Vol. 41, Issue 3 by Francis Howell

spotlight Francis Howell High School Saint Charles, MO 63304 http://www.fhhstoday.com

page 3

Vol. 41, Issue 3 Jan. 18, 2012

page 7

page 6

Updates

Attendance Calendar: The Board of Education recently approved the 2012-2013 attendance calendar, which is avaliable at www. fhsdschools.org. New Websites for 2012: The district launched a new district website and school websites. Scrapbooking Cropfest: Saturday, Feb. 25, 9 a.m. –5 p.m. in the commons. $20 reserves your table/ chair for a dedicated day of cropping. Sports: Varsity football coach Bryan Koch was recently named “High School Coach of the Year” by the St. LouisPost Dispatch. Guidance: To prepare for the April 14 ACT test, guidance is offering a ACT prep class. See guidance for details. Senior Hand Prints: During English classes, Jan. 19, seniors will have an opportunity to put their handprints on the wall.

Worth Mention Howelltonian yearbook: The 2010 Howelltonian yearbook received a Crown nomination from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. This is the book’s first nomination. Awards will be presented in March at Columbia University in New York City.

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District provides e-mail Students begin to use Sky Drive accounts, notice advantages Kayla Calandro: writer Technology is taking over almost everything, including students’ daily lives. The school started out moving the morning announcements to Facebook and Twitter instead of announcing them in the morning. Now, the district is providing students with e-mails accounts. This is all part of an effort to make documents and projects that are worked on in school easily accessible at home. “It’s easier to get work done from home, and I use it for school projects a lot,” junior Emily Kohlfeld said. Before students began to use their e-mail accounts, teachers gave instructions and showed video tutorials to help students take advantage of all the tools and programs that come along with the e-mailing . “It was easy (to set up). Mrs. Robinson showed us a Atomic Learning video that helped a lot too,” Kohlfeld said. The district provided e-mail accounts that

I can get to these files anywhere, so I can get my work done.” –junior Erin Flynn come with a program called Skydrive, which is an online file source that will replace the school’s “My Documents” file source, the current location where most students save their school projects. Skydrive’s maximum 25 gigabytes of storage is a substantial amount more than the “My Documents” file source, which only has less than one gigabyte of storage. “I used it last night because I had a paper due. It’s also convenient because I can get to these files anywhere, so I can get my work done earlier,” junior Erin Flynn said. Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, and

One Note are all free programs included with this e-mail account, and all students will have access to these programs anywhere there is an internet connection. Another tool that students will be able to utilize is changing the e-mail settings on the account so that whenever a new e-mail is sent to their inbox, students will receive a text message notifying them of the e-mail. “So now a teacher, coach, or club sponsor can just e-mail students and they will receive a text message to their phone, if students have this option setup and on,” Assistant Principal Randy Carter said. Although some students find these new accounts to be very beneficial, some don’t have a need to use them. “I’m probably not going to use it, even though it is overall a good idea,” junior Kyle Kleist said.

Plan periods added to day

Board gives core department chairs extra time off Emily Aiken: writer Prior to this year, the four core department heads, English teacher Kelly Longo, math teacher Carolyn Bien, history teacher Denny Scherrer and science teacher Janet Eubanks, have always had two instructional activity periods and one planning period. But due to budget cuts, they lost their instructional activity periods and kept only one planning period. All three high school principals got together and decided to petition the district executive cabinet, asking for one of the instructional release hours for the department heads to be restored. The executive cabinet took this idea to the school board and the board approved it in November. There were four options the department heads had. “Only one of these options would

I was very excited about getting another release hour. It was invaluable to me.” –English teacher Kelly Longo be selected per department chair,” Principal Chris Greiner said. The first was to have other teachers volunteer to take over each of the department heads’ classes, giving the department head an extra release hour. That would cost the school around $9,000 per teacher, because the teacher taking the class would have to be paid one seventh of his salary. The only problem with this, Greiner said, was that not all the teachers who wanted to take up an extra class were certified in that specific area. The department chairs were also hesitant with this option. The second

option was to hire part time teachers. These teachers would take over the one class the department heads would give up for the release hour. This would cost the school money, but not so much that it would become a problem. The third option was for the department heads to have an additional stipend. The teachers could come into school and teach a class to other professionals or a class of some sort and get an extra amount of money instead of another release hour. This would cost around $2,150 per department head. The fourth and last option was to provide the

department heads a limited amount of release days during second semester. During their hours off, the school would hire substitutes to teach their class. This also wouldn’t cause a problem with money. The department heads for science, math and history chose the stipend, option three. However, the English department head chose to have a teacher volunteer to teach one of her classes, option one. “I was very excited about about getting another release hour. It was invaluable to me,” Longo said. Greiner felt the board actions were appreciated. “The department heads seemed to be appreciative of the district trying to restore the time they used to have,” Greiner said. “The way this change turns out will help us plan schedules in the future.”

Fire alarms lowered

Alarm volume adjusted over break

Olivia Beilman: writer After hearing all the complaints, district officials took action, adjusting the alarm volume over Christmas break. “Over break there was additional testing of all the fire drill annunciators (the things that makes noise),” Assistant Principal Carter said. According to chief financial officer Kevin Supple, the testing showed that the fire alarms, as installed, met the 2003 International Fire Code (IFC) sound levels, which were in effect

when the construction documents were reviewed and approved by the Cottleville Fire Department. Cottleville has since adopted the 2009 IFC, which allows for reduced sound levels. Since the lower settings meet code, Supple asked that the annunciators be adjusted to the lower setting. “The safety of students and staff has been, and continues to be, my primary concern,” Supple said.

New policy hinders school spirit

OPINION

Francis Howell High School http://www.fhhstoday.com Vol. 41, Issue 3 January 18, 2012

Let’s face it, the new campus doesn’t have as much school spirit as the old school did. The new school seems endless, bigger than ever, as if a student is walking aimlessly through big white halls to get from class to class. Yet there is a new policy that states that barely anything can be put on the walls except in the front entrance of the school. This has stifled school spirit. School spirit this year has been at an all time low. Lack of school spirit can lead to many problems, but mainly anxiety. According to the book, The Code: The Five Secrets of Teen Success, students who lack school spirit have a tougher time dealing with school because they feel that they have no one to talk to. Thankfully, Howell has many extracurricular activities to keep students involved and their school spirit up. These build school spirit, and sport teams, cheerleading, school band, school newspaper, school choir are just to name a few activities available. These clubs can help with the lack of school spirit and anxiety some students face. The school could also participate in National School Spirit Day, which originated in Santa Monica, CA, by Varsity Brands. This a day when cheerleaders help their community and school by cleaning school buses, giving food to organizations, and helping donate to charities. To make the day even better, the whole student body could help the community, the school and get in the spirit. Staff Editorial

Purpose

“Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...” ––The First Amendment The Francis Howell Spotlight is the official student newspaper at Francis Howell High School. The Spotlight began as a Francis Howell publication in 1971. The Spotlight believes it is essential to preserve the freedom of the press in order to preserve a free society and its purpose is to inform, interpret, and entertain through accurate and factual reports. Therefore, this school newspaper will serve the best interest of the students of Francis Howell and keep itself free from any other obligation; the staff of the school newspaper will accept guidance from its adviser, but will make its own editorial decision; only the editorial board may veto any material intended for publication, judged to be in violation of the Spotlight editorial policy; and this school newspaper will vigorously resist all attempts at censorship, particularly prepublication censorship; the school newspaper will serve as an educational laboratory experience for those on staff.; the school newspaper will run as a designated public forum; the goal of the school newspaper is to cover the total school population as effectively and the staff will strive to be impartial and responsible in its coverage of issues.

Advertising

All ads must be approved. Ad rate schedules and policies are available by calling 636-851-4820 or going to www.fhhstoday.com

Policies

All letters to the editor should be sent to Mrs. Dunaway in room A115 or emailed to spotlight letters@gmail.com. Letters will be printed in the op-ed section. All letters must be signed, be under 400 words, and contain appropriate material. Material will not be printed if content is obscene, invasive of others’ privacy, encouraging physical disruption of school activities and/or implies libel. The editorial board has the right to have letters edited for length, grammar, punctuation, clarity, etc. The school newspaper will only publish one letter per author per issue and all letters become the property of the school newspaper upon receipt and will not be returned.

Staff

Andrew Odle, EIC; Alison Dunaway, web editor; Katie Roberts, photo ed.; staff Writers: T.J. Bartosch, Alyssa Crawford, Lauren Crider, Samantha Fleschner, Larry Guessfeld, Alex Martin, Ann Molina, Erica Nolan, Waverly Odle, Emily Phelps, Shelby Steingraeber; Michele Dunaway, MJE, adviser.

Face the

Spotlight

Crowd

Why do you set academic goals?

Honestly, I set goals to push myself to do better. It keeps me motivated to stay on track. – senior John Angeli

I set goals to encourage myself to push harder and get good grades. –junior Brian Uhlenbrock

I set goals so I can set limits for myself and know what I want for my future. – sophmore Allison Crews

If I do not set goals for myself then I will not reach my dreams. – sophmore Mckayla Hogan

Setting goals helps me prepare for college. It helps me stay organized. – junior Jermaine Martin

Although, the school currently lacks spirit, there are many ways to change, whether it’s join a school club, or try to make National School Spirit Day a reality. School Spirit will always give students a sense of belonging to the community and a greater purpose than just a series of exams.

and

hits

[a quick Howell about the good and bad]

misses

Finals end

Senioritis epidemic spreads

New year, new goals

Dead deer on roads

Winter sports continue

Brown Christmas

Crown award

Holidays end

One semester to go

Traffic leaving school

Nice Weather

Five car pileup

After a stressful end to the first semester students can now stop stressing and start fresh in the new semester Now that the new year has hit, students find themselves starting new years resolutions On these long, boring winter days going to a sports game can show support and be a fun time. Howellatonian yearbook recieves crown award for the first time. Huge! With the first semester over there is only one more left to go! The weather has certainly been crazy with high temperatures in the middle of January!

Now that most seniors have recieved acceptance leters, they’re finding it hard starting the second semester The dead animals and deer on the roads are causing a disturbance and obstruction to drivers on the road. After the beautiful snow of last year, it was tough to have a christmas without a blanket of the white stuff No more good food, presents , fun, or time off school With people leaving school trying to “beat” the busses people continue to be pushy Five cars damaged, multiple injuries, and majorly backed up traffic. No one needs that before school

Politicians lose integrity as ruthless Sticking to New Years Resolutions Kyle Sample: staff writer campaigns continue New Year’s stay very busy everyday with people Andrew Odle: editor in chief

As a cut scene of a senator appears, I suddenly hear a voice in the background declaring all that is wrong with In My Opinion said senator. It weaves a tale of malice, criticism, and downright nastiness. It’s that time of year again, and it isn’t the holidays. It’s that time when politicians start their smear campaign against other politicians and before long there will be a near constant stream of videos about nearly every politician out there declaring all that they’ve done wrong. It’s a time that is quite unnecessary, and should be stopped because it takes away from what politics is supposed to really be about and reduces it to a pathetic smidgen of its potential. Whenever such video clips come on it is a shame to what politics is supposed to be about. Politics should be completely focused on the issues at hand and how each candidate is planning on handling the issues and bettering the country and her interests. I know I certainly care more about that. The smear campaigns do nothing other than waste time and energy and make all of the politicians look extremely bad. In a way, it sends the message that they’re too incompetent and lazy to do anything other than skulk around looking for information to destroy their opponents career with. It also sends the message that they can’t win the election any other way and as a result, don’t have the skills necessary to handle the job they seek. I for one, know that I can’t trust them to run our country when I can’t even trust them to get a solid campaign idea together. Overall it conveys childish judgement, childish behavior, and even childish skills. So unless a politician wants to appear like a selfish child, it is hard to imagine why one would want to participate in the smear campaign. In the end, it’s just the basic difference between doing what’s right and doing what’s easy. A smear campaign may get votes and certainly help, but it’s not what’s right and shouldn’t our country be built on what’s right and honorable? Of course. While it may sound old fashioned, I don’t think the politicians should participate in this behavior simply because it’s wrong. In short, it needs to be stopped, for the country, the people, and the politician’s integrity.

In My Opinion

Resolutions have been a tradition for years. When the new year arrives people make promises to themselves and others about something they want to change in their life. These resolutions range from losing weight to trying to get the promotion at work. I have witnessed resolutions in action every year. From being in the gym almost everyday, I see this happening in early January. In the first few weeks of the new year, I arrive at the gym and find the parking lot completely full. After struggling to find a parking spot, I finally make it inside. I make my way into the locker room and try to find an open locker to hold my belongings. Eventually, I walk into the weight room and notice that every piece of cardio equipment, from ellipticals to treadmills, is in use with people fulfilling their resolutions. People have looks of determination and will power in their eyes as they try to complete their goals but that soon begins to fade as their battle against weight turns into a battle against a lack of time. The gym continues to

wanting to change their lives and lose weight for the next couple of weeks. But by the end of January, the gym crowd dwindles down. Within the next few weeks, all the newcomers are gone and the regulars are the only people that are still in the gym. The cardio equipment that was once in use is now collecting dust and waiting for the next January. People have given up their New Year’s Resolutions already! In my opinion, that’s absurd. Americans wonder why they are fat and then cannot even stick to their resolutions past the first month of the New Year! People need to make sure that when their resolution is made that a whole plan of action is also made. A plan of action could just be someone doing it with someone who has the same resolutions such as a friend or a spouse. Having someone to workout with would increase motivation and they would be able to influence each other to not to give up. I stay in the gym because I have an image of a person whom I aspire to look like in my head that keeps me motivated. I stick with mine to have the dream body everybody wants and to achieve a healthy lifestyle.

Worth Mention:

CAR ACCIDENT Because of a five-car pileup, Thursday, Jan. 5, at 6:45 a.m. at the intersection of Highways 94 & D, over half the school population, including some teachers, missed first hour.

COLLEGE PANEL In order to help prepare students for college, guidance counselors had 2011 graduates return to campus Jan. 6 and speak to English III and IV students.

NEWS

Francis Howell High School http://www.fhhstoday.com Vol. 41, Issue 3 Jan. 18, 2012

Gym doors kept secured to stop problems

2011 in Review Jan. 8

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head at point-blank range while meeting constituents in Tuscon, Az. Six were killed and 12 were wounded. Giffords returned to Congress Aug. 1.

Feb. 17

Wisconsin teachers took to the Capitol to protest Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to limit union rights.

Mar. 11

A maginitude 9.0 earthquake hit Japan, resulting in a 33-ft. high tsunami that flooded the Tohoku area north of Tokyo.

April 29

An estimated 2.4 billion people watched the wedding of Prince William of England and Kate Middleton.

May 1

The United States succeeded in carrying out a mission to kill Osama Bin Laden.

May 22

160 die in Joplin, MO tornadoes.

June 23

New York legalizes samesex marriage.

July 21

The last NASA space shuttle mission landed at Kennedy Space Station, marking the end to a 30year program.

Aug. 27

Hurricane Irene hits the United States, causing extensive damage and reaching New York City and parts of Canada.

Sept. 17

Protesters gather worldwide for the “Occupy” movement.

Oct. 23

After months of fighting and over 50,000 deaths, Libya gains independence from dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Oct. 28

After seven games, the Cardinals beat the Texas Rangers to win their 11th World Series title.

Nov. 5

Former Penn State assistant football coach, Jerry Sandusky was arrested on sexual-abuse allegations.

Dec. 17

The last convoy of U.S. soliders in Iraq crossed the border into Kuwait, ending the nine-year war in Iraq.

Stephanie Clawson: writer A chilly wind sweeps through students’ jackets as they walk to and from buildings. Because of a new policy, students now walk out In the cold, rain, or heat to the classes located in the old A and C buildings, and all because the gym doors are locked. “At the beginning of the year we could walk thorough the gym, but then they locked the doors and won’t let us through,” sophomore Brenna Cunningham. The open gym, though, became a problem. “Originally the gym doors were open during passing period. Sometimes students would go into the gym when they weren’t supposed to be in there,” assistant principal Randy Carter said. Students went into the gym while a class was in session, distracting the P.E. students from learning. The gym teachers and the principals met and decided that the gym doors should be locked during class but open during passing period. The doors, however, had problems with locking and unlocking, such as the doors were open all the time when they were supposed to be locked. The problem was solved by locking the doors all the time, which meant students had to walk outside. “The gym doors are being locked during the day because of supervision issues. We do not want students hanging out in the gym without a teacher. Also, students may damage doors and equipment if not properly supervised,” gym teacher Janet Muehling said. The walk around adds to the time it takes to get to classes, making many students late. Some teachers understand why students are late, but others don’t. “I thought it was a lot easier when we could go through the gym and I liked it a lot better when it was nice outside but now it’s not as much fun,” sophomore Chloe Adams said. Students don’t think that it is fair the doors are locked. “Walking outside is very annoying and time consuming. I think the principals should punish the students that cause the problem, not everyone else,” sophomore Brianna Sronce said

Sophomore Meredith Hill checks the gym locks during seventh hour.

Some students have abused their privilege with the shortcut through the gym. “They have pulled on doors until they have opened, breaking them to get into equipment rooms. Plus it is not cost effective for Terry and Jerry to keep fixing the broken doors. We will be writing students up for damage to doors with possibility for suspension,” Muehling said. Students find it frustrating. “The gym doors being closed is a huge inconvenience for students that are going to and from the new and old buildings,” sophomore Gabe Lopez said. “I want the gym doors to be open again, it makes it easier. I’d like the principals to trust us more, even though some people don’t deserve it.” However, the policy won’t change. “Finally we don’t want students walking through the gym during our class time, it is a disturbance. We have been walking outside for years. They will have to walk outside until the new facility is finished,” Muehling said.

Reasons for dropping classes vary Mayra Garcia: writer To prepare for college and future careers, many students take challenging classes. However, some classes proved too difficult, and some have dropped them for the second semester. Senior Rachel Ratliff dropped physics honors and switched into regular physics because she felt that physics honors had an advanced placement curriculum instead of an honors one. “There were lots of practice and example problems. The quizzes were really hard, I failed some of them, and a lot of people failed them too,” Ratliff said. Ratliff felt overwhelmed and found it hard too keep up with physics, her other school work, and her job. “I had about 13 hours of physics homework a week,” Ratliff said, “If I had more time I would have been able to do it.” Another student who dropped physics honors was junior Brandon Iverson. Iverson

wanted to be an engineer so he took physics, but now his plans have changed and he is looking into a career in computer animation. “I was kind of lazy and didn’t want to spend hours studying. I think it wouldn’t have been that hard if I would have tried harder,” Iverson said. “I just want to walk through high school.” For junior Abby Dairaghi, AP American Government was not like any other history class she had taken before. “There were just too many vocabulary words, and they were all too similar,” Dairaghi said. “It was hard to grasp the concept.” After talking to her counselor, junior Annie Brotemarkle dropped trigonometry for statistics. “Math analysis was too hard, and we moved too fast. We did something new everyday and it was hard to learn it all,” Brotemarkle said. “I felt like I wouldn’t be ready for trigonometry.” While most students dropped classes because they were too difficult, junior Lexie Broaders dropped statistics for psychology

because she wanted to prepare herself for senior year. “I want to take AP psychology my senior year, but before I go into it I want to try psychology to see if I like it,” Broaders said. “If I like it, then I’ll take AP psychology and take the AP test at the end of the year.” Another science class that proved to be difficult is chemistry. Senior Austin Black dropped chemistry because it involved too much homework and studying. “It’s my senior year and I had too many hard classes,” Black said, “I didn’t want to be stressed out for the rest of the year.” Junior Chase Bottoms is in chemistry and thought about dropping the class but decided not to because he is satisfied with his grade. “It’s a lot of hard work and you have to remember a lot of equations,” Bottoms said, “but if you do all the little work, it provides more of a cushion for the big tests.”

Winter parking passes handled in different way Meghan Golliver: writer The distribution of winter parking passes was a different experience for junior athletes than in the fall. While some areas improved, other changes made the process more confusing. “It was easier in the winter because we didn’t have a lottery, we just got one in the activities office. It didn’t take long and it was more convenient. We just went and got one on our own time, ” junior Samantha Azzato said. In order to get a fall parking pass, juniors involved in athletics or a club, that met three times a week, had to randomly draw in order to get one. This process was very stressful because passes were not guaranteed. “I was nervous about not getting a fall pass because my mom would have to pick up my sister and I everyday. She wouldn’t be very happy about that,” junior Javoni Faucette said. Winter passes were easier to obtain once students knew when and how to get them. All junior athletes were given a pass in the winter. “I went to activities to ask Witter something, and that’s how I found out. I didn’t hear any announcements or anything, so I was lucky I got one,” Azzato said. The unusual number of sports in playoffs also contributed to the confusion. Drivers were ticketed, but no fines were issued. “We did not issue any fines until the last fall season competition, that I’m aware,” athletic director Dave Witter said. Drivers saw a noticeable difference in the overall experience. “It’s a lot easier to get out of the parking lot, because there were more fall athletes,” junior Allie Lohmann said.

A line of traffic forms as students prepare to leave the school at the end of their first day of finals.

Even with the improvements, students still believe the process could be smoother. “The confusion could be avoided by the office making more announcements,” Azzato said.

4 FEATURES “Winter fashion is

with everyone. They

different than any

just wear what they

fashion throughout

think is comfy.”

the year becase it

–senior Collin

expresses what

Tesreau

people like.”

(in-style)

“Winter fashion varys

James Warrick and Kelsey Maloney: writers

–freshman Antonio Sleets

“Fashion is a way to express yourself. Girls especially like to be “I always dress up. I

stylish and

wear more layers and

comfortable.”

cute outfits. Winter’s the

–junior Gaby

time to bust out cute

Keim

accessories.” –teacher Lisa Readenour

Claiming fame New trend overtakes planking Monica Khatri: writer

Francis Howell High School http://www.fhhstoday.com Vol. 41, Issue 3 Jan. 18, 2012

ith a new trend knocking at his doorstep, freshman Alex Baumer is taking the opportunity to come out of the shadows, claim his fame, and create something he never would’ve dreamt of doing. Baumer had considered himself a shadow in a pool of color throughout middle school, but felt things have changed since he entered high school. “I still feel kind of in the shadows, but I bring this on myself,” Baumer said. “But high school has been a lot better, mostly because I joined marching band.” Baumer spent most of his time this past summer at marching band camp, where he gained his first nickname. Band director Chris Miller was leading a group of students for warm-ups for the first practice of the season. After half an hour of stretching, Baumer lay on the ground, stretched out his arms and legs, and yelled “Starfish” in a voice loud enough to be heard from across the football field to the cafeteria, giving him his new name. “I’ve never had a nickname before, and Starfish wouldn’t have been my first choice,” Baumer said. “But I’m glad people are able to identify me.” long with the name, Baumer had also created a new rising trend: starfishing. To starfish means to lie on the ground with arms and legs sprawled, resembling the aquatic species. Many members of the marching band started to ‘starfish’ at practices, with friends, in stores, and on sidewalks. Even students from other schools began to partake in the act. “My friends and I saw all the band kids doing it, and it looked fun, so we tried it out. We planked, too, but ended up falling on top of each other,” freshman Sarah Bodner said. “Clearly, starfishing is safer. Plus you don’t actually have to do work. You just collapse on the ground!” To plank is to lie face down on the ground like a board of wood, but the sudden outbreak of starfishing made

planking old news. Bodner, along with others outside of the band program, noticed the frequent occurrences of starfishing, and decided to hop on the bandwagon. “This whole time, I had no idea such a thing was even going on! Although when I found out about it, I wanted the origins of starfishing to reside amongst the marching band, because that’s where it essentially was created,” Baumer said. any feel as though starfishing may eventually overtake planking, and be the latest source of newfangled hobbies, pasttimes, and other news all over schools across Missouri. Such things are being said because of the freshman class, for it was a freshman that had started the trend. Yet other underclassmen continue to take this fad to new heights. “For once, it’s not just seniors who are ‘in the know’, and everyone else just following,” freshman Sarah Palmer said. “It’s putting the spotlight on us, and allowing freshman to get noticed.” Along with getting noticed, the limelight put on Baumer is allowing him to meet all sorts of people and open up, exposing sides of him yet to be seen. He is amazed at how widely starfishing is being known. Regardless of bringing him out of his shell, causing him to be introduced to many new people and allowing him to get a better understanding of himself and his surroundings, there were a few negatives to the situation. “It displays immaturity, and I don’t want to be associated with that. Along with the fact that when so many people know you, you are obligated to know them. I didn’t even know such a thing was going on,” Baumer said. “I am thoroughly impressed, though. One simple thing I did turned to an uprising, and is spreading to schools across Missouri. Who knows? Maybe in a month or two, people in Texas may be hearing about this! I’m amazed.”

Francis Howell High School http://www.fhhstoday.com Vol. 41, Issue 3 Jan. 18, 2012

FEATURES 5

ExpectingTeachers TEACHERS

Gender

First Child?

Girl

Fourth child

Boy

First child

Susan Schneidenbach Kim Linneman

unknown

First child

unknown

Second child

Amanda Graser

Girl/Harper McBride

First Child

Nadine Freedline Carolyn Klein

Due Date

March 14, 2012 April 26, 2012 June 2012 February 24, 2012 Born Dec 18, 2011 Hanna Erba: Journalism student

Data not available at press time for Meghan Sullivan and Karey Fitzpatrick

Cheerleaders put in hours Emily Halliday: Journalism student Stunting. Tumbling. Cheering. These are required steps in being a cheerleader. Cheerleaders have just as many practices as all other sports, but many cheerleaders feel that they don’t receive the credit they deserve. “The hardest part of cheer is knowing that people don’t think we put in a lot of work, when we really do,” varsity cheerleader Lauren Crider said. “No one knows that cheer is actually hard.” The cheerleaders are at the majority of sporting events, all year. When the tryout process comes along, parents are informed that it is going to cost roughly around $1,000. This includes all of the uniforms, camp fees, transportation to and from every away game, and all the other loose ends that are

needed to be a cheerleader. “There are a bunch of concerns with getting hurt. We don’t get to wear any pads or types of protection during the year, so there is a huge chance that anyone of us could get hurt at anytime,” varsity cheerleader Haley Kay said. Recently, cheerleading was named the number one most dangerous sport by www.livescience.com in 2007. “We don’t get any credit, and we’re overlooked. People just expect us to be at every game, but they don’t think about the commitments we make by being there,” junior Megan Golliver said. Assistant coach Holli Kasper is in attendance at almost every game and has seen the team progress. During camp 2010, the varsity

squad received top honors and the highest overall scores in the entire National Cheerleaders Association sponsored camp. During the 2010 season, varsity received seventh in their division at the state competition, held at Mizzou. This required an average of eight hours of practice a week, along with summer practices that could be three hours long, held outside on the turf. Being at every football game, soccer game, wrestling meet, boys basketball and girls basketball game is time consuming. “The squad has progressed as a whole since the beginning of the year. They have made a lot of changes and are committed to the program,” Kasper said.

It’s just a safety precaution for students...it also ensures that everyone is where they should be. –Nurse Rose Holmes teacher does not catch him or yell at him because he is walking around after the bell has rung. This rule has always been a rule so it shouldn’t be a big shock to students. The nurses and office both made up this rule because it is just safety precautions with students skipping and pretending they were at the nurse,” Holmes said. It may be a new thing for freshmen but

Although some students have no idea where they want to attend college, for the ones that do, early decision can be very beneficial. Applying for college is a long and stressful process, so why not get it done early. “I sent out my application in October and I already have my acceptance letter,” senior Katie Helm said. Early decision can help increase the chance of acceptance by 35 percent. When applying for Early Decision one can only apply to one school, because it is made for students who know where they want to attend. After being accepted on Early Decision there is no turning back. Once being excepted if the application is later withdrawn a sizable fee can be lost. “If I where to change my mind about getting accepted and going to St. Louis College of Pharmacy I would lose $500,” Helm said. If the college denies the application, it is put into the normal applicants pool, so there is another chance for acceptance. “Early Decision is a good choice because it provides more scholarship opportunities,” senior Rachel Drury said.

Drama students attend state conference

Tina Donnelly: Journalism student Once a year, drama kids from all over the state gather to do what they love most: study the arts. At the Missouri State Thespian Conference, workshops focus on the various aspects of theatre. “It’s a great chance to explore different areas of theatre with very like-minded people,” senior Sam At a home game, junior Courtney Hake and Crosby said. seniors Lauren Crider, Kristen Stark and Emily Halliday show their team spirit. “Many people The Thespian Conference don’t realize the work we put into what we occurred in Springfield at Missouri do,” Hake said State. “It’s a great way to get a new perspective on theatre,” senior Sara Zimmerling said. “You get to meet with drama kids from other schools and learn how different theatres most students should have already known work, talk about productions, and they must have a pass. “This rule effects some students but not hang out with people who love the same thing you do, theatre.” too many usually,” Holmes said. “Thes Con” occured Jan. 5-7. The reason why it effects some is because they just want to come on their way to class The students spent all day attending workshops and learning about because it is much easier to come when already near the nurse’s office rather than to whatever area of theatre they love go to class then come back down. Exceptions most, and at night they see a show put on by the college just for them. can be made. “This year over 1,500 high “It is only an exception if it is a complete emergency in passing period,” Holmes said. school students attended,” drama teacher Charles Mueller said. Some emergencies the nurse allows “It’s an amazing experience,” during passing period are feeling dizzy, Crosby said. “You’re with your best needing to vomit, and students thinking they may pass out. Another exception is if a friends day and night, you learn to fight, make-up, make memories and student needs to take his daily medicine.. have an awesome time.”

Nurses office requires passes Sarah Palmer: Journalism student According to the nurse, the reason students need a pass to see the nurse is to preserve student safety and ensure that no teacher is left with unanswered questions. “Some teachers ask to see a hall pass if a student has one because the teacher is just wanting to know where that student was and why they were there. It’s just a safety precaution for students because they might have a test the next hour and don’t want to be in class to do that test. It also ensures that everyone is where they should be, which is in class,” nurse Rose Holmes said. If there is a specific reason to go to the nurse, then the student needs to go at end of class or right when class starts so the teacher knows where that person is. This way another

Early decision choices binding

ARTS

6 Upcoming Concerts

Chuck Berry

Jan. 18 Duck Room at Blueberry Hill

Jack’s Mannequin

Jan. 19 The Pageant

Rascal Flatts with Sara Evans

Jan. 19 Mizzou Arena

Rain- A tribute to the Beatles Jan. 20 The Fox Theatre Drake Bell Jan.23

The Old Rock House

The Cab Jan. 30

Firebird Stl

Ryan Adams Jan. 31

The Peabody Opera House

Andy Grammer

Feb. 1 The Old Rock House

Monster Jam Stl Feb. 4

Edward Jones Dome

Worth Mention: Grammy Awards: The highest music awards go out for the 54th time. Feb. 12. Adele’s up for mulitiple awards, including record of the year.

Oscars: The 84th Oscar awards occur Feb. 26. Eddie Murphy was to host, Summer tour: Van Halen announced that they will but now it’s Billy Crystal. tour with David Lee Roth this summer.

Get ready to rock-n-roll

Francis Howell High School http://www.fhhstoday.com Vol. 41, Issue 3 Jan. 18, 2012

In February, Limelight Theater presents 50s style musical Monsters, Robots, and Rock n’ Roll. Three words that can only describe one Oliver-award-winning musical coming to FHHS. Bob Carlton’s Return to the Forbidden Planet is a musical with a Shakespearean flavor of The Tempest, and the 1950’s mystery/sci-fi movie, Forbidden Planet. This musical adds classic 1950’s and 1960’s rock and roll songs such as, “Shake, Rattle and Roll,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “Good Vibrations,” “Teenager in Love,” and many more to top off the show!! “This show uniquely combines the two themes- Shakespeare and Space. Francis Howell Limelight theatre has never worked with an intresting duo, and it proved to be both fun and challenging,” stage manager Tina Donnelly said. The musical revolves around space captain, Captain Tempest, and his crew who mysteriously crash and get shipwrecked on an unfamiliar planet, where the evil Doctor Prospero, his naive teenage daughter Miranda, a helpful robot Ariel, and Doctor Prospero’s Id monster with gripping tentacles, were marooned. The crew find out hidden secrets of the planet and its wreck-mates, create love-triangles, and have a song-filled adventure leading to an unpredictable and unforgotten ending. The show occurs Feb. 9-11 at 7 p.m. On Feb. 11 there is a 2 p.m. matinee. Rehearsals for the musical started Nov. 30, and, “...are going well and everyone is working hard to make this production a success,” director Andrew Kuhlman said. The projection crew are working on original content for the projections that will be shown on the projection screens located on the stage. They are putting together the story board for the projections and are pretty confident on what they are doing. The costumes crew are selecting the wardrobe and modifying it for the play. Set information is classified, but the set crew plan on having the interior of a spaceship put together and the surface of a planet built on the stage.

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“I am more than excited to help put together this musical,” student director Sara Zimmerling said. “Everyone is doing everything they can to try and make the production be ready for show time.” The cast and crew are very excited about the musical. “The cast is really excited for the performance,” Donnelly said. “They are working so hard though some are busy with choir and so forth. We have a lot of well projected voices worthy of listening to and the singing with the 1960’s rock n’ roll music will be more than astounding!!”

Coldplay’s MyloXyloto tries to please many They are one of the biggest bands on the planet, but Coldplay’s new album Mylo Xyloto (MY-lo X-eye-low-toe) leaves something to be desired. Instead of sticking to their typical sound, Coldplay aims to please. It’s obvious the band cares more about the way the music sounds instead of lyrics, but instead of the experimental music that was Viva La Vida, Coldplay embraces the pop genre. It still sounds like Coldplay with the echoing guitars, the cascading “whoas” that accompany the chorus and Martin’s occasional slip into a falsetto. However, the pop influence comes with the deep bass and synthesizers. The listener can only wonder if this is a new Coldplay experiment.

Just as many of Coldplay’s albums have been inspired by art, Mylo Xyloto gets its whimsical aura from 1970s New York City graffiti. It’s unique and draws the listener in, but it doesn’t fix everything. The issue with the album comes with the flimsy lyrics and storyline. Lead singer Chris Martin attempts to sing about revolution and change, but the listener doesn’t feel it. The album is also smattered with random instrumentals and guest vocals from Rhianna. While worth listening to, Mylo Xyloto tries to please too many and ends up leaving something to be desired.

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Francis Howell High School http://www.fhhstoday.com Vol. 41, Issue 3 Jan. 18, 2012

Worth Mention:

BOYS BASKETBALL participated in the Kaminsky Class tournament in Joplin, Jan. 5-7.

WRESTLING Connor Flynn, Jarrett Franklin, and Wes Skidmore placed second in GAC competition.

Winter sports not just at school

How is it being active in a winter sport that is not associated with school?

Q.2

GIRLS SWIM Senior Michelle Schroeder broke the 1-meter diving record, Jan 5, with 187.3

Q.3

What is the most memorable moment you’ve ever experienced in your winter sport?

Are you a part of a team for your winter sport or do you do it as a recreational sport?

C.J. Photinos

Drew Holloman

Paige Waltrip

1) Being invovled in a winter sport that is not associated with school is very time consuming and a good stress reliever. It’s good to do something other than school to get your mind off things. 2) My most memorable moment was being at the Teva mountain games in Vail Colorado. I got to compete with other people involved in winter sports. I competed in slope style. 3) I ski and snowboard recreationally, but I enter competitions as an individual.

1) Being active in winter is a lot of fun. You get to be outside and have fun with a lot of people. Sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate, but to me that’s just part of the fun. 2) My most memorable moment is the first time I went a whole run without falling . I did a lot of falling and I’m lucky I stayed with it because it is so fun now 3) I snowboard as a recreational sport. I ride a lot with my brothers and they are kind of like a team because they are always there encouraging me to try new things and helping me get my confidence back up after I try something new and fail.

1) Being active in a winter sport outside of school is hard but also very fun. Getting school work done is a lot more dificult since there are some crazy hours, but it is fun since I get to meet people outside of school. 2)My most memorable moment was probably when my team won the championships for the first time. It seemed like such a big deal then since I was really young. 3) I am part of a synchro ice skating team that competes nationally and internationally. I do compete individually as well.

Waverly Odle: writer

Sports managers help out game officials Javoni Faucette: writer Sport management, or SMT, by definition: is a process within a sport organization using the tools of responsibility, social, and organization. This program allows students to be involved with many different sports. “The sports management team was originally designed for hospitality, marketing, and event management,” activities director Dave Witter said. “Now it is based solely on event management and hospitality.” Students that are a part of SMT hold a number of responsibilities and jobs that are crucial to the behind the scenes atmosphere of running and managing a sports team. “While soccer season was going on, I prepared the stadium, announced, managed the clock, and then helped close the stadium when everyone left,” junior Trevor O’Connor said. Not everyone is born to play sports, so as an alternative many students turn to sports management as an different way to be a part of the sports atmosphere and to contribute to the school. “SMT teaches students the values of organization, responsibility and how to talk to adults,” activities secretary Debbie Faber said. “It makes the students hold conversations that are more professional.” Sport management existed for quite a long period of time, and it always accompanied sport as an essential part. Naturally, it has different

Upcoming Home Sporting Events Varsity Boys Basketball

•1/20, Howell Central, 7 p.m. •1/23, Eureka, 6:30 p.m. •1/25, Duchesne, 6:30 p.m. •2/1, Washington, 6:30 p.m •2/10, Troy, 8 p.m. •2/14, Ft. Zumwalt West, 6:30 p.m

JV Boys Basketball

(Front) Laurel Rydel, Caleb Miller, Grant Meyer, Victoria Hook, Ashley Roemerman. (Row 2) Tyler Valenza, Sean Phillips, Adam Forney, Stuart Shave, Trevor O’Connor, Debbie Faber. (Back) Kamran Naemi, Eric Martinez, Mark Chaidez, Will Elledge, Jack Whiteman, Larry Guessfeld.

forms for the sport it is accompanying. Now it gives students the ability to take over some of the weight of what the sports administrators endure. “When the kids take off some of the responsibility, it allows officials to focus on the game more,” Faber said. “Everything is taken care of and they don’t have to worry about anything.” The amount and type of job responsibilities vary on the game that the students are working. They could be doing things from announcing to greeting the officials and getting them whatever they need. “We escort the teams to the locker room at half time and make sure the referees have food and drinks,” junior Danielle Rygelski said. SMT members time and work schedules are also other varying factors based on which events or games they are working. The longer the game,

the longer the students work. “Usually when I’m working a game I’m there from about 3:30 p.m. to sometimes 10 p.m.,” O’Connor said. “I basically work for six hours on game nights.” For other athletes that play other sports, and are in SMT, the group provides a new experience on how another team and sport works, and how it also feels to not actually be playing. SMT members learn the system that keeps sports games and events running smoothly. “I wanted to join to work with and around other sports teams,” Rygelski said. “I think I’ll learn how to work with different teams and it will benefit me by teaching responsibility and leadership.”

Winter Running Club ignores chill, hits the pavement

Chloe DeVos: writer s he ran down the trail with his friends, sophomore Gavin Galanes felt warm despite the chill. Galanes wasn’t running just for fun, though. He’s a member of the Winter Running Club, whose main priority is keeping athletes fit during their off-season. “I decided to join because I really enjoy running and it’s a great way to stay in shape for upcoming track season,” Galanes said. Freshman Amy Marx, who is not yet in any sports, is using this club to train for the running-

SPORTS

Q.1

GIRLS BASKETBALL The freshman team defeated Washington 43-15 Jan. 6.

intense sports she is interested in. “I’m a member because I want to stay in shape for spring sports,” Marx said. “I will either do track or soccer.” The club meets daily since their main goal is keeping the members prepared for the spring sport season. “This club runs throughout the off-season, so we meet every day after school from 2:20 p.m. to 4 p.m.,” Marx said. Although most members are on the track or cross country team, anyone who wants to stay in

shape during the winter can join. “All you need is a parent permission form, a good pair of running shoes, and warm winter clothes,” senior Justin Carlson said. The parent permission form and warm winter clothes are for where the club runs at, which usually is Busch Wildlife or the Hamburg Trail. However, running isn’t the only activity this club is all about. “Before and after running, we do drills and ab workouts,” Carlson said.

•1/20, Howell Central, 5:30 p.m. •1/23, Eureka, 5 p.m. •1/25, Duchesne, 5 p.m. •2/1, Washington, 5 p.m •2/10, Troy, 5 p.m. •2/14, Ft. Zumwalt West, 5 p.m

Varsity Girls Basketball •1/19, Timberland, 6:30 p.m. •2/7, Nerinx Hall, 6 p.m. •2/10, Troy, 6:30 p.m.

JV Girls Basketball

•1/19, Timberland, 5 p.m. •1/30, Nerinx Hall, 5 p.m. •2/10, Troy, 3:30 p.m.

Varsity Wrestling

•1/21, Thrasher Memorial Tournament, 9 a.m. •1/26, Ft. Zumwalt North, 7 p.m. •2/7, Timberland, 7 p.m. •2/10-2/11, Districts, TBA

JV Wrestling

•1/26, Ft. Zumwalt North, 7 p.m. •2/7, Timberland, 7 p.m.

Girls Swimming

•1/19, Ft. Zumwalt West, 8:30 p.m. •1/24, Hannibal, 4:30 p.m. •1/27, Hazelwood Central, 4 p.m. •2/1, Ft. Zumwalt North, 8:30 p.m

8 BACKPAGE

Sam Fleshner: Writer

Francis Howell High School http://www.fhhstoday.com Vol. 41, Issue 3 Jan. 18, 2012