October 30, 2024

PROGRESS CAUSES NOSTALGIA

SPOOKS TAKE OVER SIX FLAGS

THC Usage at North, Color Guard Preview, Building Demolition

Book of Bill, Fall Foods, Silent Hill

Remake

Haunted Hotel, Skate Parks, Lunch

Lady at North

New Soccer Coaches, Feeder Program, Swim Feature

New Knight Time, Baking, A Family’s Cancer Experiences

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In-Depth

November is right around the corner, carrying one of the most controversial presidential elections along with it. In the current age of misinformation, social media algorithms and extremely polarizing topics, where people have to be “all red” or “all blue,” it can be hard to see what’s true. In this issue, the election is viewed from a different angle, going behind the scenes in the world of politicians and political advertisements, so all voters can be informed on what they’re truly voting for.

On Cover

Get out your 3-D glasses to take apart this cover. Close one eye to see one half of the story, then switch eyes to see the other. When it comes to today’s political climate, a lot of people only see in metaphorical red or blue.

Cover photos by Cherry Clark & Naomi VanDyne

Cover designed by Michaela Manfull & Violet Newton

FROM HAZARDOUS LABS TO SCHOOL HALLS

by Nadia Okilee nokilee160g.fhsdschools.org

Around 30% of seniors have smoked weed once within the last year and one in six seniors in that grouping will gain addictions, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institutes of Health. However, what they don’t know is that the marijuana they believe is contributing to their mental health is actually doing the exact opposite.

Students worldwide suffer daily with the consequences of delta-8, a form of synthetic THC. Synthetic THC is a lab-made imitation of THC, a compound found in marijuana. It has become one of the most used substances by teens nationwide. Medical marijuana is becoming more common in households nationwide as states put laws in place. The drug is derived from the cannabis plant. Tina Huss, a medical marijuana expert, says part of the reason cannabis has grown in such uses since legalization is due to the drug benefiting people with chronic insomnia, anxiety, depression and stress. This is where synthetic, lab-made THC or other varieties of cannabinoid (like delta-8) come into play. Mass companies and labs have figured out how they can profit off of the trend in marijuana popularity and grow their business. Synthetic THC is well known under a few titles, for example, spice, delta-8 or K2. The rise of this substance has caused mixed thoughts and opinions amongst various people. Some may say it’s healthy to find natural medicines and therapies while others compare this epidemic to cigarette usage in the 90s or alcoholism.

“Synthetic THC is unhealthy, and I don’t condone it,”

Huss said.

The dangers of this substance start with its origin and are followed by the misleading information citizens are fed by the distributors; many reach out to consume this substance under the impression that it is the same as medical marijuana, and is just a way to cope with whichever life struggles are thrown at them.

Synthetic THC is filled with risks that will occur, not just physically, but mentally as well. National Poison Control released statistics showing between Jan. 1, 2021, and Feb. 28, 2022, nearly 2,500 exposure cases were called in, 70% of those cases resulted in health care evaluations, 8% to critical care and even one of the pediatric cases resulted in death. Furthermore, the mental effects of delta-8 can be just as dangerous. The National Institute Of Health shares some risks that come with synthetic THC; “anxiety, panic and psychosis” are just a few.

These labs are producing large amounts of delta-8, filled with pesticides and chemicals that aren’t naturally found in marijuana. Due to the lack of quality and rapid speed of production, labs are now able to push this product out much faster and boost their sales. However, the dangers these companies bring to the streets are not worth the few dollars you might save on the product. Needless to say, marijuana will continue to grow in popularity. Although people might know the benefits, people are highly advised to continue to educate themselves and speak to their doctors about what choices are best for them.

Kids

Not only do Rangers take school groups on field trips in the parks, there is also a Little Nature Explorer Program on Nov. 6 for kids aged five and under. It’s a great opportunity for young kids to meet more people because it’s a monthly event.

Broemmelsiek Park

REDISCOVER THE OUTDOORS

The St. Charles County Parks Department hosts tons of events every year, and it’s not all bird walks, meditations and kayak trips, though there are plenty of those. For park maps, a calendar and an interview with a park ranger, scan the QR code to the right. (Content by Michaela Manfull)

Groups

Every weekend from Oct. 4 through Nov. 9, the Parks have Old-Fashioned Hayrides available for groups of up to 20 people to reserve. It is $125 per cart, but the more people go the more it makes sense.

Broemmelsiek Park

Photogenics

For those looking for a light hike with great photo opportunities, a Ranger will be taking a group on a Golden Hour Hike to see the wildlife around the park at the perfect time of day.

Veterans Memorial Park

Women

Confidence Steppers is a program for women aged 18 and older that provides a safe space to participate in medium-intensity walks at parks in the area. It changes locations, times and dates every time, but the next one is Nov. 2. Indian Camp Creek Park

Bikers

The Parks department offers two different kinds of Bikepacking trips, the Family Bikepacking and Advanced Bikepacking Overnight. Family trips are over for the year, but the next Advanced expedition will be Nov. 16-17.

Broemmelsiek Park

Bookworms

Even though the parks offer many outdoor activities, they also provide opportunities for those who would rather have some sit down time. Well Read Wonderers will take place next on Nov. 3 about the book

“Grandma Gatewood’s Walk” by Ben Montgomery.

Broemmelsiek Park

Everyone In Between

There are many parks across St. Charles County, all with their own unique events and facilities. To see more upcoming events, an interactive map of the parks and a Q&A with a ranger, scan the QR code below.

FHNtoday.com

STATE CHANGES SCHOOL FUNDING FORMULA

by Zoe Lobato

zlobato998@g.fhsdschools.org

A new Missouri law passed this year now tying attendance and funding in schools across the state. As a result, school boards need to change their calendars and find new ways to incorporate breaks throughout the year.

“We need to be creative with how those days are used,” the principal at FHN high school, Jeffery Fletcher said. “Depending on if we want to keep fall break and spring break as long as it is, or find some other creative ways to make sure we have fewer days off.” The new law requires schools to maintain a higher attendance for funding, placing pressure on the attendance officers to optimize how

attendance is maintained.

“Our job is changing all the time,” attendance secretary Brittany Kriefels said. “As we learn more and have access to more, we find better systems that help us streamline things. So the new attendance policies will definitely change what we do.”

While reworking a new calendar, schools work to find the most motivating and engaging method to increase attendance, and ensure students stay motivated.

“There’s a lot of data to support the more students are involved and are here, the more often they’re finding success in their classes and have fewer behavior issues,” Fletcher said. “If we can get kids attached to

school in some way, whether that’s through a sport or a club or some activity, we will see a lot of positive gain.”

Overall, the new law is a significant change, with both positive and negative aspects but the core mission remains the same.

“The end goal of all legislation around education is to improve the educational process and experience of all students, no matter the post-secondary goal, whether it’s military, four-year university, or going straight into the workforce,” Fletcher said. “If we can get kids here, get them in some quality programming, get them prepared, that’s the goal.”

KNIGHT TIME POLICIES CHANGE FOR ALL

by Cheyenne Steed

& Naomi VanDyne csteed056@g.fhsdschools.org

nvandyne312@gh.fsdschools.org

In past years, Knight Time was a tool that could be used for academics, getting to hang out with your friends and just relaxing between classes. This year it has changed, and students and teachers have different opinions on the new rules and how Knight Time works this year. In more recent years, Knight Time has been twice a week and students had more free range to travel to other classes. This year Knight Time is one day a week, the classes are arranged by grade and teachers are responsible for going through the students’ grades to determine if they need academic help.

“I believe the administration chose to change the traveling because people would travel for non-academic reasons, and it got out of hand,” senior Lance Salke said. “I’m not sure why they changed Knight Time to only happen on Wednesdays, but I think it’s a great time to get homework done, and it would be nice to go back to two days a week.”

The new guidelines are meant to help struggling students with their grades by giving them allotted time

during school to get work done. It is also designed to get students the help they need from each subject’s designated Knight Time teacher.

“The intent of Knight Time is for students to get academic support,”

Principal Jeff Fletcher said. “Maybe they don’t have a lot of time after school because they play sports, or they have a job, it gives them some time to complete some of that work during the day. It also eventually would give them time if they begin to struggle with some of that work, to be assigned to a help room for a week or two to get additional support from a teacher in that content area.”

Now that Knight Time has been established as a place only to work on academic success, some clubs that previously met during Knight Time have been moved to the afternoon, before school or abolished completely due to most students having jobs, sports, taking the bus or other extracurricular activities.

“It does not bother me how Knight Time is being used,” English teacher Ashley Siess said. “What bothers me is that there’s not alternative accommodations being put in place for club time to happen during the school day… I think that’s really

unfair to a lot of our students, when we tell them that they need to be super involved and do more stuff, but then we take away the chance for them to do that during the school day.”

While some people are struggling to adjust to the change, most are happy due to the more cleanliness of the setup and like that Knight Time is more academically based and not as clustered. The new setup is easier for teachers as well when it comes to attendance and organization.

“I like having one grade level, I think it will give us the opportunity to focus on the kids in that grade and focus on their work, especially when they get closer to graduation it’s a lot easier,” history teacher Kimberly Coil said. “I remember having both setups, and I liked having a mixed homeroom and how they interacted, but I feel for information purposes and helping students with specific courses it’s easier to react to one group that they are learning the same material.”

Although it’s not the school’s past routine, The Knight Time change was meant for the better of Francis Howell, and hopefully within time academic progress will improve and students will feel like they can receive the help they need.

CRIME RATE TIED TO POVERTY IN SAINT LOUIS

by Riley Jensen rjensen810@g.fhsdschools.org

Saint Louis is the largest metropolitan area in Missouri and among the most populated urban areas in the United States. It’s called the bright, bustling gateway of the West; however, poverty and crime is adamant in the community. Though aggressive crimes in St. Louis have reportedly been decreasing as of late, there has been a steady increase in poverty levels. Saint Louis County Police Lt. Tyler Edgecomb warns that these past few years have been the calm before the storm as the general income has been decreasing.

“Poverty is a driver for every crime, from shoplifting to things that you wouldn’t want to name,” Edgecomb said. “It’s a big deal. There’s a lot of factors responsible for poverty that, in the end, lead to a life of crime. Crimes can’t really stop happening until people get the help they need.”

According to Edgecomb, crime and criminals cannot always be viewed through a black and white lens. In most cases, shoplifters do not shoplift simply because they want to steal. In order for police to keep their respective communities safe, they must first make an effort to understand and offer help to members of the community who are in need.

“We have to get away from this ‘us versus them’, Edgecomb said. “Everybody can’t be a bad guy. We’re still trying to make repairs to relationships that were damaged 100 years ago. We [the police] need to focus on the needs of the community before any serious progress is made in terms of crime rate.”

Police departments around St. Louis are currently renovating the ways in which they collect data to give a more accurate depiction of what crime in the community looks like from a citizen’s point of view. As relationships in the community become more complex, crimes themselves also become more complex.

“We receive weekly reports with statistics that are utilized to refocus resources to problem areas,” chief of the Lake St. Louis Police, Chris DiGiuseppi said. “Through our system of data collection, we’ve enhanced more cooperative efforts with other police agencies to pool resources and tried to educate the public about public safety issues.”

Cottleville police staion connects with City Hall. The police station is open 9-5 P.M. Monday through Friday and helps the surrounding community. (Photo by Peter Swoboda)

(Illustration by Zoe Lobato)

SCHOOL SLOWLY COMES DOWN

by Abby Dunbar adunbar938@g.fhsdschools.org

Watching the deconstruction of the old Francis Howell North building while sitting in classes has shown the depleting history the school once boasted.

“There was a lot of wood paneling, and that was really cool,” principal Jeff Fletcher said. “There were also a lot of murals that kids had done on the walls. A lot of really cool traditions over the years that kids and teachers had added to that building that I think that part gets lost.”

But the loss of some school history is worth it for the massive benefits FHN students have gained. As of now, the old school should be completely demolished by the end of fall. The old building is being replaced with new guest bleachers for the football field, grass practice fields and a dedicated area for marching band rehearsals, with construction set to begin in the spring.

“It’ll give us the opportunity to kind of spread out and everybody to be practicing on campus right after school,” Fletcher said.

The other big change coming from the new construction is a change in how parking and departure in the afternoons will go. A new road, planned to be completed next year, will be exclusively for buses to enter and leave.

“All of that traffic, where we have to, like, hold everybody, to let the buses go through, that won’t happen next year when that drive is complete, because the buses will all exit out the other side, and so it’ll improve the flow,” Fletcher said.

CAFETERIA SEEKS STAFF

by Gavin Swart

gswart370@g.fhsdschools.org

One of the most important things to any high schooler is lunch. If the food is good, then the people will be happy. However, with the new building, there have been a lot of new challenges with finding staff to utilize the new space.

“It’s very difficult to find staff that are willing to work,” Executive Chef for Sodexo Francis Howell Karin Mann said. “If you don’t have adequate staff, then something has to give. We’re not miracle workers.”

The new cafeteria space at North is one of the best high school kitchen areas in the state. Without proper staffing, though, they cannot fully utilize the new kitchen equipment. In order for progress to be made, more resources will need to be dedicated to helping the cafeteria staff.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT

...students stealing food from the cafeteria?

“I think stealing is disrespectful and rude, especially since our school is in debt from building the new school.”

“First off that’s theft and that needs to be like four days of ISAP, because if you do that your going to end up a criminal”

“Just buy chips or bring them from home. You are risking getting in trouble at school just for a bag of chips”

“I mean, I can’t do anything to stop it.”

...the coffee shop not being opened yet?

“I’m pretty mad. I wanted to try the new flavors. I didn’t know if it was going to be like Starbucks or school coffee.”

COFFEE SHOP PLANS STILL BREWING

“I find it weird considering that it’s just there and nothing has happened yet.”

“I’m a little bit aggitated about the coffee shop not being opened. At least last year we had it at the beginning of the school year.”

“I am mad! I want to wake up every morning with coffee because I don’t have time to make it.”

by Naomi Van Dyne nvandyne312@g.fhsdschools.org

Many have looked next to the cafeteria and wondered when the doors under the “coffee shop” sign will be open, but few have answers.

“We still have to make all the plans, and figure out what type of coffee we’re making, and price points and all that stuff,” principal Jeff Fletcher said.

It seems as though the shop will not be open anytime soon because of a food license the school has to get and the people that need to be trained on the coffee machines. Those people will include both administrators and the Special Education department.

“I envision that it will be once or twice a week, and then possibly expanding to potentially every day in the morning,” Fletcher said.

While it may look like no progress is being made, things are happening behind the scenes to make it happen.

An excavator picks up rubble from the old FHN building during the demolishing of the building on Sept. 23. The building stood from 1983-2024 and they have been demolishing the building since this past summer. The company leading the demolition is Wiegmann Associates. (Photo by Claire Brightwell)

(Photo by Alayna Clement)

(Photo by Pete Swoboda)

Owen Leary, 9

Oliver Bosanquet, 10

Parker Frankland, 11

Natalie Gill, 12

THE CURRENT SITUATION OF MONKEYPOX

by Kaylee Priest

kpriest027@g.fhsdschools.org

Monkeypox, also known as Mpox, has been circulating the internet, taking over social media platforms from TikTok to Facebook, filling people with fear and concern.

According to the World Health Organization or WHO, monkeypox was first discovered in South Africa in the 1970s and started back up in June 2022, raising concern with a new strand known as “clade two” commonly passed from skin-to-skin contact. According to the CDC, monkeypox is considered a

Zoonotic disease, meaning it can be spread back and forth between both animals and people.

“At this time, I would say there shouldn’t be any concerns, there have been no cases reported here in Missouri,” FHN school nurse Heather Marren said. “It is a virus so it can spread quickly, but as of right now I would say FHN students are safe.”

According to both the CDC and WHO, the people who are currently at risk are children under the age of one, people with a very weak immune system, people with a history of eczema and people who are pregnant. According to the Northeastern Global News, around 20,000 cases have been reported and around 975 deaths to date, two thirds of which are children under the ages of five.

FHN STARTS NEW YAG CLUB

by Riley Jensen rjensen810@g.fhsdschools.org

This year, FHN is adopting a new club for students who want to experience what it’s like to work in government positions. The Youth and Government club, formed by junior Harper Schneider, stimulates a real government and gives students the choice to be in either the Legislative, Executive or Judicial Branch.

“Colleges that offer scholarships want to take leadership position.”

“The students basically do what each real branch does,” club sponsor Jill Rudolph said.

“If they join the Legislative Branch, they write bills and they submit them at the conference.

COLOR GUARD PREPARES FOR WINTER

by Naomi van Dyne nvandyne312@g.fhsdschools.org

As the fall guard season comes to a close, winter guard is looking forward to the upcoming season and new members that will be joining the team.

“I’m feeling great about this season, we have a lot of freshmen coming in this year which I haven’t seen much since I started,” junior Esther Lin said.

Lin has been in guard for a total of five seasons, including both fall and winter teams.

Rudolph encourages students to find out more about the club by paying her a visit in room 1419.

“Youth and Government is a great handson way to see what government is about,” Rudolph said.

This past fall season, there were 12 people on the team, three of those being current freshmen.

“I’m really excited because the incoming freshmen are really excited to learn the show, and passion is a big part of guard,” Lin said.

Fall guard consists of marching on football fields with the marching band during football games and at marching band competitions. Winter guard is a little different, with the competitions being indoors and choreography set to recorded music, so the show only involves the guard.

“The audience at winter guard competitions, they know the sport, and so they know when something cool happens, so the cheers are extra loud,” Lin said.

club sponsor, and club president Harper Schneider meet most Wednesday mornings and work to help members of the club. (Photo by Kasey Lewis)

On Sept. 30, FHN Colorguard practices their routine during a marching band practice on the home stadium field. (Photo by Faith Smith)

(Illustration by Cheyenne Steed)

SPOOKY PUZZLES

PKMPNUI

SIEDPR

EPPAL DICRE

YDAIEHR

ROHRRO SIMOVE

Unscramble the following Halloween-themed words and attempt to escape the maze (Generated by Discovery Education) (Content by Peyton Thies)

HAVE OPINIONS ON WHAT OUR NEXT INTERACTIVES SHOULD BE?

We’re always looking for fun, new ideas to try. Scan the QR code below to have your input in what we should do next paper.

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Search “FHNtoday” in the Google Play and Apple App Stores and look for the Knight logo to download the app.

The app was created and is maintained by the students in the FHN Journalism Program.

The app was created and is maintained by the students in the FHN Journalism Program.

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Funds raised through memberships and concession stand earnings in 2023 allowed ABC to provide over $20k in money to teams, general activities and scholarships*.

Email any questions to: HowellNorthAthleticBoosters@gmail.com

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Membership cards can be picked up at the FHN concession stands.

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Photo by Faith Smith

Designed by Naomi Van Dyne

You know those old milk cartons with missing people on them? Where did they all go?

DEADPOOL THIRD ADVENTURE

(AND WOLVERINE’S!)

Deadpool and Wolverine is a must-see (Illustrations by Lennon Sharp)

by Lennon Sharp lsharp744@g.fhsdschools.org

“Deadpool and Wolverine” has made a disrupting, loud and crude splash in the movie industry, boasting a shiny new $200 million dollar budget, a record breaking amount of money for the Deadpool movie franchise. Both Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman reprise their roles and breathing life (literally, in Wolverine’s case) back into both Deadpool and Wolverine respectively. After being ripped from his dimension by the Time Variance Authority, Deadpool is offered a position in the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe, however, he decides to partner up with an alternate universe variant of Wolverine to help save his universe from complete destruction. The movie has

become a critical and financial success in a time where most people are burnt out on everything Marvel, it is a fantastic third addition to the franchise and is, for the most part, everything a Deadpool movie with Wolverine needed to be.

The comedy is still absolutely on point, it is just as chaotically hilarious as the first two movies. With the addition of Wolverine who is a great comedic foil due to his more serious, gruff tone, the exact polar opposite of Deadpool, who doesn’t take anything serious at all. The fight scenes and general action is also phenomenal, with crazy slow-mo shots and creative wacky ideas. Visual gags are delivered mid-fight with

fast-paced portions where there’s a million things happening at once. Great effects and animations are still fully on display here (although that’s to be expected from a Marvel movie in the modern age).

Deadpool’s plotline is also great, he wants more than to be stuck as a one-trick pony his whole life and wants to prove to himself, that he’s more than just a joke. They make the conflict far more personal to Deadpool this time around, which does a lot in terms of humanizing a character who has always been thought of as this near immortal comedian that is only ever present to make the audience laugh.

However, the movie is far from perfect. They heavily tie it in with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a concept everyone is beyond tired of at this point. The movie also makes connections with the “Loki” series on Disney Plus, using many concepts from it as integral parts of the plot, and while they do explain the concepts, it is done fairly quickly and could definitely still confuse people who

haven’t seen the show. Wolverine fans might also leave the movie somewhat disappointed as Wolverine is not given nearly the focus Deadpool is. While Wolverine’s plotline is still good, they definitely don’t spend as much time and effort on it as they did with Deadpool’s.

Despite the criticisms, the movie is still definitely worth watching for fans of Deadpool, Wolverine and Marvel in general. It does everything that should’ve been done with the concept of Wolverine meeting Deadpool, it could have used some minor fixes and placed more emphasis on Wolverine, as well as at least explaining some of the concepts it uses from other properties in a far better way.

With all of that being said however, it’s an overall great addition to the franchise and is a great breath of fresh air for Marvel. After going through a bit of a rough patch in terms of critical ratings. It is an entertaining, hilarious and fun movie from start to finish that any Marvel fan should see.

it starts getting so cold outside, but then that hot Korean soup with barbecue is the best thing you can have.”

Eunchan Lee, 12

“My favorite fall treat is apple cider because it tastes really good and you can’t really have it any other time of the year which makes it really special.

Lea Wenger, 12

PUMPKIN PIE

Pumpkin pie is admittedly an obvious example for a fall food, but its ubiquity only serves to prove just how well it captures the spirit of fall. The soft and smooth pumpkin curd paired with the iconic, almost warmtasting pumpkin spice offers a coziness that is more than welcome in the cool autumn weather. All this seated on a decadently buttery crust and topped with whipped cream makes for an ideal comfort food that is sure to please anyone.

“It’s the perfect balance of sweet and pumpkin without being too overbearing.”

- Rory Marable, senior

“It has layers. First, you taste the spice and chocolate and then the other flavors kick in.”

- Amy Stoker, English teacher

Try your hand at bokkenpootjes

Scan the QR code to the left to work on this delicious Dutch treat at home.

Hey Flesh-bag! I got a shortcutlittlefor you!

NEW MINECRAFT MOVIE

NEW BOOK CHRONICLES BILL CIPHER FATE

by Noah Tucker ntucker088@g.fhsdschools.org

Gravity Falls is a cartoon show that aired on Disney XD from 2012 to 2016. The story follows the pair of twins, Dipper and Mabel, on their crazy adventures in a small town known as Gravity Falls. The biggest appeal this show had was the endless mysteries it left for the viewers to solve on

“I just finished watching it about a month ago,” sophomore Carly Hedrich said. “My friends and social media are always talking about it, so I caved and decided to watch it.”

One of the biggest mysteries left for fans in the story was the status of the main villain, Bill Cipher. The conclusion of Gravity Falls involved an epic two-part special that ended with the protagonists defeating Cipher, a charismatic floating yellow triangle. Even though Cipher was defeated, his ultimate fate was left ambiguous. Fans of the show had no confirmation of what happened to him until eight years after the show ended with the release of “The Book of Bill.”

“The Book of Bill” takes an interesting approach in the way it communicates with the reader. The book is written in a way that depicts Cipher speaking directly to the reader, prompting them to do various things within the book and provide additional lore to the Gravity Falls universe.

“I didn’t even know it was coming out until it was released,” sophomore Leo Swaneui said. “I loved all the random bits and pieces of lore sprinkled throughout the book.”

ROAN DECLARES BOUNDARIES

Plans for a Minecraft film adaptation were announced in February 2014 when creator Markus Persson revealed that Mojang was in talks with Warner Bros. After further discussion, it was supposed to take place May 2023 to January 2024 but was pushed off till April 2025. Many younger people that grew up with Minecraft have mixed feelings about the new upcoming movie.

In 2009, the world of gaming was dominated by colorful, blocky graphics and unique gameplay when Minecraft’s first public test was released. Officially released in 2011, the popular game consists of building, surviving and exploring. Since Minecraft was released, it’s only grown and expanded to catch the attention of the younger generation as well as players everywhere.

“I am looking forward to the plot they will come up with, but I am definitely not looking forward to the eerie animation by Cheyenne Steed csteed056@g.fhsdschools.org

and creepy animals,” junior James Flemming said. “I personally think they should’ve made the movie half animated and half in real life like the Lego Movie.”

Mojang studios is known for producing the survival game Minecraft, the bestselling videogame of all time but the development of the new movie could cause issues for the company in the future. Although the movie has mixed reviews when it comes to the trailer alone, some are excited to see the outcome.

“I really wish it was more animated, I’m pretty excited about it overall since Minecraft has been a game I’ve loved almost my whole life,” sophomore Rylan Trotter said.

As the long anticipated game movie reaches its release, the gaming community stands divided on the topic, for the game has continued to grow and capture the imaginations of millions, representing both a risk and a potential milestone.

Recently, 26-year-old pop star Chappell Roan has declared new boundaries for her fans and paparazzi to follow. The trending pop star had to set these limits because of inappropriate fan behavior such as stalking, bullying and harassment.

“I think it’s good for her,” sophomore Kiersten Emert said. “She should be setting limits because it’s not right for people to go against her own boundaries.”

Having too much fame can be harmful, especially having recently gained popularity and a large fanbase. There have been rumors about Roan leaving the music industry because of the hateful comments, but due to her recent performances it is most likely she by Sam Hall shall102@g.fhsdschools.org

will continue to make music.

“There is no need to be hateful,” sophomore Gabriela Hatschbach said.

“HOT TO GO!” singer Chappell Roan has received a lot of backlash after speaking out about the inappropriate behavior and her new boundaries. She has been called dramatic and rude by some of the public after shutting down multiple fan interactions. Unfortunately, most famous celebrities experience harassment from fans and paparazzi, but don’t speak out.

“I like that she is speaking out because a lot of celebrities don’t speak out when fans have bad behavior,” freshman Karley Lewis said.

(Illustration by Michaela Manfull)

(Illustration by Naomi VanDyne)

FANS OF THE FIRST MOVIE ANTICIPATE MOANA 2

by Nylah Smith nsmith474@g.fhsdschools.org

The first Moana was such a great movie that has been a staple for many who have watched it. “ I love the music, the plot, and the overall moral of the story,” a freshman at FHN Tia Soar said. Seeing how great the first one is, fans are a little skeptical to see Moana 2’s debut. “I’m a little bit nervous, sequels tend to not be as good as the originals,” a senior at FHN Ayah Ramadan said. Even though there are some people that are nervous, some are excited that it is on the way. “It looks kind of interesting,”a freshman at FHN Kaydance Sneed said. “I’m excited to see it.”

SILENT HILL 2 REMAKE RELEASED

by Cherry Ann Clark cclark599@g.fhsdschools.org

On Oct. 8, the survival horror video game “Silent Hill 2” remake was released for the PlayStation 5 and Windows. It is a remake of the 2001 video game originally released for the PlayStation 2.

Players will follow the original story of James Sunderland, a widower who ventures into the town of Silent Hill after receiving a mysterious letter from his deceased wife, Mary, who claims that she would be waiting for him there.

The video game remake was officially announced back in October 2022 after several leaks were seen on social media

WHAT DOES FHN THINK OF THE WORD

Demure?

“Very classy, very mindful.”

-Bella Ingrassia,

Since the release of the trailer showing Moana is set for another incredible adventure with Maui, it has fans excited to see the movie.

“I’m really excited about, and after so long, just like growing up with Moana, it’s like really exciting to get like a part two of it,” Soar said. With the trailer and the anticipation, fans are patiently waiting and are ready for Moana 2 that is set to release on Nov. 27. Since the release of the trailer showing Moana is set for another incredible adventure with Maui, it has fans excited to see the movie.

platforms. It is the first major release within the video game franchise since 2012.

“The remake is super influential to the genre,” senior Aiden Caby said. “Games that come after the first have a more polished touch to them.”

The game features an overhauled combat system, with timed evasion and added physical melee battles. There is also a thirdperson camera system, differing from the regular fixed camera angles used in previous “Silent Hill” games.

“Silent Hill” is a horror media video game franchise that originated in Japan. Its first release, “Silent Hill” (1999), influenced a new generation of distinct psychological video game horror. There is also a film series based on the video game franchise, which has grossed over $156 million worldwide.

DEMURE LOOKS TO GET ITS 5 MINUTES OF FAME

by Zoe Lobato zlobato998@g.fhsdschools.org

Very demure, very mindful. A phrase that highlights a term that has taken the internet by storm. Adults, children and students embrace the word across the country which raises the question: will ‘demure’ remain?

“I feel like for a lot of our Gen Z people out there, I think they’re really attracted to trends, and so I unfortunately don’t see demure staying around for much longer,” a librarian who has worked at Francis Howell North for a decade Gabrielle Weston said.

The integration of the word has been sudden and unexpected, while the usage and implication of the word has been both abused and used in almost every aspect of people’s lives, and many find it becoming tiresome.

“I think there’s a lot of people that are using demure inappropriately,” Weston said. “They don’t understand the word.”

The final criticism of this word is it illustrates the unpredictability of the internet and how any sentence can spark a trend.

“People talk on social media with weird voices, and people like it,” freshman Cadance Sneed said. “It’s a 50/50 shot, you want to be demure, you want to be mindful, then say it in a weird voice, and then it goes viral.”

“What does it mean?”

-Sadie Ortmeyer, senior

“It’s a long dead word, nobody uses it anymore. I did say it this morning though.”

-Ayah Ramadan, senior

WANT TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON TODAY’S POP CULTURE?

(Illustrations by Michaela Manfull)

If there are any upcoming movies, shows, games or trends that you find instresting, and would maybe even like to comment on or talk about, scan the QR code above.

(Illustration by Zoe Lobato)

...HAVE NOT PURCHASED THEIR YEARBOOK FOR THIS YEAR YET.

Why is this a big deal?

•The price goes up to $70 Dec. 22

•The staff will not be ordering extras once the final number is set at the end of the year

Check on FHNtoday.com to make sure your name is on the list of who has purchcased a book. You can find that list here: https://fhntoday.com/yearbook

You can purchase a 202 24-25 yearbook: •in room 1230 •on FHNtoday.com under the YEARBOOK tab on the top menu

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As always, we have lots of updates week as well on FHNtoday.com.

CAN YOU SEE THROUGH THE MISINFORMATION

In this upcoming election cycle, journalists, politicians and voters alike have to work hard to separate fact from fiction, causing many to ask the question “how do you trust what you see online when disinformation can spread as quickly as the truth?”

by Michaela Manfull mmanfull438@g.fhsdschools.org

Social media is a digital space where people can speak freely, communicate in real time and share ideas. It’s also a place where misinformation can spread just as quickly as the truth. Figuring out what and who to trust can be difficult.

“I used to think that social media was, and perhaps to some degree it was, educating the populace, making more information available more quickly,” Metro columnist at the St. Louis Post Dispatch Tony Messenger said. “But these days, I find that the disinformation on social media is hard to overcome.”

Battling misinformation is a challenge for both politicians and journalists, voters and media consumersespecially in today’s political climate.

Messenger shared an example of how journalists can’t just provide the correct information, but also have to address misinformation to further explain the facts.

“Some republicans are trying to say that [the abortion amendment] would legalize transgender surgeries,” Messenger said. “The amendment has nothing to do with that, but if you write about it, you almost have to address the disinformation that’s out there and explain to people what the actual wording of the amendment is and with the details that are out there. Saying look, this is what this is actually about, this is the history of this debate, etc.”

Every day, millions of people are exposed to false information. Deciding what to trust can be confusing. That goes for both the reader and the candidate seeking to connect with those potential voters.

“People believe that one moment on social media is going to make or break a candidate,” House Minority Leader in the Iowa House of Representatives and Associate Professor at Drake University’s journalism school Jennifer Konfrst said. “It is easier to break the candidate on social media in one moment, but voters have very short memories.”

Konfrst went on to say that it’s less likely one thing is going to destroy or make a candidate. Voters pay attention based on a viral moment, but they don’t typically vote that way.

“What happens is, generally, the message that you’re trying to achieve as a candidate can get lost, and that’s unfortunate,” House Representative for Missouri District 106 Travis Wilson said.

Right now, the way that the social media algorithm works is that it will see that a person likes a post, say it’s a funny cat video, and it will start showing them more of that same content. The social media company will get more revenue because they stay on the platform longer while they will be content with their doomscrolling, being fed the same kinds of posts over and over again.

Take another look at that scenario, but trade out the funny cat videos for posts from only one political viewpoint. What a viewer likes and agrees with continues to show up in their feed weeding out any opposing or challenging ideas. This is what so many people go through every day, intentionally or not. Soon a person’s feed is filled with everyone who agrees with them. This is the algorithm at work. This is great when they want to see more cat videos, but when the information is misinterpreted or simply incorrect, the algorithm pushes misinformation which turns out to be the opposite.

While all social media platforms have their pros and cons, some social media platforms can be worse than others when it comes to spreading mis- and disinformation.

“I used to use Twitter very effectively, not only to communicate with people, but to get my columns

out and to read other information that I care about,” Messenger said. “Right now, that is really hard to do because the algorithm is so broken and there is so much intentional disinformation on that network in particular, and I’m sure on most of the social media networks. It’s just not a place where there is much constructive conversation these days.”

This poses an issue for everyone, regardless of political viewpoint and how often they even talk about politics with others. Misinformation on social media isn’t typically directly from politicians. While it can be, as it can be from anyone, most politicians work to make sure that they are spreading truthful information and educating voters in the right ways.

“Everything should be taken with a grain of salt,” Konfrst said. “As a consumer of social media, you know that you’re only getting a little part of the story. Misinformation has a big role, but as practitioners, I really emphasize the importance of being ethical communicators who are honest, who are not misleading voters and who are telling the story in a way that voters can easily contextualize. That’s not driven to confuse or mislead voters, but is rather driven by informing them.”

Sometimes misinformation isn’t just incorrect, but can be misinterpreted without the full context or intended tone. In the end, a lot is left up to the way a person reads what has been said or posted.

“I think it’s important to have people see that we’re real people,” Konfrst said. “And the more relatable we can be, I think the more the more young voters who might be skeptical of the process will see that we’re just normal people who are working for the cause.”

These candidates are also capitalizing on social media trends.

“If we’re trying to reach younger voters where they are on Tiktok, on Instagram, and doing it in a way that’s authentic and trying not to seem posed or like we’re trying too hard,” Konfrst said.

Some still prefer to knock on doors to reach their target audience.

“I’m out trying to communicate directly with voters and ask for their votes in person,” Wilson said. “Also, doing things like sending information through the mail directly to their homes. That sort of thing, I think, is much more personable and much more direct to the actual constituent.”

No matter what approach a politician takes, there will always be people who pay attention only to whether the candidates are “red” or “blue”.

“What we have run into in this current political climate is you either agree with me or you’re just a terrible person, and really nothing could be further from the truth,” Wilson said. “The Democrats in the House are human beings, just like I am. They want to work hard for the people they represent, just like I do. We happen to disagree on a few things. Guess what? There’s also a fair amount of things that we do agree on, and that’s where the good work gets done for the people of Missouri. Social media can dilute that positive momentum and keep good people from being able to perform their jobs.”

Nobody wants to be misrepresented. Even with a shared hope to stop misinformation, there’s little chance that it is going to go away anytime soon. There are things that everyone can be aware of while posting and consuming information on social media to help lessen the spread and stay educated. Readers need to look for the full story and gather more context for what they’re seeing.

“[Social media is] not a place where it seems you can find important, accurate information,” Messenger said. “I think that it affects the election in a negative way and I hope voters can rise above it.”

MISSOURI ADULTS’ POLITICA STANCES

BELIE VEEV ERYT HING YOU SEE...

Q: Do you use social media in your campaigning?

A: Generally, I do not. I am on social media, I have a social media account for both my personal use and also for my campaign use. I utilize [my campaign account] basically, to communicate with constituents in a fairly bipartisan manner.

Q: What is the way you prefer to share your message with voters?

A: Knocking on doors. I’m out trying to communicate directly with voters and ask for their votes in person. Also, doing things like sending information through the mail directly to their homes. That sort of thing, I think, is much more personable and much more direct to the actual constituent.

Q: What is your goal in office?

A: I’m going to continue to work hard for everybody, whether they’re Republican or Democrat, regardless of their socioeconomic status, regardless of their background, regardless of anything, I’m going to work hard because they’re one of my constituents.

CAN YOU SEE... THE FACES OF THE MATTER

by Riley Jensen rjensen810@g.fhsdschools.org

As social media has become more prominent, humanity’s ability to comprehend and communicate ideas has greatly decreased. Twitter, Instagram and TikTok influence almost every important aspect of teens’ and adults’ lives. This behavior is especially apparent in the political world. Modern day politicians have to present themselves in a certain way to appease all audiences in order to stand a chance at being elected.

“I knew that as a candidate, I would need an internet presence,” presumptive Missouri State Representative, Kem Smith said. “It’s almost impossible to win without a digital footprint.”

Even the smallest mistakes on social media can lead to a politician’s immediate demise. Young adults and teenagers are so immersed in cancel culture that most current-world politician’s careers ride on their personal histories rather than their administrative policies.

“There is more exposure for candidates who put their foot in their mouths,” Smith said. “Mistakes are broadcast instantly. It’s important to be genuine. But even with consistency, a candidate could face trolls.”

Political careers have also been destroyed by misinformation rapidly spread through media, perhaps even more so than they have by flawed personal history. Entire lifetimes, ruined because of something that isn’t even true. Smith has first-hand experience with this.

“I reposted a video and a friend misinterpreted what was said. She thought I supported Project 2025. Her reaction was swift, angry and 100% incorrect,” Smith said. “If I would have seen her flurry of DMs as they landed in my inbox, we could have had an argument. I’ve noticed that people are quiet about their views for fear of retribution in person. However, they have no fear of taking a fight to social media.”

Social media platforms play a large part in the continuation of the toxic “echo chamber” cycle. Misinformation is hardly ever addressed or corrected. There are self-serving reasons behind why social media heads do nothing to prevent the spread of lies within their platforms.

“A lie goes viral and starts to land as true when it was always false,” Smith said. “These platforms all know they participate in the proliferation of misinformation. However, they are making lots of money.”

The internet has the potential to become a positive resource for new voters, as well as up-and-coming candidates. However, with how things are currently going, there is a strong chance that social media will never reach its true potential as a body of knowledge.

“Constructive social media has to come from constructive people. We all need to curate our social media to highlight the positive. Unfortunately, people crave drama,” Smith said. “They seek out nonsense and share it. Politics, like any other subject, has to be approached with respect for the intelligence of the person who’s speaking.”

CAN YOU SEE... HOW FAMILIES CAN BE TORN APART

by Noah Tucker ntucker088@g.fhsdschools.org

In his youth, as many kids do, Kat Burrows didn’t bother his mind very much with the concept of politics. It was something that adults talked about and got mad at each other over, but it didn’t usually infiltrate the world of people his age. However, as he grew up, Kat began to understand more about the issues that surrounded his generation.

“In 2020, I started actually caring about politics and getting to understand them,” Kat, who is a senior at FHN, said. “I was on the internet a lot so I got to see the world from a different point of view.”

For Kat, the internet was a way to connect with people from all walks of life and as a result, he found himself being educated on the political issues that mattered not only to himself, but the people he connected with. Seeing the countless injustices around the world, Kat wanted to take action.

“I got really passionate for fighting for people,” Kat said. “I started posting on the internet about what was happening and that passion got stronger as I saw scary policies get pushed that would directly hurt me and my friends and the people I love.”

CAN YOU SEE... WHO’S BEHIND THE MESSAGES

by Nylah Smith nsmith474@g.fhsdschools.org

As Kat started to solidify his personal values, identity and stances on political issues, like many others like him, he had to come face to face with the world of adults that would argue about politics. Through communication, Kat was able to become closer to his dad, Aaron Burrows, and have a safe place to talk about complicated issues without judgment.

“Social media amplifies our ability to throw out our own leanings and disparage others,” Aaron said. “I had family members come out as LGBTQ+ and thought that the things people in our own families were saying was probably hurtful.”

The difficulties that come with determining the intentions of their own family still persist today. While in-person confrontation has yet to occur, the influence of propaganda on their family and the resulting spread of propaganda from their own family has curated arguments online that manifest into lots of unspoken tension among them.

“If I take what they say at face value it’s pretty steeped in a lot of hatred,” Aaron said. “If I try to interpret their intentions it’s not so intense, but I believe there’s real-life harm done by the stances they are taking.”

While hurt and disagreements can stem from stances on political issues and how people express their stances, it can also be a gateway to closer connections for people like Kat, who is able to have more meaningful conversations with his father,and friends who are all able to relate through the mess of events constantly happening throughout the world.

Political advertisements, especially on social media, have given teenagers more access to information about candidates. Social media is the new outlet for political ads to reach younger people and get them interested in voting.

At the political strategy firm where a senior at FHN Elise Hyman works. She works for a democratic political firm where they work on making sure that the candidate’s message gets out to the public and reaches the right people mostly on different social media platforms.

see the results of a survey taken of FHN’s population about politics and political advertising along with more information on the upcoming election, scan the QR code below.

certain demographic of people, they use public voter information and data.

“[The advertisement] are really rolled out based on areas or demographics,” Hyman said.

“For targeting ads, based on location or age range [that can be found through] census data, you can only be targeted if you are above the age of 18 and that’s because voter information is public, so we can access that information,” Hyman said. “It gives us things like age, race, and stuff like that. We figure out what the trends are and what people care about through data, to help us bring up topics that people in the community care about.”

“You can only be targeted if you are above the age of 18 and that’s because voter information is public, so we can access that.”

“We mostly use social media because people usually don’t look at newspapers anymore,” Hyman said.

This increased advertising on social media is leading to more awareness in the community about politics, especially young adults, which is better for the candidate and voters.

Candidates make different types of ads based on what is happening in the community or who they are and what they stand for, so Hyman and her firm could get the message across all social media networks.

“If it’s a video ad then the candidate will create a video or if it’s like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, it would be a digital post,” Hyman said.

To make sure that Hyman and her team reach a

-Elise Hyman

This exposure to political advertisement on social media has given teenagers a new understanding about political issues and different points of views. Helping teenagers be more active in the political scene, connecting and speaking out to help others to understand what is going on. This increased advertisement on social media makes teenagers feel like they are included in the topics or social issues that are going on.

Although the rise of political social media advertising has been positive on informating teenagers so far, there are some risks. There are some instances where misinformation and false news has been put out on social media platforms to influence certain groups of people. Advertisement aren’t always true, so it influence impressionable teenager to take in and believe in false information

“Advertisement could be dangerous because you always don’t know if the information is true or not,” Hyman said.

To

FHN Survey Says...

FHN SPEAKS ON UPCOMING BALLOT ISSUES

VOTE VOTE VOTE

AMENDMENT 2 LEGALIZE SPORTS BETTING IN MO

“I feel like it’s ok honestly, as long as nothing bad happens and they don’t hurt anyone for it.”

Bella Faulkner, senior

“I don’t think it a big deal because people do it anyway, so it really doesn’t affect anything.”

Cloei Evans, senior

AMENDMENT 3 REMOVE MO’S BAN ON ABORTIONS

“I think that personally, it’s your body, your choice, and we should not be converting back to the ages where people did not have that choice. As a new generation we should strive for change and our own freedom and choices with our body.”

Nayana Kartha, sophomore

“I believe that the abortion ban should be kept. I grew up in a Christian household, and we just believe that that’s not necessarily right to abort a child technically, because if you have the ability to have a child, then you should have the ability to take care of that child. Now there are some circumstances like unwanted happenings, forceful things that happen, and also things that might harm the mother, and those are things that, in my opinion, could be either God’s will or whatnot. I know that’s not everyone’s agreement. But in my opinion, things happen, mostly for a reason, and life is still beautiful no matter what life that is.”

Alex Prudhomme, senior

VOTE VOTE VOTE

Yes

“I think U.S. citizens should be the voters. If you’re in a country paying taxes, doing everything, what’s the point in ever being a citizen? If citizenship wasn’t a requirement to vote, we would essentially no longer have citizens.”

Daniel Lamb, Social Studies Teacher

No

“Less government control with something like that is better for us, the people, in general.”

Jaden Christensen, senior

PROPOSITION AGRADUALLY RAISE MINIMUM WAGE IN MO

Yes

“Because [of] inflation, money can’t get you much anymore. You’re doing work. You should be paid more so then you can therefore be rewarded for your time.”

Camryn Portell, junior

No

“I think the minimum wage should be kept as it is now, when you raise the minimum wage it leads to inflation. A lot of the jobs getting paid the minimum wage are starter jobs, so as you work your way up you can get above that.”

Ashlyn Reid, freshman

CAN

YOU SEE...

WHO’S ON THE BALLOT?

While there are tons of people and issues on the ballot every year, most of the time the only ones people are fully informed on are the nationwide candidates and issues but not those at the state level (Content by Gavin Swart)

Governor

The Governor is the most powerful position for controlling the lives of Missouri citizens. More than the President, the Governor can implement specific policies that will affect Missouri resident’s lives.

Mike Kehoe

Kehoe is the current Lieutenant Governor of Missouri and the Republican nominee for the gubernatorial election. Kehoe is running on a Pro Life and Pro 2nd Amendment campaign. Kehoe supports an increase to Voter ID and ensuring Missouri control over Missouri land. Security and immigration control are major issues for Kehoe.

Crystal Quade

Quade is the current Minority Leader of the Missouri Quade is the current Minority Leader of the Missouri House of Representatives and the Democratic nominee. Quade is running on a Pro Choice campaign with an emphasis on fighting extremity within Jefferson City. Quade is in favor of policies that cut taxes on essentials such as groceries while increasing taxes on the ultra wealthy in Missouri. Focusing on individual liberties for Missouri citizens is the main emphasis.

Bill Slantz

Slantz is the Libertarian candidate for Governor this election cycle as well as the State Chair for the Libertarian Party in Missouri. Slantz is in favor of limited government, and reducing government control.

Paul Lehmann

Lehmann is the current Green Party candidate for Missouri Governor. Lehmann supports climate action policy to fight climate change in Missouri. He also supports abortion rights, integrating immigrants into Missouri, and dedicating more money to schools.

Secretary of State

This is one of the most powerful positions in the state government. They deal with information within the state government. They authenticate official acts of the Governor and are the chief elections official for the state.

Denny Hoskins

Senator Hoskins is the Missouri Senator for Missouri District 21 as well as the Republican nominee. Hoskins is in favor of tightening election security within Missouri.

Barbara Phifer

Phifer is the current House Representative for Missouri House District 090 and the Democratic nominee for Secretary of State. Phifer is in favor of making election day a statewide holiday.

Lieutenant Governor

The Lieutenant Governor has similar responsibilities to the Vice President of the United States. The Lieutenant Governor will take the responsibilities of the Governor if the Governor is unavailable, and also they serve as President of the Missouri Senate.

Dave Wasinger

Wasinger is currently an attorney as well as the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor. His main policy is ideas of rooting out corruption within the Missouri state government as well as securing its borders.

Richard Brown

Brown is the state representative for Missouri House District 27 and the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor. He is in favor of improving healthcare and quality of life for working class citizens in Missouri.

Ken Iverson

Iverson is a U.S. Navy veteran and the Libertarian candidate for Lieutenant Governor. Iverson is in favor of reducing foreign government intervention and upholding the sovereignty of individuals.

Danielle (Dani) Elliot

Elliot is the nominee by the Green Party for the position of Lieutenant Governor. Elliot is running on a policy of helping the elderly and improving our agricultural climate in Missouri.

Senator

Our U.S. Senators are the people who go up to Washington D.C. and help dictate Federal policy that affects all of the United States. This position is what gives Missouri its voice in the Federal government. Senators don’t just make decisions for Missouri, but also represent Missouri and how other states will view the state.

Josh Hawley

Hawley is the incumbent as well as the Republican nominee for US Senator. Now he is running for reelection to fight for religious freedom. Senator Hawley also opposes foreign purchase of American land.

Lucas Kunce

Kunce is a Marine veteran and the Democratic candidate for US Senator. Kunce is against “pointless trillion dollar wars” and in favor of finding new innovations for energy independence.

Jared Young

Young is running as an independent candidate for the role of US Senator. Young is the founder of Missouri’s Better Party which aims to get more moderate, less partisan candidates on ballots.

Nathan Kline

Kline is the Green Party nominee for US Senator. Kline supports a sustainable future for the United States with new climate and energy policy.

CAN YOU SEE...WHAT’S ON THE BALLOT?

Amendment 2

Permits legal betting on games and sports for those of or over the age of 21. Licenses will be required to bet and will be taxed, with the money going towards education. No impact on general taxes.

Fair Ballot Language:

“yes” vote: yes, I want to allow licensed sport and game betting in Missouri.

“no” vote: no, I do not want to allow any sport or game betting in Missouri.

Amendment 3

Lifts the abortion ban in Missouri. Establishes a right to an abortion without government interference, while also allowing for future laws to restrict abortions after Fetal Viability except in cases where the health of the mother would be at risk.

Fair Ballot Language:

“yes” vote: I want to remove the ban on abortion.

“no” vote: I do not want to remove the ban on abortion.

Amendment 5

Allows for another casino to be established on the Osage River.

Fair Ballot Language:

“yes” vote: I want to allow another casino to be established on the Osage River.

“no” vote: I do not want to allow another casino to be established on the Osage River.

Amendment 6

Allows for court fees to be able to be used to fund salaries of sheriffs and state attorneys.

Fair Ballot Language:

“yes” vote: I want court fees to help pay the salaries of sheriffs and state attorneys.

“no” vote: I do not want court fees to be able to go to sheriffs or state attorneys.

Amendment 7

Add a part of the Constitution clarifying that only citizens can vote. Prohibit rank choice voting. Require that the candidate who gets the most votes at the primary be the only candidate for the general election.

Fair Ballot Language:

“yes” vote: I want only citizens to be able to vote, ranked choice voting to be prohibited, and the winner of the primary election be the only eligible candidate for that party.

“no” vote: I do not want the voting system to change in these ways.

Proposition A

Increases the minimum wage to $13.75 on Jan. 1, 2025, then to $15 per hour in 2026. From 2027 onwards, adjust minimum wage based on changes in price of consumer goods. Require all employers to provide one hour of paid sick leave for every thirty hours worked.

Fair Ballot Language:

“yes” vote: I want to increase the minimum wage and adjust said wage based on consumer good prices as well as requiring one hour of paid sick leave for every thirty hours worked.

“no” vote: I do not want the minimum wage to change or paid sick leave to change.

1989 - Taylor Swift

“I think my collection started when I was five or six, because my first album was Taylor Swift’s 1989 so I got it when it came out.”

Propaganda - Sparks

“Propaganda always makes me think of like dark, like nighttime, raining, because my dad bought it at Euclid right before they closed.”

Bongo Fury - Frank Zappa

FINDING A GROOVE

The Oldani family bonds through finding, collecting and discovering new music

by Violet Newton violetannenewton@gmail.com

For many, music is a way to connect with friends and family. While this typically consists of sharing favorite songs and lyrics, the Oldani family takes it to another level.. Between freshman Mia Oldani and her father PJ Oldani, they have an estimated 1,500 records.

“I have memories of being like three years old and the neighbor down the street coming over, and we would play MTV,” PJ said. “I just always loved music. You know, my dad was kind of into it, so it was just always around. But yeah, I just always naturally gravitated to listening to music.”

PJ’s interest in music began by listening to record tape dubs from the 50s, 60s and 70s on long drives to his grandparents house as a child. In time, he began curating his own collection of records and inherited his father’s records. Eventually, PJ passed his love for the hobby down to his daughter Mia.

“When Mia was a little girl, she was just really into music, like all kids are, backseat with headphones on, singing along loudly,” PJ said. “But she got older and her taste of music just got really good.”

Mia’s passion quickly grew into researching the background of the artists she was enjoying. Over time, she began sharing artists with her dad.

“I just got really into music,” Mia said. “I remember the first band I was ever like, ‘this is my favorite band in the whole world’, was Queen. I was into them right around the time of the movie that came out. I would go to a record store, immediately to the Q’s, and it just kind of kept going from there.”

Mia’s collection has grown over the years from her very first album she purchased at the age of six - Taylor Swift’s “1989”. As time went by, she began to listen to more rock music and dabble in jazz. Now that her collection has grown, Mia describes her variety as “eclectic” as she tries to listen to a bit of everything.

Not only has Mia’s love for finding physical copies of her favorite new and old music grown, but so has her family’s love for finding new records to build their collections together. Often, the entire family will visit their favorite record stores like Vintage Vinyl and Dead Wax. The family also enjoys going to record shows to look for hard-to-find copies.

“There’s one in St. Louis at the Checker Hall we go to a lot, and that’s the one that’s been around for since before I was born,” PJ said. “And then there’s a newer one in Illinois. And we’ve gone there enough where we’ll see the guy that puts that record show together, like at a show, and he recognizes us. I think, you know, having me, my wife and then a 15-year-old girl. We’re pretty recognizable at these record shows, because usually there’s a lot of just old dudes.”

The father-daughter duo find enjoyment in collecting and the driving factor is their passion for searching and finding new music and sharing it with each other.

“Yeah, we definitely bounce off each other,” PJ said. “She’ll introduce me to new music. She’ll send me things and I’ll send her things. And we’re always looking for bands to come to town. So me, her, my wife, Nicole, we’re always, listening like, ‘Oh, who’s this band? Are they any good? Oh, maybe we should check them out.’ So we’re always trying to discover stuff.”

“It’s a live album I looked for it for months. I went to record shows, record stores to try and find it. I eventually found, like, a really crappy copy. And then after that, I just kept finding more. That’s always how it works.

KEEPING UP WITH THE KNIGHTS

TOP 5 PLACES TO SKATE

1 Kinetic Park

Kinetic is a free skate park in St. Charles County with a large asphalt pump track perfect for practicing new skills or just hanging out.

2 Fountain Lakes

In St. Charles theres around 13,000 square feet of skating area. It includes lots of rails and obstacles to use.

3

Maplewood Skate Park

Over in Maplewood, Missouri, this park has many features to be used and is open from dawn to dusk.

THE ROPES OF SKATE BOARDS

by Noah Tucker ntucker088@g.fhsdschools.org

Lots of activities can be difficult or frightening to try for several reasons ranging from expenses, to physical risk. Skateboarding is one of those hobbies that can be difficult to get into, but those who take the jump get to experience an exhilarating activity that allows for creativity, action and plain fun.

“My half-brother has been a skater for a long time,” sophomore Liam Richmann said. “He’s been that guy I go to for everything for a long time and he got me into it.”

Besides physical risk, pricing is another thing that can sway people away from trying skateboarding as a hobby. There are many shops around St. Charles that specialize in selling skateboards and these shops can recommend specific boards that fit a person’s needs. When buying a skateboard, a board length

must be chosen, as well as trucks, wheels and bearings. A person getting into skateboarding for the first time can expect to spend between $100 and $200 for a skateboard and safety equipment such as a helmet and pads.

Another barrier to getting into this hobby is finding a setting. Those who enjoy hobbies like bike riding, scooter riding, roller skating and skateboarding often are forced out of public spaces with open concrete such as parking lots. To avoid this, many skaters make a point to go to skateparks where they won’t be at risk of getting in trouble.

“Skate parks are a great part of skating,” Richmann said. “They allow you to meet up with friends and have fun. There’s a lot of places where you’re not allowed to skate and there’s a lot of people that will get mad at you for it and those are just those places where you can go and not have to worry about that.”

SCHMID WORKS TO MASTER AERIAL SILKS

by Abby Dunbar adunbar938@g.fhsdschools.org

For five years, sophomore Lucy Schmid has been balancing her school and social life with a fascinating sport, aerial silks.

“I was in gymnastics at my old gym and then I would always see the silks while I was doing it and I thought it looked really cool and so I wanted to try it out,” Schmid said. Schmid is now in the advanced level in aerial silks with the ability to do more challenging tricks. One of these tricks is a double star.

“You have to be pretty high up to do it, so it’s kind of intimidating,” Schmid said. “And then also you have to hold this hunched over shape midair, like while you’re spinning fast, so it’s pretty difficult.”

Schmid’s abilities are not limited to her gym. She showcases her talents at events organized by her gym, and also in Renaissance fairs. Eight girls from Schmid’s program go and they each perform a few tricks. They alternate between performing with silks or on a sling, which is a fabric loop.

“One of my favorite memories is probably

Sophomore Lucy Schmid stretches on her aerial silks. (Photo by Aubrey Henning)

(Photo by Hannah Martin)

STUDENTS GET OUTDOORSY EDUCATION AT NORTH

Both the hunting and fishing classes offered at North are some things people don’t hear about very often.

With interesting topics in each class, students can learn about animal species, outdoor survival, and the different seasons in the Hunting and Trapping class. In the Fishing and Recreation Class, boating, fishing, camping, and archery are also taught. These classes stand out as unique and engaging while offering many opportunities. Each class has a field trip students can participate in and apply knowledge they’ve collected over the semester.

EXPLORING MISSOURI THROUGH AUTUMN TRAILS

by Moira Dustin mdustin047@g.fhsdschools.org

Hiking trails in Autumn are something that many people look forward to. From the beautiful scenery to the natural benefits the season brings, like fewer bugs and cooler weather, lots can agree it’s one of the best times to be outside enjoying nature.

To someone who may not go hiking very often, the what and where of the experience are some things people may want answers to and hiking at any time of the year is something you want to be prepared for.

“Students have the opportunity to practice their skills handling firearms, safe loading, unloading and functioning of the different actions and types of firearms so they get live practice.” teacher of hunting and trapping, John Brune said, describing Hunting and Trapping’s semester field trip to Busch Wildlife Conservation Area.

Similar to their trip to the shooting range, the fishing and recreation class also includes a visit to the Busch Conservation Area where they can use their newfound knowledge for a successful fishing trip. All in all, these courses are fascinating and perfect for anyone curious to learn more about nature. (Brief by Moira Dustin)

“The biggest suggestion is to just bring water, because if you don’t, you’ll end up regretting it,” sophomore Connor Harman said. “And then another really big one is to

While getting ready to go on a hike, it’s helpful to think ahead and keep yourself ready for anything. Some other suggestions are to bring small snacks to keep your energy

up if you’re going on a longer trail, a camera for any scenic moments, sunscreen, bug spray and clothes for the weather ahead never hurts. As for the where, Missouri has many gorgeous options to pick from. Science teacher Joseph Brocksmith recommends Castlewood State Park.

“It’s pretty far, but it’s beautiful,” Brocksmith said. “Like, it’s way more scenic. Definitely, I think a place that would be more enjoyable to, like a nature enthusiast, to go for a little stroll, and it’s a lot of woodlands.” Trails that are more secluded and deeper in the woods, such as Castlewood and the Lost Valley Trail, are where hikers will discover some amazing views with the leaves changing color and often there will be creeks nearby to walk along. Others like the Busch Conservation Area or the Katy Trail are less rugged and hikers will get a shorter hike, yet it will still be very pretty in the fall. Lastly, the Creve Coeur lake view trails are very well rounded with lots of scenery, and the option of paved or rugged paths.

PREPÁRATE PARA EL DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS

by Miranda Fabian mfabian486@g.fhsdschools.org

Día de los Muertos es un día para recordar a los seres queridos que han venido antes que nosotros y para recordar todos los buenos tiempos, pasando la memoria a las nuevas generaciones. Aquí hay algunos artículos esenciales para crear una ofrenda:

EMERGE FITTNESS TRAINING

When someone begins their fitness journey, many wonder if they should work out at home, a public gym or even a private gym.

“I don’t think that one is necessarily better than the other,” 70 year old personal trainer Elizabeth Lanig-Pirtle said. “A private facility is frequently smaller and more personable, so lots of positive attention and encouragement.”

Local small business, Emerge Fitness Training, is a private gym for all ages. This means no matter the circumstances, Emerge Fitness Training is capable of providing aid to anyone. Everyone has different needs, so the trainer will create unique exercise programs for each client. No matter a person’s genetics, injuries or coordination, they will receive professional attention on whatever their goals are. Emerge has two locations, one in St. Charles and another in Wentzville, keeping the daily workouts local.

“If you choose to work with a personal trainer, you’ll get a qualified, educated trainer,” Lanig-Pirtle said. “This means safe, skillful support and instruction which will translate to successfully reaching your fitness goals, whatever they are.” (Brief by Sam Hall)

Cempasúchil: Los cempasúchiles son conocidos por guiar a los muertos desde su tumba directamente a la ofrenda. Además de traer las almas de los difuntos al hogar, también pueden ser un símbolo de respeto y amor, de la misma manera que la gente lleva flores a un funeral.

Fotos de los seres queridos se colocan en la ofrenda. También se ponen para representar físicamente un árbol genealógico, con ramas a lo largo de la mesa para contar una historia.

ENGLISH VERSION

Scan the QR code to see the story in English (Illustration by

“Normalmente ponemos fotos de mis abuelos y otros miembros de mi familia que han fallecido”, dijo Michelle GonzalezDelgado, estudiante de cuarto año de secundaria. “Nos aseguramos de tener suficiente para todos.”

Comidas Favoritas: Comidas tradicionales que les gustaban a los difuntos se colocan junto a las fotos para brindar consuelo y evocación a quienes están celebrando.

“Mi parte favorita es tomarme el tiempo para recordarlo y quién era, pero también me divierto decorando y preparando su comida favorita para él”, dijo Valeria Lima-Guerrero, estudiante de tercer año de secundaria, quien ha celebrado cinco años desde que su abuelo falleció.

(Photo by Kasey Lewis)

(Photo by Claire Brightwell)

(Photos by Hannah Martin)

Miranda Fabian)

SIX FLAGS FRIGHT FEST CREATES A SPOOKY GOOD TIME

by Canyon Dubis cdubis608@g.fhsdschools.org

Six Flags is a well known place that many people in the St. Louis area know about and go to. Every year, the park hosts a special event in the fall called Fright Feast. This year the event started on Sept. 13 and the last day to go will be Nov. 3.

“I have been going to Six Flags roughly since I was nine,” sophomore Shreya Patel said. “I started going because my parents had taken me to my first Fright Fest with my family friends and it was terrifying but I loved it.”

The event celebrates Halloween and its spookiness. Many people specifically go to Six Flags during these eight weeks due to the excitement and fun atmosphere created.

“I go [to Six Flags] often because of Fright Fest because it’s so much fun and scary,” junior Tyler Armsby said. “And I like taking my friends to go with me. It’s cool.”

Fright Fest occurs after dark, adding an extra spooky feel to the park. This means that when riding the roller coasters, they are often completely dark.

“My favorite part of Six Flags is definitely the rides,” Patel said. “Especially Mr. Freeze because I just love how I can hang up my arms and feel the breeze.”

What really makes the event special is the costume actors. Dressed from clowns and zombies to people carrying chain saws, these actors’ main job is to scare people. They often do this in the form of chasing.

“Me and Kaylee [Priest] were getting chased by zombies,” Armsby said. “Then we got chased by some guy with a chainsaw. It was just really memorable.”

The amusement park also has four haunted houses throughout it. These are even scarier than the costumed actors. Not only are there actors within them, but there is a scary story told along the way as people make their way through the haunted house.

“I like the haunted houses because they are more terrifying than the characters,” Patel said.

HOTEL HOSTS HAUNTED TOURS

Spooky scares are in store at this often unnoticed historic attraction, which holds some haunted secrets

by Haley Beffa hbeffa397@g.fhsdschools.org

Seated in the heart of the small town of Alton, Illinois, lies a small gem waiting to be uncovered. The Mineral Springs Hotel, located on the main strip of the area, has been around since 1913, but is often overlooked and unheard of, even by the residents of the town.

“The hotel is one of my favorite spots to visit,” owner of the paranormal investigation team “Haunted Nights”, Steve Brodt said.

“You always get something different.”

Herman and August Lure, two German brothers, originally moved to St. Louis from Germany. In search of starting their own business, they moved to Alton to build an ice packing plant. During construction of the building, the brothers discovered a natural spring on the land they were using. The brothers decided to use the spring’s water, turning the building into a water bottling plant. They started construction in 1912, excited to start their own business and carry on their family’s name in a new country. In 1913, five levels below the street, the bottling plant opened, selling their self proclaimed “healing water” to 12 of the surrounding states. Immediately following, a hotel opened on the floors above the spring itself. With more than 100 rooms, the biggest pool in Alton at the time and a dining room to seat 26 people, it quickly became a place of attraction and devastation.

“There’s supposed to be a little girl who drowned in the pool that they had,” fifty-year resident James Faust said. “And her ghost is supposed to be there.”

Haunted Nights has been investigating for 15 years, visited the hotel May 11. Brodt,

along with his friends, Courtney Eastman and Josie Tegethoffe stayed the weekend at the hotel to document the paranormal activity. The group as a whole have visited places all around the country, but often find themselves coming back to Mineral Springs.

“The hotel is just one of my favorite spots,” Brodt said. “It’s one of those spots where we always get something different.”

The team talked about their experiences with the hotel and how their third year revisiting was not a disappointment. From shadow figures they saw to objects moving on their own, the hotel continues to live up to its reputation as one of the best places to visit in Alton.

“Last year when we were here,” Tegethoffe said, “me and Steve watched a beach ball get kicked down the stairs. It was deflated and had been sitting on the stairs for hours, unmoving.”

The hotel has its fair share of haunting stories. According to the Rivers And Routes website, a man named Lou Hardwood was rumored to have shot himself in the bar of the hotel only a few years after the establishment opened. He is often seen around the bar, appearing as a shadow or apparition.

“I looked over to the far corner,” Eastman said, “and I thought I saw someone standing there. I shined my flashlight, and absolutely no one was there.”

To book a reservation and visit the hotel for yourself, you can go online to their website BumpInTheNight and book a day and time slot. They have options for a dinner or a tour, and times may vary based on which one you choose.

BOOK YOUR OWN TOUR OF THE HOTEL

This QR code will bring you to the Mineral springs hotel so you can book a tour or lear more about the haunted attractions.

FHN STUDENTS’ HALLOWEEN COSTUMES

kpriest027@g.fhsdschools.org

Seniors Courtney McQueen and Leland Monroe are doing a couple’s costumes, Courtney will be Freddy Krueger and Leland is

“I’ve always wanted to do a cool costume dressed as one of the iconic halloween killers and I am personally a big fan of Nightmare on Elm Street,” senior Courtney McQueen said.

These costumes will consist of the red and green striped Freddy Krueger sweater and the famous knife gloves, along with the Jason mask.

Built over a decade ago, the Mineral Springs Hotel sits on the edge of the Mississippi river in Alton, Illinois. The hotel has become a place of attraction to tourists and visitors, offering a multitude of

The entrance of the Mineral Springs Hotel is always filled with interesting decor and even has its own minimuseum where visitors can learn about the haunted history of the hotel.

(Photo by Haley Beffa)

Teya Faasen and Broedy Bizelli

Juniors Teya Faasen and Broedy Bizelli are doing a duo costume of Howl and Sophie from Howl’s Moving Castle.

“We both grew up watching the Ghibli movies and this is one of our favorites,” junior Teya Faasen said.

The costumes will consist of a green dress with a straw sun hat for Sophie, and black pants a white button up with a blue and pink jacket for Howl.

Olivia Abeln

Junior Olivia Abeln is dressing up as Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, she is going with a group of friends who are also dressing up in onesies.

“We all wanted to be comfortable and this was quick and easy,” Olivia Abeln said. “Plus the Winnie the Pooh movies were my favorite as a kid so it’s kind of nostalgic.”

This costume consists of a onesie she bought online. Some of her friends will be dressing up as things like farm animals, care bears, and other cartoon characters.

(Photos by Kaylee Preist)

THE CHAOS

Mary Rascher, FHN’s head cashier, brings a decade of smiles and dedication to keep the day running smoothly

by Bella Vassoller ivassoller054@g.fhsdschools.org

6:15 a.m.

Mary Rascher gets to school to start her day. She has been working at FHN since 2014, which makes her the lunch staffer with the most seniority at FHN. After ten years of work, Rascher is still happy to show up everyday and put a smile on others’ faces. As soon as she gets to school, her job starts. Students will soon be getting to school, and she will serve them breakfast.

“It’s mostly, I handle the money and get the cashier station ready to go, and breakfast is the first thing, you know. Half an hour after I get in we start breakfast,” Rascher said.

She is the head cashier of the lunch department, but when help is needed somewhere other than the cashiers, she is there and ready.

7:05 a.m.

Students start making their way to first hour and the first wave of rush for the day is over. However, some students are still getting to school and trickle in, quickly buying their breakfast.

7:20 a.m.

One of Rascher’s favorite parts of her days begins. A couple of students in the essential skills work program arrive at the lunch room and help Rascher and her coworkers get organized and ready for what’s ahead. “Each one of them brings in their own little personality, it’s fun,” Rascher says. “They show up so eager to learn and ready to help every day, we really couldn’t do it without them.”

What they help with changes depending on the day, but most of the time it’s things like stocking up on silverware or carrying boxes stocked with bags of chips. It’s a great way for Mary to begin her day. She claims that it’s also good for the students to keep busy and be part of something that makes a difference. She spends the rest of the morning helping wherever it’s needed.

10:07 a.m.

“First lunch tends to be easier,” Rascher said. “It’s not as crowded, the kids are a little more calm. But really, no matter how large, or if there’s a lot of kids at the same time, I’m just trying to get everyone through as quickly as we can.”

Her main focus during lunch is the kids. She tries to be kind to all of them, smiling and encouraging them to have a good day, but she works to do it in a timely manner where everyone still has time to eat. “Every day of the week is different,” Rascher said.

Mary Rascher helpS students get their lunch at FHN cafeteria. She also handles all finance in the cafeteria. (Photo by Jasmine Dong)

“The menu changes every day, so every day just fluctuates differently. Problems come up, but we just figure our way around it. It’s a juggling act, let’s put it that way.”

In between lunches, Mary sticks to her everyday duties.

“It’s the money, taking care of the money at each one of the cashier stations as well as I spend a lot of time counting,” Rascher said., “Counting money. Counting milk. Counting silverware. Everything gets counted, it’s how I fill my time.”

Her days are filled with constant tasks, but she claims it’s all a controlled chaos.

Sejal Patel, who has been working with Mary for five years, admires the way Rascher deals with stressful situations that come along, but mostly she admires how much Rascher considers the students at FHN.

“She takes care of the kids really well, she remembers their names, I can’t do it,” Patel said. “ She also places everything out so nicely, thinking of the easiest way that the kids can grab things and go.”

It’s just a couple of the many things Rascher tries to do to help kids have a great day.

“Seeing smiles on kids’ faces makes the job worthwhile,” Rascher said.

Though Rascher really loves the students at FHN, she also greatly appreciates the team she has around her.

“There are plenty of ladies that I enjoy spending time with,” Rascher said. “Whenever we are set back because of small changes in the school schedule, sometimes it can be hard, but we work as a team, and that’s what matters the most. On holidays or when birthdays come around, we take any chance to get together, most of the time we get food and have fun.”

12:26 p.m.

As the last lunch ends, Rascher’s day has been a full one, but she stands strong until 2:30 comes around and she leaves for home.

“A little quiet time is needed by last lunch, so many things have happened by the time the day is over with that I feel like I need to lay down,” Rascher said. “But at that point, what’s really left to do is just tallying up each one of the registers, helping the other ladies clean up the area, basically we get ready for the next day.”

She will show up to work again the next day and know that if smoothies are spilled on the floor, food is left over, or if a student is disrespectful, it will all be ok, because tomorrow is a new day.

“It’s going to be crazy, but it won’t be crazy all the time, keep smiling, good days will come,” Rascher said.

SAMANTHA SLUNAKER STEPS INTO THE SPOTLIGHT

by Peyton Thies pthies629@g.fhsdschools.org

Some are born talented at a sport or art, but for junior Samantha Slunaker, that talent came through song. For as long as she can remember, singing was always something she did that she was good at and really enjoyed. She never knew where it would lead her, and in three weeks, she will be doing something she’s never done before.

“A lot of people were telling me that I should [join choir] and I enjoy singing,” Slunaker said. “I just hadn’t done choir since elementary school, and yeah, I was nervous, but I enjoyed it because I love singing.”

Since joining choir her sophomore year, she has gone from Aurora to Knight Sound and Bella Voces. This process involved learning a song and auditioning it in front of Jennifer Oncken, the choir teacher.

“She came in with a lot of talent and a great worth ethic and attitude from the beginning,” Oncken said. “Her range is pretty epic, so it doesn’t matter where I put her in the choir, she does amazing work.”

Singing isn’t Slunaker’s only passion though. Ever since she was little she has dreamed of performing on stage. Nerves have held her back in the past, but this year she decided to get out of her comfort zone and audition for her all-time favorite musical. The style, type of music and being able to share it with her dad were all things that created her love for “Grease.”

“I was going to audition last year and the year before, but I got really nervous,” Slunaker said. “This year, I really had to push myself. I was really scared. I have never auditioned for anything like that before and it took a lot to even just fill out the form.”

Now that she’s taken the first step, she is finally able to do what she has wanted for her whole high school career. From Nov. 14-16, anyone who goes to North’s production of “Grease” will see Slunaker up on stage playing background characters as well as performing a duet between her character, radio girl, and Sandy.

“It’s been a really special musical to me and it’s really amazing to be a part of it,” Slunaker said.

Samantha Slunaker practices with other Bella Voces. (Photo by Peyton Thies)

JUMPING INTO FALL

FHN is sparkling with fall spirit, explore the page to find the school’s favorite fall music and items (Content by Brianna Taliaferro)

FALL ITEMS

PUMPKINS OF FHN

“Sometimes pumpkins are very creepy and when I think of Halloween I think of scary pumpkins.”

Connor Hedrich, 12

WESTON’S CANDLE COLLECTION

“I’m a sucker for those candles that smell like a Belgian waffle, or things that remind me of brunch on Sunday… certain smells for me immediately get me hooked in the fall spirit. Certain scents trigger a sense of fall.”

Gabrielle Weston, FHN Media Specialist

FALL LEAVES SWEATER

“It’s super soft and I’m always cold so it’s really, really warm.”

“They’re fun to decorate and set out and I feel like they bring out the fall mood.”

Olivia Prinster, 10

FALL TUNES

FHN’s favorite fall music (Content by Nadia Okilee)

During autumn, no matter rain or shine, FHN is filled with fall spirit. Whether it’s spooky or cozy, students love their fall tunes. Nadia Okilee (11) reports on this and reaches out to ask students about their very own favorite fall jams, below are just a few.

Riley Kruse, 9

“Bleeding” Skull Candle & Belian Waffle Candle At Home

PUMPKIN BLANKET

“I like that it’s very soft and very cheap.”

Jade Washington, 9

“OMG, this is tough.

DOG BANDANA WITH LEAVES

“I put it on my dog every time it’s fall ... it just makes me happy to see my dog happy because my dog likes to play in the leaves.”

Anna Teschendorf, 9

APPLE CIDER CANDLE

“I really like the smell and the memories it gives me from when I was younger at festivals.

Rosie Borden, 11

“Roman

she’s talking about taking a break and relaxing and that makes me think of fall break.”

Kailynn Bockersette, 11

“Sweater

Harvest moon.”

Kailyn Curtis, 11

holliday by Nicki Minaj, because

Weather, I feel like it gets me into the mood-it’s slow and calm.”

Skylar Moore, 10

Red Velvet Candle Trader Joe’s

GOATS+YOGA Lookingforalittledifferentwaytorelax?Checkoutthis uniquestressrelieverinavideobyCamdenBlair.

TENNIS Kailyn Curtis warms up her forehand before her Varsity doubles match against FZW on Sept. 12. During this match against FZW the Varsity girls played in both doubles and singles matches.

“I was warming up with Sophie just having a good time getting ready to play,” Curtis said. “Sophie and I played hard and came out on top.” (Photo by Kylie Ramirez)

BEST OF

Take a look at some of the best moments captured during the 2024 fall sports season

FOOTBALL David Beger leads the Varsity football team as they rush the FHN field, on Sept. 6, to take on the St. Charles High Pirates in the first home game of the season.

“Football really rally’s the community,” Dusty Weiskopf said.

“I think the excitement of having our own space, which we haven’t had in a while, really solidifies the community’s energy.” (Photo by Austin Griffin)

VOLLEYBALL

Junior Alissa Simon serves the ball to Hazelwood Central in a home game

Oct. 8. Before the game, a ceremony for the graduating volleyball players of 2025.

“Senior night was not only emotional but exciting,” Simon said. “I’m gonna miss my seniors so much and hope they go far in college.” (Photo by Brianna Dunham)

KNIGHTLINE

Sophomore Charly

Vogel cheers and waves to students and faculty in the stand on Black and Gold day Aug. 24 on the FHN track.

“If you’re not a leader on the bench, don’t call yourself a leader on the field,” Knightline captain Sophia Miller said. “You’re either a leader everywhere or nowhere.” (Photo by Austin Griffin)

SWIM

Senior Logan Scott does a front one and a half full twist into the St. Peters Rec Plex. The Knights won against Liberty and Saint Dominic with a final score of 135 to 108 to 15.

“I improved mainly in the form of learning several new dives and also perfecting my old ones as well,” Scott said. “This has been a great season so far, looking forward to my last districts and state competitions.” (Photo by Monica Zacarias)

CHEER

Junior

Jenna Lauer performs a stunt during a black and gold day cheer routine on Aug. 24, “So far this season has been such a new and exciting experience,” Lauer said. “I’m definitely looking forward to basketball season around the corner.”

(Photo by Taylor Griffin)

SOFTBALL

SOCCER

Player Giovanni Bommarito competes for possession of the ball against FHH on Sept. 12 at the new FHN field.

“Howell was the first game where we turned it around,”

JV Coach Dan Lamb said. “That game was probably the best we’ve played all year, it was our best team performance.”

(Photos by Dania Ferreyra)

On Oct. 3, starting pitcher Lexi Lohnes throws a pitch in the second inning in an away game against Fort Zumwalt West. “That game was very stressful trying to protect my no-hitter I had going for me,” Lohnes said. “There were a few bumps in the road but that game we started to play sharper and smarter and most importantly as a team.” (Photo by Mallory Barker)

GOLF On Sept. 5, Alyssa Perkins swings her forth shot on the seventh hole at Whitmoor Country Club. Perkins shot the lowest score for the Knights with a 51 on a par 36.

“I did pretty good I think, I remember I had chipped it up onto the green and it allowed me to make it a two-putt on a Par four,” Perkins said. (Photo by Mallory Barker)

BONDING BEFORE THE BATTLE

FHN’S FEEDER PROGRAM FUELS THE SEASON AHEAD

by Addy Jones ajones483@g.fhsdschools.org

Feeder programs for high school sports can be critical to a sport and the success of it. They set up the future of the program and can help the younger generation prepare for high school and the sports environment.

FHN girls softball has a successful feeder program and has many young athletes involved in it. However, the FHN baseball does not have much of a feeder program. Coach Freedline coaches both the softball and baseball teams at North and is involved in the feeder programs.

“The softball program has a good feeder program; they play in the fall and their club is in the spring,” Freedline said. “But for the boys, they don’t have feeder teams because their club seasons are in the summer and no schools around here have a boys feeder program.”

The feeder programs can help many

TENNIS TAKES ON TOP GOLF

by Miranda Fabian mfabian486@g.fhsdschools.org

As of Oct. 5, the team has made it through the season strong at 10-6, with seven seniors on the team leading and 10 new freshmen overall. There was a huge head start contrasting last year in which the team ended the season 6-8 and the year before that before 5-8.

“I got the chance to play doubles with Courtney [Epplin] this season and she gives me really good tips and advice,” sophomore Shreya Patel said. “I have more strategy now.”

The girls’ tennis season started off with a strong bond between the players. One of their many events this year started at Top Golf. Varsity Coach Zach Howard had recommended Top Golf before the season officially kicked off, which has led to many of the members feeling stronger in their ability to work as a team. This has

athletes get to know their high school coach better and create more success when they get to high school. FHN sophomore and softball player Leah Fajatin played in the feeder program growing up.

“There were a lot of teams we always played on the weekend,” Fajatin said. “I got to pitch every game.”

Fajatin was able to get a lot of playing time and get more game experience. She was able to be seen by the varsity coach and be noticed.

Feeder programs are a way for schools to see the younger athletes earlier and be able to get in touch with them and help them continue to grow in the right direction for when they get to high school. They can teach them skills that they will need in high school and can make the program more successful.

also

“I think having team bonding before the season truly started helped us with any potential struggles because in the

we have had team bonding during the season,” senior Lisa Smyth said. “It’s a really great group of girls we have who fight hard and have fun too.”

On Aug. 29, varsity softball played against Eureka in their first regular season game and lost to the Wildcats 3-5. (Photo by Owen Gonzalez)

Junior Kailyn Curtis and Freshman Sophie Kraemer celebrate scoring a point against. Curtis and Kreamer play against Fort Zumwalt West and won 9-0. (photo by Mady Brewer)

Below are how many students of each grade play softball at FHN.

TEAM INCREASES CAMARADERIE FROM LAUREL PARK DOLPHINS

by Esther San esan231@g.fhsdschools.org

The Laurel Park Dolphins is a summer swim team that goes from early June to late July with meets every Monday. The swim team consists of three age groups: 12 and under, 13-14, and 15 and up with around 80 swimmers overall. Some of these swimmers may only choose to swim during the summer, but many continue throughout the school year.

Freshman Nathan Hanson has been with the Dolphins for 10 years and swims for North.

“When being a part of a team you get to meet these new people,” freshman swimmer Eric Taylor said. “It isn’t always about [a single person], it’s more about getting to meet and create bonds with everybody else.”

The bonds created between one another during the seasons carried over to the school year.

“The familiarity helps everyone support each other better cause you know we know each other pretty well and can support everyone in the way they need.”

“It’s awesome, it’s a great community, it’s a lot of fun and we do a lot of fun activities,” Hanson said. “I really enjoy the time spent with the team.”

-Nathan Hanson, 09

The Dolphins are a recreational team tasked with getting people into the pool during the summer. Athletes on this do everything a normal club or school season would, except with an enhanced focus on sportsmanship. Because of this, the companionship they share between one another goes past any score.

NEW SCHOOL RECORD

CROSS COUNTRY SUMMER RUNS

by Joclyn Kuker jkuker325@g.fhsdschools.org

Some of the cross country team have gone on runs this year, leading to a noticeable improvement in their season. These runs have already been beneficial to the relationships between the runners as well.

“It helped us improve and bond because we were able to see each other in all types of situations whether it was a workout or an easy run, and this helped us all grow closer,” cross country senior runner Madeline Dustin said. Though staying consistent can be hard, the team had many ways of pushing themselves and keeping up a routine.

“We were consistent every day with our running at 6:30 [a.m.] every morning,” Dustin said. “We just encouraged each other on our runs and kept a positive mindset,”

The team has already begun to notice a difference in their running since the start of the season.

“We’re running faster during our workout, and I have a feeling we will see an increase in our PRs this season,” Dustin said.

“Like going over to North, it’s nice to know who you swim with,” Hanson said. “The familiarity helps everyone support each other better ‘cause we know each other pretty well and can support everyone in the way they need.”

Taylor agrees.

“It’s really nice to know the people on your team well,” Taylor said. “Outside of the Dolphins, I’ve known Edward [Lee] for a couple years and it’s been a positive experience overall.”

Although swim is individually focused, with teammates often competing against one another, the camaraderie between teammates has kept spirits high during the season.

“Even though we are individually competing, we still have each other. Cheering and supporting each other. It keeps the spirits high.”

“It’s been a dream of mine since the beginning of the season to beat the record, it was fantastic beating the record.”

-Edward Lee, 12

Edward Lee reaches a new school record of 22.28 seconds in the 50 yard freestyle.

MORE ON SWIM

Scan the QR code to see more stories, videos and photo galleries on swim.

Below are how many students of each grade participate in cross country at FHN.

The boys swim and dive team went against Liberty and Saint Dominic on Sept. 24 in the St. Peters Rec Plex. The team ended the meet in first place with a score of 135 points. (Photo by Miranda Fabian)

Coach Joe Brocksmith directs and coaches runners Sept. 19 during a Lutheran North Invitational (Photo by Lito Ledezma)

CAIRER USHERS IN A NEW ERA

by Morgan Smith msmith922@g.fhsdschools.org

A 1-3 record wasn’t the start the boys varsity team had hoped for. After a 0-3 start with losses against Howell, Central and Liberty, all the Knights needed was a win to give them a boost. Knights rose again when they had a big 4-1 win against Troy. Those four goals were the first goals for the Knights in their four games.

“It was super cool to score in that game,” junior Ethan Scott said. “Although we had a rough start, I think that the season will continue to go up because we are used to playing with each other now.”

This season for the Knights will also bring new opportunities for coaches and players. The Knights brought in new head coach Travis Cairer and new assistant coach Matt Havermale. Carier and Havermale are set to be the new girls varsity soccer coaches as well. The team this year has seven returners, one being the starting goalie from the 23-24 season, Carson Howard. Howard led in minutes, solo shutouts and wins.

“I think that even though we lost all of our seniors last year which was a main part of our starting lineup, we gained some solid players that can be effective for this year’s team,” Howard said.

The team also included 18 new players with a range of sophomores to seniors. With an exception from the six players that came from another school or didn’t try out last year, 11 of those players came from playing at the JV level which is a big jump for those players. One of the players was junior Jaiden Shah, who scored four goals on JV last year.

“I am excited to be on varsity this year and have those new coaches,” Shah said. “I think that it is definitely a new experience for me but I am excited for the opportunity.”

Last season was an unforgettable one for the FHN boys varsity soccer team. The team ended with a 14-5 record which is the best record for the team in the past five years. Last year’s coaches, Larry Scheller and assistant Zach Fettig led the team to the semifinals of the district tournament where the Knights fell to the John Burroughs Bombers 1-0. The Knights team last year was composed of 12 seniors, one of them including the team’s leading goal scorer that year, JT Grabowski.

“I am excited to be coaching this season,” Havermale said. “Last season’s team was solid but I think with the group that we have, we can build this program.”

#UKNIGHTED THROUGH COMMUNITY

The #uKNIGHTed slogan has evolved itself from a simple saying to a lifestyle

by Drew Johnson djohnson440@g.fhsdschools.org

A catchphrase for a team runs deep. It’s deeper than a simple saying. It’s deeper than a corporatecoded motto. It exists as a passion for players and coaches alike. And in some rare occurrences, it becomes bigger than a team. It becomes bigger than a school. It becomes a part of a community.

For North, #uKNIGHTed, a motto that started in the girl’s varsity basketball team, evolved from a catchy saying to a lifestyle, emphasizing the importance of being one community while including a clever reference to the school to hit close to home for many.

something to bring us together. We’ve always had slogans about being one or being together as a team and that was kind of how that came about. I think with the uKNIGHTed, we wanted to use our name and it kind of just came from there and then I started using it every year.”

“I mean, the word united, even without the knight in it, means to come together for a common cause. I think that can kind of explain what we want to have happen at the school. Everybody can feel welcome.”

-Brett Bevil

“Every year I come up with a phrase for our basketball team, kind of like our motto,” girls varsity basketball coach Danielle Rampley said. “I usually let seniors choose it for the next year. We wanted

Although it was clever, the phrase only saw its full potential once disaster struck. For the team, #uKNIGHTed served to uplift them during COVID-19, when people were forced to leave what they love behind, including basketball.

“During COVID, we had a lot of girls that were leaving the team,” Rampley said. “I think we had six or seven seniors leaving that team. We talked about it and just like keeping everybody together [because] we’re going to have a lot of new girls, especially on the varsity level.” COVID-19 wasn’t the only factor that led to unity. After discovering the clever comradery that Rampley created with the basketball teams, varsity football coach and sponsor of Iron Knights and E-Sports, Brett Bevil, took matters into his own hands to spread the motto.

“I think it’s very clever,” Bevil said. “I mean, the

Head coach Travis Cairer huddles boys varsity soccer together after a 0-5 defeat against Liberty on FHN home turf. (Photo by Mac Hill)

shield on your chest.”

Pride isn’t the only reason it took off. When North went through its multi-milliondollar transformation, #uKNIGHTed was altered into a school-wide concept, evolving from its humble beginnings on the basketball team to a school-wide presence.

BRUEMMER SWINGS OVER TO GOLF

by Ivan Pitts ipitts388@g.fhsdschools.org

word united, even without the knight in it, means to come together for a common cause. I think that can kind of explain what we want to have happen at the school. Everybody can feel welcome.”

Although #uKNIGHTed existed for years before Bevil’s adoption, it didn’t properly take off until the varsity football team began utilizing it.

“I think that a lot of times the school will kind of take on how the athletics are doing,” Bevil said. “There might be more student involvement in games and everyone wants to get excited about the game. It’s kind of hard to get excited about [something] like a science test coming up. But whenever you’re going to go play Timberland on a Friday for homecoming, a lot of the school can come together and, you know, rally around the team.”

Football although wasn’t the end of the #uKNIGHTed journey. Iron Knights, the school’s weightlifting club, quickly began utilizing the phrase, even printing it on their famed “#uKNIGHTed Through Iron” t-shirts. “I want to see as many kids participate and just build that school community,” assistant Activities Director and Dean of Students Dusty Weiskopf said. “I think it makes you have a little more sense of pride for the

“We started using it and then we just moved on to our next slogan, but then I was like ‘I don’t want to let that one go,’ I felt like that one was a little bit different. I just used that one in addition to the other ones that we use each year. I never thought I would become kind of a school thing, but I’m glad it has. I think it’s very fitting, and it works for our community here.”

Although unique to the school, many hope to have a similar phrase become something larger.

“I was 18 years old sitting in high school when the 9/11 attacks happened and that really united and brought our country together,” Weiskopf said. “Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen that kind of dissent amongst our nation and I’d like to see that unitedness come back with not only our community, but our nation as a whole. So, I think that united peace really gets you as students and staff and our community to actually come together and unite.”

Along with others, Rampley hopes to see the phrase become a larger part in everyday life.

“I think if everybody can buy into the #uKNIGHTed slogan, know what it stands for, and use it in every aspect, not just in athletics, I think it can unify everybody,” Rampley said.

fun.”

Bruemmer’s ambitions haven’t gone unnoticed. Her coach, Nikki Brinkman, has taken note of her improvements.

“We are happy to have Rachel in our program,” Brinkman said. “She is one of our two seniors this year. She has done well and earned herself a spot in our varsity lineup.”

Many of her teammates are also very happy to have her on the team this year.

“She is very outgoing and just brings up the team’s spirit and makes golf more fund,” junior golfer, Olivia Graeser said. “She is just very wise and also very and always wants to do the right thing so she makes me want to be a better person to others.”

Senior Rachel Bruemmer puts her putter into her golf bag after hole five at Links at Dardenne on Sept. 19. The Knights won their first match of the year 199 - 217. (Photos by Mallory

On Friday Dec. 8 Junior varsity player, Addie Butler warms up in a #uKNIGHTed warm-up shirt prior to facing off the Trojans. (Photo by Faith Smith)

FHN VOLLEYBALL PROGRAM TRANSFORMS

by Ezana Dubale

edubale460@g.fhsdschools.org

Recently, the FHN varsity volleyball team has had an increase in their record as they are 11-16 which can be attributed to the significant changes made to their program.

Players and coaches have agreed on new methods and techniques for the varsity girls volleyball program.

Coach Stephanie Fisk has pushed for an increase in communication and movement on the court to secure FHN more wins over the season.

“[The coaches] started pushing us to be more outgoing, hustle more for loose balls, and always fight for every last play,” varsity player, Alissa Simon said.

The team has already begun to see positive results, especially with communication.

Fisk has started this process in just her second year of coaching, which, for many people, could be hard to adjust to. But this contrasts heavily with what the players have said, with a great attitude for the rest of the season, and a sense of understanding for their coaches.

“I feel like [the other players] will be understanding of ‘oh, no hard feelings’ because we’re playing the best of the best, and our main goal is winning,” Simon said. “Everyone has to be out for every point, and just show that they care. Never give up on a play.”

The agreement between the staff and athletes is clear, and some have even claimed that they’re already seeing improvements, which is evident in their attitude towards their upcoming district games.

“We won’t reach our goal without high communication on the court,” Simon said.

And, just as impressively, the team has not brought out any extra staff. This is being orchestrated simply by Fisk and her players. Simon pushes to credit both the players and coaches for the team’s changes.

“It was both [of our ideas],” Simon said. “The coaches were more honest and direct about just how much work we needed to put in. All they wanted was to win, and obviously, we want to win too.”

CAPTAIN’S QUARTERS

“The Big Three”

Each week, four captains take to the field at the start of the game. One is an honorary captain that changes each week, and the other three were ones that did not change (Photos by Kiley Wallace, Austin Griffin, Brianna Dunham).

has not only earned a spot as a captain but also the support of many of his teammates.

FHN’s offense and defense over the last two years at quarterback, running back and safety. A deserving captain for many.

THE DOUBLE THREAT, SQUARED

Kicker Carson Howard and punter Mo Huff both balance the challenge of playing soccer and football in the same season

by Braeden Kettinger

bkettinger509@g.fhsdschools.org

Asingular sports season for many high schoolers can be the most grueling experience they have in their four years on campus. From long practices every day, to a packed schedule and school work piling up, being an athlete on a team is a tough job. senior Mo Huff and junior Carson Howard wanted a little bit more of a challenge.

“[Playing football] wasn’t a very difficult decision,” Huff said. “If I had time to do it, I knew it would be a fun experience and something new.”

Samuel Mahurin

Following a junior season in which he was the team’s fourth leading tackler, Mahurin made his way to center among his fellow captains. He also serves as the vocal and emotion leader of the team.

In addition to playing multiple sports at the same time, Huff is playing them in two entirely different places. Huff is the punter for the FHN football team and plays soccer for the MLS Next affiliate Lou Fusz Athletic team. Playing for both teams can provide an interesting challenge when trying to be an active member of each team, travel being a main one. Lou Fusz Athletic Complex is in Maryland Heights, adding a 15-minute drive to Huff’s schedule.

their busy schedules, they are also competing at the same position on the football team. While this could cause some strain between teammates, it doesn’t for Huff and Howard who have known each other for a while.

“We are definitely really close,” Howard said. “We have grown up together and we played baseball together but we both know we have a job to do. There’s always love and it’s tough when two people are competing at the same position.”

“There’s always love and it’s tough when two people are competing at the same position,”

-Carson Howard

“I definitely have a really busy schedule,” Huff said. “As for football, I am kind of in and out of there as best as I can be and I head straight to soccer right after.”

Despite Huff going through a unique situation, he is certainly not alone. Howard, a junior at FHN, is taking on a similar challenge. He’s the kicker on the football team along with being the goalkeeper for North’s varsity soccer team. Along with trying to balance

Along with the mental toughness needed to be a multi-sport athlete, the physical strain on the body is equally significant and should not be underestimated.

“My legs definitely feel heavier some days than others,” Howard said. “My soreness definitely varies but I definitely always prioritize stretching and staying hydrated to avoid injury as best as I can.“

Despite the wear and tear that Howard puts on his body for both teams, the goalie’s play on the field has always added another layer to setting him apart from the rest. In 861 minutes between the sticks last season, Howard recorded eight wins, four of which being shutouts. This came in a season where Howard spent the majority of time in net over two senior goalies behind him, forcing him to step into a leadership role early in his varsity career.

“Carson is a really great player,” varsity soccer assistant coach Matt Havermale said. “Yeah, he has to miss practice at times, but it’s great that we are able to help the football team and he has the opportunity to play for both teams.”

Varsity girls volleyball huddles together after winning a point during a home game against Pattonville on Sept. 4. Pirates took the lead until the end beating the Knights 0-3. (Photos by Reina Murrell)

Carson Howard and Morgan Huff posing during a game against Timberland on Sept. 27. (Photo by Taylor Griffin).

FHN ALUM SIGNS CONTRACT TO PLAY

Alum Sam Cary looks to continue her professional career by playing soccer for a league in Sweden

by Morgan Smith msmith922@g.fhsdschools.org

Earlier this spring, FHN alum Sam Cary signed her first professional soccer contract with IFK Norköping, a team from Norköping, Sweden. In her first seven months, she started and played in 28 games including preseason games, scrimmages and actual games. In 20 of those 28 games, Cary has played every single minute. She has also added to the teams’ stats with two goals and two assists. One of Cary’s two goals came in a 1-0 victory against Linköpings Football Club as it was the game winner and the only goal scored in the entirety of the match.

“I am looking forward to completing my rookie year and just continuing to push myself and keep growing,” Cary said. “I have learned so much about being a pro and one of the biggest is you never know where life may take you or what your journey may be.”

hoping to get a shot with a team.

“I had a confident feeling in my gut,” Cary said. “I had faith that my name would be called and there was a bigger plan in place for me.”

FLASHBACK TO HIGH SCHOOL

Take a look at the scores Sam Cary had that led her to Division 1

“We knew right away that there was something different about Sam. Especially in her desire to compete and win every single day even if it was just practice.”

-Katelyn Longino

IFK Norköping is in the top division in Sweden called the Damallsvenskan. Norköping in this 2024 season, has gone 9-7-4, placing them fifth in the league. The team consists of players from many nationalities, including Sweden, Canada, Australia and Wales. The Swedish team has scored a total of 26 goals this season and has conceded 28.

“I love the opportunity I get everyday to play the sport I love,” Cary said. “The team believed in me enough to give me a contract and an opportunity as a rookie and I am beyond thankful for that.”

Prior to playing in Sweden, Cary entered the National Women’s Soccer League draft,

Cary was the sixth pick in the fourth round and was drafted by Racing Louisville FC, who she played with for two months and appeared in one official preseason game. Cary also played in the summer with them the season before. In her time there, Racing was 6-9-7 and stood in ninth place. While being successful professionally in and out of the U.S, Cary was very strong in her five years at the University of Iowa, playing for the women’s soccer team. In her fifth year at Iowa, she accomplished the record of being the all-time minutes leader player at Iowa. Cary also earned other accolades throughout the season, one of them being a three-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.

“We knew right away that there was something different about Sam,” associate head coach Katelyn Longino said. “Her desire to compete and win every single day even if it was just practice.”

While still being successful at the collegiate level, she also thrived at the high school level. Cary, who graduated from FHN in 2019, led her team in goals from her freshman to junior seasons, and assists as a sophomore and a junior. She also accomplished being a three-time allstate, all-region and all-conference selection and was a team co-captain her junior year.

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OPINION

AMMONS FINDS

I consider myself to be a pretty good student. I pay attention in class, I’m polite to a fault and I am just a tiny bit of a brown noser. But even when I get good grades, I don’t feel fulfilled.

I look at the As and 10s and 100%s in the grade book and feel nothing but a mild sense of relief that I don’t need to put any more thought into my work. As hard as I try, I can never seem to find any sense of pride or accomplishment in my academics, only tepid contentment.

On the other hand, I do not consider myself to be a very good baker. I’m impatient, I don’t work well under pressure and I can read a cookie recipe thrice over and still forget to add the flour. Even though I can hardly cook scrambled eggs, I bake whenever I can because I just find it so exciting.

I’ve raised a yeast colony for weeks, spent an entire evening baking macarons and scoured every Asian market in my area in search of purple yams. All of these activities ended in spectacular failure, but I enjoyed every moment because, for once, I was doing it all on my terms.

I was free to do as I pleased and to challenge myself to try new things. Sure, I failed plenty of times, but that unmatched feeling of accomplishment I got when I succeeded made up for all the dead yeast, salty macarons and misidentified yams.

I think one of the most important things in life is to find something you have true, boundless passion for. Baking is fun and comes with free food, but you can be passionate about just about anything. I think school has blurred many people’s views about what they actually care about. I think it’s important that we don’t lose sight of our passion, because it’s what makes us who we are.

TURNING GRIEF INTO ACTION

How my family found purpose after losing loved ones to cancer

OPINION

ancer sucks. It’s a known fact. The whole saying “F* Cancer” has a meaning for everyone, but mine is slightly different. Not only has cancer taken people I love, but it has also given my family something special.

In 2015, my aunt was first diagnosed with breast cancer. She was 27 and had just finished culinary school. She fought hard, beat it and was cancer-free in 2016.

In April 2018, my oldest sister was diagnosed with leukemia. Six months later my family found out that my aunt’s cancer had come back and spread to many other parts of her body.

By January of 2019, my sister lost her battle with cancer. She was 25 and had four kids. Since I was younger when she had

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passed, there isn’t much that I remember about her fight. But I do remember that she smiled through the pain and was there for her kids.

Not only did my sister smile through her pain but my aunt did as well. While she was fighting cancer, for the second time, my family would ask her, “How are you doing?” to which she would always respond “I’m fine, how are you?”

“I’m fine” was always her answer. It wasn’t “I’m in pain,” or “I feel good.”

It was simply, “I’m fine.”

Even when we could tell she wasn’t fine or that she was having a bad day, without fail we’d ask her how she was and she’d say, “I’m fine.” She’d then ask about how we were doing, how school went or how our day was.

But she would never complain.

I’d sit there and have a conversation with her even when I knew she was struggling, but she would listen to me talk and she’d have a big smile on her face.

As her condition worsened and her health started to decline even more, she started to talk about her bucket list and the things she

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Amari Ammons

Canyon Dubis

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MORPHING BAD BEHAVIOR INTO A PET

The most common questions you’ll ever hear a kid ask their parents are, “Can we get a dog?”, “What about a cat?”, “Maybe even a gerbil?” But for 5-year-old me, a troublemaker fresh into Pre-k, pets were out of the question.

My preschool had a not-so-unique system for promoting good behavior. At the end of each day, teachers would give every student a colored card representing how they behaved that day: green cards meant the student was good, red cards meant the student was bad, and yellow cards were neutral. By my third week, I collected a total of ten red cards, four yellow cards and only a single green card.

To say my mom was disappointed by my poor conduct would be an understatement. Every day, she’d ask me why I acted the way I did, and every day I would respond with, “I dunno. Can we get a dog?” The answer was always no, given that both my mom and I are allergic to dogs. However, this pestering question would eventually become my mom’s solution to my bad behavior.

It wasn’t long before I came home from school, listening to my mom repeat her spiel; this time, however, she suggested something new.

“If you can get ten green cards in a row, I’ll buy you a hamster,” she said jokingly, failing to consider how seriously I would take on the challenge.

This was the opportunity of a lifetime. I’d begged for a pet countless times, but I had never been offered one. The fact that it was coming from the final adjudicator made it all the more real. For the next week and a half, I behaved in a way that made my teachers wonder whether I had been switched out with a doppelganger. Instead of talking during lessons, I raised my hand and asked relevant questions. Instead of fooling around in between classes, I helped out my peers. I held my breath until my teacher handed me that bright green card on the tenth day. My face was even brighter as I told my mom the news.

Unprepared to house a pet, my mom found herself wishing for the first time in her life that I would misbehave. But as she walked with me into the pet store, hand in hand, she smiled bigger than I had ever seen.

Buckit! Just Live Courageously at the Susan G. Komen More than Pink Walk. Here they gave out wellness bags to breast cancer survivers. (Photo and illustration from buckitjlc.com)

(Illustration by Izzy Lash)

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT KNIGHT TIME THIS YEAR?

Student body responses on what needs to be fixed regarding Knight Time.

“I feel I don’t get as much work done and I can’t go to other places that I can’t go to after school. I would at least allow travelling.”

-sophomore Morgan Conlon

“I don’t like how you can’t go to your classes and retake tests and stuff. I think they should be able to allow us to go to your teacher’s rooms. I think they let you go to specific teachers from each department, but I think that it would be better to go to teachers that you spend time with.” -junior Bella Guntli

“I don’t like the Knight Times this year. I don’t get to see my friends or do my clubs, and I feel less productive. And I don’t like that they’re only one day a week, because two day a week was helpful, because they helped me get work done.”

-sophomore Regan Griffin

“It has not helped because now I am no longer able to go to other classes for assistance. It is a hindrance instead of helpful and I really wish it was the old way and not the new way.” -sophomore Bella Ingrassia

IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE TO KNIGHT TIME

Students are left without resources due to the new Knight Time system

On Behalf of the Editorial Board yourfhn@FHNtoday.com

It feels as if the rules have been set back five years. In years past, Knight Time was 40 minutes long and students were allowed to travel if they were given a pass. Then, there were two KTs a week with pass-allowed travel. Now, we have one 35-minute long KT in which no travel is allowed unless you are requested by a department’s Intervention leader. Teachers are required to conference with students about grades, and community building is no longer a goal of KT.

With all of these changes, a clear goal is hard to pin-point. In a student survey, 93% of 10th-12th grade students responded that they did not think that this version of KT is an improvement from years prior. Students cite a variety of reasons for this, from not being able to participate in clubs, easily make-up tests or missing assignments and generally just not finding the time beneficial.

Club Participation

Many students at FHN choose to participate in clubs for both personal enjoyment and future opportunities. However, since the change in KT, some

students have found that they are not able to participate in the clubs that they want to. This is due to a variety of reasons from sports taking place after school, inconvenient meeting times and a lack of personal transportation before and after school hours. While 20% of students surveyed said they were able to participate in all of the same clubs and extracurriculars as before, a staggering 50% of respondents said they were not under the new KT restrictions. Having half of the student body not being able to participate in the clubs that they desire is a clear indication that something needs to change. Clubs are a huge opportunity for student growth, student connection to the school and student opportunities for scholarships and other monetary benefits down the road.

Academic Intervention

In years prior, if students were given a pass from a teacher on a travel KT day, they were able to go to a classroom to complete work or finish projects. Of students who have tried to get help in classes during the updated KT system this year, only 10% of students say they have been able to help get the help they needed during KT. This

new set of rules makes it harder for students already struggling to get the help they need. Oftentimes missing assignments and tests go unnoticed by teachers as they have hundreds of other students to worry about, leading to students not being able to make up work in the time allotted at school, forcing them to do it at home. For other classes, like digital art and woodworking, many students don’t have access to the tools required at home, making that option impossible.

The Solution

Taking parts of the system in place in years past, but also keeping some regulations in place we currently have in order to keep organization is key. Students who are in good academic standings as in all A’s and B’s should be able to travel and meet. Students would be able to meet as groups allowing them to collaborate on school assignments and projects. The students allowed to travel would meet in the commons to ensure a central meeting spot so that regardless of what KT classroom a student is in they are able to cooperate with peers. The people who are supervising the commons during KT would hold the ability to revoke the privilege to travel to the commons if students are disruptive or tardy.

ARE STUDENTS ABLE TO TRAVEL WHEN NEEDED?

50.9% North students responded “I haven’t needed to try.”

12.3% responded “I have tried but was unable to go when needed.”

27.1% of FHN students responded “No.” 9.7% of FHN students responded “Yes.”

NORTH STAR

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