North Star - March 2021 by North Star

| GETTING GROUPED UP PAGE 01 | FHEA TALKS BUDGET PAGE 20 | FUTURE WITH STREAMING PAGE 28 |

north STAR

FRANCIS HOWELL NORTH | ST. CHARLES, MO 63303 | 03.31.21 | VOL 35 ISSUE 04

MAKING THE CUT

This issue of the North Star takes a look at the recent budget cuts that are affecting the FHSD community.

CONTENTS THE RISE OF AESTHETICS

FILLING THE BLANK SPACES

MAKING THE CUT

REACHING HIGH

3 What Are You

11 Effects on You

18 Teacher Cuts

26 Cooking up

5 Tips and Tricks

12 Blank Screens

22 Going Forward

29 Future Me

Take a quiz to find out your aesthetic.

Learn some tips to build your own aesthetic.

Look at the medical effects of loneliness on you.

Online teachers experience loneliness everyday.

Learn how teachers are being cut and the policy going forward.

Martha Sacay is working to be a chef in the future.

See how childhood dreams grew to real futures.

Find out what the budget cuts will affect in the future.

WHAT’S IN THE NEWS?

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SPORTS?

No Prom

29 Golf Comeback

One Year In

32 Bats Up

Many end of the year events, including prom, have been canceled.

COVID-19 has been prevalent in America for over a year.

The boys golf teams has goals to finish the season strong.

ON THE COVER

A display of money falls down getting more and more simple. FHSD is implementing budget cuts that will affect the district. (Illustration by Ryleigh O’Donnell)

Jackson Mitchell has plans to continue playing baseball into college.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

We are in the home stretch. The finish line is in our reach. Three quarters passed somehow feeling the longest and the shortest year yet. Vaccines are finally being distributed and while we aren’t quite there yet, there are high hopes for the end of this pandemic arriving. FHN let’s carry out this school year strong just like we have been doing for the first three quarters. In this issue of the North Star we

decided to cover some lighthearted issues like finding your perfect aesthetic and showcasing FHN students working towards their goals. On the other hand we decided to cover important topics about the FHN community to bring to light some of the ongoing events happening now, like the budget cuts FHSD is implementing that will affect teachers across the district as well as the increase of loneliness felt in recent years.

Editor-in-Chief, Sydney Ellison

Page by Sydney Ellison

Entertainment Section:

THE RISE OF AESTHETICS

In recent years, aesthetics have been used to categorize one’s style and interests. In this section, take a look at the psychology behind aesthetics, how FHN students show them, and how to express one in different ways

Various FHN students are pictured, showing off their own different styles. (Photo Illustration by Sarah Williams)

AESTHETIC CONNECTIONS

Aesthetics allow for people to make connections with others while also expressing individuality

by Karsyn Williams

karsyn.williams15@gmail.com

umans are known to be social beings and for centuries have worked together in families and tribes in order to survive. This instinct to be a part of a group in this way is still present in our need of belongingness. “From an evolutionary perspective, being a part of a group was the difference between surviving and dying,” FHN psychology teacher Sean Fowler said. “You were born into a group, you live in that group, and that group would determine your success or lack thereof.” Although humans are no longer categorized into groups the way they used to, many still strive to feel connected to a group. In the past decade, the term aesthetic has been used more frequently to describe one’s interests and style. This allows many to express themselves while also being connected to a group. Different aesthetics are often popularized through visual social media like TikTok and Pinterest, where people are able to express different aspects of their aesthetic. “I like to hop around aesthetics a lot, but I think my main aesthetic would be like a soft girl,” freshman Hailey Zhang said. “I don’t base my friends off people with similar styles or fashion senses. It might be subconscious, but a lot of my friends do have the same style as me.” Since aesthetics can easily be shown through attire, it’s easy for people to connect to one another after visually seeing their similarities. These similarities that categorize people is a way they actually find themselves. They are able to see themselves

Page by Ryleigh O’Donnell

in one another, causing them to fulfill social needs but also better understand themselves. “Being a part of a group is fundamental to yourself,” Fowler said. “A lot of individualism is based on what groups we are a part of. We signal our individuality by signaling what groups we’re a part of.” Despite these groups, many still struggle with feeling like they do belong. “We’re looking to belong, I would argue, in superficial ways since our need of belonging is not being met through the way it originally was,” Fowler said. “We find it by being a part of a movement, being fans of a music or music artists, having a particular style that signals who we are.” During a time where more human interactions are formed online, aesthetics have been able to be shared among thousands, allowing people to bond over these shared experiences and interests. Although it’s wondered if these digital connections are enough to fulfill social needs, especially when in-person socialization is limited. “As people are feeling less and less connected in person, they’re more likely to find groups online in order to feel connected,” Fowler said. Overall aesthetics have an important purpose in mainstream media as a way for people to express themselves within communities. This helps one feel like they belong and open themselves up to connections with others. “We want to be a part of a group to feel that we belong,” Fowler said.

Psychology Fact A human’s need to belong is placed on the middle tier of the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, alongside other social needs

POP-PUNK PALATE Junior Bryce James expresses himself through his own aesthetic and individuality by Abigail Keathley

akeathley874@g.fhsdschools.org

ipped jeans, pop culture t-shirts, unkempt hair, and a jean jacket with various pins; most of his attire is inspired by the trends of the 2000s, a decade he holds dear to his heart. He keeps an original Xbox and wide collection of VHS tapes to watch on his VCR in his room. Junior Bryce James expresses himself through his distinct aesthetic every single day. “I grew up in the late 2000s and I hold a lot of nostalgia for it. I was like a tiny little kid back then, everything was simpler and made sense, so it sort of just reminds me of a warmer, safer time,” James said. His music taste influences his aesthetic more than anything else. His obsession with pop-punk stems from his love for bands like Paramore and Fall Out Boy. Pop-punk is a combination of punk’s anti-establishment themes with a sound that mimics the styles of pop music, like chord progressions and tempos. This sound was popular in the early to mid-2000s, which makes James style unique in 2021. “It’s very particular,” friend senior Jenna Weber said. “Not your regular pop or rock aesthetic.” James zany personality and sense of humor are exemplified through his vibrant aesthetic. Senior Miguel Davies is a friend of his with whom he shares a similar appreciation for things from the 2000s. They met online four years ago through playing similar video games, and eventually began sharing

details of their aesthetics with each other. Davies thinks that Jame’s style is something that is truly unique to him, and encapsulates his persona. Davies feels that his style now is the most true to himself it has ever been. “There’s just this kind of unique Bryce energy that you’ve got going there,” Davies said. “It’s hard to explain, but he just exists aggressively.” Expressing himself through his style has caused James to go through a change in his outlook on life. Dressing how he wants to and being more open about his interests has been liberating for him. It’s caused him not only to change his perspective on himself, but on the world around him. He’s become more understanding and open to the differences of others that exist around him. “I’ve definitely stopped caring a lot more,” James said. “I used to be really stubborn and stingy on a lot of issues, but through music and other 2000s media, I’ve started taking in a lot more and learned that it doesn’t really matter.” James believes strongly that conveying individuality through one’s appearance is essential. He thinks that it’s something everyone should try if they want to. Even if it seems scary to make a statement, it’s worth it to experiment and see what works. “In the long run, who really cares other than you?” James said. “If you’re doing something that you don’t love, you’re the only one who’s going to care 20 years from now.”

Junior Bryce James displays his interests through his outfit. James has a strong passion for 2000s media and his style takes heavy inspiration from the pop punk fashion. (Photo by Abigail Keathley)

Page by Ryleigh O’Donnell

AESTHETIC ROAD MAP An aesthetic is essentially a sub culture centered around a specific set of tastes in things such as fashion and interets. Use this quiz to help determine which aesthetic fits best (Content and Illustrations by Morgan Chairs) Is your style trendy or vintage?

Scrunchies

Do wear more eyeliner or highlighter?

Vintage

Trendy

Do you perfer beanies or scrunchies? Beanies

Do you like knee highs or fishnets more?

Highlighter

Plants

Do you perfer simple jewelry or chains? Chains

Do you perfer mom jeans or ripped jeans? Ripped Jeans

Books

Knee Highs

Fishnets

Eyeliner

Are you a book or a plant person?

Jewelry Are you more of an overalls type or frilly dress type?

Mom Jeans

Frilly

Overalls Do you wear a lot of baggy t-shirts or crop tops? Baggy T-Shirts

VSCO Named after the photography app, this aesthetic includes many beach and sporty styles such as oversized tees, hydroflasks, scrunchies, Birkenstocks, Vans and shell necklaces.

Crop Tops

Soft Girl/Boy The soft aesthetic is characterized by cutesy looks and bright colors. This style often includes colorful tennis skirts, sweaters and accessories such as butterfly clips or simple necklaces.

Page by Morgan Chairs

Jean jackets or Cardigans?

Boots or Converse? Boots

E-Kid This trend is an alternative style that was popularized on the internet. The aesthetic includes dark colors, plaid skirts, stripped tees, winged eyeliner, chains and heavy jewelry.

Converse

Survey

Take a survey to share your own results here: bit.ly/NSroadmap

Cardigans

Academia The academia subculture has heavy influences from Ivy League colleges, quiet libraries, and professional styles. Many with this aesthetic will wear neutral toned sweaters, cardigans and courdory pants while reading a book or studying for an upcoming test.

Jean Jackets

Cottagecore This aesthetic is inspired by traditional styles such as long flowey praire dresses and milkmaid tops. The style also uses aspects of nature such as floral patterns or accessories, animals like sheep, cows and frogs.

Plant Mom This aesthetic is very outdoorsy and is focused on the color green and natural elements like plants. Many people with this style enjoy gardening and botany.

PRETTY THINGS HERE AND THERE

Shopping for a specific aesthetic for the first time can be overwhelming as there are so many stores to choose from. To make the most of a shopping trip, go in with a plan of what to buy and where to go. Take note of clothes already purchased to avoid doubles and look for clothes that can be styled with many different things. Here are some shops to get you started on your aesthetic journey (Content by Sydney Ellison, Photos by Shutterstock)

Academia

Seemingly straight out of the ivys, this style uses earthy and neutral tones paired with a business like attire to create a stylish student. While the basics of this aesthetic is the same, there are a few different variations like dark or light academia, usually affected by color palette. This aesthetic is used in movies like Dead Poet Society, Tolkien and Sherlock Holmes. Shop at places like H&M for the basics like blazers, trousers and blouses. Take a look through stores like Uniqlo for quality trench coats and sweaters for reasonable prices. For accessories browse through a local jewelry store for pieces that are small, simple and easy to layer.

Indie/grunge

Alternative An umbrella term for styles like punk, goth and e-girl/boy; these are usually categorized by a unique mix of textures and dark color palette. Seen in characters like Janis Ian from Mean Girls and Allison Reynolds from The Breakfast Club. Shop at places like Found By The Pound, a local thrift store that sells clothes at $3 a pound. They sell a variety of styles and would be great for mixing up textures. For a stand out piece of foot wear shop Demonia. They sell punk and goth inspired shoes often with a high platform. For some accessories to finish off the outfit look at Tripp NYC. They sell bold accessories that are a great mix of patterns.

Cottagecore

Sporty

This style is perfect for prancing around in a nice cabin in the woods. Shown through light, fresh colors and flowey fabrics this style evokes a feeling of innocence. To truly embody this aesthetic try to fill life with fresh flowers and a neutral color palette. Shop at places like Soft Girl Studio on Etsy for flowey dresses that makes flouncing around in a field of flowers seem like the best idea ever. Etsy is also a great place to scour for cute accessories like flower headbands and dainty earrings. Madewell is a site that boasts a variety of flowey styles that embody the cottage core aesthetic.

Focused on being ready for the world in clothes that are meant to move the sporty aesthetic is the way to go. Many wear popular brands like Nike, Adidas and Fila to fulfill this aesthetic. This style is seen in the media through characters like Maddie Rooney from Liv and Maddie and Finn Hudson from Glee. Wanting to dress sporty but still avoid shopping at big companies? Try these smaller businesses. Life is Good holds a nice line of athleisure. The brand Outplay has gender-inclusive sportswear and swimwear. To complete an outfit with this aesthetic wear your favorite sneakers.

Popularized by skaters and musicians, this style is halfway between loungewear and streetwear. Wearing this style means pushing individuality and independence, pushing the boundaries of fashion. This aesthetic grew in popularity with artists like Kurt Cobain from Nirvana, Alex Turner from Arctic Monkeys and Clairo being pushed into the mainstream. To get started, shop at places like Pacsun to get the basics. Look for pieces that connect and don’t follow the trend. Urban Outfitters also holds a lot of great statement pieces to make outfits stand out. For jewelry try thrift shops for a look no one else is seeing.

Page by Sydney Ellison

STAYING IN STYLE

Ten ways to help you stay in style with some bonus tips from your peers (Content by Maddy Brewer) 1. Layer your clothes Layering clothes can help bring your outfit to life. A turtleneck under a band T-shirt is the perfect example, especially if the shirts are different colors. If the turtle neck is a light color and the band tee is a darker color, it will give it a little more style while also making the shirt stand out more. 2. Be the best, wear a vest Whether it is a puffy jacket vest or a sweater vest, vests are always in style. They are a great way to layer your clothes, most people would put a long sleeve shirt under their vest but as the weather is warming up, a short sleeve is always a stylish option. 3. Oversized is always in style Want to be comfortable but still in style? Oversized is the way to go. Any type of jeans paired with an oversized hoodie or crew neck is a comfortable option. Oversized sweaters are also a great option when wanting to give a fit a little bit more of a professional look. 4. Mom jeans aren’t just for your mom Mom jeans are a great way to stay comfortable and stylish. Mom jeans are oversized jeans that fit at the waist and thighs but are baggy towards the calves and ankles. Cuffing the mom jeans or adding a cute belt are both great options. 5. Finding the right colors Everybody has colors that suit them the best, make sure to find what works best. Colors are the first thing people notice about one’s outfit, so make sure the colors in an outfit compliment the person wearing it. Jeans and a hoodie that’s a complimenting color will be comfortable but still keep you looking good. 6. Coordinate your colors Color coordination is really important, it can make or break an outfit. Make sure that the colors compliment each other. One thing to remember is that black goes with everything. One can never go wrong with black leggings or jeans. 7. Accessorize Accessories can really help a bland outfit become something more or it can simply just bring an outfit together. Whether it’s a belt, earrings or necklace accessories can really bring a little bling to your outfit. When feeling a little bit more edgy, hanging chains from the belt loops of one’s jeans is a great way to go. 8. The thrift store is a friend Thrift stores are a great place to go find cute clothes for amazing prices. You can still look stylish without paying an arm and a leg. A lot of thrift stores have a “downtown” location where you can buy clothes by the pound. When shopping at a thrift store, make sure you wash the clothes before wearing them. 9. Those boots were made for walking Boots are super stylish. Whether they are big and bulky or just simple Timbs, they can really make an outfit. There are many different types of boots that one can choose from like platforms, heels, working boots, etc. no matter which ones end up in the fit, one can never go wrong with a pair of boots. 10. Be yourself With these tips and tricks, one can now help themselves and others when styling. Always make sure that everyone is staying true to their style. When diving into the fashion world, things can get a little stressful. Shopping for clothes with friends is a great thing to do when wanting a second opinion before buying something.

Page by Maddy Brewer

Street Style Junior Sydnee Williams says that she thinks she has a style that she can’t quite put a name to. She enjoys trying different styles but her favorite would be street style. “I mainly see the same style around school, but I do get inspired by some styles I see,” Williams said. Depending on the day she feels confident when trying new styles and loves to add a pop of color to her outfits. Her go-to accessory would be her Doc Martens because she can dress them up or down and they are durable. “You need to have fun with it [your outfits] but make sure you stay true to you. Wear whatever makes you feel the most confident,” Williams said.

Emo and Grunge Aesthetic Sophomore Jackson Cutlan believes that he fits the emo or grunge aesthetic. He does this by wearing a lot of black, his signature pink socks and lock pendant. Even though his favored aesthetic is emo and grunge, he dips into other styles depending on the day. “I sometimes go for the hippie look. I’ll wear a lot of tye-dye and this tye-dye beanie I have,” Cutlan said. Cutlan really enjoys seeing all of the different aesthetics around North but his favorite one would be goth. “Flannels are your best friend when it comes to starting off in style. You can literally throw them on top of anything,” Cutlan said.

Vintage Style Senior Kennedy Gordon says that if she has a style it would most likely be more of a vintage style. Her go-to’s for her style is anything oversized and rings. “I definitely don’t stick to my style because I am a person who likes to try new things, especially when it comes to style,” Gordon said. Seeing all of the different styles around North makes Gordon happy because she loves that FHN is a place that people feel comfortable enough to express themselves. “Anything goes with black, if you can make your outfit tie together it doesn’t really matter how many colors you are wearing. Express yourself and choose something that makes you comfortable and confident,” Gordon said.

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NEWS AT NORTH

Read more about some of the things happening here in our Francis Howell North Comunity and some of the things happening beyond. This month marks the one year anniversary of virtual schooling and lockdown. In this edition of News at North learn more about everything from the drop in COVID-19 cases to the cancellation of several school events.

Senior Holly Willett stands with her mother, Deanna Willett. Holly was planning on surpirsing her mom with a Hawaii trip when COVID-19 hit. (Photo submission)

GROUNDED

A pair of hands fills in a Scantron. The FHSD Academic Team has composed a plan for the end of this semester that invloves no final exams. The team has recommended the plan to the Board of Education and will be implemented if approved by the board. (Photo by Taylor Hill)

FINALS UPDATE An update with information regarding final exams was released to all certified staff in the district

by Justin Brewer

justinbrewer15@gmail.com

he recommendation to cancel final exams for second semester has been made by the FHSD Academic Team. An email was sent out to all certified staff in the district on Friday, March 19, stating that the cabinet has made the recommendation to cancel finals. Much like last semester, there are many complications and challenges in having final exams successfully. With seniors getting out before the underclassmen, administering a final exam could prove to be quite challenging. “Based on the responses received, the focus group members have made the

Page by Justin Brewer

recommendation to cancel final exams with a few exceptions, much like first semester,” FHSD Director of Secondary Education Lucas Lammers said in a statement to all district certified staff. “This adjustment will require the Board of Education to suspend related policies, which will be on their April agenda. More details and direction will be provided in the Weekly Howell in early April.” The focus group members involved in the finals discussion have only made a recommendation. Nothing has been finalized yet. This recommendation will need to be approved before it can take effect. This is set to be brought to a vote at the board meeting on April 15.

More Info Learn more about the CDC’s travel guildelines bit.ly/NStravel

Grounded for longer than she would know, senior Holly Willett’s plane to Hawaii never even got to have its wheels go off the ground. Its cancelation foreshadowed a whole year of events. “It [the trip] was supposed to be spring break and we didn’t think COVID-19 was going to be a big deal so we had booked the trip like a week in advance, we did it last minute. It was supposed to be a surprise, it was a present for my mom,” Willett said. “We weren’t gonna tell her about it till like the day of and then when things started getting serious and we were supposed to leave we had to cancel it last minute.” After getting through a tough end of the year her junior year Willett decided to go in-person for the first semester of the 2020-21 school year. She then made the decision to switch to online 2nd semester. “By the time I was done with first semester I knew I wanted to switch because it just wasn’t the same as I was hoping it would be,” Willett said. “I never got to see friends and there were no activities and so I didn’t really feel I was missing out on a lot and so that's why I switched.” (Brief by Sydney Ellison)

CALENDAR OF EVENTS April 5 No School

April 6 No School: Election day for Board of Education Sophomore Lauren Holzwarth , a virtual student, types on her computer. FHSD has successfully maintained a virtual learning platform for the 2020-21 school year so far. The district plans to offer virtual learning as an option again next year. (Photo submission)

April 27 Virtual NHS Induction Ceremony for sophomores and juniors not already involved

STAYING ONLINE Next year FHSD plans to offer virtual learning as an option again

prepared and in better shape for next school year with experience with online learning and time to prepare. This school year was the “I feel like I have a better grasp first time FHN split its student on how to do online,” Fowler attendance between virtual and said. “I’m still going to make in-person instruction. School and Read more about the mistakes but I made so many district leadership are looking mistakes early on with Canvas experiences of online to plans for next year, and they that I couldn’t really rectify students here: currently have plans allotted for until the semester was over, so bit.ly/NScompare the option of in-person and virtual I’ve made fewer mistakes with school once again, giving students Canvas and that has led to less the choice. Luckily, teachers and students will be difficulty than I thought.” by Ashlynn Perez

ashlynnkaeperez@gmail.com

LEARN MORE

Page by Justin Brewer

Students talk amongst themselves at lunch. Despite the drop in COVID-19 cases, protocols and guidelines for things like lunch and classroom sizes are not changing. (Photo by Amber Winkler)

DROP IN CASES COVID-19 cases have begun to drop leading to fewer quarantines and higher student attendance

Amidst the pandemic, FHN began to quarantine students surrounding COVID-19 cases, but recently, cases at FHN seem to have dropped. According to assistant principal and COVID-19 coordinator Erin Steep, the school went from roughly two or three cases a day to about six cases this month. The cases dropping will not change safety protocol: masks, quarantines and social

distance are here to stay. “I hope and I think that overall [COVID-19 cases] will stay down, I think we'll still get little spikes here and there, but I'm hoping we're out of the woods,” Steep said. “There were a couple days where we had six or seven positive cases come in. So, I hope that we're out of the woods with those kinds of days.” (Brief by Amber Winkler)

PROM UPDATE FHSD 2021 prom has been cancelled due to COVID restrictions

The prom court props sit unused. This year's prom was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions. (Photo by Amber Winkler)

Page by Justin Brewer

This school year has brought about many challenges and disappointments for many. Of those disappointments is the cancellation of prom. The email with the information regarding the cancellation of prom was sent out to all on Feb. 25. This decision was not an easy decision to be

made but was made in the interest of safety. “I thought it was cancelled from the start so it wasn’t that big of a shock to me,” senior Melena Hammond said. “It’s sad because I bought a dress last year and I was looking forward to wearing it this year but now I can’t wear it.” (Brief by Maddy Brewer)

The 2019 FHN KOE picnic shirt lies on the floor. The last KOE picnic was held in May 2019 nearly two years ago. (Photo Submission)

KOE PICNIC CANCELED The annual Knights of Excellence picnic has been canceled this year. In previous years, around 800 students had been invited and as many as 600 students attended. Due to COVID-19 and the large number of students, Kristen Johnson, along with other KOE coordinators, have decided that it is too much of a risk to proceed. There have been plans to figure out a safe replacement for the picnic, but nothing has been decided as of right now. Johnson hopes to have the picnic again next year, but nothing is definite. As time goes by, plans will be made according to new guidelines. “We’re just hoping to be able to recognize people somehow,” Johnson said. “But when you’re talking about that large of a number of people, you have to get creative.” (Brief by Abigail Keathley)

Feature’s Section:

FILLING THE BLANK SPACES

This section looks at the effects of loneliness worldwide and in our FHN community. COVID-19 has been a driving factor for many to have a closer experience with loneliness.

By The Numbers 11.8% of the total population in the U.S. has been fully vaccinated as of March 16. 10.8% of the Missouri population have completed vaccination as of March 16

Standing in the middle of the hallway, Senior Marcus Otto feels separated from the rest of the students around him. Otto has an autoimmune disorder which has left him out of school for a while. For many, like Otto, COVID-19 procedures are not a precaution, but a necessity which left him feeling lonely (or isolated) during his time quarantined. (Photos by Andrew Poertner and Sophie Stachula)

STUCK AT HOME

(Information from covid. cdc.gov tracker/#county-view coronavirus/2019-ncov/ index.html)

Senior Marcus Otto has been in strict quarantine for over a year by Chase Pray

praychase315@gmail.com

n the midst of a pandemic, every family had to make a very important decision this past summer would they stay virtual or would they decide to come back in person with a bigger risk of being exposed to COVID-19. Senior Marcus Otto experienced this drastic choice firsthand. Due to having a weakened immune system, Otto had to keep himself safe and stay at home this school year. For Otto, choosing between online and in person school was clear, he either put himself in danger or he stayed in the comfort of his home. “Because I take certain medicines, my immune system is a bit weaker meaning COVID-19 would likely affect me more than others. If I went it would be incredibly irresponsible of me to go to school when I have all the required resources at home. I also don’t want to put those who can only do in person school in any more danger then needed,” Otto explained. Starting in March of 2020, Otto has had the misfortune of being stuck in mainly just his home for nearly a year. Luckily for the Ottos, no member of their direct family has had COVID since the pandemic began. With no risk of getting COVID-19 through a computer screen, online school was great for Otto. Even though he wasn’t able to see his friends in person, Otto was lucky to be able to see all his friends everyday in a box on a computer screen. His girlfriend Emma Rohrbach and brother Jackson both are taking online school along with Marcus. With

Otto and Rohrbach both leaving for college next year getting to see each other in some sort of capacity is one up from their down of a year. “Quarantining has affected us positively and negatively, because we of course, miss our friends and socializing with others. However, we get to spend some time with our family members before we go off to college. I was also personally able to truly re-examine my life and make some big decisions,” Rohrbach said. One of the biggest questions in person students have for online students is just how difficult online school really is and how it feels being stuck at home nearly 24/7. According to Otto, it really depends on the class but it’s really important that you manage your stress level according to Otto. Planning ahead of time and having a schedule for your work helps immensely for students online. Online students must remember they can do their work when they want but if they fall behind it may be difficult to catch themselves back up. “I just keep doing my work by the time it’s due and I’m doing just fine. It’s really cool having the comfort of my own home when I’m online so I can just relax and do my assignments on time or ahead of time and I’m sure I’ll keep doing just fine. Personally I sure hope I won’t be returning to North in person, however I’m looking forward to going to college this summer and taking new classes while I meet new people,” Otto said.

Page by Chase Pray

More Info Visit the websites below for more information about loneliness. Visit the American Psychology Association to learn how loneliness is correlated with an early death bit.ly/NSdeath

Visit Newport Academy to find out more on the effects of loneliness on teens bit.ly/NSnewport

Visit Psychology Today to learn why having friends is important bit.ly/NSpsych

Senior Maddy Brewer walks through the FHN halls alone, surrounded by passing students. Severe loneliness can be seen among many high school students across the country. Many students feel extremely isolated due to the stress of the long lasting pandemic. (Photo Illustration by Andrew Poertner and Sophie Stachula)

DEALING WITH LONELINESS Many teenagers are battling with loneliness but aren’t getting the help they need

1) What is Loneliness? All humans require social interaction to stay healthy. Social isolation isn’t always a bad thing but when it stops someone from getting the help they need it can be very harmful. Many teens today are combating loneliness and the COVID-19 virus is not helping people get assistance when they need it the most. Many teens struggling with issues like depression isolate themselves from other people and don’t reach out for help. This can actually worsen issues like depression if they can’t fix the problem. 2) Effects of Loneliness The effects of loneliness is what makes it so dangerous for adolescents. Young brains thrive off of social interactions and restricting it can cause many problems. Most people who aren’t very socially active are usually more stressed than others who spend plenty of time with friends and family. Chronic loneliness can have many effects such as increased stress, dependence of alcohol or drugs, higher levels of depression or anxiety, a sense of hopelessness and a greater risk of suicide. These effects could be very difficult for an adolescent to deal with on their own.

3) How to Combat Loneliness With COVID-19 going on currently, teens may find it more difficult to socialize and be around their friends. It also makes it more difficult for adolescents currently struggling with loneliness to get help from professionals. Talking to people is very important when it comes to having a healthy mindset. Even though many places are currently closed, it’s still possible to receive help from a therapist online. Getting help from a medical professional can help people suffering from loneliness by encouraging a more social behavior which can relieve stress and help ease the pain of loneliness.

Sources: (trailscarolina.com/blog/teen-social-isolation-dangers-alone/) (newportacademy.com/resources/mental-health/effects-of-social-isolation-on-mental-health/) (www.apa.org/monitor/2019/05/ce-corner-isolation)

Page by Alex Thomas

4) How to Get Help The effects of loneliness cannot always be treated on its own. Many symptoms of loneliness can be painful and difficult to deal with but they can also be treated by a medical professional. Anyone dealing with the side effects of loneliness should contact a therapist to receive the help they need. Almost everyone deals with loneliness sometime in their life and it can occur during major changes in life such as the death of a loved one or prolonged social isolation. It’s important for anyone dealing with chronic loneliness to seek help from a medical professional. (Content by Alex Thomas)

STARING AT NOTHING High school teachers across FHSD are hosting zoom calls where few students turn on their cameras for class by Macy Cronin

macy.cronin03@gmail.com

ogging on and admitting students into class. Hoping for at least one or two students who will press the camera button to show their face to the class. Teachers in FHSD are having to teach virtual classes to mostly black screens. “Teaching my virtual students has been frustrating because a lot of motivation levels of students are really low and it takes a lot of personal responsibility from those students, and if I’m not there inperson to constantly be reminding them and pushing them a lot of students fall behind really easily,” FHN Art teacher Courtney Flamm said. Building a solid foundation with students is something teachers like to prioritize, but when they rarely see the faces of the high schoolers they are educating, it’s hard to create that relationship. Teachers are finding it a lot easier to create relationships with inperson kids rather than online students because of the distance between them. “It’s really hard to get to know you guys in the virtual world because I literally see maybe one face there, I see a lot of names,“ FHN AP Government teacher William Crow said. “Where in class I can walk around the room. I can sit down next to someone and talk to them a little bit to get to know them a little bit. I can find out more about what they’re involved with. It’s a lot more personal. I have always been the kind of teacher where I thrive on the relationships you build with the kids, and it’s not that you can’t

do it online, it’s just a lot harder to do.” Teachers are working to make sure that students are completing all the assignments, doing alright both physically and mentally while being virtual. Trying to help students focus on school when the days are blending together and the work seems to never stop. “Education is more than just the facts,” Crow said. “It’s the relationships you build. If it’s just getting the facts you can read a book or watch a video, but [teaching is] me understanding are you getting it, and if you’re not getting it can I explain it a different way. You wanting to be here as opposed to you feeling like you have to be here.” Some teachers are using this new era of being isolated from their students to create more opportunities for themselves and their class. Ending the zoom call so students can work on the assignment by themselves leaves teachers with a period of time to use to their liking. For art teachers that could be creating art for themself and for their class. For personal finance teachers that could be editing lesson plans to better fit the virtual learning environment. “[In virtual] ironically enough I spend more one-on-one time with students,” FHC Personal Finance teacher Ashton Witthaus said. “You wouldn’t think that because ‘oh this is virtual learning and we just hop on a zoom call and get off’, but I really enjoy the office hour times because I’m able to communicate with you guys more and help you in that time.”

Teacher William Crow teaches a class over zoom and is frequently greeted by black screens. (Screenshot by Macy Cronin)

Page by Sydney Ellison

Junior Kyle Button sits in a zoom meeting surrounded by blank screens.. Button is online on the screen to portray an online student during this pandemic. A large population of the student body attends online classes, and for many, it can be lonely, repetitive and dull. (Photos by Andrew Poertnerand Sophie Stachula)

By The Numbers Students who attended virtual FHN First semester: 554 Second semester: 376 Students who attended virtual of all three high schools in FHSD First semester:1405 Second semester: 1118 Students who attended in-person at FHN Second semester: 1231 Students who attended in-person of all three high schools in FHSD Second semester: 2095

BEHIND THE SCREEN Many online students share their experience dealing with loneliness by Patricia Fechter

pfechter698@g.fhsdschools.org

ncreased stress, anxiety, depression and loneliness are just some of the things many virtual students struggle with. As a result, many struggle doing online classes. “I’ve had some students reach out but it is mostly parents who are worried about their child, but I’m worried about the students who haven’t reached out, but need help,” guidance counselor Lorraine Smith said. Kids attending virtual classes may be struggling with their mental health and feeling unmotivated to engage in their classes. A lot of online students struggle with the same issues and reaching out to the counselors or your parents or just talking to someone in general can help your mental health. “Getting outside, exercise or finding things to look forward to are just a few small things that could help you,” Smith said. While many students have struggled, for some, virtual classes have allowed them to thrive and as a result they have gotten better grades. “For me personally, online school has been easier for me to learn because it goes at a slower pace than inperson schooling,” junior Evan Becker said.

Page by Patricia Fechter

While there have been some benefits to online school for Becker, it hasn’t all been great. “Online school has helped my grades but definitely a decline in the social aspect of it,” Becker said. For many students, they are not in the same place with their social health. Normally, kids would be surrounded by their peers but with virtual classes this is not the case. Additionally, many students cannot see their friends on a daily or weekly basis outside of school because some people in their family may be more compromised to COVID-19. Some of the ways students have communicated with each other was by setting up Zoom meetings with their friends, playing video games with them or just by texting or FaceTiming if they could not see them in person. In-person school is still not completely normal with masks and distancing, but people still get to see their friends and classmates in a normal classroom setting. While many virtual students miss so many aspects of in-person school, they just didn’t feel it was the right time to be at FHN this semester. “As much as I would want to go back and get a normal high school experience, I would stay virtual at least until the cases decrease more,” freshman Maahin Fatima said.

5 tips from Stephanie Johnson on dealing with stress 1. Make sure you have good communication with your teacher, and ask questions if you need help. 2. Try to get in 30 minutes of exercise or physical activity per day. 3. Reach out to your support system if you are struggling. 4. Take 30 minutes a day to focus on yourself. 5. Don’t be too hard on yourself, this is new for all of us and it can be difficult.

COPING WITH LONELINESS Suffering from loneliness during the pandemic is challenging but you can make it through. Believe in yourself because you got this. To help here are ways to cope with loneliness and to make yourself feel better.

More Info Here are helpful links that can assist you on combating loneliness

Be More Social: Find ways to interact and spend time with people you enjoy being around. You can choose to spend time in-person or virtually. Due to COVID-19, people are suffering from loneliness but socializing virtually is still a great option. Chat over the phone, video-call, and use social media to stay in touch with friends and family.

Samaritans Helpline bit.ly/NSSamaritans Volunteer Match bit.ly/NSVMatch

Do something you love: Listen to music, learn a new language or indulge yourself in your favorite activities. Try to find new hobbies and get out of your comfort zone. You can do activities by yourself or with family and friends. Even if you are doing something by yourself, remember that you can always enjoy your own company

Side by Side Online Community bit.ly/NSSidebySide SANE Support Forum bit.ly/NSSaneS

Share your feelings: Talk with someone who is close to you or if you’re not comfortable with that then contact organizations that can help. For example, Samaritans is a website that offers free service that gives emotional support to anyone and is open 24 hours a day. Remember to not compare yourself with another because everyone’s lives are different. Connect with nature: Go outside and experience the calming effects that nature has on your mind and body. It decreases any anxiety or depression. Just take a walk and observe the life surrounding you. Most importantly, nature helps us understand that we belong to a world that has so much to offer us. Volunteer for the community: Helping others can boost your wellbeing. Just search the internet to find places to volunteer. You can volunteer in any field of interest that you find appealing. In-person or virtual there are many opportunities to find places to volunteer. Give yourself the chance to make the world a better place and meet new people. You may feel detached from the community due to quarantining and feeling trapped inside your home but volunteering can also help you make new friends. Join an online community: They help you relieve stress and allow you to talk freely about your feelings. The advantage of joining an online community is being able to find people who share the same interests as you or anyone who is a joy to talk to. An online community also gives you the ability to talk with people from all over the world. Groups such as Side by Side and SANE Support Forum provide people a place to talk for 24 hours a day. Distract yourself from the feelings of loneliness and remember all the wonderful people that make you happy. (Sources: nhs.uk, independentage.org, englewoodhealth.org) (Content by Shivani Bondada)

10 more tips to combat loneliness bit.ly/NSCLoneliness

Freshman Kylie Taliaferro poses for a photo illustration in the FHN hallway on March 8, 2021. Taliaferro is being passed by students, but it’s all a blur as she feels alone among many people. The concept of feeling alone is very common among high school students, especially during the pandemic. (Photo Illustration by Andrew Poertner)

If you ever feel lonely, how do you cope with loneliness? “I kind of just de-stress with music or talk with my friends.” Anaelly Guerrero, 9th

“I listen to music or hang out with friends.” Rohan Aathreya, 11th

“I would talk to my family or my friends or if I was at school then the counselor.” Olivia Huff, 9th

“I like to listen to music and talk to my friends about what is going on.” Madelyn Herell, 11th

“I walk to my friend’s house and bother them. [I also] blast System of a Down.” Jaxson Bircher, 10th

“I just try to go outside or play video games.” Alex Gabel, 11th

“I have a bunch of friends that I can talk to or just try to distract myself. Just do something, play a game, or go outside, and just kind of just distract yourself from it.” Austin Bitter, 10th

“I listen to music and cry.” Kiley Beiner, 12th “I like talking to people or texting people. Just doing something with other people.” William Pundmann, 12th

Page by Shivani Bondada

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MAKING THE CUT

Due to recent econocmic struggles and the failure to pass a tax levy, FHSD is experiencing some budget shortfalls. Take a look at the many perspectives of this story and what these shortfalls mean for the district.

(Illustration by Ryleigh O’Donnell)

TAX FOR OUR FUTURE

The Francis Howell School District has failed to pass a tax levy many times. Failures to pass multiple tax levies have resulted in the district’s current financial strife

by Aadhi Sathishkumar aadhikumarblue@gmail.com

lthough the present financial situation of the district appears grim, those who observe the district’s budget have seen the writing on the wall for a long time. Ever since the failure of multiple tax levies, the district’s finances have been on the brink of requiring drastic measures, such as teacher cuts. “A tax levy is a major funding mechanism used in the state of Missouri to fund political subdivisions of the state, like school districts,” Kevin Supple, Chief Operating Officer of FHSD for the last 16 years, said. “Taxes are levied on all real and personal property in the district. The funds are collected by the county and distributed to the local districts based on their individual tax rates.” In other words, a tax levy is an increase on property taxes that goes to fund the school district. Property tax accounts for the single largest source of income for the district, making roughly 55 percent of the FHSD budget. The school board and the district administration must work together in order to propose a tax levy, which is then voted on by the county’s constituents. “The school board directs the superintendent and the executive board to look at the finances of the district,” board member and former educator Patrick Lane said. “Then they ask them to propose a tax levy that would be a certain

Page by Aadhi Sathishkumar

amount to generate funds for the school.” Even after not passing a levy, the district was able to keep most of its faculty intact, only making soft cuts on vacant positions not filled up until now. However, the COVID-19 pandemic put a massive strain on the district’s finances, pushing it over the brink. “Hindsight is always great,” board member and former nurse for the district Janet Stiglich said. “I do agree that [a tax levy] would be helping us now, but who would’ve thought back in 2018 we would have COVID here and how much that would’ve taken a hit on our budget. As much as I’d like to say yes, I do agree definitely we would be in a better position, but I still do believe we would be making some cuts.” Despite the setbacks caused by COVID-19 and the volatile state of the district’s budget, there is still hope to recover and move forward. A tax levy can serve as a lifeline to the district, providing it with much needed money in order to prevent staff cuts from happening again. Furthermore, a levy can also provide the funding needed to modernize and improve the district and learning experience of students. DesThe success of students remains the utmost priority of the board and district. “You have to invest in your future,” Lane said. “Our children are our future, and I want the kids in my neighborhood to grow up and be someone. And how can we do that? We have to offer our children one of the best educations that we can around. You cannot do that on a limited dollar.”

Tax Levy Timeline Here is a timeline of past tax levies that FHSD has proposed 2004 Last tax levy for FHSD passed 2015 Prop Y, a 90 cent increase on property tax, fails to pass 2016 Prop Howell fails to pass a 60 increase in property tax 2018 Prop Learn fails to pass a 48 cent increase in property tax

BUDGET CUTS NOW

FHSD experienced some budget shortfalls this year. BOE members speak on how that will impact the district

money to shore up and protect those positions for one more year,” Board of ith the district’s fall Education member Patrick in allotted money, Lane said. teaching positions The decision is currently are one of the first things to supposed to be made on a go. The reduction in faculty need-basis. As counselors will result in a loss of teachers figure out class sizes for next throughout the entire district, but the loss will be heavy in all year, administration plans to cut teachers who don’t three FHSD high schools. have enough students to “Because of COVID-19, state fill classes. This could mean tax revenue has gone down teachers will take on larger significantly,” head principal class sizes than they have in Nathanael Hostetler said. the past, and there may be “There’s a huge reduction in a shift in who teaches what consumer spending, a huge reduction in taxes, so the state course. Some courses may not be offered because of disbursements have dropped newfound staffing limits. off significantly. In the last One exception to cutting two fiscal years, the district classes has lost are the $10 million required in state courses, revenue, and Learn more about similar such as the economy budget cuts in 2016: classes continues bit.ly/NSbudgetcut that to struggle. students It’s created a need to graduate, like very real pinch.” personal finance, or core As with many of the classes where students take budgeting decisions, part of End-of-Course (EOC) exams. the decision will come from “What we would anticipate a district level and some is an increase in the average from the school’s individual number of students in each administration. The district’s classroom, so in that sense, job is to decide how many it will impact students,” teaching positions will be Hostetler said. “If we lose lost; it’s FHN’s decision on a significant number of who specifically gets cut. The teachers, there’s a possibility district, however, was able to of erasing some classes since save a few teacher positions from being cut using one-time we won’t be able to offer them. There are going to be care money. some classes where there’s “We found out the not a lot of wiggle room, and positions [being cut], the some where there are.” teachers spoke with us, and we decided to use our care By Ashlynn Perez

ashlynnkaeperez@gmail.com

Source Bios Patrick Lane Patrick Lane has been on the FHSD board of education for four years. He was employed by the district for 13 of his 33 years before that. Lane’s term expires in 2023.

Janet Stiglich Janet Stiglich has been on board for only three years and is campaigning for another term of three years currently. She was employed by he district for 23 years before that.

Nathanael Hostetler Nathanael Hostetler has been head principal at FHN since 2018. Prior to that he was principal at Farmington High School for five years and Potosi High School for four years.

(Illustration by Ryleigh O’Donnell)

Page by Tayler Ross

Finance and business teacher Melissa Hanrahan helps a student in her class. Hanrahan believes that when the budget cuts are in place the class sizes for our district will increase and make helping individuals harder for teachers because there will be more students to focus on. Hanrahan is also concerned that when the new FHN building is built, the school will be understaffed because of the teachers being cut. (Photo by Shahed Abdallah)

DEPARTMENTS IN WORRY The Francis Howell School District Board of Education sets cuts that will affect various departments at FHN by McKenna Hudson

mhudson365@g.fhsdschools.org

his upcoming school year, the Francis Howell School District will be experiencing budget cuts that will affect Francis Howell North school and various departments. For FHN departments, this could range anywhere from job cuts to cuts in materials and supplies. But a few years ago, the FHSD Board of Education was not in a position to make budget cuts. “In the last three years (since she’s been on the school board), we have not passed a tax levy however we had given our teachers a raise the first year I was on the Board,” FHSD Board of Education Vice President Janet Stiglich said. “And the next year we gave them another raise of 1.5% knowing that our budget would be taking a hit due to the fact that we knew we were giving raises without a tax levy.” Due to the blow the economy took because of COVID-19, the combination of a nonexistent tax levy and the money spent on raises, it left the district budget in tatters. “After COVID hit, the economy kind of tanked and we lost a lot of our funding from the state,” Stiglich said. “We had already committed to these salaries and the bottom line was we had to have a balanced budget and we had to make cuts

Page by Abby Keathley

in order to make that happen.” With these potential cuts looming over the upcoming school year, department heads are gearing up to face the worst. “It’s hard to explain to the community why Francis Howell North is getting a brand new, state of the art high school and we might possibly not have the proper staff and classes will sit empty and that’s a very hard thing,” Business Department head Melissa Hanrahan said. “I also think that our Board of Education, if they knew this was happening, they could’ve come back to teachers and asked them to take a percentage cut.” In fact, according to Spanish teacher Anelise Mossinghoff teachers were not consulted when the cuts were being decided. But for Hanrahan, the concern lies not only in the cuts being made, but in future class sizes. Too many students in a class can pose a problem for teachers as they will have a more difficult time focusing on each individual student. And of those departments often overlooked is the PE Department. “If we’re going to be experiencing cuts, we’d lose at least part of a position,” PE Department head Kim Martin said. “Obviously, it’s huge anytime you lose any member of your department and for us if we do lose someone, that’s going to limit the options students have to take for electives in PE.”

By The Numbers All Certified Staff Current: 1,328.51 Proposed: 1,275.76 Overall Reductions: 52.75 All Support Staff Current: 863.16 Proposed: 823.55 Overall Reductions: 40.80

BUDGET TIMELINE

January 4

Information regarding the budget cuts was released to the public

February 18

The Board of Education voted to proceed with the budget cuts

Spanish teacher Annelise Mossinghoff sits at her desk in her classroom. As a member of the FHEA, teachers’ union, Mossinghoff has a unique perspective of the budget cuts. She believes that the district should be a place where students want to learn and teachers want to teach. (Photo by Shahed Abdallah)

FROM THE TEACHERS’ EYES

FHEA members share their thoughts on the budget cuts and things FHEA is doing to combat the budget cuts by Justin Brewer

justinbrewer15@gmail.com

udget cuts: a phrase that has been echoed across the Francis Howell School District for many weeks now. Many have been left wondering what this means for the district and all of the teachers, students and other staff. One perspective of these cuts is that of the teacher, more specifically the FHEA, or the teachers’ union “The opinions vary from person to person,” FHN Spanish teacher Anelise Mossinghoff said. “People who are brand new teachers to the district of course are worried about their jobs. People who have been around a long time are concerned because we want this district to be a district that people want to come to.” The FHEA is an organization of teachers that advocate for teachers. They advocate in the interest of a well-functioning education system. So as one might imagine, a cut to the budget that affects these teachers directly is not taken lightly. While it seems like there aren’t many teachers being cut, any cuts are still going to have an effect on the teachers. “We potentially are losing some really good teachers that we hired,” FHN Science Teacher Donna Malkmus said. “Now we don’t get to keep them.” With cuts like these, money has to be reallocated in order to fill the needs of other things and with teachers salaries and benefits receiving 80% of the yearly budget, that is a prime place to move money from. While there are several things that the cuts are going to affect, there are a few things that

will be affected more than others. According to Malkmus, a couple of things that are going to be affected the most are class sizes and the teacher’s budgets. That being said, class sizes aren’t set to increase as drastically as many teachers are worried. The average general education class size currently is about 23.5 students. The new average is going to be closer to 24.5 students. “I have to cut back on what things I am going to do and what kinds of things I am going to have to get rid of,” Malkmus said. “I really worry the most about having a science class. Having 32 kids in here is very scary because, how do I ensure safety with 32 kids with them using bunsen burners all at the same time.” Another thing to take into account is the teacher workload and their classroom sizes. While class sizes are going to increase, teacher numbers are going to decrease which inevitably leads to a larger class population which can put a lot of stress on teachers. According to Malkmus, members of the FHEA have been speaking at board meetings to try and get them to look elsewhere to cut money from. It is unlikely a situation occurs where teachers don’t get cut. “The job is still the job and so it just means that fewer people are going to do it,” Mossinghoff said. “People who are already overextended are going to have to find a way to extend more and I don’t know that that’s possible because I think most of us are at our breaking point. This has been such a trying year and it is really unfortunate that this has happened this year.”

Page by Justin Brewer

March 1

Governor Mike Parsons released over $280 million in revenue restrictions

July 1

The effects of the budget will begin to be felt

August 23

Tentative first day of the 2021-2022 school year

What are your thoughts on the budget cuts and the potential teacher cuts? “It sucks that we have to lose teachers, but it also sucks that we don’t have enough money to keep them.” - Lucky Harry, 9

“I feel bad for the teachers because they work so hard.” - Alayna Lohaus, 9

“I feel like they should have given the newer teachers more of a chance then older teachers that have been here a little bit longer.” - Sydnee Williams, 11

“I think it’s going to be very problematic because there’s going to be bigger classes, most likely because there’s less teachers.” - Savannah Breen, 9

(Illustration by Ryleigh O’Donnell)

“I feel like it’s unfair to teachers who don’t really have anywhere else to go and it’s really random. And for the teachers that have built bonds with other students here, it’s not fair.” - Angelo Burris, 11

“I mean, there’s nothing we can do. I don’t say there’s nothing we can do about it. But I think the way they’re going about cutting some of the teachers at the high school and middle school levels only is not a great idea and cutting it from seniority.” - Abby Martinez, 11

Page by Justin Brewer

Valerie Green, one of FHN’s world language teachers, writes on her smart board. Many teachers are worried about the lasting impacts of the budget cuts on the district. There will be many factors that play into which teachers end up getting cut. (Photo by Andrew Poertner)

LOOKING AHEAD

The Francis Howell School District will be experiencing budget cuts that have long lasting effects. The future of the district will look different after these cuts nearing complete, so are many of the contracts of those in this position. Teachers like these are some of the first to be s the end of the school year draws closer, the prospect considered for cuts as opposed to older, more experienced of budget cuts becomes more of a reality. Starting July teachers. On March 1, Governor Mike Parsons released over $280 1, the effects of the cutting of teachers and budgets million of the revenue restrictions. This money is going to from various parts of the district will start to be felt. While the be used to help fund many different departments, including budget cuts are not nearly as bad as initially thought, the education throughout the state. Roughly $700,000 of this impact is not lessened and this leaves many wondering what money will go towards funding of virtual schools and the future of the district will look like. One of the biggest cuts the district made is the cut of roughly 52 certfied teaching staff education programs. That being said, the money being released is not projected to have a large in the district. impact on the cuts within FHSD. “I don’t think any one of us walked in and “I can tell you that the release of the funds said to them to start cutting teachers,” FHSD by the Governor was welcome news,” FHSD’s Check out specifics of the Board of Education Vice President Janet Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Supple, said Stiglich said. “That didn’t happen. We asked Governor’s release here: in a statement about the funding from our administrative team to start looking at bit.ly/NSrevenuerelease the governor. “However, I built the budget ways that we could save the district some based on full funding of the formula. The money.” release of the funds means that we will come close to meeting One perspective that can be looked at is that of a new our budget, but it is not a source of uncommitted funds that teacher. When a new teacher is hired, they may be hired we could use. Also, the released funds are the state’s general under a 1 year contract, meaning they only have a job for one revenue portion of the formula funding. Part of our formula year unless the contract is renewed. However as this year is by Justin Brewer

justinbrewer15@gmail.com

Page by Justin Brewer

Common Misconceptions Take a look of the some of the most common misunderstandings among people when it comes to discussing the budget cuts

“Budget Cuts are going to affect the new building.”

A common misconception about the budget cuts is that they are going to affect the new Francis Howell North building. In reality, this is not true. The new school building was brought on by a bond and a bond can only be used for the things it was “assigned.” Usually these are things like construction projects or “cosmetic fixes.”

“The number of teachers being cut is not nearly as large.”

Another common misconception about the budget cuts is the actual number of people being cut. Many people likely received their information from the news. The early numbers the district released were larger than where they are now. The news reported these original numbers and many people saw the story. However the district reduced the number of cuts to closer to where they are now and many people were unaware as they only heard the original numbers. News outlets didn’t write an update story so many were left with the original numbers. (Illustration by Ryleigh O’Donnell)

funding comes from gaming proceeds (e.g., lottery) and that revenue source continues to underperform expectations. As such, even with the release of the general revenue funds, the formula may still not be fully funded this year.” While the budget reduction means fewer teachers, it also means larger class sizes for next year. While the increase of class sizes is inevitable, the classes are not going to increase by nearly as much according to Head Principal Nathanael Hostetler. The class average now is 23.5 students and is set to be around 24.5 students after the cuts. “It’s going to feel fuller,” Hostetler said. “But the classes are still capped. We’ve got sort of a soft cap at 28 [students] and a hard cap at 30 [students] and that hasn’t changed. So when Dr. Greer and I sit down and look at those numbers, if we have classes that are going over 30 then we will just add more sections and that redistributes it.” While the cuts are going to affect class sizes, Stiglich and Lane both confirmed that no extracurriculars or activities directors will be cut as of now. These include people like sports coaches, club sponsors, and other extracurricular leaders. The future doesn’t look nearly as grim as originally prospected. While the cuts are not as bad they will still have lasting impacts on the district. (Tayler Ross contributed to this story)

Page by Justin Brewer

More Info Take a look at some more information regarding the budget cuts, Governor’s release and more Governor’s Release bit.ly/NSgovernorrelease Feb. 18 Board Meeting Agenda bit.ly/NSboardmeeting

“Teachers were not the first choice when looking where to cut.”

When looking for places to cut budget from, the administrative team didn’t look to teachers as the first option. They looked at the entire budget looking for places where cuts could be made. Teacher benefits and salaries make up nearly 80% of the yearly budget which made it a likely candidate for cuts.

“Teachers were cut randomly without any thought given to it.” Teachers were not cut at random. The administrative team looked at overall staff across the district and made cuts where necessary. The goal was never to cut staff but it had to be done in order to reduce the effects of budgetary shortfalls.

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Features Section:

REACHING HIGH

As the end of the school year approaches, students are preparing to look forward into the future and focus on their hopes and dreams. In this section, read about those students who have big aspirations for life and what they’re doing to make their dreams reality.

FOLLOWING HER PATH

What advice would you give someone hoping to go into the medical field? “Don’t ever shy away from something that you think you might want to do, because until you try it you don’t know. You may try tons of things in your life and you may find out that they’re not for you. But until you try it and find out that they’re not for you, you’ll never know...” HBS teacher Dawn Hahn said.

Sophomore Sarah Moutray plans to pursue a career in the field of medicine by Amber Winkler

awinkler252@g.fhsdschools.org

he grew up listening to the amazing things her mom did at work each and every day and began to appreciate all that she was doing. Sophomore Sarah Moutray realized she wanted to do something with her life, make a difference, help others and this was going to be how. “You can help people out and it’s not just like helping people but you’re doing something with your life,” Moutray said. “It’s something that you can work towards and put all that effort towards, and I like that.” Moutray plans to take after her mother and go into the medical field, but she isn’t exactly going to do the same thing. Her mother was an oncology nurse before retiring, but Moutray has a different plan, she is going to be a surgeon. “I think [going into the medical field] is really cool because you really don’t meet a lot of people who want to do that, and I think she could definitely do it if she really put her mind to it,” sophomore Lauren Holzwarth said. Moutray is trying to learn as much as possible before she gets to college. At home, Moutray spends a part of her time reading her mom’s old textbooks and taking notes, learning as much as she can. In school, she takes all honors classes and is in Human Body Systems, better known as HBS, taught by Dawn Hahn. According to Hahn, in this class, Moutray lights up and excels. She is outgoing, active and always ready to learn the next thing. She takes on leadership roles when they do projects and is a great teammate. “I was not surprised with her choice because it sounds like Sarah, it sounds like her personality and it sounds like her drive and her motivation. So, like I said, I’m happy for her,” Hahn said. Some people laugh when they hear about her plans for the future because they all think it’s going to be way too much work for Moutray, but she doesn’t care. She only pays attention to her friends, the people who support her and believe in her. Many of her friends want to go into the medical field as well

Page by McKenna Hudson

Sophomore Sarah Moutray listens to her teacher, Dawn Hahn in her Human Body Systems class. (Photo by Amber Winkler)

and they all try to find ways to help and support each other the best they can. Hahn was very happy when she found out about Moutray’s dream and hopes what she learns in her class can help Moutray in the future. “It’s just super exciting that she’s decided that she wants to do something in the medical field. I’m super excited for her, I really admire a lot of stuff about her,” Hahn said. “I mean, I’m happy and it’s one of those things that I wish her all the best, and I can’t wait to see what she does, her future’s bright. I can’t wait to see what happens down the road for her.”

COOKING UP SUCCESS Freshman Martha Sacay has a dream of becoming a sous chef by Ray Hathcock

rhathcock942@g.fhsdschools.org

veryone has had a dream of some sort. Whether it’s traveling or even getting a job that you’ve always wanted. One of Martha Sacay’s is to become a sous chef. She and her family have been cooking together at home and haven’t had fast food in years because of this. Her family has inspired her to cook more and she has made a stronger bond with her family in the process. Sacay wants to spread the feeling of her family’s love one dish at a time. A sous chef is a culinarian that is an assistant to the head chef, and they take care of things in the kitchen that the head chef can’t. “Your executive chef is usually ordering all the food and making sure the kitchen is stocked and doing all that,” culinary student Corey Fulhorst said. “Your executive chef is your head chef. They’re the top. Your sous chef is gonna be the one that is on the line doing the cooking and making sure the plates are out correctly and the food’s cooked right.” Sacay wasn’t always a part of FHSD; she moved from the Philippines when she was in second grade. She was inspired to have this dream of becoming a sous chef by her enjoyment of her grandmother’s Filipino

cooking. And that interested her to want to try to use all sorts of spices on different dishes of food. She cooks things like pancakes and waffles, ube donuts (ube is a purple yam), rice with chicken, rice adobo and sinigang. “Adobo is meat covered in soy sauce, Sinigang is a meat soup with vegetables,” Sacay describes. “I recommend the Adobo with chicken and the Sinigang with pork.” Her father usually cooks the meals at home, though Sacay loves to help out. In the future, Sacay plans on taking a higher learning class for becoming a sous chef to improve her cooking skills, though it isn’t required. The class is culinary school, similar to what Fulhorst took. She plans on traveling to Japan to work. “I like everything about Japan, it just interests me,” Sacay said. “Their language, food, buildings, culture, etc.” Sacay was influenced by her family to start cooking, and that has connected her family with their culture. She has turned that into a dream of her own, and hopefully those dreams can come true. “Though again the head and sous chefs have similar roles, they are to make sure everyone is doing what they’re supposed to,” Sacay said. “But specifically for the sous chef, they train their workers with cooking skills.”

Freshman Martha Sacay looks over a biscuit recipe in her fifth-hour foods and nutrition class with teacher Rebecca Just. She developed her love for cooking around the age of 8 and has been cooking dinner with her father ever since. “Me and my mom entered a cooking competition that wasn’t that big, but we got sixth place, and when we came to America I started watching all the cooking shows, and that made me love what I do even more and taught me new stuff,” Sacay said. (Photo by Shahed Abdallah)

Page by Ray Hathcock

Sophomore Clara Bonstead testifies about her experiences in learning with dyslexia in a committee hearing. (Photo submitted)

REWRITING HER FUTURE

Since dealing with dyslexia from a young age, sophomore Clara Bonstead overcame many challenges including learning to read and spends her time working to help others do the same by Chloe Horstman

toll in later grades. As she was entering middle school, the Bonsteads decided to enroll her in Churchill Center and School, a private school ocking in a hammock reading a book in Town and Country. The school teaches may not seem very significant to many, students how to read using the phonicsbut for sophomore Clara Bonstead, focused Wilson Reading System instead of reading a book is an important chapter in her the ‘whole language’ method taught in most story, which has been years in the making, but public schools. The school also focuses on is still only in the beginning. helping students to understand their learning In early elementary school, Clara was difficulties and advocate for themselves. At evaluated and told she had a visual processing Churchill, the students have individualized disorder. Years later, she was diagnosed with learning plans and teachers meet frequently the language-based learning difference called to discuss each student’s progress, so each dyslexia. teacher understands the needs of each student “My problem is more of a comprehension and sets expectations for them accordingly. dyslexia,” Clara said. “I can read for a long time “The grade card had about 70 different and not understand a single word that I read, things that [the teachers at Churchill] were unless I spend a really long time reading every evaluating, as opposed to just having a grade sentence two to three times.” card that just listed your seven classes,” Clara’s She excelled in many areas, so her reading mother, Angela Bonstead, said. “Every subject difficulties were excused in each elementary area would have specific goals that school she attended. Test they were measuring.” results labeling her “gifted” Clara stayed at Churchill for and in part made those schools learned almost every book of the reluctant to give her the help Take a look at this curriculum in two years, though it she needed. Teachers insisted was estimated to take more than video Clara made ‘she was right where she three. After learning to read, she needed to be’ and her reading explaining the grades were rounded up so Reading Success Bill: shifted her focus to teaching others about dyslexia and advocating for she wouldn’t be held back. bit.ly/NSreadingbill changes in the educational system. “I wound up having grades To learn more about dyslexia, she that were good enough to began volunteering for a non-profit where I could pass,” Clara organization called Decoding Dyslexia Missouri, said. “I was so proficient in other things, [my which at the time was trying to pass SB54 and teachers] didn’t want me getting held back for HB368, the Reading Success bill. reading. And because of that, I was kind of just “[This bill] would have been the next step,” looked over for many years. I had dyslexia that Angela said. “If a child is identified with whole time and I still couldn’t read by the time dyslexia, then we want [schools] to develop I was going into middle school.” a plan to make sure that child is reading on Her unrecognized dyslexia began to take a clshorstman@gmail.com

WATCH

Page by Chloe Horstman

grade level, and if there’s any point in their education they stop reading at grade level, then [schools are] going to intervene and help this child.” Clara decided to make an informational video to earn her Girl Scout silver award. She interviewed parents, children and educators about the effect dyslexia had on their lives and how the bill would have helped them. She has written several letters to representatives and testified at committee hearings to encourage congress members to support the bill’s passage. “It was incredible seeing how well this [the Wilson Reading system] works,” Clara said. “I learned that I’m one of the lucky ones, and I want to help all these other people learn to read, and I wish we had more of a community to reach out to all these people who don’t realize there’s a community there.” Though dyslexia made learning difficult, Clara came out on top and does everything she can to make sure other people with dyslexia have the opportunity to do the same. She plans to continue advocating for legislation and resources for people with dyslexia and plans to build a educational website to help students and their parents. To continue enriching herself in language and in an effort to be better prepared for college, she even decided to learn a new language. “I think one of Clara’s gifts is that she’s a clear communicator,” Angela said. “She is empathetic and compassionate towards other people. People ask questions and she’ll share her experiences, and I think the more people learn about dyslexia, there will be considerable improvement.”

Senior Sydney Giacomarra listens to Dan Lamb’s lecture. Giacomarra is Lamb’s T.A, and plans on becoming a teacher. (Photo by Sam Watkins)

Holding a stuffed shark, junior CJ Montgomery poses with one of his most used props for his Twitch channel. Montgomery uses this shark to tally channel points in a reward system he calls “shark slam”. (Photo by Sky Hebisen)

STILL STREAMING

Junior CJ Montgomery streams on Twitch as a way to interact by Ashlynn Perez

ashlynnkaeperez@gmail.com

unior CJ Montgomery’s love for content creation started with a game of Minecraft on his sister’s old laptop. “I was definitely too young to be streaming on Twitch,” Montgomery said. “But I did it anyway, because that’s what I loved.” Twitch is the leading livestream website for gamers, allowing users to watch each other play live and interact with each other. Montgomery uses it to stream himself playing games like League of Legends or Valorant, but his favorite part of Twitch streaming is the community he’s built with the people. “My favorite part of streaming is definitely interacting with other people,” Montgomery said. “Twitch streams have a live chat, so people can come in and talk to you and say hi. It’s definitely just the people. It’s the interactions you get to have with them. It’s just so amazing and fun, and you can build yourself, your own community of people who all appreciate watching you, and they just want to have fun with you. They get some joy talking to you and being with you. It’s definitely the best part.” His love for Twitch and content creation comes first from his love for entertaining people. Montgomery likes to crack jokes - in his everyday life and on stream - which makes Twitch the perfect place to reach people, talk to them and keep them entertained. “CJ gets along with everyone and has a lot of online friends,” junior Lacy Chapman said. “Most of those friends stream as well, and he likes to

promote their streams.” Even though he doesn’t have a large following, Montgomery continues to stream: he loves it for the community he’s built as well as the fun he gets to have while playing. “The last time I played, I think about ten people watched that stream,” Montgomery said. “And a lot of people would think it isn’t that many people, but to me, it doesn’t matter how many people are in the stream; it’s really just the people who are interacting with me in the chat. I don’t need a lot of people watching in order to have fun streaming. I have so much fun streaming, even if no one’s in the chat. I can play games with my friends or even just games by myself and get to be this version of myself, entertaining people.” With Montgomery’s avid love for entertainment, his future could take a multitude of different routes. Twitch streaming and content creation satisfies this love, but Montgomery could see himself in multiple future professions. The common thread? Making people laugh. “I think I still want to do Twitch streaming after high school, but at the same time I feel like my entertainment could take me in a different route: maybe more of a comedian type thing, with live comedy,” Montgomery said. “I feel like I have a knack for making up things on the spot and cracking a couple jokes, so it’s really up in the air for me right now. I’m going to go wherever it takes me.” Montgomery still has a year left of high school to figure out what the future has in store for him, but for now, he gets to do what he loves best: make people smile in his everyday life.

DREAMS FOR HISTORY As the end of the school year is arriving, juniors and seniors have to start preparing for the next step in their lives: to go to college or jump straight into the workforce. A few are still unsure but others are aware of what they are going to do. One of those students, FHN senior Sydney Giacomarra is aiming to become a history teacher. “History has been something I’m really passionate for and something I’ve been good at,” Giacomarra said. “Teaching has also been something I’ve always wanted to do because my mother is a teacher and she has really had an influence on me.” In pursuit of her goal, Giacomarra joined the Pathways to Teaching Career Class, it has allowed her to intern as a teaching assistant during the second semester. She was able to become the teaching assistant for Daniel Lamb, a history teacher at FHN. “I’ve given her tasks to help around the classroom,” Lamb said. “Things like passing out papers or helping the students one on one.” Teachers have difficulties like making sure students are getting the correct information or giving them a good learning atmosphere. Nonetheless, Giacomarra stuck by her choice and decided to become a teacher. “I will get to discuss a subject that I enjoyed learning about and I want to let other students enjoy it as much as I do,” Giacomarra said. (Story by DaNyla Creacy)

Page by DaNyla Creacy

THEN TO NOW

Interests often change over time, here are some students’ childhood dreams versus the dreams they are working on right now (content by Sydney Ellison) Bailey Scarbrough, 10th

Jay Scott, 12th

What was the first job you can remember liking? “A singer.”

Why did this job attract you as a child? “Because a lot of my role models at the time were famous singers and pop stars.”

What is the goal/job you are working towards now? “I want to be a child psychologist.”

Why does this seem interesting and what steps are you taking to make your dream a reality? “I love to help people and I like working with children a lot and I’m a people person. I’m taking psychology and sociology next year.”

What was the first job you can remember “The first phase I had as a kid you could say, I wanted to be a meteorologist. I would watch the local news all the time and I always wanted to be a meteorologist.” What is the goal/job you are working towards now? “I’ve definitely become a lot less certain with all of that. I guess the dream I have would be to somehow find a way to incorporate my love of earth, incorporate my math skills with my love of sports. So whether that’s some kind of analysis position, I’m not sure exactly.”

Why did this job attract you as a child? “I guess I just liked watching all the temperatures, pretty much the numbers on the screen, the temperatures changing throughout the week. Just the different weather patterns moving in and out. I was fascinated by all the numbers and patterns I guess.”

What was the first job you can remember liking? “I always wanted to be a marine biologist, work with fishy’s.”

Why did this job attract you as a child? “I really liked fish, I liked the ocean.”

What is the goal/job you are working towards now? “I want to be an engineer.”

Why does this seem interesting and what steps are you taking to make your dream a reality? “I’m really good at math and I just like building things. I am taking engineering for the next two years of high school and taking honors classes in math as well.”

What was the first job you can remember liking? “I wanted to be a paleontologist.”

Why did this job attract you as a child? “It attracted me because I really love dinosaurs and I had this huge encyclopedia of dinosaurs when I was a baby. I would just sit there and read through it and I was like ‘Ya, this is it’.”

What is the goal/job you are working towards now? “Genetic counseling.”

Why does this seem interesting and what steps are you taking to make your dream a reality? “I was inspired by the story of Rosalind Franklin and I kind of wanted to make my own mark as a woman in science. Genetics is such a broad field that’s growing really fast so I thought that would be fun. The steps I’m taking, I’m just going to college and getting my biology undergrad.”

Why does this seem interesting and what steps are you taking to make your dream a reality? “I’m hoping it starts with my college degree so I’m going to major in data science, in college.”

Brenna Doss, 10th

Ashleigh Lowery, 12th

Page by Sydney Ellison

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PODCASTS

Will and Bens Athletic Breakdown: Nikhil Contractor and his High School Athletic Career:

Nikhil Contractor discusses his go to moves in a 1v1, how covid has affected his season, his go to pregame meal, and much more.

Becka Brissette Discusses her High School Athletic Career with Gabriel Lobato:

Becka Brissette discusses her time on Francis Howell North’s basketball team as well as her time on select softball teams as well as her athletic future.

Maddison Linton Discusses her Competitive Dance Career While Being a Freshman During Covid: Freshman Maddison Linton talks about the way her life has changed during covid Linton also discusses the differences between her dance life at DCPAC as a competition dancer and Knightline.

Dr. Hostetler and Rhea Patel Discuss the District Cuts:

Dr. Hostetler and Rhea Patel discuss the implications of the district cuts, who they would affect, and how it would affect FHN. Dr. Hostetler also hears questions from students.

THE KNIGHTLY SHOW Watch our Knightly Show for new announcements, sports, features, DIYs, and much more every week!

Azariah Anderson Discusses his Poetry and Musical Works with Daniel Bridgeman:

Azariah Anderson discusses his works of poetry and his beat production with Daniel Bridgeman.

Crime Kooks: Learning About Color Guard With McKenna O’Connor:

McKenna O’Connor is a good friend of Emily and Rachel, so they decided to take a break from all the death and learn about something new! Get to know more about Color Guard in this information and personal interview.

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UNDERSTANDING A NEW PERSPECTIVE bit.ly/NSblackhistory Starting next fall, FHN will offer two new elective courses: Black History and Black Literature. (Story by Shivani Bondada and DaNyla Creacy)

TWO SENIORS NAMED PART OF MISSOURI 100 SCHOLAR bit.ly/NSmo100

Seniors Jay Scott and Emma Rohrbach were named recipients of the Missouri Scholar 100 Program. This award is given on an academic basis, putting them in the top 100 students in the state out of thousands. Scott and Rohrbach will be invited to attend a virtual congratulatory luncheon with the other 98 awarded students from all across Missouri.

“I’m really proud that two of the top 100 scholars in the state are coming from North,” head principal Nathanael Hostetler said. “That means we really are doing some good work. I’m so proud of what these kids have been able to accomplish.” (Story by Ashlynn Perez)

MISSING MONIQUE DRAWS ATTENTION TO ART PROGRAM

WHAT THE ALL-KNIGHTER LOOKS LIKE THIS YEAR bit.ly/NSallknight For many years, seniors have been able to attend the All-Knighter. Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there will be some changes this year. It will take place at Six Flags STL. Seniors will have access to food and rides. (Story by Max Brewer and Chase Pray)

bit.ly/NSmonique Monique is a thirty-year-old mannequin previously owned by retired art teacher Steve Weinhold. In her prime, she was used as a prop for many art projects by students. However, after Weinhold retired, she made a new home in the store room, where she sat for years, unused and unloved. Maples noticed Monique’s decrepit state and decided it was time to take her out of retirement and give her purpose again. This isn’t the first time the art

department has put something in the school for students to interact with. Last year, they put hopscotch squares in the hallway, purely for the sake of students playing on it. Maples hopes that they will continue to do photo opportunities and other things that students can interact with to help get them interested in taking art classes, which she feels are very valuable, even if someone isn’t necessarily an artist. (Story by Abby Keathley)

DRAMA CLUB PLAY POSTPONED TILL SPRING bit.ly/NSdrama The play “Etched-X,” originally set to debut in mid-February, has been delayed until May 6 due to quarantines. (Story by Chloe Horstman and Tayler Ross)

FOLLOWING SPRING SPORTS

Spring sports began with tryouts in early March. Take a look into how many teams are returning after last year’s seasons cancellations.

UPCOMING LIVE STREAMS Apr. 6 Girls’ Soccer Apr. 8 Boys’ Volleyball Apr. 15 Boys’ Volleyball Watch the streams here: bit.ly/NSlivesports

BACK TO THE TRACK After not getting the chance to run last year due to COVID-19, the track and field team is taking their first strides with the start of the spring sports season. The team is welcoming Valerie Green as it’s her first year coaching track and field after assistant coaching cross country. Overall, the team is working hard this season with hopes of sending players to state. “I’m looking forward to getting to work with the kids, especially the freshman and sophomore who maybe don’t have as much experience who get to try a lot of events out,” Green said. (Brief by Karsyn Willliams)

WRESTLING AT STATE Due to COVID-19 and wrestlers on the FHN wrestling team getting quarantined, the Knights had to extend their season for another week. Despite the challenges, the Knights still fought hard and finished their season strong as senior Jesse Collins and sophomore Lily Stegierwald both advanced to state. “I feel like in districts we did really well. We had 11 [make it] in, and we had 10 [advance] to sectionals,” Collins said. “I feel like at some duels we did pretty good. It was just at sectionals that [we could] have done better.” (Brief by Parker Kilen)

Warming up with passing the ball back and forth between each other, junior Cat Connolly and sophomore Kirnpreet Dayal gets ready for practice drills. The team have been including this in their practice ever since they started on March 1 because of its benefits to strengthen the team and their passing abilities. (Photo by Shahed Abdallah)

BACK IN ACTION

Girls lacrosse team rebounds after losing much of the team since last year’s seniors graduated, leaving the underclassmen to make up the difference by Max Brewer

maxbrewer7@gmail.com

fter the class of 2019 and the class of 2020 seniors headed out, the girls lacrosse team lost a majority of their players. The class of 2019 had 12 seniors, and 2020 had another five. “Last year was supposed to be our building season, but after losing all the seniors, we pretty much have a whole new team,” junior Cat Connolly said. The team has a few new players to look forward to having playing on the team. Players such as sophomore Sarah Korte, freshman Kendra Swope and sophomore Tommie Schaljo will be adding their names to the roster this year.

The team is also losing a few players and will have added restrictions due to COVID-19, such as the possibility of having to wear masks when playing teams in Saint Louis County. “Masks will make a big difference and I’m not sure how that’s going to work when we play a lot of schools in St. Louis County,” Connolly said. With this team and the fresh faces, there are a few goals they have in mind to help make this season a success. “Some team goals I have for this year are definitely bringing everyone together and having good team chemistry,” Connolly said. “I also want everyone to be comfortable with everyone on the team and be able to trust each other as teammates and keep positivity.”

Page by Parker Kilen

At an FHN Varsity soccer practice on March 9, senior Alli Vernon dribbles the ball, preparing to pass to a teammate. Her coaches praised her for her hard work at the practice. Vernon has been playing for the team for all four years of high school and continues to improve. (Photo by Sophie Stachula)

Caiden Fritts takes a swing at the golf course with the FHN Boys Golf team. He has been playing for the FHN Boys Golf team for multiple seasons. Although last season got cut short the Boys Golf team is hoping for a good season. (Photo by Pavan Kolluru)

TEEING OFF STRONG

This year, the Knights boys’ varsity golf team is looking to play strong, score well and place high at their tournaments this season. “It’s different [since] we didn’t have a season last year,” head coach Mark Wright said. “There’s going to be a lot of excitement to get back and compete and see what we can do.” According to Wright, the Knights will be having a lot of great golfers this season including juniors Max Ising and Joey Key,

who have previous varsity experience, and junior Derek Ludwig. This golf season will be very different compared to previous seasons, but the Knights are still set to go far and finish their season with a bang. “We’ll have to wear masks [and] just be a bit separated and [do everything else] the same,” Ludwig said. “I would say [golf is] the calmest sport ever, it’s peaceful, fun [and] makes you happy.” (Brief by Parker Kilen)

BACK TO STATE

Senior Cole Sherman watches the ball closely, waiting for the perfect chance to hit it back. Sherman been playing tennis for FHN for all four years of high school. (Photo by Shahed Abdallah)

Page by Parker Kilen

Senior boys’ tennis player Cole Sherman is looking to have another run at state this year. Sherman made state two years ago during his sophomore year with former teammate senior Ben Ell. After not having a season last year, Sherman has his eyes on the prize. “First off there’s a chip on my shoulder from not playing last year, and it being my senior year makes it important to go in with the mentality that this is the last time I’ll get to play,” Sherman said. According to Sherman, he and his former teammate had good chemistry on and off the court and he will be looking to have that same level of chemistry with his new teammate

for this season, senior Rayan Amir. “Cole and I have always worked really well together, and have had good communication, but making sure we stay disciplined and focused is our priority coming into the season,” Amir said Sherman and Amir were supposed to be the third and fourth players last season before it was canceled due to COVID-19, so they look to use that as motivation for this season. “I’m just looking forward to being able to play tennis again, especially since it is the last time I’m playing for the school,” Amir said. (Brief by Max Brewer)

Q&A WITH SENIOR ALLI VERNON

Which sport did you do each year of high school? “I did cross country all 4 years of high school, soccer my freshman and senior year, and track my sophomore and junior years.” Why do you switch between the two sports? “I didn’t enjoy soccer at FHN my freshman year as much as I hoped to, so I wanted to explore more options.” Which sport is your favorite? “Cross country is my favorite sport, but track is my least favorite because it is much more competitive and individualistic, while soccer falls somewhere in the middle. Cross country is my favorite sport because of the amazing atmosphere created by the members of the team. It’s an incredibly difficult sport, but the support and love offered by teammates is unmatched by any other sport. Additionally, running on the team has taught me many life lessons concerning determination, perseverance, and motivation.” Which sport do you plan to do in college? “I actually do not plan on doing either sport in college. The main reason I don’t plan on doing sports in college is to maximize my experience with other activities I’ll pursue. I’m entering a tough major (Biochemistry), and I plan on dedicating more of my time to achieving academic success. Additionally, I plan on participating in other extracurriculars rather than devote time to sports.” What are your goals this season as a senior soccer player? “My main goal with soccer this season is to finish up my senior experience playing a sport that I’ve been doing since I was three. I really just wanna complete my soccer career having fun, and making memories I can look back fondly on.” (Content by Max Brewer)

THE PASSION CONTINUES Senior Jackson Mitchell plans to take his baseball talents to the next level this season

By Parker Kilen

pkilen537@g.fhsdschools.org

e has played baseball since he was seven years old. That passion has taken senior varsity baseball player Jackson Mitchell a long way, as he was able to make the junior varsity baseball team his freshman year, and then varsity baseball his sophomore year and onward. “At first, my dad was all like let’s go outside and play catch and stuff, but I kind of just fell in love with the game, [and] the atmosphere with being at the ballpark,” Mitchell said. This season, Mitchell and the Knights are looking to finish their season strong. According to assistant varsity baseball coach Mike Freedline, Mitchell has shined as a player and leader throughout his baseball career at FHN. He did super well during his sophomore year and is especially doing great this year. “Last year got cut short [and we] didn’t get any games in. He would’ve been one of the top pitchers in the conference. His sophomore year, he was one of the top pitchers in the conference [and had] a low era, so hopefully he can do that again this year and be one of the top 2 or 3 in our conference and win our conference.” ) Freedline said. After high school, Mitchell will be attending Truman State` University to continue his passion for baseball as a pitcher. Mitchell’s coaches and teammates are very

proud of Mitchell and all he has accomplished in his baseball career at FHN and as a whole. They are especially excited to see what he can accomplish this season and in his college baseball career. “He definitely gets things done,” senior and fellow teammate Jett Jameson said. “Every time he goes on the mound, you know you have a reliable pitcher, someone who can shut a game down and give your team the advantage. For his college future, I definitely hope he could gain more miles per hour on his fastball, and get scouted more by professional teams.” Overall, Mitchell has thoroughly loved all of his years playing baseball inside and outside of high school. This year, Mitchell is looking to show strong leadership to all of the younger FHN baseball athletes and the FHN baseball program as a whole. He plans to finish his high school baseball career with a winning record as a pitcher and finish his senior season with a bang and then prepare for the next level. “It’s relaxing. It’s not fast paced all the time, but there’s moments where there’s action, and the people who just play, you really connect with them. It’s just that summertime sport you really enjoy,” Mitchell said. “[College baseball will be] a huge step up. Everyone’s older, bigger [and] stronger. My main goal is [to] just stick with it, work hard, get stronger [and] be a better player.”

Mitchell’s Statistics 84 mph fastball 73 mph curveball 81 mph exit velocity

Baseball Schedule See scheduled games for FHN baseball here: bit.ly/NSbaseball

Senior Jackson Mitchell takes a pause before pitching to the batter in an FHN Varsity baseball practice on March 9. Mitchell plays first base as well as pitching. Mitchell started playing on Varsity his sophomore year, and his coaches respect his sportsmanship and hard work. (Photo by Sophie Stachula)

Page by Max Brewer

FHN CROSSWORD PUZZLE Try this FHN and current events themed crossword puzzle

Down: 1. Men’s basketball tournament 2. FHN’s head principal 3. Seniors right of passage to get diploma 6. End of the year dance that was canceled 9. Name of the art departments mannequin

Across: 4. Best website to get news on FHN 5. A pranking holiday 7. Required to entire FHN 8. A knights name 10. Instead of in-person learning it’s ___________ 11. Room 105

Answer Key: Down (1) March Madness (2) Hostetler (3) Graduation (6) Prom (9) Monique Across (4) fhntoday (5) April Fools (7) Maks (8) Norm (10) Online (11) Publications

Page by Sydney Ellison

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

The Francis Howell North Community has recently adopted a new word: Equality. At this school, we have students who come from different backgrounds. Some have different skin colors, some practice different religions. Some students carry different political opinions. When newly elected United States President Joe Biden was sworn into office on January 20th, 2021, parts of the FHN community felt eased that the future was changing. Yet some felt that we are going in the wrong direction. But it is not the political part that goes unsung. It is the people who have been mis-treated by the community for being openly conservative (Republican). I have personally seen friends and other students mistreated in these very hallways for donning their Make America Great Again hats. We have been labeled as “White Supremacists” and “Racists”. Why has this community chosen to ask for acceptance for all, when it is only most of our students? Why do the very groups who ask for acceptance for all and freedom to express themselves tear others down? To be the great community that we pledge to be, we must accept everybody. Or we must stop using the word acceptance. (Letter by sophomore Kevin Taylor)

Want to submit a letter to the editor? Find out how here: bit.ly/NSpolicy

NORTH STAR TAKE:

#CANCELFINALS

The school board should take the recommendation made by staff and students to cancel finals. Let the FHSD community have a healthy end to the 2020-21 school year

healthy. Students have already had to deal with the ancel culture. The world wide trend that mental stress of a pandemic along with the other has targeted many companies, celebrities, memorable events of 2020. Allowing finals is an politicians and even cartoon characters. Most of the cancel hashtags have taken place on social unnecessary addition to a year that has brought about media giant, Twitter. Hashtag cancel Ellen DeGeneres, way too much pain, sadness and frustration. There has been ample evidence to support that hashtag cancel J.K. Rowling, to name claim, a claim that majority of the the a few of the trends you might have staff at FHSD has agreed with. seen on your Twitter feed. An endless cycle that makes the average person The school board and Learn more about the end feel powerful and the person being administration didn’t have to scour of the year schedule: the internet for blurry photos and canceled scrambling to defend bit.ly/NSlastday screenshots, as most of the cancel themselves. culture has relied on. They had Francis Howell students had been students’ opinions and statistics. A hoping to cancel something of their own this spring. Finals. In an email sent out to staff on survey sent out to FHSD staff showed that 74.4% of them supported the decision of canceling semester exams for Friday, March 19, a recommendation was made to the Spring 2021. 21.1% were indifferent to the decision. school board by the FHSD staff to cancel finals. Canceling finals not only means less stress on Finals cause stress, anxiety, sleepless nights. Students students, it gives teachers a chance to take something already have way more of that than can possibly be

Page by Sydney Ellison

SHOULD FHSD HAVE FINALS AT THE END OF THE YEAR? “No, because it’s too stressful for all the kids to study.” Anna Scognamiglio, 9 “No, because for online kids it’s easier to cheat and we can’t cheat in person so it’s not fair.” Leah Heischmidt, 10 “No no no, because of the kids that are doing online. It wouldn’t make sense for them to do finals but it will also be confusing for them to come to school and it would just be really confusing and not necessary and we can just do it when everyone is in-person.” Daniel Baker, 10 A scantron is ripped up representing the stop to finals that should be put in place for the end of the school year. (Photo Illustration by Taylor Hill)

off their very full plates as they have already dealt with the enormous stress of trying to create a safe learning environment during a year when so many felt unsafe. Without finals being an issue, teachers would be able to stop worrying about the end of the year schedule that had previously brought up many questions for them. After taking the six snow days that we had in February into account, the district made the decision to have the seniors’ last day of school be May 28, while the rest of the grade levels will go through June 8. This would create scheduling issues for the teachers who would then have to move the finals for the seniors to a completely different date than the rest of their students which would have given some students more time to prepare and study for the finals. This could cause the need to create two completely different finals to avoid leaked test information to the

Page by Sydney Ellison

students who would be testing at the later date. Another concern that would arise if the school board doesn’t follow the recommendation is the discrepancy between in-person and online learning environments. There has been discussion amongst students wondering what teachers could do to make sure that the tests were given fairly as online students wouldn’t have a teacher there monitoring their test, making sure there aren’t any unfair advantages such as cheat sheets or being able to Google answers on another device. Canceling finals has taken away these concerns for teachers and students. The school board should make the right decision by taking into account all these factors and understanding the needs of students and staff. FHSD should be able to move forward focusing on finishing out the school year as healthy as possible.

“Yes and no. The only reasons why no is because it can be a major issue especially for people that are online because they would have access to other stuff that people in school wouldn’t.” Joshua Kipper, 11th

“No and let me tell you why. No, because there is no point. This is going to be our second year not having finals and what’s the point of putting us back into a routine that we’re so out of and we’ve been out of for a year and a half.” Melena Hammond, 12th

North | star Editor-in-Chief: Sydney Ellison Editor-in-Chief of FHNtoday: Ashlynn Perez Content Editor: Justin Brewer Design Editor: Karsyn Williams Sports Editor: Parker Kilen

General Staff: Shivani Bondada Chloe Horstman Maddy Brewer McKenna Hudson Max Brewer Abigail Keathley Morgan Chairs Ryleigh O’Donnell Trent Clifton Chase Pray DaNyla Creacy Taylor Ross Patricia Fechter Aadhi Sathishkumar Ray Hathcock Alex Thomas Amber Winkler Editor-in-Chief of Photography: Anna Hollinger Managing Photo Editor: Taylor Hill Personal Choice Editor: Sam Watkins Building Photos Editor: Shahed Abdallah Social Media Editor: Sarah Williams General Staff: Anna Berthold Sky Hebisen Kyle Button John Lopez Chloe Ellison Andrew Poertner Ryan Ginn Sophie Statchula Teegan Gonzalez Kylie Taliaferro Jordayn York Editor-in-Chief of Social Media: Emily Zhang Editor-in-Chief of Podcasting: Gabe Lobato Video Storytelling Editor: Nadia Abusoud Livestream Editor: Jon Fitch Video Staff: Minnie Adams Caleb Kruse Samual Adams Aidan Neu Caroline Blanke Rhea Patel Daniel Bridgeman Will Perry Jenna Brouk Ronté Townsend Ben Cavoto Rachel Trapf Madelyn Clark Ray Shea Emily Gantz Parker Smith Cailyn Hodges Marina Williams Virtual Editors: Maya Helbig Pavan Kolluru Macy Cronin Rachel Vrazel Virtual Staff: Jordan Slusser Peter Pae Matt Wells Ethan Van Horn Allison Bass Evan Becker Azeem Ehtisham Nila Milo Kennedy Gordon Miracle Berry Marina Williams Kylie Mills Advisers: Aaron Manfull Jordyn Kiel

“I do not because it does not benefit anyone and it does not help anyone.” Aair Reese, 10

Have you bought a yearbook yet? Check here: You can purchase yearbooks in the main office, in room 105, or online at FHNtoday.com.

Yearbooks are $60 and there are a limited number ordered so get yours today before they run out. If your name isn’t on the list below, it means you have not ordered your yearbook yet. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Kiel at jordyn.kiel@fhsdschools.org. Abdallah, Shahed Abusoud, Kadin Abusoud, Nadia Adams, Sydney Addison, Anora Ahmed, Hanzalah Ahmed, Hanzalah Akers, Abigail Albertson, Ricky Alexander, Deveon Amir, Rayan Amis, Daylin Ammons, Brianna Andel, Mikinna Anderson, Hannah Anderson, Meghan Archer, Derek Arehart, Chase Atwood, Chase Ausbury, Evelyn Ausbury, Sara Averbeck, Carlee Averbeck, Chloe Badgley, Jake Badgley, Quinn Bailey, Nigel Baker, Antonio Baker, Jax Baker, Zachary Balleydier, Zane Baniak, Justin Bartels, Charlotte Basford, Drew Bass, Allison Baue, Mason Beakley, Jessica Beakley, Jessica Becker, Lauren Behnk, Jordan Beiner, Kiley Bennett, Brianna Berry, Rex Besancenez, Breanna Best, Devin Beyer, Liliana Bievenue, Landon Bircher, Jaxson Birk, Austin Birk, Austin Bitter, Austin Black, Jenna Black, Sophia Blake, Autumn Blanke, Caroline Blount, Logan Bond, Kalyn Bondada, Shivani Bonstead, Clara Bopp, Brendan Borgschulte, Joseph Boyd, Tayshaun Boyd, Tayshaun Boyd, Wesley Bozwell, Elizabeth Bozwell, Joseph Bradt, Cameron Brewer, Maxwell Brewer, MiKayla Brewer, Wilson Brinkley, Sean Brissette, Becka Brockmann, Claire Brockmann, Jace Brooks, Mekhi Brown, Jada Brown, Peyton Bruemmer, Rebecca Bruns, Parker Burgos, Liza Burkhalter, Lily Burnett, Faith Butler, Andrew

Button, Hannah Button, Kyle Cancel Nadal, Andres Caringal, Justin Carpenter, Abigail Cash, Lilian Cavato, Ben Chairs, Morgan Chaney, Lucas Chankin, Ethan Chapman, Lacy Chapple, Cameron Christensen, Justin Chruma, Amelia Clark, Madelyn Clark, Matthew Clayton, Jakob Clemons, Riley Clintsman, Ava Cluney, Alexander Coffman, Luke Colbert, Yashua Cole, Collin Collins, Jesse Collins, Lucas Connolly, Catherine Contractor, Riya Cosper, Amelia Cotton, Sadie Couch, Josiah Crews, Brianna Crone, Jackson Cuccio, Angela Cundiff, William Cunningham, Amari Cupples, Chase Curativo, Dallas Curtis, Brendan Cutlan, Jackson Darling, John Davis, Jacob Davlin, Jaden Dayal, Kirnpreet De Leon, Saem Degenhardt, Savanna Dennigmann, Ian Derosier, Anna Derosier, Meranda Devecigil, Damla Devecigil, Deniz Dickson, Cole Dittmar, Ryan Dobey, Megan Dotson, Malekhi Drazic, Alexis Dunbar, Taylor Dunn, Colton Dunscombe, Haley Dyson, Brooke Easterling, Rebekah Ehtisham, Azeem Ell, Ben Ellison, Chloe Ellison, Sydney Engelhard, Jack Engle, Olivia Eyman, Carter Eyman, James Fajatin, Lucy Farkas, Logan Faulkner, Patrick Ferry, Jack Fienup, Drew Fischer, Emma Fisher, Jack FitzGerald, Zachary Flemming, Grace Flieger, Shaylea Fodor, Will Forth, Katherine Forth, Thomas Fox, Dustin Frisby, Braden

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Lowery, Ashleigh Lowrey, Ethan Lowrey, Riley Ludwig, Derek Ludwig, Ian Ludwig, Troy Machalek, Dylan Madison, Brewer Martin, Alexander Martin, Maggie Martinez, Abby Martinez, Patrick Matlack, Ethan Matson, Cody Mawhiney, Zachary McAtee, Kyleigh McBain, Brittany McBride, Riley McCarthy, Evan McCoy, Ethan McCrary, Kyle McDermott, Ian McGowen, Jackson McNevin, Katherine Meier, Zoe Mellor, Michael Melvin, Coy Metheny, Moses Midgett, Jaxson Milburn, Angel Miller, Elliana Miller, Emilie Miller, Joanna Miller, Katherine Miller, Megan Minter, Jordan Mitchell, Jackson Mitchell, Mason Mooney, Bridget Moore, Allison Moore, Joshua Morris, Drake Morrison, Mia Moseley, Grace Moutray, Jeremy Moutray, Sarah Moxley, Peter Muehlenbrock, Anna Mumford, Cole Mumford, Cole Munyat, Olivia Murdock, Ryan Musil, Maddison Muthukaruppan, Manisha Nagy, Zoe Neier, Margaret Neiner, Summer Neunaber, Olivia Neuschwander, Lucas Nevenner, Andrew Newport, Allison Newport, Madeline Newport, Natalie Nicholson, Wyatt O’Dell, Kaylie Oakes, Kyle Oconnor, McKenna Oetting, Emma Ortbals, Aydney Otto, Jackson Otto, Marcus Pae, Peter Pardo, Ella Parrott, Riley Pasuparthi, Aakruthi Patel, Hari Patrylo, Madison Patterson, Joseph Pearson, Bradyn Pearson, Owyn Peck, Collin

Penning, Scotty Perkins, Chloe Perryman, Allie Perryman, Grant Peterson, Jacob Petty, Jackson Phillips, Morgan Pierce, Ian Pilch, Emily Pintor Ferreyra, Humberto Polsgrove, Addison Posley, Brooke Postier, Peyton Powell, Andrew Powelson, Braden Pray, Chase Pray, Chase Priest, Nece Prinkey, Adam Puhr, Hayden Puhr, Riley Pundmann, Catherine Pundmann, Elizabeth Pundmann, William Quinlan, Zachary Raja, Kevin Ramirez, Maddoz Rawashdeh, Jana Ray, Colin Ray, Connor Reale, Brandon Reduzzi, Ryan Reel, Carson Reese, Aair Remolina, Ana Renkey, Alex Renkey, Shannon Rentfro, Gavin Renz, Emma Reza, Micahel Rieken, Freya Roberts, Mollie Robinson, Dominick Robinson, Dominick Robinson, MacKenzie Robnett, Lauren Robnett, Mitchell Rodriguez, Tyler Rogers, Jessika Rohrbach, Emma Rohrbach, Emma Roider, Brandon Romano, Franics Ross, Tayler Ruiz, Gregory Runge, Elizabeth Runge, Elizabeth Rutherford, Bryanna Salter, Braedon Salter, Emma Sanford, Erica Sathish Kumar, Aadhi Satterfield, Molly Sauer, Kate Scarbrough, Bailey Schaffer, Koen Schanks, Nick Schlemper, MacKenzie Schmid, Mallory Schmidt, Emily Schmidt, Jonica Schnarre, Grace Schneider, Trey Schroeder, Carter Schroeder, Gavin Schuchman, Nico Schuchman, Nico Schuchman, Nina

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