North Star by North Star

FHNTODAY.COM - FRANCIS HOWELL NORTH HIGH SCHOOL - 2549 HACKMANN RD. ST. CHARLES, MO

Ready

for the year?

september 8, 2010 volume 25 issue 2

NORTHSTAR

2549 Hackmann Road St. Charles, MO. 63303 Distributed for free to FHN by the North Star staff. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Providing an open forum for Francis Howell North since 1986.â&#x20AC;?

03 NEWS A new science department is being added to the school; four upper level science labs are being built within the year.

14 FEATURES Seniors Isiah Glenn, Brandis Moody, and Samantha Schambach use Facebook to start business to sell their handmade jewelry.

22 SPORTS After being the youngest players on the girls Varsity softball team for years, Brandi Kiel and Ami Francis lead the team as upperclassmen.

27 OPINIONS Logan Ponche sends a warning out to all guys at North regarding the dangers that come from wearing silly bands.

FHNTODAY.COM The newest feature to the website is the blog section that will be updated every week about various subjects and events.

COVER The condition of the FHN football field has been deteriorating since last year. Francis Howell High has turf fields, whereas FHN needs parent volunteers to better the condition of the grass.

FHNTODAY.COM page by nick bussell

Over the summer and up to the first football and soccer games, the football field has looked worse than normal, due to years of constant activity being done on the field. While other schools in the district are getting manicured lawns and turf fields, FHN’s sits in utter disarray by comparison. On the left is a side by side view of FHN’s (left) field and FHC’s (right). (photo illustration by Nicole Thomspon)

North struggles with an unprepared football field sara jewson

ust one year ago, the field, which is now dark with mud spots had a uniform look of precisely cut grass and solid white lines waiting to get stampeded across by the football or soccer team. Over the summer, the field was seeded with Rye Grass, which has trouble growing in wet and hot weather. Since then, maintenance crews have had trouble remedying the situation. “[We need] Bermuda grass which is hot season grass,” Janes said. “We need to realize it will grow through June, July and August.” A lot of North supporters are putting in their time to help with this situation. Varsity football player Jordan Jacob’s father, Don Jacobs, and other parents are trying to help fix the grass on the field. “As far as the fields are concerned,” Jacobs says, “Although it got off to a slow start, it looks a lot better and it’s getting in shape.” While the improvements are still being made to the field, some of the athletes feel the field will affect their season more differently than last year. “I think the field looks awful,” senior Andrew Richart said. “It hasn’t really affected the practices, but during games no one will be able to stay on their feet because of the mud and the ball will be slippery.”

page by aurora blanchard

FHNTODAY.COM 01

The changes in the economy will not only affect North but it will also affect the whole disrtict. From the raise in lunch prices to the loss of jobs, North is taking a big hit from this downfall. But with the new changes, North hopes to get further ahead then to take a step back. (kelsey bell)

Economy takes a toll on school district shannon ward, sam dulaney & nick ponche

The economy has effected the school whether students have realized it or not. There have been many changes in the school budget and the lunch prices. “The necessities are still being provided by the district,” Dr. Jones said. “They don’t have the budget to replace items within the school.” The school board is thinking of different ways they can save money such as the new calender proposal. This will save the schools nearly a million dollars because the buses will all be running at the same time. The district is trying to manage their money more efficiently by using old supplies, such as books, desks and computers as long as possible to prevent budget cuts and loss of teachers. “It was difficult to lose good teachers like we did,” Dr. Jones said. “It means that more cuts could be coming so I’m concerned for the future.” DISTRICT CALENDAR CHANGES. With the departure of one superintendent, Renee Schuster last year, the new administration has since inherited one of the more controversial issues the school district has been faced with in years. Changing the school calendar in hopes of saving nearly a million dollars in bus costs for students. “I honestly think that we came up with a good compromise,” new superintendent Pam Sloan said. “ But I don’t like how it will disrupt the culture.” As opposed to the year round schedule that FHSD elementary schools have been operating with for years, and the secondary schools using the standard calendar, the new proposal has a middle ground where less busing will be needed, thus cutting down on district spending. LUNCH PRICES INCREASE. As sophomore Jake Tecklen-

NEWS page by chelsey damalas

berg punched his ID number into the lunch cash register for the first time this school year, the number he saw come up under “Amount Due” both shocked and upset him. Instead of seeing the expected $1.95 from the same time a year ago, he saw that the price of his meal had risen to $2.00. This raise in prices has changed the way Tecklenberg and many other regular lunch buyers view the lunch system at FHN. “I am actually considering bringing lunch on some days so my parents don’t have to pay as much money,” Tecklenberg said. According to School Board President Mike Sommer, however, such measures will not have to be taken. The price raise ($.05 for regular meals, $.10-.15 for deli and other specialties) will amount to paying an extra $8.70 throughout the course of the year for an everyday buyer. The increase in food prices was designed by the board to keep the cafeterias fully operating without the use of tax dollars. “No one is particularly happy about the price raise,” FHSD food service manager Karin Mann said. “We’re not happy to enforce it, but no one wants to get rid of lunch options either.” Without the price increase, the FHSD schools would have been forced to remove the most expensive and the most unhealthy lunch items in order to keep the cafeterias self- sufficient. Meals would become more basic, and popular options such as the salad and deli bars would be taken away. For this reason, some students have accepted the price raise. “If raising prices is 100% necessary then I say go for it, but I’m still not too happy about it,” senior Ben Phelps said.

Superintendent Pam Sloan. “We are facing a revenue shortfall. It is a question of having this or having that.”

UPCOMING

EVENTS deca

The first field trip of the year will be taken place on Sept. 20, students will be participating in a practice role play. Afterwards they will be going to Incredible Pizza for the rest of the day.

stuco

H o m e r o o m meeting the morning of Sept. 8 in the Auditorim. Spirit week is coming up on Sept. 27- Oct 1. Get ready to start planning your ideas once the themes of each day have been posted.

drama

Recently casted for their new play, Calamityville Terror. Practices are being held up until the event which is now the from Oct. 28,29 and 30. For more information see Mr. Tandler in room 57.

koe

PowderPuff game on Sept. 29. Girls that are participating don’t forget to go to the practices being held Sept. 16, 21 and 23. Also the School Store will be opening back up on the week of Sept. 13. Go to room 130 for more info.

Four new science classrooms are being built in the back of the school next to the Art rooms. A history room had to be removed in order for the science rooms to be built. The construction started on May 21 and doesn’t plan on being finished untill next school year, August 2011. (Kelsey Habighorst)

Construction for new science labs nick bussel

It’s happening right under the student’s noses. As the people of FHN go through their busy days, construction is being done on the new science labs. Four science teachers will be given bigger, safer, brand new rooms. The rooms for the upper level science courses such as chemistry and biology are not standard size; right now they’re about the size of a middle school science room. According to sophomore Anne Wheeler, a student in one of the chemistry classes, feels that right now classes are very crowded. “[The benifits for the new science labs are that there will be] more space for more labs,” Wheeler said. A $79 million bond was passed for the Francis Howell School District, of that, $3.5 million has gone towards this new construction. “Our society is placing more emphasis on math, science, and engineering,” chemistry teacher Karen Hill said.

So far, construction is on schedule. A underground utility cut-over was performed, which means the workers dug five feet down and did soil remediation.This will prevent the new addition from sinking. As part of the addition, a new sprinkler system was installed, covering 90% of the school. The little white plates that are scattered around the school are parts of that system. A new restroom is also being built, which will be convenient for students in that area. In the next couple of weeks the steel for the structure will be coming in. Those teachers that are getting the new rooms will have more space, and their own storage room. With the addition, students will be able to do experiments in a safer environment. Lower level classes like physical science will get to move into the old lab rooms, which will provide them with more space as well. “The trickle down effect will be good for everyone,” Hill said. “Everyone will get a upgrade.”

page by chelsey damalas

FHNTODAY.COM

Band gains members for first time in 4 years scott jones

Senior Christian Aberastury pushes a cart full of recycle bins off the elevator. Aberastury is one of many in a class Work Experience, and everyday during 5th hour they go out and collect the recycle bins around FHN.(jessica streiler)

This year marching band has more members than previous years, creating a new level of expectations for the band. “I believe that this group will reach their full potential where most have not,” band director Jeff Moorman said. Marching band’s member count has increased from last year’s 86 to this year’s 88. This is the first time in four years that the band has seen any increase in members. According to Moorman, this increase has resulted in many of the band members becoming distracted. “At times there can be a lack of focus,” senior tuba player Sam Dalton said. “Because there are so many students and only a handful of directors, it can be hard for them to keep control.” Dalton believes the rise is because middle school teachers are pushing band more. Some members claim that the increase in band members has improved moral and hope that the band will expand even more next year. “I’m hoping that the band will grow next year,” drum major Aaron Johnson said. “I’m pretty sure it will.”

Instead of reducing, recycling program expands katy toebben

pproximately 15 years ago, the recycling program started at North. When it started in 1996, only paper, plastics and bottles were collected. Now, the program has expanded to include the collection of paper, plastics, bottles, clothing, ink cartridges and cell phones. By recycling these items North comes back with a small profit, the ink gets refilled, the clothing reused and the trash reduced. “We have to mail cell phones and ink cartridges- you can take those to the office- and paper goes out onto the lot by the library,” recycling leader Robin Yuede said.

The district just recently expanded recycling to cell phones, ink cartridges and clothing. Now that the district has expanded to those items, there is a separate bin other than the standard ones used for the paper. Many teachers like the idea of North being a green school and recycling all of the items that are used by students and teachers that used to be casually thrown away. “I think we were green before green was fashionable,” Yuede said. Diane Fingers is one of many teachers who find recycling at home to be important. She

even buys green products every now and again. Fingers encourages recycling to her students and in her home life. Her and her family recycle paper, plastics, cardboard and tin. Many teachers don’t even think about recycling anymore. “It’s a habit now,” Fingers said. Our school has been recycling for over 15 years now and by expanding what can be recycled its opening new opportunities for our school to be environmentally friendly. It sets a example for students and their families to be environmentally conscience.

such as Propel, Sobe, and Mega Sport. Do you VENDING MACHINES SWITCH OVER beverages think these are an improvement from last year?

The vending machines outside of the cafeteria now carry

Craig Pruess, 12 “Yes, they’re newer. It gives more selections to the students. I’m glad we got them.”

04 NEWS page by nick ponche

Kaylin Shinault, 11 “Yeah, I think now people use them”

Alyssia Luque, 10 “No, I think we should just have soda.”

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Sloan works seasonal job driving ice cream truck sidney shelton

t’s a hot afternoon but it’s even hotter in the ice cream truck that senior Brett Sloan is driving. Kids in a local neighborhood run outside because they hear the repetitive songs of the truck around the corner. They rush to the truck and hand over crinkled dollar bills in exchange for their favorite ice cream. For two and a half years Brett has helped deliver ice cream throughout the St. Louis area for Frosty Treats. “A lot of the people down there [Frosty Treats] are really nice,” Brett said. “[I like] getting to see the kids’ faces when I get them their ice cream.” Before Brett drove the truck, he loaded them and prepared them for other drivers. Over the summer Brett drove from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. nearly everyday. This was an ideal schedule for Brett because he played baseball afterwards. “I think it’s a great job for him,” Brett’s father Greg Sloan said. “It’s taught him to punctual, on time, and taught him to work for a boss and that’s a good skill for every one to learn.” Frosty Treats has been part of the Sloan family for over 30 years. Greg was a manager, his older brother worked there and Brett grew up around the ice cream trucks. But the connections to the company didn’t help him get the job. “It was a family business for us, but for the time Brett worked there I wasn’t there,” Greg said. “This family has been in the ice cream business for twenty-five years, but he got the job on his own.” Because both Brett’s father and brother had worked at Frosty Treats before him, Brett felt the pressure to work hard at his job. “Yeah I had a lot to like live up to because my brother was always a really hard worker and my dad was the manager for like 30 years,” Brett said. Over the summer temperatures reached the high 90s and into the 100s but Brett still drove the ice cream truck. “[The worst thing is] the heat because most of the trucks don’t have air conditioning,” Brett said. “Most people think it would be cool because of the big freezer but you can’t really get in there.” On top of the heat Brett listened to the same songs playing over and over again blasting from the speakers announcing the sale of ice cream where ever he went. “Yeah [the same songs playing over and over again get annoying],” Brett said. “They have different songs, but they only have a few good ones and everyone knows that’s the ‘Hello’ one.” There were two months of summer and for his first time driving the ice cream tuck Brett worked 20 hours a week. “He’s a very hard worker,” Jan said.” He gets in, people tell him what to do and he does it.”

06 FEATURES page by abbey grone

“It’s a lot of fun.”

Sloan leans up against his truck during a break in his route.“I really like my job because it’s a lot of fun,” Sloan said. (kelsey habighorst)

page by abbey grone

FHNTODAY.COM 07

The rear-view mirror reflects the image of Brettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s truck. This mirror is specifically made for all Frosty Treats trucks that extends farther out to the side of the truck than normal rear-view mirrors. This helps him to watch out for kids as he drives. (kelsey habighorst)

Senior Brett Sloan helps the neighborhood kids choose what kind of ice cream they want. The little boy chose Iron Man and the girl got a Shrek ice cream bar. Sloanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite kind ice cream is the Snickers bar. (kelsey habighorst)

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Voyles crosses the globe, finds a temporary home in France elizabeth diggs

The view out Darin’s plane window on the ride to France. (photo submitted)

Charles Granger and senior Darin Voyles stand in front of the Chambord Castle in Loire Valley, France. (photo submitted)

12 FEATURES page by abbey grone & sam dulaney

enior Darin Voyles looked out the window of the airplane and began to write an entry in a journal he kept throughout a trip that he took to France. “The sunrise from the plane is the most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen. It’s a perfect rainbow. It starts ruby red and shades to a dark blue. Only a few more hours.” A few hours after this entry, Darin landed in Paris to start a 15-day-long trip for a foreign exchange program in France. The program was through his father’s work, American Airlines. His mother discovered the exchange program while going through a business e-mail and clicked on a link at the bottom. This link eventually sent Darin 4,394 miles away from St. Charles to live with a family in France for more than two weeks. According to Voyles, it was the opportunity of a lifetime. Darin stayed in France with the Granger family from July 21 to August 1. The Grangers reside in a town near Orléans, which is about 81 miles southwest of Paris. As with any other exchange program, Charles Granger, age 17, came to the United States and spent two weeks with the Voyles family. Darin did not really know what to expect from the family before leaving for France. ”I didn’t really have any major expectations,” Darin said. “I was hoping for good food.” The language barrier was one of the major conflicts for Darin while in France. Although he claims that a person could pick up the French language fairly quickly through body language and focusing intently on what is being discussed, Darin was still grateful ofor the seven years of English classes Charles and his friends had been through. “I knew the language barrier would be difficult,” Darin said. “French I only gets you the basics.” Darin’s father, Larry Voyles works for American Airlines and encouraged Darin’s travel plans. “I was a little worried before we knew too much about [the trip], but after, I was relaxed because I knew he would be fine,” Larry said. “He knows how to get back if he needs to.” While in France, Darin participated in activities that he had not done before. Whether it was riding dirt bikes with the Granger family or exploring the extravagant castles with unique architectural designs, they were busy every day of the trip. Darin learned how to make Crêpes (very thin pancakes that can be filled with sugar and fruits or meats and cheeses) with Charles’ mother, Sophie. He also got the opportunity to go horseback riding. “My favorite [part] was galloping through the forest,” Darin’s journal says. “I was terrified and completely comfortable. It was like riding on the back of a street bike doing 100 [miles an hour] because all I had to do was hold on and enjoy every second.”

Watson expands family with child from Russia morgan may

n January, American Government teacher Matt Watson and his wife Keli had a choice to make. They were ready to expand their family. They began to evaluate their options. Matt and Keli liked the idea of an addition of two more little feet and 10 more little toes to the family. They contacted the Small World Adoption Foundation for more information on how to go about adopting a child. “We decided adoption was the best option for us,” Keli said. “And international adoption is quicker. Also in Russia they have the youngest children that are up for adoption. The process of adopting was very stressful on Matt and Keli. For three months they had to go through endless paper work, countless interviews and extensive FBI background checks. Although 3 months seemed like a long time, when it comes to adopting a child it can sometimes take up to six years. “It only took 3 months which is very fast,” Keli said. “We actually set a record in our agency for the fastest complete adoption.” The paper work that they had to fill out had many different types of questions that asked about their childhood and their current lifestyle. Despite the questions, Matt and Keli felt they had nothing to worry about. “There are many things throughout the process that we

Mr. Watson holds his new son Lincoln on the football field after the varsity game on Aug. 27. Wife Keri and Watson are very excited about their new addition to the family. (sam hurrell). (sam hurrell)

don’t understand,” Keli said. “But in the end it results in this child. Before they had the chance to meet, or let alone see a picture of any children, Keli recieved a call at work from the agency. They told her they had a boy named Evginey from Russia who was under 18 months old and that she and Matt had 24 hours to make a decision before they moved on to the next family.They were traveling blind. They jumped at the opportunity and went with their gut feeling. “Overall it took two trips to get there and mountains of paper work,“ Matt said. Keli and Matt visited the boy at the orphanage almost everyday from June 12-19. There they met 11-month-old Lincoln Steven Watson, as they would later name him. “He was all smiles,” Keli said. “It was actually a weird experience. We Americans respect our alone time, that doesn’t happen there. We couldn’t believe this was it, it felt like just another visit.” They agree that all the stress was worth it and they would definitely do it again. It has now been 2 months since Lincoln came home and has been doing wonderfully since. He has even bonded with Cesar, the family dog. “Although he loves his mommy, he is definitely a daddy’s boy all the way,” Keli said. “We love being ‘Mom and Dad’.”

page by sidney shelton

FHNTODAY.COM 13

n t .S.

Seniors start creative bracelet business

morgan carlson

acebook has made its name as a social networking site where old friends can reconnect and new friends can be made. However, that isn’t what seniors Isiah Glenn, Brandis Moody and Samantha Schambach use it for. They have started Knot B.S., their own business where they sell handmade jewelry. “We sell all kinds of jewelry,” Glenn said. “[We do] hemp, friendship bracelets and pop tab bracelets. We’re going to start selling tie-dye shirts.” Knot B.S. was started in mid-summer when Moody and Schambach saw a business opportunity. Originally they made jewelry as a hobby, but FHNTOday. com after getting quesGo to FHNtoday.com for links to Knot B.S. tions on where to website and to their facebook fan page get their jewelry, where you can purchase your own bracelet. they decided to sell what they made. Shortly after the business was formed, Glenn joined the team. “Knot B.S. is run by myself, Samantha Schambach, and Isiah Glenn,” Moody said. ”We basically share the work evenly although some of us will lean towards a specific media.” The jewelry is made from hemp, embroidery floss, and

soda tabs. The soda tabs are braided with a colored cord, and the hemp is bought from Michaels in a variety of colors including brown and regular hemp. They use these materials to craft necklaces and bracelets upon the buyers request. So far they have sold around 20 bracelets and 5 necklaces. The three decided to use Facebook to sell their product because most of the people they knew had an account, and it was the easiest way to reach customers without having to pay a fee. Glenn, Schambach, and Moody have also been getting sales from their new website knotbs.weebly.com. “I would recommend using [knotbs.weebly.com] over our Facebook page,” Moody said. “The ordering process on Weebly is much simpler.” In the future, the three hope that Knot B.S. will not only be a hobby and a Facebook business, but a serious job. “I think it would be a good rewarding job,” Glenn said. “It is something that all [of] the owners like to do in our free time. It’s something we could do as a group and not each go to individual jobs. The bracelet making is fun, but the tie-dye is something we all do together and through that we become better friends.”

Above: Seniors Isiah Glenn, Brandis Moody, and Sam Schambach started a business called Knot B.S. This is a business that makes and sells their own bracelets. (nicole thompson) Left: Knot-BS makes three types of bracelets, soda tab, friendship, and hemp. They make many different styles, colors, and designs for all their bracelets. (nicole thompson)

CHECK OUT SOME OF THEIR STUFF

The prices vary depending on complexity. Order your own bracelet on the Knot B.S. website.

14 FEATURES

page by emily forst

Friendship bracelets: $2-8

Hemp bracelets: $2-5 Hemp necklaces: $5-10

Pop-tab bracelets: $5

TheMost Cup’s Popular

Employee KT Hill helps a customer choose a cupcake. The Cup has been open since 2007 and offers a variety of cupcakes like Red Velvet and Grasshopper. (kaitlyn williams)

Fun and happiness fills The Cup taylor berra

t the age of 12, Ericka Frank fell in love with sweets. Not eating them- decorating them. Her neighbor used to bake cakes and cookies, and would allow her to come over and help decorate and frost the treats. “I thought it was the coolest thing ever,” Frank said. “It was sort of a passion for me.” After realizing her love for food, Frank decided to attend St. Louis University to receive her masters degree in medical dietetics and her undergraduate in nutrition. While her major was all about informing people on how to eat healthy, she decided that cupcakes made people, and herself, happier. “Telling people to eat healthy was not really what I was created for,” Frank said. “I was made for the beauty and decorative side of baking. I love to bake. Cooking, on the other hand, is not my thing.” Moving forward with her dream, Frank decided to open her own bakery designed specifically for cupcakes. The Cup, which currently has two locations in Missouri, one in Illinois,

and one in Tennessee embodies a fun and happy environment. It flows throughout the tiny store, from the decorations all the way to the workers, and makes its way into the delectable treats inside. “I have a passion for making cupcakes really,” Froster Lauren Kupsch said. “It’s my dream job and it is such a cute location with friendly people and I enjoy working here.” According to baker Jeremiah Wedding the secret to making such delicious treats is that each cupcake is made with pure love. Each customer walks out of the store with a smile on their FHNTOday. com face, in love with For more information about The Cup and all of its products please visit the treat they just www.cravethecup.com ate. “I love making people something that makes them happy,” Froster Kt Hill said. “If someone is having a bad day they can come in and get a cupcake and it just makes their day better.” page by olivia ong

FHNTODAY.COM 15

Willott recieves Presidential award in teaching mathematics christy maupin

or some teachers it is only a dream. For Steve Willott it has become a reality. On June 7 Willott, who teaches Advanced Placement Statistics and Calculus, was recognized as being one of the top 103 teachers in the nation. He received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) earlier this summer. This prestigious award is given only to two teachers (one for math and one for science) in each state across the country. When Willott was notified that he had won he could only react with disbelief. In the history of Francis Howell North there has only been one other winner of this award: Paula Young, a science teacher at the time. Young won in 2005, and was actually the person who nominated Willott for the PAEMST award. “I nominated him because he helped mentor me when I was trying to get my National Board Certification, he really helped me, and I thought it would be nice to return the favor,” Young said. “He is very deserving, and I’m glad he’s carrying on the tradition for North.” Along with winning this award Willott will receive a certificate from President Obama, National Science Foundation, $10,000 award and an all expense paid trip to Washington D.C. for him and his wife where he will attend various award ceremonies including a Congressional meeting and meetings with other science agency leaders. “It will be cool to meet the President, and I’m pretty excited to get to talk to people in D.C.,” Willott said. “The presidential award is an amazing honor for something I love to do--teach.”

Steve Willott stands in front of his Calculus class to teach. He teaches only Advance Placement classes. (abbey grone)

page by morgan may

FHNTODAY.COM 17

Senior Sam Bowden and other boat racer Joe Warren stands and receives their awards at in the Evansville competition in June. Sam has been building boats with his dad since he was three. (photo submitted)

Bowden shares hobby building boats with dad nick bussell

e started racing boats at the age of three, and at the age of nine he became the youngest person to ever win Nationals. This is Sam Bowden. He builds and races model boats. “I enjoy doing it, it’s easy to me,” Sam Bowden said. His dad inspired him to work with boats, and now it’s an interest they both share. They belong to the International Model Power Boat Association (IMPBA). Sam’s dad has been racing for 27 years, and has won Nationals once. Nationals consists of a 7 day race in July that over 500 people participate in. Each race consists of 6 laps. Nationals are usually in a difference placethis year it was in Ohio.

16 FEATURES page by abbey grone

“I enjoy working on them and driving them,” Ray Bowden, Sam’s dad, said. “Its a passion to me, I’ve devoted a lot of time and money into this.” These boats can get up to 100mph, but there’s a high price to pay for that kind of speed. The boat itself can cost anywhere from $200-$1500 and there are three types of boats to choose from: Mono, Hydro, and Tunnel. A motor would cost $200-$800. After getting that out of the way the fuel is about $30 per gallon. “Hydros are the best because they are the fastest, and I feel that I do a lot better when I race those,” Sam said. Sam and his dad travel a lot for these races. They go to Indiana, Iowa, Georgia and other places. Ray’s favorite race is in

Evansville, Indiana. “There is a lot of good competition, and it is in a good location,” Ray said. Right now Sam and his dad are in the process of preparing for the Evansville race. It will be Sep 25-26. “I have been going to Evansville since I was six, that’s where I ran my first boat,” Sam said. “The atmosphere there is just good because there is so much competition and everyone is just trying to have a good time,” Sam said. Not only do they spend a lot of time just traveling to competitions, but they also spend much time preparing the boats for races. They also make their own fuel. They buy alcohol, pure nitro methane and oil. The fuel is 20% oil, 20-30% alco-

hol, and 60% pure nitro methane. The process may be complicated, but Sam has enough experience to do it. “It’s just something that is very complicated to deal with,” Sam said. Sam’s dad was introduced to the sport by a friend when he was growing up, then he was able to share it with Sam. Now it’s a huge part of both their lives, and they can do it together. It could take them two months to a year to build a boat, so they have to have a lot of patience. “It’s something that brings me and my son closer,” Ray said.

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Grone, Schroer rivalry strengthens team lindsey harms

Seniors Ellyn Yarde and Hope Mares practice on Aug. 25 to prepare for their match against Troy. This year the girls Tennis team wants to bond more and do well in their matches. (kaitlyn williams)

For many, competition fuels a drive to win. It inspires others to do better. This year, the competition in girls cross country has reached a new high. This rivalry is concentrated between senior Coleen Grone and junior Brianna Schroer. “I don’t feel like we compete against each other as much as we both work together to beat the competition, sure we tend to race in practice and always want to come in first, but I think it makes us stronger and want to work harder together so we can do well in the season and make it to state,” junior Brianna Schroer said. “I think they have a healthy competition between them,” coach Beth Phillips said. “They push each other and work together to improve” Both Schroer and Grone plan on placing high in the Conference, District and Sectional meets, but their number one goal is to make it to State. “I’m hoping to come out and destroy the competition,” Grone said. Not only do these runners compete with each other to improve, but they push younger runners to work hard as well. Grone and Schroer focus on being role models, even though competition is a major focus of their career as runners. “They have come together really nicely,” Phillips said. “Everyone has really acted like a team, so it’s a nice team atmosphere.”

Girls help each other adapt to new team format nicole renner

The Varsity girls Tennis team underwent major changes due to a conference decision to change the format of the team. “I think it was a good change for the most part,” coach Kellie Voyles said. “It was tough to start out and definitely a challenging change, but the girls are adapting well.” Originally the team consisted of four singles and three doubles with a total of 10 girls on Varsity. With this year’s change there are now six

singles and three doubles with a total of eight girls on Varsity. In addition to the Varsity changes to the format, the JV team now consists of two singles players and two doubles teams. One of the perks of the new format is that the JV team is now in the running for a spot in the GAC tournament. “It was definitely time to step up our game with this new format,” senior Briona Perry said. “I do feel like we have pulled together as a team to pull off this transition.” Even with such a difficult switch, the team went on to win their first match against Fort Zum-

NEW FOOTBALL GEAR

walt North with a overall team score of 7-0. Most players walked off the court with a sense of accomplishment knowing that all of their hard work during practices paid off. “I have a good feeling about this season,” Voyles said. “We have a great group of leaders. They really are taking on the new change and helping each other with the transition. Not only are they focused on their own players but they’re also reaching out to the JV and freshmen to create a solid team.”

The Varsity football team got new uniforms this year. Here is what some of the players are saying about them

“I love [the new helmets]. I love the way they look and feel on your head.”

“It’s actually good that they’re tight because the other team can’t grab them as easily.”

“They’re really tight, but comfortable. They form to your body.”

Senior Dan McGraw, number 67, right tackle

Senior Allen Davis, number 8, Wide Receiver/ Corner

Junior Jake Hurell, number 73, Wide Receiver/ Corner

SPORTS page by abby west

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY sam dulaney

Senior Kelsey Warden and fellow junior team mates cheer on the Varsity Volleyball team during their game agaisnt Duchesne on August 31. With two intense games, the Knights left their home gym with a victory of 25-21 and 27-25. They’re hoping to do as well as last year by winning districts and going on to sectionals. (erin d’amico)

Varsity spikes into high gear

Cross country will be competing this Saturday in the Forest Park Cross Country Festival 7:30. The run is over a two km loop of flat terrain and hills. Boys will compete in the two, three and four km races. The area the athletes will be running has varied slightly from past years. Major changes from past years include starting from the middle of the field rather than one end, and changing the ending to a straight shot which will be more beneficial for fans and athletes both. “[Our team strengths are] entusiasm,” coach Sean Fowler said. “There’s no complaining, just hard work.”

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This past season, the Varsity girls Volleyball team claimed the title of District Champions. Most teams would be satisfied with a 11-5 record and making it to sectionals; however, this only made the team determined to work harder. “We played incredibly hard and played at the best of our ability,” junior Erin Powelson said. “With all of the training and team strength we have built, it is sure to be another intense match this year.” Over summer the girls stepped it up to improve for this year. While friends were outside swimming, these girls were inside a sticky gym, training hard. As a team they attended a Lindenwood camp, two Licking Volleyball Camps, and the school camp. “The camps got me physically and emotionally ready for the season,” junior Maggie Curran said. ”They pushed me to do my best.” Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning they had a two hour workout and open gym session. The girls believe that with all this training, they will have a very successful season ahead of them. “We’ve been practicing a lot over the summer and since the school year has started,” junior Katie Dozier said. “The more you practice the better you’ll be.” The team believes that they’re ready for this challenging season and have done everything they can to prepare. The next home game will be played on Sept. 16. “They are working hard everyday,” coach Robin Yuede said. “Every game is a challenge, we do not take any team for granted.”

Wells Dr

FINISH

AR ST

With more members, swimmers set high goals amanda cornett

After gaining four new members this season, the boys swim team has set their hopes on achieving higher team scores and more swimmers in competitions. This year, coaches Steve Kelly and Chip Crow were hoping for the turn-out that they received, and now the team can shoot for higher goals throughout the season, such as qualifying for State. “Our big goal is to get a relay to state,” Crow said. “We think we will get at least three individual events and hope to get the relay to go along with it.” The team has set some goals as a whole, such as working on times. But the individual swimmers have set their own goals that they wish to accomplish this season as well.

“My biggest goal is to win State in both of my events- the 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke,” senior Nate Wiess said. Wiess has been on the team since he was a freshman. According to Kelly and Crow he is one of the stronger swimmers on the team. The coaches are hoping to make all of their swimmers stronger by addressing areas in which they see problems, such as improving on strokes and speed. “I would say our biggest area we are trying to work on is being able to swim a variety of events,” Kelly said. “And of course go faster.” After the boys first meet, against Fort Zumwalt, one of these goals was accomplished by junior Patrick Fountain. He was the first swimmer to qualify for state, qualifying in the 100 yard breast stroke. page by taylor berra

FHNTODAY.COM 21

Golf team tees off with a new coach jaxon nagel

Sophomore Julia Brady putts the ball in the hole while sophomore Sarah Creeley encourages her on Aug. 26. The Lady Knights play their next match this Thursday against Duchesne at home. (lydia ness)

The Lady Knights Golf team begins this season with a new coach, Matthew Riffee. Riffe, who in previous years has coached baseball and basketball, took the job to keep the program alive. “The position was open and they didn’t have a coach,” Riffee said. “I was worried they wouldn’t have a team. I took the job to help out the girls,” The five girls on the team are excited about their new coach and what he brings to the table. “I think it gave us a new opportunity to bond as a team and set new goals,” sophomore Sarah Creeley said. Riffe helps the girls understand the mental aspect of the game, but wishes he could help im-

prove their swing. “The hardest part [about coaching the girls] is not knowing as much about swing mechanics as I want to,” Riffe said. Last year’s team had 11 girls and only five returned. Although the team lost six golfers, it has not effected their attitude toward the team. It has improved it. “I like how enthusiastic the girls are about winning,” Riffee said. “I love the small team interaction,” For this season, the team has set high expectations for themselves based on what they believe they can achieve. “[My goal] is to make it to state,” Creeley said. “Just to get my name out there and prove what hard work can do for you.”

UPCOMING

EVENTS

The fall sports season is in full swing. Here are a few of the games coming up.

Softball Junior, Megan Burleigh hits a single in the Varsity game against Fort Zumwalt South. Last year the Varsity Softball team had an overall record of 13-12. (brandon neer)

Francis, Kiel support younger players lauren ochs

ry-outs came and went for Varsity Softball, and finally for juniors Ami Francis and Brandi Kiel, they are no longer the youngest players on the team. Francis and Kiel have been on Varsity Softball since their freshman year, back in the 2008 season. After being the youngest girls on the team for the past two years, they finally feel the advantages

22 SPORTS page by christy maupin

of being upperclassmen. This year the softball has a set of two new freshman. Paige Pauley who plays right field, and Jessica Moceri who plays 2nd base. Knowing how it feels, Francis tries to help the freshmen feel as comfortable as possible. Pauley feels that Francis and Kiel understand her best because they know how tough it is to be the youngest player on the team. Francis wants to become

an influence on the freshmen as Sarah Henke was to her during her freshmen year. “The hardest part about being on Varsity is that I want to be just as good as the older girls” Pauley said. In the past two years, there haven’t been as many significant changes, aside from the loss and addition of players. The team still plans to have a great season and have a lot of bonding time.

9/9/10

Tennis 9/9/10

boys Soccer 9/14/10

Football 9/17/10

Varsity softball takes on Warrenton high school at Warrenton at 4:15 p.m. Varsity girls tennis takes on Holt high school at 3:30 p.m. at home. JV and Varsity Boys Soccer will be playing Timberland at 4 and 6 p.m. at home. Varsity football will be playing against Fort Zumwalt South at 7 p.m. at home.

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NORTH STAR TAKE: Forms hassle rather than help

fter finding themselves $40,000 behind in fine collecment for sports. Seniors don’t get to walk at graduation until all tions last year, the administration needed to find a way to of their fines have been paid. And at that point, the one’s who recuperate the lost money. To remedy this, they presented haven’t paid are the one’s who can’t afford to. It seems unnecesthe school population with forms that were necessary in order for sary to force students to sign a form in order to go to a dance, students to buy tickets to dances. They had harsh effects on the when there are many different ways of collecting and enforcing dances in the process and the student body in the process. fines as it is. Student council, which put together the doomed snowcomEven if the administration chooses to keep the forms, there ing dance last year, is claiming more than $4,000 in are ways to keep the system more efficient. The losses and a 50 percent decline in attendance from school can distribute forms to students so that those the previous year. This meant less money for them to On behalf of the who want to go to the dance don’t have to go out spend on other events. of their way to get it filled out. Or just make them editorial staff There is no doubt the forms will have negative efmore accessible around school- down by the gym, fects on homecoming. Many students don’t want to go out of their in the commons, in the main office. The checkpoint for all fines way to get a form for the tickets, get them signed by three separate can be one person instead of three separate people. If the adminpeople and have them approved by the student council. Homeistration makes the effort to meet the student body in the middle coming is a higher profile dance, which may help to draw in more then the student body may reciprocate the cost. Students may put students to get the forms signed, but it will still have a poor effect. more effort to pay off fines. The school would regain all of its And the necessity of the forms is questionable as well. The losses and the forms would become unnecessary. Compromise administration already collects fines from parking, student activimakes everyone’s lives easier. ties and at registration. Having no outstanding fines is a require-

Students should act their age, not their shoe size morgan carlson

was at the football game a few weeks ago with a few of my friends- talking, hanging out, just having a good time. As the night went on there were several instances where people were tormenting other people at the game. When I saw all those things happen around me, I felt hurt and disappointed that people in high school were still acting immature. While we were all standing

26 OPINIONS page by scott jones

by the bleachers a little boy who couldn’t have been much older than sixth grade fell down on his way to the concession stand. All his change and his money fell all over the ground and while he was feeling embarrassed picking it all up, there were high school kids laughing at him. Whenever the boy finally got his money together and left, the people continued to laugh and talk about it. When this happened I went beyond my boiling point. It

was so upsetting to me that high school kids would be laughing about that happening to someone so much smaller. Stuff like that happens to the best of us. Later during the game, my friends and I were talking by the concession stand when there was someone eating and having a hard time. As I was talking to one of my friends I noticed that there were kids that were staring and laughing about how he was eating. This situation made me

upset more than anything. He can’t control how he eats or that he’s different. I thought people would be understanding of that fact because we’re in high school and people are generally more accepting of differences. I was obviously wrong. Personally, I try to put myself in their situation. I would hate to be judged because I’m different. Try to see things from their perspective, and maybe you’ll think twice next time.

CLEANSE chelsey damalas

Every single time I turn on the T.V. there are always companies promoting their acne cleaners, talking about how their product can clear your skin in two weeks. I personally think that in most of these cases, all that those products do is cause your skin to break out even more. Recently however, my mom came home with one of these supposedly amazing products: the Blackhead Eraser. Based on my experiences with cleaners in the past, I didn’t have high hopes for this one. But, after the first time I tried it, I have to say I was extremely impressed. Immediately after I used it, my skin felt soft and clean. I’ve been attached to this product for a couple of weeks and I have definitely noticed a major improvement in my skin.

WEAR emily forst

Recently I discovered Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear nail polish. This polish stays on for a long amount of time with only one coat. It also has a shine to it that looks as though you just came from the salon. On top of all of this, it can be found at Walgreens for only $2.50. Above all, my favorite thing about the polish is the wide array of colors that it comes in. You can get the classics: black, white and red; but also the fun colors such as neon orange, flashy yellow and magnetic purple. My personal favorite is Pacific Blue. There are colors for anybody in any mood. With all of its color choices and its quality shine, this nail polish is definitely worth the small price.

Ponche rips apart some sillybands to show that he absolutly can’t stand the fact that they exist or that people actually think that they are “cool”. (kelsey bell)

New disease spreads through school

Ponche shares ways to avoid and cure “sillybanditis” logan ponche

ttention all gentlemen of Francis Howell North! This is an official warning in regards to the exponential growth of colored bands that are currently invading our fine institution. Be warned! If caught with one around your wrist, you will instantly look (and in some cases, sound and act) like a five-year-old girl. These colored bands- or “silly bands”, to use their slang term- are brightly colored rubber bands that come in (quite literally) all shapes and sizes, and serve absolutely no purpose whatso-ever. Except to take your manhood from you. Speaking for the male population, we do not want to see this disease spread any fur-

ther than it has. Already there have been several sad cases of males catching “sillybanditis” (as it has become known) in this, the fourth week of school. Symptoms include a steadily increasing pitch of one’s voice, loss of facial and leg hair, and a rash where the band takes hold of the wrist. If sillybanditis is discovered in a male, swift action must be taken, for the disease is known to advance at an extremely rapid rate. It only takes ten minutes for it to spread to the cerebral cortex in the brain, at which point the male will decide the band is no longer “girly” but actually “cool.” By 15 minutes, it will have fully entered the nervous system and will have shot numbness to the wrist in contact with the band in order to evade any further ir-

ritation of the skin (the infected male may try to start collecting more silly bands at this time). By 20 minutes, the disease will have fully entered the bloodstream and will be all but curable from there on out. However there is still hope left. As Smokey the Bear says, “only you can prevent forest fires.” On an individual level, sillybanditis can easily be prevented if simple precautions are taken. Checking your wrists every ten to fifteen minutes is a simple maneuver that takes less than a second to do. Avoid females with silly bands on, and if caught with one, simply follow the “break, run, wash” strategy. When these simple measures are taken, any male can avoid the embarrassment that comes with sillybanditis.

page by adam rapert

FHNtoday.com 27

NORTH STAR

STAFF Editor-in-Chief: Sam Dulaney Managing Editors: Logan Ponche Kelsey Bell Editors:

Give respect, not just your order sam dulaney

n the line for the drive-thru, a million cars in front of me. The minutes tick away and my stomach growls more and more ferociously as I wait. Finally, after what seems like ages, I pull up to the window, and receive my bag. When the worker wishes me a good day, I can’t help but offer a less than respectful, “Yeah, whatever.” We have all been there once, in one position or the other. However, working in fast food as I do now, I have come to realize that customer complaints are not taken lightly. We are constantly scrambling around the kitchen, trying to make and serve everybody their custom orders. Maybe a pickle will slip through the crack when the screen clearly says no pickle. If a customer were to kindly bring that to our attention, we would happily remedy the problem. However, if someone yells and screams and throws the food back, I know I’m contemplating spitting in their food. A few weeks ago, I was working the drive-thru window. A lady ordered an eight-piece chicken basket. Her food was ready in a timely manner. A happy customer, however, she was not. She wanted extra dipping sauce. Company policy is that there is an extra charge for surplus dipping sauce. While she was yelling at my manager, I couldn’t help but look at the timer that dictates our service. Time was ticking away and cars were lining up behind her. She never did get extra dipping sauce. Instead, she annoyed the manager and everyone behind her. Customers are remembered. The good ones. Especially the bad ones. And the urge to spit in your food won’t go away. Yelling and complaining won’t help you get your food faster. So just don’t do it.

LETTERS TO THE

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• Letters must be signed by the author and verified for publication

• Letters may be submitted to room 026 or Mr. Manfull’s mailbox • Letters must include the author’s phone number and e-mail for verification • Letters should not exceed 300 words

28 OPINIONS page by adam rapert

• Letters will not be printed if content is obscene, profane, invasive of privacy, encouraging physical disruption of school, and/or implies libel • Letters may be edited for length, grammar, spelling, and content • Authors will be notified if any changes are made to the letter by the editorial staff

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The fall sports 2010 gallery holds dozens of photos, including great shots from Varsity Football’s home opener versus Timberland, JV Volleyball versus Duchesne and Varsity Soccer’s home opener versus Duchesne.

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HOME OPENERS on the field

Junior Bobby Gardner and senior Davan McClelland congratulate each other after a play. (kaitlyn williams) Junior Samm Worsley jumps out of the way while senior Zach Johnson tries to kick the ball. There are 14 seniors on the Varsity team this year and only 5 juniors. Last year the team went 17-6-1 winning Districts and sharing the GAC South title with Fort Zumwalt West. This year the team’s goal is to improve on their mark from last year. (kaitlyn williams)

Senior Willie Boville and Junior Brian Ryberg sac a Timberland player at their first home game on Aug 27. This was also the Knights first game of the season. The team played a tough game but was defeated by a score of 21-42. (kaitlyn williams)

Junior Samm Worsley fights for the ball against a Duchesne player at their home opener game on Aug 31. The Knights battled throughout the game but were barely defeated by a score of 2-1. (lydia ness) Junior Alex Bolte sprints to beat his Duchesne opponent. This is Bolte’s first year on the varsity team. And for his first varsity home game he received a concussion resulting in him not being able to practice or play for a week. The next Knights’ game will be on Sept 10 at home at 4 p.m. (lydia ness)