December 2020 North Star

| WINTERGUARD UPDATE PAGE 07 | FHN’S MUSIC TASTE PAGE 10 | NEW SCHOOL PAGE 15 |

NORTH STAR

FRANCIS HOWELL NORTH | ST. CHARLES, MO 63303 | 12.16.20 | VOL 35 ISSUE 02

PAINTING OVER 2020

THE NORTH STAR LOOKS AT THE IMPACT OF THE YEAR 2020 ON FHN, SHOWING BOTH THE GOOD AND THE BAD

CONTENTS PAINTING OVER 2020

FHN’S MUSICALITY

KNIGHTS NEW KINGDOM

1 Remember Prom?

10 FHN’S Music

17 Architect Q&A

OPINIONS: A SIGN OF THE TIMES 23 New Year

3 Online Switch

12 Making Music

18 The Timeline

25 No Contact

Look back at events that were canceled.

Throwback to the first move to virtual learning.

Look at what music FHN listens to.

Jackson Cutlan has a passion for creating music.

The architect for the new building answers a few questions.

Find out what the schedule is for building the new school.

WHAT’S IN THE NEWS?

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SPORTS?

11 Winter Guard

26 Playing with Alopecia

12 No Finals

29 Hockey Hits

Season update on Winter Guard and learn about their virtual shows.

There is a new policy this semester for finals.

Ryan Murdock plays basketball and has Alopecia.

Start 2021 with freash energy using these activities.

The new contact tracing policy is the wrong move.

ON THE COVER

A slash of paint illustrates events that happened in 2020. The year was deemed by many disastrous as serious events kept piling up.

(Illustration by Ryleigh O’Donnell)

Check out a season update on FHN’s hockey team.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

There was a paragraph in the first book of the Harry Potter series where Voldemort was called great. Not good, most definitely terrible, but still great.

That understanding is how I would describe this year.

It’s great in the way this year will go down in history. Most likely not as good, probably as a mess, but great all the same.

2020 was a year that will be talked about.

The events that took hold this year gave us no room to breath. We have been trampled over again and again.

In this issue we decided to take on the task of showing FHN’s impact from 2020.

Even though so much held us back FHN

accomplished a lot this year.

Let’s focus on bringing in the good for 2021. I would be happy with a good year, nothing great, nothing extraordinary.

Just good. Just a rebound. Focus on the connection between people and the small things in life that the make us happy.

Whether that’s making your favorite meal, trying a new hobby or just looking at the stars. Keep those simple things in life close to you. It’s those moments that make life good and not just great. So when 2021 comes take a deep breath and have a good year.

Editor-in-Chief, Sydney Ellison Page by Sydney Ellison

We’ve got 10 $50 gift cards to local businesses to give away.

YOU WANT ONE?

CONTEST DETAILS It’s pretty easy for you to qualify for one of the 10 gift cards.

Just make sure you have purchased your 2021 FHN yearbook before Feb. 1 and you’re eligible. That’s it!

YEARBOK HIGHLIGHTS 2020-21 is going to be one school year you are not going to forget as it’s a year like no other.

On Feb. 1, FHNtoday will have a live online drawing to name the winners.

From face masks and quarantines to a community vote for a new high school and sports and clubs finding a way to make it work, you will definitely want this historical record to look back on some day.

Winners will have the choice of more than 20 different local businesses to choose a $50 gift card to.

The price will go up after Feb. 1, so get yours now so you get it for a great price and so you’re eligible for one of the gift cards.

VERIFY YOU’VE RESERVED ONE OR PURCHASE YOURS TODAY! If you want to see if you’ve purchased a book already, the link or QR code will help you get to a page where you can check.

If you haven’t purchased a book yet, you can also purchase one there too.

The yearbook will be available for purchase all year but go up in price Feb. 1. To make sure the whole year is included (through graduation), yearbooks will be distributed in August at registration. For more info: https://bit.ly/2021FHNyearbook

PAINTING OVER 2020

This year was a rollercoaster of ups and downs felt across the world, and the FHN community was along for the wild ride. People went from partying and bringing in a brand new decade with friends and family to isolating from an unexpected pandemic within the first quarter of the year. Though social distancing became a vital addition to the daily life of most, many people found a way to connect and support one another, even if their lives had swiftly turned upside down. Take a look at some of the memories from 2020 and remember how the Knights battled through the hard times and triumphed in the good times

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BRINGING IN THE NEW YEAR

GIVING BACK WITH BLOOD

On the last day of 2019, senior Lexi Triller went to her friend’s house to bring in the anticipated New Year with bonfires, smores, board games, fireworks and a lot of hope.

“I assumed that 2020 would be a positive year that was to bring change for everyone,” Triller said. “I don’t know, it kind of didn’t happen. I expected it just to be a super positive year.” (Brief by Chloe Horstman)

HOSA held its annual blood drive on Jan. 24 in the large gym, and 83 students signed up to donate blood throughout the day to the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center. Vice President of HOSA and current senior, Brandi Stover, worked the blood drive the entire day and also donated blood.

“That was my first time [giving blood], I was just kind of vibing,” Stover said. “It was a great opportunity to give back a little bit.” (Brief by Chloe Horstman)

GLOWING AT SNOWCOMING

STRUTTING THE STAGE

Excitement filled the air as students geared up to go to the annual Snowcoming, held on Feb. 8 this year. 765 students got dressed up, met with friends for pictures and had dinner before heading to the glow-in-the-dark dance floor. Current senior Mollie Roberts took pictures with a group of friends and headed to Red Robin before hitting the dance floor.

“We took pictures at my house,” Roberts said. “Then we got dinner and then we went to the dance. I really liked my dress that I wore, I had fun. Overall, it was pretty good. I had more fun that time than I had in the past. I always think the music is better at Snowcoming.” (Brief by Chloe Horstman)

On March 4, juniors and seniors modeled glittery dresses and dapper tuxedos for the annual Prom Fashion Show in FHN’s auditorium. This year’s show also featured a game show component and competitions between the models, as well as musical performances. Current senior Olivia Neunaber was part of the Junior Delegates last semester, and she posed in an elegant one-shoulder dress from David’s Bridal.

“I wanted to do it since I helped put it together,” Neunaber said. “I liked the games, I actually ended up winning so that was fun. That was a fun little add-on.”

(Brief by Chloe Horstman)

Page by Chloe Horstman and Karsyn Williams

STUCK IN THE HAPPIEST PLACE

TAKING EXAMS AT HOME

As the word ‘Coronavirus’ was spoken more and more, 42 students in FHN’s chamber choir groups, Knightsound and Bella Voces, flew to Orlando on March 12 to compete in the annual Festival Disney competition hosted by Disney World. However, after arriving and spending time at Universal Studios and Disney World, the competition was cancelled the day before it took place. On top of this, the choirs’ flight back home was delayed for a day because of the spreading pandemic, causing some students to drive back to Missouri. Despite the rising panic, current junior Piper Stutsman embraced the opportunity to spend time with her friends even though the trip had not gone to plan.

“It’s hard during school to hang out with your friends all the time, but we just had a solid week to hang out with everyone,” Stutsman said. “Even if we didn’t get to perform, we still had that week to relax and be with each other.” (Brief by Chloe Horstman)

Throughout online school, many students were preparing to take AP Exams which were administered online from May 11-22. Anxiety was high as students practiced essays, rigorously reviewed notes, and watched hours of review videos before taking the exams.

Senior Rumesa Qalbani prepared for her AP Government and Politics and AP Language and Composition exams by utilizing College Board resources, practicing writing essay responses, reviewing notes and studying with peers.

“I had to take initiative to find all of the different study guides and find exactly what AP is asking for for these new different kinds of tests,” Qalbani said. “I spent long days studying throughout just to make sure I got a good score. I had a study group that helped me through AP Lang and Gov since we were all in the same class. It was definitely fun to have a study group afterwards and get some validation, just to talk and feel more relaxed.”

(Brief by Chloe Horstman)

PASSING PROP S On June 2, during the postponed spring election, votes were casted on Proposition S, deciding whether or not FHSD could receive bond funds, which would be used to directly fund the building of a new FHN. The proposition was passed with 79.28% of voters approving of it. Since then, the district has been working to plan out the building of the new FHN. “It will change everything about how we do business,” FHN principal Nathan Hostetler said. “We get to build a new FHN. We’re going to have bigger, better facilities.”

(Brief by Karsyn Williams)

MARCHING FOR JUSTICE Members of the FHSD community held a Black Lives Matter march on June 16 in Cottleville, where many held up their signs and showed their support for the BLM movement. Advocating for equality, many got the opportunity to discuss their experiences with racial inequality and the fight to end racial injustices, such as junior Mya Walker who delivered her own speech. “l feel like the speeches were really interesting,” FHN teacher who attended the march Kristen Johnson said.

“All the speakers represented themselves pretty well and in general it was put on by very passionate people.”

(Brief by Karsyn Williams)

(Illustrations by Ryleigh O’Donnell)

Page by Chloe Horstman and Karsyn Williams

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BEGINNING ONLINE LEARNING The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many changes to people’s lives, especially in education. For the 2020-21 school year, students had the choice to learn online instead of going to school in-person. Teachers had to change to a more organized system to make sure students at home were receiving a better education than at the end of last school year when the virus had just started. Students also had to change the way they completed assignments and communicated with their teachers.

“For online school, we use Canvas,” sophomore Jax Baker said. “If I need to get in touch with a teacher, I can use either email or Zoom.” (Brief by Alex Thomas)

THE STADIUM’S LAST GAME Although 2020 was chock full of ‘firsts’, the FHN stadium hosted its final football game on Oct. 16 against FZS, which ended with a score of 7 to 44 and a loss from FHN. The stadium will be torn down after this school year for construction on the new building. Head coach and FHN alumni Brett Bevill takes pride in the players that pressed on during an unprecedented season, and has mixed emotions about seeing the stadium go. “[The last football game was] kind of surreal,” Bevill said. I played in that stadium as a player, I played on that field. Being the last group to play on that field, I guess that’s real sad, just thinking about all the people that played there before and the traditions that are there that are going to be gone. At the same time, [I’m] also excited for the future.” (Brief by Chloe Horstman)

04

HELPING RAISE SPIRTS Every year, StuCo organizes a spirit week during the week of homecoming. Despite there being no homecoming dance, the school continued to show their school pep by dressing up for the themes of the week, such as denim day and character day.

“I would say [spirit week] went well,” StuCo President senior Caroline Blanke said. “I think its really good that we’re starting to get a lot more student input rather than just StuCo. It’s really nice to see a lot of the underclassmen get involved as well. I think [spirit week] is a great time for people to come together and show their school spirit because we don’t have many opportunities to do that this year.” (Brief by Karsyn Williams)

KNIGHTS HAVING A BALL Knightpride had a ball marching across the football field Oct. 17 for Music in Motion, their final performance of the season after months of hard work and dedicated rehearsal. Due to the virus, the event could only be attended by relatives of Knightpride members, as they were unable to attend football games and watch the halftime shows. Instead of a competition between bands, this year the event was solely to celebrate Knightpride’s season.

“It was more of a celebration for our season that we actually got to have, because we didn’t know if we were going to have one,” senior Makenna Jansing said. “I wish we could have done more, but I’m glad we actually got to do something this year.” (Brief by Chloe Horstman)

Page by Alex Thomas

RISE OF THE GAME AMONG US If you use social media, then you’ve probably heard of Among Us. In the beginning of September, Among Us, a game created in 2018 that almost no one had heard about, began to soar in popularity. The game’s increase in players was largely due to content creators on Twitch and YouTube. Among Us is also wildly popular because of its low price, the game is free on mobile and only $5 on Steam. The game can be played online with friends or with random people.

“I got the game because I saw people play it on YouTube, sophomore Brady Jarman said, “I like it because I’m able to play it with friends and have fun.”

(Brief by Alex Thomas)

VOTING FOR THE PRESIDENT As the country became increasingly politically polarized, the fateful day came on Nov. 3: Election Day. Many citizens, old and young alike, waited in lines to cast their ballot, while others mailed in ballots to share their voice. Like every presidential election, this year a new group of young adults was allowed to vote, including senior Jacob Skwira, who voted at a local church.

“It felt good, finally being 18 and being able to do that, so it was cool,” Skwira said. “I’ve heard some people have much longer lines but mine was only about 25 minutes so it wasn’t bad. Before [voting] it was just like any normal day, and then after it was like ‘Okay, I really did that, that was pretty cool.” (Brief by Chloe Horstman)

VIRTUAL PEP ASSEMBLY Due to social distancing, the homecoming pep assembly had to be done differently than years prior.

Each fall sport team showed off their roster while Knightline and the cheer team performed in front of a camera, along with other fun homecoming activities like the sack race and the announcement of homecoming court. The video was then broadcasted in each Knight time class the Wednesday after the homecoming game.

“We did what we did with what we could,” senior and assembly announcer Gabriel Lobato said. “I think it was better than having nothing, I know there were mixed emotions about it.” (Brief by Karsyn Williams)

FHN DECKING THE HALLS The long year draws to a close and the holiday season arrives. Various clubs have piled together crafting and decorating skills to adorn FHN hallways to compete for a prize in Student Council’s Deck the Halls competition.

Groups decorated the week of Dec. 7, hoping to hear their club announced as the winner on Dec. 18. Senior and StuCo Parliamentarian Maddy Brewer looked forward to decorating the downstairs lobby with council members and walking through the cheerful hallways on her way to class.

“I think that Deck the Halls is pretty important just because of the fact that it brightens peoples’ days,” Brewer said. (Brief by Chloe Horstman)

(Illustrations by Ryleigh O’Donnell)

Page by Alex Thomas

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NEWS AT NORTH

Take a look at some of the things happening right here in our Francis Howell North Community and some of the things happening beyond. Read about some of things FHN’s clubs are doing to give back to the community and even a bit about the new contact tracing policy.

LOOKING AHEAD Now-End of December

Now-End of December

FHSD’s free breakfast an lunch deal will continue through the end of December

Take a look at all of the doors and hallways decorated for Christmas by our clubs and homerooms

December

23

First Day of Winter break

January 4 First day back to school after Winter break

FALL PLAY UPDATES Due to COVID-19, Francis Howell North’s fall play had to be done a little bit differently this year

by Sydney Ellison and Nila Milo sydney.ellison55@gmail.com

Francis Howell North High Schools Drama Club managed to put on the show but with a few adjustments due to COVID-19.

“Drama club chose this one [The Internet Is A Distract--Oh Look A Kitten!] by Ian McWethy because it was the easiest to perform while socially distant,” sophomore Wonder Reed said.

As teenage Micah crunched to finish an essay for school, The Internet Is A Distract--Oh Look A Kitten! highlighted how easy it is to fall down a rabbit hole online. All of the apps came to life as Micah wrote her essay; emphasizing how distracting apps could be, all while in the form of a comedic play.

“The part that I like the most was when Google walks out of the cellphone

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that we built,” said Rumesa Qalbani.

“They walk out of the cell phone frame and they approach Micah. Then they start having a duel.”

FHNToday streamed the play for anyone who’d like to watch. Tickets were on sale in the drama room and online.

“Only around 60 people are allowed in the audience [in order] to follow COVID-19 guidelines,” Reed said.

With COVID-19 affecting how fast drama clubs can receive supplies and etcetera, it takes longer to produce the show. The play showed Dec 3-5.

“Being in the environment of drama, in it itself, is so rewarding because you can get a feel for everybody’s creative personality and how everybody wants the show to proceed,” said senior Rumesa Qalbani.

(Screenshot by Sydney Ellison)

Page by Justin Brewer

Wreaths hang on the lockers in FHN’s basement. This year FBLA & DECA are doing something new to give back. (photo by Sydney Ellison)

Freshman McKenna Hudson and sophomore Morgan Chairs study in the learning commons. Recently FHN has enacted a new quarantine policy in response to a statement from Governor Mike Parson. The biggest changes that were made we to the rules surrounding quarantine. (photo by Amber Winkler)

QUARANTINE REDONE

Take a look at some of details of FHN’s new contact tracing and quarantine policy and how they will affect the student body

by Ashlynn Perez

ashlynnkaeperez@gmail.com

FHN enacted a new contact tracing policy on Nov. 30 after a statement from Missouri Governor Mike Parson and advisory from the St. Charles County Health Department. The modified quarantine policy allows close contacts to attend school, though they have to quarantine from all other activities.

“What’s changing is quarantine rules,” head principal Nathanael Hostetler said. “If the exposure takes place at school, with both parties masked, then the close contact receives a modified quarantine. Essentially that quarantine

says that they cannot attend work, they can’t participate in extracurricular activities, and they have to quarantine with the exception of their time at school, because everyone here is masked.

So that’s the big change.”

Only one person has caught COVID-19 from school, and they got it from a positive case at lunch, where they were maskless.

“Keep the mask on, wear it right, keep it over your nose,” Hostetler said. “Do what you need to do. Particularly with the idea of modified contact tracing, masks are going to be legitimately what enable us to stay open and stay safe.”

WINTER GUARD CHANGES This year’s winter guard season will look very different for the team due to COVID-19. Despite these changes they are still hoping to have a great season

by Marina Williams

mwilliams807@g.fhsdschools.org

The FHN Winter Guard season will be anything but ordinary. The many changes that have come with COVID-19 are very difficult to adapt to, especially in an activity which requires such close proximity to others. The Winter Guard season, normally full of bus rides and competitions, will instead be full of pre-recorded performances that the team will upload.

“Last year, we got to compete at state, and go on bus rides. We could also have longer

Page by Justin Brewer

practices,” Sophomore Mckenna O’Connor said “There aren’t any bus rides this year, and that’s really sad because they were always really fun.”

The team does not currently have a schedule of performances, however they hope to have one by January. While this is a major change, a lot of the team is grateful for their ability to perform, and their main priority is to keep everyone safe.

“I didn’t even think we would be able to perform this year, so I’m really looking forward to that,” O’Connor said.

WREATHS FOR A CAUSE This holiday season FHN business and marketing clubs, FBLA and DECA, are giving back to the community on Dec. 16 by placing wreaths on veteran graves at Jefferson Barracks Cemetery.

“It’s a worthwhile event and it’s awesome [with] everyone pitching in to help get all these wreaths sponsored and remember all our heroes during the holidays,” marketing teacher Mike Freedline said.

Lori Moore, Freedline and eight other FBLA and DECA members will be going to the cemetery to place the wreaths on the gravestones. FHN will be joining 40 other various clubs and companies across Saint Louis that will be participating in the “Sponsor a Veteran’s Wreath” project.

“A part of being with FBLA and DECA, is not only how you prepare yourself for the real world but also just giving back,” Vice President of Communications senior Cole Sherman said. “There’s so much more than just doing what that club asks because not only does community service help those people in need but it kind of builds the bond between everyone in that club.”

This is the first year the clubs have participated in this event, and have surpassed their goal of having 100 wreaths sponsored. Wreaths could be sponsored by anyone or any club in the community. Some wreaths were purchased with the purpose of putting it on a certain gravestone while others were for any veteran who has passed.

“I think this is important for everyone, especially students, to give honor to all the soldiers that have given up so much for our freedoms,” Freedline said. “It’s a good way to honor them and to know that they’re not forgotten and their families know we haven’t forgotten what they’ve given up for us.” (Story by Macy Cronin)

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PLAY BY PLAY

The Drama Club put on the play “The Internet is Distract... Oh Look, a Kitten” on Dec. 3-5. Tickets were limited in order to comply with social distancing guidlines. The play was also availble on demand after the live performances. The play follows a girl who just needs to get her homework done but is coninully distracted by the internet which has been personified into characters.

Senior FHN Masque Players President Megan Miller portrays a cat singing video from Instagram, which is a part of distracting Micah from her paper.

Pulling out his phone to make an Instagram post, Freshman Logan Yarnell portrays a teenage boy Adam showing off his cool Santa Hat.

As Google, played by sophomore Clara Bonstead, jumps out of the internet at Micah, played by senior Jenna Weber, the dialogue seems to get pretty intense.

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A Scene plays out during the play including many characters.

Dressed as a country boy, Freshman Logan Yarnell takes on the roll of Email.

Micah needs to be able to use email to get in touch with a classmate, and he helps direct her through the process Dressed as a beauty blogger, Piper Stutsman plays her role as Rachel, Micah’s internet famous beauty influencer.

Aside from the beauty influencer, she also plays as the app Twitter.

Stustman has been in drama since her Freshman year, and she continues to audition for each play each year.

Junior Collin Foster tries to sweep Micah off of her feet while playing the Tinder app in this play. His goal was to make Micahs profile the best it could be, but it ended up being distracting and not fulfilling enough.

Foster also played the role of Corbin, the 24/7 gamer of the play.

Page by Sydney Ellison

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FHN’S MUSICALITY Music affects people in many different ways, some students at FHN have a deep connection to music that has a huge impact on their lives. Take a look to discover the many genres that FHN students listen to and the stories of talented individuals at FHN

WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC DO STUDENTS SECRETLY LISTEN TO?

WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO AND WHY?

Metal - 3.1%

Rap/Hip-Hop - 23.2%

“Rap. I like how it sounds good. My favorite artist is NBA Youngboy. I like the way he raps, and I like his music.”

Rock/Alternative - 20.6%

Kpop - 2.4%

Pop/EDM - 14.2%

Classical Music - 1.8%

R&B/Jazz - 12.2%

Musical Theatre - 0.6%

“Based off my top ten on Spotify, pop and indie.

Some of the music really relates to me and I also like the style.”

Country - 4.5%

Other - 7.7%

Kaitlyn Le, 10th grade

Decade 50s-2000s - 3.6%

None - 6.1%

“I guess it would be called indie music. It’s very calming to me and calms me down when I’m stressed out.”

Demario Ransom, 9th grade

Data collected: 155 student responses

Kayla Caswell, 10th grade

STUDENTS MOST LISTENED TO GENRES Other

Indie

Rap/ Hip-Hop 3%

3.3

%

R&B/Jazz

10.7

Decades 70s-90s

%

9%

.

31

4.5%

“I listen to the oldie’s music like back in the 2000s to 2016. It’s more vibey and gives positive energy besides now music where it’s always talking about killing, drugs, and money. The old music is just talking about life like how good life is, and it brings back a lot of memories.”

Terri Reed, 11th grade

6.1%

17

“A lot of underground rap and R&B. I like the beats and stuff.”

3%

.2%

23.

Country

Devin Ferguson, 12th grade Rock/Alternative

Pop/EDM Data collected: 155 student responses

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Page by Shivani Bondada

THE MUSIC WITHIN ME Junior Mekhi Brooks expresses his love for singing and being a member of choir

by Shivani Bondada

shivanibondada@gmail.com

P

ressured to sing a song during karaoke night at FHN, junior Mekhi Brooks did just that. He returned back to his seat to find choir teacher Jennifer Oncken staring at him and saying that choir needs him next semester.

Brooks didn’t know how to respond at the time but he later made the decision to join choir. He dropped a class to join the second semester of his sophomore year. Even before joining choir, Brooks pushed himself to learn concepts necessary in a choir class so he could be on par with his fellow classmates.

“Before he even joined us, he started working as a part of us in preparation for it [sight reading, a challenging component of choir],” Oncken said. “I was very impressed with his level of dedication and commitment to being a part of the group.”

After he joined, Brooks made the honor district choir and received an exemplary rating for his first solo.

Coming from a family with a music background and taking piano lessons since first grade, Brooks shared his

warm and rich voice with everyone because singing encompassed his life and it means a lot to him. “[Singing] It’s a lot of emotion,” Brooks said. “When you sing, there’s a lot more inflection. You’re leaning more into your words.”

Choir is a community filled with unity and acceptance. According to Brooks, Oncken is a fantastic teacher who continually pushes her students to be the best and create music that sounds collegiate level. It is a space filled with energy that brings individuals to learn not only about music but that impossibilities can become possibilities.

“Choir is an experience that everyone should have,” Oncken said. “It’s a place that everybody belongs to whether people realize it or not.”

Brooks enjoys singing classical pieces with his unique voice and brings maturity to the sound in Knightsound.

He hopes to continue singing in the future in his free time or professionally because seeing peoples’ reactions keep him going. Joining a choir class shaped his life and helped him understand things he only hoped to.

“I’ve learned that you can do things that you really don’t think you can,” Brooks said.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Students in band challenge each other to complete 100 days of practice

by Aadhi Sathishkumar aadhikumarblue@gmail.com

O

ne of FHN’s most tight-knit and largest communities is the band. Students of all types, from eager freshmen fresh out of middle school to veteran seniors hoping to play their instruments in college, all working together. However, many members limit their pursuit of making music to their band hour in school. Senior Tyler Windsor hopes to motivate his fellow band members to practice at home.

“It is hard to have motivation and drive because a lot of things are getting cancelled,” Windsor said. “I thought it’d be a good idea to have a group of people to hold each other accountable or even just encourage each other to do something they love, which is music.”

Many people participating, including Windsor, were formerly part of the marching band, which ended with the football season. One of Windsor’s goals was to preserve the community that was fostered in the tough practices during the season.

“It started a little bit after marching band ended,” Vanessa Guerrero, junior and member of the marching band said. “It was a really big interest of Tyler, and he didn’t want to do it alone. It would be alot more fun to do it as a group, and keeping that group bond. In marching band, we make these friendships, and we can’t really keep them all the time.”

More than 20 students are currently participating.

Participants record themselves practicing their

Page by Shivani Bondada

instrument, and then post a video on Instagram each day. Most participants have made their own accounts to post daily, but a few have teamed up with each other and made group accounts. Junior Aidyn Gleason made one with juniors Carly Gordon and Brooke Dyson.

“I get really anxious playing by myself in front of individuals, like for auditions.” Gleason said. “It felt a little bit more comfortable to do it with more people.”

With the program now lasting just over 40 days, participants remain passionate about trying to improve their musical ability. The program is currently set to end in February. Windsor and others can already see improvement.

“I wasn’t really good at spending time on improving individual things,” Gleason said. “Now I’ve gotten the time to do that, so when I get to class I can rehearse rather than practice and continue to improve on what I was working on.”

Despite being optional, the program can sometimes be a hindrance to students, with time being devoted to practice. Although there are no consequences if a participant misses a day, it can sometimes be very difficult to get their practice in. Overall, the community of band and the individual pursuit of excellence is what keeps participants going. “[Music] is a passion for me. It’s something I love to do and want to do with my life,” Windsor said. “I think sometimes it can feel like a chore though, like when you are tired, but at the end of day I’m thankful I did it.”

Tyler Windsor, 12th

Vanessa Guerrero, 11th

Aidyn Gleason, 11th

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Sophomore Jackson Cultlan is diligently working hard in making his music on his computer while he listens to his creation with his headphones. (Photo Submitted)

LETTING HIS VOICE BE HEARD A sophomore works to kick off his music career, one inspired by his father

by Morgan Chairs

morgandog13@gmail.com

M

usic means different things to different people. For sophomore Jackson Cutlan music means the world to him. Music is Jackson’s way of connecting and communicating with those around him. He’s been in love with music since he was a little boy. Over time his love for music turned into a passion and a passion turned into the start of a music career.

For many music artists the process of making music can be kind of stressful. But for Cutlan this process does have its perks.

“I don’t know, it can be fun,” Cutlan said. “I mean, relaxing because you let everything out and you just kind of get all your thoughts out on paper and just be able to like, sing it so it’s a lot of fun.”

Every music artist has their start Jackson was no different. And like most artists, he wasn’t instantly discouraged by the lack of popularity when he first started. Jackson had an ambition and nothing was going to deter him from it.

“I think everyone has a starting point,” friend Andrew Nevenner said.

“So it wasn’t anything astronomically amazing. Whenever he first started making this stuff. It definitely had potential, and he had the drive and the dedication to do anything he wanted so like I was impressed with a lot of the stuff he makes.”

There’s a lot that goes into making music. There’s the creativity that goes into the development, and the equipment that brings it to life.

“I use my microphone to record vocals,” Cutlan said. “The microphone has a foam cover so that my p’s don’t make this puh sound. Then the microphone connects to my computer through a focusrite adapter which, controls the volume and gain in which the microphone will put out and then that all connects to my computer which is where the audio

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gets recorded and then mixed so that it sounds good to the listener:” Cutlan’s music isn’t cut and dry. There’s no one category that Cutlan’s music fits into.

“There’s three different Jackson’s, an 80s retro Jackson, there’s punk rock Jackson and there’s like a mellow type, like Jackson so it depends,” Nevenner said.

There are many reasons why Cutlan loves to make music.

For starters, music is his main source of creativity. But that’s not all.

“I have more emotions than I let out on the surface like deep down I have lots of feelings for different things,” Cutlan said.

While Jackson doesn’t know what’s in store for the future, there’s no doubt he’ll still be making music.

“He’s super determined in what he does there’s no doubt about it, and he’s dead set on making music, and I know he will definitely get something out of it,” Nevenner said.

Cutlan’s dad was and still is his biggest inspiration. He wouldn’t be where he is today without the help and support of his father.

“My dad is such an inspiration to me because he’s the one who got me all my starting tools that I needed and he started my interest in music by always playing different types of music around the house and being as obsessed with music as I am, I think that’s why we bonded so well,” Cutlan said.

Above anything Cutlan just wants people to enjoy his music and take something from it when they listen to it.

“The tough times of your own pain is only temporary, and that everything that you’re going through, or that you feel that you’re going to get through it. It’ll be, it’ll be good,” Cutlan said.

Page by Morgan Chairs

LARIAH MARTIN RECEIVES $30,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS Senior Lariah Martin received two scholarships from the University of Northern Iowa amounting to $30,000 in total. (Story by Hugh Kibera) Find out more here: bit.ly/3m5Xlmy

SENIOR CATE HAHN COMMITS TO WILLIAM PENN FOR VOLLEYBALL After years of playing volleyball, senior Cate Hahn commits to attending William Penn University in Iowa to continue her education, as well as her volleyball career.

Receiving offers from three other schools, Hahn chose William Penn University based on the atmosphere of the

school.

“I am also looking forward to getting to play with people who all love playing as much as I do,” Hahn said.

Check out FHNtoday.com to hear more about Hahn’s after high school plans. (Story by Mollie Roberts) Find out more here: bit.ly/3gKxAqZ

DAVID FINCHER MAKES LONGAWAITED RETURN David Fincher’s new movie “Mank” follows the alcoholic screenwriter of the film “Citizen Kane”, Herman J. Mankiewicz, as he reevaluates 1930s Hollywood and races to finish the script to Orson Welles’ film.

It was directed by acclaimed filmmaker Fincher, who has not released a film since “Gone Girl” in 2014. It stars Gary Oldman in the titular role, as well as Amanda Seyfried in a screen stealing performance as actress

Marion Davies. The screenplay was written by Fincher’s late father, Jack Fincher.

The movie’s creative, thematic elements make for an aesthetically appealing movie with an interesting storyline.

The movie also touches on political concepts such as socialism, communism and fascism. (Story by Sam Watkins, Illustration from Shutterstock) Find out more here: bit.ly/39UPPIJ

MODIFIED QUARANTINE POLICIES TAKE HOLD Head principal Nathanael Hostetler discusses the modified quarantine policies that started at the end of November. Check out FHNtoday. com to read more about how this decision was made. (Story by Ashlynn Perez) Find out more here: bit.ly/2VZccnY

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL TO HAPPEN VIRTUALLY Amidst COVID-19 concerns, Student Council has decided to hold the International Cultures Festival virtually this year. (Story by Claire Brockmann) Find out more here: bit.ly/376qpGm

THE KNIGHTS NEW KINGDOM

In the coming years, a new Francis Howell North building is going to be built due to the passage of Proposition S. In this section, read about the facts of the building as well as those people who voiced their opinions on the change

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

As the end of this school year falls into view, meetings have begun taking place to discuss what the new building is going to look like. Many things are discussed at these meetings, from timelines to what departments are going to look like. With the last day of school only a semester away, the prospect of the new building is becoming more of a reality.

After school ends for this 2020-2021 school year, the fence will be put up and the building process begins. Take a look at a rough sketch of what the new building will look like. Also read more about the school from a meeting with those involved in building the new school. (Content by Justin Brewer and Sydney Ellison) What part of the new building will be the biggest?

“The academic area will comprise probably ⅔ of the school,” architect Wade Welch said.

Could you give me a general timeline of major events relevant to the build?

“They’ll move into the new high school the fall of 2023,” Jeremy Boettler, who was also involved in the meeting, said. “That is phase one. Phase two is this school getting demolished and the practice fields and stadium being built. They will open the summer of 2024.”

Is there anything else you would like to add?

“We’re excited to begin focusing on the various departments...” Welch said.

(Map data: Google, 2020 Google)

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Page by Justin Brewer

On Nov 20, the principal of FHN, Dr. Hostetler sits in his office checking emails. Dr. Hostetler usually walks around the school and lunches to make sure students are in the right places which is especially important this year due to COVID. He also observes class rooms in his free time. (photo by Aubrey Crespo)

BUILDING FROM THE GROUND UP

With a new school and athletic field being built North is expecting many new changes and improvments. The current FHN is going to be demolished in order to make way for a newer school

by Chase Pray

cpray812@g.fhsdschools.org

O

n June 2 the future of FHN was locked in. With a whopping 79.82% approval rate the spark of hope for a new FHN building was lit. Originally built as Henderson Middle School in 1981, FHN has seen six add-ons in its 39-year life span. Like FHN stated on their website, they once had to resort to purchasing needed plumbing and electrical supplies on eBay. With mold and stains on certain ceilings in the building, North is quickly falling apart. A high school designed to be a middle school is going to have its issues down the road. It appears North has reached the end of the road.

“Certain parts of the building have a mold issue and well that’s not exactly what you want to see when you come to school everyday.

Waterstains on the ceiling aren’t exactly the prettiest thing either,” FHN principal Nathanael Hostetler said.

As of December, the freshman will be the only current class able to see the new school. If everything goes according to plan students should be able to move in the first day of the 2023-24 school year. Athletes won’t be able to move into the new stadium for at least four years. Fortunately, North has already decided to play all home games at Central. It will be a mostly unnoticeable change for all involved.

“Don’t expect to be able to play in the new stadium until fall of 2024.

Luckily we are able to use Central for the time being. The thought is the new stadium will be facing the school inward instead of sideways,” FHN principal Chris Birch explains.

One huge issue for all teachers and students is the unorganization between rooms. Some classes for a subject may be downstairs while others are on the main level. In the new North school academic departments will have their own hallway. For example, there won’t be a history class right next to all the Spanish classes. Organizing subjects

Page by Chase Pray

will make navigating school easier for everybody. Certain teachers have already discussed plans of where their classrooms will be located.

“We are putting all classes from one subject together. There won’t be a ELA class on both the left and right side of the building. This will make finding classes way easier for everyone at the beginning of the school year,” Birch said. “You could tell someone that a teacher is in the math hallway and they will know exactly where to go.”

One current issue at FHN for att teachers and students is the damage the six add-ons have done. Some parts of the school to be affected with a leaky ceiling and mold as the add-ons have caused ceilings to become too damaged by so much repeated construction. The new school will be able to have add-ons if needed without having the risk of repercussions.

Add-ons aren’t being considered yet as the new school will be 50,000 sq ft bigger with more room in each classroom. In comparison this is like adding an entire football field to the school.

“We are making the lunchroom and all the classrooms bigger. We are improving the lunch process so getting food doesn’t take as long. There will be noticeably more room in the lunchroom and classrooms so that means the library is also taking a bit of a cut in space but it shouldn’t be anything noticeable,” Hostetler explains. “The school overall will look cleaner and fresher.”

The future of FHN is unfolding in front of everyone’s eyes. With the fence being constructed the day after this school year ends there will be a lot to look out for in the following years. And yes, for anyone worrying Hostetler will be standing outside greeting everyone the first day the new school opens.

“I think I speak for everyone at FHN when I say we are excited to see what happens next,” Hostetler states. “The wait will have been worth it and we’re looking forward to what’s next for the Knights.”

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PROJECTED TIMELINE

Summer

2020

Last day of 2020-2021 school year: Fence is put up, construction begins

Summer

2021

Looking to start breaking ground on the new building

NEW NORTH THOUGHTS Students from North voice their opinions about the new Francis Howell North school building (Content by McKenna Hudson)

The Senior class at North has had to face many disappointments this year. From the lack of sporting events this year to the cancellation of the Homecoming dance, the class of 2021 has faced many obstacles. And sadly, the senior class will miss out on the opportunity to experience the new North. Senior Haley Stratmann said, “It’s unfair that they’re making it after I leave.” But future Knights will benefit from the new organization of the school and it’s new environment. “I think the setup will be better since it provides more space for everyone,” Stratmann said.

Francis Howell North was first built in 1983 and was first constructed as a middle school.

Hallway after hallway was added on and it soon became the high school we know today. But after 37 years and many minor changes, North is due for a big change. “I think it’s cool, I won’t really be around for it so it won’t really affect me but it will be nice to have a new school,” junior Hannah Ermeling said. Generally positive reactions around as many upperclassmen voiced their support for the new school despite missing out as a student there. Ermeling is also optimistic for the new athletic field. “I think [the field] will be better because they’ll be able to make improvements to it,” Ermeling said.

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For the vast majority of the student population here at North, most will not be around to walk the halls of the new school.

Scheduled to open its doors in August of 2023, the class of 2024 will be the first senior class at the new North. “I’m really excited,” freshman Cassie Hodgkins said. “I think it will be good for our school community because our building right now is not in the best condition.”

The new school will provide students with a new environment to learn and thrive. “I think it will feel like being a freshman again, we’ll have to learn where everything is at but I think it’s going to be fun,” Hodgkins said.

To make way for the new FHN, the Knight’s Football field will be moved. Many students have spent their Friday nights cheering on the North football team, and the movement of the field will be a sad day for a lot of students.

Sophomore Jaden Harry remembers what it was like to go to football games before the outbreak of COVID-19. “It’s really fun [going to the football] field for games and it looks very nice,” Harry said. Harry along with the rest of the class of 2023 will be the last seniors to attend the old North, but she is still optimistic for the future of the new school. “I’m really interested to see what it’s going to look like,” Harry said.

Page by Justin Brewer

Fall

2023

Students set to begin the 2023 school year in the new building

Fall 2023

Old school is set to be demolished after starting in the new building

Summer

2024

Looking to open the new stadium and practice fields

FHN Activities Director Mike Janes glances out over the current FHN stadium field. On the last day of the 2020-2021 school year, the fence that separates the new build sight and the current school will be out up and the construction will begin. Along with that comes the demolition of the current stadium field. The stadium field, along with many other things, will be rebuilt and updated. (photo by Sky Hebisen)

WHERE TO NOW?

The FHN sports fields are being demolished to allow for the new school building. Sports now need to relocate

by Sydney Ellison

sydney.ellison55@gmail.com

The impending doom of the FHN fields are almost upon us. The new school is being built and now spring sports need a new place to practice.

The fields will be torn down as soon as the school year ends and construction for the new school will begin.

“I think it [the new school] was something that I was looking at being a positive for our students,” FHN activities director Mike Janes said.

Outdoor sports after this last spring season will be the most affected.

The fields, practice fields and tennis fields will not be available for use so practices and games will have to relocate. A few options that are being considered for teams to practice are renting out nearby practice fields or use other high school fields within our district. Factors with choosing a new location for practice include pricing, transportation and whether to rent or stay in FHSD. “We can try to use our middle schools, like Hollenbeck or Barnwell. We can also look at the opportunity to rent facilities for instance Sport Port or Lou Fusz for soccer. Tennis will most likely probably go to another school,” Janes said. “We will probably try to use Howell Central for some things, it looks like right now that our football games will be played at Howell Central next year. We may try to rent out a game or two at Lindenwood trying to get like a homecoming game at Lindenwood.”

Groups that practice outside like band, tennis, softball or baseball will not

Page by Justin Brewer

be affected as their fields will not be touched for the near future.

“I think the most challenging sport for not having a facility is track and field,” Janes said.

The new school will hopefully be done by 2023 then construction will begin on the current school building. This will be where the new stadium and practice fields will be going. Till then students in sports will have to go to practice elsewhere.

“I think the most nervous part is the day-to-day process of kids going off campus to practice I think that makes me most nervous transporting kids kids driving having games and any type of confusion where where that games at,” Janes said.

Janes has mixed feelings to see the fields go.

“I think it’s kind of bittersweet, you know I’ve been here is activities director for 15 years but I’ve also coached here since 1997 so I think it’s exciting I think it’s been something that I’ve always hoped that I can do as an athletic director, you know have some part of opening a new school so I think that’s exciting,” Janes said. “I think once we kind of start seeing construction going up then when you get to a point where you start seeing things and how it’s going to lay out and all that I think it’s going to be really exciting and I think it’s sad to see our school go but I think there’s also some things that we will try to do hopefully to bring some things from the old Howell North to the new Howell North.”

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FHN P.E. teacher and track and cross country coach, Kimberly Martin glances at her computer. As a P.E. teacher, Martin sees firsthand a lot of the challenges of the layout of the current building. She is very excited for the new changes that are to come. (photo by Taylor Hill)

FHN Science teacher Dawn Hahn teaches her class about how to dissect a heart. Hahn is in her 19th year of teaching at FHN and will be retiring after this year. (photo by Taylor Hill)

WHAT’S LEFT BEHIND

EXCITED FOR CHANGE As the dream of a new building is becoming more of a reality, teachers are beginning to get excited for the new building and all it entails

by Justin Brewer

justinbrewer15@gmail.com

T

he passage of Prop S and the prospect of a new building brings a lot of excitement into FHN. The idea of a brand new building with all new facilities makes many teachers happy for a change.

Now there are many departments that will be receiving significant upgrades and changes, but one that will be noticeable will be the gyms.

“Anybody who has been here very long has seen the water pouring through the ceilings,” FHN P.E. teacher Kim Martin said. “So yes [the new school] is much needed.”

FHN Physical Education teachers will be receiving brand new and improved gyms in the new school building. Among those excited is P.E. teacher Kim Martin. As a PE teacher, Martin sees firsthand some of the things that need to be changed with the school. With the layout of the current school, storage for equipment is spread far and wide making it difficult to locate and navigate some of the equipment to the gyms. The new building will hopefully change that fact and make the job of a P.E. teacher a bit easier.

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“The big thing for us is like storage and how you move around the building,” Martin said.

“Right now storage is pretty rough for PE. Hopefully we have a better setup where our storage is in the gym itself and that we have things like double doors where we can easily pull things in and out.”

It doesn’t take long to notice that FHN definitely needs updating. French teacher Jennifer Liberson is a fairly new face at FHN as this will be her second year of teaching.

Despite this being only her second year teaching, she has definitely seen the issues with the building. Everything from the strange layout to the various different colors on the walls are things that have not gone unnoticed

by Liberson.

“I’m just excited to have updates,” Liberson said. “Hopefully the technology kind of goes with 21st century expectations too which would be really nice.”

The new building will bring many things to this school. Everything from a more organized layout and better storage to hopefully coordinated colors on the walls. Many other things are being looked forward to as well by many teachers in the school.

For decades, Francis Howell North has been host to many special teachers. Some come and go and others stay around for years enjoying the students and enjoying the subject they teach. But with the passage of Prop S, the school they’ve called home for so many years, will be changed.

“Anytime you can pass a proposition that’s supported by the community, it really energizes everybody,” FHN science teacher Dawn Hahn said.

“I’m super excited for the students and for the people that are still going to be here just to see the excitement.”

Hahn is in her 19th year of teaching at FHN and after many good years of teaching, is retiring. She, like many other teachers, pushed for the passage of Prop S which gave them the ability to construct this new building. While she is very excited for the fact that everyone else will get to see and enjoy this amazing building, she is still going to miss it and all of the new things that come along with it.

Thankfully for Hahn though, this isn’t her first time experiencing a new building. When she worked in the Troy district she got the experience of teaching in a brand new building. “[it’s nice] To see the pride that they have because this is their new building and everything is shiny and theirs,” Hahn said. “Just the pride that the students take in that is something that I remember from Troy but I also know that I’ll miss that.”

Another thing to be taken into account is the things that make North unique. One of those things is the murals in the art hallway. Students spent countless hours creating these pieces, and when the current North gets demolished, these will come along with it.

“This one out here in particular, the big one, the old one [next to room I am going to be really sad to see that go,” art teacher Denise Maples said. “It’s been here for a very long time and it’s really cool because it kind of encompasses the whole art history kind of thing.” (Brief by Justin Brewer)

Page by McKenna Hudson

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‘TIS

THE SEASON

On Nov. 26 the Puhr family decorated their house for Christmas and did a little baking. Normally, they don’t decorate but this year with all the bad things going on they decided to make the house all Christmas and happy sooner. Their favorite part about the Christmas season is seeing family and getting to see all the decorations up with all the lights. After all the hard work and mess caused by the family trying to get all the Christmas things out, their house is beautiful and ready for the season.

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Photos by Hayden Puhr

HOLIDAYS AT FHN CROSSWORD Down: 1. A Knight’s home 2. Jingle ____!

4. Time to go ice _______ 5. Everyone’s favorite snowman 7. ____ the halls!

8. Our mascot 11. Requires snow and an incline 15. Who gives everyone presents

Across: 3. The happiest month of the year 4. Let it ____!

6. Hark heard the _____ sing!

9. Santa’s helper 10. Happy _____!

12. Santa’s favorite drink 12. The red nosed reindeer 14. Santa’s favorite snack

Answer Key: Down (1) FHN (2) bells (4) skating (5) Frosty (7) deck (8) knight (11) sledding (15) Santa Across (3) December (4) snow (6) angels (9) elf (10) holidays (12) milk (13) Rudolph (14) cookies

Page by Chase Pray

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OPINIONS: A SIGN OF THE TIMES

A plethora of things have been amplified in this last year. Passion, being argueably the most prominent. With such monumental events taking place, the polarizing stances will also make be a significant part in history as well. Take a look at some opinions written by North Star writers.

EVERYONE’S EQUALITY

As the youth of America, we need to come to an agreement to end the injustice in prison systems and end the tolerance of racism

by Ivy Lowery

ilowery408@g.fhsdschools.org

O

ur country was created with the intent to guarantee all freedoms, but slowly became a breeding ground for racism and inequality. Racial discrimination goes on in the background, leaving people in our communities to suffer while the priveleged live oblivious to the horrible treatment. America is known as the country where people can freely express themselves through speech, religion, the press, peaceful protest, and the right to petition the government which is encouraged.

Even though we were given these freedoms to show our inherent value as humans, many people are still treated as if this value doesn’t exist. The differences we have created between us have been a distraction from the real issue at hand, the misuse of justice in a country that once represented freedom and happiness.

Minorities have been demanding change and equality for many decades, but it seems as if nothing has changed. This is because they’re now profiled as criminals, drug addicts and gang leaders due to efforts to discredit them. This began during Former President Nixon’s time in office, he declared a war on drugs. According to his domestic policy advisor John Ehrlichman, “The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.” In masses black people and minorities were racially profiled and thrown in jail for excessive amounts of time due

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to minor drug offenses, when white males were serving shorter sentences for more serious crimes.

The war on drugs was a way to target the minorities who were growing their communities according to Ehrlichman, and the administration was successful. A report by a Michigan State University College of Law professor revealed that despite only having a difference of 1% in drug use, African Americans account for 33% of drug related prison sentences, while 13% of white men are in prison for the same thing.

The 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. The southern states at that time had their economy entirely based on slavery to do grueling labor, so the abolition of slavery would have destroyed the economy if they hadn’t seceded from the union before it was banned. They needed to find a new way to rebuild, so they used the punishment for a crime loophole in the law to continue slavery in America by filling up prisons and forcing them to do community work and other painful jobs with no pay. By encouraging racism, the idea that minorities are violent criminals, it convinces the rest of the public that the minority should be feared therefore allowing the second wave of slavery to go unnoticed. For decades, our citizens have spoken out against racism in our country.

If Americans are granted the freedom to petition the government to change, why hasn’t it already happened? Because there are still lingering thoughts in our minds about the dangers of

minorities. People in our country still associate dangerous ghettos with African American people, and they still associate the import of illegal drugs with Hispanic people. The past administrations have encouraged and spotlighted minorities in these positions, leading to their continued negative image.

As the youth of the FHN community, we demand justice. Justice for those wrongfully put in prisons, treated unequally because of race, and justice for victims of racial murders. As the youth we need to stress these issues and come together to fight, even if we don’t agree on other things. Seeing each other eye to eye is essential to changing issues in our world, and using our voices to end the tolerance for racism and unfair treatment of all. All people were created equally, and they should be treated as such.

Page by Ivy Lowery

DON’T BE FOOLED Media literacy is a crucial part of the 21st century

by Sydney Ellison

sydney.ellison55@gmail.com

H

igh Schools should have opportunities for media literacy classes. Media literacy is a crucial part of a 21st century education and FHN should make moves to represent that.

Media literacy is the ability to differentiate between different types of media and the messages they are trying to put out. It helps when trying to identify false information and finding news sources to trust. Now in the 21st century, where news is everywhere this is an important skill to learn. Fake news is getting good at looking real so it’s more important than ever that we learn to identify that.

Our generation uses social media apps to get their news significantly more than any other previous generation. This can have its downfall. Anybody could easily

post misleading information and get away with it because of how widespread social media is. Having a media literacy class would set kids up for the future of social media and what will most likely continue within it. It would help us continue the trend of being the most educated generation yet.

One solution would be to have a semester-long class that goes over topics such as identifying fake news, finding reliable sources, how to find the original image, etc. But if it’s hard to commit to a semester long course I would recommend having a unit on media literacy in an early middle or high school English class. In this day and age media literacy is something that is so desperately needed and it should be something accommodated for.

Sitting in a hallway, senior Jordyn Sgroi reading from newspapers and her laptop. Media literacy in our generation is important in order to be able to understand information being put out. (Photo Illustration by Anna Hollinger)

LET’S NOT KEEP THAT SAME ENERGY Compared to the rest of 2020, this year in school has been boring.

Because we are distant doesn’t mean we have to be depressing

by Liy Taliaferro

liytaliaferro@gmail.com

When morale is low, finding ways to revive that within a school is important. We need to kick off 2021 and do things a little differently to bring some energy back to each week next year. Here are some ideas.

Costzooms Wear costumes in your zoom calls.

Coordinate with your friends and classmates too. Being stuck in your room for seven hours can be hard, but a sense of humor can make things a bit more breathable and put smiles on people’s faces. The FHN community is spread out into a lot of different boats with the way the world has changed, but no one is alone in those boats. Whether it’s dressing up as Total Drama Island characters, or wearing a blow up dinosaur costume someone’s gonna get a kick out of it.

Sophomore Aair Reese wears a mask in a classroom and wears pastels for spirit day. With social distancing this year, creative ideas are popping up to create a fun enviornment at school.

(Photo by Chloe Ellison)

Page by Sydney Ellison

Send People on Real Scavenger Hunts Almost everyone remembers the tiny babies hidden around the school, and a lot of people were anxious to find them upon their discovery. A $3 pack of 12 tiny black and white plastic babies from Party City doesn’t

sound like too big of a deal, but the bragging rights for collecting one of those babies meant everything to those who were lucky enough.

Comparable to finding one of Wonka’s Golden Tickets. If done rare enough and in good taste, to not affect the janitors, scavenger hunts could be fun.

New Dress Code Policy Weekly, creative dress up days would be a fun way to bring students together. If STUCO chose a specific show or franchise for that week, people could bond over the characters that they dressed up as, and even make new friends. On Hannah Montana week, the halls could be full of “fathers” with ugly fake mullets and “celebrities” with tacky blonde wigs.

More Contests Guess how many beans are in this jar for a chance to win ____ ! (Let’s leave that up to coordinators of this idea.) Events like these get people talking, especially when there’s good prizes to look forward to. (Coordinators please avoid the cop out prizes like colorful pencils or wacky erasers.) A challenge with a good reward can be incredibly motivating.

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North | star Editor-in-Chief: Sydney Ellison Copy Editor: Aliyah Taliaferro Content Editor: Justin Brewer Writing Editor: Ivy Lowery Design Editor: Karsyn Williams Sports Editor: Parker Kilen General Staff: Shivani Bondada Morgan Chairs Chloe Horstman McKenna Hudson Ryleigh O’Donnell Chase Pray Alex Thomas Amber Winkler

Rachel Buchanan sits at a computer at both her home and at school. The new contact tracing policy would have students with close contact at school continue going to school. (Photo Illustration by Anna Berthold)

NORTH STAR TAKE:

A STEP BACK FOR FHN The new contact tracing policy is the wrong move for FHSD On Behalf of the Editorial Staff

@fhntoday.com | @FHNtoday

F

HSD created the best balance they could between appeasing parents and creating a safe learning environment for students and staff at the start of the school year. The recent decision to remove contact traced quarantining is a step back for FHSD. Compared to other districts in the area, FHSD has been doing pretty well. Districts like Wentzville have gone back to virtual learning. They had originally started out the year virtual, moved to a hybrid, then moved to all in-person for two weeks. After the number of cases at the school rose they moved back to all virtual learning. Unlike some other schools, FHN has been able to maintain an in-person learning platform since the year began back in late August. This is largely in part due to the restrictions and guidelines put in place by the district.

There is also something to be said for the students and their role in keeping in-person possible. Without student cooperation on these guidelines, we wouldn’t be able to learn in-person.

FHSD recently decided to end contact tracing after Governor Mike Parson stopped the statewide mandate. This was a decision that took the ability of choice away from students.

Those learning in-person currently chose in person with the promise that contact tracing would be in place to bring the utmost protection for students against COVID-19. Taking it away is a factor that changes things for many students. FHSD should have kept contact tracing in place until 1st semester is over and enacted a new policy 2nd semester. This would have given the students who only feel comfortable with in person learning with

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Editor-in-Chief of FHNtoday: Ashlynn Perez Editor-in-Chief of Photography: Anna Hollinger Features Photo Editor: Taylor Hill News Photo Editor: Sam Watkins Sports Photo Editor: Ryan Ginn Social Media Editor: Sarah Williams General Staff: Anna Berthold John Lopez Chloe Ellison Allie Moore Teegan Gonzalez Andrew Poertner Sky Hebisen Jordyn Sqroi Abigail Keathley Jordayn York Editor-in-Chief of Social Media: Emily Hood

Editor-in-Chief of Podcasting: contact tracing a chance to back out. Instead these students are Gabe Lobato stuck learning in school where they don’t feel comfortable.

Video Storytelling Editor: Because of close contact at school 2,883 FHSD students have Nadia Abusoud been sent home to quarantine. 99% of students sent home did Livestream Editor: not have COVID-19 related symptoms because of school related Jon Fitch contact. This number is faulty because it shows nothing about Video Staff: the amount of students actually having the virus. Not every Jenna Brouk Aiden Neu Minnie Adams Andrew Powell quarantined student was tested and it’s unknown how many Rachel Nicole Trapf Ben Cavato could’ve been asymptomatic. The data that this decision has Raymond J Shea Brandon Bridgeman been made on is data that is untrustworthy.

Samual Adams Caleb Kruse COVID-19 cases have been rising steadily since June and now Will Perry Caroline Blanke schools are about to go on break for the holidays. It is expected Emily Gantz that cases will increase from this. The time to change our Virtual Editors: COVID-19 policies is not now when cases are increasing.

Bree Ammons Switching from in-person to virtual for two weeks is a tough Maya Helbig Aadhi Sathiskumar situation but the solution is not getting rid of quarantining.

Pavan Kolluru Students who are quarantined aren’t added into a virtual Macy Cronin learning platform but instead tasked with keeping up with their Rachel Vrazel work. Put more time into training for the switch to online as Virtual Staff: well as making sure students and teachers are prepared. This Jordan Slusser Sophie Stachula is a step that would protect students. Provide teachers more Matt Wells Ethan Van Horn Allison Bass Evan Becker support to give the student the knowledge and resources they Azeem Ehtisham Nila Milo need to keep up with their work and the student should be Kennedy Gordon Miracle Berry better prepared to keep up with their work.

Marina Williams Kylie Mills For the rest of the year FHSD needs to focus on being upfront Peter Pae DaNyla Creacy with the student body. Make policies clear and give students Advisers: the ability to make decisions that would be best for their health Aaron Manfull When it comes down to it, the health and well-being of the staff Jordyn Kiel and students is the most important thing.

Page by Sydney Ellison

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BREAKING THE PRESS

Sophomore Ryan Murdock discovered he had Alopecia in 2015. The experience has helped him grow and become more confident both on and off the court

by Amber Winkler

amberewinkler@gmail.com

H

e walks the halls, towering others at 6’5” tall, he dominates in class with an impressive 4.57 GPA and is a starter for the Varsity basketball team at Francis Howell North High School. Sadly, these aspects are diminished by the most noticeable one about sophomore Ryan Murdock.

Beginning in August of 2015, he lost all of the hair on his body due to an autoimmune disease called Alopecia Universalis. Alopecia Universalis is the rarest and most severe form of Alopecia. The immune system attacks the hair follicles resulting in that hair falling out. The disease is incurable, but some hair can occasionally grow back on its own. This condition has not held him back, he is now more confident than ever. But it wasn’t always this way.

“Ryan was a very quiet kid at first, he didn’t have a lot of self esteem, it was kind of low due to his situation [Alopecia] . But as of now, Ryan has burst onto the scene and his confidence is through the roof. He is a really nice kid, very helpful, very team oriented, always wants to be kind of the point guard on the court, always doing what the coaches need,” Walter Harris III, Ryan’s basketball trainer from Larry Hughes

Basketball Academy said.

Before he had Alopecia, Ryan would have described himself as a very cocky kid. He took the court, always thinking he was the best. His confidence took a hit when he found out that he has this disease, but it was only temporary.

His confidence had to go down before it came back up to an all time high. During the time his confidence was low, due to discovering that he has this condition, he wasn’t as sociable, had his head down and always wore a hat, even during practice. Now, Ryan doesn’t wear a hat to try and hide the fact that he has Alopecia, he is not ashamed. When he wears one, it’s simply because he wants to.

“He’s a little more stubborn about it, and a little more competitive since he’s had Alopecia. I think if you’re weaker in one area you try to make up with strength in other areas,” Barbara Murdock, Ryan’s mother said. “I don’t think it’s affected his basketball in a bad way. I think it [Alopecia] makes him want to prove himself a little bit more and try to show people it’s not a weakness he has, it’s made him stronger actually.”

Ryan and Barbara believe that some of his gain in confidence is due to his teammates at North and the Larry Hughes Basketball Academy who have been accepting since he found out, and have always supported him and had his back.

Ryan is not as arrogant as before, the condition caused him to realize the way people look at others who are different. He is now described as humble, inspiring and a leader by others, including his friend and teammate of seven years, Nikhil Contractor.

“He takes charge, in a good way, because he wants to be vocal,” Contractor said. “He does that in basketball, he’s a very vocal person and wants to get the word out to people, so that everyone can do the right thing.”

Ryan helps those around him become better people themselves and see that people are different and that their differences are what makes them who they are. Contractor has known Ryan for 10 years and has played basketball with him for seven. Knowing Ryan has impacted him in a positive way. Like Contractor, Ryan has positively affected Harris. He has been training Ryan for the past four years, they have gained a special bond while working together. Ryan has made Harris more aware of how little Sophomore Ryan Murdock poses with a basketball in the gym (photo by Amber Winkler)

Page by Amber Winkler

Staying focused, sophomore Ryan Murdock guards his opponent during a home game on Feb. 18 against Ft. Zumwalt West. (File Photo)

society understands and has inspired him to never judge a kid by his situation.

“I’d say it [Alopecia] made me stronger, and it definitely boosted my confidence,” Ryan said. “But at the same time I am a little bit insecure because I’m starting to see that people do make assumptions off of what we look like. We see that everyday in high school and in the world, just based off of what your standard is, what you wear, what you look like.”

When people first meet Ryan, they tend to mistakenly assume that he has cancer when they see that he doesn’t have hair. He has come to see the humor in the looks people give him and has gotten used to answering the questions that come with this disease. At first, Ryan never noticed the way people looked at him when he was out in public. He has grown • An autoimmune disorder that to notice it though. Barbara causes the immune system to always noticed, she would attack the hair follicles, resulting in hear him being heckled the hair falling out and asked if he was sick.

Ryan does not blame his • 1 in 4000 people have a form of hard times on Alopecia and alopecia does not think of it as this huge thing about him. This • Alopecia Universalis is the most disease is getting more severe form of the disease and attention in professional caused total hair loss on the body basketball with the help of Charlie Villanueva, who • Onset is believed to be due to played for the Mavericks, genetic and environmental factors Raptors, Bucks and Pistons before retiring in 2016.

• There is no cure for Alopecia, but Ryan hopes that with this hair can grow back on its own disease’s rise in attention, more people come to • The predisposition of Alopecia understand and realize he can be passed genetically, but the is not harmed or majorly condition itself cannot affected by Alopecia and it may make him different, • 10% of people with Alopecia but that’s not a bad thing. experience full hair recovery “You’re always going to have obstacles in your life. You’re going to just have to push forward and keep God first, everything will fall into place because what you give into the universe, you are going to get out of it,” Harris said. “If you are nice to people and do what you’re supposed to do, good things are going to happen for you, but you are always going to have obstacles. There is always going to be something going on, you just have to keep moving forward.”

What is Alopecia?

Page by Amber Winkler

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FOLLOWING WINTER SPORTS

Winter sports have begun, here are some looks into how the season is going

TEAM LOOKS STRONG Boys wrestling made a few new additions this year

by Parker Kilen

pkilen537@g.fhsdschools.org

The Knights boys varsity wrestling team has a lot of great freshmen with previous wrestling experience and two returning state qualifiers, all looking to have a super strong season.

“This year we’ve got a lot of new guys, new good guys coming in.” junior Mason Apple said. “We’ve got a couple freshmen, I think this is the most experienced group of freshmen we’ve had come in over the past couple years, so we’ve got that looking out for us, and overall we just had a good lineup.

Looks like Whyatt Nicholson is going to do good this year, Jesse Collins, Jaden Frey, it’s going to be a nice year.”

With this season being different due to COVID-19, the Knights won’t be doing as many tournaments this year but will have some tournaments, and all them are going to have eight teams as of now, but might shrink

down to seven. The Knights will mainly just be doing duels, tris, and quads, but they are still very strong and prepared for a fantastic season, especially with all the talent and high expectations on the team.

“My goal is probably to make it to state and place, and [for the] team overall just to get as many guys out there winning medals and hopefully making it to state,” Apple said.

Overall, the Knights are expecting to have an even stronger and better wrestling season than last year with all of their great returning wrestlers and with all the new and talented wrestlers coming into this season. “[We need to] stay healthy, hopefully finish the season and send as many kids as we can to state,” head coach Chris Brown said.

Pinning his opponent down, junior Mason Apple faces sophomore Brennan Bova from Troy Buchanan on Dec. 5 at the FHN Invitational. The Invitational had eight varsity teams participate, including FHN, Troy, Lafayette, and more. School guidelines were followed throughout the tournament for the safety of players, coaches, and spectators. (Photo by Avery Witherbee)

SEASON BRINGS CHANGES

Swim had to make a few adjustments for COVID-19

by Parker Kilen

pkilen537@g.fhsdschools.org

This season the Knights have a lot of great returning swimmers such as seniors Olivia Nuenaber, Natalia Salazar, Emma Fischer, and junior Rylie Miller who all made it to state last year as a relay team. They are all looking forward to another strong season.

“I feel like everyone’s grown a lot and everyone has gotten better and improved a lot,” Salazar said. “Just keep [on] improving and just having fun and trying your best at everything.”

This swim season for the Knights will be different due to COVID-19 for both practices and meets, all the swimmers will have to spread out and social distance during practices and meets, and the meets won’t be having as many teams as previous years. But according to Salazar, the Knights have a lot of amazingly talented returning

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swimmers who have improved more and more over the years and are especially looking very strong and prepared this season.

“A lot of the juniors [have made tremendous progress] since I started [swimming at Francis Howell North] my sophomore year,” Salazar said. A lot of the swimmers have been out of swimming from the past eight months due to COVID-19, and with that, the Knights are looking to get into strong swimming shape, come together as a team and overall achieve a lot of goals and accomplishments this season. “[Our goals are] obviously to keep improving as a whole team,” Nuenaber said. “We have a really good set of incoming freshmen that have some pretty good base skills, [and] we’re hoping to build off of that and hopefully win some meets.”

At a swim meet from last season the swimmers are ready to take off. (File Photo)

Page by Parker Kilen

FHN girls basketaball team warms up to play.

During the 2019-2020 wrestling season sophomore Lily Steigerwald grabs her opponent before she makes her move. (File Photo)

WORKING TO RETURN

Lily Steigerwald looks to make it back to state for girls wrestling

by Jesse Collins

jcollins203@g.fhsdschools.org

Girls Varsity Wrestler Lily Steigerwald is planning to have another good wrestling season.

“I am planning on going back to state,” Steigerwald said.

According to Steigerwald, she has been working so she can make the journey back to state even easier and also so she can become a more successful and a better wrestler overall. She

did that by preparing over the summer, doing wrestling camps and going to Purler Wrestling Academy.

“I enjoyed wrestling in the offseason and I think it improved my wrestling a lot,” Steigerwald said.

According to teammate Wyatt Nicholson, she has all the tools she needs to complete her goals.

“She has always had the motivation to keep going and never gave up easily,” Nicholson said.

PEAK TAKES OVER

New coach means a new step for the team and a revival of energy

by Parker Kilen

pkilen537@g.fhsdschools.org

Head varsity hockey coach Chris Peak has been an assistant coach on the Knights varsity hockey team for three years and was head coach for the Knights jv hockey team. The former Knights varsity hockey head coach was Ryan Gannon who decided to move down to assistant coach this season. This will be Peak’s fourth season of coaching and his first season as the head varsity hockey coach.

“Peak will bring new energy to the team,” junior Derek Archer said. “We’re all playing really well in practice so far. He has done great already and there’s always room for improvement, so I’m excited.”

This year, the Knights won’t be playing as many games due to COVID-19. But the Knights still have high goals and expectations for this season, especially with their new head coach.

Page by Parker Kilen

“I think overall we improved as a team over the offseason,” junior Max Ising said. “The seniors and all the kids that go here are usually pretty good so we’re going to have a good season this year.”

The Knights are very confident in having a very strong season this year. They have a lot of very talented returning players this year, especially upperclassmen, and they are very excited to have former assistant coach Chris Peak fill in the role as head coach for the Knights this season.

And overall, the Knights are all looking to come together as a hockey team, score goals, win games, achieve a lot of accomplishments, and have a great hockey season as a whole.

“Peak is definitely a head coach, and he truly cares about his team and wants them to get better,” Archer said. “We’re hoping to become more of a team and work together during games and practices. That will lead to more wins and an overall better season.”

GROWING WITH BASKETBALL Senior Isabelle Delarue has played basketball since second grade, she started out cheerleading in Kindergarten through first grade. But come second grade, Delarue decided to move on from cheerleading and start playing a new sport that has since become a major passion for Delarue.

“I saw boys playing basketball and I told my parents they look like they’re having more fun out there then what I’m doing on the sidelines,” Delarue said. “That’s when I gave up the pom poms and picked up a basketball and decided to play.”

Delurue has been on the varsity girls basketball team since her freshman year, and sometime in late June Delarue found out she got a scholarship to play division 1 basketball at Missouri State. She then committed to playing for them in college on July 13th. According to senior and fellow teammate Becka Brissette who has played basketball with Delarue since 3rd grade, Delarue has really shined as a player and leader throughout the FHN girls basketball program and is looking very strong as a player and leader on the team this year.

“She’s a really good shooter [who] obviously she scores a lot of points,” Brissette said. “[And] she’s a really nice person on and off the court, she’ll always be willing to help you or whatever she thinks you could use.”

Overall, Delarue is looking to play a very strong senior season and hopes to prepare herself for division 1 college basketball. (Brief by Parker Kilen)

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