The North Star- February 2008 Edition by North Star

north star

ns Vol. 22 Issue 6

02.14.08 Francis Howell North 2549 Hackmann Rd St. Charles, Missouri www.northstartoday.com

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online

This month the indepth section covers the transitions that five students and their families who have immigrated to the United States from a foreign country have faced.

Check out the website this month for web exclusive photo galleries of mock rock, presidential campaigns for the primary election, and even more to come.

podcast This week episode 68 will feature a segment that brings the five students featured in the indepth section to life.

reader’sguide north star 02.14.08

north star

“Providing an open forum for Francis Howell North since 1986.”

contact 2549 Hackmann Rd. St. Charles, MO 63303 636.851.5107 www.northstartoday.com

Editor in Chief: Leah Carter Managing Editor of Writing: D.J. Shewmaker Managing Editor of Design: Taylor Bell Managing Editor of Photography: Amy Gleaves Head Writing Coach: Zach Vicars News Editor: Luke Christisen Features Editor: Amy Qualls Sports Editor: Hannah Meyer Copy/Opinions Editor Chavon Chester Photo Editor: Cami Wade Online Photo Editor: Dominique Hamilton Online Editor: Adam Weber Podcast Editor: Michelle Godar Staff: Josh Ahrens Betsy Blanchard Leslie Bland Kate Block Tori Bowden Jessica Bremer Nathan Bryant Alexis Chandler Chelsea Eifert Emily Fanara Andrew Hairlson Kayla Hatcher Jon Henderson Kaila Kamp Lauren Kastendieck Chelsea Kaufman Tyler Kirk Jordyn Klackner Arlen Kunkee Barbara Jean Palmer Mandy Palmer Jessica Payne Logan Ponche Katie Robertson Taylor Robinson Felix Ruediger Brittany Schulze Jay Scott Sarah Semmel Allison Sheffler Katie Siebuhr Laura Simon Vicki Viehman Adviser: Aaron Manfull

02 page design tyler kirk

highlights news

4|Students surprise competitors

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podcast

online

As the only two remaining members of Speech and Debate, seniors Billy Wurm and Bryan Yarde must take on competing schools by themselves.

6|Lounge receives makeover

Eleven members of StuCo gave a hallway ‘nook’ and the teacher’s lounge a face-lift, putting a smile on many of the educators’ faces.

7|Class produces discovery

Many students join Cadet Teaching because they love working with kids, but some discover a love for teaching and a possible career choice.

spotlights features

10|Rivers becomes local favorite On Thursday nights at a local coffee house, junior Billy Rivers attracts local fans with his familiar and catchy songs.

11|Guard offers thoughts on life FHN’s newest night guard, Jason Howdeshell, loves to chat with the occasional passerby, but also finds time to reminisce about life.

20|Theater becoming extinct

The famous Wehrenberg whisper may be no more, as the 102-year-old family-named movie theater chain is on the buyer’s market.

playhard sports

22|Schulze lives for cheer

As one of four freshmen on the Varsity cheer squad, Courtney Schulze cheers for the love of the sport.

contents inshort 10|Journals 15|Indepth 28|Editorial 32|Photo Story

03.13.08

March issue

|Gay-Straight Alliance |Coverage on 2008 Election |Beginning of spring sports

on the cover

Throughout the years, FHN has grown more and more diverse, becoming a cultural melting pot. The North Star has found students from Bulgaria, Dominican Republic, England, Palestine and Puerto Rico. (photo illustration by cami wade)

23|Health and Fitness

Senior Ron Wurmb answers questions about exercise, explaining that he is joining ROTC and how he prepares for it.

24|McCarty gets dirty

In senior Matt McCarty’s mud-covered eyes, mountain biking is underrated, and he believes the danger is half the fun.

on the web

ns today online

The NS today is an expansion of the newspaper, containing what’s in the paper, as well as exclusive videos, stories and photos. Check it out at:

www.northstartoday.com

speakout opinions 28|Editorial

Although today is Valentine’s Day, that doesn’t give students the right to block your locker for a mid-day make-out session.

29|Mission brings realization

Barbara Jean explains how she gave up a portion of her Christmas to help those less fortunate, and came home a changed person.

30|Communication breakdown With advances in technology happening every day, family and friends are now chatting with their computers, instead of their mouths.

Each week we post fresh photo stories and news breaks. You can also find in-depth feature articles, media contests and even flash games.

ns podcast video

The podcast airs every Friday and can be downloaded on iTunes, YouTube, and northstartoday.com. Every week there will be a news story, a student profile and a random segment.

Episode #68 of the North Star Podcast comes out tomorrow (Feb. 15). This installment will include a ‘how-to’ on three different pore-pleasing, fruity face masks, which help improve dry, oily and sun-damaged skin.

highlights

north star 02.14.08

Side

Effect

onlin e clusive

How everyday decisions affect students...

putting the

knowledge in

technology

students at north who attend tech schools all over the district came together on Feb. 13 for a battle of the minds at this year’s tech school competition

by chelsea kaufman

Senior Sean Ell stares at his pair of 21 in. monitors as he does his work at Lewis and Clark Tech School. Ell has gone to the school both his junior and senior years. (mandy palmer)

n Feb. 13, North joined fellow schools in the district in the annual tech school competition, held at the Lewis and Clark tech center. Students who went to districts were allowed to choose which event they participated in, each focusing on computer and modern technology. Students who were given the chance to participate have had prior training in the areas they perform. For students such as senior Sean Ell who participated in computer programming and is continuing to follow the competition, this event had many different things to offer. “Competing is what I’m most looking forward to,” Ell said. “I’m really curious to see how I place against other schools that are going. This is my first year doing this, and I’m going against people who have done it for years.” Though the main reason for the competition is for students to compete and show off their knowledge of technol-

ogy, both students and staff are looking forward to the more social aspect that is offered. “I’m looking forward to meeting other people involved,” Ell said. “It’s a great chance to talk with other people who have the same interest as you.” North has been involved with the tech school competition since it began, sending students each year to participate in an area where the student shows most talent in computer or modern technology. Though up to this point, no new changes have been made to the program, the administrators who oversee the competition have begun to draft up new ideas, such as adding more diverse programs for students to choose from. These alterations will not take effect until next year. “I know kids are looking forward to the different events,” counselor Ann Cope said. “Hopefully this will get the tech department a bigger turnout and we can send more people to state next year.”

the categories

contestants are able to choose from a very large variety of categories... these are just a few: computers: •computer programming •computer maintenance

automotive: •collision repair •auto service technology

healthcare: •nursing

buildings: •heating, ventilation and air conditioners •building trades

business: •super marketing careers

web: •web developement •3-D animation •technical applications

This month NS online will be featuring these topics as exclusive online stories: -Check out online for an audio slideshow of what’s going down at Frau Fest. -Watch for an upcoming audio slideshow on Blizzard Blackout. -Check out northstartoday. com for more on teacher of the the year, Frau Mcpartland.

This month the NS podcast will have the following news topics to keep you informed: -For more on Mardi Gras by the foreign language clubs check out episode 67 of the podcast. -To see more behinde the scenes of this years Heart-oGrams check out episdoe 68. -For another look at this years North Street Coffee house and its performer check out episode 69.

a majority of the categories are chosen by classes offered at the university, while some extra categories are added as well

Photography & Fine Portraits Weddings • Family • Children • Seniors • Business • Copy and Restoration

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highlights

north star 02.14.08

Students step up for speech

Robotics sparks competitive spirit

Two senior boys carry on without the help of teammates

by jon henderson

Teacher of the Year announced by tyler kirk

During first hour on Feb. 11, the entire population of FHN discovered who would be representing them as the teacher of the year. After sponsoring German club, FrauFest for the past three years, the German exchange student program, mentoring and many other committees, Anne McPartland’s dedication finally paid off. “It’s cool and overwhelming,” McPartland said. “ It’s nice to be recognized by my colleagues. It’s like, ‘Hey, they know what I’ve done.’” After the entire staff voted, three finalists were chosen: Mike Kenny, Shelly Grimshaw and, of course, McPartland. “I think it’s awesome,” French teacher Dave Fritz said. “She’s well deserving. She gives so much to the North community.”

by kate block

On The Side

The Robotics Club is gearing up for another competition on Feb. 27, in the Family Arena. This year’s competition is called “First Overdrive”, which is a racing game of sorts. There’s an oval “race track” where the robots either have to push big trackballs through obstacles or over them. If a team manages to get the ball over the obstacle, they’ll be awarded more points. “I’d say the hardest part of [First Overdrive] is being able to get through the course quickly and effectively so you can score the most points,” team mentor and Boeing employee Tom Mantia said. Despite common perception, the club needs to know more than just math and science to build a capable robot. “There’s a ton of different [ﬁelds] that go into making a robot,” Mantia said. “There’s piece for everyone.”

Since Billy Wurm and Bryan Yarde’s freshman year the team has been dwindeling in size, but they continue their passion for debate throughout their senior year. Wurm and Yarde believe that the experiences from speech and debate has greatly helped them with many things during highschool, and will continue to help them throughout life. (photo illistration by kayla hatcher)

aiting for judges to critique. Being in the ﬁnal or semiﬁnal rounds with everybody watching. Hoping to make it to Las Vegas, where the National Competition will be. These are the times that stick out in the minds of seniors Billy Wurm and Bryan Yarde when they think of their sport, Speech and Debate. “It’s been a learning experience,” Wurm said. “Bryan and I both have completely different styles. He likes Extemporaneous and I like Debate real well. It’s been interesting.” FHN is down to only two members of Speech and Debate. Don’t let these students fool you, they may be in the minority but they can hold their own. “My favorite part is

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Traditional Mardi Gras food, decorations, music puts French Club attendents in a festive mood

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orth’s Mardi Gras celebration is held by the French Club every year, and this year took place on Feb. 5. There was a lot of food including a King’s cakes, which was made for the ﬁrst time this year. “Something that sets Mardi Gras away from

Oktober Fest and Frau Fest is King’s Cakes,” President of French Club Jenna Thomas said. “Some times they are fruit ﬁlled, have a little baby inside them, who ever ﬁnds it is named king and queen”. The club also played games such as limbo, musical chairs, and Guitar Hero. They handed out door prizes for the participants, and of course had the famous Mardi

Gras beads. “Mardi Gras went really good,” freshmen Lauren Smith said. “There wasn’t a really big turn out, we played Guitar Hero, had the baby cakes which is where someone gets crowned King or Queen, and danced together. That was pretty intense.” Having Mardi Gras has a been a tradition for all the language clubs.

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have stuck it out. Yarde feels as though Speech and Debate has taught them a lot about the world they live in. “I’ve become a more informed citizen,” Yarde said. “Mainly because I’ve had to do so much research I feel I have more knowledge.” Wurm feels that he too has learned a lot about himself and the world he lives in. “It’s made me a harder worker,” Wurm said. “It helped me realize that success isn’t made by gaining trophies but attaining your goals and helping yourself grow.” Wurm and Yarde aren’t just teammates and schoolmates but have become good friends. “Next year, I will miss being able to go on weekend tournaments with Bryan and Mrs. Freeman,” Wurm said.

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winning,” Yarde said. “Any time we accomplish anything as a team. FHN isn’t really known for Speech and Debate out in the competitions so it’s like two Hillbillies coming over from the other side of the river. I love to see the other teams’ faces when they ﬁnd out they got smoked by FHN.” For the past four years Yarde and Wurm have been wreaking havoc upon their opponents and this year is no exception. “This year has been going incredibly well,” Yarde said. “The ﬁrst tournament of the year Billy and I both won LD so we closed off the brackets. At the GSL Competition, FHN was the sixth best team even though we only have two people on the team.” Throughout the years members have come and gone but Wurm and Yarde

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club also help out, and are in charge of things such as desserts. “We had pizza, snacks, kings cakes, and we ended up with a queen, no King,” Spanish club sponsor Stacy Berberich said. “Not as many people came as last year but we always have a good time no matter how many people come.”

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highlights

Spring play approaches swiftly

north star 02.14.08

StuCo plans for Spirit Week

“Noises off” promises to sound off differently from plays in the past

he spring play “Noises Off” is different from other

plays. “I love that [“Noises Off”] is abstract, it’s diverse,” senior and actress Jenna Thomas said. “I love that it’s different.” Crew members will build the set on a platform and rotate it for the second act. The rotating set is still in planning stages, but Drama Club sponsor Kathy Carron is hopeful that it will work out and those involved in the production are excited about it, also. “I’ve never heard of a set being rotated around in a high school play,” Thomas said. The entire second act is also done without speaking parts. A character is off stage while

acting at the same time. And it’s funny. “We haven’t had many really funny plays at our school,” junior and actor Eric Peters said. “And being as it were that comedy is my forte, I was very excited to do what I love most, which is to make people laugh.” Some of the actors consider the play to be more complex and funny than those in recent years. “Noises Off” is the story of a struggling acting company putting on a play called “Nothing On” - a play within a play, essentially. “[“Noises Off” is about] the craziness that goes on back stage,” junior and actor Josiah Carney said. Each act features the behind the scenes and acting of “Nothing On,” but in every act some-

Junior Jana Huebner reads off her lines as senior Scott Henson waits for his cue during play practice on Feb. 4. The play, “Noises Off,” consists of a nine person cast and is scheduled for April. (sarah semmel)

thing else goes wrong and changes with the play. “Everything goes wrong and every character has a quirk,” Thomas said. The play will take

place April 10-12. Until then, the actors have their hands full with the fast paced complexity of “Noises Off”. It’s proving to be a challenge but one that they are eager to

meet. “I’m looking forward to seeing how this shapes up to be,” Carron said. “It’s a lot of fun but a lot of work.”

On The Side

by jessica bremer

by katie siebuhr

Students work to support beneficial organization

Students try to start a club to support “Invisible Children”, a group that fights war and suffering in Uganda

5w’s of “Invisible Children” Who:

Filmmakers Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey, Laren Poole

What:

After traveling to Uganda in search of a story, the three filmmakers were faced with the suffering of the people, namely the children, who were being forced into war.

When:

Spring 2003 to Present

Where:

The war and conflict took place in Uganda, the “Invisible Children” organization is all over America

Why:

“Invisible Children” seeks to raise funds to help end the suffering in Uganda and rebuild the damaged country

by felix ruediger

“Invisible Children” is an organization that is fighting a war oceans away and four students at North want to start a club to support them. “Invisible Children is an organization started by three guys who decided to go overseas and found a bigger tragedy that occurred where there were children abducted from their homes to fight in a war in Uganda,” senior Lindsey Boville said. “Invisible Children tries to raise money and awareness

to achieve peace.” Boville and her fellow students Ellen Ransom, Natalie Wilson and Kayla Hatcher heard about “Invisible Children” and decided to start a club. They asked Jana Reiter, Contemporary Issues and American Government teacher to sponsor it. “I think I am familiar with it,” Reiter who agreed to be sponsor, said. “I believe in the causes as well. It’s important that we have awareness in such a global society.” There have been problems in the organization and starting of the club. The first meeting is yet

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FEA reads across elementary schools by tori bowden

Early this March, Future Educators of America will be participating in Read Across America, a program sponsored by the National Education Association. Students in FEA will be reading to preschoolers at Hackmann Early Childhood and in two preschool classes at Henderson Elementary. “Students in FEA are in it because they want to teach,” FEA sponsor Kim Coil said. “So reading and especially in classrooms is what we enjoy doing.” The official date for Read Across America is March 2, but no day has been decided by FEA to read to the preschoolers. Coil hopes for it to be the week of March 3.

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to come. “People think it has a religious basis,” Boville said. “It’s taking the Board [of education] a long time to make a decision.” The organization already seems to be popular at North though. “I think it’s a good thing to do,” senior Stephanie Theiss said. “Because it’s good for the people.” The club plans to support “Invisible Children” with events at North. “They want to develop fund raisers to be able to build schools in Uganda,” Reiter said.

Spirit week will take place on Feb. 19-22. Its purpose is to get students excited for the Snowcoming dance. “We have plans to make each day of spirit week fun and competitive between students and classes,” student council president Katie Gallagher said. The themes for spirit week were decided by a group vote. The themes have been decided to let the students get a break from everyday school life and to have fun. Tuesday is Twin Tuesday, Wednesday is Wanna be Wednesday, Thursday is Class Colors day and Friday is Blackout day. “To get the entire student body excited about Snowcoming there will be prizes,” Gallagher said. “Teachers and StuCo members will look for the most spirited student and award them a prize.”

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highlights

north star 02.14.08

StuCo redecorates school walls

Fraufest allows students to shine

by tyler kirk

On Feb. 20, Fraufest will celebrate its third annual performance with new and old bands. “Fraufest is getting more noticed this year than the last two years because students like to go and watch others perform,” German club sponsor Anne McPartland said. There will be seven bands performing on that night, featuring a variety of music. The performers had to try out on Jan. 10 to get into Fraufest. Tickets were sold on Feb. 5 for $5. On the opening night it will increase to $7. “I’m excited [Fraufest] is coming together into one piece again this year and making its third year more awesome than ever,” McPartland said.

Students view other cultures by kaila kamp

The time has come once again for FHN students to shufﬂe off to Germany. For the sixth year in a row, Anne McPartland, German Club sponsor, is preparing for the trip by ordering plane tickets, making sure students pay, and working with students on the German language, culture, and etiquette. While in Germany students will live with their host families and participate in many group activities such as attending school, visiting the Ludwigsburg Castle, going shopping and going to the zoo. “I want to sightsee,” sophomore Leah Turner said. “I want to see all the stuff I’ve heard that’s really pretty, but I’m scared of the different foods.” Students and McPartland will leave for Germany June 27 and return July 12.

On The Side

by lauren kastendieck

“nook” to the right of English teacher Jani Wilkens’ classroom. Culver and fellow senior Nia Payne came up with f you walked into the teacher’s that idea when they noticed the clutlounge after school on Jan. 25, you would have sworn you were looking ter of fliers in the StuCo rep’s room. The girls decided it was going to be in on an episode of Trading Spaces. the home of their bulletin board. You would have been wrong. “Our students What you’d have are just great,” seen was an Extreme Wilkens said. Room Makeover. Break it down with the “[They] like helpWhat once used to bricks! ing the school.” be a bland, baby blue StuCo decorated the nooks in the hallways with Juniors Britroom where teachers tany Schulze and congregated for lunch, bricks showcasing all of their sponsored events. Ashley Campise was transformed by 1. Mr. FHN and sophomore StuCo into a haven for Lindsay Karsten 2. Mock Rock the educators. helped Culver “I think [the teach3. Homecoming and Payne finers] will love it and 4. Snowcoming ish the mural want to eat in here 5. Parade the week after all the time,” senior Christmas break. Hallie Culver said as 6. Clothing and canned food drive The idea to give she rolled a wall with 7. Trick or Treat Street the teacher’s rust-colored paint. “We 8. Pep Assembly lounge a face-lift want it to be a surprise came next. for them when they Eleven memcome back from the bers of StuCo stayed after school that weekend.” Friday, some until 7 o’clock. After And a surprise it was. they had scraped off each piece of “I couldn’t believe it,” Paula Young wallpaper, after they had painted said smiling. “That’s extremely nice of each wall its designated color, and StuCo to do for the teachers.” The teacher’s lounge wasn’t the first after they had hung up each piece of student-made art – they were finally part of the school to get a makeover. done. The plan was just to paint the

The “Nook” outside of library is painted to be used as a bulletin board for upcoming StuCo events. Seniors Hallie Culver and Nia Payne painted the walls with events they helped create and some old traditions. (kayla hatcher)

Students will be showing off latest prom fashions Juniors, seniors will strut down the catwalk to raise money for upcoming Midnight Masquerade by jessica payne

n March 6 around 50 students will be walking down the runway showing off prom fashions in the Commons. The prom fashion show is set up by the junior class delegates, and juniors and seniors can participate. The cost is $5

a person and is meant to raise money for the prom, “Midnight Masquerade.” “It’s really the ﬁrst big prom scare,” Junior Class President Caleb Krenning said. “It really makes people realize that prom is in a month.” Girls are taken to local dress shops to ﬁnd the perfect dress for them. After that, the

other minor necessities are chosen. “The students who are participating are very excited about it,” Junior Class Sponsor Rachel Bedsworth said. “They all know about it and are excited about being a part of it.” Those in charge have to make sure that everything goes well.

The night of the show, the dresses being modeled are described and told where they are from. This will give girls ideas for their own prom dresses and where they can go to get them. The show will have door prizes along with items auctioned off throughout the night. “Everyone looks beautiful,” Krenning

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06page design kate block

said. “They can just be themselves. It’s all about having fun and being goofy.” The show had a good turnout last year, but is hoping for an even better one this year. “I think it’s a good chance for a lot of the students to get together in a social gathering,” Bedsworth said.

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highlights

north star 02.14.08

Activity aces its way into halls

CSLP draws blood for benefit of others by hannah meyer

by andrew hairlson

ith paddles in hand, a team of students journeyed down to the hallways of the commons to play a sport that does not usually get a lot of press at school. “Well, Josiah Carney and Eric Peters came up to me with the idea of starting a table tennis club this year,” club sponsor Tim Besse said. “Actually he wanted to start it last year with Mr. Ehlman, but wasn’t able to. Why he came up to me, I don’t know. I thought it was a good idea but I didn’t know how we would pull it off.” Before starting the table tennis club here at school, Peters and Carney would go to the St. Peters Table Tennis Club, which held their meetings at Francis Howell Central. So when news got out

Junior Aaron Walker (right) returns a serve in the hallway during a Table Tennis Club session. Table Tennis Club is new to North and will have meetings every tuesday in the hallways around 2:30 - 4:30. Table Tennis Club is sponsored by Tim Besse and gives students a chance to experience a unique sport. The Club’s creators Josiah Carney and Eric Peters were very excited about starting a table tennis club at FHN. (meagan crafton)

that there was a club starting at North, many of Carney and Peters’ friends jumped on the opportunity to join. “Me, my brother and Josiah used to always play

pingpong at my house and when he said he was going to try and start a club I got really excited,” junior Matt Lane said. The table tennis club had to overcome some

obstacles on their way to becoming a club. “We had a problem with getting the tables because they were so expensive,” Besse, a math teacher, said. “It took a

full semester, but the St. Peters Table Tennis Club let us borrow six of their tables so we could get started.” After getting the six tables, the next big obstacle was finding storage for them somewhere where it would be easy to access them. “The storage of the tables was the hardest part because these were big tables and we had very little storage,” Activities Director Mike Janes said. All meetings are held in the hallways outside the commons every Tuesday from 2:30-4:30 p.m. “It’s really a lot of fun. You can come out and play other people and get better,” junior Andrew Schwab said. “Either you’re a serious player or you’re not.”

On The Side

Table Tennis club serves as a new program for students at North

Program gives students opportunity to explore career by taylor robinson

adet Teaching provides the chance for students to have a hands-on learning experience. The program allows high school students to go to an elementary or middle school in the district for an hour each day. For students who are undecided about their future, this program is

the chance to find out if teaching is what they want to do. “Cadet Teaching is helping me decide what I really want to do with the rest of my life,” senior Nicole Hopp said. “I get to act like a teacher and see if it’s right for me.” According to Kim Coil, the facilitator of the program, Cadet Teaching offers several advantages to students who want to

become teachers. “First of all, it’s a great experience,” Coil said. “It’s also involvement versus observation. In college you sit and observe teachers where this program lets you participate in the classroom.” Coil has one change in mind for the future of Cadet Teaching. “I used to be at the schools for two hours, but the schedule got messed

up and now we only go for one,” Coil said. “I wish we could go back to two hours, but that’s the only thing I would change. It’s really a good program.” Students involved in this program get more out of it than just the teaching experience. “Cadet Teaching made me look at things from a different perspective,” junior Katie Coffey said. “I may not show it, but I

actually respect my teachers a lot more. Lesson plans are hard and I get mad when the kids don’t listen to me.” Working in a classroom can give you experience that will follow you for the rest of your life. “They teach you more than you know,” Coffey said. “You wouldn’t think that a 7-year-old could do that, but they do and it’s absolutely amazing.”

Red Cross representative Stacy Hudson came to North on Jan. 30 to help CSLP plan their annual Blood Drive. CSLP has been busy setting up committees and spreading the word about the blood drive. “We’re hoping it is a huge success,” sponsor Jana Reiter said. Reiter along with Chairperson of the blood drive, Melanie Wilson, is hoping to get more 16-year-olds involved because they still need their parent’s signature to give blood. “There will be flyers, posters, and incentives to get the word around and get students involved,” Reiter said. The blood drive will take place on March 28 during the day in the large gym. Any student can sign up. The volunteers will be given a snack after the drive before they return to class.

Workshop will be held on internet use by dj shewmaker

Sherri Pogue, North’s librarian has been working on computers for 34 years. That experience will be put to good use on Feb. 19 when she will host an internet workshop in North’s library. “I think any type of knowledge for computer literacy is a skill everybody needs in this day and age,” Pogue said. “If I can give them ways to do better searches, that will help them find information more quickly.” The workshop is for a local chapter of an organization she is a member of, called Delta Cappa Gamma which is an international organization of women educators with a chapter based in the Francis Howell School district. Pogue is the only member from North. “It’s a really small, focused group,” Pogue said of the local chapter. “Part of it’s socializing. It’s educational, but it’s a social group.”

How informed are you? How much do you really know what is going on around school? blog.ExcaliburYearbook.com - This is a frequently updated blog where you can throw your opinion down on a host of topics. www.NorthStarToday.com - This is a supplement to the monthly North Star newsmagazine. The site is updated daily and just recently added photo galleries with more to be added weekly. NS Podcast - The North Star weekly video podcast. You can find it on iTunes by searching “NS Podcast” or recent episodes can be found on www.NorthStarToday.com. North Star - FHN’s Monthly newsmagazine. The next issue will be March 13. Excalibur - FHN’s yearbook. Have you bought one? Check out www. ExcaliburYearbook to double-check.

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highlights

north star 02.14.08

Campus Corner

Blizzard Blackout StuCo steps up with an “untraditional” dance Club seeks a good turn out at this year’s third annual Snowcoming by vicki viehman

ubble machines with glowing bubbles and splatter paint in neon colors are the decorations that StuCo has in mind for their 2008 Snowcoming dance. They are going for an abandoned building theme and there will be wooden trashcans and broken glass to help add to the eerie feeling that they hope will come with the decorations. “It’s not going to be your traditional dance,” StuCo cabinet member Ali Nichols said. “It’s going to be more of a fun blackout party.” Blizzard Blackout on SaFeb. 23 is going to be a completely different dance than 2007’s “Knight Club”. Everything is going to be covered in black paper and splattered with neon paint. Glowing bubbles and black lights will be the only source of light for the whole dance. “The dance is going to be in the commons again this year,” StuCo treasurer Tina West said. “It’s smaller than the

gym, but it feels more like a club. It’s like one big tent.” StuCo is really looking forward to doing something completely different with this year’s dance. After two years without a Snowcoming, StuCO picked up the forgotten dance in 2005 and revamped it. They are hoping this year’s Blizzard Blackout is going to be their best dance yet. “It’s a completely different realm of dance,” Student Council Chief of Staff Caleb Krenning said. “This dance is going to bend a lot of rules. It’s going to be more like a club.” Techno Bubbles is providing FHN with enough blacklights and glowing bubbles to cover an entire commons. Due to all the neon paint and bubbles, students are advised to dress casual to avoid ruining expensive formal wear. “It’s more like a club and you might get splattered with glow paint and bubbles. You don’t want to get anything nice messed up,” Krenning said. Tickets will be for sale the week of

the dance for $10 at all lunches. StuCo is going to help get students excited for the dance by hosting Spirit Week the week of Snowcoming and celebrating the winter sports pep assembly on Feb. 22. “I think people who aren’t usually interested in the traditional high school dance are really going to enjoy it,” Nichols said.

We’ve got spirit yes we do! Feb. 18

Feb. 19

No School

Twin Tuesday

Feb. 20 Wanna be Wednesday.

Feb. 21

Feb. 22

Class Colors

Blackout day

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spotlights

Andy Loeffler, senior “Ever since I’ve been little, I’ve liked carpentry. I built a workshop for my uncle and I’m in the process of building a house for him right now.” Story on page 14

Senior Caleb Williams runs wire in the house that Lewis and Clark Career Center students are currently building. Williams is in his second year working in the tech school, but it is his first year actually helping to build the house. (amy gleaves)

spotlights

north star 02.14.08

online clusive

Profiles

LIVINGINTUNE

Musician finds passion through performance

online

Go Online and read about more students than ever before. The North Star will be featuring online exclusive profiles.

Annie McFarland Family and friends look up to McFarland and how she relates faith to everyday life. Story will be posted on Feb. 21.

Junior Billy Rivers plays his acoustic guitar at the Main Street coffee house. He occasionally plays at The Pit with his band In The Making, which was started his freshman year. Rivers is planning to continue playing music in college. (katie robertson)

Using music as an outlet Rivers expresses his dreams Sam Fitzwalter Fitzwalter finds artistic inspiration from people in the Picasso Coffee House. Story will be posted on Feb. 28.

Amanda Dulaney Dulaney enters an alternate dreamland every time she steps out and reenacts the revolutionary war. Story will be posted on March 6.

by taylor robinson

n Thursday nights, coffee isn’t the only thing that draws people into the warm and friendly coffee house on Main Street. It’s open mic night, and of all the people who get up the guts to sing in front of everyone in Picasso’s coffee house, one individual stands out. When junior Billy Rivers starts to sing a hush falls over the crowd, people watch him, listen to him, and sing along to

his familiar songs. “Kid’s got a good beat; he’s got heart,” Edwin Buchanan, a frequent visitor of the coffee house said. Some believe that if Rivers continues in his music career, he could go far. “Billy has a lot of talent and a lot of potential,” David Cattani, part time Picasso’s coffee house employee said. “If music is something he sticks with, he could end up all sorts of places. He could really go

somewhere. There’s a chance he’ll be heard by the right person. Making it to the big time is pretty tough. Hard work and double luck.” Rivers’ friends agree with Cattani along with other local fans. Rivers’ writes his own music, and he also practices and performs songs by his favorite artists. According to his friends, he is very passionate about his music. “I pretty much try to come down here every time Billy’s playing,

which is usually like every other week,” explains 16-year-old Marcy Smith, Rivers’ girlfriend. “It makes me feel at home. It’s fun here, and I love the music. Plus, Billy Rivers is pretty much the coolest guy on the face of this planet!” Friends and fans aren’t the only people who have faith in Rivers’ future. He has big plans for himself. “I plan on majoring in music education and composition,” Rivers said. “Basically, I want to be

able to write, play, and educate professionally in music.” Rivers uses music not only as a hobby, but as an outlet. “My music gives me a chance to express myself in a way that’s comfortable for me,” Rivers said. I like the energy rush of performing; the adrenaline,” “Billy is kind of a role model,” Smith said. “I look up to him, and I know a lot of other people do too.”

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spotlights

north star 02.14.08

Knight guard keeps look out

Howdeshell gives advice while protecting school by josh ahrens

ome people wonder who is in the guard shack when they see that light on inside. His name is Jason Howdeshell. And he is the one keeping our school safe and having fun at the same time. Howdeshell started three weeks ago and is already loving it. For the most part, he keeps to himself but loves to have a good conversation with an occasional passerby. At the same time he also likes the time alone to think. “The job is good because I get a lot of time to sit and think,” Howdeshell said. He has a routine schedule every time he comes to work. This routine helps insure the school and its students and staff safety. It stops vandalism and any other bad activity going on at night. “Come to work on time, clock in with cell phone, relieve who’s ever here, do rounds every hour, and make sure everything is safe and secure,” Howdeshell said. “Occasionally I find suspicious people.” A few times people have been walking around late at night. Howdeshell kind of has to be the person that is stereotypical. He looks for the way a person’s dressed or how they walk and if they look like they are hiding something. He looks at all cars and other vehicles that come in to the parking lot. He immediately gets the make and model of the car including their license plate number. Howdeshell calls this “standard procedure.” Although Howdeshell has to watch for all cars not every car stays in the campus long enough for suspicion. “The cars usually come in and go back out,” Howdeshell said. “I call them the ‘U turner.’ Howdeshell does whatever he can to keep the campus safe. He hasn’t had to reprimand anyone yet and hopes he will never have to. He can alert the authorities but isn’t allowed to detain or arrest anyone. His job is to inform and protect.

Look into the night

Q& A Name: Jason Howdeshell What is the most vigorous thing you have done? When I went through training. It was a two-day eight hour program.

What is the scariest part of your job? Nothing really scares me, unless someone was actually threatening my life.

Night guard Jason Howdeshell stands with the large flashlight he carries with him on his hourly rounds. The most consitent activity Howdeshell sees on the Howell North campus are the frequent U-turns of in-coming cars. (portrait by amy gleaves)

“Your cell phone is your life line,” Howdeshell said. “I just inform and then they take over. The “they” Howdeshell talks about are the administration and police. Once he has contacted them it’s their job to take action. But it’s not all serious. Howdeshell enjoys his job during athletic events. “The atmosphere is nice, especially during games,” Howdeshell said. During games he likes to help out and answer any questions students have. The games give him time to interact with what North has to offer. Howdeshell loves his environment but he is looking to the future. “I’m going back to college so I can get something in the financial business,” Howdeshell said. “But until then I’m enjoying this while I can.” Howdeshell will be working here

until he completes college. He has three more years left until his graduation. Jason is going back to college because he stopped his education so he could start his adult life early. Jason is regretting this decision because he missed out while all of his friends continued school. “Don’t drop out of school,” Howdeshell said. “Don’t. You have to work three time as hard.” Now Howdeshell has to have a couple jobs and somehow fit college in between. He appreciates his education more now especially since he lost it while he was younger. Howdeshell realized, as he grew older, that education is really important for social and mental skills later in life. “You are going to learn something new everyday,” Howdeshell said. “You wake up and you will learn a new way to turn off your alarm clock.”

What do you like about your job? It’s nice to have a means of employment to help people.

What do you plan on doing after recieving your degree? I want to own a stay at home public accountant firm. How do you occupy your time on the job? I do work and make my rounds. How do you feel as the guard of FHN? It makes me feel pretty good that I am helping the kids and people.

St. Peters Chiropractor Dr. Jason James

Robert J. Schmidt, D.D.S. 2043 Old Highway 94 South St. Charles, Missouri 63303 636-949-0600

Located at 1247 Jungerman Road St. Peters MO Call for an appointment [636]-447-0707 Open Monday through Thursday 9am to 6pm Friday 9am to 12pm

“Gets you back where you belong”

Jack Wittman

Insurance and Financial Services Agent

1360 South 5th Street - Suite 202 St. Charles, MO 63301-2446 Phone number: 636 949 2800

page design hannah meyer

spotlights

north star 02.14.08

German Food - Deutsche Küche North Star is giving you the opportunity to experience German cuisine in your own kitchen.

Panierte Schnitzel mit Kartoffelsalat

Putengeschnetzeltes

Serves four persons

Serves four persons:

Ingredients (for the salad):

Ingredients (for the Schnitzel):

Ingredients

cooking:

2.2 lb lbs of potatoes 1-2 onions 1-2 garlic 3 tablespoons of vinegar 1 tablespoon of mustard 1 cup of meat stock 1 tablespoon of salt, a bit of white pepper 3 tablespoons of oil

4 Schnitzel (steaks) – Turkey hen or ham one egg 2-3 tablespoons of flour

21 oz turkey hen 3 teaspoons of oil 1 big onion 13.5 oz stock (meat- or chickenstock) 7 oz cream 2-3 bell peppers pepper, salt, chili powder sauce thickener

cooking of the salad:

cooking of the schnitzel:

heat up the oil in the boiler roast the turkey hen strips gently until they are light brown add the onion quarts and roast for another two minutes add the peppers and roast for 1 min extinguish with the stock and cook with medium temperature for 10 min add the cream, cook for another 5 minutes add salt, pepper and chili as you like it add some sauce thickener so that the sauce isn’t too thin

preparations:

cook the potatoes, peel them and cut them in small strips cut the onions and the garlic in little pieces add the onions and garlic to the meat stock, cook for a short time add the meat stock with the onions and garlic, some salt and pepper, oil, mustard to the potatoes mix the potatoes with the ingredients try to cool the salad for a while

flatten the steak spice it up with some salt and pepper turn the steaks on a plate with the flour, then on a plate with the whisked egg and finally on the plate with the breadcrumbs heat the oil in a big boiler put the steaks in the boiler and roast them for about 10 minutes from both sides

cut the turkey hen in strips cut the onion in little pieces clean the bell peppers and cut them in strips

4-5 tablespoons of breadcrumbs pepper, salt oil

You can eat the meat with noodles, rice and potatoes.

! t i t e p p Guten A

Spice it up with some German

To get the real feeling for German food, you need some vocabulary helping you survive in a German restaurant Schnitzel cutlet. Roasted, flattened steak in several variations like the “Wiener Schnitzel” which consists of a thin slice of veal coated in breadcrumbs. Senf Mustard Mehl floar

12 page design felix ruediger

Pute turkey hen Paprikaschote bell pepper Zwiebel onion Knoblauch garlic Essig vinegar Paniermehl breadcrumbs Esslöffel tablespoon

Fleischbrühe meat stock Kartoffel potato Sahne cream Pfanne boiler Soßenbinder sauce thickener Reis rice rösten to roast

Guten Appetit Enjoy your meal verquirlen to whisk Zutaten Ingredients Ei egg Nudeln noodles Salz salt Pfeffer pepper

LET NORTH STAR

For the sixth month, the What’s New page features six current web sites, in order to connect more readers to the web.

MAPS

Technology

HOME SCREEN

Need a friendly reminder every now and then? Use the notes application to write down anything you need to, even easier with the Touch keyboard. When you’re finished you can save and even email.

Tired of looking at the same thing everytime you turn on your Touch? Now with the new customizable home screen, you can change what’s on the deck, rearrange the icons, and now add up to eight different home screen pages.

This site will update you on all the new technology and give you heads up about what’s coming next in the world of electronics.

With HTML email, graphics, photos displayed o apparelsearch.com

WEATHER icon

STOCKS icon

Need to know what to wear? Check the weather on your Touch. Get a five day forecast of weather around the world, and save the places you check most for an even quicker view.

This handy application will allow you to track your stock and the market over one day, one month, three months, six months, one year, or two years.

WEB CLIPS

MOVIES AND MUSIC

Now, you can rent a movie from iTunes and watch it while you’re on the move. This handy application allows you to do most of what you can do on a DVD, and you can view lyrics to your favorite music while a song plays.

If you don’t have an Touch yet they are available at many electronic stores. The 8 GB will cost $299 and the 16 GB will be $399.

The Flower Stop FULL SERVICE FLORIST

www.theﬂowerstop.net

This website allows you to find all the fashions of the season and search what to wear for every specific item of clothing.

viciousstyle.com This fashion site updates you on what’s hot, and gives you tips on how to dress to impress.

Amusement

Want More?...

Keep visiting the same websites again and again. Add them to your homescreen by creating web clips and click in anytime you want.

PHONE 636.939.4401 FAX 636.939.0566

This tech site also gives you the latest on technology, but also teaches you how to use and what to look out for.

MAIL icon

Do you ever need an easy way to find your way around? Now, it’s as easy as a tap. Tap into a satellite image to quickly find directions. No more unfolding. With Google Maps you can also quickly get directions and check traffic.

CONTACT JOHN ROY

CNETnews.com

pcmag.com

Fashion

icon

5209 HIGHWAY N ST. CHARLES, MO 63304

north star 02.14.08

online clusive

Now, added to the already advanced Apple iPod Touch are five new applications designed to make your life a little easier. You can get these five new applications added to your Touch for just $19.99. The Maps, Notes, Weather, Mail, and Stocks applications will increase the value of your Touch and give you more to look at.

NOTES icon

spotlights

comedycentral.com This site has everything to make you laugh when you’re bored.

cw11.com This site allows you to see what’s hot on tv, and view shows, interviews, and commercials.

Lauree’s “Complete remodeling services” Bathrooms • Basements • Carpentry Repairs • Decks • Kitchens • Room Additions Free Estimates Owners: Tim and Kathy Weber

“Your Place for Prom” 827 N. Second St. St.Charles, MO 63301 • Store: 636-940-1711

Phone: 636.949.0389 Fax: 636.949.0027

www.home-perfect.com

page design jordyn klackner

spotlights

For the sixth month, the North Star takes a look into the life of extraordinary students.

Lewis & Clark north star 02.14.08

help students

find opportunities

North students participate in building as projects for Lewis & Clark Senior Scott Blanke looks to his instructor Charles Henke on the snowy afternoon of Jan. 31. Blanke has worked on various building projects outside of Lewis and Clark, including basement renovations with his dad. (amy gleaves)

by zach vicars

ifteen young men in hard hats and safety glasses surround the house on Expedition Trail on Thu Jan. 31. As the snow peppers the ground, they rush to cover stacks of bricks and siding. Seniors Scott Blanke and Andy Loeffler are busy sealing the garage with protective plastic. The woman next door steps out on the porch while her dog darts outside. Before stepping back inside she looks at the house that’s taking shape. She looks happy. Behind the translucent guard from the cold, senior Caleb Williams and juniors Jake Feldewerth and Mike Rhoades hop from rafter to rafter, carefully running wire that will someday light the large garage. Feldewerth steadies a ladder, while Williams, 10 feet above, dances like a tight-rope walker from one switch to the next. Slowly, or really not so slowly, these five men—along with their coworkers—are turning the plot of dirt at Number 2 Expedition Trail into a spectacular ranch-style house. But none of them are professional carpenters or electricians—not yet. For now they’re students, just like everyone else at North—except they’re building a house. While the students here at North are jotting down notes, taking a test, or squeezing in some last minute homework, the five builders at Lewis and Clark run wire, build walls, and prepare for their future. “I’m preparing to have a job,” Feldewerth says, “rather than preparing to go to more school—I’m preparing for a career in electrical.” Back outside, the boys tell jokes and slide down some 2x4s that have been slicked by the snow. For today, at least, their work is done. Tomorrow they will start in on the siding and then will hang the dry wall that will turn this skeleton of a house into a roomy cave. “But, can’t do anything in the snow,”

Junior Jake Feldewerth sits in the rafters working to re-wire a portion of the lighting in the garage. Feldewerth plans to pursue a career as an electrician because of the high demand and good pay. (amy gleaves)

Students at the Lewis and Clark Careers Center are building a home on Expedition Trail Ct. near the Target off Muegge Rd. (amy gleaves)

instructor and former student, Charles Henke says. Loeffler seems a little uncomfortable with the lack of work, but he’s still enjoying his night off. And he should. Since mid-October, he and Blanke have been working for two hours each afternoon, while balancing their studies in the morning. But the experience of living his childhood dream makes it worthwhile for Loeffler. “Ever since I’ve been little, I’ve liked carpentry,” he says. “I built a workshop for my uncle and I’m in the process of

building a house for him right now.” Blanke works at Lewis and Clark for another reason: because, he admits, he wouldn’t do anything else. “Most carpenters have a figure they look up to.” Blanke says. “I just do it because I like labor work. I like working with my hands. I can’t stand being behind a desk.” But Blanke can smile for now. He knows that, because of the on-the-job training he’s receiving, he may never have to work the loathed “desk job.” “These kids have a big advantage

STUDENT

over kids coming straight out of high school,” Henke says. But they’ve earned that advantage. Over the years the students at Lewis and Clark have developed the entire subdivision--six houses in all. Just like a professional construction team, the students work together each step of the way. When the project is complete they’ll each look back on what they’ve constructed with their own skills and their own hard work. “They do it,” Henke said. “You see me with a belt?”

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indepth

Fatin Hashash, senior “It was hard because I kind of had to learn English and reading and writing all over again” Story on page 16

Junior Fatin Hashash holds out a Koran her family got from Palestine, the Koran is the holy book of the Muslim religion. Written in Arabic, the Koran is read from right to left and is what makes up the basis of Hashash’s religion. (cami wade)

indepth

north star 02.14.08

Transitioning one

stepat a

time Culture doesn’t leave despite a new home Hashash has not lost her culture, way of life even after four years away from home by michelle godar

chool let out at 1p.m. 6-year-old Fatin Hashash walked through her village of Dier debwan towards home. At 3:10 p.m. the voice announced over the one loud speaker that it was time to pray. Wearing clothes that completely covered her, Fatin prayed on a rug or a clean area on the ground. This was the third prayer of five she performed each day as part of her Muslim religion. For six more years Fatin lived in West Bank, Palestine with her sister and three brothers. They were born in New Jersey but moved to Palestine because their mom, Nihad, wanted them to learn the language, religion, and culture through firsthand experience. The whole family is now fluent in Arabic, and Fatin has memorized at least 100 pages of her Koran, the Muslim holy book. “When I’m talking in Arabic I’ll go ahead and throw in a couple words in English,” Fatin said. “My cousins who don’t speak English won’t know what I’m talking about. They’ll be like, ‘stick to one language.’” During the family’s last year in Palestine, the fighting between Israelis and Palestinians worsened. Although the gunfire wasn’t in their village, it was only 15 minutes away. They suffered the consequences when roads were closed. School was nearly impossible to attend because the teachers lived outside of the village. Electricity was cut off every so often, and families were unable to get food Senior Stephen Leitch sits in front of a hand woven flag from England that is almost 20 years old. After Leitch’s family came to America on May 13, 2000, Leitch quickly adapted to American culture. He plans to pursue a career in cosmetology. (cami wade)

16 page design chelsea eifert

or running water. Shopping could only be Each house grew its own produce from done within the villages. Cars using the peaches and watermelon to tomatoes roads were searched at every checkpoint. and peas. They also grew green olives to In 2002 their dad, Adel, decided make their own oil. the family should return to the United Nihad still makes traditional Arabic States because he had never moved with foods, and the Palestinian flag is displayed them. He visited every six months for on the family’s front door. Fatin keeps two months at a time two phrases in Arabic in order to take care of hanging on her bedroom State of his business, Speedway wall. A photo of the Dome Palestine Market. of the Rock is displayed For his kids, adapting in their basement. Capital: Jerusalem back to the U.S. lifestyle The family watches Population: approx. 2.4 mill. proved to be a challenge. Arabic channels such as “It was hard because Melody Arabia, Zoom, Most common language: Arabic I kind of had to learn and Al-Jazeera, the Popular sports: basketball, soccer English and reading and Palestinian news. Their writing all over again,” Koran is stored inside its How to say: hello- marhaba Fatin said. white case of stone and actual spellingShe went to school shell in the parents’ room goodbye- Ma’ Alsalam six days a week in Dier for everyone to read from actual spellingdebwan with every and pray. Nihad dresses Friday off. Every village traditionally and both had their own schools, which usually parents use their prayer rugs five times separated the boys and girls. a day. “I grew up in my teenage years without “We’ll be busy doing something when talking to boys,” 22-year-old sister Niveen it’s time to pray,” Niveen said. “We try to said. “And to have boys going to the stay committed. We’re not as committed same school was different. It was kind of as my mom and dad are, but hopefully weird.” some day I will be. That’s my one goal in The other main difference was living life.” in the suburbs as opposed to the village. The family plans to return to Dier Most families had at least five or six debwan this summer. The oldest sons of children. The whole village was up and 25 and 24 years, Hamed and Shadi, will praying by 5:30 a.m. The closest mall was stay for three months each. Fatin and two hours away. Everyone spent the day Niveen will stay for about a year. Their outside, riding bikes or horses. parents will live in Palestine permanently “I do miss their fresh fruit,” Niveen with 10-year-old Noor after taking their said. “It was awesome - just to pick them once in a lifetime religious journey to the off the tree and eat them right there.” Hedge in Mecca.

Junior Fatin Hashash sits atop a Muslim prayer mat in her living room with the Muslim holy book called the Koran. The Muslim custom of prayer is to set aside time to pray five times a day to Alah. She plans on visiting Palestine this summer with her family. (cami wade)

Leitch holds onto himself, his culture after by chelsea eifert

Senior Stephen Leitch sits in his first hour Creative Writing class as he tells everyone about moving to the Untied States from England. Students listen in admiration and the first question someone asks is where his accent is. It’s gone. When Stephen was three years old, his dad was homesick for England and his family decided to move back to his dad’s hometown, Godalming. Almost eight years later, his mother, who is from the U. S., was homesick for America and they decided to move back. At school, his accent was considered a distraction and he was forced to take speech classes where, in the end, he lost his English dialect.

“It made me mad,” Stephen said. “How can you just change the way someone talks?” However, his accent was not the only thing he lost. He had lost his home. “I was devastated to leave all my friends behind,” Stephen said. “I was really against the whole idea. It was just so far away.” Leaving home was no easy task to begin with, but facing the cultural differences between the two countries was, at times, even harder. “There were just so many different words,” Stephen said. “It was such a vast difference. That was the hardest part of the cultural change.” With new words came new customs. No more school uniforms, some rock n’ roll, and of course cheeseburgers. However, the clothes, music, and food in England were missed at the same time.

“There are lots of places, just somethin Stephen’s father said Stephen’s family a with him. His two sis Sarah, the youngest, Stephen did. “In fifth grade I st lose [my accent],” so 16-year-old sister said now I think they sho Although the mov felt how hard it was. “Just starting over Leitch said. Starting over may of his old home affec

indepth

Student eases through culture shock

Tzerov has no problem fitting into new school, language, friendships

Shalaund Spencer, went to Germany with the military

“

The language was the most important thing to learn and basic survival skills, what to eat, where to keep your money, where to go, just how to survive.

tarted going to speech classes to ophomore Sarah Leitch, Stephen’s d. “At the time I was okay with it but ould have let us lose it on our own.” ves were his parents’ idea, they, too,

r was very hard each time,” James

y have been hard but the memories ct Stephen even more. He misses

”

Francine Davis, went to China

“

It helped me describe businesses and activities and explain to my students how a formally communist economy is becoming socialist.

”

Junior Lou Tzerov sits with his little brother Dennis and mother Anna. The Tzerov family moved to America after an invitation from the US government Immigration department in 1996. (cami wade)

greatest speech teacher ever,” Lou said. arrived, but still found it quite difficult to “I learned English well, and I only have a understand once he arrived. Anna had slight accent.” barely any preparation with the language, But English wasn’t the only thing that and had to teach herself through books came easily to Lou. and tapes. “Lou has always “My husband and Republic of been very social,” I speak Bulgarian to Bulgaria Anna said. “He had no each other,” Anna said. Capital: Sofia problems making all “Lou speaks primarily Population: approx. 7.7 mill. kinds of friends and English, but sometimes speaking and being we speak it with him. Most common language: Bulgarian with them.” It’s funny because now, Popular sports: soccer, gymnastics, volleyball Still, friends weren’t a lot of the time we the only thing that Lou will speak a mixture of Motto: “Saidinenieto pravi silata” -”Unity makes strength” found. They were just a the two languages and bonus. not even realize that How to say: hello- zdravei Lou’s parents we’re doing it! They actual spelling- здрависване brought him to the have both become so goodbye- chiao U.S. in order to give common to us and we actual spelling- второстепенен him a better life, better cannot even tell which education and better language is which opportunities. While life in Bulgaria was sometimes.” fine, they wanted something better for Lou found English surprisingly easy to him and his brother Dennis. learn, compared to his parents. His first “We came here because my parents day in America he was already beginning wanted us to explore more opportunities,” to learn and understand the language and Lou said. “I think we are definitely so showed very few problems grasping it much better off now. I don’t regret over time. coming at all.” “When I first came here I had the

his accent is taken away from him

f different things you miss, food, ng you’re used to,” James Leitch, d. also had to adapt to the changes sters, Jessica, who is the oldest, and dealt with many of the same things

into a new world

Teachers tell about their experiences in other countries and how it has affected them today.

by leah carter

ooking outside his window, he would see beautiful mountains lining the sky. Walking down the street, he would see markets and shops on every corner. And if he traveled not too far, he could go to Greece on the weekends. But on July 29, 1996, he and his family left all of this behind. They came to America looking for something better. Little did they know that when they came, they would find so much more. His real name is Lussien Tzerov, but you can call him Lou. He’s a 17-year-old junior, and he got his start not in St. Charles, but in Gotse Delchev, Bulgaria. “Looking at me, most people can’t tell that I’m from Bulgaria or any foreign place at all really,” Lou said. At school, Lou isn’t “the Bulgarian kid.” Most don’t notice he has foreign roots until they get to know him. Lou isn’t ashamed of his culture. Actually, he loves talking about it and practicing it. When the Tzerov family first came to the U.S. they knew that it wouldn’t be that easy. They expected many challenges to arise, and struggles to occur. What they didn’t know coming into the country was that they wouldn’t be alone. They had wanted to leave Bulgaria because of the changes occurring throughout the 1990s. They had family located in St. Charles, and after a long deliberation, they decided to relocate. Once they arrived in the U.S., they immediately began receiving help from the most unlikely places. “When we first came everyone was so nice,” Anna Tzerov, Lou’s mother said. “People brought toys for Lou, gave him rides to school, and everyone was so patient with us. If we were speaking with someone and we didn’t understand what they were saying they would always be patient and work to help us understand. We had no idea everyone would be so friendly. You don’t get that in Europe.” When Lou’s family first came, the language barrier was a very difficult problem. Lou’s father Ilia Tzerov had been studying English before the family

step

north star 02.14.08

the beautiful countryside, the large castles, dressing up in suits of armor, even seeing Princess Diane’s funeral procession. “I still miss it everyday,” Stephen said. “I wish I could go back. I just think of all the places I have been to. I really miss it a lot.” Though leaving England was very hard for the family, the Leitches have learned to love the U.S. and know that no matter where they are, they will always have each other. “I don’t really miss England anymore,” James said. “I’ve gone beyond that. Home is really all about the people around you.” As for Stephen’s accent, he misses it but rests happily knowing that at any moment, he could pull it out to impress his first hour class.

England Capital: London Population: approx. 51 mill.

Tracy Turnage, spent one year in France

“

I learned not to take myself too seriously because when you’re in a different country when you don’t speak the language very well, it’s a very humbling experience. I took back with me the lesson on how to take things with a smile and how to have patience.

”

Stacey Berberich, grew up in Brazil

“

I developed a love of languages, a tolerance of cultures, and I learned how to appreciate my own culture better. It helped be because I am now a Spanish teacher.

”

Mary Baker, taught in Australia

“

I ended up just relaxing and stopped talking about America. I stopped saying ‘Well that’s not how we do it.’ I just relaxed and became one of them.

”

Ryan Johnson , taught in Costa Rica and China

“

It was a good experience to know that the world is not just Missouri or St. Charles for that matter. I got to see that everyone has different points of view, religions, and beliefs. It helped me to understand people with different backgrounds and show that we are all unique individuals.

”

Most common language: English Popular sports: cricket, rugby, soccer Common phrases: wonky- not right bugger- idiot (in context) bloody hell- oh my gosh Motto: “God and my right” Unofficial National Anthem: “God Save the Queen”

page design chelsea eifert

indepth

step towards citizenship...

north star 02.14.08

step towards a new life

Valdez adjusts to new country while waiting for green card Senior Cesar Valdez sits with his older brother Hugo at there home. They are not yet US citizens, but are awaiting there citizenship. Cesar started attending north second semester and wishes to continue his career goals in the United States by studying Information Technology. His brother Hugo plans on attending St. Charles comunity college while taking english as a second language courses. (cami wade)

by luke christisen

guage and cultural barriers. Recently Cesar had to switch out of his math analysis class due to difficulties because aking the way through the of the communication difficulties. two parallel small brick walls Language is a very important part of the surrounded by pine trees that experience to Cesar. serve as the entryway to the neighbor“I miss my language,” Cesar said. “At hood. Continuing school I sometimes down the street two don’t understand not Dominican houses on the right it because it’s difficult Republic is, a house with a brick but because of my front, tan sides and a Capital: Santo language.” Domingo black roof, the colors Cesar feels that not as familiar as the Population: approx. 10 mill. the United States iridescent blues and will offer him many greens of the houses Most common language: Spanish opportunities for his of home that lined the future that was lackPopular sports: baseball, basketball, area. In the driveway volleyball ing in the Dominican lays on its side the Republic. He hopes to basketball hoop that Motto: “Dios, Patria, Libertad” become a Cisco certi-”God, Homeland, Liberty” will soon be in use, but fied network associate not now, now it’s too How to say: hello- hola focusing on informacold, now it’s wintermy name is- mi bombre es tion technology. time in Missouri, a far friends- amigos “I think that cry from the tropical America will help me weather that makes up in my career,” Cesar the Dominican Republic. Senior Cesar Valdez is the one in that said. “It has much to offer.” After his mother’s wedding Cesar house where he now makes his home. A and his family will begin the process of month ago Valdez, along with his mothacquiring a green card to become resier Raquel and his brother Hugo, came dents of the United States. The process to the United States on a fiancé visa is long, involving a lot of paperwork and because Raquel is to be married later time but Cesar feels that it is worth it. this month to Cesar’s stepfather Daniel. For now he is focused on his life here The transition to the United States was and might someday wish to return to the most difficult part for Cesar. the Dominican Republic to see his fam“[The first thing that I noticed was ily and his old home. that] it’s cold here,” Cesar said. “In the “If I get rich then I’ll go back and see Dominican Republic people have their it again,” Cesar said. “It’s a small coundoors and windows open because its try but it has a lot of rich, it’s a good warm but here everyone is shut inside.” place to live with money.” Coming to North, Cesar was faced with challenges daily due to the lan-

“

Words from Cesar

Hi my name is Cesar and I’m from the Dominican Republic. US is a wonderful country, the people have a lot of oppurtunities such as: study in a great school and boys can practice many sports. So, it is a big change for me to come to this country leaving my family in Dominican Republic and I should say that living in this country I have oppurtunities to study in a good school that has a great education and I have the opportunity to meet friends with other religion and other color.

18page design luke christisen

”

spotlights

north star 02.14.08

How to nourish your face naturally Learn how to make your own organic facial cleanser with just a few common ingredients.

HONEY

BANANAS

The honey naturally helps prevent your skin from wrinkling. Also it naturally helps your skin look and feel healthy and radiant. After using the honey (mixed with the other ingredients) your skin will feel soft and smooth.

Bananas are high in Vitamin C, A, B6 and B12. The fruit acids in bananas help break off dead skin and energize the complexion. Also they tighten and soften the skin, cleansing the pores.

ORANGE AND LIME

GREEN APPLES Green apples exfoliate, and nourish the skin’s protective layer. Also they are used in this mask as a source of Vitamins A, B and C.

Oranges and Limes help you naturally get rid of acne, but leave your skin more clear and glowing.

YOGURT Yogurt, the cream base of your face mask is a natural cleansing agent. It contains natural antibacterial properties which cleanse the skin.

Check Out podcast episode 67 for video footage of how to create a facial cream

Orange

Honey

Cream

Banana

Mix all ingredients together in blender.

STEP TWO Mix ingredients until the mixture makes a paste, do not liquefy your cleanser.

STEP THREE Apply the mask to your face and neck in an even layer and allow to for about 20 minutes.

STEP FOUR Rinse with a cool washcloth or a steaming warm washcloth. Information provided by nurse Denna Holtgrewe

Helps with oil and acne

Helps with dry skin

STEP ONE

Apple

THINGS YOU’LL NEED

THINGS YOU’LL NEED 1 tbsp. orange juice 1 tbsp. lime juice 1 cup yogurt blender

Green

1 banana, preferably ripe 1 tbsp. honey 1 orange or a lemon blender

STEP ONE Cut up banana into slivers. Then, mix the banana and honey together until a paste is formed.

STEP TWO Add a few drops of juice from an orange or a lemon. Then mix for 30 seconds.

STEP THREE Apply the mask to your face and neck in an even layer and allow to for about 15 minutes.

STEP FOUR Rinse with a cool washcloth or a steaming warm washcloth.

THINGS YOU’LL NEED

Helps with sun damaged skin

green apple blender 2 tbsp. of natural honey 3 tbsp. of natural yogurt

STEP ONE Peal, core and slice the green apple. Then place the slices in a blender. Add 2 tbsp. of natural honey to the blender.

STEP THREE Spoon 3 tbsp. of natural yogurt into the blender.

STEP FOUR

Blend the mixture until creamy and smooth.

STEP FIVE Apply the green apple mask to your face and neck in an even layer and allow to set for about 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

page design amy qualls

spotlights

north star 02.14.08

yourplace

For the sixth month the North Star looks at a place around the area that peaks our interest and keeps us entertained.

Wehrenberg Theatresor Sale f p U Staff member Pat Johnson changes the marquee which shows the theater number where each movie is playing. (katie robertson).

The St. Charles Stadium 18 Cine is located at First Capitol Dr. off of highway 94.(katie robertson)

Customer buys food and beverages before proceeding into the theatre. Many of Wehrenberg’s customers have stopped by this concession stand to purchase different food items and drink selections to take into the theater. (katie robertson)

Selling a name, a landmark, a memory by vicki viehman

urple and gold dominate the decorations inside Wehrenberg Theatres across the Midwest. Now that the company is up for sale, however, their 17 theaters will need to undergo some major renovations, depending on their new potential owner. “I think they’re selling because they aren’t making enough of a profit,” Usher at local St. Charles Stadium 18 Cine’ Pat Johnson said. “There’s not enough compensation and it’s too much for them.” Wehrenberg is the oldest family owned and operated theater chain in the country. Their asking price is $30 million for the whole company, or $1.7 million to $2 million per theater. “Hopefully it will be bought in the

20page design michelle godar

next 3 months, give or take,” Associate Manager Caleb Freithe said. Film-projector theaters like Wehrenberg are being eclipsed by new digital theaters that are redefining the movie business. This 102-year-old company may soon be overtaken by larger, more technologically-advanced theaters. “I don’t think the people will like a new company because they like their Wehrenberg,” Johnson said. “They identify the movies with the Wehrenberg song and whispers.” Wehrenberg’s giant purple crown that is located on every Wehrenberg theatre may soon be torn down and replaced with a new symbol and a new name. Although no company has confirmed they will be purchasing Wehrenberg,

several theatres across the nation are beginning to show interest in Wehrenberg’s Midwest locations. Some of the larger theater companies that may be interested in Wehrenberg include Regal Entertainment Groups, AMC Theatres and Cinemark Theatres. “If AMC buys the company, staff’s wages would go up,” Freithe said. “They pay more, but managers might get changed.” Even though Wehrenberg has several theaters, its Midwest-centered locations may turn away some of its prospective buyers. If in fact the company is sold, Wehrenberg customers everywhere will be greatly affected. The theme inside the theaters will need to be re-done to match the new owner’s colors. Accord-

ing to Freithe, prices may also rise, meaning you could be paying an extra couple of dollars for popcorn. “The public will definitely notice when the prices go up,” Freithe said. “There will be a big effect on the public.” Despite Wehrenberg’s numerous locations, the change of companies won’t come as a big shock to some people who enjoy movies at Wehrenberg Theatres. “Half of the public won’t even notice when the company changes, because half of them don’t even know this theater is Wehrenberg,” Freithe said. As time passes, the potential sale of Wehrenberg Theatres looms nearer and their memorable name may soon be forgotten in the era of new technology.

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Harold Ritchie, head coach â&#x20AC;&#x153;If they want to be the best, they need to be running on their own time and going 110 percent.â&#x20AC;? Story on page 24

Sophomore Jeff Shell works to pin his opponent at the Hazelwood Central Tournament on Feb. 8. Shell wrestles in the 145 lb. weight class and won his match that day. Shell, along with seven other Howell North wrestlers will be moving on to State. (leslie bland)

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north star 02.14.08

Under the LIGHTS Top Left: Freshman Courtney Schulze does a ‘scorpion’ while competing in the American Spirit Competition on Feb. 3. Top Right: Schulze poses in her Pumaz uniform. Before cheering, she was a gymnast, which has helped her to excel in her competitions. Bottom: Schulze’s team, The Pumaz, strike a pose during their first place- winning routine at the Savvis Center. The two day competition consisted of hundreds of cheerleaders of all ages. (photos by sarah semmel)

Nick Knipp throws the ball down the lane for a spare at Cave Springs bowling alley on Feb 3. (mandy palmer)

Bowlers look to qualify by d.j. shewmaker

Different colored bowling balls curve towards the pins at Cave Springs Lanes. It’s Sunday at noon and the North bowling league is over halfway through their weekly routine. It seems that each lane has at least one team from North; some even play against each other. “I think a lot of it is that the league is growing,” league manager Jody Adray said. “There is more participation from parents too. As the word gets out to more kids, the more they get interested.” Nine teams from North have consistently competed for the top spots in the league in the past few months and this weekend is no exception. Some are looking ahead to future tournaments, but most are just in it for the Sunday experience. “We have tournaments in March and April,” senior Danny Frye said. “But we are just kind of showing up every weekend, right now.” According to Adray, the tournament on March 30 is the qualifier for the city-wide competition in April, and quite a few players in the league have a chance at qualifying.

Schulze cheers with legendz, competitors by jordyn klackner

he fear of the moment turns into excitement for what is about to happen. With her 35 teammates by her side, she walks out onto the stage looking through the bright lights at the large, cheering crowd. Showing her spirit in her red, black, and white uniform, she gets into position, now just waiting for the music to start, and the performance of a lifetime. Courtney Schulze is not only one of four freshmen on the Varsity cheer team, but also a member of the Cheer Legendz competitive cheer team. “I’ve been cheering for three years and I started at GT Cheer, but then I got bored there, tried out for Legendz and I made it,” Schulze said. Schulze’s schedule changes weekly, but on average the Legendz team practices between three and four days a week.

22page design jessica bremer

“How often we practice depends on whether we have a competition soon, or not, but we just keep going over the routine again, and again, and we do a lot of conditioning to get ready,” Schulze said. Schulze practices for the competitions that the team travels to. The season begins in November and ends in April, and many of the competitions are held in Indianapolis. Cheering at level 5, the highest competitive level, Schulze and her team have won several awards. “We get a lot of first places at competitions,” Schulze said. “We’ve been Grand Champions, and we just got a bid to Worlds, which is a really big deal,” The team will travel to Florida this April to compete against competitive cheer teams from 36 countries. It was

their performance in the competition in Topeka, Kansas. two weeks ago that qualified them for Worlds. “They work really hard, and one of their main goals was to qualify for Worlds,” Courtney’s mom, Jill Schulze said. “Now they just have to keep improving.” It takes a lot of inspiration and devotion to keep cheering, and Schulze has her family and friends behind her through everything. “My brother and my dad don’t really understand any of it, but they still support me and so does my sister,” Schulze said. “But, my mom is the one that travels with me and is always there. My friends are always there for me.” Not only does it take a lot of devotion to succeed, but you have to have the technique to cheer and it is the team’s two coaches

who have taught them everything they know. “My biggest help has been my coach, Anthony,” Schulze said. “He always helps me to do my best and has taught me a lot.” When so much time is spent working towards a goal it is important to still have fun, and for Schulze there is nothing more she’d rather be doing than cheering. “My favorite thing to do is stunting, because I get to fly, and I love that, but I just love cheering,” Schulze said. With three years behind her, Schulze has been through a lot. The long practices, the nervousness before walking onto the stage, and the thrill of performing and winning is all worth it is for Schulze and keeps her cheering. “I love performing and cheering for Legendz,” Schulze said. “Competitive cheer is a lot different than cheering for school, and I love having the chance to do what I love in both places.”

Junior Kayla Thomas swims the 100 breast stroke at swim meet against FZS on Jan. 30. (kayla hatcher)

Swimmers outdo past by luke christisen

It’s last lap for the girls swimming team as the season comes to a close. The last meet of the season will take place this weekend at the Rec Plex. GAC’s began on Feb. 7. The team placed 8th out of the 11 teams who participated. This was an improvement from last years record. “The highlight has definitely been winning as many meets as we have,” junior Caitlin Stone said. “We’ve won more this season than the past two seasons combined.” With little time left this season the team is still looking forward to some things. The swim team will be competing in the state competition this weekend at the Rec-Plex in Saint Peters. The team’s three captains Allison Stewart, Bridget Moriarty, and Lauren Thrasher have done well to lead the team and bring them closer together. The girls want what’s best for the team and for each other, and want to do well at the state competition.

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north star 02.14.08

PROFESSIONAL PICK’EMS Each month, the North Star’s Professional Pick’em duo will take on a random student, a random staffer and the professional. The professional is the KSDK news anchor Art Holiday. The overall winner will be crowned the Professional Pick’ems’ winner.

health&fitness

Q& with Ron Wurmb A by amy qualls

the north star

Why should good health and fitness be important to students?

16-8

eeping in shape makes you feel better about yourself, and you’ll have a better self K esteem. What other benefits would fitness hold for students? Students won’t need to drink coffee and energy drinks in the morning. You’ll feel naturally energized. Also it gives you something to do other than just playing video games or sitting on the couch and watching TV.

Hannah Meyer & Nathan Bryant the staffer the professional the student

21-3

15-9

How would you define exercise?

17-7

It gives you opportunities to see the world. You can hike up a path, or get really fit and climb a mountain, or even go swim a triathalon and you’ll feel like you’ve really accomplished something.

When did you start working to get in shape? Jana Reiter Teacher

Matt Schwab senior

New Jersey

Art Holiday KSDK news anchor

Puck Pick’ems

Devils

I started really working out in eighth grade because I played hockey. At that age, I grew up really fast and it was hard on my body so I needed to start working out more. Also I’ve always been the skinny kid, so when the other guys started hitting me in hockey I knew I needed to buff up.

What kind of organized exercise do you participate in this year?

Ottawa

Senators

Sat. 16

I decided to join track this year because I wasn’t playing hockey anymore and because I felt like I needed something to do. For track I run a certain mileage everyday after school.

Is it fun to keep in shape?

the student the professional the north star the staffer

When you’re involved in something like track, you push yourself to be the best you can be, and if someone on another team is ever doing better than you, you just push yourself to become better than them… it’s a big accomplishment to beat your rivals.

College Puck Pick’ems

Miami

Red Hawks

Sat. 16

Ferris State

Last question, what’s the best thing about working out?

Bulldogs

Turning on your iPod and just running; it’s a true release. the professional

the student the staffer the north star

CWBA Pick’ems Pittsburgh

Connecticutt

Huskies

Sun. 17

Panthers

Hockey team works to win the Challenge Cup Team qualified to compete in harder tournament, challenged to step up their game by chelsea eifert

the north star the student the professional the staffer

Dallas

NBA Pick’ems

Mavericks

Tonight

Phoenix

Suns

the student the staffer the professional the north star

College Basketball Pick’ems Florida Gators

the student the north star the staffer the professional

Sat. 16

Vanderbilt

Commodores

After much anticipation, the hockey team finally found out on Mon, Feb. 4 that they will be seated in the Challenge Cup, the hardest pool of their final tournament. However, they lost the first game to CBC Fri, Feb. 8 with a score of 1-6 They played the second game against CBC on Mon, Feb. 11. The team had the possibility of being placed in either the Challenge or the Wickam cup. Before the team was seated, the coaches had prepared the boys for either outcome, mostly for the Challenge Cup. “What we’ve done to prepare for these teams is our schedule,” head coach Tim Wilkinson said. “It has been one of the toughest.” Through out the season, North has played some of the best teams in the area including the Howell and Zumwalt schools. These games, along with their two practices a week, have

given the coaches reassurance that the team can win. As for the players, they had different hopes than their coach. “I would rather be in the lesser [pool],” senior Colton Lucas said before beating Howell Central 7-5 on Mon, Jan. 28. “We actually have a chance of winning.” Once the team found out they were in the hardest pool, the players began preparing to step up their game in order to win. “If we start getting ready now, we’ll be prepared enough to take them,” freshman right-wing Ryan Gannon said. The Challenge cup consists of the top 15 teams in the area. The Knights were ranked last in their pool putting them against CBC, the number one ranked team. Teams play twice against their opponent. If they split, they play a 10 min. match to determine who continues on in the tournament.

Drew Ortscheid and a CBC player face off during the game on Feb.9. FHN lost to CBC 1-7. (mandy palmer)

page design barbara jean palmer

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north star 02.14.08

Check the Stats HOCKEY MOST GOALS: Steven Zerr [10] MOST ASSISTS: Cole Lucas [11] MOST HAT TRICKS: Jamie DeMarco [1] MOST SAVES: Joe Colmo [321] OVERALL RECORD: 4-14 NEXT GAME: Season ended

BOYS BASKETBALL MOST POINTS: Kyle Jeppeson [220] HIGHEST SCORING AVERAGE: Kyle Jeppeson [11.6] MOST REBOUNDS: Adam Trimpe [93] OVERALL RECORD: 13-10 NEXT GAME: Tuesday 19 at Parkway Central at 5:30 p.m.

GIRLS BASKETBALL MOST POINTS: Ashton Whitehurst [242] HIGHEST SCORING AVG: Ashton Whitehurst [10.5] MOST REBOUNDS: Stephanie Agre [116] OVERALL RECORD: 12-11 NEXT GAME: Wednesday 20 at 5:30 p.m. at Parkway Central

GIRLS SWIMMING LEADING SWIMMERS: Kayla Thoma, Amy Getzslow, Emily Adams, Vicki Viehman, Megan Woods, and Lauren Thrasher GAC TOURNAMENT RECORD: 8/11 OVERALL RECORD: 8-8 NEXT MEET: State swimming tournament this weekend at Rec-Plex

WRESTLING STATE QUALIFIERS: Jared Glose [103], Harold Ritchie [112], Chris Nicolas [119], Alex Cassetta [130], Jason Shell [135], Jeff Shell [145], Bryan Hawkins [152] OVERALL RECORD: 4-5 NEXT TOURNMENT: State wrestling tournament tonight-Saturday at Mizzou Arena in Columbia

Take It to the extreme

Biker keeps peddling after the wipeouts by tyler kirk

t’s not just the dirt that flies into his face and teeth. It’s not just the wind that he feels as he goes down a rollercoaster of a slope. It’s not just the grinding of the tires on the mud-dried paths. It’s each and every one of those things. They’re why he loves the sport. It wasn’t until about five years ago that senior Matt McCarty started mountain biking, living for the thrill of speed and adrenaline. Originally, when he lived in Oklahoma, he participated in dirt track racing, competing in various tournaments on smaller bikes. His curiosity about mountain biking blossomed when he saw his neighbor on a bike. His neighbor let him give it a shot and he’s been hooked ever since. He raced for a year in fourth grade before he came to Missouri. Now, it’s all about mountain biking. “It’s a lot of fun,” McCarty said. “The rush that you get, that’s what it’s all about.” Most parents would be very worried if they knew their child was participating in such an extreme sport, but not McCarty’s father. “He has a ball,” Bob McCarty said. “It’s a good outdoor activity. He’s into crazy outdoor sports. He likes to get out and jump off cliffs. He’s a daredevil.” It may be one of the biggest adrenaline rushes in the extreme sports world, but many agree that it is highly underrated. “Not many people know about [mountain biking],” senior Zach Hess

said. “People are intimidated by the courses. They shouldn’t be.” Both Hess, 18, and McCarty think the location of the course has a lot to do with mountain biking being unpopular. They say it’s all about location. “You have to drive too far,” Hess said. “There are really no mountains here.” The courses may be too far away and the mountains may not be the Rockies, but McCarty thinks that in the end, it’s all worth it. “You get to spend a lot of time outside and you get to go so fast,” McCarty said. One reason people may shy away from mountain biking is because it can be dangerous. When bikers reach high speeds, they have a greater chance of crashing and totaling their bikes. “When he [McCarty] borrowed my bike, he popped a tire and then, well, let’s say it’s not exactly a bike anymore,” Tanner Smith, a friend of McCarty’s and senior at Francis Howell Central said. Serious mountain bikers go to the courses to experience the rush one gets when going down a small track at such high speeds, but with high speeds come high impact crashes. “There was one time [McCarty’s] brakes didn’t work,” Smith, 18, said. “He flew off his bike and hit some trees. I thought he was dead.” As dangerous and crazy as mountain biking is, McCarty still walks away from his crashes and wipeouts with the urge to ride again. He brushes off the dirt, wipes the away the blood from his fresh wounds, and shows his friends his new bruises.

Students wrestle, make their way to State by hannah meyer

online clusive

Take it to the NET For a story on the outcome of the Challenge Cup hockey tournament For photos of the State wrestling tournament at Mizzou For portraits of Matt McCarty Sophomore Jeff Shell looks toward the referee during his wrestling match at the Hazelwood Central tournament on Feb. 8. (leslie bland)

24 page design logan ponche

Going mainly to Klondike Mountain, Senior Matt McCarty has been mountain biking for two years. Mountain biking is, in fact, a very risky sport, and McCarty has had a few scary moments, “There was this eighty foot drop without brakes, one time,” McCarty recalls. (portrait by dominique hamilton)

arrett Glose, Harold Ritchie, Chris Nicolas, Alex Cassetta, Jason Shell, Jeff Shell, and Bryan Hawkins will be heading to the state competition tonight to wrestle the match they have been training all season for, the match that will give them the title of State Champion. On Feb. 8 and 9, the wrestlers of North competed in the Districts competition, which is the qualifying tournament for the State competition. It was held at Hazelwood Central where all North County schools, all Hazelwood district schools, Pattonville, CBC, Desmet, Chamanade, and Howell Central participated. The top four wrestlers in each sixteen-man bracket qualify for the State competition. “It was really stressful,” wrestling manager Katie Gallagher said. “Every match was a close one because everyone wanted to go to State. Everyone

wrestled their hearts out.” The team has been busy training for the State competition for the past couple of weeks. They had vigorous two-a-day practices before school starting at 6 a.m. and immediately after school. “We are trying to make sure we are correcting mistakes, make sure the team the wrestlers are in their best shape, and fine tune our technique,” head coach Harold Ritchie said. However, the wrestlers had to practice outside of the wrestling room if they wanted to be successful. “If they want to be the best, they need to be running on their own time and going 110 percent in the practice room on a daily basis,” Ritchie said. Ritchie feels that wrestling teaches the boys how hard work pays off. He feels if you can make it through the demands of wrestling than you can basically do anything you set your mind to. Ricthie thinks that, “after wrestling, everything else is easy.”

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north star 02.14.08

Lady Knights basketball say goodbye to seniors

After the Borgia Tournament, seniors gather strength to leave team, look back on season back. It is definitely a reality check that I’m not s the buzzer coming back next year.” goes off, the four Like Ganousis, seniors on the Lady Whitehurst has played Knights basketball team basketball for about ten realize they are one game years. She swung up for closer to the end of the Varsity her freshmen year season. and played officially on “I’m really sad,” the team for three more Varsity basketball player years. Natalie Ganousis said. As the seniors gather “I’m going to miss them up their strength to leave [the players] a lot.” the team, junior Lauren Ganousis has played Cooke looks forward to basketball since third making the senior girls grade and has proud played on next year Check Out the Varsity with how prepsports.stltoday.com for North and other team at they play. team’s rankings North for “I like two years. all the Ashton seniors,” Whitehurst, another Cooke said. “They have senior on the team, really helped me become also shares the same a better player. If I could emotions as Ganousis. say one thing to them “It sucks because after it would be that I love this there is nowhere else them and good luck to go,” Whitehurst said. next year in college. The “Yeah I want to play in team won’t be the same college, but high school without you.” is so much more laid At press time the Lady by

brittany schultze

Seniors Jesse Vogt and Ashton Whitehurst joke with sophomore Fiona Brooks during a time out on January 18 against the Francis Howell Vikings. (ally stewart)

Knights had a record of 13-11, finishing over .500. The Lady Knights played Wentzville- Holt Fri, Feb. 8 in Wentzville and won. The final score was 52-32 and the girls were proud of their win and the season that has kept them together. “Chemistry and working together was what got us to where we are right now,” Vogt, who has been playing for 10 years, said. With a score of 33-57, the team lost their first tournament game against Borgia. The St. Francis Borgia Tournament started Mon, Jan. 28 and ended Sat, Feb. 2. The Lady Knights played in the consolation bracket and achieved fifth place in the tournament.. “The best thing about this year was coming from a previous record of 5-21,” Hahn said. “The team has worked really hard.”

It is possible to bench Moynihan, not his passion for basketball Players sometimes sit out because they are under suspicion of transferring for athletic purposes. “They thought we were transferring because I wanted to play on the team,” Moynihan said. “But we had another reason.” “All transfers need to sit out the required days.” Moyer said. “Unless they apply for hardship.” Hardship means that a family transfers over because of a family reason. Due to Moynihan’s father becoming unemployed, the tuition at Duchesne became hard to obtain. So,

Meet the All-Stars Each month, the coaches from the teams playing in the particular season will pick a member of the team to be chosen as the “All-Stars.”

hockey

Joe Heimburger, senior “[I started playing because] my dad and my brother used to play before me.”

knightline

Rachel Hunt, sophomore “[I started dancing because] I went to go see The Nutcracker when I was six.”

swimming

This month the All-Stars were asked: “Why did you start competing in your sport?”

Bridget Moriarty, senior “[I started swimming because] my brother swam for Pattonville and he got really toned, so I figured it would be really healthy for me.”

the Moynihan family was eligible to apply for hardship., and Moynihan could play as soon as the paperwork got though to the state. The family filled out the required paper work several times due to mailing mix ups. During this time, Mike sat on the bench for more then eight games. “I still practiced with the team every night,” Moynihan said. “I was fine with it, and so was the team.” After a long wait on the bench, Moynihan finally became eligible to play the sport he’s loved for so long. “Mike is happy he gets to

play now, but he still spends a lot of time on the bench,” Patty said. “He knows that come senior year, he’ll get the playing time he deserves. Mike has a good attitude about it because Mike’s love is basketball. It’s always has been, and always will be.” Mike’s love for basketball has helped him get through this bump in his high school athletic career. “I just love playing basketball,” Moynihan said. “Practicing is just as much fun as playing for a couple of minutes in the game. [Sitting] is not a big deal.”

ports aren’t my thing. Not because I’m bad at them or they’re boring, but because sports bring out the worst in people. People are in competitions everyday: to have better grades, to do a better project, to get a promotion before someone else. Competitions aren’t fun, they bring along stress on an emotional and mental level. I believe the root of this problem starts way back in elementary school with the classic game of kickball. It was fun to play with your friends during recess but why weren’t the swings a big hit? The answer is simple: kids wanted to win. Kids wanted the glory and bragging rights. Kids wanted to prove they were better and stronger than their peers. As you get older, the competition only becomes more intense. On the news, there are mentions of athletes who use steroids to enhance their performance and beat out other athletes in their sport. This teaches teen athletes that it’s OK to bend the rules in order to succeed in their sport. There is one big difference between playing kickball during recess and playing a sport for a career. They’re no longer doing it for the glory but rather for the money. It’s mind blowing how much athletes are paid these days. More than teachers, police officers, fire fighters, and sometimes even the president. These types of people aren’t role models, and for good reason. They are playing something I learned how to do in first grade. The athletes don’t show good sportsmanship like shaking the winner’s hand after a game or saying “good game”. There have been limited times where I’ve seen that on TV and in gym. Don’t stop playing a sport, that’s not what I’m asking. What I’m asking is that you play a sport because you love it, not because you don’t want to lose pride.

boys basketball

any high school basketball players would be aggressive, hot tempered, or even frustrated if they were told to take a seat on the bench, especially if they had to sit on the bench for over eight games. One player, after sitting on the bench for almost half of the Varsity season, is now finally eligible to play the game he loves so much. And throughout his time on and off the bench he has kept a smile on his face. “He has been polite and

pleasant about it,” coach Bill Moyer said. “But that’s just the kind of guy he is.” Already having an address that was within district lines, junior Mike Moynihan technically transferred from Duchesne at the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year. “He was really excited leaving Duchesne and coming to FHN,” Moynihan’s mother Patty Moynihan said. “The transition was very easy for him.” Soon after making the Varsity basketball team Moynihan was told that he would have to sit on the bench for 360 days.

by allison sheffler

Adam Trimpe, senior “[I started playing because]my dad played in college so he got me started at a young age.”

cheerleading

amy qualls

Katie Schneider, junior “[I started cheering because] I did dance and gymnastics until high school and then I did cheerleading.”

girls basketball

Playing for Pride

Kelsey Hieb, sophomore “[I started playing because] my dad. He played, so he got me started.”

page design jessica payne

playhard

north star 02.14.08

Knightline prepares to travel to Kansas City for state competition For the first time in five years, the Knightline dance team will be competing against over 100 schools at state, held on Feb. 23 by taylor bell

usic echoes through the commons as the members of Varsity Knightline run through the steps to their intricately choreographed hip-hop routine. As the girls move in unison, you can see the drive in their eyes. They are ready to compete. And that’s just what they will do, because for the first time in five years, the team will travel over 200 miles to Kansas City to compete in the State competition on Saturday, Feb. 23. “State is a huge deal for high school dance teams,” coach Heather Hallvax said. “There will be about 100 teams competing in all the divisions and we want our school to be represented in that.” Since Knightline hasn’t competed in the State competition in several years, Hallvax is anxious for the team to

get a taste of what it feels like to compete. “You get the chance to see other teams and it shows you what else is out there,” Hallvax said. “They also get to bond as a team.” The girls have been practicing twice a day in preparation for the competition, dancing together every day at 6 a.m. and every afternoon right after school during the weeks leading up to the competition. “Of course they are not loving it, but they know that to do well they need practice,” Hallvax said. “There is no way we are going all the way to Kansas City and then not trying.” So far, according to Hallvax the biggest challenge leading up to state has been the fact that several girls missed practice due to illnesses. “We’ve got girls dropping like flies,” Hallvax said. “It always happens when we need them the most.”

The girls were also faced with a rough decision when they learned that state was being held on the same night as StuCo’s Snowcoming, and they would not be able to attend. They held a team meeting and decided unanimously that they would rather go to state. “I was really bummed at first because it’s my last one,” senior Amber Friedman said. “But I decided to go to State because I didn’t want to let the team down, we’ve worked so hard.” The team originally planned on taking three dances to the competition, but then later decided not to take their pom routine. The novelty routine, which has a 40’s military theme, and the hip-hop routine were both recently choreographed by a guest choreographer. “We’ve been focusing on our novelty and hiphop routines,” Hallvax said. “Taking three

Members of Knightline perform during the Feb. 6 basketball game against Fort Zummwalt West. The team performed their “hip-hop” dance, choreographed by Mandy Williams and Deidre Meyer. (nikki vahle)

Senior Amber Friedman dances along with sophomore Ellen Ransom. (nikki vahle)

dances is quite a bit. At this point I’d rather focus on two dances and work our way up. I’d rather take two strong dances than three weak.” While the girls are excited about traveling together to Kansas City, State will also mark the end of the season. “It’s our last time dancing together,” Friedman said. “It’s bittersweet.”

Spring is rolling around the corner... and so are tryouts Boy’s volleyball

Baseball Baseball tryouts begin on Feb. 28 and will last through March 1. Coaches will be looking for baseball IQ, work ethic, what kind of student the person is and their talent. Depending on weather conditions, tryout areas will vary.

The Howell North volleyball players will fight it out on the court for a spot on the ‘08 team beginning Feb. 25. Tryouts will last about a week or as long as the coaches need to form a solid team.

Lloyd & Company LLC Certified Public Accountants & Financial Advisors

Jim Lloyd, CPA Caryn Lloyd, CPA Sue Miller Julie Pryor 40 Portwest Court • Saint Charles, MO 636.946.3411

26 page design chelsea kaufman

Girl’s soccer

Track and field

Boy’s tennis

Track and field season will start on Feb. 25 with tryouts for new and returning athletes. All the coaches will return from last year, with one new addition to the team, Brooke Roe.

Tryouts for boy’s tennis begin after school on Feb. 25. They consist of a variety of drills and games. If there are tennis players interested in trying out, contact Sally Polley in the nurse's office for additional information.

Girl’s soccer tryouts begin Mon. Feb. 25 and will last one to two weeks. Practice will be after school every day from 2:40 to 5 p.m. Those wishing to tryout should turn in paperwork to coach Vince Nowak or coach Larry Scheller before practice.

www.ExcaliburYearbook.com blog.excalibur yearbook.com Want an easy way to have a shot of being included in the yearbook? Have an opinion? Check out the Excalibur yearbook blog and comment today! Topics change frequently so there is always something to comment about. boxed books Want a box with your 2008 yearbook to protect it? Due to the inclusion of a DVD-ROM and the new web site, a limited number of boxes for books will be available for purchase. Boxes will cost $5 and increase in price at the end of the year. They will be sold until the limited run sells out.

speakout

Jessica Payne, sophomore “Take a while to spend some quality time with your friends and family, before you realize that you know your computer and cell phone better than you know them.” Story on page 30

The absence of true communication because of electronics is the subject of Sophomore Jessica Payne’s opinion article. “If you’re out to dinner with someone, and they are on their cell phone the whole time, they aren’t really spending time with you,” analyzes Payne. (photo illustration by dominique hamilton)

speakout

north star 02.14.08

Editorial It’s Still My Word And I’ll Stand By It

Another year older, another thing learned by chavon chester

Two weeks ago, I finally turned 18. And instead of nervous excitement, the joy of being thrust into adulthood, I was filled with contemplation. See, all my life, I’ve always heard ‘It’ll make sense when you’re older, so for the longest time, I was expecting things to get clearer. On my 18th birthday, instead, I found I was quite the same. There was no intense change in maturity. No, I’m still as big of a dork as I’ve ever been. And no, I didn’t suddenly realize the answers to all of the questions I’ve ever had. And I realized, the only thing I learned upon turning 18, was that I wouldn’t actually learn anything just because I turned 18. Over the past four years of high school, I’ve learned quite a lot. I’ve learned to take something away from every experience I have, and have done so over the years. I’ve learned to be confident. I’ve learned patience and acceptance. I’ve learned to dream big. It’s something that I think most of us forget over the years. And most recently, I’ve learned the important power of wishing, but all of those lessons came over the process of years, not through a revelation on one day. The only thing I learned back on Feb. 1 was that there are no easy answers in life. No stunning revelations that occur upon gaining a year. Originally, I planned on writing this column about what I learned on my birthday. But, I couldn’t zero in on any one particular thing. Instead, the only thing I learned was that there are no crazy gains in wisdom that come with turning a year older. In a way, I was kind of expecting that. Expecting that somehow, things would become clearer and I’d know exactly where I was in life and where I wanted to go, and I feel rather foolish for thinking that way. Instead, the only thing I’ve learned is that I’ve still got a long ways to go. I’ve realized that I’m not little anymore, and that there’s this boundless road of ‘adulthood’ and ‘future’ before me, full of responsibilities and challenges that I just have to keep walking along.

With two thousand students going to North, there’s always going to be relationships, but that doesn’t mean everybody wants to see it. The Public Displays of Affection are getting a little ridiculous. We’ve gone from hand-holding and hugging to full on making out in the halls. This is becoming a huge distraction that nobody wants to see. (sarah semmel)

Do us all a favor, it’s time to get a room

ith today being Valentine’s Day, the editorial staff decided to bring something up that has been a problem at North for quite a while. Although it’s listed as a serious offense in the student handbook, anyone is practically guaranteed to see some Public Displays of Affection while walking through the halls at North. Don’t think we’re a bunch of prudes who freak out every time we see couples kissing in the hall, but enough is enough. Giving your loved one a quick peck as you say goodbye before class is on a completely different level compared to a couple who are groping or caressing each other against another student’s locker. Although one can find many subjects to concern themselves at school, we’re all still here for one primary reason: to learn. The extent of affection being shown by couples at North is creating more problems than ever before. Many students are consistently arriving late to class due to the time spent with their better halves in the halls. Other students are having trouble making their way to their own locker, while being forced

into an awkward situation by having to ask a couple to slide over. The best solution to this problem is simple. Students just need to act like it’s a concern for them. Rather than look past it and feel awkward yourself, why not make the situation awkward for the couple? The same goes for all of the teachers here at North. Rather than look past all the students that disgust you by sucking face in front of you, do something about it. We’re not saying every person who kisses someone at school should get a detention, but if their taking their relationship to the next level while at school, something probably needs to be done about it. Other students and teachers are able to withstand the seven hour school day without getting their tobacco fix. Why can’t couples do the same? It’s plain and simple. Keep your hands to yourself while you’re at school, or don’t even come. Just get a room.

Quotes from the Commons

Every month four random people will answer four random questions about four random topics The People Patricia Perry Freshman David Reyes Sophomore Rachel Bradely Junior Jeff Gaines Senior

28page design allison sheffler

Where’s your favorite place If you could be an animal for What is your favorite thing to eat? to shop at? a day, what would you be?

What’s your favorite quote or saying?

DEB at the Mills

Flamingo

Ramen Noodles

Best Buy

Tiger

Rice With Beans

Victoria’s Secret

Tiger

Fried Chicken

“Hey girl hey.”

The Mall

Snake

Hamburger and Fries

“Was good, wad it do?”

“I’m a banana.” “Dang!”

speakout

north star 02.14.08

Barbara Jean Palmer holds a picture of the family she helped in Mexico on her mission trip. The trip to Mexico is Palmer’s second mission trip. She goes on mission trips with her church, Willot Community Church. Palmer has been with her church for six years. (leslie bland)

A mission trip changes view on life

Helping less fortunate shows volunteer to better appreciate life by barbara jean palmer

e Americans take for granted all the great things we have in this country. On Christmas Day I left for a mission to Mexico called “Love Knows No Borders”. At first I was going because my friends were going. I wasn’t very excited about giving up part of Christmas but once I got down to Mexico I completely changed my mind. The moment you crossed that border, you couldn’t even believe what you were seeing. Little kids were wandering around by themselves. Cars were speeding by like it wouldn’t be a problem if they were to hit someone. When we got to the hotel it was

gated, and the thought that we couldn’t even stay in a hotel and be safe really frightened me. The next morning we went to a place called the “Colonia,” which was a really poor neighborhood. There we would build houses, paint them, and furnish them. These houses were about the size of most living rooms which is not enough room to fit a whole family. The house I helped at had five members in the family who all shared one bedroom. Could you even imagine? All they had were two rooms. Their house had a dirt floor, no plumbing, and they cooked outside. This house we were building was like a dream come true. To think these people have

almost nothing and can still be happy made me want to cry. I get upset that I have to share a room with my sister, in comparison, that is nothing at all. Children there have to play in dirt with trash all over the ground. Kids here have parks and paved roads but yet we choose to stay inside all day and play the computer or watch television. The people of the Colonia would be lucky to have electricity. Seeing these families in such terrible conditions and still be happy made me think. Why are we Americans so unhappy with what we have? I don’t know about you but I am going to try to be a little more thankful for what I have.

Regarding Letters to the Editor To write a letter to an editor: * letters to the editor will be printed in the opinion section. * letters must be signed by the author and verified for publication by the editorial board. * letters to the editor may be submitted to Mr. Manfull’s mailbox or room 26. * letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words, must be signed and must include the writer’s address and phone number for verification * all letters to the editor will be verified by a member of the editorial board to determine the authenticity of the writer. * no material will be printed where content is obscene, invasive of others’ privacy, encouraging physical disruption of school activities and/ or implies libel. * the editorial board reserves the right to have letters edited for length, grammar, punctuation, clarity, etc. * If editing is required, the letter will be sent to the author for consent. * the school newspaper will only publish one letter per author per issue. * all letters to the editor become the property of the school newspaper upon receipt and will not be returned.

* letters must be signed by the author and verified for publication by the editorial board. * letters to the editor may be submitted to Mr.. Manfull’s mailbox or room 26. * letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words, must be signed and must include the writer’s address and phone number for verification. * all letters to the editor will be verified by a member of the editorial board to determine the authenticity of the writer.

Got a letter for an editor? E-mail it chavon.chester@gmail.com

Having a dream, keeping a dream, remembering a dream

My Dream by tyler kirk

r. Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader, an activist, a father, a minister, a writer, a prisoner, and most importantly a hero to us all. He had a dream 40 years ago, and that dream is still embedded in many of our minds today. But the question is: Will the image of King delivering his speech to over two hundred supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial be embedded in our children? Our children’s children? I don’t know about you, but my Magic 8 Ball reads, “Outlook Not So Good.” So many people know King as a civil rights activist. They just know him for the

simplicity of his speech. They know him as a leader. What they don’t know is the meaning behind his powerful, boasting words. He had a dream of equality. He had a dream of brotherhood. He had a dream of freedom. Three simple wishes, right? I think they’re simple enough. Just like King, I have a dream. My dream may be a little easier to make a reality. I have a dream that one day this nation will remember and honor King for his leadership, his greatness and his passion. I have a dream that one day on the playgrounds of our schools, my son’s sons and your daughter’s daughters will be grateful for the freedom and peace King bestowed upon us. I have a dream that one day even in this world, a world scarred by the wounds of hate, scarred by the wounds of war, will be transformed into a place of joy and peace. I have a dream that one day my 3-year-old brother will be taught the lessons of King, not because he was a great man, but because he was a man that changed the world. I have a dream for the future.

jon henderson 2008

page design vicki viehman

speakout

north star 02.14.08

online clusive

Electronics break up communication

Speaking Out

by jessica payne

we have more, we’re not satisfied with it. No one thinks that they have enough and they never appreciate what they already have. These new inventions aren’t benefiting us, they’re making us greedier and less appreciative. I’m not saying that I’m not guilty of these things too, or that I don’t text a bit too much every once

in a while, or even that it’s wrong to splurge and buy one of those musthave electronics. I’m just saying that technology is not the most important thing out there. Take a while to spend some quality time with your friends and family, before you realize that you know your computer and cell phone better than you know them.

allison shefler

Liking something is great but becoming addicted can become a danger. I know from experience that when you start getting obsessive, you can start to lose sight of the things that really matter.

”

amy qualls

thousands of means of communicating with each other. Some say that this is a great break-through in technology, but let me ask this. Is it really necessary? Of course not. People got along fine years ago with nothing but telephones. That was considered an incredible invention, and they were happy with it. Now that

Every month, members of the North Star will speak out their opinions online. Here’s just a piece of them.

”

“Because of internet technologies, everyone is in your business before you can tell them in person,” explains Sophomore Jessica Payne about the negative aspect of communication in today’s world. (photo illustration by dominique hamilton)

”

hese days, it’s rare to see people really communicating. Without some sort of electronic, that is. Whether it’s texting, cell phones, MySpace, Facebook, you name it, everybody seems to be talking electronically. What happened to the good old days? You know, when if you wanted to talk to a friend, you went to their house and actually talked face to face? These new inventions are supposed to be good for us, but if you ask me, they’re pulling us farther and farther apart. I mean seriously, how close can you really be to someone when every time you’re together, she’s on the computer, you’re texting, both of you are on the phone, and neither of you are paying attention to the other. Our generation doesn’t know anything but this. We’re used to talking to anybody at any time of the day because of our

I missed two tests and four other assignments. No big deal right? Well because I was so behind in the lessons I had to miss two more tests when I came back to school.

”

The Ultimate Write Off

Being short vs. being tall. Is being one height really better than the other? Good things come in small packages. This saying applies not only to presents, but also to people. I’m short. 5’2” to be exact. I’m always in the front row of pictures, I can pass as a child at the movies, and I can fit into the best hiding places during hide and seek. My friends are always telling me I need to grow more, but I don’t look at my height as a restriction. Despite what some tall people may think, being short is a good thing. For one thing, I never get mistaken for the Jolly Green Giant. Those times when I’m around people who are smaller than me, I

hate the feeling that I’m bigger than them.. In Austin Powers, Mini Me was the funniest character in that movie just because he was so small. Small people are just thought of as adorable, even if they’re really not. Short people are always the feisty ones. Queen Elizabeth, Reese Witherspoon and Danny Devito were all less than 5’4” and they were all very successful. I can’t erase the top of the chalkboard, and most of my jeans need to be hemmed. I think that’s pretty funny. Remember: I’m not “short”, I’m Funsized!

30page design d.j. shewmaker

vicki viehmann

logan ponche

Every now and then when I was growing up, my father would take all of my siblings and I to the front hall, where he would measure each of our heights and mark them on the wall in the closet, along with the name and date. But every time he got to me, he could hardly ever measure me at all, because I was always trying to cheat in the back of that musty closet, spiking my hair up and standing on my toes to gain a couple more inches. I did it because that’s what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wanted to be tall. I mean, why wouldn’t I want to be? Being tall

is one of the best things someone can have in life; there are so many perks that come along with it. I mean, who doesn’t want to be able to see really far in a crowd? Or who wouldn’t want reach that top shelf? Or who has ever heard any professional athlete described as short, except maybe in the Kentucky Derby? Even in the workplace we have an advantage. If two people have the same job and one is tall, it’s a fact that on average the tall guy will get paid better. Tall people just have it easy in life, plain and simple. The fact is I love my height, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

speakout

north star 02.14.08

Latest releases making all the noise the product

moviereview: Bad Robot: Cloverfield

resturantreview: Chipotle Mexican Grill

bookreview: Ned Vizzini: It’s Kind of a Funny Story

cdreview:

the awful

Awesome: The best thing about

Cloverfield was the cinematography. The entire film was shot with a handheld camera, and although this made some people sick, I loved it. It seemed so realistic. Adding to the realism was the fact that there was no scientist in a lab coat explaining what the monster was and where it had come from.

Awful: I left the theater wanting answers: Where did it come from? Why was it attacking? Did they kill it? However, the questions were never answered. As I said before, the constant shaking of the camera gave some people motion sickness. It took a little too long to get into the monster-madness, but no movie is a movie without a back story.

Aftermath: I didn’t know if Cloverfield was going to live up to the mass hysteria it was causing online. People were freaking out; everyone had their own theory about the mysterious beast that was attacking New York City. This is by far the best monster flick of the 21st Century.

Awesome: Chipotle Mexican Grill

Awful: There are unfortunately

Aftermath: Overall I highly recommend anyone interested in going to this amazing restaurant to do so, it’s worth the drive for newcomers and old. The food is great, as well as the people. The atmosphere is great, along with good facilities. Some will even give students with a valid student ID a free drink.

is one of my favorite restaurants ever. It’s very similar to Qudoba but so much better. You walk in and the atmosphere is amazing. The interior has an Aztec feeling and the walls are covered in aluminum ridges. The burritos are gigantic, and if you’re not use to eating them you will not be able to finish it in one serving.

Awesome: This is one of the best young adult novels I’ve read. The characters and plot are strikingly realistic. Vizzini’s account of a teenager’s struggle with depression and stint in a psychiatric hospital may not sound like a funny story, but the character’s quirky insanity brings out the humor in a bleak situation.

Awesome: This is not your every-

day CD. The music is very calm and relaxing. It is a three person band and the music is very versatile because each person can play many different instruments. It’s also cool that not many people have heard of them because they are from the east coast and didn’t sign with a major label.

Dispatch: Bang Bang

tvreview:

Warner Bros: One Tree Hill

the aftermath

the awesome

Awesome: There is a lot to like

about the new season of one tree hill. A bonus about this season is the new characters, creating new drama in the old characters lives. By skipping four years into the future, they all have careers and are settling down into new lives, but have conflicts that viewers can still relate to.

a few things about Chipotle that I don’t like. One in particular is that the closest one to FHN is off of Highway K, in O’Fallon. I think it’s worth the drive but it’s still a little to far to go on a frequent basis. Another thing that I found out is that the prices of their food went up almost $1 since I was there last.

Awful: Going hand in hand with

the honest tale with the tale of teenage life is subplots that, while not extremely explicit, that kind of honesty may not be some people’s cup of tea. There are moments when the intensity of the depression almost overwhelms the story.

Awful: Since Dispatch did not sign

with a major label you cannot hear it on the radio and the lyrics are very different so it’s not that easy to sing along. Also most of the Dispatch CDs contain music recorded from their concerts and so if you don’t like screaming fans in the background I would recommend searching for a CD that does not have this.

Awful: Because the new season takes place four years later, there is a lot of missing information. And while the new characters add drama, they also add a little to the confusion. Because, they’re not high schoolers, it makes it harder to relate to their lives, and if you’re not a loyal fan, it’s hard to remember what happened in previous seasons.

Start the year off right Buy an Art Carved

.Lower prices than at school .Higher Quality . Faster Delivery .Year-Round Service

rating (out of 4 stars)

-review by: tyler kirk

-review by: jay scott

Aftermath: The explicit content is fairly transparent from the first chapter and so when it comes around shouldn’t be a big shock, and for the most part doesn’t distract from the story. The ending is a little unbelievable in its tidiness, but I really enjoyed reading this book. -review by: jessica bremer

Aftermath: Overall this CD is awesome. Dispatch is a great band and it’s easy to relax and escape while listening. This CD contains a sound most people have never heard before. It’s good every once in awhile to hear something so different and new. -review by: kaila kamp

Aftermath: The show is awesome. It’s a little hard to get into, if you haven’t been watching all along, but if you’re looking for something full of drama, and real life situations, this is a show for you. The popular characters keep the show interesting, and you may find that you relate to them more than you think. -review by: jordyn klackner

THE Optical Shop

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75 Charleston Square St. Peters, MO 63304

636-939-9500 (FIRST TIME CLIENTS ONLY OFFER EXPIRES 06-01-08)

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(FIRST TIME CLIENTS ONLY OFFER EXPIRES 06-01-08)

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Diamond and Jewelry Repair on Premises

Dr. M.E. Weigle, O.D. Comprehensive Eye CarePersonalized Office Hours: 8:30-5:00 Monday- Thursday 7:30-3:30 Friday 8:30-12:00 Saturday Eye Exams by Appointment 2127 Blue Stone Drive St. Charles, Missouri 63303 Email-theopticalshop63303@yahoo.com

Telephone: (636) 947-0207

page design luke christisen

photostory north star 02.14.08

Photography By Leslie Bland Senator Barack Obama of Illinois speaks to the St. Louis crowd at the Edwards Jones Dome. Obama is a presidential candidate for the democrats. He won the Missouri primary. (leslie bland)

Meet the

Candidates

Check Out northstartoday.com for photo stories with audio on the 2008 campaign trail

Check Out Issue 7 on March 13 for more coverage on the 2008 presidential election

Senator John McCain mingles with supporters and signs autographs. (left) McCain came to Chesterfield airport in St. Louis to speak to his supporters. McCain and his wife greet supporters. McCain won MO primary. (below) (leslie bland)

(middle) Senator Hillary Clinton speaks to crowd at McCluer North High School Jan 19. Clinton was two hours late because she won the Nevada primary that same day and had to give a speech. (leslie bland)

Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas greets his supporters. Huckabee came to the Dury Inn in Creve Core. Huckabee gave a short speech and mingled with his supporters and the press. (leslie bland)

Many supporters came out to see Obama Feb 2. Over 20 thousand supporters were in Edwards Jones Dome. (leslie bland)

Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts mingles with a group of his supporter at Dave and Busters. (leslie bland)

Presidential candidate, Senator Hillary Clinton speaks to a crowd of her supporters and McCluer North High School, while, a young supporter watches Clinton intently. (leslie bland)

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