup” and students attend in support of their school. The score was tied at 4-4 with one of the goals scored by number 16, junior Matthew Tilley. (Photo by Riley McCrackin)

Senior Aimee Clive high-fives her teammates after her turn in the bowling match last year. The Knights bowling team scored an average of 370 for all three games at the match. (File Photo)

STUDENT SECTION HELPS HOCKEY TEAM REACH THEIR GOALS

VICTORIOUS BOWLING LEADS TO SUCCESS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

With winter just around the corner, the hockey team has kicked off its season. After tying FHHS 4-4 in the Gold Cup on Oct. 28, the team has high hopes for the rest of the season. Senior and assistant captain Brendan Johnston has one goal in mind for his last season on the team. “My goal for this season is to win the Wickenheiser Cup, just one more time,” Johnston said. The Gold Cup is also one of the biggest games of the season for not only the team, but the student section as well. Students filled up the

All three bowling teams have competed against opposing schools and each other every Sunday since September. Head Coach Renee Miller holds an optional practice for the team every Monday night for the teams. “They’ve come a long way,” Miller said. “They work very hard and do very well. I’m proud.” Teams one and two are currently ranked fifth in separate leagues, while team three is presently in four place in a third league. “Kids play for an individual ranking

stands at Gold Cup and are actively involved at other games as well. “Hockey games are always exciting because everyone gets so pumped up and involved in chants throughout the whole game,” senior Eric Dickherber said. “ I think every student should experience a hockey game.” With their first feud against FHHS ending in a tie, the team hopes to win for good against them on the last game of the season, Jan. 28. (Brief by Emma Meyers and Chandler Edgecomb)

and their own points along with what they earn for the team,” Miller said. “It’s how three kids at North got scholarships out of competing in tournaments.” One of the three students that won a scholarship is junior Thomas Mayfield, who was new to bowling this year. “Since I had just started, coaching really helped,” Mayfield said. “Coaches were really helpful so I felt like I was really prepared when I walked into the tournament for the money.” (Brief by Sophie Carite)

ANNUAL BASKETBALL CHRISTMAS TOURNAMENT

The Varsity girls basketball team faced SCH on Tuesday Dec. 6. The Lady Knights ended the game with an unfortunate score of 65-32. (Morgan Bales)

Girls’ basketball has participated in the Christmas tournament at Rockwood Summit for 14 years. As per tradition, the JV and varsity girls will again partake in the tournament. The tournament takes place Dec. 27-29 and all of the away games at Rockwood Summit are against teams that will be announced at a later date. The varsity and JV coaching staff is very excited to participate in this year’s Christmas tournament for many reasons. A main component of the excitement is the opportunity to play against teams they have never seen or played against. “This year, we will see some teams that we haven’t seen in the past,” Assistant Coach Dawn Hahn said. “I know Liberty

is coming from Kansas City, who will be a good opponent for us because they have, in the last five years, made several appearances to the final four, so they will have a strong program. Ladue is also in it, which is a different team from previous years. There’s maybe only two teams that we will have seen in other games.” Not only are the coaches excited, but so are the players. The players are excited for the games but also to grow as a team together. “I’m mostly looking forward to bonding with my team and killing it out there with my teammates,” Gabby Delarue, sophomore and varsity player, said. (Brief by Patty O’Leary)

SPORTS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY SAMMIE HERR

Grace Stevenson shoots a free throw to practice, after recovering from her surgeries. “I’ve been playing basketball since 3rd grade,” Stevenson said. (Photo by Matthew Jewson)

Coming back strong After spending a long and stressful season on the sidelines, junior Grace Stevenson returns to the basketball court By Stacy Beasley

sbeazley125@gmail.com | @sbeazley125

n her sophomore season, right before the season started, junior Grace Stevenson had a stress fracture on her left tibia. The fracture was caused by too much running, which turned into shin splints and then a stress fracture. “It was frustrating because a lot of people didn’t understand my injury because I could still play,” Stevenson said. Stevenson made varsity despite the fracture. Throughout the season, she had very little playing time in games as the pain in her leg was so bad she couldn’t run on it for long. Stevenson often took breaks of up to two weeks because of her leg. It took a little less than a year for the injury to heal and as of now it still is not completely healed, but she has been cleared to play sports. “I play tougher now if anything, but if there’s a lot of running I take it easy,” Stevenson said. Stevenson went from a freshman starting on varsity to getting extremely limited playing time for the entirety of the season last year. She visited the trainer often and asked for advice from her coach, but without a visit to the doctor Stevenson didn’t know

that she had a fracture in her leg. She played through the pain while simultaneously trying to heal her leg, but her teammates and coach were concerned for her. “At the beginning of the year she didn’t seem to play like she normally played, then it just drug on and progressively worse,” coach Dawn Hahn said. With her injury, Stevenson couldn’t do the sports she did her freshman year, such as track and field. After the season, her main priority was to give her leg plenty of rest and make sure it healed as quickly as possible. However, when summer came along her fracture still didn’t stop her. She still trained to improve herself. “Last year was very sad when Grace was injured,” sophomore Anna Pardo said. “She has a great passion for the game and works very hard, so I felt really bad for her because I know how much she loves the game.” Stevenson tried out and made her select team for basketball even though she wasn’t fully healed yet. Stevenson’s work in the offseason paid off, as she’s currently a starter on varsity with her injury healed. “My advice to anyone going through an injury is to be patient, make yourself a priority and don’t worry about what others think,” Stevenson said.

SPORTS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY STACY BEASLEY

Brothers senior Brendan Johnston, number 92, and sophomore Drake Johnston, number 72, pose together. The boys and their team practice once every week at the Rec-Plex at 4:45, then once every other week at 4:15. (Photo by Haleigh Scholgl)

bond of two brothers

Brothers Drake and Brendan Johnston take on the hockey season together and continue a family legacy by Anthony Kristensen

anthony.kristensen17@gmail.com | @anthonyk17slsg

regame, two brothers sit in the locker room, tying their skates before taking the ice. Sophomore Drake Johnston sits on a bench, his hazel brown eyes looking down at his skates, leaving only his jet black hair visible to his teammates who are standing. His brother, senior Brendan Johnston, stands above most, with the capital ‘A’ marking his position as assistant captain, his long hair hidden by his helmet. Then, the time has come. The Johnston brothers skate onto the ice, side by side, like they have been their whole lives. This is the environment in the locker room pregame for the brothers. The pair has been on the Knights hockey team since they’ve been in high school, with Brendan in his fourth year and Drake in his second. The experience of playing alongside a sibling is a rare one, and, according to Drake, it’s been an enjoyable way to spend his first years on the team. “It’s fun [to play with Brendan],” Drake said. “He’s a forward and I’m a defenseman. Sometimes during practice we go against each other during different drills and it makes them fun.” The pair has been playing hockey for just about as long as they can remember. They began playing because of their father, Chris Johnston, as he was a hockey

SPORTS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY ANTHONY KRISTENSEN

player. As the brothers continue to progress in the game, Chris has enjoyed the opportunity to watch them play together. “It’s been a really fun and unique experience to watch Brendan and Drake play on the same team,” Chris said. “They usually play different positions so we get to see them interact on the ice as teammates. And in that sense, it’s good to see them work together for the same goal.” This isn’t the first time that the pair has played on the same team, as the two have played both roller and ice hockey on the same team at different points. Either way, the experience of playing alongside his brother has been unique, according to Brendan. “It’s fun,” Brendan said. “Becasue I get to play wtih someone who’s in my family rather than someone that’s just like my family.” As the season draws on, the team has its eyes set on one major goal, to lift the Wickenheiser Cup at center ice at the Scottrade Center. The team last accomplished this feat two years ago, one year before Drake was part of the team, as they topped Fox in the championship game. To be able to accomplish this, according to Drake, would be an unforgettable experience to help his brother lift a second cup. “It would be great to win [the Wickenheiser Cup] alongside him,” Drake said. “He’s not just another player, but my brother and I love him.”

THE HOT TOPIC OF...

SNapchat VS instagram STORIES

THE BETTER STORY IS SNAPCHAT Snapchat provides users with a simple, unique social media experience by Ashya Roberson

shayroberson48@gmail.com | @aweezyroberson

Created in September 2011, Snapchat changed everything for social media. Any user can record 10-second videos and upload pictures every time something funny or good happens. Snapchat is universal, and for many people it is literally life. Users can be all over the world and post a story of what they are doing to show their friends. However, Instagram came along and made Instagram stories on Aug. 2. For the last few months, people have decided whether or not to use Snapchat or Instagram stories. Snapchat is better because it is growing with popularity and many people enjoy it and love sending snaps to their streaks, something that Instagram doesn’t have.

Snapchat has filters that let a user have a flower crown or a grandma face, among others. However, Instagram only changes the color of the photo, something Snapchat already did. Instagram stories are a knockoff of Snapchat stories in a way. Snapchat users send and receive over 400 million “Snaps” every day. When they do this, they can see each others’ geofilters, which is one thing that Instagram does not offer. People enjoy clicking through stories and sending one another’s stories to their fellow friends on Snapchat. Snapchat stories are a way to get to know someone little by little and it’s possible for people to become friends over one another’s stories. No matter how many times people use Snapchat, it will always update new ideas to make users love it more than Instagram’s idea of a “story.”

INSTAGRAM FOR THE WIN

The evolution of Instagram leaves users with a wider variety of social media options by Olivia Fetsch

oliviafetsch2001@gmail.com | @livyfetsch

Snapchat has come a long way since it first came out, but it has just updated the same old options, whereas Instagram has improved its content with new programs. Since stories have become a part of Instagram in August 2016, I’ve switched to using Instagram more than Snapchat. Instagram has two options: a 24 hour Snapchat-like option or a post option where users can post a picture that will stay until deleted. People can tap to see others’ stories or they can just post a picture to their account that their followers

can see forever unless it’s deleted. Snapchat only has one size drawing pen, but on Instagram users can pick brush options like a thick pen, thin pen or a glowing pen. Users can even change the size of the pen from pencil-thin all the way up to marker-thick. Another difference in the color tool is that Snapchat only has about 20 colors to draw with, whereas Instagram has about 30, so there is a wider variety of things users can create. Even though both apps have filters, text, saving options and multiple similarities, Snapchat has restricted users to fewer options than Instagram has, which is why I prefer Instagram over Snapchat.

STUDENTS’ THOUGHTS “I feel like Instagram copied Snapchat because Snapchat was getting more popular and they felt like they needed to do something.” Chloe Sullivan, 12

“Snapchat has more features that make it more fun to use.” Tia Keatting, 11

“I like Instagram’s version of Snapchat better because it’s an easy way to share and receive photos and videos with your friends.” Justin Rhomberg, 10

“Instagram’s Snapchat feature is okay, but I’m surprised they have not been sued yet, because they obviously took [the idea] from Snapchat.” Connor Murray, 9

OPINIONS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY KEEGAN SCHUSTER

TOP TWEETS

@kaitlyncoxx

@BdramaO

I can’t wait to sleep after school

Just the thought of going back to school tomorrow makes me emotional

UNQUALIFIED CABINET

President-Elect Donald Trump needs to pick qualified people for his cabinet but hasn’t done so by Anthony Kristensen

anthony.kristensen17@gmail.com | @anthonyk17slsg

President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a New York press conference in July. Trump recently won the presidential election on Nov. 8. He is currently in the process of appointing his cabinet. (JStone / Shutterstock.com)

Mitt Romney. Steve Bannon. Reince Priebus. Rudy Giuliani. John Bolton. These are only a few names that have been thrown around or confirmed to be a part of President-Elect Donald Trump’s cabinet, his top advisers. These names are alarming. They have no legitimate experience, something that the new president will need, given that he has no experience as well. The only names that have been thrown around that have any experience are former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, but they don’t exactly have the qualifications. Gingrich showed misunderstanding of policy during his 2012 campaign for president, Christie showed that he cannot effectively lead because of his low approval ratings and Giuliani is too deranged to be given the task of looking over a federal department. Then there’s Steve Bannon. Bannon was the leader of alt-right “news” outlet Breitbart News, which has published numerous sexist, anti-semitic, racist and overall disturbing articles in his time at the helm. The fact that he has been handed a position as one of President-Elect Trump’s top advisers should not only be alarming to the American public, but to the world as a whole. When regarding Trump’s top choices for Secretary of State, the top foreign policy adviser, they contradict the stances that he ran on. These include former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, David Petraeus, Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, John Bolton and Giuliani. Trump ran an anti-war, anti-regime change platform, however, these picks are all warmongers and pro-regime change. Trump already seems to be turning his back to the people that voted for him. We need to give Trump a chance. But what little faith a large portion of the country had in him is slowly being washed away because of his picks for his advisers. Trump should surround himself with the best in the business, but he simply isn’t doing it.

EDUCATION BEFORE OCCUPATION Students should focus on their education during high school rather than getting a part-time job

by Carolynn Gonzalez

carolynnnn.182@gmail.com | @carolynng0

A part-time job is very appealing to high school students. Kids can get their own money and do whatever they’d like with it. What isn’t to like? While a source of income is tempting, avoiding a job in high school is more beneficial to an education. Getting enough sleep is very important and necessary. It prepares the body for the next day, helps to remember information and improves learning. Without it, it is difficult to focus in school. A job and its hours leave students with less time to sleep and less energy to perform well in classes. A job not only leaves students with less time to sleep but less time to do homework. Working excessive hours can lead to a decline in grade point average

OPINIONS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY ANNA LINDQUIST

as there is less time to study and reinforce the material taught in class. If the student lacks sleep and cannot focus during school and doesn’t have time to do homework due to their job, they can’t be expected to be able to succeed academically. Students have a lot that is expected of them in the 21st century, and adding a job to the mix will only create more stress that will negatively impact their lives as well as their grades. Though a job can teach important life skills such as time management and how to work with others, these skills can be learned elsewhere. For example, working with others can be learned through team sports, and balancing a sport and school can teach time management. A student’s time in school should be dedicated to their education. A job only diverges from that ideology and sets students back from reaching academic goals that can help improve their future successes.

@mik_theros

@katie_henslee

@PaytonMauldin

I just looked up healthy recipes while eating cookie dough

Someone explain to me how I have a higher grade in Spanish than I do in English WHEN I SPEAK ENGLISH????

My dad has a wife and 4 kids and his lock screen is our dog

FAST FOOD FRENCH FRIES

TOP EIGHT

With the average American consuming 29 pounds of french fries each year, according to naturesun.com, here’s where some of the best fries in fast food come from

1 3 5 7

RAISING CANES With the perfect amount of crunch, these popular crinkle-cut fries are often paired with their famous Cane’s sauce. These fries are often served with their classic chicken strips and are always hot with plenty of salt, leaving the consumer wanting more.

FREDDY’S Freddy’s fries are so good they come with their own fry sauce and seasoning. They are the perfect size to grab a few with each bite. The vintage dinner theme gives it the perfect place to sit back and relax while enjoying their fries.

PENN STATION EAST COAST SUBS These fries are hand-cut and fresh. The standardcut fries are always served hot and fresh. The restaurant chain also offers freshly squeezed lemonade to pair with their incredible french fries.

STEAK N’ SHAKE As one of the thinnest fast food fries around, Steak n’ Shake offers a wide variety of different types of fry seasonings. Whether customers like the fries plain or with one of their many other seasonings, Steak n’ Shake fries are simply delicious.

2 4 6 8

FIVE GUYS These fresh-cut, peanut oil cooked fries come from farms all over the country, and customers can often see where the potatoes come from on a sign when they walk in the restaurant. They come in bigger portions, making them good to share.

MCDONALD’S When thinking about this classic fast food chain, people often think about their golden brown fries. They have the perfect crunch and are the perfect size to grab a couple with each bite. It’s a musthave with every trip to the golden arches.

WENDY’S Thicker than the average fast food fry, these are topped with sea salt and have a fluffy inside. People often pair them with Wendy’s signature frozen treat, the Frosty. Whether eating them alone or with a Frosty, everyone is sure to enjoy them.

ARBY’S Arby’s is the first place that comes to mind when thinking about curly fries. This classic fast food chain has served their famous curly fries for decades and they are the perfect side to go with any sandwich. They are even perfect on their own.

OPINIONS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY ETHAN SLAUGHTER

STUDENT TAKE:

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION ON ANIMAL KILL-SHELTERS? “No-kill shelters are beneficial because they keep the animals healthy and give them another chance at life.”

Cheyenne Bivins, 11

“I think [no-kill shelters] are great because they keep [animals] alive until they find a new home.”

Tyler Crook, 10

“I think it’s a good thing that [nokill shelters] don’t kill the animals because the animals shouldn’t be hurt unless they’re really bad.”

Jennifer Murillo, 9

Kira Ward, 10

“I support kill shelters in the sense that it’s more fair to the animal because they’ll just sit in a shelter for the rest of their lives. Animals are put down because they won’t get adopted. I don’t like the idea that [kill shelters] are killing them, but sometimes it’s the best option if the shelter is too full and there is sickness or if the animal is old.”

“I think a second chance at life shouldn’t come with terms and conditions. There shouldn’t be a time limit on an animal’s life.”

SAY YES TO NO-KILL SHELTERS

When looking for a new pet, prioritize the decision of what kind of shelter to get it from On Behalf of the Editorial Staff yourfhn@fhntoday.com | @FHNtoday

Mike Murphy, 11

“I like [no-kill shelters] a lot because I don’t like people killing animals.”

Olivia Schindler, 12

NORTH STAR TAKE

OPINIONS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY ALY DOTY

e need to stop killing healthy and adoptable animals. Saint Charles is fortunate to have Five Acres Animal Shelter. The shelter doesn’t euthanize their animals to make room for new ones, welcomes animals who are in bad shape and has a dedicated staff. However, a lot of places aren’t as lucky. Anyone who has ever had to put down a pet knows how heartbreaking it can be to lose a member of the family. According to the

Humane Society of the United States, around 2.4 million healthy cats and dogs are put down in U.S. shelters each year. This is due to killshelters. Some kill-shelters use a very disturbing kill method that involves putting the animal in a gas chamber. Under the best circumstances, it only takes minutes for an animal to lose consciousness, but in frequent cases, it takes much longer. In some instances, these chambers aren’t cleaned often, and an animal in the chamber may smell the animal before them. In the state of Missouri, it is not completely

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 General Staff: Stacy Beasley Heeral Patel Myah Blocker Jake Price Morgan Bridges Paige Prinster Olivia Fetsch Mackenzie Pugh Martin Groves Ashya Roberson Heidi Hauptman Samantha Schmid Samantha Herr Keegan Schuster Alex Lane Christopher St. Aubin Anna Lindquist Hannah Wilson Rebekah Maye Kylah Woods Sarah Zimmerman Editor-in-Chief of Photography: Alex Rowe Newspaper Photo Editor: Riley McCrackin Yearbook Photo Editor: Hannah Medlin Photographers: Sam Alexander Matthew Jewsen Morgan Bales Jared Kinnard Sam Cary Bernadette Kornberger Aaron Dupske Kyra Peper Madi Graves Haleigh Schlogl Savannah Wandzel

illegal for a shelter to use the gas chamber appointment. method. This is an unethical method that No-kill shelters all have a common goal of needs to be stopped completely, for there are improving living conditions of the animals many other alternatives such as an intravenous within the shelter. They do this by promoting injection of sodium phenobarbital, or simply not the adoption of animals in the shelter, setting killing the animal at all. up spay and neuter programs and setting up The reason kill-shelters resort to ending the retention programs. For a lot of shelters, that goal animal’s life is usually due to overpopulation. is not always realistic due to the cost. However, When an animal shelter reaches full capacity, many of these shelters are reliant on their large kill-shelters make room for other animals simply number of volunteers, which goes to show that by putting to sleep some of the the shelter and the people in it animals who have been in the have the animal’s best interests shelter for a long time, are in bad in mind. To learn more about Five shape or are of old age. However, There are around 50 no-kill Acres Animal Shelter in Saint this problem can be greatly animal shelters in the state of Charles, check out page 31 of reduced simply by getting animals Missouri. Some shelters make this issue. spayed and neutered shortly after exceptions to the no-kill ethic, their adoption. This will allow but only in cases such as major the animal to no longer reproduce, making the medical issues and extreme aggression. These population go down. animals are put down with a more humane No-kill shelters don’t kill their animals to make method of euthanasia that kills the animal in a room for new ones. However, space in these much quicker and painless way. shelters is limited. To control population within Regardless of that exception, no-kill shelters are the shelter, they typically don’t take every animal still the better option, simply because they are that wants in. Walking in with an animal and much more humane and dedicated to finding an asking for it to be in the shelter is typically not animal’s forever home, and that’s what shelters allowed, and people will need to schedule an are supposed to be about.

? MORE INFO

FHNTODAY STAFF Editors-in-Chief: Michal Basford Chase Meyer Social Media Editor: Isaiah Bryant FHNgameday Editor: Jacob Lintner Web Staff: Madison Abanathie Jadon Herrman Gavin Atkinson Daniel Mulawa Tyler Rogers Editor-in-Chief of Video: Brayton Larson Special Projects Editor: Alyssa Barber Podcast Editor: Taylor Sheridan Video Staff: Kamryn Bell Madilyn Shinault Kelsey Decker William Skaggs Daniel Kuhn KalI Skikas Lupe Medina Lily Sontheimer Reide Pearson Adam Quigley Taylor Perry Cole Wilkinson Nathan Williams Advisers: Aaron Manfull Jordyn Kiel

OPINIONS | FHNTODAY.COM | PAGE BY ALY DOTY

FHN media

Join the FHN Media Program! SIGN UP FOR INTRO CLASSES:

JOURNALISM, JOURNALISM II & DIGITAL PHOTOJ Going Places

Meeting People

Skills

Courses

Students move out of their seats and beyond the classroom to cover community and national events. They attend a local events at places like Webster University and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Staff members also attend national conventions each year in places ranging from Denver and Orlando to Anaheim and Seattle.

Members staffpose afterforconquring Street Members ofofstaff a photo in Lombard Indianapolis during a in Francisco a tripJournalism to the National High in tripSan to the National during High School Convention School in California. ThisFuture is Indiana.Journalism This is one ofConvention many trips the staff has taken. one trips of theplaces staff from has taken. tripsto trips of willthe be many to a variety SeattleFuture and Dallas will be toand a variety of places Chicago Washington D.C.! from Indianapolis and Seattle, to Chicago and Dallas!

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Contact FHN Media (Room 105 026)

Aaron Manfull, Adviser aaron.manfull@fhsdschools.org 636-851-5107 Jordyn Kiel, Adviser jordyn.kiel@fhsdschools.org 636-851-5048

Awards Join one of the top journalism programs in the country. The publications consistently rank among the nation’s elite at national conventions and contests. The staff has earned Pacemaker, Crown, Gallup and Best of Show honors numerous times. Win awards as part of a team and individually. In the past 5 years we have had two named Missouri’s High School Journalist’s of the Year and staffers have won numerous scholarships for their work.

If you’re into writing or designing, there’s a place for you. Want to be a sports reporter or a movie reviewer? There’s a place for you. If you’re into photography or videography, want to work on the web or in business advertising, there’s a place for you. Like Facebook and Twitter? We even have jobs for that. Learn skills that matter now and help later.

In room 026 you’ll meet everyone from sports team captains and Student Council members to artists and those in band. You’ll also have the chance to meet and talk with famous people. Staffers have interviewed and/or photographed everyone from Barack Obama and Rand Paul to boxing great Evander Holyfield and First Amendment fighter Mary Beth Tinker.

Looking to get an Honors Point? Publications can get you that too. Newspaper, Yearbook FHNtodayTV and FHNtoday.com staffs are all co-curricular classes that meet during the school day. You get Practical Arts credit for being a member of staff and even have the option to take the publication courses for an Honors Point. Inquire about your options.