February 2020 - North Star Newsmagazine. by North Star

| EARLY COLLEGE PROGRAM PAGE 07 | JUNIOR BOYS FORM “THE COURT” PAGE 16 | FHSD AGAINST HOODS PAGE 44 |

NORTH | STAR

FRANCIS HOWELL NORTH | ST. CHARLES, MO 63303 | 02.19.20 | VOL 34 ISSUE 05

BLAST FROM THE PAST THE NORTH STAR TAKES A LOOK BACK AT FHN GRADUATES. FIND OUT WHERE THEY ARE NOW ON PAGES 23-30.

FHNtoday.com

CONTENTS

In anticipation of an upcoming competition, members of the robotics team work hard on completing their robot. The team meets every Monday and Wednesday after school, developing new parts for their project. Their troop number is 14963 as shown proudly on their robot. (Photo by Kaili Martin)

ENTERTAINMENT 1 Trending Netflix Shows See what the most popular shows on the streaming platform are currently

Minecraft Mob Quiz

Find out what Minecraft mob you are based on your personality

NEWS 8 Robotics State-Bound FHN’s robotic team goes to state for the first time on March 7th

Board Candidates Learn about this year’s candidates for the upcoming board elections on April 7th

FEATURES 14 Life of a Custodian

Stacy Buss and Stephanie Wolfe and how they help to the upkeep of FHN

Tattoos of FHN Hear the stories of tattoos imprinted on the bodies of students and staff

SPORTS 35 Freshman Wins GAC’s Lilllian Steigerwald becomes FHN’s first female to qualify for state

Just Keep Swimming Johanna Dohrman returns to swim after a break from the competitive season

OPINIONS 42 Hate Against Artists

Much of the hate foreign artists get in America comes from xenophobia

43 Teens and the World Are teenagers truely as careless about world events as people say they are?

ON THE COVER A pair of hands hold a polaroid camera while it prints a photo of graduation caps being thrown in the air in celebration. This edition’s In-Depth of the North Star looks at past alumni and the accomplishments they have had since graduation. (Design by Gracie Bowman)

FHNTODAY.COM | 2.19.20 | CONTENTS

Sitting on a stool, senior Brady West presents multiple pieces of his art. West has been drawing since he was in kindergarten and has been pursuing it as a career since his freshman year. West enjoys creating his art with many different methods and mediums, preferring to work with markers, ink and pencils. (Photo by Avery Witherbee)

Observing her bowling ball, junior Haley Stratman prepares for her turn. The FHN bowling team is split into two different groups, one consisting of mostly seniors and the other of underclassmen. The team meets every Sunday usually from 11:30 A.M. - 1:30 P.M. at one of three bowling alleys in the St. Charles area. (Photo by Avery Witherbee)

PAGE BY AADHI SATHISHKUMAR

WHAT’S TRENDING ON

NETFLIX

Many new shows and releases have made it on the trending list for Netflix in 2020. So far, these shows are the most popular (Content by Liv Engle)

THE WITCHER “The Witcher” is one of many popular Netflix series of the new year. This show is created by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich and is based on a book series. The Witcher is also a well-liked video game. About 92% of players enjoyed the game and it got an 8.5/10 out of total reviews, according to IGN.com. The storyline is about a monster hunter, Geralt the Rivia, who faces many hardships while following his own path, only to come to the conclusion that people can be just as bad as the monsters lurking about.

YOU YOU has been a highly talked about show, due to its deranged main character, Joe Goldberg, who is a killer stalker that happens to get many women with his charming attitude. The first season takes place in New York, while the second season takes place in Los Angeles. Starting on the streaming service “Lifetime”, this show then moved to Netflix where it became a huge hit. According to TV Guide News, over 40 million households have streamed the show and that number bumped up to around 54 million for season two.

SEX EDUCATION

This show is based around a teen that lacks the important aspects of social skills and doesn’t have a lot of experience with ladies. Otis Milburn, the awkward main character, starts to get more familiar with the aspect of relationships and all that comes with it in his new sexual education class. From starting out feeling uncomfortable with the topic, Otis becomes quite the expert on sex ed., not only from the class but also his mom, Jean, who is a sex therapist. Otis uses his new knowledge to gain a better social status at school, but he comes to find out he needs more help than he expected.

CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA Stemming from “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” and also based upon the comic books, this show released some new episodes for 2020. In this origin story, Sabrina is battling many things at once in her life. She faces some dark struggles surrounding self-acceptance, due to her being halfwitch and half-mortal. She is not only fighting herself but also the evil nature that threatens her, her family and the world. Sabrina will have to figure out her inner demons while protecting the world and the people she loves.

STUDENT TAKE: WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE NETFLIX SHOW? “It’s a Netflix original called ‘Everything Sucks.’ I like it because it’s set in the 90s and you kind of get to see what high school was like in the 90s.” Skye Vogel, 10

“‘Stranger Things’ because it has good sci-fi parts and good acting at the same time which you don’t see in TV shows very often.” Yousef Shabany, 11

“My favorite Netflix show is ‘Insatiable’ because it’s so suspenseful but comedic and has some of my favorite childhood actors in it.” Riya Contractor, 11

“My favorite show on Netflix is ‘Big Mouth’ because I can relate to it and it’s funny.” Scotty Penning, 11

(Photos from Shutterstock) PAGE BY LIV ENGLE

ENTERTAINMENT | 02.19.20 | FHNTODAY. COM

(Photo from Shutterstock)

WHICH MINECRAFT MOB ARE YOU? Figure out which Minecraft mob you are by answering the questions: green for yes, gray for no (Content by Ryleigh O’Donnell) Are you playful?

Do you keep to yourself?

MY YOU CENTS From Joe Goldberg to Will Bettelheim, the charming narcissist from “YOU” season one is returning with a new name and a new place to stay in the city of Los Angeles. This review will contain spoilers for season one, so proceed with caution. The story left off with a surprising appearance of Candace, Joe’s ex-girlfriend who was supposed to be dead, so now Joe is escaping and finding a new life in Los Angeles. He starts off telling himself that this time will be different, but he quickly gets back into his old habits when he spots Love Quinn, the season’s love interest and daughter of the rich and esteemed Ray and Dottie Quinn. Still sore from his last love interest, Beck, Joe takes things slower this season, but it remains full of the lies, drama and gruesome crime that hooked audiences in season one. Season two was a resounding success in cinematography, writing and most importantly acting on all fronts. Actor Penn Badgley did an absolutely fantastic job portraying the envious, paranoid stalker from season one, but in season two he pulled out all the stops with his “reformed” character. Season two explores the origins of Joe’s behavior, linking it mostly to childhood trauma, as well as having him question his morality. The series is experienced in making Joe likable despite his numerous atrocious actions, but this season the writers decided to push the viewer as far as they could go by having him not only on defense from Candace’s threats, but from his own morality. The kicker of the series so far is that the audience can’t help but want to support him, in a similar fashion to Ted Bundy’s fan club. It calls into question how our perspective influences our visions of morality. Just the act of putting him as the main focus makes the audience sympathize Joe no matter how much murder, kidnapping and manipulation he does. Season three, coming out in 2021, is highly anticipated because, adding up the amazing acting, storyline and thought topics, season two is just as good, if not better than the original. Many will be counting down the days until the third season. (Review by Andrew Reese)

FHNTODAY.COM | 02.19.20 | ENTERTAINMENT

Do you enjoy helping others?

Are you outgoing?

Are you sly? Do you make friends easily?

Can you read others well?

Are you a troublemaker?

Dolphin

Wolf

Creeper

Fox

You’re outgoing, helpful and very understanding of the people around.

You’re loyal, friendly, and easy to love! You’re a little oblivious but would do anything to help.

You’re mischevious, sneaky and have quick wit. You can easily lip out of trouble.

You’re shy, trustworthy and reliable. it takes you a while for you to warm up to people.

PAGE BY RYLEIGH O’DONNELL

PS5 VS XBOX X

(Photo by Photo Hall/Shutterstock)

See the comparison of the Xbox X and PlayStation 5 with new information that has just surfaced (Content by Brandon Lite)

Coming Soon Nearly eight years after the release of their last consoles, the popular gaming companies PlayStation and Xbox have returned with announcements of two new consoles for December 2020. Before purchasing either one, it’s important to know the new information rumored PlayStation 5 specs and confirmed Xbox X specs, learn their hardware, features and what makes one better than the other.

New Hardware

Both the Playstation 5 and Xbox X will have a newer graphics processor than the Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. It’s confirmed the PlayStation 5 and Xbox X will have 10-12 Teraflops (Unit Of Computing Speed), better video quality and faster loading frames. Both consoles are switching to Solid State Drive for more storage, because in the past years consoles have been operating under a hard drive.

Unique Features

There are also PlayStation features that have been announced which the new Xbox won’t have. Sony confirmed new features the PS5 will have that the Xbox X won’t. The PlayStation 5 will have new and improved trigger buttons, Ultra HD Bluray and new pixel loading features. The PS5 is going to have 3D audio and be V-shaped. It’s also speculated that the PS5 will be four times stronger than the PS4 Pro and have the best cooling system out of all the PlayStations. The Xbox X will have ray tracing, smaller controllers and new cooling systems.

Exclusive Games

Both consoles will have one exclusive game. The PlayStation has a third-person fantasy looter-slasher focused on melee combat game called Godfall, and Xbox has a dark action-adventure fantasy Sequel game called Hellblade 2.

(Illustrations by Jena Pae)

STUDENT TAKE: WHAT CONSOLE DO YOU PREFER? “I’m gonna buy the Xbox X because I love the Xbox. It’s smoother, smaller and I would miss the Forza Horizon games if I got a PS5.” Kael Schaefering, 9

“If I do buy any of the consoles I’ll buy the PS5 because I love Call of Duty and grew up with PlayStation.”

“I would have a pizza oven (PS5) over a mini fridge (Xbox X).”

Terri Reed, 10

Kylin Reed, 11

PAGE BY BRANDON LITE AND JUSTIN CHRISTENSEN

THE RISE OF DISNEY PLUS With growing popularity, Disney Plus has made its impact on our world. Disney Plus is Disney’s new streaming service that allows the streaming of everything from Disney classics to new releases. The service was released on Nov. 12, 2019, and since then has gained a large amount of popularity with users totaling over 10 million on the first day, according to cnet.com. “[I like] Wizards of Waverly Place because I watched it when I was little,” sophomore Ana Sofia Remolina said. “[I watch] it like once a week.” After being highly anticipated, the release of Disney Plus attracted customers in flocks. The current number of users has exceeded Disney’s expectations, totaling over 28 million. It attracted teens who wanted to relive their childhood through classic Disney TV shows and people who simply wanted a new place to stream all of their Disney favorites. “Netflix is kind of generic TV shows and some movies but Hulu is mainly movie,” sophomore Rachel Buchanan said. “Then Disney Plus is more for kids but yet it also has good movies.” Disney Plus is an app similar to Netflix or Hulu, except it’s for anything and everything Disney. It’s organized into the separate “branches” of Disney TV: Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, Disney’s own classics and National Geographic. “Well I like the Star Wars movies, but I also like how there are shows from our childhood like Phineas and Ferb and all that stuff,” Buchanan said. As for where to get Disney Plus, there are several places where one can purchase it. It costs $7 a month or $70 if you prepay for a full year. It also offers a seven-day free trial. Disney’s deal with Verizon gives customers with unlimited wireless plans a year free. Verizon also bundled it with Hulu and ESPN Plus, offering a $5 discount with a subscription to all three of those services. This is the same price as Netflix’s popular service. “[I would recommend to a friend] because it has the majority of what I watched when I was a kid on it,” Remolina said. (Story by Justin Brewer)

ENTERTAINMENT | 02.19.20 | FHNTODAY. COM

comic central Valentine’s Date (Illustrated by Courtney Wortman) Wow... so my milk has a Valentine’s date, but I don’t.

The Pencil Problem (Illustrated by Nico boenitz)

Distraught Dog (Illustrated by Minnie adams)

04 04

ENTERTAINMENT | 02.19.20 | FHNTODAY. COM

PAGE BY ANDREW REESE

Miles Away (Illustrated by Maya Helbig)

anxiety (Illustrated by sky hebisen)

Regular me: Anxious and tired

PAGE BY ANDREW REESE

Me with coffee: Anxious and fast

ENTERTAINMENT | 02.19.20 | FHNTODAY. COM

Make friends.

Make cool stuff.

Make a difference.

Find out more. FHN media www.FHNtoday.com/TellMeMore

Students walk around the campus of St. Charles Community College (SCC), making their way to their classes for the day. SCC is a two year public community college which allows students to attend for $3,768 a year. The school offers associate degrees in the arts, business, sciences and career-technical fields as well as workforce training and community-based personal and professional development. (Photo by Courtney Wortman)

DUAL-ENROLLMENT PROGRAM

FHSD introduces a program that allows students to earn credit for FHN from St. Charles Community College by Connor Peper

said. “When you get through two years, you can go straight into courses that line up with your major. I think lane one or lane two is the greatest opportunity he Francis Howell School District will be expanding an “early college” considering it’s only $50 per credit hour.” program in the 2020-21 school year, allowing students to earn credits that It should be noted, however, that not all classes at SCC are required to graduate work towards both a college education and a high school diploma. The and that students will need to coordinate with both SCC and FHN’s counselors program had a “soft roll-out” this year. to pick classes that count towards fulfilling the educational requirements of both “The goal here was to make it more available and more widely known to schools. These courses are listed in the program’s catalog. more students and in higher numbers of courses,” Nathan Hoven, deputy “We would strongly recommend some [courses],” FHN head principal Nathan superintendent and Chief Academic Officer for FHSD said. “The state had moved Hostetler said. “If you want to go learn to weave baskets, go do you, but that may forward a few years back with a guarantee that certain courses through the not help you graduate from high school.” community college are going to transfer to Missouri’s other public colleges.” While the district expects to see a small dip in enrollment in AP classes, they Because the program is run through St. Charles Community Colllege, students don’t want students to consider the “early college program” a replacement, must meet certain SCC as well as district set requirements to only another option. The district has made sure the program is enroll including a grade, GPA, coursework, attendance and a compatible with other district programs like CAPs, Lewis and good citizenship requirement. Students must also maintain Clark and the work program. at least C grades in their SCC classes or risk removal from the “There’s very much flexibility,” Hoven said. “We purposefully Leran more about the program. made it available that if a student can schedule their time at early college program: “Once they start a semester they’ve committed to that the community college with that in mind, and so we absolutely bit.ly/NScollege semester at a minimum,” Lucas Lammers, Director of Secondary expect to see students who spent part of the day at the college Education for FHSD and the person credited with laying most and then continue with the other commitments they’ve made.” of the groundwork for the program said. “This is what you do FHSD hopes that by allowing students to take more of their when you’re really a college student. It’s really your responsibility to be talking to education into their own hands, they’ll be more focused on their futures and on professors and counselors there. This is an opportunity for students to learn that.” their studies. Essentially, the “when are we ever going to use this?” crowd. FHSD’s vision for the program is composed of three “lanes”, each with their “There’s this myth of an unmotivated student, it’s bogus,” Hostetler said. own advantages. Lane one allows students to complete their general education “Everybody’s motivated to do something. What people really mean is ‘they’re not requirements, and it ranges from 42-48 credit hours. Lane two allows students to motivated towards the things I wish they were’. One of the things we could do earn a full associate’s degree. Students would take their entire schedule at SCC. to help students move forward is to give them a glimpse of their future, a way to Finally, lane three is the “à la carte” model allowing students to mix classes at FHN move towards their future.” and SCC. Any implementation of the early college program will not be impacted by the “The most attractive option is trying to get Gen Ed out of the way,” Lammers success or failure of the bonds issue being placed on the April ballot. officialconnorpeper@gmail.com

MORE INFO

PAGE BY JUSTIN BREWER

NEWS | 02.19.20 | FHNTODAY. COM

UPCOMING EVENTS

February

Wednesday

NHS Induction Ceremony Time: 5:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. Where: Large Gym

February

Job Fair Time: 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Where: Commons

Thursday

ROBOTICS FIRST TIME AT STATE

FHN robotics team will be attending state on March 7 at Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla Students selected from the robotics club will be attending Robotics State at Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla on March 7. At state, the team will show off a robot that they have been working on and use it to compete against other teams. Teams will compete using a robot that’s supposed to be able to transfer a giant Lego block from one spot to another. Most teams’ robot will only be able to move the block, but the FHN team is working to have their robot do more than that. “We use the robot that we have right now to lift and stack giant Lego blocks on top of one another,” robotics team captain Enoch Berthold said. “Our robot will transfer them as well as stack them. Most robots just transfer them.” The teams won’t just compete; they will also present their hard work to be judged. They will talk about the robot and the process they went through to create it.

FHNTODAY.COM | 02.19.20 | NEWS

“At state we will present our robots to judges and talk about it,” head programmer Jacob Kosier said. “I’m assuming it’s going to be similar to the qualifiers in which we will be pitted against a bunch of other teams in a bunch of matches.” Six students were selected to go and 12 are going independently. Anyone in robotics is allowed to go to state, but if they are not selected they have to pay for their transportation, meals and hotel room themselves. To be selected, students must work hard and help out the team with building the robot. “We already selected who we are taking based on how much work they’ve done on the robot,’’ Berthold said. ‘‘Then other people are welcome to go if they choose but they will have to pay out of pocket.” This is their first year going to state. They’ve gone to competitions before, but state will be something new and different. “I’m really excited that we’re going to state, I really did not expect it since this is our second year of doing this particular robotics thing, FTC,” Kosier said. “I’m pretty excited, and I’m glad I was able to be a part of it.” (Story by Maya Helbig)

PAGE BY DANYLA CREACY AND MACY CRONIN

March

Prom Fashion Show Time: 7 p.m. Where: Auditorium

Wednesday

March

Thursday

A Mardi Gras mask lays within a pile of beads in preparation for a parade. The neighborhood of Soulard will host this year’s Mardi Gras parade on Feb. 22. The theme for the event will be “The Blues.” (Photo by Alayna Furch)

Parent - Teacher Conferences Time: 4 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Where: Large Gym

March

13-20

Spring Break

Fri. - Fri.

THE MASK PARADE Mardi Gras is coming back to Soulard in full swing

St. Louis Busch Stadium is hosting “Being around other people laughing its annual Mardi Gras parade, starting and having fun makes it easier and at 11 a.m. on Feb. 22 and going until to laugh and have fun myself,’’ senior 12 a.m. Feb. 23. The parade travels Savanna Leahr said. “It’s so much fun from Busch Stadium all the way to the getting beads and sometimes getting Anheuser-Busch Brewery. scared.” “During the parade you get to see a The streets are full of different lot of different floats and types of performers all in people dressed up,” St. costumes representing their Charles resident Latisha decorative floats. Follow this link to Moore said. “There is a lot “I’ve been going for 11 learn more about the Mardi Gras parade: of fun stuff to see.” years and each time I went bit.ly/NSmardigras The Mardi Gras parade they had different floats and in St. Louis is free for all people in costumes,” Moore ages to attend. It allows said. “It’s unbelievable and I attendees to experience something would definitely recommend people to they won’t be able to experience at a go.” (Story by DaNyla Creacy) regular parade or social event.

INFO

COMPETITION BETWEEN BANDS

Wind ensemble, concert band and symphonic band will all join together to go to their first competitions of this school year During and after school, all the different types of FHN bands practice hard for upcoming competitions. Not only is wind ensemble going to their first big competition of the year, concert band is going along too. Band has been practicing diligently for these events. This big upcoming competition that both bands will be going to is their State Contest, which will be held at Holt High School on March 5. Being prepared for this competition comes with a lot of stress but also is very exhilarating for the performers. Preparation is important for band members and can teach better skills for being on top of important things, like practicing. “At a competition we play our pieces and we have a second score that comes from sight reading, so to prepare we do individual practices during class and we work on sight reading,” sophomore Aidyn Gleason said. Sight reading is when performers receive a piece of music and get about two minutes to look over it and play the music with little practice involved. Although preparation can be challenging, it is a great experience and also helps band improve in many areas for their future competitions and events. “We prepare mainly in class where Stegeman tunes the fine details and then at home we practice larger concepts,” senior Andrew Reese said. “We generally take the notes we get either during class or from judges and those become our main focus to improve for our next season.” (Story by Liv Engle)

PAGE BY DANYLA CREACY AND MACY CRONIN

Senior Quinn Winkeler warms up on his tuba during honors wind ensemble practice. Winkeler spends his fifth hour practicing in the band room for their upcoming concerts and competitions. He has been playing the tuba since seventh grade and in sixth grade he played the baritone. (Photo by Salam Abouchleih)

NEWS | 02.19.20 | FHNTODAY. COM

Junior Ben Ell presents an idea about prom to the group. The junior delegates are a group of students from this year’s junior class that get together around second semester to plan for prom. The group as well, hosts the prom fashion show for the junior and senior class. (Photo by Sarah Williams)

A student checks no on a piece of paper they recieved from a class mate. The school board is going sworn in new members in April. The board only has three available spots. (Photo by Addy Bradbury)

UPCOMING ELECTIONS The FHSD is electing new members to the Board of Education by Justin Brewer

hire and it is my goal to help him move the district forward. I have great confidence in him,” Lane said. HSD has some changes coming to the Board Peggy Sherwin is another candidate running for of Education, as three board members’ terms the school board. She teaches at Ranken Technical come to a close. On April 7, the candidates will College and is a member of the Democratic club. She be voted to fill three spots on the board. They will be also owns a small business with her husband. sworn in April 16. The candidates run for the general Mike Sommer was a board member 12 years ago position of school board member. The specifics of and decided to run based off of his experience. He their position is decided by the school board. said that over the last year, people had encouraged One candidate running for elections is Douglas him to run again. He feels that it is a good time for Ziegemeier. He is a former law enforcement officer him to get back involved with the district. and a current owner of an insurance agency. He “I think we want to continue to do a lot of the decided to run for the school board for several things that we have been doing, and I’m not saying reasons. One being that he knew the current we’ll never make any changes, but we continue to President wasn’t running again, and two being he be recognized as one of the best places to work in could use his law enforcement the community, and our students background. continue to be successful,” “I knew that there was an Sommer said. opening and I do like that direction Another candidate running for Check out more of the FHSD that the school board and the the school board is Mary Lange. board election here: school district as a whole is She is currently a Director on the bit.ly/NSboardelections going in and I kind of just wanted school board and is running again. to maintain that direction,” Three years ago she worked with Ziegemeier said. Patrick Lane. They wanted to get The next candidate in the running is current board more involved in the community, and after being on Treasurer Patrick Lane. He is a retired educator the board for three years, she wants to continue to be with 33 years of classroom experience. Originally, a voice for the community. he headed the tax levy committee along with Mary “I bring a positive voice to the board,” Lange said Lange. During its second campaign, they felt like “I think it’s a good aspect to have, a good parents change needed to be made on the board to push voice. I’m a parent of two children in our school, a their goals forward, and now he wants to maintain high schooler and a middle schooler, so having that that. parent voice as well as a community member voice “We have a new superintendent which I helped on the board.” justinbrewer15@gmail.com

MORE INFO

FHNTODAY.COM | 02.19.20 | NEWS

PROM PLANNERS The junior delegates are making headway on planning prom, scheduled for April 24. Like last year, prom will be held at Old Hickory Golf Club with the theme Roaring ’20s/Golden Age of Hollywood. Despite the similarities, the delegates don’t want to make a replica of last year. “We’re trying to do as much as we can to be different from the past years, but then also learn from what went well last year and years past,” class officer Luke Coffman said. A few aspects of planning are still up in the air as of now, such as ticket price and the food selection, but they are discussing replacing last year’s gift of a cup with a T-shirt instead that comes with each ticket bought. The budget of the event is another unknown that will be determined by fundraising, such as the prom fashion show and the delegate’s T-shirt sales as well as ticket sales. Whatever the amount, the delegates plan to utilize it to the fullest. “With the amount of work we’re going to put in, we’re going to make sure it’s fun and a blast,” Coffman said. A few social aspects are also being addressed by the delegates, partially learning from past years. One example is their choice to remove “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond from the playlist due to an inappropriate rewrite of the lyrics made by the previous year’s students. There will also be the typical expectations such as the formality of students’ dress and the appropriateness of their dancing. Regardless of the regulations, it’s important to remember the meaning of the dance. “For the seniors, it’s their last big event before graduation, and for juniors, it’s like, ‘Oh look, you have one year left of high school, so make the most of it,”’ delegate Brandi Stover said. (Story by Andrew Reese) PAGE BY MAYA HELBIG

FHNTODAY.COM From Livestreams to Podcasts to Stories about FHN community members, we’ve got it all.

Visit FHNGAMEDAY.COM, our sports site: Our Sports section of FHNToday features stories and photos of FHN sports from the Fall to Spring seasons. Stories range from recaps of games to features on athletes, and there are photos of every sport from bowling to football. On this section of FHNToday is also links to game schedules and athlete rosters.

Listen to our Podcasts on FHNTODAY.COM: FHNToday has an all new Podcast program, posting new content every week. There are weekly and biweekly shows made by students on a variety of topics. Some on the regularly produced content includes shows like Jakes Gamer Talk, Goonie Gab, and Around the World in 30 minutes. Podcasts are available on Podbean and FHNToday.com

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FEATURES | 02.19.20 | FHNTODAY. COM

After skating, three teens wait at the skate kiosk to turn in their rented skates. At the Steinberg Rink, guests can rent hockey and figure skates for $7 per pair in size toddler through adult 15. As well as renting, guests can bring their own pair of skates to skate in. (Photo by Addy Bradbury)

SKATING THROUGH THE SEASON The Steinberg Ice Rink is the largest outdoor ice rink in the Midwest and provides food and fun for guests by Addy Bradbury addyrenee01@gmailcom

Located in Forest Park, the Steinberg Ice Rink is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. or 11 p.m. and even on holidays. The rink brings something for everyone. For their 2019-2020 Ice Skating Season, Steinberg opened Friday, Nov. 15 and will close Sunday, March 1. The rink offers an all ages and all day skate admission for $8 or a season pass. Included at the 27,600 square foot rink is the SnowFlake Cafe and Snack Bar. The Cafe provides food from burgers and hot dogs to sâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;mores

FHNTODAY.COM | 02.19.20 | NEWS

and hot chocolate. While Steinberg offers ice skating and food, the core of it is a family-friendly experience. The rink is a place where people can gather to have fun outdoors and enjoy each othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; presence. Steinberg opened in November 1957, and the rink just celebrated their sixtieth anniversary this past year. When it first opened, admission to a skate night cost around fifty cents. While the ticket price has gone up since the 50s, the charm of the park remains, and people in the Midwest still continue to enjoy all that Steinberg has to offer.

PAGE BY ADDY BRADBURY

2. On a cold afternoon, friends grab hands to steady themselves. The large rink attracts plenty of friends and family each day for their endless amount of activities. 3. While skating among the large crowd, a dad catches his daughter when she slips on the ice. Many families take the opportunity to teach their kids how to skate during the open season. In addition, Steinberg offers skating lessons for ages five to adult. (Photos by Addy Bradbury)

4. Bundled up for the late evening, a young boy skates around a nearly empty rink. With the Steinberg staying open till 9 p.m. or 11 p.m. on certain nights, skaters can enjoy the rink long after dusk. (Photos by Addy Bradbury)

5. While the zambonini cleans the ice, families wait on the sidewalk in anticipation for the gates to open again. The zambonini cleans the ice at least once an hour, letting skaters take a break inside or around the outside fence. 6. Steinberg welcomes guests anytime theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re open and encourages everyone to go skating with their families and friends. (Photos by Addy Bradbury)

PAGE BY ADDY BRADBURY

NEWS | 02.19.20 | FHNTODAY. COM

The Helpers OF FHN

Custodians at FHN do a lot for the school, they are hadly seen but their work helps all of FHN each day by Ivy Lowery

said. “As long as everything gets done, there’s no particular order.” very day, people are hard at work Despite all of the messes the cleaning the school and making it custodians clean up and hard work their a clean environment for everyone. job requires daily, there are also things FHN has custodians to thank for that, that make every day worth it. people who do grueling work every day “I like to find out what [students’] plans just so others can have a clean place to are for the future, what colleges they thrive and learn. For the past 16 years, want to go to, their interests and how Stephanie Wolfe has been working as they want to pursue their lives after they a custodian for the school district at graduate,” Wolfe said. “The best part of Harvest Ridge Elementary and Francis my job would be seeing the students’ Howell North. She went to faces and being able to talk school at FHN, graduated in to them and interact with 1997 and continues to work them.” in one of her favorite places According to Wolfe, the Follow this link to to be. great things about being learn more about custodians at FHN: “My mom was a custodian a custodian outweigh the bit.ly/NScustodians when I was in high school, and bad, though there are some I would come up and help her things that no one really every once in a while,” Wolfe knows about what they do. said. “I enjoyed being around the kids, “Most people don’t know that we’re but I didn’t want to be in the classroom here even when school is called off,” setting. So, I still get to interact with the Wolfe said. “The custodians are usually kids.” here doing things whenever you guys Wolfe has been a custodian most of are on your breaks and snow days and her career, and enjoys it. She and other stuff, we’re still here. We’re the ones that custodians do so much for the school, pretty much are behind the scenes doing whivh is more than most may think and the things that people mostly take for appreciate. granted. We’re the ones that have to keep “In the mornings I have to come in going.” and turn on all the lights and unlock the Custodians also have a life outside of doors,” Wolfe said.” Then each custodian school when they get home. A typical job has their own area to do. My section is could take away from time at home with the Learning Commons and science wing families, but not for some custodians. bathrooms. I take care of deliveries, I get “It doesn’t really [affect my life at home] the calls for any cleanups that need to be because I’m working while my family is done and answer the radio. I try to make either at work or at school,” Wolfe said. it a safe environment for the kids and a “My son likes to see it when we go out clean environment.” and students call me out when they see Stacy Buss is also a custodian at FHN. me and stuff.” She’s worked here for the past four years, At FHN, custodians are treated very well and talking with students is one of her by students and staff according to Buss favorite parts of the day. She also does and Wolfe. Buss and Wolfe have been a lot for the school to keep everything friends for awhile, but for custodians, clean and maintained at all times. friendship goes beyond the workday. “I clean up after all the lunches and “Everyone in the community I consider spills in the classrooms. Also, we have a a friend,” Wolfe said. “Not everyone is a run in the afternoon where I have to clean close friend, but still a friend.” classrooms and the bathrooms,” Buss ilowery408@g.fhsdschools.org

WATCH

After the first lunch period ends, custodian Stacy Buss cleans up a lunch table before the next lunch begins. Buss’ day consists of cleaning up the lunchroom and the hallways around FHN. She is one of the two custodians that are here during the school day cleaning different areas of the school as it is needed. (Photo by Adam Hogan)

FHNTODAY.COM | 02.19.20 | FEATURES

PAGE BY IVY LOWERY

STUCK ON LAPTOP STICKERS Students at FHN talk about their laptop stickers’ significance (Content by Chloe Horstman) Brandi Stover, 11 Sticker count: 8 “I wanted to decorate [my laptop], I wanted to make it more mine. I have one that is a quote from my favorite movie, I have my Harry Potter house. I have one of my favorite songs- a representation of that song- and I have a volleyball and I love volleyball. There’s a ‘radiate positivity’ one. I’m a very positive person.” Junior Elizabeth Pundmann squeezes a soccer ball in between her legs to stretch out her back at physical therapy. Physical therapy is the treatment of disease, injury or deformity by physical methods. In this case, Pundmann has been attending therapy to treat back pain caused by a rare condition. (Photo by Riley Witherbee)

FIGHTING THE PAIN Junior Elizabeth Pundmann suffers from herniated disks in her back

The herniated disks disturbed every part of her life such as social, health and education. Elizabeth Life is unpredictable. In one second, one day or misses school every other week to go to her pain one year anything can happen in a person’s life. management doctor. Around the start of this school year, junior Elizabeth “I couldn’t really go out with my friends,” Elizabeth Pundmann’s life instantly turned upside down. said. “I couldn’t walk at school, I couldn’t sit through Elizabeth started to experience sudden, severe a class period, I couldn’t sleep and I wasn’t really back pain during her tennis season. Her back pain able to enjoy my daily life.” was caused by two herniated disks in her lower Elizabeth told her family about her daily discomfort back. A herniated disk is when a disk between the after receiving information about her condition vertebrae slips out and irritates a nearby nerve. from her doctors. Her parents and siblings were in She experiences pain in her leg because of the complete shock after discovering her condition was disk pinching the nerve that is very rare for someone of her age. connected to her leg. “I was upset and in shock to hear “One day, I could be having about it because we both did not shooting pain down my entire leg,” think it was something this serious,” Learn more about Elizabeth said. “Another day it could Elizabeth’s mother Irene Pundmann herniated disks here: just be throbbing and then other said. bit.ly/NSherniateddisk days, it’ll feel like my leg feels 20 It’s been more than six months pounds heavier than the other one.” since Elizabeth developed Her bothersome back caused her to visit all sorts of herniated disks. Every day she is fighting through doctors, beginning with an orthopedic doctor, next the pain. Trying to get rid of the herniated disks a neurosurgeon, afterward to a pain management by avoiding surgery, she continues to go to her doctor and finally a physical therapist. Her physical physical therapist and her pain management doctor. therapist helps her by giving her stretches and her Throughout her experience, Elizabeth learned pain management doctor gives her injections in her valuable life lessons about enduring pain. back. “[I learned] not to take your health for granted “My physical therapy stretches help and I just need or not take your physical well-being for granted,” to be relaxing,” Elizabeth said. “I can’t be mobile or Elizabeth said. “I really wish I would have taken more anything which aggravates my back a lot.” for granted whenever I wasn’t in pain because now I Elizabeth wasn’t able to do everything she wanted. don’t know what it’s like to go a day without it.” by Shivani Bondada shivanibondada@gmail.com

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Dan Sommer, 12 Sticker count: 10 “I just kind of wanted to have somewhere to put my stickers. [The thespian sticker] I got because I became an official thespian, I think that’s cool. I got the ‘Rocky’ one because I used to go to ‘Rocky’ a lot- I’ve been over 20 times.”

Grace Sickendick, 12 Sticker count: 29 “[Making stickers] is just a way to relax. I just kind of branched off and thought, ‘Well, I’ve got a ton of room, let me just put what I’m interested in.’ My favorite one is from the Bee Movie, whenever he says ‘You like jazz?’ It just makes me smile every time I look at it.”

Angela Cuccio, 11 Sticker count: 24 “I think [stickers are] a good way of helping show your personality. My Vineyard Vine lacrosse one- it’s my favorite sport and I love playing it, so I think that one really helps define me, it’s just one that I love. It’s front and center.”

FEATURES | 02.19.20 | FHNTODAY. COM

The group of friends pose in the studio.. They often play basketball at junior Jett Jameson’s house every Friday during the school year and almost every day during the summer. They always have a tournament between each other at the end of the school year. “It’s a good way to connect with friends and to keep our friend group close,” Jameson said. (Photo by Pavan Kolluru)

TIME ON THE COURT

A group of juniors boys have been playing basketball for a good cause and been friends since middle school

by Sydney Ellison

“The best part about having game time is just knowing you’re going to get to see your friends that week and knowing that everybody’s going to have fun,” he ball dribbles down to the basketball hoop and an attempt to score is Jameson said. made. The ball makes it through the hoop and the players are divided None of the members of the group play basketball competitively anymore, but with excited and bitter emotions. It’s a simple game of basketball being it’s still the sport they choose to play together. A big part of their friendship has played at junior Jett Jameson’s house. On most days, there are six other junior come from this weekly playing time. During high school, it can be easy to lose boys: Jacob Skwira, Jaxon Midgett, Brendan Leuthauser, Jack Sebastian, Troy connections with friends but many of the boys consider these playing times a Ludwig and Brenden Yates. reason why they are still so close. “[Playing together] is a huge reason as to why we are really close, and obviously “It’s made us all closer, we all play all the time so it mostly brought us closer in without the court, we’d all be friends but I think that’s the sense that we see each other after school,” Leuthauser said. really brought most of us together,” Jameson said. Last year, the group put on a small tournament to donate money to The group of friends have been playing basketball charity, it took place on the last day of school. Each of the boys put together since middle school. During the early years of in a certain amount of money and decided to give it to the National Learn more about the National playing together, the basketball hoop was at the end of Children’s Cancer Society. In total, they donated around $60. They Children’s Cancer Society here: a court, which is how the group got its name, the name hope to do another charity tournament this year and raise more bit.ly/NScharity being the court. Now the hoop is moved to Jameson’s money. house. These days, the batch of friends get together “It just feels good because we are all playing for the same thing,” around two or three times a week when the weather is nice. Skwira said. “We don’t know where the money’s going but it’s going to a good “We go down as much as we can,” Skwira said. “We used to go down every cause and we’re not blowing it off on something else,” Skwira said. Wednesday after school and then once we all started driving, we’d all come down The group hopes to continue playing basketball together throughout high on the weekends and then just spend days there, play basketball and have a school. They realize that they will probably split up for college but they have good time.” talked about meeting up over summers to play. On a typical night playing, two teams are made and they play a game to 11 “I’d say we definitely stay a solid friend group past high school and maybe points. Sometimes it will be just four of them playing and other nights all seven after college,” Jameson said. “I wouldn’t be too shocked if we come back and are there. With school and other activities, there are lots of times when the group everybody picks a spot and even in like 10 years we all come back one day and can’t meet up as a whole. Occasionally, friends outside of the group will come to just play a game.” play.

sydney.ellison55@gmail.com

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PAGE BY JULIA SAMPOLSKA

STORIES PAINTED ON BODIES FHN students and teachers share their stories about how their tattoos are an important part of their identity (Content by Julia Sampolska) (Photos by Aidyn Gleason)

Isabelle Delarue When junior Isabelle Delarue turned 17, she got a sibling-related tattoo that she had always dreamed of getting. Delarue’s tattoo is three equilateral triangles. The weight of that type of triangle is equally divided amongst three siblings, those being: Delarue, her older sister and her older brother. “This was a huge decision,” Delarue said. “It’s a simple way to remember how much we all love and care for each other. It was pretty painful at first, but I definitely don’t regret it. I love how unique my tattoo is and I’m hoping to get another soon.”

Diane Fingers

FHN English teacher Diane Fingers waited to get her first tattoo until she was in her 40s. Today, she has three of them. She says that getting a tattoo should be a conscious decision and the art on the skin itself should be really personal and meaningful. “My favorite tattoo represents my faith,” Fingers said. “By the cross, there is also a suicide symbol (semicolon) that means the story goes on even when it’s not completed. I actually have lost quite a few students to suicide and several others have attempted.”

Brandon Bridgeman Junior Brandon Bridgeman decided to get his tattoo at 16 years old. Bridgeman compared the pain of getting a tattoo to the pain of a shaving cut; the only difference was that this one took about 30 minutes. The tattoo reminds Brandon of a really important person. “My tattoo is a union symbol,” Bridgeman said. “My dad had the exact same one on his arm, and so when he died I got mine.”

PAGE BY SYDNEY ELLISON AND VALERIE SHOWERS

Alexandra Shaw

FHN Driver’s Ed and Lifetime Fitness teacher Alexandra Shaw currently has three tattoos. Her favorite one is a lightbulb with different Missouri wildflowers breaking through it. “I always take a lot of time to think about my tattoo decisions,” Shaw said. “I wanted that tattoo for about two years before I got it. I made sure that I found the right tattoo artist for me before rushing into it. It reminds me that God makes beauty out of broken things.”

Nick Buettner

Junior Nick Buettner got his first tattoo when he was 15 years old. Even at an early age, he knew how important the tattoo was going to be for him, and Buettner’s tattoo was only half of the masterpiece. “I always had a love for tattoos,” Buettner said. “Both of my parents had tattoos.”

FEATURES | 02.19.20 | FHNTODAY. COM

At FHN, Sophie Stachula reads her script of Beauty and the Beast. Stachula has been interested in musical theater since she was a kid. She continues to improve her musical skills in SCC Young People’s Theatre. (Photo by Phoebe Primeau)

SOPHIE AND THE BEAST Sophie Stachula was a fourth-grade student when she saw “Teen Beach Movie” for the first time. She was amazed with the magical world where people sang and danced all the time. “I wanted to be that cool biker from the 50s and sing all day long, just like in the movie,” Stachula said. She had her first musical experience in sixth grade, where she played the bride of Frankenstein in Monster Hotel. Today, Stachula is a sophomore at FHN, and beyond being a student she is also part of an upcoming production of Beauty and the Beast, produced by Saint Charles Community (SCC) Young People’s Theatre. During auditions, Stachula had to learn some dance moves and present them in front of the judges. She also had to sing a piece Find the performance of a song. schedule here: “A friend bit.ly/NSyptheatre told me to try it out and sent me all the information,” Stachula said. “I was already signing up before I could change my mind.” As it turned out, her audition went well and Stachula was cast into an ensemble, where she dances and sings. She is also going to be one of the dishes in the Beast’s castle. Even though Stachula doesn’t know exactly what she wants to do with her future career, she knows how important theater is in her life. “I don’t think I could ever be on Broadway, because I’m not the best dancer,” Stachula said. “I hope I can do theater in college. I can envision myself being a voice coach. There’s so many emotions that can be evoked through song and I learn a ton about that through theater.” (Story by Julia Sampolska)

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FHN English teacher Diane Fingers smiles with her son Cody. Cody has trisomy 21, a form of Down syndrome. “We have worked really really hard to make sure he has a quality life, that he has as many opportunities as possible,” Fingers said. (Photo by Bryanna Ginn)

FAMILY COMES FIRST

English teacher Diane Fingers tells about her bond with her son by Maya Helbig

helbigmaya77@gmail.com

Everybody is different. No two people are exactly the same, but just because people are different doesn’t mean they should be treated differently. English teacher Diane Fingers talks about her son Cody. Cody was suspected to have trisomy 21, a form of Down syndrome, right after he was born. The doctors then separated the family and took Cody to the Children’s Hospital to find out what he would soon be diagnosed with. “Having to spend that night and part of the next day out here in the hospital while he was down at Children’s absolutely killed me,” Diane said. “I just wanted to be with him.” There are different types of Down syndrome but Cody has trisomy 21, meaning every cell has three copies of the 21st chromosome when typical cells only have two copies. “In trisomy 21, there’s a third copy, and it’s no blame whether it’s mom or dad or what have you,” Diane said. When Cody went to high school here at FHN, his family was worried about him due to how big the school was, but when Cody got here he was very happy. “[Cody’s graduating class] were the most inclusive class that I’ve ever seen,” Diane said. “It wasn’t just Cody, like any of our kids here who had special needs, they didn’t look at them funny, they didn’t look at them differently.” Cody now goes to Blank Canvas Studio, a place

that provides all ability levels the opportunity to create things like art, music and more. He goes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every week day. “They just did a showcase last November,” Diane said. “Some of them sing, some of them dance, some of them do it all. Cody actually directed one of the acts.” Blank Canvas can be like a job, just a lot more fun. The people there can earn money if their artwork sells or from the shows they put on. “I can’t really call them crafts really, because it’s all art,” Diane said. “They do incredible things there.” The family has tried their best to have him live a normal life. From taking him go-kart racing to replace the fact he’ll never be able to drive, to making sure he cleans up after himself. “I tried to treat him the same way I would anybody at 25,” Diane said. “You know, respect him as a person first, not the disability first. I expect a lot out of him.” Nobody likes to feel different, but with a disability there will always be those moments. “Those things we take for granted every day, Cody will never have,” Diane said. “He’s very aware and it really does bother him.” Cody and his family have been through both ups and downs, making many memories along the way and the family wouldn’t change a thing about him. “A lot of people ask, you know there is no cure, there is no fix but if you could, would you?” Diane said. “I don’t think I would. He’s perfect the way he is.”

PAGE BY MAYA HELBIG

MOVING MINDSET

Freshman Zoe Nagy describes her experiences moving around the world by Sydney Ellison

sydney.ellison55@gmail.com

Packing up and moving from place to place could be a hard lifestyle for some, but for freshman Zoe Nagy, it’s an adventure every time. Nagy has moved to many places throughout her life including Hungary, Egypt, Italy and Slovenia. Nagy is orginally from Hungary. She moved from Slovenia to St. Charles in January. “I was happy because I always dreamed of moving to America,” Nagy said. Nagy’s father has a job that requires the family to frequently move, so traveling is something Nagy has grown up with. “I don’t really have a problem

with moving a lot,” Nagy said. “At first it was really hard because of the new schools and meeting friends but I got used to it so it’s not that bad.” The first step the Nagy family took to move to America was getting their visas. After they were secured, they packed up clothes, important items and then flew to America. Their furniture and bigger items stayed behind. To Nagy, the moving process itself was fun and exciting. Her family is planning on living in America for five years. “We had a lot of things to do to move out here and it was difficult and kind of fun too,” Nagy said. Nagy had learned English prior to moving, but she hopes that

living here will help her improve her English. Going to a new school was both exciting and scary for Nagy. “I was nervous about meeting new kids like new students and making new friends,” Nagy said. “Now I’m feeling happy. I have a lot of friends.” Traveling has been a part Nagy’s entire life and she has no plans to get rid of it. In the future, she hopes to travel to even more places and see even more of the world. “[The best part of traveling is] the new experiences, that I get to see a lot of things and I get to try more things in my life,” Nagy said.

Freshman Zoe Nagy is standing in front of a white background, blanketed by the different countries she’s moved to. Nagy moved from Slovenia to the United States. (Photo by Addy Bradbury)

LEARNING LATIN

Instead of taking a traditional foreign language class, junior Luke Coffman takes Latin online

by Ashlynn Perez

ashlynnkaeperez@gmail.com

Junior Luke Coffman works on his Latin in spectra on Feb. 4. Coffman’s favorite phrase he’s learned in Latin is ‘veni, vidi, vici’ which translates to ‘I came, I saw, I conqured’. “I took Latin so that I can learn the other romance languages and Latin is very systematic which I enjoy,” Coffman said. (Photo by Sky Hebisen)

PAGE BY ASHLYNN PEREZ AND EVAN BECKER

Junior Luke Coffman took a different route than most to the required foreign language credits. Instead of registering for Spanish, French or German, he took a course not offered at FHN, studying a language not commonly practiced or used: the dead language of Latin. “I’ve always liked Latin since a young age- the ancient languages sort of idea- and then it was also a sort of frustration with how languages are taught in school,” Coffman said. “If you talk to someone in French 3 or 4 or Spanish, they don’t actually have an understanding of what they’re doing, because you memorize for the test, and after you’ve taken the test, you forget what you’ve actually done.” Coffman started taking Latin online halfway through his sophomore year. He takes the course through Brigham Young University, where he studies for about an hour a day. The class is flexible, allowing students to move at their own pace and take tests at the end of the unit so he can choose when he studies. Because of this format, the class is entirely reliant on the student, and requires a hard drive and

steady work ethic to complete the course effectively. “I was like, ‘Well, if I do it myself, the only person that’s holding me accountable is myself, so I sort of have to learn the language,’” Coffman said. Learning Latin has benefitted Coffman in multiple ways. He has struggled with English in the past, and Latin has allowed him to understand English grammar and pronunciation better, since English is heavily based off of Latin. It has helped him with the reading and grammar portion of the ACT and SAT, and the dead language will give him a strong foundation for the other romantic languages he hopes to learn in the future. Coffman hopes to continue his studies in Latin until the end of his senior year, and then return to learn the other, school-taught languages he passed over. “I would say that Latin is a useful language that helps with other Latinbased languages like Spanish and French and Portuguese,” Spanish teacher Brian Santos said. “But more than that, Latin would be useful because, if in the future a student pursues medicine or law, those words will come up again and again, and it’ll be super useful for them.”

FEATURES | 02.19.20 | FHNTODAY. COM

After two weeks of work, senior Brady West shows off his drawing of an insect. West is currently a part of AP Art Studio and Digital Art II, and has taken many art classes in high school. “I enjoy the end product [of art] a lot,” West said. “I like the process of seeing something start from a concept to something more tangible like a finished work.” (Photo by Avery Witherbee)

PASSION PROJECTS Senior Brady West works hard to create fantasy art pieces and is pursuing a career in the industry by Ashlynn Perez

ashlynnkaeperez@gmail.com

is drawings brim with creativity. Meticulous and deliberate lines that look effortless, expert shading and splashes of color that bring them to life. They’re detailed drawings, depicting fantastical creatures or references to pop culture where he draws his inspiration. “I like the process,” senior Brady West said. “I love seeing the start of a piece, and I love to see the weeks or even months of work culminate. I like to see that I tried and to see it to full completion.” It all started with a kindergartner sitting down at a big table after school, just to draw. West sat for hours with paper and a pencil, drawing whatever he wanted and anything he pleased. The after school hobby and the hours spent on it grew: soon he was in high school, spending sleepless nights over a piece of art, working into the early morning. “I really liked TV and movies,” West said. “I saw how interesting the world was, and I wanted to emulate that in my own art. It conveys what I’m thinking about and the creative aspects of my personality.” West’s art ranges widely in size, from the standard 9x12 inch printer paper to pieces that span 30x30 inches, sometimes so long they take up the entire width of a table. He has worked on larger pieces, especially in the past year in AP Art Studio, where his art focuses on fantasy that has inspired him for so long. His inspiration comes from entertainment, and so his drawings depict a world where humans live alongside monsters and aliens. “I think Brady is very talented and creative,” AP Art Studio teacher Courtney Flamm said. “He’s one of the most original artists I’ve ever had as a student. Brady’s art is very fun and original and complicated, in theme and in his technique.” While his dedication to art ebbed and flowed with time, West had a switch in mentality during his freshman year. He began to consider that the pastime could be something bigger than that and thought about the possibility of a career in art. It drove him to work even longer and harder than before.

FHNTODAY.COM | 02.19.20 | FEATURES

“When I started out, I really didn’t realize I could do art for a career, but I kind of realized my freshman year, and I started taking it more seriously.” West said. “Ever since then, there’s been more sleepless nights to get practice in where I’m staying up until 3 or 4 a.m. I always try to push myself with these massive pieces and improving myself and taking classes.” Yet challenges came. West’s biggest challenge has been comparing himself to other artists. “I struggle with comparing myself to others,” West said. “I see all these great artists and the hardest thing to get over is a nagging voice telling me to stop, that I’ll never be as good as the people I aspire to be like. But I always get this resurgence where I get back to the drawing table and I try to silence the voice.” With the large amount of talented artists posting their work on apps like Instagram, it’s easy to fall into the trap of self-doubt. Even as a high school student, West has compared himself to artists who have dedicated themselves to an art career for decades. “I think it’s good to keep in mind that even with the most masterful artists, even in life in general, they had a starting point, and they weren’t so good at the thing you idolize them for,” West said, “and so you just have to ask yourself if you’re being fair with the comparison.” He has pushed through the self-doubt, and while it resurfaces even for the best of artists, he continues his pursuit. West plans on going to community college for two years after high school to hone his skills and build his portfolio, especially with digital art. After that, he hopes to apply to art schools and build a career, though the specific career ahead is unclear. “I like all aspects of art,” West said. “I could be anything, really, from a prop designer to a special effects person to a tattoo artist or a video game designer. I love everything, so I’m keeping myself open to those possibilities.” But even with a profession in art, his work will always be primarily for himself. “A lot of the stuff I do is for me personally,” West said. “I’ve just started seeing art as relaxing and therapeutic for me. Because it is.”

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AZ’S ANALYSIS with Az Anderson

MEGAN MILLER DEVELOPS INSPIRATION THROUGH THEATRE | HUMANS OF FHN Junior Megan Miller develops her inspiration through theatre at FHN. Miller shows how her friends impacted her life and her experience in the drama program. She has been involved in drama since she was in first grade and continued her drama career throughout

elementary and middle school. She knew it was something she would want to continue after participating in her 8th grade production of The Lion King. (Video by Nadia Abusoud

and Morgan Hanson)

FHSD SUES JUUL LABS

THE HOOD REPORT with Emily Hood

In October, Francis Howell School District announced a lawsuit against electronic cigarette company, JUUL. Cindy Ormsby, the attorney for the district, provides insight into the case against JUUL, claiming their products were advertised to minors. (Video byJoshua Wright and Gabriel Lobato)

AMY STOKER DISCUSSES STANDING OUT TO COLLEGES

FOOD FRENZY

with Louis Primeau and Tom Jamison

English Teacher Amy Stoker works with students to better their college essays and applications. Here, she talks about how she helps her students stick out from the rest. (Video by Emily Zhang)

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M O R F T S A L B t t s s a a p p hee T th The North Star takes a look at where FHN graduates are years later.

PAGE BY GRACIE BOWMAN

IN-DEPTH | 02.19.20 | FHNTODAY. COM

Behind the stARS

Chase Usry is a freelance specialist engineer who works behind the scenes to create a pleasant concert experience for all attendees. by Evan Becker

evanbecker64@gmail.com

ehind every Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber or Brendon Urie is a tech crew making their performances sound amazing to the audience. Chase Usry, a 2013 Francis Howell North alumnus, is the performer in the shadows, ensuring a great show for everyone involved. Usry is currently in the United Kingdom working with the heavy metal band Slipknot, a popular band from Iowa formed in 1995. Throughout his time as a specialist engineer he has traveled around the world and encountered a life not many get to experience. “It’s hard to describe what it’s like until two months in a bus have flashed by,” Usry said. “You hear and you see these pop stars and you think, ‘Life is kinda weird.’ Like they just want to have a good time.” Before starting his career, he was a North student, working in the backgrounds of drama club performances here at school. As part of the tech crew for the shows he was as proud as the cast members to show off the final product. “It makes my mom embarrassed, but I remember telling her, you gotta check [this performance] out,” Usry said. “My mom didn’t get it. She came up to me afterwards and told me, ‘Well, can you tell me when you’re in the play.’ It’s fun to go from that to the touring side of it.” Even then his teachers could tell that he was meant to

be in the technology field. He worked hard on the drama performances and pushed himself towards success. This showed itself inside and outside of the classroom. “Chase was a very mature and likeable kid,” English teacher Shelly Parks said. “He was into and good with technology, even though we didn’t have Chromebooks back then. He liked to mess with computers.” His teachers and peers may have seen the potential even then, but it was hard for Chase to look at himself objectively, and see what he would best be able to do for the rest of his life. “I got lucky,” Usry said. “I didn’t have any idea [what I wanted to do]. I knew I would succeed with whatever I tried, but I was aimless.” To Usry, FHN was simply a stepping stone to the future and not necessarily the college preparation it is for many current high school students. “At the very least I was pushing myself out of having good friends,“ Usry said. “[FHN] prepared me to get out of high school. [I was] only thinking about the future and not my high school career.” As a sound engineer, Usry has worked for many artists’ shows before. But it’s not all glamorous. He still has to get up early, check the sound, time delays, just like any other job. “You hear the big name and assume it’s cool, but 60 percent of my day is pulling dirty cables out of dirty boxes,” Usry said. “It’s not all that flashy. Now I see shows as just happening. It’s like going to work.”

EDUCATION TO ENLISTEMENT After graduating from FHN, Connor Cronin enrolled in ROTC at Mizzou by Aadhi Sathishkumar

msathishkumar431@g.fhsdschools.org

Graduating from FHN in 2019, Connor Cronin, now a freshman at Mizzou, pursues his interests in the military by joining the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program on campus. “I enrolled in [ROTC] because I had wanted to be in the army pretty much my whole life,” Cronin said. “Getting an education out of it and being able to go in as a second lieutenant is pretty high, so I get better pay and more leadership opportunities.” ROTC is a program for the U.S. Army for college students looking to join the army after finishing college. The program expedites the process of getting promoted in the army. After graduating, members serve for four years. “I have to do four years of active service, then I’ll probably continue my military career,” Cronin said. “Then after that, I’ll have to decide whether or not to go into business, which is my current major.” For his participation in ROTC, Cronin must attend physical training three times a week, go to one class a week and go to one lab a week. Other than ROTC, Cronin participates in flag football at Mizzou. While at FHN, Cronin also participated in many physical activities, being a member of the football,

FHNTODAY.COM | 02.19.20 | IN-DEPTH

baseball and rugby teams. “The sports weren’t well-loved, but they certainly have their positives,” Cronin said. “They were a good leadership experience and fun.” One of the biggest influences on him while at FHN was the teachers. Cronin believes they helped prepare him for college. Michael Green, engineering teacher at FHN, was one of his favorites. Cronin had classes with Green all four years. “He liked to try things on his own, and he had an inventive spirit,” Green said. “He was a good student, and I know he’ll do good.” Looking forward, Cronin is eager about his time in college and anticipates his service with the army. He reminisces about his time in high school with warm feelings and thankfulness for his teachers and the community at FHN. “North was a great place to be, it was a good high school,” said Cronin. “[FHN] was pretty diverse, and I got to meet all different types of people.” PAGE BY GRACIE BOWMAN

WHAT’S THE FAD?

The North Star takes a look back the fads of the different graduating classes (Content by Aadhi Sathishkumar) Photos from Chef Tony Nguyen’s Instagram @ cheftonynguyen

From St. Peters to Beverly Hills

Chef Tony Nguyen is an FHN alumnus that has been on numerous Food Network shows and manages a restaurant in Beverly Hills

by Macy Cronin

macy.cronin03@gmail.com

nowing what you want to be from a receive their culinary arts education. The young age is something that most Culinary Institute of America school still high school students wish for when requires students to get their associates they approach the end of their days as a high degree in occupational studies, but they are schooler. But for Tony Nguyen [pronounced oriented towards the cooking industry. gwen], it was something he knew from the Now, Nguyen can be seen at “Crustacean”, moment he stepped into high school. a restaurant in Beverly Hills, California. He “I have always loved cooking and always currently holds the position of executive chef loved eating and the romanticism [of food at the restaurant, where he manages around and] sharing food with people,” Nguyen said. 50 chefs during a single dinner. He makes “It was always just a common ground that I sure the customers are satisfied with their always like to talk about.” food and ultimately have the best experience Before he graduated from FHN in 2006, at the restaurant. he made sure to take all the foods classes “[Nguyen] has done very well, and I am that were offered so he could further his very proud of his work accomplishments,” knowledge of cooking. Even high school friend Andrew throughout high school, Boyer said. “I think that for he made sure to work for the most part he has done restaurants and get as much really well in terms of moving Listen to LAWeekly’s podcast experience as possible so that out here to California and to that featured Nguyen here: he could end up attending a become an executive chef of bit.ly/NSNguyenPodcast prestigious culinary school. a restaurant.” “I chose a career path so I He is a highly esteemed can work anywhere,” Nguyen said. “I didn’t executive chef that has participated on have to just be in Missouri or in the Midwest. several Food Network TV shows such as The great thing is, even if I wanted to live “Guy’s Grocery Games” and “Beat Bobby in Africa, I could if I wanted to. I wanted to Flay”. Even after his newfound fame, he still expand, meet people, learn about different continues to work hard and strive to be the cultures and I thought that was important.” best chef he can be at his restaurants. Nguyen ended up doing the program “[Being on these shows] don’t really mean “Continuing Education” through Cornell anything to me,” Nguyen said. “I like doing it University while attending the Culinary because it gets exposure for the restaurant. Institute of America in New York to receive It’s important to me that the people that have his degree in restaurant and hotel business supported me are happy and proud of me.” management. This is one of the top schools that aspiring chefs can attend in order to

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PAGE BY GRACIE BOWMAN

ROLLED-UP JEANS (1996) Part of the iconic 90s grunge fashion, rolled-up jeans were popularized by the punk style of 90s alternative rock bands.

FLANNEL SHIRTS (1998) Another part of the 90s grunge look, flannel could be seen on almost everyone, from lumberjacks to rock bands, fighters, as well as rock musicians.

CELLPHONES (2006) On the eve of the release of the first iPhone, brands such as Blackberry, Nokia and Motorola dominated the mobile phone market.

SWEATPANTS (2009)

Sweatpants with text and/or pictures were put into style by brands such as “PINK” and “Juicy Couture” who put their brands on clothes.

IPOD SHUFFLES (2010) Before phones could be used to stream music from apps such as Apple Music and Spotify, iPod Shuffles were used as small, portable MP3 players. iPod Shuffles were officially discontinued in 2017.

AFFLICTION SHIRTS (2012) Affliction shirts are graphic shirts with wings, crosses, and other goth symbols. Affliction was popularized by MMA fighters, as well as rock musicians.

FACEBOOK (2013) One of the first massive social media sites, Facebook was how Instagram and Snapchat are today. Despite being used to this day, the popularity of facebook has declined since its heyday.

FILAS SHOES (2020) Part of the modern streetwear trend, FILA was also in style during the 90s. The iconic Disruptor 2’s, a re-release of the original from 1996, is commonplace on the feet of FHN’s students.

IN-DEPTH | 02.19.20 | FHNTODAY. COM

It’s a

MATCH MATCH

JT Thomas and Niki Borgeson are bonded for life, not just through friendship, but through something special as well

characterizing Borgeson’s selflessness and kindness. “If I had treated her any differently in high school, I could still be on dialysis,” Thomas said. “I may not T Thomas was like any other FHN student. He be having this conversation right now. It just goes to sat in Jani Wilken’s classroom. He won Mr. FHN show how important it is that you are kind to other his senior year. He graduated from FHN the people.” summer of 2010. Five and a half years post transplant, Borgeson Niki Borgeson was like any other FHN student. is healthy, happy and married in Spokane, WA. She learned to speak Spanish from Brian Santos. She works as a manager at Enterprise Car Rental. She ran track. She graduated from FHN the summer Borgeson encourages anyone she can into organ of 2010. donation, knowing that the life long outcome is worth What set the two apart from the rest of their class is the two week recovery time. the fact that Borgeson donated one of her kidneys to “If you’re considering donating an organ, just do it,” Thomas in the summer of 2014. Borgeson said. “People say, ‘I don’t know anybody.’ Two years after graduating from FHN, Thomas was Just look online. You can save someone’s life.” diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis With health becoming a main priority, it took (FSGS), the scarring of the kidneys. After suffering Thomas nine years, but he recently graduated from from cold-like symptoms for around two months, the University of Missouri. He works as a patient Thomas went to the doctor where he was tested and ambassador for a pharmaceutical company that diagnosed. It was obvious. Thomas needed a kidney. manufactures immunosuppressants that are While undergoing dialysis, a substitution for the necessary to take once you receive a transplant. normal function of the kidney, Thomas, his friends Immunosupressants weaken the and his family were continuously body’s immune system, so that searching for a kidney donor. the human body doesn’t reject “If I told you the story, you wouldn’t a donated organ. Thomas has Check out the first story believe me,” Thomas said. written about JT’s and been able to work on legislation With none of Thomas’ friends Niki’s journey here: to protect organ donors and and family able to donate one of bit.ly/NSJTSStory recipients that are in need of these their kidneys, they were constantly drugs. Thomas expresses interest using social media in hopes to find in becoming a lobbyist for those in the transplant a possible donor. After seeing a Facebook post all community. He would even like to run for office one the way in Spokane, WA., Borgeson had this feeling day. that she needed to help give Thomas his life back. “I don’t know where I’ll be, but I know what I’ll be After being tested, she found out she was a match. doing,” Thomas said. “I see myself helping people. I Borgeson could donate one of her kidneys to Thomas. see myself making a change for the better in people’s “I continued to see it on Facebook that he wasn’t lives.” getting help,” Borgeson said. “You can’t remove Each time Thomas hits a big landmark in his life, like social media from the equation. Without it I would a career goal or a big life change, he’ll call Borgeson. have been totally able to separate myself from the He thanks her over and over again, yet he always situation. After reading about JT’s illness, I understood feels like it is never enough. His experience with his he was in pain, he was stuck to a machine. My transplant and with Niki has forever changed his view conscience drove me to do something.” of his impact in other people’s lives and how he treats Thomas and Borgeson’s friend groups overlapped people. in high school. They saw each other at football games, “Don’t underestimate your presence in another dances and in the hallways. They may have had a person’s life,” Thomas said. “They say that high school class or two together, but the two weren’t the best of is the best four years of your life, but the best years friends. They were acquaintances, school friends. The of your life are ahead of you. It’s the people who you two hadn’t been in contact for years when Borgeson meet now that can impact that. So, treat people reached out to Thomas about the transplant, nicely. They may end up saving your life.” by Gracie Bowman

graciebowman310@gmail.com

Niki watched JT walk to her room for the first time after surgery in June of 2019.

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"If I could thank her as much as I wanted to, she’d probably get a restraining order," Thomas said.

JT watched Niki walk down the aisle in August of 2019. 26

FHNTODAY.COM | 02.19.20 | IN-DEPTH

PAGE BY GRACIE BOWMAN

DREAMS DO COME TRUE FHN alumni Jordyn Kiel achieved her dream of teaching at her high school by Anna Besancenez

see her today,” Manfull said. “She was always very friendly to everybody and she worked extremely hard.” Once Kiel took journalism, she knew she wanted to be a journalism teacher. Since she wanted to come back to high school to teach and journalism jobs are hard to find, she stayed in contact with the teachers she was close with in high school. “I look forward to so many things because every day is different,” Kiel said. “I love experiencing every new moment with different students and the new moments I have throughout the day and the building of relationships. That’s why I wanted to become a teacher.” At FHN, Kiel now teaches Intro to Journalism and Photojournalism, and she is an adviser for the yearbook staff. “I would say what makes it all worth it is the process and the growth throughout,” Kiel said. “It’s pretty much unbeatable to watch a yearbook staff see the yearbook that they worked on all year for the first time in the summer. There’s something about seeing what you’ve put your whole heart into and it come to life.”

abesancenez03@gmail.com

Jordyn Kiel’s dream was to be a teacher for practically her whole life. When she got to high school she knew she wanted to come back and teach high schoolers at FHN. According to Kiel, her teachers really helped shape her into becoming a high school teacher. “I really loved being a student at North,” Kiel said. “I genuinely felt that in 2009 the community at North was unlike any other school, I felt as a grade, the relationship between teachers and students was good. It was such a fun, spirited and uplifting place to be.” While at FHN, Kiel joined the journalism program where Aaron Manfull was her teacher. He introduced her to the journalism world and gave her tools that she needed to succeed, such as teaching her how to be a great and effective leader while being a solid human being. Kiel joined the newspaper staff her junior year and was the editor-in-chief her senior year. Similar to publications now, she went to conventions like students do nowadays. Journalism means the world to her and she wouldn’t be the person she is today without it, according to Kiel. “As a student, Mrs. Kiel was very similar to how you

BEST FRIENDS FOREVER

A look at high school sweethearts and friends that are still together after graduation (Content by Gracie Bowman)

Jada Adkinson and Dillon Lauer have been dating since March 20, 2015. The couple is still together and both attend Southeast Missouri University.

Rachel Kehoe and Sam Dwyer started dating on May 28, 2017. The high school sweethearts got married on Dec. 28, 2019.

Benjamin Mossinghoff and Fionna Pillow started dating while they were in band together at FHN. Mossinghoff and Pillow are now engaged. PAGE BY GRACIE BOWMAN

IN-DEPTH | 02.19.20 | FHNTODAY. COM

LENDING A HELPING HAND From valedictorian to pediatrician, the endless hard work hasn’t stopped through the years. Class of 1998 FHN alumna Mona Singh made sure to stay on the right track. She worked hard during high school ensuring her grades were as high as they can be, while making friendships that would last decades. “Mona kind of stood out always just as the person who is just a little smarter than everyone else, but never was the person to brag about it or it was too obvious to everyone,” long time friend Jen Wallington said. Singh worked tirelessly through high school to be where she is now. She was able to get into Mizzou to obtain her undergraduate degree in biology then continued to go to medical school at Mizzou. Then, moving around the country, she was able to get her residency hours and eventually make her way to Orange County, California. “I knew pretty early [that I wanted to become a pediatrician],” Singh said. “I knew I wanted to work with kids, and that I knew even before high school was over. Once I went to college I realized I wanted to go to med school, and it just kind of made sense that I wanted to be a pediatrician.” As a pediatrician, Singh cares for children all the time, making sure they are always in good health. Parents put their faith and trust in her, so that they know their kids will stay healthy and stay safe. Singh not only takes care of her patients, but she is able to do it in such a manner that it’s a comforting environment for everyone in it. “I had a really, really sick patient who we didn’t realize was sick,” Singh said. “Luckily, we caught it and the kid did really well, but when she came back to see me the parents said ‘ You saved her life’ basically, and that was a great moment.” Singh is not all work no play. She was able to create long lasting friendships from grade school that she has maintained over the years, While some were not very strong at times Singh was able to reconnect and have the best friends she has today. “[She is] amazing, absolutely amazing,” Sloan said. “She is a loving and fun person and she’s also just a lot of fun, babies light up when they see her and my daughter did. She is just so at ease and so not worked up.” (Story by Macy Cronin)

FHNTODAY.COM | 02.19.20 | IN-DEPTH

DESIGNING HER DREAMS After graduating from FHN, alumna Brianna Schroer has become a designer for the Washington Post by Karsyn Williams

job right out of college. I didn’t think it would actually happen but it all Growing up in St. Louis, alumna worked out.” Brianna Schroer wasn’t sure what Schroer was accepted and began she wanted to do. She was a cross to work for the Washington Post’s country runner, class secretary and newspaper, website and social media a figure skater, yet she found her in February of 2017. At the Washington passion in FHN publications while on Post, Schroer works with writers, the yearbook staff. After graduating photographers, editors and other in 2012, Schroer still uses skills she designers to work on the layout and learned in high school eight years later display of stories on their site and while designing for the Washington paper. Schroer works mainly within Post. sports and designs “Most of my friends for sports reporters knew what they and athlete stories. wanted to do [while “I really like it, it’s Check out some of in highschool], but always interesting Schroer’s latest work I really had no idea here: bit.ly/NSSchroer working for the sports at all,” Schroer said. and news business,” “Even when I got to Schroer said. “You college I didn’t really know. I wasn’t can never predict it which I really like. sure what I wanted to do with my life.” It never gets boring.” Schroer went to the University of From a high school in Missouri Missouri-Columbia, and when she first to one of the staples in journalism enrolled she only had a general idea history, Schroer still uses the skills of what career she wanted to pursue. she learned in FHN publications in With a major in journalism and an her work today. Even though in high emphasis on design, Schroer decided school she wasn’t sure what to do that design was what she wanted while it felt like her peers already had to do. Schroer had her heart set on it all planned out, Schroer still found the Washington Post, and right after herself working a job doing something graduating in 2016, she headed for she enjoys. Washington D.C. and applied. “Dream big and don’t think “[The Washington Post] was actually anything’s out of reach,” Schroer said. where I wanted to end up by the end “I applied for my dream job straight of my career,” Schroer said. “So, I just out of college and that might be scary put it all out there and reached out to to some people but you just have to the design director and applied for the go for it.”

karsyn.williams15@gmail.com

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PAGE BY GRACIE BOWMAN

DANCING TO THE BEAT

John Rokita, FHN class of 1996, danced his way through high school and through the rest of his years by Anna Besancenez

seven years. During those seven years, On the bus leaving middle school John danced for Walt to go to the Fox Theatre, John Rokita, Disney, Dr. Pepper, Hilton age 13, got in trouble and had to and Hyatt. He toured the sit next to the teacher during the United States and Europe with performance. After the performance the show “A Few Good Men was over, the choreographers pulled Dancing.” John also taught students up on stage to learn a few at a few different studios dance moves for a short routine. including The Professional John’s teacher said she wouldn’t Studio, Edge Performing call his mom if he went up on stage, Arts Center and Debbie so soon enough John was on stage Reynolds. John has done learning choreography. He had many styles of dance like jazz, never danced before in his life, but contemporary, hip-hop and at the end, one many more. of the dancers “It was super MORE INFO that taught the crowded and scary Check out some of Schroer’s latest work routine came up and exciting at the here: to him and asked same time,” John bit.ly/NSSchroer where his teacher said. “You are just was. John’s surrounded, and teacher and the choreographer had you get to see so many artists, a conversation about John and his singers and dancers.” ability to move and dance. Him and his wife opened “My teacher called my mom once their own dance studio, we got back to school and said that Rokita Dance Center, in late I should be enrolled in some dance June 2014. They both danced classes,” John said. “I didn’t know I together at the studios Ann was going to be a dancer before that For Dance and then Dance field trip but afterwards everything Connection Performing Arts just fell in line.” Center, growing up doing John’s dancing career escalated competitions and learning from there. He has traveled for some of the same dances. competitions and conventions, lived “It was crazy at first but we in Los Angeles and opened his own wanted something different dance studio with his wife, Tammy for students,” Tammy said. “We Rokita. wanted a positive and honest “I went to competitions and environment for our students. conventions and I started winning It’s been good to get back the awards more,” John said. “That positive feedback and how people just made me want to move to Los noticed the things we were really Angeles to pursue a career. Seeing striving to do differently.” how good people are and all the Since the beginning, his love for good training that you could get out dance has surely grown. there just made me want to be a “I love being able to give back to dancer.” the community now at this point,” John lived in Los Angeles for John said. abesancenez03@gmail.com

PAGE BY GRACIE BOWMAN

IN-DEPTH | 02.19.20 | FHNTODAY. COM

BACK to bat

2012 FHN graduate, Braxton Martinez, continues his passion for baseball as he signs with the Los Angeles Angels by Abby Martinez

amartinez240@g.fhsdschools.org

riving home from work in his car late on a Monday night, Braxton Martinez gets a call that could change not only his baseball career, but his life. 25-year-old Braxton Martinez graduated from FHN in 2012 hoping to continue his baseball career from high school into college. In the first week of December of 2019, he got an important call from a Major League Baseball team, the Los Angeles Angels, offering him a contract to play with them starting this upcoming 2020 season. “It’s always been a lifelong goal of mine,” Martinez said. “I haven’t ever had the opportunity to play affiliated baseball. It’s a pretty unorthodox route to take, being 25 and getting my chance, but everybody kind of has their own story, no matter what it is. I’m just really excited and want to make the most of this opportunity.” After four years at FHN, Martinez attended college at St. Louis University for four years and continued playing baseball. After his senior year in college, Martinez decided he wanted to keep pursuing his love for baseball into the independent league. He found himself in a dilemma, trying out for teams for months, yet not finding any openings due to their seasons already starting. As Martinez began to realize he couldn’t travel around the country looking for a team to play with, The River City Rascals, located in O’Fallon, MO, had a few opportunities open. After trying out for the Rascals, Martinez made the team and played from 2016-2019. “That was a big struggle for me just because being an athlete, you get so used to being successful and then you kind of get a slap in the mouth,” Martinez said. “You have to learn how to grow up and kind of deal with those hardships. But I look back at it and I wouldn’t change a thing.” Deciding to take a break from playing, Martinez started coaching baseball. Martinez coached the fall of 2019 at Jefferson College in Hillsboro, MO. Though he wasn’t the one playing, Martinez still put his all into coaching baseball, always believing in the players. “He’s really good at encouraging people,” Martinez’s close friend Maggie Jasper said. “That’s why I think he was so good at

beingna coach. He saw kids acting goofy like he was in high school and he could relate to them.” FHN prepared Martinez for what his future would hold, specifically how the baseball community works. At FHN, he was able to meet people from different places with different stories, allowing him to create bonds with students from the community. Martinez found that he went through this same process with all of his past and present teammates from around the country. FHN gave Martinez a very strong support system, letting him experience what every team should feel like. “It didn’t really matter what team you’re on, what club you’re associated with, everybody’s pulling for each other,” Martinez said. “It’s like your brand. You’re wearing Howell North stuff. You want everybody to succeed. You want everyone to do well.” Ever since Martinez was in high school, he was someone that made you smile. People found him so passionate about things he enjoyed doing. Martinez was, and still is, someone who puts his whole heart into whatever he is doing. “He could make you laugh,” Jasper said. “He could make people smile and that was kind of like his thing that he likes to do. I think because of his love for the game and the respect for other people that he will be an amazing teammate. He really cares about how others are doing and it’s not just about him.” Martinez travels to Tempe, Arizona for the 2020 spring training on March 12. Through the past eight years, he has learned to put faith and trust in what is meant to happen in his life. He is excited to start this new chapter of his life and see where it takes him. “Things are going to happen when you least expect it,” Martinez said. “I never expected to get a call to play for the Angels at nine o’clock at night on a Monday coming home from work. I always try to live in the moment and just be present on what I’m doing. Just live life, have fun and things are going to work out.” (Photo submitted.)

FHNTODAY.COM | 02.19.20 | IN-DEPTH

PAGE BY GRACIE BOWMAN

DID YOU PURCHASE A YEARBOOK THIS YEAR

? ??

LETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GET LOUD

The annual FHN pep assembly is held prior to the homecoming football game and homecoming dance. There are battles between grades, performances by Knightline, cheer, color guard and band and many other activities used to raise school spirit.

1 1.) Seniors Kyle Foster, Evan Maag, Patrick Koester and Sterling Jones celebrate their pep assembly game win. (Photos by Phoebe Primeau)

2 2.) Senior Grace Lindstrom looks down while performing in the Studline dance. 3.) During the color guardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance, Senior Aakruthi Pasuparthi and teammates all held

Yearbook price goes up to $70 on March 12 Stop by room 131 to pick up an order form Order online or by turning in an order form to Mrs. Kiel or any publications member Did you buy a yearbook? Check here: https://fhntoday.com/Yearbook

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OF STUDENTS ...HAVE NOT PURCHASED THEIR YEARBOOK FOR THIS YEAR YET. Why is this a big deal? • The price goes up to $70 March 12 • The staff will not be ordering extras once the final number is set at the end of the year Check on FHNtoday.com to make sure your name is on the list of who has purchcased a book. You can find that list here: https://fhntoday.com/excalibur-yearbook-order/

You can purchase a 2019-20 yearbook: • in room 105 or 131 • on FHNtoday.com under the YEARBOOK tab on the top menu

SEASON FINALE FHN hockey team pulls through with a 6-18-2 record after starting out their season with a win

by Abigail Akers

aakers454@g.fhsdschools.org

This season, the Knights hockey team started their season on top. On Oct. 21, the Knights played Holt High and beat them 4-2, with sophomore Aiden Stowers and senior Blaine Longmore each scoring one goal and sophomore Brandon Emert scoring two. “Scoring goals is exciting and rewarding,” said Emert. “It gets you pumped up and motivated to score more.” They weren’t as fortunate in their second game and lost to FHH 0-13. Coming off a tough loss, FHN faced FZS and Lutheran HS South and won both games. “It takes a lot of practice,” sophomore player Matthew Wells said. “You have to be patient, it will come to you.” Unfortunately, FHN then lost five games in a row. They found a way to come back and tied their next game against Eureka. Coming off a tie, FHN battled St. Mary’s and beat them 13-0. “We won more games this year,” Wells said. “I want to see us expand and do better next year.” On Dec. 7, the Knights started an unfortunate losing streak. They lost the rest of their December games and their first January game. The losing streak ended when FHN beat Holt on Jan. 4.

In a hockey game against FZS on Dec. 21, sophomore Matthew Wells engages in a face off with an opposing player. This is his second year on the varsity team. “It’s a fun sport, I grew up around it when I was younger and started playing it and haven’t stopped loving it ever since,” Wells said. (Photo by Riley Witherbee)

“We would like to improve team communication and puck movement throughout next season,” Emert said. The Knights went on to compete against John Burroughs, FHC and Duchesne. The Knights lost against John Burroughs with Stowers scoring the only goal and John Burroughs scoring eight. Their next game, junior Aaron Caldwell scored one goal and Emeret scored two, but unfortunately the Knights lost against FHC 5-3. On Jan. 17, the Knights played Duchesne where Caldwell scored one goal and Wells scored two but lost 6-3. For many of the members of the team, scoring a goal is an event that comes with excitement and a sense of victory.

“I am always super happy and excited after scoring goals,” Wells said. With the Knights six wins, 18 losses and two ties, they headed into their last game. On Jan. 24 the Knights battled FZW. In one of their last games of the season, they won the game three to one. Caldwell scored the first goal for the Knights. Shortly after Emert scored the game winner. Stowers went on to seal the win by scoring an empty netter. While the team lost their last two games, the team is optimistic and is really looking foward to the next season. “We are all very close, you know,” Emert said. “We consider each and every one of us like brothers and sisters.”

A HISTORICAL VICTORY

Freshman Lillian Steigerwald becomes the first female wrestler at FHN to win GACs and qualify for the state tournament by Parker Kilen

According to Fowler, Steigerwald competed in a very tough wrestling match and was able to pull On Jan. 14, the FHN wrestling team competed away with a strong victory. in GACs at St. Charles West and freshman Lillian “It shows a lot of promise you just never know from Steigerwald became the first girl in FHN history to year to year who’s going to be there,” Fowler said. win GACs. “But [Steigerwald] shows up, works her “It was an exciting match,” head girls butt off and is aggressive on the mat and wrestling coach Sean Fowler said. “It we look forward to this as just being the could have gone either way. She was beginning of a great career with us.” wrestling a fantastic athlete, so she On Feb. 6, Steigerwald placed third Take a look at one of our wrestling pulled ahead and then pinned her. It at McCluer North and on the following livestreams: was very exciting. It was gratifying.” Monday it was announced to the school bit.ly/NSWLS Steigerwald did jiu-jitsu and has really that Steigerwald qualified for the state shined as a true athlete in the wrestling wrestling tournament. program. “My big goal is to get my name on “[Steigerwald]’s a really hard worker,” senior that wall and by doing that you have to qualify teammate Erin Fleming said. “She did little league for districts and then state and place at state,” wrestling but she came into the season basically Steigerwald said. “[The team] feels like my second like a first year. She just really pounded the rock and family and I feel I can be myself around them.” grinds super hard in the room, she works really hard in practice.” pkilen0503@gmail.com

WATCH

Freshman Lilian Steigerwald gets off the mat after winning a match against Washington High School. Steigerwald pinned her opponent to win the match within the first round. She is one of the three girl wrestlers on the team. (Photo by Kaili Martin)

PAGE BY LIY TALIAFERRO AND SHIVANI BONDADA

SPORTS | 02.19.20 | FHNTODAY. COM

UPCOMING EVENTS

February

Friday

Varsity Girls’ Basketball Game Time: 5:30 p.m. Where: Troy High School

February

Friday

Varsity Boys’ Basketball Game Time: 7 p.m. Where: Troy High School

Throwing her hands up senior, Grace Lindstrom performs during the halftime show for the FHN boys’ varsity basketball team. The whole team did their hip-hop routine that they used at their competitions. The varsity dance team won first place at the FZN regional competition with their hip-hop and jazz routine. (Photo by Riley Witherbee)

Senior Ben Oster jumps to take a layup against the Fort Zumwalt West Jaguars. Oster has been playing on the boys basketball team since his freshman year of high school. “I like to be in a go-get it mindset because I thought if we keep playing the way we had, the game would be in the bag,” Oster said about the game on Dec. 9. (Photo by Phoebe Primeau)

Knightline has been giving it their all in their performances, dominating the regionals and hoping to bring home another win at nationals in Orlando. “This season has definitely been our most successful to date in the program’s entire existence,” senior Knightline dancer Sam Key said. “It’s been a really fun ride and we’ve come home with a lot of great trophies.” Regionals started over winter break and met a successful conclusion on Jan. 25. Knightline won first place for both of their dances in their competition against Lindbergh on Dec. 7. In the Omaha competition the team won first in hip hop and third in jazz. Then, in their last competition against FZN, Knightline won first for both dances again. “We’ve had some really good competition this year at all of our competitions, so it’s really exciting to hear them [announcers] call second place and it’s not your name,” Key said. Though Knightline has been very successful this season, the team had to overcome a plethora of obstacles

The varsity boys’ basketball team is As the season continues, the team working on ending their season strong. has grown closer and keeps their There are only three games left in the outlooks positive. Despite many season and on Friday they have an defeats, they continue to be hopeful away game against Troy Buchanan towards a victory and progress as High School. a team. Junior Braden Darnell has “We started off rough but it’s a minor been playing on the FHN basketball setback for a major comeback,” junior team throughout high school and is player Joshua Teemul said. optimistic about how the team will The Knights had play for the remainder previously played of the season. against the Troy “[At the start of the Trojans on Jan. 14 season] we weren’t Check out the team’s and lost 27-64, but working together as a rankings here: the team remains team and now we’re bit.ly/NSBBstats hopeful of a victory starting to improve,” for their upcoming Darnell said. game against the Trojans on Feb. 21. The team is preparing for their next The FHN season started off rough with game against Troy, along with their a consistent losing streak but the team game away at FZW on Feb. 25 and their often got close in scores to winning. On final home game against Timberland Feb. 4, the team won their first game high school on Feb. 27. of the season against FHC 54-48. This “I think we may come out with a dub victory gave the team hope for future [against Troy],” Darnell said. “We have games and provided a morale boost prior experience of playing them. We for the team and coaches. know their tactics and their plays so “Just a few hiccups in our game we may come through.”(Brief by Karsyn [against Troy],” Teemul said. Williams)

DANCING FOR THE BLACK AND GOLD

such as dancers getting injured or sick. However, one of the most memorable recoveries was when sophomore Sarah Stover, had Chiari Malformation- a brain condition where tissue pushes onto the spinal cord. This condition hindered her ability to dance, but it was only a matter of time before she was able to join the team in their competitions again. “Because of her brain [injury] she couldn’t dance for a long time and she’s slowly getting back into it now,” senior Knightline dancer Emma Quinn said. “We had to change a few things a couple weeks before our competition, but we still did really good because we had to push past that,” The seniors look forward to their last few times dancing together as a team with nationals starting Feb. 20. “Honestly, this program has been completely invaluable to my years in high school,” Key said. “Being able to be part of a team that’s so close and works so hard together for such a long season has given me these friendships and memories that I’ll never forget.”(Brief by Liy Taliaferro)

FHNTODAY.COM | 02.19.20 | SPORTS

WRAPPING UP THE BASKETBALL SEASON

MORE INFO

PAGE BY EMMA MUSSELMAN AND KARSYN WILLIAMS

February

Tuesday

Varsity Girls’ Basketball Game Time: 5:30 p.m. Where: Ft. Zumwalt West

February

Thursday

Contemplating her next move, junior Becka Brissette dribbles the ball. Brissette has become one of the top players on the team. Having played all throughout high school, Brisette plans to continue basketball for the rest of high school. (Photo by Riley Witherbee)

ALWAYS BEEN MORE THAN JUST A GAME Basketball has been a huge part of junior Becka Brissette’s life since she was only five years old. Brissette has grown up playing through FHN’s youth teams, which ultimately helped her transition into high school. “It definitely helped me transition better playing through FHN’s feeder teams because I was playing with many of the same girls,” Brissette said. Brissette’s experience in basketball showed when she got into high school and made the girls’ varsity team freshman year. Although she didn’t play much up until this year, Brissette was always a major member of the team. “Becka always stays positive and always helps me when I need her and is just super supportive,” said Brissette’s teammate, sophomore Faith Todd. This year, Brissette is a team captain and is essential to the spirit of the team. Brissette has always shown her leadership on the team by consistently helping the younger girls and being a

supportive friend to the team. “I feel that by hyping up the team before each game and helping the girls out in any way possible allows me to benefit the team in a positive way,” Brissette said. This varsity season has been one to remember for Brissette, as she continues to grow as a player alongside her friends. The girls’ varsity team has become Brissette’s home away from home and the memories that she has made on the team will last forever. “Me and my friends have become really close through basketball and have created a special bond, which is why I keep on playing,” Brissette said. Overall, Brissette’s kindness and leadership skills are why many of her teammates admire her so much. “In the locker rooms Becka always tells us what we need to work on and what we are doing well,” said teammate and sophomore Makenna Davis. “She really helps bring the team up.” (Brief by Emma Musselman)

PAGE BY EMMA MUSSELMAN AND KARSYN WILLIAMS

Varsity Boys’ Basketball Game Time: 6:30 p.m. Where: Home

March

2-6

Spring Tryouts Time: 2:30 p.m. Where: FHN Fields/Gyms

Mon.-Fri.

At Harvest Lanes, senior Andrew Durham rolls a bowling ball during a FHN bowling game. Durham has been bowling competitvely for only a year. “My favorite part of being on the bowling team is the free bowling every Sunday with my friends that are on the team,” Durham said. (Photo by Rachel Stover)

Q&A

WITH ANDREW DURHAM How did you get into bowling?

“My friend had been doing it for a couple of years, so we got a bunch of friends together and started a team.”

What do you do to improve your bowling skills?

“We have practice once a week and we try to train as much as possible on Tuesdays and Thursdays when it’s cheap. We spend a lot of time up in the bowling alley.”

What has been your biggest achievement in your time bowling?

“I went to a nine pin tournament, where nine pins count as a strike and I got first place in my division. I got first place in my division and won $150 to go towards college.”

What do you recommend for people trying to get into bowling? “Bowling balls can be expensive, but having the right ball makes a difference. It takes your score from 100 to 150. It makes that much of a difference.”

What challenges have you faced in Bowling?

“I mean, it’s bowling. It’s not that hard, but it takes practice to become good.” (Content by Aadhi Sathishkumar)

MORE INFO Read about a player on the FHN bowling team: bit.ly/NShsbowl

SPORTS | 02.19.20 | FHNTODAY. COM

Holding her state medal, senior Joanna Dohrman poses in the pool at the Rec-Plex. Dohrman decided to take a break from swimming during her junior year to focus more on school and then decided to come back for her senior year. “One of my biggest accomplishments was when I went to junior nationals this summer, which is for 18 and under,” Dohrman said. (Photo by Anna Hollinger)

Determined for the distance After taking a break from the school swim season, the dedicated swimmer senior Joanna Dohrman is back and pressing towards her goals on the swim team, club team and in her future by Chloe Horstman clhorstman@gmail.com

nine-year-old girl watches her older brother in the pool at the YMCA after being dragged to one of his swim lessons and she's intrigued. She wants to participate in a sport with him, so she takes up swimming and later joins the Rec-Plex Sharks swim team. Fast forward eight years and senior Joanna Dohrman has broken six school records on the FHN swim team. She has practices eight times a week for the club team and school team, taking place at the wake of dawn and in the dark of night. She has made state cuts for four individual events, qualified for Speedo Junior Nationals and continues striving to break her own records and achieve new goals throughout her future. “I feel like I’ve exceeded a lot of my goals,” Joanna said. “For my club swimming, we go to sectionals and for a long time it was my goal to do all of that. Then, I ended up being able to go to a Junior Nationals meet. It’s exciting, but I never imagined I’d be able to go to that.” Joanna swam on FHN’s team her freshman and sophomore year but took a break junior year to have more time for school and club swim. However, this year she is taking on multiple AP courses and year-round

FHNTODAY.COM | 02.19.20 | SPORTS

club swim, as well as rejoining the FHN swim team for her final high school season. She ends up balancing school with club practices from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. from Monday through Friday. Additionally, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, she wakes up early to attend practice before the school day. After the evening club practices, she drives to the Rec-Plex for school swim practices from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., many times amounting to three and a half hours of swimming a day. “I think it’s taught [Joanna] to really be organized and schedule her time,” Joanna’s mother, Rebecca Dohrman, said. “She’s had to make goals for herself and prioritize what she needs to do. She’s had to give up some things she liked because she wanted to keep swimming, so it made her have to make choices to give other things up. There is a lot of decision making that goes on with her packed schedule.” Despite having multiple commitments that require intense devotion, Joanna stays positive and perseveres, constantly pushing to achieve her goals and making new ones when she breaks records. “It’s all about having ideas in her head of what [Joanna] wants to achieve next,” Rebecca said. “She’ll have times in her head of ‘This is the time that PAGE BY ABBY MARTINEZ

Swimming the butterfly stroke, senior Joanna Dohrman glides through the water at the Rec-Plex during the meet against FZS on Feb. 3. The meet against FZS was their senior night where they celebrated the four seniors on the team. The girls swim team dominated against FZS winning 103-83. (Photo by Anna Hollinger)

After her relay Joanna Dohrman waits for the rest of the swimmers to finish. She placed first in her catagory against Howell and Pattonville. During this meet she won the 200 IM and 500 free. (Photo by Addy Brtadbury)

I need to qualify for this, or to be in the top eight, or to break this record.’ cool. I stayed in an apartment with three juniors on the swim team and When she was a freshman, she looked at that FHN record board and she they all live together and it’s cool to see how they sit down and do their knew she wanted to see how many of those she could break and she’s homework together. [The visit] was personal because you were with chipped away at quite a few of them.” people that might be your future teammates and the other recruits. I In this year’s state finals, which will take place on Feb. 22, Joanna plans met four people who are going to be swimming with me next year, so I on swimming the 500 meter free, her best event, as well as the 200 meter already know a few people going in, which is exciting.” free. With her endurance as a distance swimmer, her best club team The prestigious school, with an acceptance rate of 13%, doesn’t offer event is the mile. The FHN swim team currently has the consideration athletic scholarships, but they assisted her application to help the cut for state and hopes to make the 400 meter relay in state. process go smoother so she could attend. “[Joanna]’s definitely our strongest swimmer without “It helped me a lot for swim because they assisted my a doubt,” senior and teammate Emilee Statzer said. applications,” Joanna said. “[John Hopkins University] “Number one- but she doesn’t act like it, she doesn’t is really hard to get into, it’s a really good school, so it’s have the superiority complex. She’s so nice about exciting. Basically the coach is like ‘If you commit, I will Check out the girls swim absolutely everything. She’s a fantastic teammate. I can assist your application.’ That took a lot of stress off.” senior night photos here: bit.ly/NSssn always count on her to be standing at the end of my Her family loves watching Joanna swim. They attend lane, cheering on me, even if I’m doing really bad. She’s every swim meet they can and are currently figuring out very encouraging.” how they will attend her college meets halfway across Her long journey in competitive swimming doesn’t stop at high school. the country, as John Hopkins University is a 14 hour drive from St. Louis. While researching colleges with swim teams, she found John Hopkins Her mother believes swimming has increased Joanna’s determination University in Baltimore and reached out to the school. After she took the and persistence towards her goals. initiative, the swim coach for John Hopkins University flew to St. Louis “[Joanna] was 10 or 11 and she saw that she could put her mind to to visit Joanna and her parents. Later, she was able to tour the campus something and achieve it,” Rebecca said. “It might take a really long time and experience what her future academic career would hold before or it might take a lot of hard work, but it was doable. I think now she attending. thinks, ‘Okay, I can set other goals for myself in my school work, or my “It was just special because I felt like [the university] really wanted me academics or for my career and I can work toward those things and it on the team,” Joanna said. “That was a big part and the visit was super might take a while, but I can get there.’”

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PAGE BY ABBY MARTINEZ

SPORTS | 02.19.20 | FHNTODAY.COM

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INTERNATIONAL IMPACTS Much of the hate for foreign artists in America comes from a small mind and prejudice thoughts

by Sydney Ellison

sydney.ellison55@gmail.com

he beauty of art can be found everywhere, through music, acting and writing. It can be found in different languages, different cultures and different countries. Many Americans have a blindfold over their eyes and refuse to see this. They like to stick with what they know: English. The rejection of foreign art is formed largely because of a shallow-minded and prejudiced mindset. Coming from centuries of this mindset, it’s no surprise that it still has a hold on some minds today. The excuses of “it’s in a different language” or “I just don’t like that type of music” in reference to foreign music often quickly come up as reasons for not giving the music a chance. Even though most of the time there’s readable lyrics and the country the music comes from doesn’t define its genre. These excuses are old and, frankly, rude. When music is judged on language instead of quality, it’s devaluing the artist’s hard work. Same with things like movies and TV shows. Oftentimes there are subtitles, but the quality of the entertainment is quickly looked over because of the actors speaking a different language. One example of the obvious bias in American entertainment, more specifically music, is the lack of radio time for foreign artists who are just as successful as English-speaking ones. BTS, the global boy band originating from South Korea, for

FHNTODAY.COM | 02.19.20 | OPINIONS

example, has little to no radio time even though they’ve broken records and have had similar success to musicians like Ariana Grande or the Jonas Brothers. Award shows, like the Oscars, have specific categories for films in different languages as if the language spoken somehow deprives it of being able to compete against films in English. These obvious discriminations show how America shuns art coming from anywhere else, and it’s not on the basis of quality. Lyrics and dialogue do hold important value in the quality of the work and not being able to directly understand them may turn people off to consuming foreign entertainment. There is an easy way for this boundary to be overcome, translations. Just because the lyrics or dialogue are not instantly understandable doesn’t mean that they can’t evoke emotion and connection with a listener. Not liking a song or TV show by a non-American artist is not inherently bad, as long as the reason comes from not liking the quality of the work, personal taste or something similar. When race or language is the sole reason for dislike then that dislike comes from prejudice thoughts, not quality or taste. Judge on the quality of the art, not on things that are unchangeable. America needs to stop shutting its doors on the outside world of art. There is so much amazing content out there but many are blocked with the fear of going out of their comfort zone, that zone being American and/or English speaking. Break out of that zone and discover so much more.

PAGE BY ANNA BESANCENEZ

(Photo from Shutterstock)

BLOCK SCHEDULING ISN’T BENEFICIAL TO FHN

(Illustration by Minnie Adams)

DISCONNECTING OR REDIRECTING

Teens are often written off as careless when it comes to world events by Minnie Adams

desensitized to events taking place outside of their homes, should they be expected to care about Animals run for their lives in a forest fire beyond something thousands of miles away? the point of return. Too slow to escape the flames, With global warming, the fires in Australia, a billion animals have died in Australia. Many the ongoing Middle East conflict, high political tragedies like this happen annually, and each tensions that could easily spark wars, as well as time, the concern of this generation is called the January discovery of the Coronavirus, teenage into question. Throughout the decade, it seems reception seems the same as it has for the past teens care about world events less and less. Many few years, the most apparent being humor. Memes believe that teens no longer care about anything about all these events have been flooding the that is outside of their bubble of video games, lip explore pages of Instagram and Tik Tok. The fear gloss and Tik Tok. It is apparent that there is a lack of all of these events happening at the same time of fear when it comes to these events and that is is being channeled creatively as an attempt to attributed to a lack of caring, cope with the absurdity of it all. although this has less to do with As teenagers, with most of our sympathy and more to do with worries attributed to school and teens being simply fed up. relationships, it’s hard to imagine a Learn more about On Dec. 14, 2012, the Sandy way to help in any way. So many of climate change here: Hook elementary school these events are so far out of reach bit.ly/NSClimateChange shooting occurred. It was an but so terrifying that most just event that shook the entire feel hopeless. Teens not thinking country. Children barely being able to grasp the they’ll make it to 30 because of things out of their concept of death were now learning that it could control is naturally upsetting. Nevertheless, their easily happen to them. This was frightening as a coping mechanisms are frowned upon, deemed child and events like these, occurring at a young immature. However, finding ways to live with every age, were ultimately ingrained into the brains crazy thing happening every week this year shows of this generation. According to Vox, on Jan. 8, maturity in a strange way, a strength birthed from 2020, since Sandy Hook, there have been over losing innocence at a young age. 2,000 mass shootings in America. What used to be It is clear that teens aren’t disconnected, they’ve something that was horrific and one of a kind is simply accepted the things they cannot change, now as frequent as the forecast. Since they are so and there is no immaturity in that.

profashionalprep@gmail.com

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In April, FHN will begin EOC exams. Because of this, FHN will switch to block scheduling, which schedules three or four classes a day, and each class lasts 90 minutes instead of the normal 55. FHN uses the block schedule during EOCs to allow for longer time for test-taking and relaxation in a sometimes stressful time. However, block scheduling has flaws that should encourage FHN to stay with our traditional system and use it only during testing weeks. It is already tough for students to pay attention in a 50-minute class, especially with most students having a cell phone within reach. CNN has reported a 50 percent decrease in attention span. With block scheduling, it would be more difficult for students to pay attention in class, especially towards the end of the class after being in the same classroom for upwards of two hours. Due to the lack of attention, more of the content taught will be missed, which will cause student performance to decrease even further. If block scheduling were implemented, teachers would not be able to teach as much material according to the National Education Association, because there would be fewer days that a student would be in a specific class. This would affect Advanced Placement (AP) classes the most, as the AP curriculum stays consistent throughout the country. Teachers teaching AP classes will have fewer days to teach and review the material, which will place more responsibility on students to learn the material themselves, which may cause some students’ performance to be affected negatively. Activists of block scheduling will say that it benefits the students, and that the teachers would see fewer students each day, and could spend more time with them. In actuality, students would lose the continuity of seeing every teacher each day. Additionally, if a student missed one day, it potentially means missing two days from the classes they missed. Students would also have to sit in the same room for 90 minutes or more, causing them to miss more information due to their short attention spans. If FHN wants to maintain its high student performance, it should keep its original schedule. FHN should reserve block scheduling only for EOC testing. (Story by Justin Christensen) OPINIONS | 02.19.20 | FHNTODAY. COM

A LETTER TO THE EDITOR Impeachment is what we have been faced with today. When President Donald Trump announced he was running for President of the United States of America, the Democrats saw him as a threat to their outdated way of democracy. Therefore, they decided the best way to “protect” the interests of the citizens of the United States was to attack and to impeach. The Democrats have branded the president with untrue charges. One claim is that Trump has “abused his power as President of the United States.” Trump has not abused his power. Trump has taken the power Americans bestowed in his hands and has exposed the Democrats for their own atrocities. So I ask you, why haven’t we Republicans tried to attack them? Well, the answer is fairly simple: we aren’t Democrats. We don’t make statements and accusations that aren’t true and the lack of evidence is obvious. Speaking of atrocities, Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam of Virginia, in a 2019 interview, said “The infant [born with a severe deformity] would be resuscitated... and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother [As to whether to put down the infant]." Trump has saved this country from the Democrats and former-President Barack Obama. Since Trump came into office, the unemployment rates have dropped to all-time lows, and our stock market and economy have boosted to levels that we Americans have not seen since the 1920s. Democrats previously supported border security in 2006, but when Trump arrives in office, the Democrats revoked their claims because they were made by a Republican. The wall isn’t punishment. The wall is a precaution against terrorism and the southern drug cartel. To me, the solution is Keep America Great. Come November of 2020, I hope the seniors of FHN vote for the right person. (Letter to The Editor by Kevin Taylor)

Want to Submit Your Own Letter?

We value students' perspective on current events, and loves to hear feedback from our readers. The North Star tries to publish all letters of opinion sent to us. All letters must be 300 words or less and may be edited for style, clarity, or accuracy. All requirements can be found in our editorial policy. Mail Submissions to: yourfhn@FHNtoday.com Read Our Full Editorial Policy: bit.ly/NSpolicy

FHNTODAY.COM | 02.19.20 | OPINIONS

NORTH STAR TAKE:

NO HOODS FOR FHN

Hoods in FHN would be an issue all throughout the school and threaten the new hat policy students currently enjoy On Behalf of the Editorial Staff @fhntoday.com | @FHNtoday

HN is not the only school at FHSD that allow students to wear hats. However, this freedom does not include hoods. Despite this, students are often seen in the halls or classrooms with their hoods on. Some feel that the policy against hoods restricts their freedom to express themselves; however, there are many plausible reasons to restrict the wearing of hoods. Hoods make it more difficult for students to be recognized in the halls. If a teacher or administrator needs a student, it is much easier for the student to be recognized without a hood.

When a student wears a hood, only the front of their face is barely visible. In addition, if schools allowed the wearing of hoods, it makes it easier for an intruder to blend in. To be safe, it is better if everyone is easily recognizable. Hoods make communication difficult. Students wearing hoods have the appearance that they are closed off to whatever is around them. It is important that communication between the students and the staff is efficient. It is harder to get a student’s attention since he or she isn’t able to see as much while wearing a hood. Keeping hoods restricted would ensure that the communication between staff and students remains efficient. Hoods would be a problem in classrooms. PAGE BY CONNOR PEPER

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Editor-in-Chief: Gracie Bowman Copy Editor: Ashlynn Perez Entertainment/Opinions Editor: Justin Christensen News Editor: Macy Cronin Features Editor: Sydney Ellison Sports Editor: Karsyn Williams

General Staff: Minnie Adams Ivy Lowery Evan Becker Abby Martinez Anna Besancenez Emma Musselman Shivani Bondada Ryleigh O’Donnell Justin Brewer Connor Peper Jack Cleaveland Andrew Reese DaNyla Creacy Emma Rohrbach Olivia Engle Julia Sampolska Maya Helbig Aadhi Sathishkumar Chloe Horstman Valerie Showers Brandon Lite Aliyah Taliaferra Editor-in-Chief of Photo Editor: Phoebe Primeau Newspaper Photo Editor: Kaili Martin Yearbook Photo Editor: Ella Manthey Sports Photo Editor: Riley Witherbee Social Media Photo Editor: Addalynn Bradbury Photographers: Salam Abouchleih Allison Moore Alayna Furch Amber Scheulen Sydney Giacomarra Rachel Stover Bryanna Ginn Oscar Sun Aidyn Gleason Samuel Watkins Sky Hebisen Sarah Williams Adam Hogan Amber Winkler Anna Hollinger Avery Witherbee Pavan Kolluru Courntey Wortman Editor-in-Chief of FHNtoday: Sophie Carite FHNtoday Managing Editor: Carson Ramirez A student walks down the hallway with their hood up. Hoods are not allowed at FHN for saftey and learning issues. (Photo by Kaili Martin)

It would be easy for a student to skip out on a were recently granted the privilege to wear hats at lesson by putting on earbuds, and then putting a school, which provides more choices for students hood over the earbuds. This makes it difficult for on what to wear. Hats don’t conceal students the teacher to know whether or not a student is from others like hoods do. They also still make engaged in the lesson. If students are left free to communication easy with everyone, and hats do completely ignore a lesson or not allow students to skip out on two or three, it is more likely that lessons as easily. Hats give students they will perform poorly in that the benefit of personal freedom class. Teachers need to be able to students while avoiding the Check hout FHN's code to know that their students are problems of hoods. of conduct here: bit.ly/fhnconduct engaged in class to help them The current policy regarding hats succeed. and hoods gives students and staff There are some who will argue benefits. Students are free to wear for wearing hoods. They will say that the ban on hats whenever they want, teachers can ensure class hoods is an unnecessary rule that serves no real participation is good and students can be easily purpose. Others want the personal freedom to recognized in the school without hoods. Let’s stop wear a hood whenever they want. In reality, there is wearing the hood so we don’t lose the privilege to no reason to be wearing hoods indoors. Students our hats.

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February 2020 - North Star Newsmagazine.

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