January 17th, 2024

NORTH

STAR

MORE TO THE STORY The In-Depth of this paper explores students and teachers lives outside of school.

Page 17-22

THE NOSTALGIA OF ANALOG HORROR SHOWS Page 10-11

OUTDATED BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICY CHANGES Page 44-45

FHNtoday.com Francis Howell North St. Charles, MO 63303 Vol. 38 Issue 04 01.17.2024

NORTH STAR

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Editors-in-Chief of News: McKenna Hudson Chase Pray News Editors Ray Hathcock Violet Newton Michaela Manfull Drew Johnson Miranda Fabian Izzy Lash Kaylee Priest News General Staff: John Butler Cheyenne Steed Cherry Clark Nylah Smith Patricia Fechter Gavin Swart Ben Henry Peyton Thies Riley Jensen Noah Tucker Grant Kilen Naomi Vandyne Sadie Ortmeyer Alex Wheadon

Editor-in-Chief of Photography Payton Johnston Photo Editors: Mady Brewer Bri Dunham Ankita Pandurangi Grace Pinson Faith Smith Kylie Taliaferro Photo General Staff: Jazmin Acevedo Demi Johnson Mallory Barker Kyra Landers Madalyn Bridgwater Torie Montomery Alayna Clement Thomas Jones Bella Collins Angelee Orozco Andrew Goffinet Jordan Ousley Austin Griffin Eashaan Patel Maddie Huckabay Kylie Ramirez Heidi Huff Alexis Rowland Jupiter Stephens

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Video Editors-in-Chief: Madelyn Clark Rhea Patel Video Editors: Max Ramirez Laney Quandt General Staff: Riley Aldenderfer Melissa Guerrero Nigel Bailey Wilson Lam Ben Bartels Reagan Moellering Jacob Bass Eric Morrow Camden Blair Vanessa Ng Sean Brand Jayda Reece Emily Clausner Taylor Saale Sassy Garcia Harper Schneider Nate Smith

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Sports Editor-in-Chief: Parker Smith Sports Editors: Jackson Calhoun Jackson Fifer Owen Gonzalez Braeden Kettinger Kevin McGuire Om Nair

(Cover Design by Michaela Manfull, Photo by Payton Johnston)

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

FHN’S FAVORITE STICKERS

RESTROOM CLEANLINESS

ANALOG HORROR

Entertainment, Page 10-11

SCHAFFRIN FAMILY ADOPTS

BALANCING WORK AND SCHOOL

SILENT KNIGHT

EDITORIAL: NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF BOARD POLICY CHANGE

News, Page 4

In-Depth Page 20

Features, Page 24

Features, Page 30-31 Sports, Page 37

Opinions, Page 43

Opinions, Page 44-45

Sports General Staff: Luis Escobar Mason Mitchell Maahin Fatima Kenneth Nunn Liv Graeser Avee Patel Elise Grimshaw Lito Ledezma Katie Head Sam Reimer Mo Huff Ryan Simerda Addy Jones Jaden Slusser James Kowalczyk Morgan Smith Alayna Lohaus Carter Stover Austin Vollmer Advisers: Aaron Manfull Jordyn Kiel

ST. CHARLES COUNTY LIBRARY SOCIALS

(Illustration by Izzy Lash) St. Charles County Facebook

AMI MAKING IMPACTS

by Gavin Swart

gswart370@g.fhsdschools.org

St. Charles County Instagram

Buddy Hardin shakes hands with Steve Ehlmann (Photo submitted)

Hardin will bring a new perspective to the St. Charles Library Board

by Grant Kilen

gkilen380@g.fhsdschools.org

T

he St. Charles County Council recently confirmed retired businessman Buddy Hardin to serve a three-year term on the board of trustees of the St. Charles City-County Library. The library board, composed of five members appointed by the county and four members appointed by the City of St. Charles in a like manner, oversees and governs the CityCounty Library.

The library has been a subject of great controversy for the past year or so as some residents have objected to what they described as an indecently-dressed librarian being assigned to the children’s section, and some residents have also raised concerns that the library is not doing enough to prevent children from obtaining sexual materials. While the present makeup of the library board has been mostly dismissive of these complaints, many believe that Hardin will be more sympathetic.

“Buddy’s a conservative voice,” County Executive Steve Ehlmann, who appointed Hardin after the county council approved his nomination thereof, said. “There’s plenty of other voices from the other extremes.

I’ve never set with the intent of creating a conservative board. I always try to have people from all persuasions. But, you know, if it turns out that there’s a slight conservative majority, that’s a good thing.”

Grayson Jostes, a resident of St. Peters and a LGBTQIA+ rights and anti-book-banning activist, offers a different perspective.

“I hope that he listens to both sides of the community, including the one that is trying to be more diverse and equal and have all books read and not just listen to one side of the community that’s trying to ban them,” Jostes said.

Jostes also lamented the recent removal of the controversial book by Winston Gieseke titled ‘Bang Like a Pornstar.’ The highly-controversial book was seen by many, including Ehlmann, as one of the more flagrant malfeasances of the library. The book was removed after the library itself ruled that the book had “explicit photographs that seemed unrelated to the text they should have been illustrating.”

“The fact that it’s an adult health book in the adult section doesn’t make it a bad book,” Jostes said. “But I’m sad that it was banned and I hope that there isn’t any more banned books like that.”

Jostes hopes that the library board continues to err on the side of allowing books to remain on the shelves.

“Even though the public library is a public library, it should be viewed by everybody,” Jostes said. “If you don’t like a particular book, then don’t get it. I support his rights and his opinions and I respect that but they are opinions that I also disagree with. I believe it should be respected for everyone to read a book if they want to read a book, and if they don’t then just don’t read it.”

St. Charles County Twitter

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday •01.17.2024• Pages Designed by Chase Pray (Contents) and John Butler (1)

HARDIN APPOINTED TO LIBRARY BOARD

Starting this year, the Francis Howell School District is implementing AMI days. AMI stands for Alternative Methods of Instruction. AMI days will take effect on the fifth and sixth snow days of the school year. During AMI days, students will have assigned work from their teachers that they will do on those days in order to be marked present for that day.

“Kids would do work at home, and because they’re working at home and then have to turn that work in, either when they return or submit it online, we then don’t make those days up,” Principal Jeffrey Fletcher said. “So, we can have six snow days without adding any days to the year.”

AMI days are a new district policy that came around after COVID brought virtual learning to the forefront. They have been allowed by the state of Missouri since the 2020-21 school year, but are only now being instituted throughout FHSD. The first four snow days are built into the schedule, the fifth and sixth are AMI days, days seven and eight have to be made up, before days nine and 10 are AMI days again.

“I personally love that we finally have gotten to this,” FHN teacher Melissa Hanrahan said. “I feel like we were the last district in Saint Charles County to go this way, and I think it’s a good opportunity for students to be able to get out of school earlier than like midJune.”

This new development is another step in the district utilizing more independent learning regimens for students in order to boost productivity. AMI days are still developing and still open to feedback from the wider school community.

“I’m sure that we’ll do the first [AMI day] and then we’ll get some feedback from kids, parents and teachers and say, ‘hey, this worked, this didn’t, how can we make it better? So, I would also anticipate there being a follow-up if we have our first AMI day,” Fletcher said.

(Illustration by Miranda Fabian)

01

Senior Hailey Zhang sells coffee at Sun club coffee fundraiser (Photo by Angelee Orozco)

SUN CLUB SHARES IDEAS AT SCHOOLS

by Miranda Fabian

mfabian486@g.fhsdschools.org

Starting second semester, Sun Club plans on visiting Harvest Ridge throughout the semester and contacting more elementary schools to talk about global warming. The club will be coming in during the school’s environmental unit and plans on sharing a presentation with the fifth graders sharing facts on global warming and what changes they can make in their life to cut back on global warming.

“I hope that they can see what is happening to our world and how little changes they make can make a big impact,” French teacher and Sun Club adviser Jenny Liberson said.

The club also will also be sharing a rap recycle video and an activity on recycle v.s trash to help the students to better understand the topic.

“We have to make sure it’s good enough for an elementary school audience to understand what we’re saying but also get the point across,” sophomore and co-committee head Rayna Aathreya said.

Senior Dustin Fox practices during band class on Dec. 18. (Photo by Payton Johnston)

FHN BAND RECRUITS EIGHTH GRADERS

by Miranda Fabian

mfabian486@g.fhsdschools.org

The FHN Band plans on coming together with middle schools Hollenbeck and Barnwell for a Northside concert on Feb. 22. This concert is done to recruit incoming freshmen to play in the band.

“It’s just getting in contact with them as much as we can,” Band director Ryan Curtis said. “That might be through letters or through emails or through concerts.”

The three bands, Hollenbeck, Barnwell and FHN, have been practicing independently prior to coming together and then will play as a group.

Along with this, Curtis plans on doing something new this year with having an eighth grade night for not only the football games but also at a basketball game on Jan. 19.

“I remember my old band director in middle school, he played a show of our marching band and I was really inspired by that, I was like ‘I actually wanna do that when I get into high school’,” senior and drum player Amari Cunningham said.

02

FHSD PROPOSES BATHROOM RESTRICTIONS

The FHSD Board of Education proposed a policy on restricting the entrance of private rooms based on the assigned sex of its students and faculty really involved now from locker room bills

by Ray Hathcock or policies that are aimed towards the rhathcock942@g.fhsdschools.org LGBTQIA+ community,” Jostes said. “I speak The sex of a student shall be out as best I can, I post meetings as best I determined by the sex marker on the can, I speak out as best I can. You have to student’s certified U.S. Birth Certificate,” find what you believe is right. In this world, stated the proposed Policy Draft P2116 there are people who disagree with you. And from the FHSD Board of Education. This there will be people who will take away what policy on ‘Privacy in Locker Rooms and you love, and what’s about you, but there’s Restrooms’ has been ways that you can a very controversial fight for it. You can topic among the either protest safely people learning and or you can also sign working in FHSD, as up to be a member well as people living of the Board. And in the area. There are say your mind on rebuttals from both what you believe in. sides about restrictions Focusing on moving of who can go into forward, instead of certain bathrooms or backwards.” locker rooms.

There haven’t Grayson Jostes is been any previous an alumnus of Francis policies in place that Howell Central High restrict any person School who has from going into any been participating in bathroom or locker protests at the Board room. Although A patron at the Board meeting on Dec. 21 of Education meetings holds up a sign that reads ‘FHSD Trans students there are policies regarding the Board’s against inappropriate matter.’ (Photo by Eashaan Patel) outlook on assigned sex misconduct. The of people in FHSD and how it’s affecting Board has taken some time since the last transgender students and faculty. The board meeting on Nov. 16 for research. All assigned sex, the biological attributes of a of the patron comments on that date were person at birth, are debated on more than about P2116. Much of the concerns on both the identity of the people themselves. sides were about privacy.

“I’m protesting anything that is against “Why are we subjecting our children to the LGBTQIA+ community, which is this, why are we forcing our children to

“

DRAMA CLUB ATTENDS THESCON

by Ben Henry

bhenry501@g.fhsdschools.org

On Jan. 4-7, 25 members of the FHN Drama Club attended Thescon, a state conference for thespians in Kansas City. The trip was organized by Drama teacher Kim Sulzner, who has been to Thescon over 25 times.

“It’s three nights and four days, we arrived on Wednesday and left late Saturday,” Sulzner said.

At the conference, there are over 100 events and workshops, including the opportunity to win scholarships.

“They’ve got well over 100 events and workshops; costuming, playwriting, audition skills, even making edible prop food, plus dance competitions and such,” Sulzner said.

Senior Addyson Akerman attended the event and competed in multiple challenges, including Tech Theater and Stage

Senior Kylie Taliaferro acts in the fall ‘Clue’ play (Photo by Brianna Taliaferro ) Management.

“I was really excited for the Tech Scholarship because I got to show off my tech skills and experience,” Akerman said.

The conference was attended by 2,500 students and over 5,000 total people from all over Missouri. The attendees also had the opportunity to audition for the all-state troupe that will perform at the next year’s convention.

“Everyone had a lot of fun,” Sulzner said.

EXECUTIVE EHLMANN RETIRES

by Grant Kilen

gkilen380@g.fhsdschools.org

Diane Ettelbrick sits in on the Board meeting along with many other residents of FHSD protesting for trangender rights on Dec. 21. Ettelbrick is a grandmother of staff and students of the district and a former educator of 25 years. (Photo by Eashaan Patel)

(Photo submitted) more professional than they’ve ever been.”

When it came to his greatest challenge while in office, Ehlmann recalled the controversy St. Charles County faced for having relaxed COVID restrictions as compared to those of neighboring jurisdictions.

“I had all kinds of professional journalists come out here and ask me if I was crazy,” Ehlmann said. “‘Why aren’t you afraid you’re going to have outbreaks and more and more people dying,’ and the fact of the matter is we did what we thought was the best, but there was no guarantee.”

Ehlmann pointed to his extended age as his primary reason for retirement and reports that he looks forward to spending more time with his family.

MOCK TRIAL GAINS MEMBERS

by Riley Jensen

rjensen810@g.fhsdschools.org

Last year was an extremely strong and successful season for the FHN Mock Trial team. The students continuously accomplished great things all throughout the year including winning first place at state.

This year, they feel the absence of seniors who provided great leadership last season.

Mock Trial coach Randy Pierce reflects on the seniors from last season.

“We would like to have them here,” Pierce said. “They provided wonderful leadership.”

Despite the loss of leadership, mock trial is flourishing this year more than ever. They have doubled the size of their team and everyone is adjusting nicely.

“We now have 16 new people, so a total of 28 students. This gives us a little bit of a head start,” Pierce said.

For a veteran like Pierce who’s been coaching for 50 years, this many new

Freshman Jasmine Dong rehearses during mock trial practice (Photo by Ankita Pandurangi) students is nothing to worry about.

“Generally speaking, I don’t need to modify my teaching style much,” Pierce said.

Even with everything that’s happened, mock trial is encouraging students to join their team next year. Pierce invites all students to come watch their competition happening Jan. 16-18.

“We will be happy to have people come and observe our competitions so that they can look at it and get a better feel for the club. It’s up to them to decide if they want to join our team next year,” Pierce said.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 01.17.2024 • Pages Designed by Miranda Fabian • News

expose themselves to the opposite sex,” Adriana Coon, a speaker at the Board meeting on Nov. 16 and a mother of two students attending FHSD, said. “It is wrong to sacrifice the privacy and safety of many of our students for the desire of a few. I urge all seven Board Directors to move forward with a bathroom policy to ensure the safety and well being of all 16,000+ students in the Francis Howell School District.”

The majority of the Board of Education members align more conservatively.

Therefore, there are many disagreements in the meetings from more liberally aligned patrons.

“When it comes to a solution, we have to listen to both sides,” Victor Balleydier, a FHN sophomore and transgender male, said. “A lot of people don’t want to listen to trans people and a lot of people don’t listen to the cis people’s concerns. We still have cisgender people who need to listen to trans people and trans people need to listen to cis people. And I think it would be beneficial to everyone.”

All but two people who spoke at the patron comments protested this potential policy during the recent Board meetings. The majority of those who are against this policy are students. This has been talked about as early as April of 2023, though it only escalated a few months ago.

“I hope that the board realizes that they’ve made a mistake in introducing this resolution, this opposing policy,” Jostes said. “That it’s not okay for them to bully a small minority group of people, because your beliefs or your viewpoints of a certain community [are that] they’re out to get you and your children, which it’s definitely not. They’re trying to live their lives as best as they can, because they’re in school. And if not, we’ll have the speakers at the recent school board [say that] we will be taking legal action if this gets passed.”

St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann has announced that he will not seek a sixth term when the office is up for election in 2026. This will end his 20-year stretch as County Executive, as well as his 38-year-long career in St. Charles County politics.

Ehlmann cited the quality of the community as one of his greatest achievements as County Executive. “[Things like] creating an environment where people want to move here, growth in population,” Ehlmann said. “We have got people who have been coming here since I was a little kid, and they come here for two reasons: good schools and safe areas.”

Ehlmann also referenced changes and improvements to law enforcement in St. Charles County.

“We went from a sheriff’s department to a police department,” Ehlmann said. “We’ve felt like we’ve done a lot to encourage these officers, in addition to education, providing more and more training and we think they’re

03

A LOOK AT THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

The next presidential election is coming up and new candidates are on the rise (Infographic by Riley Jensen)

REPUBLICANS

REPUBLICAN POLICIES Economic Republican policies are defined by individual businesses and trade. They also strive for less government intervention (and therefore fewer taxes) and prioritize business issues over environmental issues.

Social The Republican Party is in support of enforcing pro-gun laws, and opposes issues such as abortion and immigration.

DEMOCRATIC POLICIES Economic

DONALD TRUMP

NIKKI HALEY

RON DESANTIS

Trump plans to reinforce his original policies from his last term as president, these include an effort to increase jobs, lower tax, and limiting government interference in business.

Haley intends to align her presidential plans and policies with the wishes of the people.

She believes in cutting income tax, gun rights, gaining energy independence and closing the borders.

Desantis plans to take action on closing the border. His other major policies consist of improving rural areas, economic independence, separating political agendas from the military, and tax cuts.

Democratic policies dealing with the economy are in favor of more government intervention, supporting lowincome families, and affordable health care.

Social The Democratic Party typically spends more time and money on social policies. They support abortion, gun regulation, education supported by the government and open borders.

DEMOCRATS

MORE CANDIDATES

Vivek Ramaswamy An “anti-woke” Republican first-time runner who strives to limit government regulation.

JOE BIDEN

As the current, president, Biden is enforcing his plan to make the country a safer place by supporting a pro-immigration system, affordable health care, and efforts against climate change.

04

MARIANNE WILLIAMSON Williamson’s presidential plan includes eliminating poverty, supporting equality, and taking measures against climate change and unfair worker’s rights.

DEAN PHILLIPS The major policies that firsttime runner Phillips supports are gun violence prevention, finance reform, healthcare for all Americans, new jobs, improved education and public safety.

Asa Hutchinson

Also a Republican first-time runner, Hutchinson supports pro-growth energy and ending inflation.

FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC

Here is what some students and members of the public said at the Board meeting on Dec. 21 where the decision was made to remove Black History and Black Literature electives.

“Black history is American history and I think it’s important that it’s taught at our schools.”

- Lauren Chance, 12

A group of concerned community members share their concerns about the announcement that the Black History and Black Literature classes curriculum will be updated by the Board of Education before it is allowed in schools. (Photo by Michaela Manfull)

After a 5-2 decision to remove Black History and Black Literature elective courses, community members and students came together to protest the decision which resulted in the decisions reversal

by Miranda Fabian

as solved and plan to continue pressing the mfabian486@g.fhsdschools.org district for change.

“It did not factor into my wanting to move n Dec. 21, the Board of Education forward whatsoever, because it is pandering,” voted to remove the Black NAACP St. Charles District President Zebrina Literature and History electives in Looney said. “We saw them do the district by a 5-2 vote. Backlash this with the resolution, I’ve seen from the decision followed and BOE them do this over the years plenty many in the community felt that ORIGINAL of times and this is just their the decision was a step backward DECISION response to what they felt was from when the Board offered backlash.” these classes in 2021. The Board Scan the QR code Some members of the then reversed their Dec. 21 below to view an community were outraged with decision on Dec. 28, making these article about the the original decision since the classes available electives for the original board removal wasn’t added to the fall 2024 semester at FHSD high decision backlash.

Board meetings key talking points schools. The Board says they will until less than 24-hours before come up with a new curriculum the meeting began on Dec. 21. that is seen as ‘politically neutral.’

Following the reversal, what Following the repeal, a previously had been a small group statement was put out by that met with the media to express Superintendent Kenneth their concerns had become a larger Roumpos and Board President community speaking out to what Adam Bertrand who believe that was seen as censorship from the adjusting the curriculum is the Board. Many arrived to a meeting best option in resolving the issue. hosted by the NAACP on Dec. 28 “After thorough discussions, we to what was an open discussion on believe there is an appropriate what to do as a community. The effects of path forward to offer Black History and these changes will be felt by future students Black Literature with an updated curriculum and it leaves an impression on FHSD alumni. standard in the 2024-25 school year,” “I have younger brothers that are in the Roumpos and Bertrand said in the statement. district I want them to have a high quality While the class offerings have been education,” FHN alumna Mya Walker said. ”I reinstated, some do not see the problem

O

know so many students in this district and they deserve a high quality education. And even if I don’t know them, they still deserve a high quality education.”

Students, with the help of community members, created a petition under ‘Students for Francis Howell’ which has gotten over 3,500 signatures as of Jan. 4 and has a goal of 5,000. Many feel this had a strong impact on why the Board reevaluated what to do with the classes.

“The board should serve the will of the people, right now that’s what they believe they’re doing,” FHSD parent Heather Fleming said. “So, if this is not the will of the people, our people are going to have to speak up.”

At the Dec. 28 discussion, there were speakers such as Fleming and Looney, as well as student speakers, who went on to talk about how the decision shouldn’t stop their plans. They broke out into different groups of parents, students and community members and discussed what part each group has in making their voices heard. For many, this meant registering and heading out to vote in future polls, for students this meant a possible walkout and more depending on the response they get.

“Dr. Maya Angelou once said that ‘every storm runs out of rain’,” Fleming said. “And so this Board is gonna get to a point where they’re gonna run out of hate and we’ll be there to help the district recover.”

“Once again, we’re focused on another topic instead of what gives every student the very best education possible.”

- Steven Blair, community member

“I think it’s extremely ridiculous that we’re taking away an elective course, an elective course that people are actively taking in order to better themselves and educate themselves.”

- Rion Fleming, 10

“It feels like the Board is trying to sneak things through without most residents noticing. It’s not good optics, it’s not transparent.”

- Jennifer Main, community member

“How can we ever attract a diverse staff when every Board meeting has some agenda item that marginalizes another group.”

- Anita Keuhner, FHEA President

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday •01.17.2024 • Pages Designed by Riley Jensen (4) McKenna Hudson (5) • News

FHSD BOARD REMOVES, THEN REINSTATES BLACK HISTORY COURSES AFTER BACKLASH

“Clearly, none of you [the Board] see that your actions have said loud and clear to us that you don’t care about black and brown families in our district.”

- Harry Harris, community member

05

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Puzzlemaker is a puzzle generation too

Have fun with some winter games (Games generated by Discovery Education, Illustrations by Miranda own word lists.

Fabian)

WINTER WORD SEARCH Winter Items Word Search WINTER CROSSWORD (Content by Cherry Clark)

(Content by Kailynn Bockerstette)

ACROSS

3. Knitted garment to keep the neck warm 4. A day marked by the shortest period of daylight 7. Traditional activity of singing songs door to door 8. White fluffy precipitation 9. A common evergreen tree in winter 12/9/23, 7:13 PM

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5. A thick warm, hand covering 6. Indoor fire source popular in winter

Winter Crossword

WINTER WORD BANK

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GIRL MATH Learn the ins and outs of “girl math”, the easiest way to feel better about spending money on unnecessary things Page 12

THE NOSTALGIA OF ANALOG HORROR SHOWS Page 10-11

OUTDATED BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICY CHANGES

FHNtoday.com Francis Howell North St. Charles, MO 63303 Vol. 38 Issue 04 01.17.2024

Page 44-45

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ALTERNATE COVER

Photo by Faith Smith

Designed by Michaela Manfull

STOICK THE VAST vs

Putting these two fathers to the test to see who will come out on top (Content by John Butler) Have you ever thought about which dads in a movie or TV series would win if they got put into the ring? We will look at Stoick the Vast and King Fergus and see which of these dads based on past feats would win in a fight to the death.

Stoick The Vast: Stoick the Vast is the father of Hiccup in the “How To Train Your Dragon” movies and TV series. Sadly, he dies in the second movie of the franchise but that certainly doesn’t take him out of the fight. In the first HTTYD movie, Stoick is seen defending his village of Berk from the dragons that are trying to steal their sheep. In these scenes, he is seen fighting several dragons that are several times his size and weight by himself with his bare fists and objects in the area. Also, based on the movies, he has been fighting dragons since a young age and hasn’t even lost a limb like some of the other villagers of Berk. He also was able to easily fight off Drago Bludvist’s army in the second HTTYD movie.

King Fergus: King Fergus is the king of DunBroch and the father of Princess Merida in the 2012 movie “Brave.” Fergus is a towering man that is said to have the strength of 10 men and has proven that many times. For example, when finding a husband for Merida, he was able to stop the fighting of the other nearby kingdoms leaders when a disagreement happened. In the beginning of the movie, he was able to fight the main antagonist Mor’du, an enchanted bear of an evil king. Fergus was able to fight the bear which was several times his weight and size and only lost a leg. Fergus was also able to defeat Mor’du at the end of the movie with his wife (who was a bear at the time who he also defeated) and Merida.

Deathround: Stoick the Vast wins without a doubt. First are the feats of each father, Stoick has been fighting dragons and other people since he was young and able to defeat both with his brute strength alone or with the objects around him and rarely with a weapon. On the other hand, Fergus has only fought humans in his time and has had an army near him most of the time, not even to mention that during the beginning of “Brave” when fighting Mor’du, he barely made it out alive, losing a leg in the process. When compared to Stoick who hasn’t lost any limb when making the final decision it is clear to see that Stoick wins by a large margin.

ACE ATTORNEY

by Alex Wheadon

awheadon315@g.fhsdschools.org

The Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is a compilation of three Ace Attorney games releasing on Jan. 24.

This game will be released on the Nintendo Switch, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Windows and Steam. This is a compilation of games four through six in the Ace Attorney series, those being Apollo Justice, Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice.

“It’s going to be great to be able to play these three without the need to dig up three different six plus year old games,” senior Austin Lamb said.

In Apollo Justice, the first game in the trilogy originally released on the DS, the player follows Apollo as he begins his attorney career with his first case defending Phoenix Wright who had been disbarred years earlier opening up more cases for Apollo. This game introduces Apollo as well as his bracelet which he can use to sense nervous habits and hone in on them which is used during trials in this game to help him figure out the truth.

Dual Destinies is the second game in the trilogy and will show Apollo, Phoenix and newcomer to the Wright Anything Agency Athena Cykes navigating their way through “the dark age of the law” because of a loss of faith in the court.

This game is the first to use 3D models instead of 2D and its new thing is Athena’s Widget’s Mood Matrix which is used to sense the emotion behind people’s testimony which will be a big help.

Spirit of Justice is the third game in the trilogy and will show Phoenix going to Khura’in to see his friend but getting entangled in their flawed justice system and Apollo and Athena watching over the Wright Anything Agency. This game has all the past game mechanics as well as the Divination Seances which are used in Khura’in to show the victims last moments and what they heard and saw which is used to decide the accused fate before Phoenix arrives.

In this game there will be the DLC for Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice as well as the costumes from those games that were pre-order bonuses for those games. There will also be an Art Library which will house art from each of the games. There will also be an Orchestra Hall where one can listen to music from the games. Lastly there will be an Animation Studio where one can use character models and items from the games to make whatever is wanted.

“Not to mention just how many extra features they’ve crammed into this game, it’s going to be well worth the price,” Lamb said.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 01.17.2024 • Page Designed by MIchaela Manfull (8) Cherry Clark (9) • Entertainment

KING FERGUS

(Illustration by Alex Wheadon)

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(Illustration by Michaela Manfull)

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES FOR ZELDA

by Cheyenne Steed

csteed056@g.fhsdschools.org

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Ever since the knight with a burning desire to protect his princess swept the states on Aug. 22, 1987.

Zelda has been beloved by millions of people ever since. Zelda was officially released in February of 1986 but didn’t make its way to the States until 1987. When they first released “The Legend of Zelda” it was a big hit and to this day, there are over 29 games, the most current game was released in May. “I actually play around once a month but I used to play a lot more,” freshman Ezana Dubale said. “I love Breath of the Wild it’s my favorite out of all of the games, I like killing the monster and how you can ride horses and move around the map in various ways,” The game almost always depicts a knight that overcomes challenges such as puzzles, various enemies, and beating a final opponent to save Hyrule’s princess. In the past few editions, the game has added features such as fusing objects, reversing time, and even traveling through platforms. In the first game, Link tries to collect the eight fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom to rescue Princess Zelda from the final boss and that same story line has impacted the rest of the franchise.

“I’ve played over eight of the games but my favorite game is “Tears of the Kingdom.” I play maybe every two weeks to every day it just depends on how I’m feeling,” senior Sophia McClure said. “I love the world, how the kingdom feels, how mystical it is and all the magical people and towns. I kind of like how Link is a hero and he’s fun to play as.”

Nintendo had the Zelda community hooked and they continue to make new games. Over time, not only has the system the game has been running on been exceptional, but the quality of graphics, gameplay, and the storyline has grown exponentially over the years.

ANALOG HORROR ENHANCES ART OF FEAR

What is analog horror and how does it shape times in the past as terrifying journeys (Illustrations by Cherry Clark)

by Noah Tucker

ntucker088@g.fhsdschools.org

H

orror is a medium of entertainment that has existed for decades. The uneasiness, mystery, and sometimes downright terrifying nature of horror is undeniably thrilling. Over the years, horror as an entertainment medium has, and still is, evolving, expanding, and splitting into many different forms. One of these sub genres of horror is known as analog horror, which is distinct from other horror through its presentation. Analog horror relies heavily on a vintage aesthetic, which is usually pronounced in its use of cassette tape footage, Polaroid images, grainy audio, and visuals that often fall into the “uncanny valley.”

Analog horror often has a major mystery element, allowing for interesting, in-depth stories. Analog horror as a sub-genre started roughly in the mid 2000’s and blew up online in the late 2000’s with a series called “No Man’s Road” on YouTube. YouTube is where almost all of the successful analog horror series have been posted. This allows

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large online communities to foster around these works, leading to even more content creation around these stories. This has happened with many popular works such as “The Mandela Catalog” and “Monument Mythos.”

Horror is scary for a multitude of reasons, one of those being a biological factor, developed through human evolution. One of these factors would be the previously mentioned “uncanny valley”, which is a reaction of disgust people have towards things that look similar to being human, but not quite.

However, the biggest and most common way horror gets under people’s skin is through psychological means. The easiest and most effective method is taking advantage of the unknown. Analog horror is one of the best platforms to take advantage of these factors, and when done well, it excels at giving the audience the all-familiar feeling of terror good horror stories convey.

While straight terror is usually the end goal to horror entertainment, it takes more than

BEST ANALOG TO START WITH Vita Carnis - Living Meat Reaserch This horror series takes place through lost footage, and describes a fictional world in where a new species has sprung up on Earth. Some of the creatures supplement humans and the environment, others aren’t so kind...

(Made by Darian Quilloy on Youtube.com)

The Mandela Catalogue

Imposters, demons, and mysteries are the highlights of the Mandela Catalogue. This story spans thousands of years through cryptic messages and eerie audios. But before you start to uncover the secrets, make sure nothing is lurking in your hallway...

(Made by Alex Kister on Youtube.com)

The Backrooms - Found Footage Taking an all too familiar space to horror fans, this series throws you into an unsettling realm of endless distorted rooms of yellow light and musty motel walling. Poor souls and suspicious organizations traverse the unknown with a chance of an untimely death around each corner...

(Made by Kane Pixels on Youtube.com)

Another way some analog horror series fall flat is through an over-complicated plot.

Because a captivating story is a must-have for a good analog series, many stories fall victim to a convoluted narrative. This often happens through adding new random story elements to account for a new plot point; retconning. It’s fine to have a scattered watch order of videos, cryptic messages, hidden codes, ect. But changing established events for future purposes is a quick way to confuse the audience and cause a loss in interest.

Besides a generally good story, there’s a lot more that goes into making an analog horror series exceptional. The quality of the visuals and audio are undoubtedly a key element in creating a good analog piece.

The most common way analog horror shows their monsters is through crude images and drawings, and for realistic scenes, 3D computer generated models are used.

This can be seen most clearly in effect in the analog series “The Backrooms” where entire sets are all computer generated.

Both of these methods combined with a competent mix of haunting audio can make some of the best scenes analog horror has to offer.

Besides those methods, another, less used way, is the implementation of practical effects, which is the practice of using figures, models and props. A perfect example of how well this method works is in the series “Vita Carnis” where a mimic attack is filmed, with

the mimic being a real model.

“If something just looks scary it bothers me, like it could attack you,” sophomore Rylee Riggs said.

This can all be combined to give the audience a sense of realism, which can lead to some of the most terrifying moments in a series.

Putting characters in situations where they don’t have access to their presumed amenities such as food, water, light, protection or other people, can make every scene a tension building masterpiece. These types of situations are great in analog series, because the mesh of realism and helplessness can make the audience feel as if they’re in the same horrifying predicament as the characters.

“My fear is being abandoned,” freshman Mylie Gibbs said. “What makes me think it’s scary is that you don’t have anyone around you to help you or support you.”

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 01.17.2024 • Pages Designed by Noah Tucker • Entertainment

just being creepy to really make an engaging experience for the audience. They reel in the viewers through interesting stories before revealing the climatic scare. Analog horror is a fantastic format to get the viewer invested in a story. An example of this would be the Analog horror series “Vita Carnis” which takes form in a VHS documentary and builds a fictional world where a new species has emerged on Earth. This setting allows for the audience to get invested in the fictional world, and build tension for the eventual scares.

“I’d say if you’re trying to tell a good story you lean in and out of it,” sophomore Teya Faasen said. “You get quiet and then you can shout at them, or give [the audience] something unexpected and just leave them with that.”

Analog horror series generally gained initial popularity due to their shock value, but that can only take a piece so far. Jump scares and gore are a few hallmarks in horror, and while they are effective ways to frighten the audience, using it too often can detach the viewer, and make the series fall flat. This especially applies to analog horror because a large part of this type of media is that it feels grounded in reality. The VHS tapes, the old digital photos, and the distorted audio all drives home the feeling that at some point in the past, someone really could have been sitting in front of a box TV or an old computer and had been really going through the unsettling events portrayed in the story.

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VIDEO GAME GREED CAUSE DLC

Pokemon: The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero is DLC for the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet games and are split into two parts in which you will explore the hidden traesure in the great cretor of Paldea.

by Cherry Ann Clark

cclark599@g.fhsdschools.org

In the era of digital gaming and the increasing number of new video games being released, there’s a lot of speculation about whether video game companies are becoming more profit-driven.

Downloadable content (DLC), which offers more game content at an extra cost, is one example. The trend of adding expansive DLCs in games, often at the expense of a lack of free content in the base game, has become noticeable.

The Sims, Diablo 4, and Call of Duty are some examples of games that have added a large amount of DLC. Yet, they have also faced criticism for various reasons, including the quality, quantity, and pricing of the content added.

“DLC releases make me mad because many cool items are locked behind level and money requirements,” junior Tyler Rundel said.

This can be especially frustrating for those who cannot afford extra paid content, as more game companies jump on the DLC and microtransaction bandwagons, prioritizing profit over player satisfaction.

Resident Evil: Separate Ways DLC This is DLC for the Resident Evil 4 Remake. The DLC is a survival-horror adventure in which the player plays as Ada Wong as she seeks out Amber as her fate and mission intertwine with Leon Kennedy.

(Photo by La1n)

(Photo by EQRoy)

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(Illustration by Naomi VanDyne)

(Photo by Alexis Rowland)

THAT’S SO FETCH - DISNEY IN A DOWNFALL THE REMAKE

AMAZON USES AI FOR HEALTHCARE

ilash623@g.fhsdschools.org

nsmith474@g.fhsdschools.org

by Izzy Lash

by Cheyenne Steed

by Nyla Smith

When talking about the new Mean Girls remake which came out Jan. 12, many fans were worried that it might just be a cash grab. This, compiled with the recent writers’ strike and controversy surrounding other unpopular remakes, as well as the movie itself being marketed as a ‘musical,’ led to a bit of trepidation. However, some fans had high hopes, thanks to the appearance from much of the original cast and director.

“I feel like it’s going to be a good remake, it’s directed by the same director as the movie and the Broadway show,” junior Lily Brethauer said. “Having the original cast is going to be a little weird, maybe it’ll be a good homage to the original movie, but Amanda Seyfried is the only one who can actually sing.”

There’s a lot of reasons for a movie to get a remake, and although there’s almost a curse on remakes of old classics, the potential to do a great job is always there. This is seen in remakes like Scott Pilgrim, which went from comics, to an iconic movie, to a new show. Fans hoped that the new Mean Girls movie could bring the original, over dramatic, sensational drama back for the third iteration of the household classic.

Over the years Disney has changed a lot but not for the better. Disney used to be about entertaining and giving children a magical experience while watching the media they produced, although in the past few years a lot of people have walked away from Disney.

“My favorite was Frozen for the longest time, I watched it a lot when I was younger,” sophomore Madison Zangraft said. “I don’t really enjoy Disney as much anymore, they aren’t the same as they once were and I 100 percent prefer old Disney over the current one.”

Many of the concerns involved their decision making, such as the censoring of past Disney movies. For example, films previously containing cigarettes or cigars have been removed by Disney as well as a warning Disney has put on past Disney films that they claimed contained racist stereotypes. There has also been unnecessary recreation of some movies such as ‘The Little Mermaid.’ The main issue is the choices in general that they have made on certain topics. People have openly said that they are done with Disney.

AI has been playing an increasing role in healthcare, trying to make it easier for healthcare providers to save time and see more patients, but it isn’t easy learning how to use AI, so to make it easier for healthcare providers, Amazon has recently announced a new AI healthcare service called Amazon Web Service (AWS) HealthScribe.

This service is HIPPA approved, allowing healthcare providers to build their own clinical applications that save time. It saves time for healthcare providers by creating transcripts, generating notes, and analyzing patient and clinician conversions. Even though there are benefits, there are also cons. AWS isn’t always accurate due to audio quality, background noise, and AI sometimes malfunctioning. Also, people have their doubts about AI in healthcare.

“It wouldn’t be very trusting, it could malfunction, it could be input wrong,” junior Cloei Evans said.

Despite the pros and cons, AWS has a steadily growing 34 percent success rate and has been useful for healthcare providers.

Looking at how successful AI has been in healthcare, don’t be alarmed to see it being used at your next appointment.

csteed056@g.fhsdschools.org

BUDGET EASY WITH GIRL MATH

by Izzy Lash

ilash623@g.fhsdschools.org

Make budgeting easy in these three steps!

Girl math is the hottest new way to keep track of spending. Simply ignore all manner of actual cost in order to focus on the savings. For instance, wearing a $20 sweater 20 times is basically getting the sweater free.

50 percent off of a $100 purchase is actually a net gain of $50. Girl math is about making the most of your delusions.

Of course, girl math is an internet joke rather than an actual strategy. It’s a way for people, mostly high school to college aged women, to joke about their spendings. Girl math is part of a larger trend of putting the word ‘girl’ in front of everyday things, like girl dinner, girls night, and girl moment, in order to share things that may have been odd, like eating a single sauce packet for dinner, in a way that doesn’t get flagged for concerning behavior.

“Girl math is silly, I think it’s funny,” junior Heidi Turek said.

So, try girl math. Your bank account may cry, but you sure won’t.

(Photo by Faith Smith)

INSIDE OUT 2 TO her personality crumbles because Joy COME OUT IN JUNE and and Sadness need to make it back with her

by Alex Wheadon

awheadon315@g.fhsdschools.org

Inside Out 2 is a sequel to the original Inside Out and will be released on June 14. Inside Out shows the emotions of Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust in Riley as she starts her new life in San Francisco.

During the movie the emotions get split up along with core memories making it so Riley’s life metaphorically crumbles as Anger, Fear and Disgust can’t make happy core memories (Photo by Kudinova Olena)

core memories.

Inside Out 2 shows Riley as a teen going through puberty, which after their old emotion table gets destroyed and replaced with a new one, they get introduced to the four new emotions which are Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment and Ennui.

“I’m super excited to see it because Inside Out was one of my favorite movies of all time,” senior Sophia McClure said. “I’m hoping Inside Out 2 is able to be just as good if not better.”

(Content and Illustrations by Alex Wheadon)

Game of the Year - Baldur’s Gate III

(Photo by Heidi Huff)

Baldur’s Gate III is a D&D inspired RPG where you assemble a party not unlike D&D to set out to the Forgotten Realm with new abilities that awaken within you from a Mind Flayer Parasite.

CONCRETE FOR THE SOUL

Gravity defying smoothies, shakes and ice creams have been a craze since the dawn of Tik-Tok, and while there were many instances of success, the one that took the spotlight was Dairy Queen’s concrete shake.

The main difference between Dairy Queen’s concrete shake and the average milkshake is that, in order to make it impossible to spill, it must first actually be a ‘concrete’. The difference is in the base material. Instead of being ice cream based, concrete shakes have a custard base with more egg yolk than usual. This leads to a tighter structure when frozen, much like their namesake, concrete. But the real reason for their fame was taste.

“Dairy Queen ice cream is a go to late summer night snack that always hits,” senior Maggie Cuccio said.

This mixture isn’t exactly a secret. Plenty of other places sell concrete shakes. The reason Dairy Queen received so much hype for theirs was thanks to their prior fame as a well known fast-food place, and their credibility as a good place to get a shake. (Column by Izzy Lash)

Action Adventure - Tears of the Kingdom

Best Sim/Strategy Game - Pikmin 4

Tears of the Kingdom is an open world action adventure game where you play as Link as he tries to save Zelda who is lost in time. Link will need to use the power of the ancestors of this land to fend off the Demon King Ganon and save Hyrule.

After a distress signal comes from the planet PNF-404. The player a part of the Rescue Corps sets out to help whoever sent it. But when they reach PNF-404, they crash land and after regrouping find Pikmin now the player is tasked with saving the survivors in each area.

Best Indie Game - Sea of Stars

Sea of Stars is a 2D turnbased RPG where you can take the helm of two children of the solstice who use the power of the sun and moon to beat the Fleshmancer.

Most Anticipated Game - Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is an action RPG developed by Square Enix that will release on Feb. 29. This game will take place after Final Fantasy VII after Cloud and his party leave Midgar on a journey across their planet.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 01.17.2024 • Pages Designed by Alex Wheadon • Entertainment

The Game Awards 2023

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COMICS THE BREAKING POINT

CAT MEETS WORLD

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BEING IN SPORTS STAFF WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE WAYS TO GET INVOLVED WITH MY SCHOOL. I HAVE LEARNED SO MANY GREAT SKILLS THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO USE IN LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL. IT’S KIND OF LIKE BEING PART OF OUR SCHOOL’S ESPN.” —Avee Patel, @FHNgameday Sports Reporter FHN Media

it’s not all black & white

by Michaela Manfull

mmanfull438@g.fhsdschools.org

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NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 01.17.2024 • Pages Designed by Michaela Manfull • In-Depth

chool and home. Those are the only two lives students and teachers are expected to have.

Not only that, but they are also expected to do things outside of their school and home to better themselves for applications to colleges, trade schools, jobs or wherever else their path may take them.

Adults are told to have a good worklife balance. Students are told to have a good school-life balance. Some people are better at it than others. They do less inside and outside of school and have plenty of time to lounge around and watch shows or do what little homework they have. Other people don’t have a good enough worklife balance. They’re always on the

move, running from school to practice to studying to another meeting to work, barely making time for meals, friends or family. Those who take part in things “work too hard” but those who don’t do things outside of school are prodded to join more things because “they’ll look good on college applications.”

There are many things that students and teachers alike have to balance in their daily lives. From additional jobs and sports teams to health conditions and family to care for, there are people in every class every day who aren’t thinking just about that class, they’re planning for what they have to do to prepare for the next day or what their commitments are that night.

Today’s society has pressed things into students’ heads, that they have to do a certain amount of things, be in a certain amount of AP and honors classes and still “make time for the things they love.”

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FRESHMAN YEAR STRESSES

Dancers Kyndal Jacobs and Jade Johnson spend their free time partaking in many extracurriculars (Photos by Kylie Ramirez, Illustrations by Violet Newton)

by Chase Pray

cpray812@g.fhsdschools.org

F

reshman year in high school can be a big jump from middle school in many ways. Trying to figure out how much school work you can handle while still balancing a healthy social life is a challenge that high school students are all too familiar with. Time consuming activities like clubs, sports and other extracurricular activities are a vital part of the high school experience but they can also be a big stresser if a healthy work-fun balance isn’t found. Freshman Kyndal Jacobs has been trying to find a healthy balance that works for her as her first semester of high school comes to an end.

“At school I’m on Knightline and I’m also a part of MAC scholars and student council,” Jacobs said. “I also dance outside of school and that takes a lot of my time so it’s been difficult finding a work balance.”

Dance can be a very competitive sport, so to keep up with the competition, certain dancers will practice for hours each day.

However, an issue arises for high school dancers since dedicating so much time to an activity outside of school can lead to an imbalance of one having to take priority over the other. Making sure that one doesn’t completely overshadow the other is something that freshman dancer Jade Johnson has been ensuring doesn’t happen to herself.

Johnson developed a system that works for her and allows her

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to balance both school and dance equally so one doesn’t overshadow the other.

“I dance on our Knightline team and for a dance studio called Steppin’ Up Dance Productions,” Johnson said. “I dance nearly everyday and sometimes it’s up to five hours at a time so I bring my backpack with me so during breaks I can work on my school work.”

Proper sleep is a very important aspect of being able to function properly throughout the school day. Being involved with a lot of extracurricular activities can make it so sleep becomes an afterthought at times which can in turn damper school work and the quality of other activities.

“I mean, I probably am getting like four to five hours of sleep a night which isn’t the best because I’m always tired,” Johnson said.

While Knightline itself is a huge commitment at school, dance studios outside of school can be just as time consuming and competitive. Jacobs dances at big conventions regularly so the training regimen that she goes through on a daily basis can be a grueling and challenging process. Recently, Jacobs won a national championship in the 13-14 age talent category at the Talent on Parade Nationals. The enormous amount of time and effort that went into Jacobs winning at a national dance competition is something that most high schoolers couldn’t even fathom.

“I’ve been doing this for a decade and it’s been many, many hours of practicing for that one moment,” Jacobs said. “I came first in a competition at nationals and it’s like that moment is what all my practice has built towards.”

While the time commitment and stress that comes with such a busy schedule is something that is not to be understated, Jacobs and Johnson both wouldn’t change how they spend their time. Doing things that they both enjoy while balancing the difficult high school workload that they are still adjusting to is important to both girls.

“I mean I wouldn’t be doing what I do outside of school if I couldn’t handle it or if I didn’t like it,” Johnson said. “All the stuff I do I enjoy and it can be stressful but it’s not something that’s too much for me to bear.”

JUGGLING WORK AND SCHOOL (Photo by Faith Smith, Illustration by Violet Newton)

Senior Ben Reilly attends school and participates in the Lewis and Clark program while working over 30 hours a week as a trainer at Freddy’s

for it so I definitely have some catching up to do,” Reilley said.

And although some may avoid working For most, work is 9 to 5 arriving in the such extreme hours during the school year, morning and leaving in the afternoon after sometimes it’s not a matter of choice. There a long day of work. are ways to balance Dinner is made or both work and school, bought, and the rest students just have to of the night is spent be real with themselves resting or socializing. and what they will be So, when adults hear able to do. that students only work “I would really try to three to six hours a find a balance, don’t day, it is blown off. But overwork like I would,” what they fail to realize Reilly said. “Stick to 20 is that students have to 25 hours a week, I seven hours of school really wouldn’t go over before work in the that. Because once you afternoon. hit 25, it’s just really a “One of the most lot, especially if you are -Brendan Reilly, Senior challenging parts of taking hard classes. It’s working that much is just really not worth it. I working closing on a would pick and choose school night, I’ll close between hours at work and have a rough shift on a school night and and hard classes because juggling both isn’t then have to wake up the next morning and realistic. I also sometimes try to prioritize go to school,” senior Brendan Reilly said. “And one over the other, and make goals in my then maybe I’ll have a test that morning, or head so I can focus on one thing.” just a rough line-up at school.”

While school can be hard to balance with Reilly works about 30-35 hours a week on work it can help students learn a plethora of average as a trainer at Freddy’s, on top of skills. This includes time management, money this, he is in the Lewis and Clark program and management and the ability to problem solve at school for the remainder of the day. This in real world situations. makes simple assignments difficult to keep “I would say, it has really prepared me for up with, along with a social life and spending the real world, like a lot of stress and running time with family. around, and I think that will prepare me for “Working every day has really put me what will happen when we’re adults,” Reilly behind on school work, I just don’t have time said.

by Violet Newton

“I try to find an isolated day, like a day I’m off work.

And try to go to the library and catch up on schoolwork.”

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 01.17.2022 • Pages Designed by Gavin Swart • In-Depth

vnewton158@g.fhsdschools.org

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ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE WITH PHYSICAL CHALLENGES Paige Whitfield spends only one hour at school each day due to a chronic disease.

by Drew Johnson

Even though physical activities are the most noticeable side effect of Multiple Sclerosis to an outside spectator, Paige enior Paige Whitfield’s day at North still struggles with completing actions that ends when the first hour bell rings. require extensive mental focus.

Though ahead on credits, her “[A symptom] is fatigue so I am always academic preparedness isn’t what permits tired,” Paige said. “When I go home, I get to her to leave, but rather her recent diagnosis. sleep because I need to and I also do almost “In June [of 2023] I was diagnosed with all my other classes online. It just helps me Multiple Sclerosis,” Paige said. “One of the relax my body. [I can] take a nap if I need to things that can cause and not feel guilty or have flare-ups is stress and to trek upstairs.” so [I leave early] to Multiple Sclerosis can reduce the amount lead to a major change in of flare-ups because school performance for each one shortens a student. Though, even your life.” with her diagnosis, Paige Although diagnosed still manages to maintain months ago, Paige high grades. still experienced “She’s exceptional symptoms of her and maintained all A’s future diagnosis far in school,” Paige’s mom before visiting the Nouelle Whitfield said. doctor.

“She also has an AP “I had symptoms for Spanish class. It doesn’t about a year,” Paige stop her, she’s very said. “My feet [would] -Nouelle Whitfield hardworking. She’s able to hurt but when it was be successful despite her massaged it went being very tired and not away. Then it started being able to drive [a car] from my feet to my legs to my torso. Then like everyone else.” it exacerbated itself in February and came Paige has maintained her academic back again in March. So, I finally got an MRI excellence far enough to even earn herself a and EKG.” Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish, a confirmation Many of the activities that Paige once of fluency. enjoyed had to be reduced to accommodate “When I graduate I want to be a Spanish for her diagnosis. Because of her low energy interpreter,” Paige said. “Literacy will help span, physical activities often yielded me to get interpreting jobs. For me, [I want] challenges. to just continue in my journey, and I want “[I used to be able to] walk longer, I could to continue expanding my knowledge and do like 30-45 minute workouts daily, I grammar to do my best.” could bike for hours, and just do everything Paige’s Spanish ambitions haven’t gone without having to wait for a break,” Paige unnoticed either. The one course she comes said. “After diagnosis, I would have to limit to school each day to take is her Spanish myself to maybe 25 minutes of workouts.” class. djohnson440@g.fhsdschools.org

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“She was still that goofy kid, still Paige. She was very positive.

That’s what was amazing through the entire ordeal.”

“She is an outstanding student and I didn’t expect her to change academically or socially,” Paige’s AP Spanish Language and Culture teacher Brian Santos said. “She is tenacious because I think that she overcomes a lot of challenges successfully and with a lot of determination.”

Although Paige continued her Spanish ambitions post-diagnosis, many of her other passions didn’t align with her conditions.

“She was enrolled in the University of Chicago for American Sign Language,” Nouelle said. “She couldn’t use her hands to sign and she wasn’t able to complete the course because she couldn’t sign.”

With a condition that requires as much attention as Multiple Sclerosis, many aspects of a family relationship can be affected.

“I still work partly,” Nouelle said. “I will drive her to school in the morning, if she had NHS I would have to drive her to school even earlier. I’d have to wait at school because she’s only there for one hour so I’d wait to take her home. I have to go to doctor appointments and go to hospitals for treatment. With her school and my work and having to take care of the household, I have a busy life.”

With all of the negatives surrounding her diagnosis, Paige still manages to find ways to grow as a person and utilize her condition to understand others better.

“I am feeling a little more empathetic to people who might be going through something,” Paige said. “I want to be more patient because you don’t know really what’s going on in their lives.”

Paige relies on her religious beliefs to encourage herself to continue to push for the future.

“I am Jehovah’s Witness and I fully believe in a new world called Paradise where all ailments will be healed,” Paige said. “It keeps me hopeful for the future.”

FIGHTING SCHEDULE FIRES Samantha Soltysiak is a teacher and parent who manages an irregular and hectic schedule

by Drew Johnson

djohnson440@g.fhsdschools.org

B

On Dec. 15, in an honors biology class, Mrs. Soltysiak helps freshman Aaron Visnack with his murder mystery blood type lab. (Photo by Jupiter Stephens, Illustration by Violet Newton)

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eing a tennis coach, science teacher and full-time parent is no simple task.

Samantha Soltysiak does this all while simultaneously deciding how to juggle an active personal and professional balance.

Soltysiak occasionally spends extra time at

FAST FACTS Below are some facts about Multiple Sclerosis. (Information from Healthline)

An estimated 1.8 million people have Multiple Sclerosis around the world.

Around 5,000 children who live in the U.S have Multiple Sclerosis.

Females are three times more likely to get Multiple Sclerosis than males.

8 percent of people diagnosed develop a worsened version of Multiple Sclerosis.

Lifetime costs of people diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis is around $4.1 million.

Paige Whitfeild works on a music assignment for her Spanish 5 class during 1st hour. Whitfeild only comes to school 1st hour for her Spanish 5 class and does the rest of her classes online at home. This is Whitfeild’s first year doing online classes. (Photo by Faith Smith, Illustration by Violet Newton)

school, complicating her family’s schedule.

“I work over contract hours,” Soltysiak said. “Sometimes I’m here anywhere up to six o’clock at night prepping for labs. So, it’s pretty inconsistent with my preps that I have.”

In addition to her irregular schedule, Soltysiak’s husband Ben McMahon is a fireman for the Florissant Valley Fire Protection District. Unlike other professions, firefighters spend days on end at a fire station rather than returning home each night. McMahon works for two days straight and then has a four day break. On top of his non-traditional work schedule, McMahon is periodically required to complete additional work.

“He sometimes gets forced overtime,” Soltysiak said. “So, if they are at the firehouse and it’s his second day there, he could be forced to work [extra] if he’s present.”

With busy schedules, challenges are likely

to come up. On days when her children don’t have daycare and her husband is working, Soltysiak is forced to improvise to ensure her kids have supervision.

“We have daycare Monday, Wednesday and Fridays but it’s only part-time,” Soltysiak said. “We sometimes get into situations where we may have to take off of work a day to make sure there’s childcare for the kids.

Sometimes, I have had to bring my kids into school to hang out with me for the day.”

Soltysiak still manages to provide essential services for her students and athletes despite her schedule challenges.

“I really admire Mrs. Soltysiak because she seems very stressed, but is always able to bring everything together at the end,” junior Angel Tolota, who is a part of the tennis team and is a former student of Soltysiak, said.

Even with a hectic schedule, Soltysiak and her husband have found ways to keep themselves afloat and learn from the chaos

in their lives.

“I have definitely built time management and organizational strategies,” Soltysiak said.

“My husband and I have had to communicate on every aspect and level to make sure that all bases are covered. I think that it’s taught me to be resilient to that, although it’s tough.

In the moment, it’s still worth it.”

Soltysiak uses her developed skills to enjoy her busy schedule as much as possible.

“In the end, like when tennis season is over, and I’ve had a successful season, my kids are still talking about the match that they went to or whatever. To me, that is a fulfilling feeling,” Soltysiak said. “So, just stick it out, because you end up feeling very happy in life and feeling like what you’re doing, there’s a purpose to it. Also, it has always kept me on my toes. I think, although I look like I’m aging, it keeps me young.”

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 01.17.2024 • Pages Designed by Drew Johnson • In-Depth

Yearly costs for those diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis averages $30,000 to $100,000.

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HELPFUL & HEALTHY WAYS TO NAVIGATE STRESS

Juggling many activities can be hard to manage, causing unwanted stress, so to prevent your life from being too stressful, here are some things you can do in the moment or beforehand to minimize negative effects (Content by Nylah Smith, Illustration by Michaela Manfull)

IT STARTS WITH THE BRAIN To clearly see what your goals are for each day, start by making a list of things you need to do to make sure you’re not overfilling your schedule and are able to keep up with your activities.

Be sure to get enough sleep every night.

Sleeping often helps improve your immune system causing you to get sick less and helps you think more clearly to preform better at school or work.

TAKE A BREATH Chewing gum is a simple and common physical activity to relieve stressors in your everyday life. Eating your favorite snack can also boost your mood because you’re doing something that makes you feel happy and satisfied.

Taking deep breaths to clear your mind and assess your surroundings is helpful while in stressful situations. During or afterwards, writing down what you feel to get your feelings out can help you see what the problem is and what to do to fix it.

PULL OUT YOUR PHONE Pinterest has a feature where it helps you manage stress. If you type in #pinterestwellbeing, it will give you resources to help you improve your mood.

Reflectly-journal is a personal journal where you can write down your stressful thoughts and also sends you motivational quotes based on what your journals are about.

Stoic helps you understand your emotions to over come obstacles and live a better and more relaxed life.

Motivation-Daily Quotes sends quotes to your phone to motivate you during your day.

Rootd is an app that help you with stress and anxiety and teaches you about what you’re feeling.

Routine by care/of helps you create routines for anything, evaluating you on how these routines make you feel. It helps you create habits, helping you keep things organized.

GET UP, GET AROUND Some easy things to do to relieve stress are getting active Getting a stress ball can provide a less draining physical activity to deal with stress, you get pick it and squeeze as hard as you can to relieve your feelings of stress and frustration without having to stand up or move around too much.

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Sometimes, you’ll find yourself in a situation where you need to physically get away. You can take walk around you house, your yard, the neighborhood to clear your mind and calm down or you could go to a place where you feel comfortable to calm yourself down.

Physical activity can help prevent stress in the future as well. Staying active and having a workout plan, walking every day, lifting weights or whatever else it may be, can help reduce feelings of stress in other areas of your life daily.

NORTH

STAR

View a story, photo gallery and video about the opening of a Buc-ee’s location on with other multimedia projects FHNtoday.com

THE NOSTALGIA OF ANALOG HORROR SHOWS Page 10-11

OUTDATED BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICY CHANGES

FHNtoday.com Francis Howell North St. Charles, MO 63303 Vol. 38 Issue 04 01.17.2024

Page 44-45

ALTERNATE COVER

Photo by Payton Johntson Designed by Michaela Manfull

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 11.29.2022 • Pages Designed by Nylah Smith (22) and Michaela Manfull (23) • Features

A VISIT TO BUC-EE’S

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Discover FHN’s favorite stickers (Content by Violet Newton)

“My favorite sticker is the wave because it represents my love for my family that lives by the coast,” junior Olivia Van Horn.

“The smiley face ones are my favorite ones because my girlfriend sticker bombed my phone with smiley face stickers and it’s a good memory.

It makes me think of her every time I look at it,” freshman Leo Swaney.

“ I Really like it because it’s a bible verse, and my youth group leader gave it to me,” sophomore Kelsey Button.

“This one is my favorite because its so stupid and I got it at my brothers birthday party at the St. Louis science center,” junior Teagan Lee.

“This is my favorite because its a really good memory of me getting a chance to hang out with my friends,” freshman Maggie Leeper.

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MORE THAN JUST A CANDLE STORE Amber Anians founded Blaze Candle Company and Oh My Posh, a candle store and boutique (Content by Kaylee Priest)

by Kaylee Priest

kpriest027@g.fhsdschools.org

F

An interior look at the items Blazed Candle Co. has to offer such as candles, t-shirts, slippers and more.

Blazed Candle Co also sells numerous plants and succulants that are avaliable in unique pots. resorting to online shopping. Maintaining motivation during these times was a struggle, but it was her passion that served as the driving force, keeping her determined and moving her forward.

“The passion drives from my customers,” Anians said. “Seeing everybody laugh, I mean some of my customers are closer to me than my own family members. But, they really are what keeps me going.”

Through the thick and thin of Blazed Candle Co. and now the new addition of ‘Oh My Posh,’ the person that she couldn’t thank enough for sticking by her side was her husband (name), her co-owner of the businesses, and her motivation. “[The person that stuck by my side,] definitely my husband,” Anians said. “From my first candle I ever made till now, I told

Amber Anians stands proudly in the store that she created.

BLAZED CANDLE CO. Scan the QR code below to view the Blazed Candle Co. website.

him I wanted this and he’s just supported me from day one, along with the decision to open a store. He’s literally been by my side this whole time, I don’t know what I would do without him.”

Kyle, while being Amber’s husband, he also played a pivotal role in the opening of both stores. From working construction on the new building to making vanilla scented candles, this man has constantly supported Amber in the business.

“All of this has been unbelievable,” Anians said. “From where it started to where it is now, starting on our basement and pretty much watching Amber take over everything to opening a store in the middle of COVID, I don’t know how it blew up the way it did. It’s hard for me to put this all into words, I still can’t wrap my mind around it.”

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 01.17.2024 • Pages Designed by Violet Newton (24) Kaylee Priest and Peyton Thies (25) • Features

rom the humble beginnings of basement floors to the warm ambiance of the candle shop doors, Amber Anians, a local small business owner, has started on her candle shop journey. The proud owner of Blazed Candle Co. Amber has been dedicated to her entrepreneurial path since the age of 22 and hasn’t looked back.

“I have had my hands in a bunch of different things, when I had my first daughter when I was only 22,” Anians said. “I ran an at-home daycare, so I was pretty much getting paid to have my daughter play with her friends, I was also in control of what she was learning and stuff like that.”

As her daughter got older, she ran multiple other small businesses, and over the years, had three other daughters. She began her journey in the “health and wellness” industry when her best friend started selling small candles in metal tins out of her house through Etsy. She asked Amber if she could help with the marketing aspects of it, and soon thereafter, took over the Etsy page.

With good marketing, a high sales rate, and, of course, word of mouth, Anaians was able to open a physical store on Mexico Rd named Blazed Candle Company.

“Being a small business owner is challenging,” said Anians. “Everyone thinks they can just work for themself and work whenever they want, but it’s way more intense with that. You’re pretty much working all day, everyday whether you have a physical store or an online store.”

Blazed Candle Co. is a unique store that specializes in candles while also offering a variety of products including gadgets, plants, clothes and jewelry. The store has recently launched new collections such as the ‘Swifty Collection’ and the festive ‘Tis the Season’ collection. Operating seven days a week, they welcome customers from 10 a.m to 6 p.m. On the occasional weekend, Blazed Candle Co. collaborates with local STL small businesses, hosting events to promote and spread the word about the small business community in the area. “[My day] is busy from the moment I get there. I get there one, two hours early, I get ready for the store to open so maybe that’s restocking or online orders,” Anians said.

The success of the first location prompted the opening of a second in the Cottellville area, aiming to attract a broader customer base with the opening of ‘Oh My Posh - A Gift Boutique.’ This boutique is a collaboration with one of Anians best friends, whom she met through the journey of owning Blaze. At ‘Oh My Posh,’ customers can find all the items Blaze offers, with the exciting addition of a baby section, a clothing department, and even fitting rooms.

“This new store will kind of be your one stop shop,” Anainas said. “Whether you need a wedding gift or a baby shower gift, something funny for your husband, you can.”

When Anains first launched her business, it coincided with the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. This meant challenging times for all small businesses, as people were

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A view of downtown Washington, MO (Photo Submitted)

An FHN student does bicep curls in the weight room. (Photo by Isabella Collins)

GYM RISES IN POPULARITY AMONG TEENS AT FHN

by Patricia Fechter

pfechter698@g.fhsdschools.org

In this generation, going to the gym has become a much more popular hobby than others.

Some teens at FHN have been committed members of fitness clubs for years to improve both their mental and physical health.

“I think it is important for teens to go to the gym to stay fit and in good shape, and also improve their mental health, because some get very self conscious about the way they look and going to the gym makes such a huge difference and you just feel so much better about yourself,” junior Ian Brinkman said.

One of the most popular gyms among FHN students is Edge Fitness Club. Most go there because of the environment and the equipment they provide and it is also in a convenient location to most FHN students.

“I first started going with friends and I just really liked the environment and it just seemed like a better fit for me rather than Club Fitness,” senior Janiya Lorthridge said.

The main reason some people consider going to the gym is solely just to improve the way they look. But for others, it is so much more than that. The gym helps build an environment that brings people together, and also helps people improve their mental health and how they feel about themselves.

“If you look good, you feel good, and the gym helps build muscle and makes people more confident about themselves,” Brinkman says It is important for teens to keep up with their health and fitness to both look and feel better about themselves. Going to the gym helps build confidence and also gives students something to do in their spare time.

“I just think it helps me feel better about myself. If people started going to the gym we’ll all feel more confident and be more healthy,” Lorthridge said.

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WASHINGTON, MO Various shops and stores in Washington, Missouri highlight the artistry and craftsmanship of its locals (Content by Ray Hathcock)

A customer at the Washington Coffee Shop observes the menu (Photo by Ray Hathcock)

THE WASHINGTON COFFEE SHOP This coffee shop is a warm space where many gather to have a cup of coffee or to study in a quiet environment. It’s highly rated by the locals as ‘one of the best in the area.’

“I get a lot of people coming in here saying that this place is so cute or that it is decorated well,” Jacy Deloach, a barista who has worked there for two and a half years, said. “And I agree with that. I think it’s important to have a real good feel to a place. I think it’s a really nice place for people to gather, it kind of feels like home.”

The majority of coffee shops in the area have come and gone. Although this coffee shop has some unique interior design that isn’t typically found in coffee shops. Rustic and antique signs are scattered around its walls, the sale of handcrafted items and different types of furniture that all coincides together with the building.

“This is probably the first coffee shop that actually has great indoor seating, a great coffee shop where you come and get coffee and meet with a friend,” customer Debbie Shwartz said. “And it’s the first one that got stuck in Washington, because there were some that came in before, not never really stuck around.”

Nearly complete, Pat McCarty repeatedly hammers a cooper leaf until it forms.

(Photo by Ray Hathcock)

Dresses displayed in the changing rooms from Scarlett’s Riverside Boutique. (Photo by Ray Hathcock) Finished leaf of Pat McCarty, freshly fired, exposes the copper’s true colors. (Photo by Ray Hathcock)

ROOM FOR ART A man who wants to prove how useful and alive blacksmithing is, Pat McCarty shows his craft off at Silver Dollar City and at the Room for Art shop in his hometown of Washington. He had gotten into this craft when he had converted an old barn into his own house.

“It’s not a dying art anymore, that’s the point especially I’m wanting to get across,” McCarty said. “There are opportunities online to find these out and there’s just all kinds of people who want to learn how to get information.”

WANDERLUST MARKET

From a hobby of the art of chocolate making to a market that’s full of many different edible products, Jill and Jeff Porter run the Wanderlust Market along downtown Washington, Missouri. Once they moved into their small shop they sold additional items that were sold by the previous shop owners, like caramels, jams and wood-fireroasted pistachios.

“Probably the people are my favorite,” Jeff said. “We have really good conversations with people. And most people, I’d say probably 95 percent of the people that come in here, are very friendly and like to have conversations. We learn about them and they learn about us, and we’re making a lot of friends and it’s just more about the people.”

by Ray Hathcock

rhathcock942@g.fhsdschools.org

A boutique named after the granddaughter of the owner of this business, Scarlett’s Riverside Boutique was created after years of Ashley Hanley buying and reselling clothing while COVID was at its peak. She used to buy from local shops, but expanded by reselling clothes nationwide as a vendor in craft fairs. She now has her husband, Derek, make the majority of the shirts and sweatshirts.

“I would say it’s a place for everyone,” Hanley said. “I wanted to make sure that there were sizes extra small through XXXlarge. All we have to do is find XYZ and it’s just a place where women can feel confident in who they are. And give them the ‘Pretty Woman’ experience where they were really nice to her.”

Hanley had never fit into a clique when she was younger, which inspired her to open this shop, as she’s not the ‘boutique owner cliché.’ She’s authentically herself, and her honesty towards everyone allows her to suspect that’s how she has been obtaining great consumer satisfaction.

She hired her friend, Cindy Edwards, as the store manager once she moved into the store. Anyone who works there could get an opportunity to personal shop for the customers. She is a very interpersonal person, and combined with her fashion interests, makes this job a great match for her.

“I really think that it is a lot of the customer service,” Edwards said. “And the fact that we try to remember people’s names when they come in. We try to remember the things that they like, and some people don’t like when we go around and pick things for them to try.

We give them their space and just talk with them instead. And then there are some people who don’t even know where to start when they come in, and love the fact that we can pick out items and outfits for them.”

Scarlett’s Riverside Boutique is different from the majority of the boutiques by the fact that it is also a photography studio.

This shop was built under the foundation that Hanley wanted to find a place for everyone, where everyone has a place.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 01.17.2024 • Pages Designed by Ray Hathcock • Features

Sweet pepper relish, pumpkin butter and other kitchen items on display on a shelf at the Wanderlust Market. (Photo by Demi Johnson)

SCARLETT’S RIVERSIDE BOUTIQUE

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DIRECTORIAL DEBUT

Senior Adam Prinkey discovers his love of directing and hopes to pursue a career in music education (Photos by Kylie Taliaferro) Adam Prinkey is a senior in Knightsound and Concert Choir. Prinkey found his passion for music at the age of 12 when he started playing piano. A year later he started performing vocally with his seventh grade choir. “Originally I joined seventh grade because I got bullied into submission by friends that were in choir and I actually quite enjoyed it. And I decided to keep going in high school,” Prinkey said.

Prinkey conducts a Knightsound practice After high school, Prinkey wants to go to college to become a music educator.

Prinkey realized that music education was what he wanted to do in life after leading his fellow choir members in sectionals. Prinkey started researching how to conduct. “I was really drawn into teaching other people music and I was really having fun with being the person at the piano just playing notes and having everybody follow,” Prinkey said.

Prinkey is most inspired by his choir teacher, Jennifer Oncken. “She showed me what education can really give to kids and something that I want to mirror one day with my own choirs. And I feel like she’s a very respectable educator.

And she doesn’t just teach notes and music,” Prinkey said.

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“I feel like being in that world of liberal and performing arts has definitely inspired me to reach out into the world and try to get all this knowledge and all this experience that I wouldn’t really be super passionate and getting if I was just like researching chemicals all my life. I feel like it’s kind of a foot-in-the-door of what’s really out there,” Prinkey said.

A GLOBAL GAME OF SEEK AND FIND

Geocaching has been around since the early 2000’s, and has been providing a fun and challenging outdoor scavenger hunt for people around the world to enjoy (Content by Sadie Ortmeyer, Illustrations by Izzy Lash)

What is Geocaching?

To put it simply, geocaching is a high-tech scavenger hunt across the globe that anybody can participate in. People can use an electronic compass with a set of coordinates to lead them to hidden containers called geocaches. After searching for and finding the cache, people can then open it, sign their name in a log book, and put it back where they found it. However, people are not just limited to finding caches, but can hide them for others to find too. Caches are commonly placed in public parks, hiking trails, and in urban areas, but can really be found anywhere outdoors.

This makes it easy for people to get outside and see the world while also bonding with others and having fun at the same time.

How to Geocache 1. Download the free Geocaching® app or go

Alex Prudhomme is currently a junior and started geocaching when he was in fifth grade because of the Spectra program. He still geocaches today and has found over 300 caches.

“I like geocaching mainly because it allows me to connect with the outdoors and with other people. It’s always fun to go geocaching by yourself or with another group of people and then also finding another group of people who’s looking for the same thing.”

- Alex Prudhomme, 11

What to Expect While Geocaching

When geocaching, a lot of things can happen unexpectedly, so it is better to prepare for the unexpected. For instance, weather can have a big influence on when to cache in general. Not many people like to cache when it’s cold or rainy. Caches sometimes can’t be found. Whether this is due to it being stolen, moved, or hidden really well, not a lot of geocachers have a 100 percent success rate.

Terrain can also be a challenge to transverse.

Walking through mud and bushwhacking might be a necessity to finding a certain cache. Lastly, you never will know exactly what you are looking for until you find it.

This can become a struggle when trying to look for something big and in reality, the cache could be tiny instead.

Guidelines and Etiquette

Before starting, there are a few guidelines that are absolutely necessary to know and follow when geocaching.

Replacing Items Each geocache (unless it is micro-sized)

usually contains items, toys, or trinkets that are meant to be traded. If you do decide to take an item out of a geocache, you must replace it with something of equal value.

Filling Out the Log Don’t forget to log your geocache with your account name and date after finding it.

Don’t Spoil On the geocaching app, you are able to comment on specific caches. Don’t comment where the cache is and spoil the fun for others.

Stealing This rule is pretty straightforward, just don’t steal the cache.

Sealing the Cache When closing the cache back up, make sure you have sealed everything. This is so water and insects won’t be able to get inside the cache and ruin it.

Don’t Bury the Cache When hiding a cache, you cannot bury it.

This makes finding the cache unbelievably hard, and increases the possibility of losing the cache.

Large Geocache

Regular Geocache

Small Geocache

Micro Geocache

By far, this cache is the easiest to find. It is the largest cache on the size chart and requires a big space which can make it difficult to hide. These are most likely to be hidden on the ground, and are 20L or larger.

Finding this type of cache can be a little more difficult than finding the large or regular ones. They can be the size of a pill bottle and can be easily camouflaged to make it harder to find. These are commonly found in trees or on the ground and are 100ml or larger, but less than 1L.

Unlike the larger cache, these are smaller, but still pretty easy to find. They can be the size of a shoebox, but are usually tupperware containers with clips on the sides or ammo cans. These are also typically found on the ground and are 1L or larger, but less than 20L.

Out of all the caches, these are the most difficult to find.

They are extremely tiny and can even be smaller than a fingernail. They are also screwed together in the middle, and are only big enough to hold a rolled-up log sheet. To make the experience even better, they are usually put in the branches of trees.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 01.17.2024 • Pages Designed by Kylie Taliaferro (28) and Sadie Ortmeyer (29) • Features

to the Geocaching.com website and make an account.

2. Once an account is made, look on the map or list for a close geocache to look for and select it.

3. Hit the navigate button to start tracking it.

4. Follow the line or compass (whatever you prefer) until you are at the spot and start searching for the cache.

5. Once you find the cache, open it, write your account name in the log book, and log that you found the cache on the Geocaching® app or website.

6. Seal the cache back up and put it EXACTLY where it was before.

That’s all there is to it, pretty simple, right?

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KEEPING UP WITH THE KNIGHTS

Jessica Sanchez shows off nails as she continues to chase her dreams in cosmetology. (Photo by Alayna Clement)

SANCHEZ PERSIGUE SU SUEÑO

by Miranda Fabian

mfabian486@g.fhsdschools.org

Viniendo de México en el año 2021, Jessica Sánchez ha trabajado en la escuela desde que llegó, sirviendo almuerzos a los estudiantes. Pero antes de que llegara a los Estados Unidos, Sánchez trabajó en México por seis años como estilista para las uñas y ha continuado los dos años que ha estado aquí.

“A mi siempre me ha llamado la atención las uñas arregladas y bonitas entonces empecé a tomar cursos para mis propias uñas,” Sánchez dijo.

Sánchez ha trabajado duro para aprender cómo estilizar las uñas y hacerlo su trabajo principal en México.

Ella se dio cuenta de las diferencias entre los estilos de los dos países como la base de las uñas y se ha adaptado y al mismo tiempo está aprendiendo las nuevas modas que cambian cada día.

“Cada día salen nuevas técnicas y cada quien trabaja de diferente manera,” Sánchez dijo.

Ahora siendo parte de la escuela ha forzado a Sánchez a estar enfocada en otras cosas, que la carrera de sus sueños.

“Ahorita aquí en este país pues es como mi hobby, como mi segundo trabajo pero en México si era mi trabajo a eso me dedicaba 100 por ciento,” Sánchez dijo.

Pero enfocándose en su aún trabajo no significa que no quiere o que va dejar su sueño. Sánchez se esfuerza en mantener sus habilidades y todavía toma citas los fines de semana y horas después de la escuela en su casa. Igualmente trabaja duro para ahorrar dinero para poder ir a la escuela y sacar su licencia para hacer las uñas en los Estados Unidos.

“Me gustaría tomar cursos aquí para tener mi licencia,” Sánchez dijo. “Y en algún momento, abrir mi propio negocio de uñas y qué mejor que nadamas trabajar en eso.” (View the English version on FHNtoday.com by searching ‘Jessica Sánchez chases her dream in being a nail technician’)

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SCHAFFRIN FAMILY ADDS THREE TO HOUSEHOLD Ally, Madi and Maggie were adopted by the Schaffrin family and reflect on a decade of love

by Canyon Dubis

cdubis608@g.fhsdschools.org

T

welve years ago the Schaffrin’s thought their family was complete with Alyssa, Kelsey, Abby, Zack and Mallory each having their own space and the family having a set routine. Mere months later though, the number of children in the Schaffrin household would grow by three and the routines they were used to had to adapt.

“It sounds crazy, that it’s only been 10 years, but really it’s like I’ve known them for longer than that,” Alyssa said. “I mean, the twins are turning 14 in January and I’ve known them since they were 8 months old.

So, it feels longer than this small part of my life. Honestly, I forget when I see pictures when it’s just the five of us. It’s almost weird to see pictures of pre-them being part of our family. Because I can’t picture it.”

The Schaffrins brought in three girls Ally, who was 4-years-old, and twins Madi and Maggie who were 15 months old. The family had known the three girls from the restaurant Magpie’s, where Donna and her daughter Alyssa Divjak, formerly Schaffrin, worked.

“I worked at a restaurant on Main Street and they lived nearby and would come into the restaurant pretty often with their parents,” Donna said. “And the state took them away from their parents who had a problem with drugs.”

The biological mother of Ally, Madi and Maggie had asked Donna to take the girls in for 30 days while she went to rehab and Donna did. Donna and her family babysat the girls before and loved seeing them. However,

Magpie’s

Scan this QR code to view the Magpie’s Cafe website, where the story for the Schaffrin family began.

the mother did not go to rehab so Donna and her family started fostering the girls and eventually adopted them two years later on July 19, 2013.

“I thought adopting the girls would be chaos because I already had five kids,” Donna said. “The youngest was about 13 [years old] when we first took them in. And so, it was three new babies in the house. It was a little bit crazy. But I also knew they needed a home and we just had to do it.”

Kelsey Schaffrin was 14 and a freshman at FHN when they started fostering. It took her some time to get used to having the three new girls in the house but has loved them ever since.

“It took time to adjust to having babies in the house because we were all older,” Kelsey said. “So, starting completely over with babies, the world revolved around them, in a good way, but they needed full-time attention and care.”

Although Kelsey and the rest of her family didn’t see the girls very much before fostering them, they grew very close. And when they did foster, and eventually adopt the girls, they only grew closer.

“They were the cutest little babies,” Kelsey said. “They used to be so sweet and they were so cute and Ally was my little mini-me.

Ally clung to my hip like no other. She was my baby for sure. I didn’t love her more, but it was close.”

Now, Kelsey, Alyssa and the rest of their family come around Donna’s house as much as they can. They enjoy playing games with Ally, Madi and Maggie and going to their different sports games. Kelsey even coached

TEEN REFLECTS OVER EURO-MISSOURI MOVE

by Peyton Thies

pthies629@g.fhsdschools.org

Ally, Madi and Maggie stand together with their mother Donna after 10 years of living together.

(Photo submitted)

Freshman Kaitlyn Metzger smiles over her new life in Missouri. (Photo by Alayna Clement) Upon arriving in Missouri, she was looking for ways to adjust to the move. One of those ways was gaining new experiences.

“The first time I went to a Walmart it terrified me, because even the bigger chain stores overseas would be in a mall, and it wouldn’t just be the big, giant Walmart box,” Metzger said.

Even though she didn’t know Italian, her and her family adapted to fit in the lifestyle of Italy. Moving to America, she had to adapt again. However, this experience has exposed her to different cultures and how to be respectful of them.

“The atmosphere [in Italy] is a little bit different too because people are different everywhere,” Metzger said.

“Just be open-minded about other cultures and know that they aren’t going to try to adapt for you, you’re going to have to adapt.”

TWINS ANCHOR LOVE FOR SAILING

by Naomi VanDyne

nvandyne312@g.fhsdschools.org

For those considering sailing the seven seas, one might also consider learning the ins and outs from two talented sailors at North.

Senior Carter Hood is the president of the robotics club at FHN. In his free time he sails at Carlyle Sailing Association, a not-for-profit organization about an hour east of St. Louis in Illinois. Sailing is one of his passions, and he enjoys doing it frequently. “[I love] the way it feels on the water, on the boat,” Carter said. “There’s a rhythm to it, going through the waves, and you can feel the wind and everything when your boat’s just gliding through it.”

Carter is not alone in loving sailing. In fact, his twin sister Macey also enjoys sailing during the season, which occurs throughout the summer. Along with this, Macey also participates in marching band, robotics club and dance. The twins really enjoy being on the water, and share a similar perspective about being on the water.

“I like feeling the wind go past you as you’re speeding on the water,” Macey said.

The twins both enjoy the feeling of sailing and do it frequently throughout the summer, and most weekends. Usually they will sail together as a family or individually, since not only do the kids enjoy the activity but the parents as well.

“My dad started with it as a teenager and he’s carried it with him his whole life,” Carter said.

Both Carter and Macey have been sailing since their dad started teaching them when they were young.

Now, as a senior in high school, Carter teaches others about sailing, too.

Siblings Carter and Macey Hood stand on a boat while sailing and admire the view. (Photo submitted) “There’s a lot of different factors to take in about wind speed, direction, waves, all kinds of stuff,” Carter said.

Carter is a small boat sailing instructor at Carlyle Lake, teaching about dinghy boats and other small boats.

Macey is also a counselor there over the summer to help with people aged 9-17.

“It may not look like it, but it actually does require some strength, especially in high winds while having to keep a firm grip on the mainsheet,” Macey said.

While sailing can be demanding, overall, the twins both love it, from the way that it makes them feel to the experiences they gain. They look forward to doing it in the future, and Macey encourages others to try it out if they want to.

“I wish people knew that it can be whatever you make out of it,” Macey said. “So, even if you don’t have the time to dedicate to competitive sailing, you could still do it for fun.”

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 01.17.24 • Pages Designed by Naomi VanDyne • Features

the twins’ volleyball team for a little while.

“My favorite thing to do was actually coaching them,” Kelsey said. “I got to coach their volleyball team. It was really good, quality time with them and then just teaching them how to play volleyball in general.”

While being close, the three also think very similarly about how their life would have been if they had not been adopted. They all believe that they have more opportunities and have a better life than they would have had.

“It’s better to have been adopted because I get a lot more opportunities to do things,” Ally, a freshman at North, said. “And I was adopted by a better family than what my family was. It’s more safe.”

Ally and her sisters were very young when they were taken out of their biological mother’s custody and thus they don’t remember much about that time. Because of that, Donna has always been “Mom” to them and they view their non-biological siblings as regular siblings. Those siblings also think of them the same way and see no difference.

“I feel like I can always be there when they need me,” Kelsey said. “And I hope they know that they can always call me and look up to me if they don’t feel comfortable talking to my mom about something or they need help coming to me as more of a sister-figure rather than a parent-figure.”

When the Schaffrin family looks back on the adoption, they all believe and know that this decision was the right one and they wouldn’t change it.

“I was really excited about the adoption, it was the best thing for our family,” Kelsey said. “We had had them so long that I couldn’t imagine a life without them at that point.”

For many people, experiencing everything Europe has to offer is a dream they can only hope to achieve.

For freshman Kaitlyn Metzger, however, it was reality.

For ten years of her life, she called Vicenza, Italy, her home. She was born in Indiana and she moved to Italy when she was two years old. Living most of her life in Europe has given her the opportunity to visit around ten countries including, Ireland, Germany and France.

“I’ve been to a lot of places, but I can’t talk to anyone here about any of this because I don’t want to come off as being a snob,” Metzger said. “But it’s so much of my life I can’t talk about.”

During her time in Italy, she lived near a military base for her father’s work, which revolved around the managing of United States affairs in Africa for the Department of Defense.

“We were there for a military thing so we weren’t really citizens and so there’s a lot less opportunities,” Metzger said. “Any clubs we wanted to be in had to be ones that are on the base. It’s not like here, we can just go to the YMCA. I mean, we probably could do that but it was a lot harder because we didn’t know Italian.”

Moving back to America was a drastic change for Metzger. Leaving the familiar streets of Italy and entering the cookie-cutter suburbs of Missouri was an immense culture shock.

“If we traveled anywhere, people would be speaking foreign languages and the military base was guarded

by Italian people who worked on the base with us,” Metzger said. “It was kind of weird because that was always the background noise, and then moving here, sometimes my brain would think that it’s still the background noise, because it was normal for me.”

31

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FHN ATHLETIC BOOSTER CLUB A NEW APPROACH TO GOLF TRAINING 290 Parkway Industrial Drive Lake St. Louis, MO 63376 636.265.0557 info@elv8golf.com @elv8golf

Join the Booster Club and support your student!

Funds raised through memberships and concession stand earnings are used to support athletic teams as well as year-end scholarships.

To Join Email:

HowellNorthAthleticBoosters@gmail.com

Black Membership: $25 Black and Gold Membership: $50 (comes with $25 booster bucks) Knights Membership: $100 (comes with $50 booster bucks)

PREPARE FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL GOLF SEASON • 7 Trackman Simulators • 3,000 square feet of short game area • Indoor Sand Bunker • Personalized Fitness Program • Personalized Golf Program

WHAT MOVIE TROPE ARE YOU?

Find out which cheesey movie trope best suits you (Content by Miranda Fabian)

1. You show up to class and forget there’s a test today.

What's your first reaction?

A: Start stressing and cramming as much knowledge as you can before they pass out the test.

B: Ask around for someone with notes.

C: Don’t worry too much about it, whatever happens, happens.

D: Not stress knowing you finished studying for that a long time ago.

E: Start making a Quizlet to study at the last minute.

4. You see your favorite celebrity, what do you do?

A: Freak out and start to hyperventilate.

B: Go up to them and ask for a photo.

C: Start fan-girling and push your way to say hello.

D: Keep walking, they probably are dealing with a lot of fans already.

E: Say hello and become best friends with them.

7. What do you value most?

A: Success.

B: Money.

C: Being true to myself.

D: Being happy in your career.

E: How you spend your time.

2. What animal do you connect most with?

A: Golden retriever.

B: Boxing kangaroo.

C: White dove.

D: Mama bear.

E: Grey sloth.

3. You’re awarded $1 million, what do you spend it on?

Tally up your answers A’s

A: Self care day.

B: Shopping spree spending every single dollar.

C: Giving it to charity.

D: Putting it into savings for the future.

E: Using it for different fees that you need to pay.

B’s

5. Who is the celebrity you meet?

A: Johnny Depp.

B: Robert Downey Jr. C: Margot Robbie D: Angelina Jolie.

E: Daniel Radcliffe.

6. Who is your favorite artist?

A: Kanye.

B: Bad Bunny.

C: Taylor Swift.

D: Beyonce.

E: Nirvana.

C’s

D’s

8. What holiday do you look forward to the most?

A: New Years Eve. B: Easter.

C: Christmas.

D: Thanksgiving.

E: Valentine’s Day.

9. You’re going on vacation, where are you going?

A: Staying at home.

B: Traveling Europe.

C: Mexico.

D: Cruise vacation.

E: Staying in the country.

E’s

Mostly B’s: Training montage

Mostly C’s: Kissing scene and it starts raining

Mostly D’s: Slo-mo walking onto screen

Mostly E’s: Cut the red or blue wire?

You like to focus on things right in front, or maybe behind, you so much so you don’t notice other things and trip and fall. Good thing the killer walks really slow giving you enough time to get back up and keep running.

Unlike A, you like to keep moving from thing to thing, good thing the training montage only takes a few seconds and you can move right on to the next thing.

Although many others would see the bad in many situations you continue to stay positive even when rain starts falling during your happy moment.

Like a lot of heroes, you appear right on time saving others from failing a test or forgetting a assignment showing up with notes and study guides in hand.

Waiting until the last second you like to procrastinate things as much as possible although somehow you always manage to cut the correct wire and get.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 01.17.2024 • Page Designed by Miranda Fabian • Interactives

Mostly A’s: Falling when a serial killer is chasing you

33

FHN GIRLS SWIM AND DIVE STATS View the current girls swim and dive stats from this season. (Last updated Jan. 7)

50 Free Style

1. Riley Jensen 26.61 2. Sailor Sulin 29.00 3. Moira Dustin 31.61

100 Free Style

1.Riley Jensen 59.47 2. Cassie Hodgkins 1:19.27 3. Leah Maag 1:19.44

500 Free Style

1. Jasmyne Moody 7:14.04 2. Madeline Dustin 7:45.14 3. Cassie Hodgkins 8:14.45

SENIOR DUO IS TRIPLE THREAT Seniors Cassie Hodgkins and Sailor Sulin are three-season athletes who play the same three sports and have played together since they were young

by Elise Grimshaw

egrimshaw432@g.fhsdschools.org

B

alancing academics alone is a struggle for most people, but for seniors Cassie Hodgkins and Sailor Sulin, it takes on a whole new meaning. For fall, winter, and spring seasons the pair are playing sports together non-stop. A typical day in-the-life consists of school, practices, friends, homework and much more. For Hodgkins, the social advantage in playing sports includes meeting new people.

“It doesn’t affect my social life negatively because I meet people that I wouldn’t usually meet which is super cool,” Hodgkins said.

Sulin and Hodgkins are also in clubs such as DECA and HOSA. They have known each other since pre-school and played soccer together in elementary school. They reconnected since then and have had a better friendship since they are always together.

“I’ve been friends with Cassie since I was about 3 years old, and I think there were times when we argued, but overall she is

my best friend and we have a lot of fun,” Sulin said. “It has for sure brought us closer together.”

Seventy-eight percent of all teens report bad time management skills including procrastination and low motivation to get stuff done. Spending all day at school and sports leaves little time at home for the two. However, the seniors believe there are advantages and disadvantages for always being very busy.

“It definitely keeps me busy and I definitely have to have good time management skills to get my homework done and still go to sports practices on time,” Hodgkins said.

With every advantage also comes a disadvantage. The constant cycle keeps repeating through the whole school year for Hodgkins and Sulin, and they

also believe that there is a negative impact on academics and physical health.

“It can be really tiring sometimes, especially freshman and sophomore year, but I would say it’s easier to manage now,” Sulin said. “It was definitely a slippery slope junior year, but I do a good job planning around [sports].”

Studies show that 57.4 percent of all high school students play sports, 70 percent of student athletes quit before high school, and only seven percent will go on after college.

Sulin considered playing soccer in college but realized that wasn’t for her and now will go to Mizzou and is considering a doctorate in psychology or business. Hodgkins wants to continue playing in a recreation league at college and is also going to Mizzou for Health Sciences.

“My advice to athletes would be to stay well rounded and don’t give up,” Sulin said.

“If it is hard for a year I would say don’t give up and get down to good time management.

It is all very do-able if you just stick with it.”

(Photos by Madalyn Bridgewater)

What is your favorite thing about..

Sailor Sulin

Cassie Hodgkins

34

Swim “Swim can be challenging and it makes you push yourself harder.”

Soccer “It’s been a part of my life for a very long time and I’ve met so many friends.”

Golf “Golf was super fun and calming in a sense.”

Swim “I meet lots of people and it’s a great way to stay in shape.”

Soccer “I love being able to play with a great group of girls.”

Golf “Golf gave me a great opportunity to go to state.”

THE NEW KID ON THE MAT

From a standout middle school career to being named “Freshman of The Year,” sophomore Lito Ledezma embraces challenges at a new school, driven by a passion for wrestling and a determination to leave it all on the mat

by Ryan Simerda

rsimerda496@g.fhsdschools.org

B

Katie Head

Sports Reporter

Olivia Graeser Sports Reporter

Rhea Patel

Sports Reporter

Chase Pray

Sports Reporter

Your Own Picks Sports Reporter

Student Population: around 5,000 students

Student Population: around 1,800 students

Established: 1958

Established: 1982

Location: Carmel, Indiana

Location: St. Charles, Missouri

Boys Wrestling Team 2023 Season Record: 11-5

Boys Wrestling Team 2023 Season Record: 11-6

National Enrollment Rank: 15th out of 26,089

National Enrollment Rank: 2,306th out of 26,089

Sophomore Lito Ledezma wins his bout at the Fort Zumwalt East tournament on Dec. 16. Ledezma finished the tournemnt in first place for his weight class. (Photo by Ankita Pandurangi)

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NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 01.17.2024 • Pages Designed by McKenna Hudson (34) Alayna Lohaus (35) • Sports

eing the new kid can be a struggle.

For many students, it can be difficult and scary to adapt to a new environment. Sophomore Lito Ledezma recently moved into the area from Hamilton County, Indiana.

While living in Hamilton County, Ledezma attended Carmel High School, a school with a student population of roughly 5,000. At Carmel, Ledezma was very involved in the school’s wrestling program, so much so that he was named “Freshman of The Year” by his coach after his season came to an end.

But now, Ledezma has found himself in new circumstances, He’s in a new state starting at a whole new school, and he’s on the wrestling team in which he is unfamiliar with nearly everybody. Ledezma did not have the best first impression of the school either.

“The building looked very small and old, and when I walked in certain parts of the school, it smelled,” Ledezma said.

Even with this first impression, it seems that Ledezma has become more comfortable within North’s walls.

“It has a charm to it,” Ledezma said.

On Ledezma’s first day, he was met with a pleasant surprise upon walking into his Knight Time classroom. The head coach of the wrestling team, Coach Brown, made sure to place Ledezma in his Knight Time classroom. Being in the Knight Time class with his teammates helped very much in integrating Lito into the team’s dynamics, both on and off the mat.

Ledezma started his wrestling career back in kindergarten, but he wouldn’t find himself taking the sport seriously until after his sixth grade season. Ledezma also partook in five years of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes leading up to sixth grade. After a somewhat underwhelming sixth grade season,

Ledezma’s prowess skyrocketed going into seventh grade. In his seventh grade season, Ledezma went roughly 15-3 and won third in county, but it didn’t stop there. Ledezma was quite literally unstoppable his eighth grade season, going undefeated and winning first in county. However, his freshman year, he was set to have a little more of a rough ride. Competing against kids with many more years of experience didn’t seem to phase him as much as it should have. He went 16-9 for the season and was named the “Freshman of The Year” by his coach. Even with this big title to live up to, Ledezma doesn’t seem too worried.

“I’m going to do just as well here as I would have done at Carmel,” Ledezma said. “In the end, it only matters if I care and if I want to go out there and perform and put on a show and wrestle my hardest and leave everything out on that mat,” Ledezma said.

Ledezma plans on cutting weight down to one hundred thirty-two pounds to then secure a varsity roster spot. He then plans to do the same once he cuts down to one hundred twenty-six pounds.

Ledezma also has some big aspirations and plans for the future of his wrestling career, both for North and for his potential college career. Ledezma has his mind set on winning his first state championship title and going D1 in college. Coach Brown also seems excited for what the future of wrestling holds for Ledezma.

“He’s very strong, hardworking, and dedicated to the sport,” Brown said.

Over this upcoming off season, Ledezma will be attending Purler Wrestling Academy to improve his skills for his junior and senior years. Ledezma has also been made aware of the rivalry between North and Central.

“There’s a lot of talk about Howell Central, I’ve heard that they’re usually pretty good,” Ledezma said. “But this year that is going to change.”

CARMEL HIGH SCHOOL

35

COLUMN Addy Jones

SOCCER ON REPEAT

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Every. Single. Week.

It feels like a never ending cycle although I do cherish those Tuesdays.

I have been playing soccer since I was 3 years old and have played at three different soccer clubs.

Soccer has always been a huge part of my life, it’s consumed most weekends, week days, and most any free time I have.

I love playing soccer and I love the game, but at times soccer turns into a chore rather than something I choose to do. It’s hard to choose between going to practice and traveling for a game rather than going to the high school football game with your friends when everyone else is there.

Playing soccer can be amazing at times and terrible at other times.

It’s the best feeling when you play amazing and do great and terrible when you play bad and have to deal with coaches and parents.

The hardest part of soccer for me is not the playing part, it’s the showing up and wanting to be there six days a week. I play in the ECNL , which basically is where I travel all around the country to play soccer. It can be really awesome at times like when I get to see a ton of places and states, but in other ways it’s terrible because it makes me miss home and all my friends.

When it comes to sports, you have to have a healthy balance with it, you need breaks and time to get away from it. During the winter and the summer I get two months off and that does wonders for me, it actually makes me miss the game.

Overall, soccer can be a place where I can go to get away from my problems, but it also can be my biggest problem.

36

On Dec. 14, the girls varsity basketball team practices in the FHN small gym. (Photo by Mallory Barker)

UP BEFORE THE SUN FHN girls varsity basketball team takes on 6am weight sessions

by Jaden Slusser

jslusser235@g.fhsdschools.org

E

very Monday and Wednesday mornings the FHN varsity girls basketball team lifts weights before school from 6:15-7 a.m.

“We started this to strengthen their upper and lower body, just to help with endurance in games and be stronger for the season,” Girls varsity basketball head coach Danielle Rampley said.

Lifting weights in the morning before school allows the team to still have a full two-hour practice after school, however, some players still find it difficult to wake up extra early to go workout.

“After long days, the last thing I want to do is wake up for 6 a.m weights,” senior basketball player Evie Kraus said, “it can be mentally challenging to find the motivation and discipline to get up early and push through a workout.

Another challenging aspect is staying focused and alert during the day, especially after waking up early and exerting physical effort.”

Even though it’s tough waking up early, according to Rampley, it’s nice to build good habits at a young age.

“Once they’re here you get a good workout in and start your day that way, I hope once they graduate they’ll kind of keep that pattern going in life,” Rampley said. “Weight training in general is good for them to strengthen their bodies and get them in condition for basketball season.”

Having to get up extra early can also help with time management skills. Players have to learn to use their time more wisely because with two practices a day, it can be hard to find the balance between school and sports.

“Early morning practices have definitely made me more productive with my time.” Senior girls basketball player Alicia Hunn said, “Since I don’t

have much time in the morning to get ready it’s made me focus more on preparation.”

According to Healthline, training exercises in the morning has also been shown to boost metabolism and cause one to have increased focus and decision making, as well as improved mood and emotional resilience.

“I feel more energetic and more ready for games when we have morning weights,” Hunn said. “I like the feeling of knowing I’m putting good work in.”

Going straight from working out to going to school, it’s important these athletes take care of their body. They need to make sure they are at 100 percent for when it comes gametime. With the morning workouts, the basketball players often find themselves with tired muscles.

“Another challenge is dealing with muscle fatigue and soreness throughout the day, especially if I’m lifting heavy weights or doing intense exercises,” Kraus said.

Sometimes the easiest way to relieve this soreness or even prevent it is to do some simple stretching. They have to stay sharp for games or practices after school, and muscle soreness won’t help.

“The key to recovery after our morning practices is never skipping a stretch,” Hunn said.

“Too many times I’ve been sore for days where I could have stretched and been perfectly fine.

Stretching is the key to preventing injuries.”

With these weight sessions twice a week the girls basketball team is looking to improve their toughness and mentality out on the court.

“I hope to see less injuries, lifting makes them stronger and I hope overall just strength on the court,” Rampley said. “Most programs lift weights so just keeping up with them and being able to face the competition.”

SILENT KNIGHT FHN’s DECA program brings a new tradition to basketball home games called Silent Knight to add fun to the student section, not speaking until the first shot is made for the Knights

HOME GAMES

1-19 @7:00

By Carter Stover

cstover092@g.fhsdschools.org

E

1-25 @6:00

1-29 @6:00

1-30 @7:00

2-02 @7:00

2-13 @6:00

2-16 @7:00

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 01.17.2024 • Pages Designed by Maahin Fatima (36) Katie Head (37) • Sports NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 11.09.2022 • Pages Designed by Ahsoka Tano • Features

veryone has traditions but when it comes to sports, it’s a different type of tradition. Some wear the same colors, some play certain songs, but North stays silent.

Mike Freedline, marketing teacher and DECA sponsor wanted to do something that would get more students to go to the basketball games. The answer to that was Silent Knight games, a new tradition he started last year, an idea that he got from watching college sports.

“I wanted to create more school spirit because we always need more of it, and anything fun we can do to get more people to show up to games I’m all for it,” Freedline said. “The hope is that the more people in the stands, the better they are going to play.”

Silent Knight games are an event where the fans are silent until the first Knights basket is scored and that is when the fans erupt. When one gets to the game, they can write their name on an index card to be put in a bucket, and whenever a three pointer is made, Freedline draws a card out. If someone’s name is picked, they win a free bag of DECA cookies and they get to wear a cookie costume. These events are held at home games when both the varsity girls and boys play. Freedline hopes these events will benefit the community of FHN to show up and support the basketball team.

“I think it is a different way for everyone to enjoy the game, even if they don’t know what’s going on or how it works,” junior point guard Tyger Kibera said. “They can still be a part of the experience without having to worry about the exact rules of the game.”

It’s not just great for the fans, it’s great for the team as well. All the fans that this event attracts is great for the players. Kibera loves the pressure of these events.

“I believe it positively affects the team, even though we might be a little nervous because there’s more people,” Kibera said.

“At the end of the day that’s what makes it all exciting and makes us want to play harder.”

Not only do these events affect the team on the court but it also affects the team off the court.

“I think it’ll make us work harder at practice knowing that a lot of the kids want to get in the game when there are a lot of people there,” junior forward Bryce Renz said. “So, they influence kids to work harder and become a better player.

There will be seven more home games the rest of the season. Four of them will be Silent Knight Games. The next Silent Knight event will be Friday Jan. 19, against Francis Howel High.

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WINTER SPORTS IN ACTION View the best of winter sports photos from on the mat, on the court and in the water

GIRL’S WRESTLING Angelee Orozco

On Nov. 30, freshman Lalya Pohtos attempts to pin a St. Charles West wrestler. FHN hosted the first quad of the season with St Charles West, Orchard Farm, and Palmyra wrestlers competing.

CHEER

Faith Smith

Keyana Godfrey cheers on the varsity girls basketball team in a game against the Troy Trojans on Nov. 28.

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BOYS BASKETBALL Kylie Taliaferro

Eli Bollinger, Isaac Bollinger and Bryce Renz block a shot made by AJ Newton from the opposing team. On Dec. 4, the varsity Knights went against the Lutheran North Crusaders. The game was the first of a tournament between Borgia, Fort Zumwalt South, Lutheran North, Marquette, Ritenour, St. Charles West and Francis Howell North. The Knights lost the game 76-56, bringing their record to 0-3.

BOYS WRESTLING Thomas Jones

On Nov. 30, freshman Michael Houdeshell wrestles against an athlete from Palymara high school.

Grace Pinson

Sophomore Morgan Smith dribbles the ball past the Troy Trojans.

On Nov. 28, the varsity girls basketball team played their fourth game of the season against the Fort Zumwalt North Panthers, securing a victory with a final score of 45-38.

GIRL’S SWIM Salem Cotton

Freshman Sydney Cotton performs the breast stroke. On Dec. 12 girls swim had a home meet against Holt High School.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 01.17.2024 • Pages Designed by Kylie Taliaferro • Sports

GIRL’S BASKETBALL

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NORTH

STAR

TRIPLE THREAT

Seniors Cassie Hodgkins and Sailor Sulin are on their final seasons of playing three sports together for FHN. Page 34

THE NOSTALGIA OF ANALOG HORROR SHOWS OUTDATED BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICY CHANGES

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ALTERNATE COVER

FHNtoday.com Francis Howell North St. Charles, MO 63303 Vol. 38 Issue 04 01.17.2024

Photo by Madalyn Bridgewater Designed by Michaela Manfull

“

THE FHN JOURNALISM PROGRAM OFFERS A LOT OF UNIQUE SKILLS THAT YOU DON’T TYPICALLY LEARN IN SCHOOL. WHETHER YOU WANT TO HAVE A CAREER IN JOURNALISM OR NOT, THE SKILLS YOU PICK UP IN THE CLASS ARE VALUABLE TOWARDS ANYTHING YOU DO IN THE FUTURE. IT’S REALLY JUST A GREAT PLACE TO MAKE FRIENDS AND LEARN VALUABLE LIFE SKILLS. YOU ALSO PLAY A LOT OF GAMES WHICH IS A NICE STRESS RELIEF FROM NORMAL SCHOOL WORK.” —McKenna Hudson, North Star Editor in Chief FHN Media

ENROLL IN A JOURNALISM CLASS FOR NEXT YEAR.

Journalism - (Writing & Design Focused) - 1/2 Comm Arts Credit & Dual Credit Option Broadcast Journalism - (Video Storytelling Focused) - 1/2 Comm Arts Credit Digital Photojournalism - (Photography Focused) - 1/2 Practical Arts Credit

ALREADY TAKE AN INTRO COURSE? JOIN STAFF. Applications for 2024-25 are available now.

Find out More at www.FHNtoday.com/TellMeMore

FHN media

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HEAVY SMOKE When a National Champion BBQ Competition team settles down and opens a restaurant, you get Heavy Smoke. They have the best brisket sandwich money can buy, and easily the best tater tots.

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PAPPY’S Pappy’s has my favorite ribs on this list and deserve the title of “Best ribs in America.” The new location in St. Peters makes it a convenient place to get their famous ribs.

“This sandwich is bussin,” Nathan Henry, 9

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TOP

10

St. Louis is famous for its legendary barbecue scene, with countless locations in and around the area to get a rack of ribs or a brisket sandwich. Here are the best 10. (Content by Ben Henry)

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ETHYL’S Ethyl’s combines quality food and a electric atmosphere during the on-site volleyball games. They host both open play and volleyball leagues in the spring, summer and fall.

SUGARFIRE Sugarfire has a strong menu lineup combined with a dine-in area and Sonic-style curbside service at some locations.

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“Their fries had really good seasoning,” said sophomore Rylee Riggs.

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SALT + SMOKE With a location in ballpark village, Salt+ Smoke is a great place to get food and drinks before a Cardinals game. Just be sure to get there early and ahead of the line. They also have locations in St. Charles and University City.

DUKE’S Duke’s understands that meat and cheese go together like peanut butter and jelly. Their brisket grilled cheese or ribs and mac are both heavenly combinations.

STUMPY’S Stumpy’s differentiates itself from the competition by offering smoked and BBQ’d fish, chicken wings and the usual lineup of brisket and pulled pork.

HIS AND HERS The nondesript “BBQ” sign looks like any other strip mall restaurant, but His and Hers has the best loaded baked potatoes in the area, and they pair them with the most flavorful ranch dressing of any place on this list.

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1798 Named after the year this area was first settled by colonists, 1798 in Cottleville offers BBQ tacos on top of a strong lineup of ribs and sandwiches.

BANDANAS Just barely cracking my Top 10, Bandanas is a very popular chain with dozens of locations in the area. The food was good, but it came out very late and was stone-cold

STUDENT OPINION

Hear what the students of FHN have to say on the topic of bathroom cleanliness.

COLUMN Drew Johnson

UNPREPARED FOR LIFE

“I feel bad for the janitors, they don't deserve that and they don't get paid enough for that,” freshman Jocelyn Hart said.

(Illustration by Izzy Lash)

RESTROOMS ARE NOT PLAYGROUNDS

Students need to end vandalism in the restrooms before strict rules are enforced

by Chase Pray

praychase315@gmail.com

(Illustration by Violet Newton)

“I think I would like to see students taking more responsibility in cleaning up after themselves, throwing trash away and working together as a team,” FHN librarian Tara Willen said.

“I think the vandalism is bad for the community and ruins our schools reputation,” sophomore Suhaib Ramadan said.

“I think it's wild and absurd how dirty the bathrooms are,” senior Canaan Riley said.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 01.17.2024 • Pages Designed by Ben Henry (42) Cheyenne Steed (43) • Opinions

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sing the restroom should be a quick, in-and-out experience where you do your business, wash your hands and leave. Unfortunately, it seems like North has a problem where certain students have decided that the restroom is their own personal playground. In my four years of high school, vandalism in the restroom has always been an issue. It didn’t matter if we were under COVID restrictions or if everyone was returning to in school learning, the restrooms were being vandalized.

Vandalism in the restroom can take many forms. Some people don’t clean up after themselves, others shove garbage into the toilets while others draw offensive, hateful language on the walls. The walls in the restrooms have all sorts of things drawn on them with some students going as far as writing slurs and drawing hate symbols, such as swastikas, on the walls.

A huge problem that seems to be on the rise this school year is students shoving random items into the toilets. It’s not a funny joke to shove empty soda bottles, food wrappers or other items into the toilet. It renders the toilets unusable until a janitor comes and cleans it out. It’s not fair to the janitors who already have a lot on their plates that immature students are making their job more difficult for an unfunny joke.

Back in late 2021 a Tiktok trend emerged where students would destroy school property for cheap views. FHN implemented its own policy where students would be severely punished if they participated in the trend.

Sinks, soap dispensers, mirrors and a stall door were all stolen and restrooms were shut off for weeks at a time. People continuing to trash our restrooms will only

lead to those policies being reinstated and the restrooms being closed again which in turn affects 99 percent of the school’s population who aren’t doing dumb things in the restroom.

The most disgusting thing to walk in on is people who don’t clean up after themselves.

If you’re in high school you should know to flush the toilet after you use it. If you need to clean up after yourself you should do it yourself and not expect someone else to do it for you.

There is nothing more frustrating than walking into the restroom and seeing things shoved into toilets, stall doors broken and people who don’t clean up after themselves.

Together if the students of North started using the restrooms the way they were intended to be used, the restrooms wouldn’t have to be closed off for days at a time and faculty would have more trust in their students when they ask to use the restroom.

Everyone needs to come together and treat the school restrooms like they would the restroom at their own home.

“I don’t know.”

The simple phrase I always end up repeating after that dreaded “What are you doing after graduation?” question. Whether it’s a well-intended counselor hoping I have my entire life planned out, a distant family member who didn’t even know my name five minutes ago, or a friend who has been updating their life plans every week since elementary school, the question always seems to come up.

From wanting to be a waiter at a 5-star restaurant to being a doctor, my ambitions have changed drastically over the years. I have never really known what I wanted to do postgraduation. Although our schools have attempted to prepare us for picking a lifestyle, I have never liked the idea of picking a career and sticking to it until retirement.

In the meantime, attempting to navigate through the experience of high school with busy schedules, hours of homework and after-school activities is tough enough. There simply is no time to plan out my future. My years of pushing off plans because “I have time” are coming to an end. We should not have to give up freedoms in our schedule simply to please others by making a plan for a career that we haven’t even chosen yet.

Society always teaches us that being able to do anything is a blessing.

Maybe we have the freedom to choose, but choosing is also a burden.

That question always seems to have strings attached. If I say police officer, I annoy half of my extended family. The same effect happens with wanting to be a journalist. I’m in a game of prancing around aunts and uncles that I talk to twice a year. Even with the short list of potential jobs I recycle, I still make up the majority of what I say. I haven’t thought about scholarships, internships, or by far the most terrifying, college visits which, in their eyes, leaves me behind the rest of students my age.

The problem is that most of us don’t have our post-graduation plans perfected. That all too familiar question might have an easy answer for some, but for others, like myself, it throws us two steps behind in the plans we have made. Why don’t I have my life planned out? The unrealistic standard of turning your tassel and being able to follow the step-by-step Google Slideshow presentation of your life goals that you made in sixth grade is not something that should be added to the already stressful life of a student.

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VIEW REGULATION 6335 Here is the updated version of Regulation 6335. View the annoted sections below to see where some confusion about the policy orginates.

It does not say whether or not it has to be a district or personal social media account.

This seems opposite of what the regulation was interpreted as, this comes across as saying that teachers can post on social media schoolrelated content.

Discussing a student could be interpreted many different ways.

This could be anywhere from sharing personal information about a studnet via text on social media or a photo of the student. The wording is left vague so confusion could arise from what discussing a student means.

This line is similar to the that above.

Defining confidential information is important in understanding this language.

The Board of Education recognizes that the use of electronic media technologies can enhance communication, collaboration, and information exchange in support of the District’s mission.

Electronic media includes, but is not limited to, text messaging. By openly sharing knowledge, best practices, and lessons learned regarding social media technologies, we can provide more effective solutions and efficiencies to enhance excellence in these expanding communications media.

Electronic Communication All FHSD employees are District representatives, and should not defame or degrade any student, staff member, or the District on social media during school hours. During work hours, employees should only be on social media to post items directly related to the work of the District.

Employees who utilize electronic media are prohibited from using their personal accounts to communicate with students. Employees must limit electronic communication with students to school-related matters, including, but not limited to, communications regarding any instructional coursework or extra-curricular activity involving the employee and students. When communicating with multiple students in a single communication, employees must not violate any provision of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Exceptions to this Regulation include, but are not limited to, private communications between family members or relatives, in connection with civic, religious, business or other organizations in which the student and staff member are involved, or when a staff member has received prior approval from an administrator and aparent/guardian.

Except for websites and applications approved by the District for communication to/from parents or students, employees are prohibited from discussing students on any non-District website or social networking and social media sites.

It is the responsibility of the employee to immediately report to their supervisor any inappropriate electroniccommunication, whether initiated by the student or someone else.

Confidential Information Employees shall not post confidential or proprietary information about the District, its employees, students or agents on social networking/media or personal web sites. In addition, employees shall not use District logos or images, etc., on personal sites or personal social networking/media sites.

BY THE NUMBERS

65.4% of teachers at North do not have a seperate social media account to post school-related content.

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34.6% of teachers at North have a seperate social media account to post school-related content.

NEW BOE UPDATES ARE OUTDATED

Board of Education makes updates to Regulation 6335 which leaves many in confusion and creates a feeling of distrust between the distirct and teachers On Behalf of the Editorial Board yourfhn@FHNtoday.com

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s we move forward with AI, technology and the use of social media, the FHSD Board of Education has taken an outdated step back with a new update to Regulation 6335. The regulation, originally made in 2011, now restricts teachers in the district from posting photos of their students and classroom content to personal social media accounts. With teachers in the past having no issue showing the activities and ongoings in the classroom, this new update feels like a step back and left many administration, teachers and students confused. This restriction is outdated and generates a negative feeling from the district to teachers which further disconnects teachers from the larger FHSD community.

According to a member of the Board, the update to the regulation was prompted by a teacher posting a photo from her vacation and then a following photo of content related to her job as a teacher. This innocent post caused some in the district to look into the regulation closer and see what sort of rules were in place for teachers and social media. This type of content is typical among teachers on social media who want to share about their travels, family and career on the

same platform. With this new restriction in place, it limits teachers’ ability to connect with parents and students.

The intention behind the policy is wellmeaning; to have teachers be mindful of what they post and protect the privacy of students. If a student wishes not to be photographed and posted on social media somewhere, then they should have the ability to say no. Students can accomplish this through FERPA with new opt-out forms being issued this year. The school and teachers are made fully aware of any student who opts out. High school students are also old enough to just say they don’t want to be photographed if a teacher pulls out a camera.

That being said, the wording of the regulation is vague and provides students, parents and teachers with little direction.

The changes made to the regulation are left up to the district communications team to decide how to interpret. Once the board has made changes to the regulation, it is no longer their responsibility. So, the board can be as vague as they wish without having to answer the many criticisms that may come with any policy or change. In addition, not all members of the Board who updated the regulation were fully aware of FERPA’s impacts, not knowing whether or not the school was even made aware of any students

TEACHER USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Take a look at the various ways in which at North teachers have highlighted the work that their students were doing in and outside of the classroom. Currently, FHSD teachers are not allowed to make posts like these on their personal social media accounts.

(Illustration by Michaela Manfull) teacher or are now only to be recognized by the district’s social media. With over 17,000 students in FHSD, the chance that a student is to be recognized by a district-sponsored account is unlikely.

Beyond that, students enjoy seeing what goes on in their teacher’s lives. Being able to see a teacher have fun with their kids, go to fun places or enjoy their hobbies only serves to humanize them to students. Students can share a hobby with a teacher that they wouldn’t have known otherwise, or have traveled to the same destination a teacher has that they saw via social media.

Instead of banning teachers from posting school-related content on their personal social media, teachers should be given social media training to learn about what is expected of them. To blindly assume that the over 2,400 employees of the district can use social media respectively is unrealistic.

Currently, employees of the district receive general technology do’s and don’t as part of their training. However, if those teachers were given the opportunity to learn about what they should post on their personal accounts so that they can also post schoolrelated content on the same account, that would be reasonable.

There are many ways in which the district could explore giving access to teachers to post social media content. A broad ban on all posting of school content is too restrictive and is a simple solution to a problem that requires close analysis and teacher and district communication. For the district to gain the trust of its teachers, it needs to place faith in teachers that they will act responsibly.

NORTH STAR • FHNtoday.com • @FHNtoday • 01.17.2024 • Pages Designed by McKenna Hudson • Opinions

who opted out. This increased the confusion with the regulation among the Board and subsequently the communications team and teachers.

Along with confusion, the updates made to Regulation 6335 created a feeling of mistrust between district admin and teachers. By limiting a teacher’s use of social media, the district is indirectly saying that teachers can misuse social media and therefore should not post about school-related content. This creates a situation similar to that of elementary school. If one person does something wrong, then everybody is punished. Because one teacher posted a photo from a vacation and then posted school-related content, now no teachers are allowed to share what goes on in their classrooms. Many view this as the board exerting their power over teachers and creating a world where teachers are not responsible adults who can use their social media correctly.

In today’s world, social media is the main way people keep up with what is new and communicate with each other. The district should see social media as a tool to connect with students and parents. Parents would like to know what goes on in the classrooms and who better to share that information than the teachers who teach the students?

By not allowing teachers to share what goes on in the classroom, it creates a disconnect between parents and teachers. Furthermore, students often enjoy seeing their faces represented in their favorite teacher’s social media posts or get excited about a lesson that is to come. Now, students are unable to see themselves being highlighted by a

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