Ladue Panorama March 2012 Volume 60, Issue 7

Panorama ladue horton watkins high schoolw1201 s. warson roadwst. louis, mo 63124wvolume 60 issue 6wmarch, 15 2012

Boys baseball swings into a new season

Changes in bat weight, new fields

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK Discussing the student art pieces displayed at Plaza Frontenac, Linda Colby gestures to the drawing of her choice while her daughters Renee Colby and senior Eliza Colby look on. On the opposite side of the frame senior Sherri Mankofsky and her father Herb Mankofsky take their pick. All the proceeds from Art in Action’s silent auction went to Safe Connections, which addresses domestic violence and sexual assault. For more on this story, see page 6. (photo by Elizabeth Ornitz)

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he Ladue School District Board of Education approved a revised policy that addresses the use of social media and technology in communication between students and district staff members, Feb. 27, as recommended by a recently enacted state law.

Missouri SB1 included a requirement for all Missouri school districts

to adopt a new social media policy

by March 1, specifically including language which addresses the use of social media in the educational setting and within curriculum.

Due to controversies generated by their original policy, the Board of Education revisited it, developing a revised version of the legislation, known as policy GBH: Staff/ Student Communications. This policy prohibits teachers from using social media to communicate with students in an immoral way outlined

by the Tenured Teachers Act. The new adaptation of the policy details immoral actions conducted through technology or social media.

The original policy focused on communication between teachers and students, while the new policy addresses technological behavior.

According to Communications Director Susan Dielmann, the purpose of both polices is to define appropriate communication between staff and students, and the new policy more specifically addresses this issue.

A&E/ Features

Syria

Art in Action

INSIDE

News

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oaded with competent seniors, the Rams are ready to storm the diamond this spring. The team has set high standards and anticipates a strong season. Last season, the Rams dominated with a 13-2 regular season record.

“We all expect to go nowhere but up and continue to improve on successful past seasons,” senior Matt Munfakh said.

“We have a solid team, and that, coupled with the confidence we all have that we can beat any team we face this spring, I believe will allow us to accomplish our goals as a team.”

The Rams are returning with a vengeance after a disappointing postseason last year. Despite crushing Normandy 28-1 in the district quarterfinals, the team fell short of expectations, losing 5-3 in the semifinals against Ritenour.

Continued on page 16

Revised internet usage policy aims to enhance education, maintain safety of students

Social media policy changes in the district HAOHANG XU —news writer MIRANDA SIWAK —news editor

MIKE FIGENSHAU —sports writer

“Social media, as well as other electronic means of communications can be excellent tools for the exchange of information between students and teachers-- academically, as well as in communicating regarding extracurricular activities,” Dielmann said. “It is simply the way people communicate most efficiently these days and there is no reason student-teacher communications shouldn’t benefit as well.”

This policy was created in response to revised legislation replac-

Opinions

Activity Fee

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ing the “Facebook Law.” Initially, it created controversy, but in Sept.

2011 they rewrote it more clearly, Dielmann said.

The initial policy stated that the relationship between staff members and students should be professional.

The policy states communication should also emphasize cooperation, understanding, and mutual respect.

However, the new policy complies with regulations from the state of Missouri.

Continued on page 2

Sports

Girl’s Lacrosse page 17

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Ladu

Junior Caitlin Malone won the “We Remember” video contest, which was sponsored by SchoolTube. com. Her video explores how police officer Ken Andreski was personally affected by the terrorist attacks Sept. 11, 2001.

Senior Nan Zhong won the 2011-2012 Siemens Award for Advanced Placement. The Siemens foundation awards this honor to only one male and one female student in the country. Zhong will receive a $2000 scholarship.

Students competed in the Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science competition. Results of the competition will be released at the end of April.

Last years competitors won the National Championship in a competition that included more than 316 other teams.

Alumnus John Gaskin, who attends Benedictine College, was the chairperson for an annual Rosa Parks observance event Feb. 29, at New Horizons church.

Gaskin organized the event’s speakers, which included United States Congressmen Russ Carnahan and Lacy Clay, along with County Executive Charlie Dooley.

Juniors Chelsea Mohr and Tim Padgett competed at the 5th Annual Percussion Arts Trophy Competition, March 3. Mohr took second place in the marimba division, and Padgett won first place in the multiple percussion category. The event, which included students from three states, connects winners with leading percussion performers.

The district-wide “Fill the Bus” campaign ran from March 12-14. Students helped by bringing non-perishable food items to the commons before school. The Ac Lab with the most donated cans will receive breakfast from FACs teacher Jill Svejkosky.

MARCH 15, 2012

School board approves new social media policy Policy GBH sets guidelines for student-teacher communication, in compliance with the ‘Facebook’ bill.

MIRANDA SIWAK —news editor

HAOHANG XU —news writer

continued from page 1 It also establishes the consequences a teacher would receive for engaging in immoral behavior. The policy states that all school district employees are prohibited from communicating with students in a way that contradicts the Missouri Teacher Tenure Act. Policy GBH requires all district faculty members to maintain professional relationships with students while communicating through electronic or other means of communication.

“The new policy more specifically addresses the use of social media and the use of technology in communications between students and district staff members,” Dielmann said. art by DIANA JUNG “[It] is more detailed and includes specific reference to the use of technology.”

When the school board began drafting the policy, they reviewed the law and made sure the policy complied with its requirements. The goal of this policy is to ensure safe communi- introduction of technology in schools,” English teacher Jennifer Hartigan said. cation between students and staff members.

In AP English Literature, Hartigan and English teacher Kim “We believe that many good communications occur between students and staff via social media and we do not want to neces- Gutchewsky use Twitter as a forum for student discussion. They can also post links to other websites that relate to the topic to sarily discourage that from happening,” Assistant Superinspark discussion of the book. tendent Judy Sclair said. “Our main goal was to ensure that a The Ladue Board of Education policy IGAS on acceptpolicy was in place which met the requirements of the law and able usage states that technology resources are provided to the which detailed expectations for staff utilization of social media district for the educational benefit of the students. The students in their interactions with students. Further, the policy addresses are expected to use the technological resources in a legal and possible consequences for any staff members who inappropriappropriate manner. ately communicate with students.”

“I think [technology usage in school] is really helpful beThis policy was created to keep the students in a safe and cause in the future, almost everything we do will use technolstimulating learning environment. According to Sclair, the use ogy,” freshman Iris Yang said. of social media and technol“So, it is good to be eduogy for educational purcated early, and sometimes poses is helpful for students. Regardless of the communication technology makes learning “We don’t anticipate that channel being used, the exchange of and teaching easier.” the policy will have any Technology is a staple in negative effects [for] stuinformation and conversation between most students’ lives outside dents,” Sclair said. “The law staff and students should always reof school, and by integrating was put in place to protect this with class lessons, it can students from receiving inmain appropriate. create a more streamlined appropriate communications -Director of Communications Susan Dielmann learning environment that from staff members...Someencourages more active times the preferred way for learners, as the technology students to communicate can provide new vehicles is through social media; alfor student interaction and lowing staff to interact with participation. Also, it can help students with different learning students in this way, we believe, helps to foster good dialogue styles understand the curriculum in a way that is easier for them between students and staff, which might otherwise not occur.” to process.

The new social media and technology policy sets guidelines “I think technology is great in class; it can explain things for communication between students and teachers. Using techthat words alone can’t and give impressionable examples of nology in education can help students understand the material, class material,” senior Sherri Mankofsky said. and the policy is designed to help keep them safe.

Using technology as an educational tool brings an added “It will provide an integrated network of students and teachlayer of complexity: the school must consider all aspects of ers,” senior David Streid said. “It will increase learning outside communication between students and faculty in order to ensure of the classroom.” that an appropriate and professional manner is maintained.

Technology is an integral part of many teachers’ curricula, “Regardless of the communication channel being used, the as it serves as effective communication and class enhancement exchange of information and conversation between staff and tools. It can help increase a student’s participation and motivastudents should always remain appropriate, and reporting procetion for learning. dures, as well as consequences for violation, should be clearly “I use technology in many ways; it isn’t so scary to most understood,” Dielmann said. w English teachers since word processing has been used since the

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Supreme court will readdress affirmative action in the fall MIRANDA SIWAK —news editor

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he U.S Supreme Court decided to revisit affirmative action in higher education Feb. 21 in the Fisher v. University of Texas case.

The court agreed to hear a challenge to the university’s admissions policy, which sorts through the received applications and automatically admits all in-state candidates who graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school class to the school. The court plans to return to the issue of affirmative action in higher education, since in 2003, their decision endorsed using race as an admissions factor. A more conservative court was asked to outlaw the use of affirmative action in admissions, according to the Associated Press, Feb. 21.

“I think that colleges should still use the affirmative action policy as long it is fair to everyone admitting to admissions,” senior Abbey Walter said. “It says in the Equal Protection Clause that states shouldn’t deny a person because of race/gender and that the law applies equally to all. I think that having a diverse college is a good thing as long the applicants have earned the spot to be considered into a college.”

Texas used the admissions policy based by the ruling set from the trial Grutter v. Bollinger trial in 2003, where the University of Michigan Law School received a 5-4 vote that stated for the first time that racial diversity in higher education is qualified as a compelling governmental interest. The Supreme Court believes this ruling could face scrutiny.

“I think affirmative action is a great thing, I just don’t want it to be overused, so that people who deserve a role at a university are not given the opportunity because a school needs to fit their quota,” junior Leslie Insell said.

Originally, the university used this policy as a way to facilitate diversity among applicants after a federal appeals court in 1996 banned affirmative action among Texas public universities. Some critics of this affirmative action case are worried that it will affect the school’s diversity. Since then, they reinstated

art by AMY DAI

it to assess their applicants who do not fall under the top ten percent plan.

The case, Fisher v. University of Texas, began when Abigail Fisher applied to the school in 2008, but was denied admittance.

She claims that her academic record and overall application

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UT-Austin’s admission policies challenged were superior to many of those of the minority applicants who were granted acceptance, and she also argues that she was denied acceptance to the university because of her race.

“Colleges use all kinds of criteria to determine admissions,” college and career counselor Ken Fox said. “I think they should be allowed to determine their own policies that suit their needs.”

The university’s lawyers say the use of affirmative action in their admissions helps the school achieve diversity in their potential applicants. Based on the decline of minority students, University of Texas adopted a policy to accept admittance to the top 10 percent of high school graduates from all Texas high schools. According to an article from the Wall Street Journal Feb. 22, they adopted this policy to ensure that students from primarily African American or Hispanic high schools could enroll at the University of Texas.

“For affirmative action as a whole, I believe that it should not be based on race anymore, but possibly a socio-economic standard,” junior Maria Vetter said. “I feel then affirmative action will do good to eliminate discrimination against underprivileged people.”

Vanderbilt University law professor Brian Fitzpatrick, who was quoted in an interview with Fox News Feb. 21, said that a broad ruling in favor of Fisher could threaten many other affirmative action policies at other public and private universities across the country. He also said that the majority of selective universities use affirmative action in their admission processes in order maintain a certain amount of minority students. However, they do not advertise this policy for the fear of causing controversy or facing a lawsuit, like Fisher in her case against the University of Texas.

“When one group receives an advantage then it becomes more difficult for other groups,” Fox said. “This happens all the time--factors include gender, geography, educational background, academic interests. Colleges are seeking to build a diverse community and should be allowed to do this.” w

Mandated offering of birth control offends many religious institutions Affordable Care Act’s requirements will take full effect in 2014 Others think that the act unfairly pits political parties against each other. It has caused great controversy with certain ideologies.

“This bill, while I’m sure was he recent passing of the rooted in good intentions, only Affordable Care Act has left serves to increase the disparity many religious institutions between the pro-life and pro-choice in uproar at the prospect of being crowds, conservative and liberal, forced to offer women’s contracepreligious or not,” senior tion under health care Katie Huey. “It’s not the policies and coverage.

The bill, [which] I’m sure was rooted place of the government The new act requires to determine what insuruniversities and hospitals to in good intentions, only serves to inance should cover.” provide female contracep- crease the disparity between the proThe owners of Cathotion as a part of insurance life and pro-choice crowds, conservalic businesses don’t think policies at no cost to the they should be required insured. Certain religious tive and liberal, religious or not. to offer a service that is organizations, particularly -senior Katie Huey in opposition with their those affiliated with the religious beliefs.

Catholic Church, find the “Businesses shouldn’t law in violation with their be forced to give out religious beliefs, and object the drugs,” Leon Pastore said. “It to providing such contraceptive something they aren’t religiously should be a suggestion, and then methods to their employees. comfortable with,” the Rev.John “The majority of Catholics are Ditenhafer, parish priest at Church of the business as a whole should vote whether or not to include it.” pro-life, which means they don’t the Annunziata, said. “It needs to be However, different religions have believe in the pill or contraceptives,” advantageous for everyone, not just alternative viewpoints about the sophomore Mariana Leon Pastore a few.”

HANNAH SNIDMAN —news writer

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said. “In the Catholic religion, the pill and contraceptives are frowned upon, just like abortion.”

All aspects of the act will not go completely into effect until 2014.

Most religious figures and conservative politicians have taken a strong public position against the act. “[The bill] can’t make people do

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art by ERIC ZHU

bill. Some think it’s unfair to keep women from obtaining birth control.

“It is impossible to take it away from just a single group without taking it away from thousands of women who don’t abuse it,” freshman Lillian Donahue said. “When the pill is abused in a way that women just fool around, knowing they can get free birth control, that’s when it gets hard to decide.”

Opposition to the act questions whether the government can force

a group to act in a way that is controversial to their beliefs. However, others believe the rights of the public to access birth control should not be regulated by their employers’ beliefs.

“I do respect the religious groups that stand for their beliefs, but there comes a point when a belief hurts others,” Donahue said. “As a Christian, I believe that we need to actively help others, whether it is through government or an alternative service.” w

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Global Update:

MARCH 15, 2012

A snapshot of the world today SARAH ALLEN —news editor

Senegal faces unrest ahead of presidential elections

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fter a single candidate failed to win more than 50 percent of the vote in the initial round of presidential elections, Senegal will hold a runoff between incumbent President Abdoulaye Wade and his former primer minister Macky Sall.

Violent protests occurred in the days leading up to the poll, taking on a religious aspect when protesters and police clashed outside of a mosque.

Wade has faced public outcry for his decision to run for a third term, despite a constitutional limit of two terms. However, Al Jazeera said March 5 that “Wade says 2008 constitutional changes extending term lengths to seven years allow him to serve two more mandates.” w

North Korea agrees to moratorium on nuclear weapons

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orth Korea agreed to cease nuclear weapons tests and long-range missile launches in exchange for food aid from the U.S., Feb. 29.

The regime, headed by Kim Jong Un, the son of long-time leader Kim Jong Il, who died in December, also agreed to allow nuclear inspectors to visit its Yongbong nuclear complex to verify that the moratorium is enacted. While the Obama Administration initially refused to exchange food aid for concessions with North Korea’s nuclear program, North Korean officials insisted that food aid be a part of any deal.

The deal marks progress in American-North Korean relations. However, skeptical commentators warn that North Korea has made similar deals in the past, only to fail to actually fulfill its commitments and that the deal does not stipulate that North Korea must rid itself of nuclear weapons. w

art by ANDREW RUBIN

Three killed in worst school shooting since 2006

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undreds gathered March 6 in Ohio to mourn the lives of three students killed in a shooting at Chardon High School, Feb. 27. T.J. Lane fired at five fellow students in the cafeteria, killing three and wounding two.

Lane is a student at Laketon High School, an alternative school for troubled students. Prosecutors claim that the shooting was not a result of bullying, and Chardon students said that one of the victims was dating Lane’s ex-girlfriend When Lane appeared in court to hear the charges against him, “His face crumpled briefly into tears as he was led away, and he appeared to whisper the words ‘I am so sorry,’” according to the New York Times, Feb. 8. Reuters said March 6 that Lane confesses after he was taken into custody, but claimed he had selected victims at random. w

Australian prime minister defeats leadership challenge

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ustralia’s first female prime minister, Julia Gillard, defeated a challenge for the position from former prime minister Kevin Rudd, Feb. 27.

Rudd, who was serving as Gillard’s foreign minister until he resigned in order to launch the leadership challenge, denied for weeks that he wanted to return as prime minister, after being ousted by Gillard. Despite these denials, Rudd announced Feb. 23 that he would try to regain his position as head of the Labor Party through a leadership vote among Labor Party members in Parliament. However, Rudd’s challenge ultimately failed, leaving Gillard as prime minister.

Gillard then appointed Bob Carr, the former premier of New South Wales, to fill the foreign minister office left open when Rudd resigned. The Financial Times said March 2 that “His appointment is a coup for Ms. Gillard, who needs to repair the serious damage caused to her reputation by the leadership battle with Mr. Rudd if she is to have any chance of winning the next election.” w

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Syrian violence escalates President Bashar Al-Assad fights to maintain his power as protesters and army continue to clash JEET DAS —news writer

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s Syrian civilians continue to protest the oppressive governmental regime after almost a year of unrest, thousands of people have died and numerous human rights abuses purportedly taken place.

According to U.N. estimates, the death toll in Syria surpassed 7,500, Feb. 28. Most of the death toll has been protestors, but also includes over 2,000 armed combatants. More than 100 people reportedly die every day as civilians protest the rule of the country’s president, Bashar Al-Assad.

When Assad took power in 2000 following the death of the previous president, his father Hafez Al-Assad, he spoke of small reforms that would have marked a huge change to a country accustomed to his father’s authoritarian rule. However, government and military officials feared that reform would threaten their power and generate instability. As a result, Assad reverted to the iron-fisted ways of his father.

“Given the political climate in Syria, Syrians living in the country were often hesitant to directly criticize the regime,” Syrian Studies Association book review editor Beverly Tsacoyianis said. “Even now, you'll find people quoted anonymously for fear of reprisals. Bashar had something of a ‘cult of leadership,’ or personality cult that came across in highly visible symbols such as his image on posters, on the back of people’s cars, in pictures hanging in people’s homes, and in subtle but repressive tactics that controlled political expression in the public sphere.”

Following the example of other Arab Spring upheavals in Egypt, Libya, and most recently Yemen, demonstrations that

began in January 2011 grew into violent conflicts between the government and opposition parties. The protestors are demanding the resignation of Assad and his government following years of Assad’s disregard for human rights.

“There are many different views on how the unrest began in Syria,” St. Louis Community College professor and Syrian native Rihab Sawah said. “Some say it was due to a mistreatment by government officials of a group of students who had written anti-government graffiti on their school walls. There are others who say that the unrest began when groups of people, financed by some Arab gulf countries, started to go to the streets demanding reform and change in the country.”

According to Amnesty International, the Syrian government placed the country in a state of emergency in 1963, affording their security forces power of arrest and detention as well as a strict control over personal freedoms. Assad lifted the period of emergency after protests began, but Syrian security forces remain immune to legal prosecution.

Authorities have harassed or imprisoned human rights activists and government critics, and stories of child torture and other atrocities have reached the rest of the world. The U.N. Committee Against Torture has received widespread reports of abuse and massive human rights violations such as the torture of detainees and excessive use of force against peaceful protestors.

The international community has faced criticism for its lack of unified, decisive action. While the Arab League, the European Union, and the U.S. have all placed sanctions of some sort on Syria, the U.N. has yet to follow suit. The U.N. Security Council’s proposal to place sanctions on Syria if it did not halt its military crackdown on civilians was vetoed by Syrian allies China and Russia, who claim that more sanctions would complicate the matter.

Greek economy receives second bailout package MARINA MAY —news writer

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n an effort to combat the debt crisis in Greece while preserving the value of the euro, Greek officials secured a 130 euro billion bailout deal with Eurozone banks and lenders, Feb. 13. The bailout package is Greece’s second in two years and aims to reduce Greece’s debt by 53.5 percent.

German officials announced Feb. 27 that Germany plans to back the majority of the Greek bailout despite public outcries that the Greek financial situation is a hopeless case.

However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged the German government to fund the bailout and swayed the German Parliament to eventually approved the plan.

The new bailout comes with strict austerity measures aimed to ensure that the package does not go to waste and stabilizes over the long-term. Greece must dramatically cut its minimum wage and

remove extra perks in order to make its economy more competitive.

In addition to reduced wages, taxes in Greece will also increase by 3.38 billion euros by 2013. This tax hike follows an original tax increase implemented in 2011, which raised taxes by 2.3 billion euros.

In the days leading up to approval of the package on Feb. 13, Greek

Almost 80,000 citizens participated in the strike, which eventually turned violent. Small groups of demonstra-

art by XUNYI GAO

labor unions held the largest strike Athens has seen in over a decade in response to the proposed reforms.

tors outside of the Parliament building in Athens threw rocks and gasoline bombs into police who tried to control the crowd with tear gas.

In response to turmoil in Greece, many wonder how the economic situation in Greece deteriorated

art by HANNAH CROPF

Syria voted in favor of draft constitution Feb. 26 that will supposedly allow the existence of opposition political parties and limit presidents to two terms of seven years each. Assad hails the referendum as a significant reform opportunity. However, protesters and members of the international community regard it as a superficial measure designed to calm Assad’s critics that will not lead to substantive change. Meanwhile, moral outcries continue as violent conflict between protesters and the government goes on.

“I think that what the Syrian government is doing to its people is wrong and something should definitely be done about it,” junior Hannah Kloppenburg said. “It’s a tough situation and it’s difficult for anyone to know how to resolve everything.” w

European leaders hope to stabilize economy by reducing Greece’s debt enough to warrant a second bailout.

Some economists blame the creation of the euro as the spark that ignited the recession.

“The creation of the euro fostered a false sense of security among private investors, unleashing huge, unsustainable flows of capital into nations all around Europe’s periphery,” economist Paul Krugman said in the New York Times Feb. 26.

The question now facing Eurozone banks and leaders is which countries will pay for the bailout.

"Private sector banks will have to write off 53.5% of the money owed to them by Greece," social studies teacher Jim Goldwasser said.

"If you include the reduced interests rates that are part of the package, they are losing almost 70 percent of what they expected to receive when the money was lent. Outside of Greek banks, most of the money is owed to France and Germany. The American direct exposure is about 10 billion dollars."

Many fear the decline of the euro caused by the Greek bailout will negatively impact the world market

as a whole. Americans speculate that the deterioration of the Eurozone will in turn undermine America’s still recovering economy.

“They need to fix their economic situation before it affects the American economy to the point where it is next to impossible for a high-schooler to get a job,” senior and DECA member Jesse Goldstein said.

Although European leaders agreed on a bailout plan fixed with austerity clauses, the crisis is not yet resolved, and investors remain uncertain. Reuters said Feb. 28 that some members of the German Parliament believe that Greece may need a third bailout in 2015.

“This is not the end of the Greek crisis,” Goldwasser said. “Greece will still be running a deficit and measures to reduce the deficit may only shrink the economy and exacerbate existing problems. In the short run, the bailout will add some stability to the European and World economy but there are other countries in Europe that are facing similar problems. This story is far from over.” w

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A&E/FEATURES

ENTERTAINMENT MONTHLY

h c r a M 30

Wrath of the Titans

l i r p A 7

All American Rejects The Pageant

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Proceeds from student artwork silent auction go to local charity Art in Action fundraiser at Plaza Frontenac raises money for Safe Connections, March 2 LEO DICERA —a&e/features writer

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n artist works hard to get his or her pieces promoted in public, but for one school club, booking the Plaza Frontenac mall as an art gallery was nothing short of a surreal experience for all.

Art in Action, the student run club dedicated to creating artwork for charity, held its second silent auction at Plaza Fron-

Calico Joe John Grisham

17 California 37 Train

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The Lucky One

27 The Five Year Engagement

29 Van Halen Scottrade Center

MARCH 15, 2012

tenac from Feb. 27 to March 2. The club showcased artwork created by students in a year-long effort to raise money for the local charitable organization, Safe Connections, which provides counseling and other services for people dealing with domestic violence and sexual assault. This year’s event was a huge success, as they raised more than $600 from the event.

“Having our art displayed [at Plaza Frontenac] was really cool because people got to see all of our work from this year,” junior Emma Riordan said. “We were really excited when we found out that we were able to reserve the space, it felt surreal.”

The predominately senior class club was founded in the fall of 2009 by seniors Emily Bell and Andrew Rubin, and is sponsored by art teacher, Patricia Chavez. Bell and Rubin currently reside as presidents of the club, with senior Amy Dai acting as the vice president.

The club meets once a week, with the silent auction being the main event for which students prepared.

This was the second year that the club held an event to raise funds for charity; their first event was an art fair collaboration with Students Helping Children and Monster Tales in the spring of 2010. With that event, they raised money for the Adoptive and Foster Care Coalition of St. Louis, where proceeds supported kids in need.

The club was founded with the intention of carrying out Ladue Middle School’s art for charity club, Art with Heart.

“We really wanted to translate [Art With Heart] over to the high school because there wasn’t a club where students could get to make art in an open studio,” Rubin said.

While the school’s pottery club Club Mud has open studio sessions, Rubin pointed out how Art in Action’s overall focus

is on painting, drawing and photography. While students are free to work on whatever medium they please, the majority of students prefer to work in these 2-D mediums.

“We also take old furniture, such as chairs and small tables and make them into something sellable,” Rubin said.

The students raised club funds through selling greeting cards earlier in the year. Members of Art in Action were able to sell the cards during the open house and parent teacher conferences.

The students spent the money on supplies such as varnish and a Panorama ad. Students began working on their art pieces as early as August, with some, working since April of last year. Now that this year’s event has passed, the club members are looking forward to the future, as they hope to continue to create artwork for a good cause.

“We hope that students realize that they don’t have to be a great painter or drawer to be a ‘true artist,’” Riordan said. “We’re always open to new members [in our club], no experience is necessary. It’s really about finding that creative part within yourself and taking on the creative process with anything. It’s learning to explore.”

With a majority of the work for the next auction restarting in August, the club nonetheless hopes to start planning for the upcoming school year. In addition to trying to add new members, the club hopes to continue cultivating creativity among students, as many students use their artistic talents as a way to express themselves.

“When people get to see the work of an artist, they get a view of their perspective of the world,” Riordan said. “Art can help people create feelings that otherwise would be impossible to describe, because often words aren’t enough.” w

SHOP TIL YOU DONATE (Top left) During the Art in Action silent auction at Plaza Frontenac, senior Eliza Colby observes a drawing by a Ladue student. (Bottom left) While at the auction that raised more than $600, seniors David Streid, Xunyi Gao, and sophomore Claire Paddock are a part of string trio that performed during the event. The auction was held Feb. 27 to March 2. (photos by Elizabeth Ornitz)

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MARCH 15, 2012

A&E/FEATURES

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A Poetic Performance

Junior Courtney Jonas takes first place at regional Poetry Out Loud competition SARAH KLOEPPLE —a&e/features editor

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oetry has a tendency to scare some high school students away from their English assignments. They often find it frustrating, confusing, and a little odd. But for junior Courtney Jonas, it’s a vessel for creativity and even performing.

Jonas placed first in the regional Poetry Out Loud competition, Feb. 18, where other students from the St. Louis region prepared, memorized and recited a poem of their choice. Jonas also received a cash prize and certificate. Next, she will prepare for the state competition held in Jefferson City, March 21.

“I’m very into the arts, so poetry is another way of pursuing my passion,” Jonas said. “I have no idea what to expect in Jeff City, but I’m excited. I’m treating it like an audition.”

English teacher Kim Gutchewsky serves as Jonas’ mentor throughout the Poetry Out Loud competitions. She helps Jonas practice, giving feedback and pointers on her emphasis and emotion when reciting, while also supporting her from the sidelines at the competitions.

“I’m more of cheerleader than a teacher,” Gutchewsky said.

“Courtney just gets it. I went with my gut with what she was doing well and just encouraged her to keep it up.”

The poem Jonas plans to recite for the state competition is “Boy and Egg” by Naomi Shihab Nye. For the poem to be eligible, it must be 25 lines or fewer and written before a certain

era. Jonas must also make sure her recitation is accurate, meaning no paraphrasing or omission of words.

“At one point we were nervous that my poems were too short compared to the other contestants’ poems,” Jonas said.

“But in the end, it didn’t matter as long as I still showed depth within the poem.”

At first, Jonas was drawn to Poetry Out Loud for the extra credit points that would boost her English grade, but she soon learned it was another outlet for performing, something she loves to do.

“I love being on stage, and this was another experience for me,” Jonas said. “To me it’s really similar to acting, where you dissect the material then add emotions and feeling behind it.”

She had the chance to memorize and recite two poems in front of various teachers last year. It was her first experience with Poetry Out Loud.

“I remember I completely forgot one of my poems and just stood still repeating the one line I remembered,” Jonas said.

“But I had fun and wanted to try again this year.”

Once she showed interest and decided to compete, Gutchewsky organized a group of judges to gather and evaluate her at a school competition, which she took first place. After the regional competition, she and Gutchewsky are focusing their attention on preparing for the state competition, where Jonas has the chance to win scholarship money.

“Based on the positive feedback from the judges [at regionals], she doesn’t have to change much,” Gutchewsky said.

New club aims to improve quality of cafeteria food

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN After her recitation of two poems, junior Courtney Jonas happily accepts her first place title at the regional Poetry Out Loud competition. (photo courtesy of Tracy Speller) “We’re just going to cling to what she did the first time.”

Regardless of the outcome of the state competition, Jonas hopes to participate in Poetry Out Loud her senior year. It’s a hobby that she has quickly turned into a talent.

“Whatever happens, I know I tried my best,” Jonas said. w

The Fresh Food Movement plans to educate Ladue on making healthier decisions

informing people about the healthy options that already exist in the cafeteria; it’s not about radically changing what’s offered, even if we do make a few suggestions.”

Before making any suggestions, the club decided to try to determine the demand for more fresh food at school. They bevery day, hundreds of Ladue students eat lunch in the gan with a survey about hummus, offering students a taste durschool cafeteria. While there is a variety of food offered, ing lunch and then asking whether they would buy the product. some students are concerned about the freshness of the “We collected data that showed a huge desire for healthy food available. Because of this, junior Courtney Emert recently choices, such as hummus, to be featured in the daily lunch decided to start the Fresh Food Movement Club.

“The Fresh Food Movement is about educating the school as menu. This was an exciting survey result because it confirmed my hopes for this club’s success,” Emert said. “The Fresh a whole on making healthy decisions and spreading awareness Food Movement acts as a on what we are eating,” Emert voice for students wanting a said. “It is an effort to change healthier option and we apthe way that people view healthy [The Fresh Food Movement] is an preciated the suggestions and food and make it more appealing effort to change the way that people feedback given.” and accessible to them.”

When the club commuview healthy food and make it more apAlthough the club is small nicated its results to Blumm, and new, it has already developed pealing and accessible to them. they found potential for cola clear vision for change. The -junior Courtney Emert laboration and success. club has a variety of issues that it “In the hummus recipe, would eventually like to address. we made sure to use ingre“Our goals as a club are to dients that the school cafeteria enhance the healthy choices on the can easily use. We also sent over the exact recipe that we used, lunch menu, work with struggling food banks around the comand I think the cafeteria may actually start serving hummus munity, learn more about organic products and how we could eventually,” Svejkosky said. “So, even in a short amount of possibly bring them into our school, and have fun experimenttime, we’ve already accomplished a lot.” w ing with new recipes,” Emert said.

The students brought their concerns to Family and ConEAT FRESH (Top left) Working together in the sumer Sciences teacher Jill Svejkosky. However, Svejkosky kitchen, juniors Courtney Emert and Addison perceived a different problem.

O’Neal carefully measure ingredients for apple cin“I had them sit down with Sue Blumm, the director of food namon muffins. (Bottom left) The carefully crafted services, to talk about the options that are already available muffins, which are made with no preservatives, are at school,” Svejkosky said. “I think a lot of it is an issue of fresh out of the oven. (photos by Shu-San Lam)

SAYLI SANT —a&e/features writer

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Debate concludes successful season Talking Rams compete at Student Congress, MSHSAA and NFL district tournaments

“Our team has had incredible EMMA GRADY-PAWL success at tournaments, especially —a&e/features writer seniors Emily Bell and Sayli Sant

L

ess than 20 miles from St. Louis, one of America’s famous debates took place between Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln. More than 150 years later, Ladue’s debate team, the Talking Rams, have wrapped up a stellar season and are heading on to state and nationals.

This season, the Talking Rams did well at invitationals around the St. Louis area and in their semesterlong competition, the Greater St. Louis Speech League Tournament.

Throughout the year, the team consistently placed well, earning multiple trophies, and the season ended at the Marquette Invitational, with nine students placing in their events and four students receiving first place.

President and senior David Streid attributes the team’s achievement to their focus and cohesiveness.

who consistently exemplify what it means to be a debater,” Streid said.

“What’s remarkable though is that our success isn’t defined by a single person, but the group. Each person has contributed so much to how well we do and that hasn’t faltered throughout the school year.”

The fact of their success should only give the team confidence as they advance. The team had its first qualifying district event, Congress Districts, the weekend of the 24th to determine who goes on to state and nationals. The team faces two more district events, MSHSAA districts during the weekend of March 3, and NFL districts March 8-10. Junior Sydney Petersen stresses the importance of a good performance at this stage.

“Everyone’s really excited and nervous for districts,” Petersen said.

“The stakes are high, because if you

do well, you could go to the state or national tournaments.”

A typical tournament for the team is divided into two busy days.

On Friday, debaters begin with two rounds of events, and two rounds of debates. The next day, all debate participants and students advancing to semi-finals in events return to competition. Junior Collin Christner characterizes the experience of a tournament as a mixture of pressure and excitement.

“They really only get nervewracking when you advance to later rounds where the pool of competitors gets smaller and smaller,” Christner said. “Even then though, if you’re prepared, it’s pretty invigorating, and it’s a lot of fun debating competent opponents.”

At the end of the tournament’s second day, the students’ hard work is validated in an awards ceremony in which most schools recognize the top six or eight individuals in events and all students who advance to

Double Take senior Jordan Norber

Tintin from ‘The Adventures of TinTin’

quarter-finals in debate.

The Talking Rams have history of successful advancement, as team sponsor Molly Beck, attests.

“Students from Ladue traditionally qualify to the state and national tournaments,” Beck said. “Students place at events, and Ladue is highly regarded by the speech and debate community—other schools recognize how hard the students here work and how dedicated they are to improvement.”

The students’ dedication is never more obvious than in their preparation for districts. The process truly begins at the start of the school year, but during districts debaters commit even more to practice and refining their pieces and skills. For many debaters this means spending longer hours after school than sports often require. Freshman Yuxiao Li describes what this commitment to preparation entails.

“You prep, research, cut cards, do speaking drills, and talk with your partner about what statistics you want to include, ” Li said.

Junior Sarah Allen will compete at MSHSAA state in extemporaneous speaking, seniors Sarah Fee and Sayli Sant will compete in duet acting and Sant will compete in Humorous Interpretation and LincolnDouglas Debate.

At the NFL National Speech and Debate Tournament June 10-15

in Indianapolis, Indiana, seven Ladue students will attend. Sant and junior Haohang Xu will compete in Lincoln-Douglas debate, juniors David Abraham and Mukund Subramanian will compete in Policy Debate, junior Harika Upadhyayula and sophomore Chloe An will compete in student congress. Senior Emily Bell will compete in international extemporaneous speaking; Bell is the first four time national qualifier from the Eastern Missouri District in its history.

For many, public speaking is a nightmare, but debate significantly increases people’s confidence in speaking in front of a group. Beck is enthusiastic about this and the other benefits of debate for students.

“The ultimate goal of speech and debate is growth,” Beck said.

“Students learn more about communication, presentation, themselves, and the world around them. I think every student should try it—you never know what you can do if you never try.” w

THE GREAT DEBATORS

After a weekend of tough arguments, the 2012 Ladue NFL National Tournament qualifiers smile for the camera. Haohang Xu, Sayli Sant, David Abraham, Harika Upadhyayula, Mukund Subramanian, Emily Bell and Chloe An will represent Eastern Missouri as a whole in Indianapolis, Indiana, June 10-15. (photo courtesy of Emily Bell)

We have searched Ladue for students and faculty who are mirror images of famous actors or entertainers... and here they are! So now ask yourself, who do you go to school with?

senior Lucas Tamaren

actor Hugh Jackman

junior Courtney Jonas

actress Emma Stone

photos courtesy of moviespad.com, poponthepop.com, and magazineznews.com

MARCH 15, 2012

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A Night of Jazz

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A Silent Comeback

Middle school and high school musicians join forces to showcase famous jazz pieces

CHRISTINE WANG —a&e/features editor

JAZZ LINE Before the high school musicians take stage, the Ladue Middle School band stands to take a bow. The Ladue Night of Jazz featured more than 100 Ladue students who played various famous jazz compositions, played in the Performing Art Center March 7. (photo by Hope Howard) MACKENZIE PASS —a&e/features writer

J

azz is an interesting style of music shared widely over many cultures, communities, and generations. Ladue’s own jazz band sponsored and instructed by Mr. Aaron Lehde brought together a culmination of jazz music to share through a Ladue Night of Jazz.

“This is our district’s jazz showcase,” Lehde said. “It seemed to make sense to combine the jazz groups from the High School and Middle School to have a fun night of jazz for everyone involved. This was our second year and we’re looking forward to many more to come!”

The event featured more than 100 musicians from all levels and classes of band and showcased many pieces of music.

Pieces included famous compositions such as “Take the A Train,” “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” “The Shadow of your Smile,” “All of Me,” “Tippin’ on the Q.T.,” and “Satin Doll” were played.

“This year’s program focused on the music of jazz masters Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Thad Jones, along with other composers,” Lehde said.

Although there was no audition process, students put in a lot of hours with intense, preparing rehearsals. Preparing for this one night took over a year, with each student practicing during their band time.

“I think the music was the star of the show,” Lehde said.

“We had fun playing this music, and trying to share that enthusiasm with our audience.”

What differed this performance from the average concert was that the students were extremely passionate and excited about the opportunity to play the jazz pieces.

“What I like most about jazz is that it is not predetermined about what you play, it’s more of an improvisation,” junior Tim Padgett said. “While the decision of what to play is sometimes difficult, it becomes really fun to practice.”

The students enjoyed the opportunity to work with professional trumpet player Adam Hucke, an Assistant Professor of Music at Southwestern Illinois College. He is the director of the SWIC Jazz Band and teaches other music theory and history classes. Adam performs regularly in the St. Louis area with many bands including The Funky Butt Brass Band, The Circus Harmony Orchestra, Downtime, and SLAM. This added professional talent on top of Ladue’s talent.

“It was a great way for band to showcase jazz music and everyone’s talent on a fun level,” sophomore Emma Barg said.

The jazz concert allowed students to express their inner love for music and their enjoyment for playing the tunes. In addition, it was a great way for students, like junior Curtis Walls, to play some of their favorite pieces such as “The Woogy.”

“Jazz is an expressive form of music,” Curtis Walls said.

“It allows a person to put more soul into playing, with more creative thinking involved.” w

A

lthough it’s no secret that “The Artist” won Best Picture in the 2012 Oscars, it goes without saying that this movie is fantastic. Sitting through a silent movie isn’t an idea of a poppin’ Friday night but “The Artist” was surprisingly charming and entertaining.

The film centers on the transition from the golden age of silent films to the use of “voice” and ironically is silent itself. “The Artist” opens in 1927 when George Valentin, played by Jean Dujardin, premieres one of his hugely successful silent films to a well receiving audience. Valentin’s success as a silent movie star makes him pretentious as well as cocky about his career. He meets an enthusiastic and aspiring actress appropriately named Peppy Miller, played by Bérénice Bejo, and advises her on how to reach fame in the industry. However, Valentin finds that his career in silent movies wanes while Miller’s career soars when audiences can’t get enough of her voice and his ego prevents him from giving into “the fad of sound.”

First, I want to state that although this isn’t a “normal” movie, do not let that be a turn off! I must admit that I was pretty skeptical about sitting through almost two hours of not hearing a single voice.

Granted, there were a handful of instances of voice at the very end of the movie, but I don’t want to give anything away.

“The Artist” is definitely not the first of its kind.

Hundreds of silent films were produced during the Great Depression era but this movie stands out.

Although drained of voice and color, this movie achieves several extraordinary feats by employing these elements. Dujardin and Bejo’s heartfelt performances were not hindered by the silence of the film but exemplified. The silence helped isolate the actors’ raw talent and expression. Their explosive chemistry ignited from their first glance and was achieved with neither uttering a word. Serious props to both actors for clearly portraying a sophisticated plot without any voice .

This film can be described nothing less than a joy to watch. I wouldn’t categorize this movie as a light comedy, but there are definitely many humorous moments. “The Artist” is very entertaining with an intricate plot, and although unconventional, is beautifully filmed with an enhancing and clever soundtrack.

The film calls tribute to the early age of movie making. In the age of million dollar explosions, billion dollar blockbusters and 3D movies and remakes, “The Artist” reminds moviegoers of the simplistic elegance of movies and raw emotion that actors and actresses should possess. w (this column reflects the opinion of the writer)

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Best Desserts

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of St. Louis

CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE (Above) Decadent chocolate truffles in the window at Bissinger’s in the Central West End make street-goers’ mouths water. The chocolatier has been in the Lou since 1927. (photo by Jeanne Wilkinson) GOOEY GOODNESS (Above) The delicious Crack Pie from Cyrano’s, smothered with rich caramel sauce and topped with a dollop of whipped cream. Cyrano’s was rated one of Metromix St. Louis’ 2010 best dessert restaurants. (photo by Sarah Kessel) DONUT HOLE IN ONE (Right) Freshly

glazed donuts from Donut DriveIn in Lindenwood Park will melt in your mouth. Alton Brown, host of Food Network’s “Good Eats” even dubbed these the best donuts in the country in 2007.

Krispy Kreme who? (photo by Gretchen McCarthy)

ELEGANT EATS

FIRE IT UP (Above) At Cyrano’s in Webster Groves, a waiter serves up their famous Bananas Cyrano, a fiery flambée for two. Flambée involves pouring alcohol over a hot pan to create a scorching burst of flames. (photo by Sarah Kessel)

(Left) Scrumptious beignets dusted with powdered sugar at Café Ventana. Beignets are traditional deep-fried French “donuts” made from choux pastry dough.

In 2011, the Riverfront Times awarded Café Ventana the Best Coffeehouse in St. Louis. (photo by Elyse Mack)

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Invisible Children launches campaign

Views from the Burrow art by AUDREY KOCHER

WARNING: the column you are about to read is incredibly rude MOLLY BURROUGHS —opinions editor

W

e are raising a generation of wimps. This much is obvious to any spectator at an elementary school soccer game or a judge hearing a lawsuit based on companies not warning consumers their hot drinks are extremely hot. From participation trophies to legal settlements, our culture has created a myth where everybody is special and everybody wins, and if they don’t there is somebody to blame and take money from.

I’m sure we all remember the golden years of elementary school when kids played softball, basketball, tennis, soccer and volleyball. We even told the kids who couldn’t bat “good try.” Just so you know, there’s a special place in purgatory for the words “good try.” Not only do they bluntly point out that you missed a lay-up by a good three feet, they praise your incompetence. It’s like saying, “Congratulations, you just failed epically.” Odds are there’s at least one thing that could actually be complimented, so why not focus on it?

I’m all for including people and making friends but it can be downright painful to watch people with zero hand-eye coordination whiff tennis balls for hours on end.

In fact, one of the most enjoyable parts of high school is watching the athletically-awkward contingent find their niche as the jocks continue to tear up the field. It’s easier to respect someone if you know what they like to do and are good at. Plus, there’s the added bonus of getting to watch school plays that could have come from Broadway or the Fox. Learning that a former midfielder is now a champion Debater can be pretty cool too.

Furthermore, let’s please eliminate the myth that we are all special and unique. With more than four billion people on the planet, I’m willing to bet you could find a near-complete facsimile of any person if you looked hard enough.

Telling kindergarteners they are special is all fine and good except it raises them to believe that they deserve special treatment and should only go to special classes and should only work at special jobs. What we end up with is a class full of entitled people who ‘deserve the best’ and will only become doctors, lawyers, or other fantastically high-paying professions. News flash, the world needs insurance sellers and carpenters and Girl Scout cookie bakers just as much as it needs politicians and scientists. There’s a place in the world for accountants and IRS agents right next to actors and rap artists.

Last but not least, a new get-rich-quick sensation struck the nation when people started suing for the most ridiculous things. Apparently, we need our recyclable coffee cups to remind us that the beverage we are about to consume is extremely hot. What’s next, a warning that shoelaces can make you trip?

We need to stop babying our kids and hold them accountable for their mistakes, whether it’s forgetting that sunscreen is not edible or that AP tests probably require studying. Kids learn more by failing early in life than by having their hands held all the way through an Ivy-League education. Unless the situation is life-threatening (which, by the way, does not include getting a B on a French test), parents should step back and let their kids muddle through.

As a last resort, offer guidance. Suggest, rather than say.

Trust me, everyone will thank you in the long run. w (This column represents the opinion of the writer.)

Kony video raises awareness online

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OPINIONS

CALEB ELLIS —editor in chief

R

ight now, KONY 2012 is blowing up on Facebook, Twitter, your cell phone, and just about every media source you can get your hands on.

March 5, Invisible Children, an activist organization dedicated to ending civil war in Uganda, launched a 30-minute documentary promoting its campaign to oust the ruthless and barbaric warlord, Joseph Kony. Within two days, the video acquired over 11 million hits on Youtube, not too mention a furious sharing rate on most social media outlets. The movie illustrates numerous atrocities Kony committed since taking control of the insurrectionist group, Lord’s Resistance Army, highlighting his kidnapping of over 30,000 Ugandan children to serve as child soldiers and sex slaves in his guerilla army.

The response this documentary has sparked is absolutely admirable.

Watching people across the globe

stand up and say no to something inherently evil is inspiring, and shines a light in a world that often seems drowned out in indifference.

However, this was not the only response that lit up my newsfeed.

Too frequently, individuals posted blog entries and dismissive remarks essentially labeling the movement as ‘superficial’ and ‘not up to date.’

Look, I’m not one to devote some sense of blind zealotry lightly. Nor I am going to pretend that 30 minutes of footage can possibly provide an all-encompassing understanding of any issue. I can, however, tell you this: KONY 2012 is not a shallow play on your emotions, it is a genuine effort to raise awareness against a malicious, manipulative tyrant whose crimes against humanity are too numerous to count.

Certain skeptics have highlighted that Kony’s crime rate decreased by almost 80 percent since 2003, or that only 32 percent of Invisible Children’s revenue is dedicated to Central Africa Programs. That conveniently does not account for the 44 percent of funds that is dedicated to

domestic awareness programs, video production and awareness merchandise. And as for that 80 percent crime rate reduction? I couldn’t care less if he was only abducting 1 percent of the children he used too, no

Most people would have been hard pressed to find Uganda on a map 30 days ago. fraction will ever justify the morally corrupt crimes that Kony has been committing for the past twenty years.

Just take into account the fact that most people would be hard pressed to identify Joseph Kony, much less find Uganda on a map, ten days ago, and one 30-minute movie has gone a long way in changing that.

Personally? I don’t want to rest until Kony is tried at the International Criminal Court. If Invisible Children wants to make that happen, then I am happy to hang up a poster and wear a bracelet in the process. w

Song lyrics: stupid or savvy?

MOLLY BURROUGHS —opinions editor I’ve never understood the appeal of baffling song lyrics.

What’s the point of listening to words that don’t make sense?

This is not a new phenomenon, but if song writers and various sexually-promiscuous singers expect me to listen to the average of two and a half hours of music per day, they need to step up their game. Let’s take a look at some of the more glaring examples of indecipherable lyrics.

“Fireflies” by Owl City is a good enough place to start.

When this song was popular back in 2009-2010, I couldn’t drive to school without being audibly assaulted by its nonsensical wording. Any song that describes insects partaking in a “foxtrot above my head” and a “sock hop beneath my bed” should be considered for commitment to the musical version of an asylum.

“Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO is a more recent addition to the ‘Realm of Insanity.’ Considering this song says “party rock” about a thousand times, I’m really confused as to how it rose so high on the charts. Do people enjoy the ticklish sensation as brains dribble out through their ears?

“Rocket Man” by Elton John is a more classic example of ridiculousness.

Anyone who knows all the lyrics to this song deserves a Nobel Prize. I admit that, after adoring this song for several years, I still can’t decipher exactly what Elton says and the variations online are multiple degrees of crazy.

“Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds” by the Beatles falls into the same retro-weirdo category but for entirely different reasons. Outside of the fact that the Beatles were higher than a kite when they recorded it, “Lucy” just doesn’t make sense.

“The girl with kaladaiscope eyes,” and “marmalade skies?” Really? Don’t even get me started on “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.” “Baby It’s Cold Outside” by Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer just plain freaks me out. If you actually listen to the words rather than get sucked into the ‘innocent spirit of the holidays,’ you get the feeling the second singer is seriously in trouble. The guy is spiking her drink for crying out loud, and it’s all in the name of Christmas.

This is not a full list of incomprehensible songs, but for now, “Na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, hey hey hey, good-bye.” w

CALEB ELLIS —editor in chief Confession: I love z-107.7. Sue me, I don’t care. Top forty songs are catchy, easy to memorize and you are guaranteed to hear the song you want sooner rather than later, even if they do play past overkill (I’m looking at you, Adele). But who cares?

If the song makes you want to scream out the lyrics and dance in your car, that is a deal breaker for me. And do not even bring up the ‘mainstream’ argument, I’m not getting into any sort of fight with a hipster.

“Superbass” by Nicki Minaj is a great place to start. I am not going to defend this song as a champion of lyrical dexterity or depth, but I can tell you that when Nicki starts belting out “boy you got my heart beat running away” I resist the urge to break out all of my favorite mirror perfected moves.

“Party In The USA” by Miley Cyrus brings a lot to the table. I mean who can’t relate to a small town girl trying to make it big in LA? Sometimes my “tummy is turning and I’m feeling homesick” and I sure as heck know that “when the Jay-Z song is on” I’m going to be jamming out in the drivers seat, even if the people driving next to me think I am a lunatic.

“Friday” by Rebecca Black is a song that I definite- ly had some reservations about putting on this list. Yes, the blatant auto tuning of Black’s voice is a little nauseating, as are the lyrics that quit literally debate whether or not to sit in the front or back seat of a car. However, this is the first song that I literally saw people playing on their iPhones when they walked through the hallways on Fridays. That song turned passing time from boring into a dance party, and made walking to Sonius’ class almost as fun as him mocking my dance moves.

“Yeah” by Usher, Lil’ Jon and Ludacris is an all time great. The fact that every kid in our generation had that ballad memorized by the fifth grade is a testament to what Lil’ Jon can do by shouting “What? OK!” in to the mic. This is the song that inspired me to try and learn how to break dance, something I try and fail at on an annual basis.

Sometimes a song just makes you smile, and in the end, isn’t that enough? w

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MARCH 15, 2012

Ladue Logic

– math teacher Barb Dwyer

Never coming back to school.

– seniors Kacie Diamond and Libby Ferris

Going out with friends and family all the time.

– freshman Tomi Salami

College Fever SARAH JACOB —opinions writer

W

ith college admission decisions upon us, seniors find themselves anxiously waiting to see if all their hard work has paid off and gotten them into their dream school. Unsurprisingly, it’s not just seniors who worry about college, but all high schoolers. While college is important, students should focus on what they really enjoy and resist the tendency to let college define their high school careers.

It’s natural that high school students think about college and even admirable they want to look toward the future, but they shouldn’t make their lives revolve around building the perfect resume. In a college essay contest published by the New York Times, a student wrote, “We have been well groomed to obsess over grades, standardized testing and school-affiliated extracurricular activities...leave[ing] little time for sitting on grassy knolls arguing about life’s big questions...” The author suggests that students use most of their time participating in activities for college instead of living out their teenage years and having fun.

Being the “perfect” student can create lots of stress, especially academically, and results in many students overloading themselves with AP and advanced classes. The Thomas B. Fordham Institute in 2009 conducted a study on AP programs and published a paper called “Growing Pains in the Advanced Placement Program.” The study found that 90 percent of AP teachers admit that the rising enrollment rate in their courses is largely due to the fact that students believe taking AP courses will make their application look better. AP courses were not designed to support this idea; rather, they were created to challenge advanced students.

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Proposed House amendment redirects funds for education

Health care for the blind may take a hit

What is your ideal spring break?

I’d go to Florida and play in the Member Guest Dunedin Golf Tournament. Last year [my team] took second place!

OPINIONS

HANNAH CROPF —opinions writer

T

hanks to legislation from last month, Missouri’s blind population may be left more disadvantaged than ever.

An amendment from Rep. Tom Flanigan (R), voted on by the House budget subcommittee, reduced coverage for the blind from Missouri’s state health care plan. No Democrats in the committee received notification about the vote, and the resulting hearing lasted ten minutes, leaving no time for the minority party to contradict.

The very nature of the proposition demonstrates a severe lack of judgment. According to a Jan. 20 article from stltoday.com, over 2,800 blind Missourians will suffer under these new restrictions. In barely a week, their $28 million health care benefits will vanish, leaving them with little government assistance for their condition. Calculating in the global costs for vision loss, which the AMD Alliance International estimates as a staggering $3 trillion, where does that leave those thousands of blind citizens?

Before the government deemed its services unnecessary, the Supplemental Aid to the Blind program granted qualifying recipients—specifically, Missourians 18 or older who earn too much for Medicaid but already receive payments from the state blind pension fund—with as much as $707 a month. In addition to monetary benefits, those registered to the program automatically gain access to MO HealthNet, which provides nursing, and inpatient and outpatient hospital care to eligible clients. Factoring in the 70 percent unemployment among the blind community, according to the Missouri Council of the Blind, the necessity

of these provisions become even more apparent.

Between the funding and direct medical care, the Supplemental Aid to the Blind provides a crucial safety net for blind individuals.

The blind aren’t the only victims of this poorly thought-out legislation. In the same conference, the House Appropriations-Health, Mental Health, and Social Service Committee cut a total of $65.4 million on medical and support service funds, The Columbia Daily Tribune reported. For instance, Flanigan’s amendment proposes cuts of $12 million from subsidized childcare.

The reason for this suggested reallocation was the redirection of funding to higher education.

Coupled with Governor Jay Nixon’s (D) earlier cuts to public colleges and universities, the actual amount of money poured into these schools would more or less equal the amount prior to Nixon’s cuts. That’s not progress, that’s taking two steps back to make one step forward. To make matters worse, the abruptness of the vote guarantees muddled follow-through as far as halting the flow of money.

To put it plainly, the House committee and its representatives appear careless, and thousands will suffer for that choice. The government has a responsibility to its people to protect and aid those most in need, and under Flanigan’s legislation, it fails to uphold these sacred duties. Missouri politicians may say they have citizens’ higher education in mind, but too much general welfare is at stake to justify that tenuous claim.

Amidst all the ethical and financial controversy, Governor Nixon has proposed a two percent raise in government employees’ salaries. When government figures receive special treatment over those who truly need it, we must ask ourselves: where did our values go? w

Symptoms include excessive ACT taking, visiting colleges in 7th grade Instead of viewing AP classes as a challenge, Ladue students view them as a college necessity and therefore pile them into their schedules even if they don’t have an interest in the subject matter. An article from Brooklyn Technical High School News states that without an interest, students will “burn out” before finishing the course. Therefore not only would students receive a lower grade in this class, but the overloads could secure lower grades in non-AP courses. Additionally, the article said that the vigorous work required for an AP class can intrude on the time allotted to socializing. This can cause highly intellectual students to become socially awkward and miserable. Lastly the article stated this that the time commitment for APs may result in students quitting extracurriculars which they love.

Although academic pressures can force students to quit club, it can also pressure students into wasting their time with clubs that they don’t have an interest in. Many students feel that the more activities they are involved in the better. However, the College Board directly contradicts this notion and explains that quality trumps quantity. Instead of falling victim to the system and joining countless clubs, students should pursue their passions and strive to make a positive impact in these areas. It is better to commit oneself to a few select activities and really pour energy and time into it because it shows colleges that one understands the meaning of dedication and individuality.

Additionally, students also acquire stress from their parents when it comes to college. Parents have hammered it into kids’ minds that if they don’t succeed in high school, they won’t get into a good college, resulting in them obtaining a bad job. This scary idea of “failure” causes students to adopt anxiety towards college application process.

Lloyd Thacker, a critic of the current admissions process, said that the road to college shouldn’t be feared, but looked

PRINCETON REVIEW BLUES The wide array of college preparatory material ranging from the Fiske Guide to Colleges and assorted AP workbooks available in the college and career office speaks volumes about the college obsession at Ladue. (photo

by Elizabeth Ornitz) forward to. He points out that “good” colleges are good because of the work that the students contribute to it, and that it is up to the student to define their educational experience instead of colleges defining it them for them.

Even though college is vital and needs to be thought about, students shouldn’t let it dictate every aspect of their high school years. Students need to learn to enjoy life and appreciate their teenage years, for every moment in life that is wasted is one moment that can never be relived. w

14 1

OPINIONS

annotations

That’s so fetch CHLOE AN —opinions editor

I

think its safe to say “Mean Girls” is one of those movies you just HAVE to see, among classics like “Titanic” and definitely up there with “Grease.” Yet as we laugh at Regina’s snarky attitude and Karen’s not-the-sharpest-crayonin-the-box comments (“Wait, if you’re from Africa...why are you white?”), we find we can actually learn a lot from Cady, Janis, Damien, and the Plastics (yes, even Karen). The surprising message? High school stereotypes labels aren’t necessarily bad, and are definitely not for forever.

“Mean Girls” aside, our pop culture is filled with images of high school as a horrific, tear-you-down-to-kind-of-buildyou-back-up environment with every student branded as part of a certain group. And we disregard them, insisting high school in real life just isn’t like that. But when we really delve deeper, the inconvenient truth is that it really is. You can walk into the cafeteria on any given day and know exactly where everyone sits, how to label each person.

It isn’t racism or sexism or ageism or heightism or even Zoroastrianism. We are able to organize people into groups and label them because that’s just the way humans work. We naturally congregate with people who are like us. We just feel more comfortable with people with similar interests.

The perfect example is my science class. Out of the blue, someone pointed out the oddest thing--all the girls sat on one side, and all the boys sat on the other! Once I noticed it in chemistry, I started looking to see if my other classes would follow suit. Lo and behold, the (shamefully) few classes I have without a seating chart followed the same pattern. We just naturally separated like oil and water.

We do the same with our friend groups. On the first day of kindergarten, we don’t consciously filter out people based on skin color or gender, but we do gravitate toward people like us. I am more likely to approach the girl who physically looks like me because we probably have a high chance of sharing the same interests than my forty-something year-old teacher.

It’s not necessarily true, but it’s the way our minds work.

In reality, you and I are more alike than we think. I probably don’t even know you, but there is a 90 percent chance that we share more than the fact that we are both reading these words. The problem is that once we establish a relationship with a group of friends that we feel comfortable with, we don’t try as hard to break out of our shell and meet other new people. By high school, especially in a relatively small school district like ours, it’s a rare occurrence for people to establish new friendships, and nearly every one can fall under a label like “jock,” “theater guru,” or “nerd.”

But labeling isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Call me crazy, but branding can help someone understand who he or she really is. According to Tim Clydesdale, professor of sociology at the College of New Jersey, teenagers are taking even longer to establish themselves as adults, a period referred to as “emerging adulthood.” High school labels can be the first step in someone’s self-discovery.

But most importantly, high school labels are neither unalterable nor permanent. Don’t like your label? Then change it. Other people’s perspective relies on how you interact with them, how you make them feel, and what you do, all of which are within your power to change. And it is just high school.

In forty years, whether or not you like it, you probably won’t remember who went to what party or who went out with who.

So whether you are a cool asian, a jock, a burn out, or a Plastic, remember labels are not forever. Even if “Mean Girls” will make its mark forever in movie history, who you are in high school won’t. So don’t be afraid to be who you are and say what’s on your mind. After all, that’s so fetch. w (This column represents the opinion of the writer.)

PANORAMA

MARCH 15, 2012

Extracurriculars are one of the most crucial parts of school experience Activity fee is necessary but better alternatives exist ALEX SHIMONY —opinions writer

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ne of the best parts about high school is getting involved in many extra curricular activities outside of the classroom, where students can learn about their interests and strengths through much more than just the classes they take.

This year, the school implemented a $50 activity fee for every high school and middle school students in order to sustain many after school programs. While the activity fee is absolutely necessary to maintain programs to which students have become accustomed to, there are better alternatives.

Although this may seem foreign to Ladue families, such practices have been popping up across the country over the past few years. With cutbacks in state funding, the school must work with less money while trying to accommodate the growing

While the activity fee is absolutely necessary to maintain programs to which students have become accustomed to, there are better alternatives. interests and enthusiasm for learning all on top of the rising cost of public education, which has risen 44 percent over the past 20 years according to the US Department of Education.

Extra curricular activities have been an integral part of Ladue students’ high school careers for years, and removing such a large part of the educational process would be criminal.

Without after school activities, students would be forced to turn to other forms of entertainment, which could lead to trouble.

Also, without these activities how will students be able to explore and diversify their interests? The school will be stuck with a bunch of underachieving, boring students.

However, the main criticism of this fee is the fact that it doesn’t directly go to funding high school programs.

The money raised from the fee, like the money raised from the parking fee, goes directly into the district’s general fund. While the general fund helps to alleviate funding pressures for some activities at the high school, the revenue mainly pays for other things. Rather, the money that students are paying should go directly to paying for activities that impact the students. This could be achieved by distributing the money in proportion to the number of students involved in each activity.

According to principal Bridget Hermann, low-income families who cannot afford to pay the fee have an exemption, but those who merely try to avoid paying are going to find themselves in a tough situation. Like cafeteria fees and library fines, the penalty for not paying the activity fee includes being unable to attend prom, receive transcripts at the end of the year, and could keep students from walking at graduation.

Even with this new fee, there have been a handful of cutbacks that the district has already made. For example, the uniforms for sports teams are generally replaced on a three-year cycle. Every year, one third of the teams should receive new uniforms. However, this year the district was forced to put a pause on the cycle. Teams, like the boys’ soccer team, that were entitled to new uniforms, were forced to wait an additional year.

While the implementation of the activity fee is completely necessary, there are more feasible options. The current system is basically a lump-sum tax, or a tax that applies to everyone regardless of any actions people take or their ability to pay unless there is a special circumstance. This type of tax is widely

perceived as unfair, not only does it charge everyone even if they don’t participate in activities, it also fails to recognize that some families in the district have a greater ability to pay extra fees than others.

There are two better alternatives to this lump-sum activity fee. The first is based on the ability-to-pay principle, in which the majority of the tax burden falls on those with the highest incomes. Increasing the property tax rate in the district or raising the sales tax could accomplish this.

The second option is based on the benefits principle, in which those who engage in the activities are the ones paying the tax rather then those who don’t reap any benefits. This could be easily implemented by charging an individual fee for certain activities separately or by charging a set rate per activity.

The district chose to avoid charging individual fees for specific activities because they felt that all students would benefit from the fee. By placing a specific value on each activity individually, the district would inevitably be forced to place a number value on how much each program is worth for the students and the school. Also, by differentiating prices for activities, it may discourage some students from participating in particular activities over others due to costs.

Both of these plans will inevitably have their supporters and critics. It is up to the district to see that there are better ways of continuing its phenomenal work of providing engaging and beneficial activities to the students of the district. w

art by AUDREY KOCHER

What do you think? Is the activity fee necessary?

A. Yes, it is necessary and practical B. Yes, but there are more feasible options C. No, it is absolutely uncessary and unfair Go to www.laduepanorama.com to vote!

PANORAMA

MARCH 15, 2012

OPINIONS

[staff] EDITORIAL

#stopkony art by BOWON JOUNG

February Corrections w on page 2, Michael Prablek, Ibhan Kulkarni, Maria and Cecelia Vetter’s names were misspelled w on page 3, Etinosa Ogbevoen’s name was misspelled and Emma Riordan’s name was incorrect. won page 11, Sydney and Taylor Petersen’s names were misspelled. w on page 22, Racheal Stark and Etinosa Ogbevoen’s name was misspelled and Ann Rittenbaum was mis quoted as saying “done” instead of “finished.” w Retraction: Librarian Michelle Schmitt was invited as a substitute speaker to present resources available in the library, not to deliver a talk on sex education.

Panorama regrets the error.

Panorama is produced nine times per school year by the newspaper class of Ladue Horton Watkins High School • 1201 S. Warson Rd., St. Louis, Missouri 63124 • (314)-993-6447 ext. 5463 • www.laduepanorama.com Panorama strives to inform and entertain students, staff and community members and to uphold professional standards of accuracy and fairness. Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of Panorama editors, not necessarily the school or school district. Signed editorials represent the writer’s opinion.

Panorama welcomes and encourages letters to the editors. Signed letters of 300 words or fewer should be brought to Room 216. Panorama reserves the right to edit as long as the intent remains unchanged.

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The farther a lie whirls out of control causes a rumor to spread like wild fire, like a spark just waiting to ignite near gun powder. The anxiety that stems from that voice causes rumors to fester and explode. It leaves the subjects of the gossip humiliated, and the perpetrators at fault.

The society that’s evolving because of constant gossip needs to come to a stop. People need to consider the damage done to a person. Spreading the rumor only enables them to spiral off into outrageous and exaggerated plots. The individual and groups that hurt each other in the process of exposing these secrets cause distress between friends and sometimes the deterioration of a friendship.

In a society where we constantly text, SMS, tweet, and Facebook message each other, face-to-face communication and deep, meaningful conversations seem to get lost in translation.

Communication becomes the key to unlocking the message lost within the web of lies. An unhealthy habit of the suppression of true feelings provide false images of ourselves and our peers.

It’s become more or less of an archetype for girls and boys in cliques and groups that feel the need to broadcast rumors.

Even though gossiping and spreading rumors may create a sense of belonging and acceptance among a group of people, it is never acceptable. In society, chatter about what happened at the party Friday night or who wore what is justified as “spreading news.” However, while news is factual information in great detail, gossip is simply spreading some one’s personal information that one has no right to advertise. The rush of adrenaline that comes from the sudden attention of people gathering around gossip is superficial and temporary.

15

Gossip, while socially acceptable, hurts more than the surface reveals

The worst feeling we experience is finding out when people, even friends, talk about you behind your back. The devastation and anger one feels is the proof that communication is key to prevent offending anyone. A common perception makes teenagers believe that spreading rumors may elevate their social status and show other people they are a force to be reckoned with, but the reality is there is probably a rumor going around about them as well.

The lack of communication in our community is like trying to make a phone call when all the phone lines are down. The communication that fails to occur between the gossiper and subject of the gossip ultimately delivers the situation back to the main point that because the wanted attention spreads negatively through the public and ends back where it began, it now hurts both of them. The person that publicized the rumor wishes that they would have never done it and the victimized individual questions their self-esteem.

Society only encourages gossip by all the attention and money it makes off of it. Dramatic TV shows dedicate themselves to the habit alone -- “Gossip Girl” and “Pretty Little Liars,” to name a few, base story lines off of haughty teenagers running around spreading rumors and backstabbing loved ones to only end up hurting themselves in the end. A majority of high school students watch these shows and even idolize characters. These shows advertise that a girl stole another girls’ boyfriend or that she cheats with her ex-boyfriend. This encourages the mentality that lying and cheating is acceptable and facilitates the spread of rumors. Kids in the community need to stand up to rumors that fly around, not immerse themselves in them.

(Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Panorama editorial staff)

[staff] EDITORIAL One of the greatest things a student can receive in their education is the ability to work one-on-one with a teacher. The personal attention of a teacher can be instrumental in helping a student conquer personal problems in a subject area or develop relationships with people from all different backgrounds. Yet, as more students pile into Ladue and less teachers are around to teach, students lose this key component.

For example, take an AP United States History class. The class is about to burst with more than 30 students taking up every nook and cranny in the room. There are about five different groups of friends sitting together and at any given time can be talking about topics ranging from the Mizzou basketball game to the latest fight on “Jersey Shore.” On a rare occasion, the students may mention the actual class material, and all that is standing between the class not focusing at all and chaos is one defenseless teacher.

It is easily visible that the teacher gets frustrated with the lack of focus by his horde of students and constantly has to take time from his lesson plan to tell the class to be quiet. But hey, who can blame the guy for getting mad at his students’ blatantly disrespectful lack of focus in the class? The teacher just wants to do his job and prepare his students for the AP test.

The constant chatter clearly stems from the overcrowded classroom. Compared to the other AP U.S. class, with only 20 students, the difference in disruptions during class is night and day. In any class, there will always be a group of friends that will occasionally talk and disrupt the others. Yet in an especially crowded class, the disruption happens all period long.

The number of students presents numerous problems for the teacher and students in the class. For one, it is hard for students

Lack of one-on-one attention due to oversized classrooms has big implications

who want to learn to do so with other students creating a distraction. These distractions also make it hard for the teacher to focus on the lesson and give a complete lecture over his students’ gossip. It is also very disrespectful to the teacher as it would be to anyone else who was trying to speak.

Another problem resulting from the amount of students in the class is the lack of personal attention from the teacher. The teacher has to try and appease to his large number of students, and while doing so, does not have time to address learning obstacles. The large classes diminish the one-on-one attention that is so crucial in receiving an education.

There are many possible solutions to the rise of large classes. One possible solution would be for the counselors to try and make each class roughly the same size. Currently, one AP US History class has 10 more students than the other. While 10 students may not seem like a lot, it does create a lot more class chatter than one would expect.

If the counselors are unable to keep the classes from being so big, another solution could be for the teachers to resort pull out their secret weapon: a seating chart. Yes, the seating chart: a student’s worst nightmare and a fool proof way to split up groups of friends and put them next to people who don’t share similar interests. While no teacher wants to be the bad guy who forces his students to sit next to strangers, it would help reduce classroom chaos and allow the teacher to teach his lesson without any disruptions.

Whatever the solution may be, Ladue needs to focus on keeping class room’s small in order to provide a productive learning environment for its students. And please don’t let the solution be seating charts.

(Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Panorama editorial staff)

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SPORTS

PANORAMA

MARCH 15, 2012

Boys baseball looks for redemption after last season’s upset district loss Weaker bats and new field mark big changes

HATS OFF Racing towards the ball from his position in the outfield, senior Lucas Tamaren’s hat flys off. Tamaren will play right field and bat lead-off for the second year in a row for the varsity team. (photos by Gretchen McCarthy).

MIKE FIGENSHAU —sports writer Continued from page 1 “Last season we came up short at the end of the year to Ritenour, a team below our talent level, because we pointed fingers instead of staying focused,” Sandler said. “Our team is now filled with more than 15 juniors and seniors. This group of guys is experienced.”

Last year the Rams let a 4-0 lead slip away from them in the late innings against Ritenour. The Rams committed key errors late in that game and plan to use those crucial moments as motivation for this year.

“Honestly, I haven’t really thought about last year,” Sandler said. “ Losing in the district semifinals to Ritenour left a very sour taste in my mouth, and our team seeks redemption. Our goal was to win a district championship last year, and we came up short. We expect nothing less than a district championship, and we know we have the right mix of guys this year to win one.”

This season presents new challenges for the team. New bat regulations will require players to use Batted-Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) bats for safety precautions. According to the Missouri State High School Activities Association, BBCOR

Last year, the Rams dealt with numerous injuries during the bats are “intended to limit bat performance at or near the maxiseason that forced other players to step up and contribute to the mum performance limits of a wood bat, thereby minimizing adteam. Junior Turner Miller suffered a shoulder injury that kept ditional risks and promoting the sound traditions of the sport.” him out of the lineup last year.

“The change was implemented for safety precautions so the “I plan on staying healthy because last year I hurt my ball isn’t as likely to jump off the bat,” assistant coach and Pracshoulder diving in to second base,” Miller said. “We really want tical Arts teacher Don Goble said. “College teams implemented to have a healthy team and have everyone contribute to win them last year. Offensive statistics like home runs are way down. The style of the game has changed a little bit with the use games.”

As with any team, senior leadership is key to any future of BB bats, the type we will have to use this season.” chance of success. This year the team will lean on two experiDespite the new regulations, the Rams are ready to change their style of play. The team will no longer be able to rely on the enced captains for leadership.

“We have two captains: Jason Sandler and Lucas Tamaren,” long balls that were easily attainable with previous bats. Now Goble said. “Jason is a four-year varsity player, and Lucas is in the team will have to play a different style of game by doing his third year. They lead by example, and we will go as far as things such as stealing and hit and runs. they go. We will also count on Greg Gannon, Daniel Sheinbein, “The new bat regulations will cause our team to play more Matt Munfakh, and Hamm Hooper. small ball,” Sandler said.

We are a senior team. Any season, we “I expect us to bunt, steal, We expect nothing less than a district will go as far as our seniors take us.” and hit and run a lot more The Rams have yet to win a disthan we have in years championship and we know we have trict championship and to be competipast.” the right mix of guys this year to win tive this year, the team will have to be The team has spent on. able to perform in intense situations. significant time preparing -senior Jason Sandler “We have had open gyms in the physically to endure the off-season so players would have the long season. Players opportunity to hit, throw, lift weights worked out over the sumand condition so they come into the season physically premer and played on club teams to make sure they didn’t lose any pared,” Goble said. “The only thing we can do is prepare our of the skills they had gained during the season. kids for high-pressure, high-anxiety games, and hope they per“Preparing has been a pretty much continuous process for us form. We prepare every day of the season. In a baseball game, it ever since the end of last year’s season,” Munfakh said. “Most can take just one play to change everything. We’re a little older, of us went off to play on club and summer league teams during and we hope our experience can get us past that.” w the summer and we’ve been working out together in captains practices much of the school year.”

The Rams will face tough opponents this year as always.

A DAY AT PRACTICE (Bottom Left) Flipping the The team opens up with St. Louis University High who is typiball to second base, sophomore Ryan Glazer turns cally one of the better teams in the area. The Rams will also a double play. Glazer is the only sophomore to face tough opponents in Kirkwood and Francis Howell Central. make varsity.

(Bottom Center) Taking his stretch “SLUH was the top team in our district and they have beaten from first base, senior Greg Gannon receives a us every year I have been in the program,” Sandler said. “Franthrow. This is Gannon’s second year on the team cis Howell Central beat us by one run in extra innings last year after transferring from Westminster. (Bottom and were a very well coached team, and most of their players Right) Catching a ball, senior Daniel Sheinbein will return. Kirkwood has two excellent pitchers, one of whom works on drills from his position at shortstop. This is going to Mizzou next year. With the new bats pitching will will be Sheinbein’s first year playing at shortstop mean everything.” for the varsity team.

To contend with the top teams, the Rams must stay healthy.

”

MARCH 15, 2012

PANORAMA

SPORTS

17

New coach looks to continue success after one-loss season Seniors seek to serve as leaders for young team “Coach T is very good at keeping us going during tough times during a game or practice,” Gresick said. “Also, he knows a lot about lacrosse and forming great plays.”

Theriault tries to maximize the team’s effectiveness on the field. He helps the girls gain skills and stamina to fight through irls lacrosse team is preparing for another strong season with a new head coach and experienced players added to the game.

“Coach T is an amazing coach and always knows exactly the roster. The team aims to place among the top eight in what to have us do to take us to the next level,” Laycob said. the state tournament.

“He’s also the best conditioner around. It is a little weird havSenior captains Allie Wielansky, Becca Langsam and Elena ing our games and practices on the soccer field now; it definitely Gresick will lead the team. The three contribute expertise and makes our suicides a little bit more intimidating.” enthusiasm as they have played since they were freshman.

Theriault’s coaching abilities instill confidence in his play“We have the best captains that everyone loves,” senior ers. They all respect his coaching and expect to see their hard Molly Laycob said. “They know how to keep practice going work in practices pay off. smoothly and upbeat.”

“Personally I feel Coach T is a really strong head coach,” Last year’s season ended with disappointment after losing the elite eight to St. Joseph’s. The team hopes to advance farther Wielansky said. “He has been our assistant coach since we have started as freshmen in the state tournament with guidance from so he knows us coaches and captains.

We had a perfect season last year each as individu“We had a perfect season last year until until the last game, so we are going als both on and off the last game, so we are going to come out the field. He is also hard this season looking to try to do better,” to come out hard this season looking very supportive of Gresick said.“I know a lot of the girls are to try to do better. us and knows the -senior Elena Gresick still really bitter about that loss to St. Joe sport really well so that will fuel the fire this year. Also, we even though he had have amazing players returning to help never personally played before he got the job at Ladue.” create a strong base for this team.”

The team still holds high hopes for this year despite the loss The team works hard to pick up slack left behind by last of some of last year’s players. They continue to work to settle year’s seniors. With practice, they hope to perform just as well, into this season. if not better, than last year.

“My goal for the team is to try and do as well as or better “We lost seven seniors last year and it will take some time than we did last year,” sophomore CamNewton said. “We lost a to adjust seeing as we will probably have a younger varsity this ton of key players, but the JV players have been working hard, year,” Wielansky said. and if we work hard enough, I think it can happen.”

The team’s coaching staff has also changed along with playThe coaches and captains push the players to their full ers. Coach Neil Theriault stepped up from an assistant coaching position to become the new head coach for the upcoming season potential. The girls hope that this drive to sucess will lead this team further in the state playoffs. after last year’s head coach resigned. Despite losing a great “My expectations for this year are hopefully we can make it coach, the team is excited about the change and the upcoming far in the state championship,” junior Alex Patershuk. “Alyear. The entire team all forsee improvement in multiple areas though we did lose a lot of players hopefully we can still be a of the games under him.

KAREN FIGENSHAU —sports writer

G

”

EYES ON THE BALL Reaching out for the ball, sophomore Emily Dove prepares to make a catch and run down the field. Despite a new coaching staff, the girls team plans to have another successful season and make a run for the state championship. Last year, the girls were undefeated until they reached Ursaline in the district semifinals. (photo by Elizabeth Ornitz) strong team.”

The players work with each other to regain the stability they enjoyed last year. The team gets a head start into the season, moving up a division.

“Last year we made it to the Elite 8 at state,” senior Annie Beath said. “I think we’ll do a lot better because we moved up in a division. In the higher division, we’ll be playing harder teams. This way, we’ll be used to harder competition and be ready to play the tough private schools at the state tournament.”

Getting accustomed to the competition will help the team. If the team’s expectations pan out, the changes to the running of the state tournament will also help to bring the team to victory.

“I know a lot of other schools around us have lost key players as well, so we are all in the same boat,” Wielansky said.

“Also, the seeding this year will be done through a computer.

That means the tournament runs based off rankings and stats for the season. Depending on what kind of season we have, I hope this will be a good thing.” w

Mark YOUR CALENDAR Save the date and saddle up to go cheer on your Rams at these marquee matchups:

lMarch 26 - Boys Baseball @ Lutheran South

lMarch 28 - Girls Lacrosse @ Webster Groves lMarch 29 - Girls Soccer @ Webster Groves lMarch 26 - Boys Golf vs. Parkway North

photo by JEANNE WILKINSON

18

SPORTS

PANORAMA

MARCH 15, 2012

Same squad, soaring expectations

With a returning varsity lineup, girls soccer gears up practice routines, prepares to battle for a stronger season and ready to beat new record LEVI GREENBERG —sports writer

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ost of the starting lineup is returning from last year’s varsity girls soccer team, as no members graduated in the class of 2011. The Rams are motivated to improve last year’s record and win conference later this spring.

Dave Aronberg, varsity head coach, has an opportunity to build on prior strengths.

“There will be good competition in practice for starting spots throughout the season which should only help us get stronger during the year,” Aronberg said.

Returning captain and senior Abbey Walter anticipates developing a better team from last year’s girls.

Walter notices a renewed sense of enthusiasm in the players in addition to an increase in work ethic.

“We have a good group of girls that want to be here and play hard,” Walter said.

Aronberg is looking for a go-to player to replace Megan Beers, last

year’s top point-scorer who is currently training with a club team. He hopes that such an individual will fill her hole, and result in favorable decisions in close matches.

“Ladue has lacked a big-time scorer over the past few years and

“She’s a great player, and we should have higher scoring games with her playing,” Vetter said.

Mariana’s season-ending injury last year came five minutes into the second game against Affton. With results from the doctor that her ankle

I think that more girls are starting to buy into putting in the work during the offseason to make our seasons more successful.

”

-head coach Dave Aronberg

I’m hoping we find someone who will finish with regularity,” Aronberg said.

Junior and captain Maria Vetter sees talent in many of the younger players going out for the team. One sophomore that she holds high hopes for is Mariana Alisio, whose season was cut short by an ankle injury last year. Since then she healed and is excited to return to the team.

required surgery, Alisio could no longer play in the remaining games.

“It made me so mad when I found out I was going to be out for the whole season,” Alisio said.

“Luckily I’m back this year, ready to play and happy to be back.”

Many players share a common goal: to improve the team’s record and win conference. They plan to push themselves at practice and work

their hardest on the grass in order to battle their way to the tournament.

Junior and captain Abby Shapiro understands that to win, the team must be motivated and driven.

Achieving these goals will require difficult practices.

“We came close last season, but hopefully this year we will take the title,” Shapiro said.

The team has been dealt a tougher schedule than last year, which raises difficulty. Aronberg has made changes accordingly, preparing the team for the upcoming season.

“We are doing a lot more fitness, which is a pain, but we will be in really good shape once the games begin,” Vetter said.

Aronberg knows that hard work is the critical piece the Rams need to have a stellar season. Making improvements from last year involves complete commitment to the sport.

“I think that more girls are starting to buy into putting in the work during the offseason to make our seasons more successful,” Aronberg said. “I hope their hard work gets rewarded.” w

EYE ON THE PRIZE As junior

Maria Vetter looks up field, she singles out a teammate and prepares to make a pass. (photo by Elizabeth Ornitz)

Soccer Stills

1 BEAT ‘EM OUT

As juniors Maria Vetter and Caroline Stapleton meet at the ball, they plan a quick move to beat out the other.

Though they are teammates during the season, their competitive spirits shine during practice scrimmages.

photos by Elizabeth Ornitz

2 CHARGE!

While junior Abby Shapiro runs up field, she is shadowed by junior Allie Taniuchi, senior Abby Walter and junior Jenny Lesorogol. With conditioning becoming a more prominent part of the girls practices, they run more in the hopes of it paying off during the long season.

1 2

3 RUN JODY RUN

As she dribbles the ball, senior Jody Peterson evades oncoming defenders. Peterson is one of the many upperclassmen players on the team who hopes to lead the girls to victory.

3 4

4 LOCKED AND LOADED

With her head down, eyes locked on the ball and leg swung back, sophomore Grace Waldman gears up to make a strong pass.

MARCH 15, 2012

PANORAMA

State runners up dive back in Water polo team looks to build off second place state finish and take home the crown NATHAN PERLMUTTER —sports writer

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his year’s water polo team is looking to improve on last year’s strong second place finish at state.

At the end of last year the team pulled a ‘Cinderella Story’ during the playoffs. After being seeded eighth in the tournament, they climbed back to make their way into the finals. Senior Chris Shirley is looking for the title this year.

“This year we have a smaller group and everyone will be playing more often,” Shirley said. “I hope and expect to win state after our experience last year.”

For the upcoming season, the team will have to overcome a few hurdles to obtain a similar status.

The first of these is the loss of the seniors that contributed to last year’s team. However, head coach Corey Miller is confident that his younger players will step up to fill the void.

“We have a lot of promising underclassmen that can step up for the team this year,” Miller said.

“People such as Colin Lad, Joe Milton and Chris Beckmann have a really big chance of being able to lead this team, not only this year but next.”

Another issue the team faces is the absence of senior Daniel Magruder. Magruder was the starting goalie his junior year and would have been during this year as well. However, he is in Germany for the length of the upcoming season. Junior Jimmy Duncan will fill in and play as the main goalie to take Magruder’s place.

“Honestly, I am unsure how the team will be affected,” Magruder said. “We worked together really well, and now that I am gone, it’s time for [junior] Jimmy [Duncan] to put in all the extra work that I put in and more for the team. While the seniors, Forrest, Chris and the likes, are probably less than thrilled of losing me, Jimmy, Ladue’s future, has a wonderful chance.

Water polo in Missouri is developing at an exponential rate and he will face some titans. Yet he has the support of a great starting line like I had and I turned out okay,” Magruder said.

While this may seem like a daunting task for Duncan, he has trained well in the off season and says he feels ready to protect the team in net.

“The loss of Danny will have an impact on our team, but will not be a major problem. The main issue we will face is our flexibility since one of our men who would normally play field is forced to spend more time at goalie,” Miller said.

The team got to work early, starting practices a week earlier than most other spring sports. They practice from 2:45 to 5:00 p.m. after school. The practices usually start with a warm-up swim, then the athletes work on the endurance of their legs.

This is important in water polo because a strong treading ability is key for the entirety of the match. After these warm-ups, passing and shooting are reinforced. Lastly, the team works on specific techniques that could help throughout the game.

“Coach does a really good job of letting us know when we are doing something right or wrong,” REACH FOR THE SKY (above) With the ball in hand, sophosophomore Mario Stoyanov said. “If we are more Mario Stoyanov gears back before making a shot. (below) doing something right, we get encouragement, As junior Jimmy Duncan jumps for the ball, he saves it with his if something goes wrong we could simply be fingertips high above his head. The water polo squad has high told, or sometimes he even draws diagrams, hopes for another successful year and strong ranking in the state which helps.” tournament. (photos by Hope Howard) The primary goal of Miller’s team is that they have a defense first philosophy. This is the same as last year, and hopefully it can bring in similar or better results. To help repeat this strategy, key seniors plan to lead the team. Senior Forrest Donnell and Shirley will have a big impact during the season.

“I expect Chris Shirley and Forrest Donnell to step up very well for the seniors that left last year,” Miller said. “They should have good seasons in their last year.”

Seniors such as Shirley will have to change their mind set from years past and prepare to lead the team this year to great lengths. This means leading practices and showing the underclassmen players some proper work ethic and skill.

“This year I can not slack during practice since I have to set an example for the rest of the group,” Shirley said. “Hopefully everyone work hard and we can come home with a state title." w

SPORTS

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HOOP’S HUDDLE MARCH MADNESS

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HAMM HOOPER —sports editor

, like many other pathetically obsessive basketball fans, develop a debilitating condition in late February.

It does not come to fruition until the middle of March, but when it does, the effects are devastating. I am, of course, talking about March Madness and the irrepressible urge to try and watch every second of every game. In my mind, there is no sporting event in the galaxy that can top March Madness. The upsets, game winning shots, Dick Vitale yelling something that probably doesn’t make sense and the thrill of filling out one of many soon to be busted brackets all culminates in a sports fans euphoria. Long story short: this tournament is more addictive than any combination of hard-core drugs.

As far as I can remember, I have always fawned over March Madness. As a little kid, my dad and I would fill out brackets for ourselves, moving on to fill out brackets for the rest of our family members who seemingly did not care as much as we did. I still tear up reminiscing about the time I left my 2005 bracket in the seat of an airplane on our way to California for spring break. It’s safe to say I was more hung up about this than the average fifth grader. You might be wondering why this kid is so unusually invested in three weekends of basketball. Well, I am wondering this: have you ever turned on your local CBS channel while the games are going on? The games are always action packed as teams fight to win or go home. Each year a Cinderella team such as Butler or VCU will pull off upsets that no one in their right mind would have picked, stealing America’s heart in the process.

This year, however, I am faced with a dilemma that has the potential to render me insane. March Madness almost always lines up with spring break which is usually perfect because it means I won’t have to move from my chair for the entire week. But this year for spring break, I am going to the Dominican Republic. Most of you are probably thinking, “Wow, that sounds awesome I wish I could go to the Dominican for a week.” Well, you’re wrong. I will be mulling over my days wishing I was sitting in my man cave watching the games and checking how I am doing in my numerous bracket pools. I will be reduced to annoying my friends with constant chatter about score updates, moaning about my phone’s service that will certainly not work in the Dominican. I pray that I do not ruin their trip when I sink into a depression when my teams lose, and my bracket folds like a cheap tent.

At about this point, I was about to throw in the towel and cry, but my friend and I had a sudden burst of inspiration. We will not rest until I find a dirty hotel bar from which I can watch the games. I plan on befriending the bartender while he fetches me strawberry daiquiris (virgin, of course), my only consolation as I long for basketball a sea away. It could be a gorgeous, 90 degree day full of frisbee on the beach, sun tanning, and raves at night, but I will not be participating. I am not naive. I know that my parents are paying $1500 for me to have a great time, but I consider watching basketball games at a hotel bar money well spent. I do realize that this secret plan of mine could cost me the trip of a lifetime, but that is a chance that I am willing to take. I am addicted, and I need a cure. w (This column represents the opinion of the writer.)

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PANORAMA

COVER

MARCH 15, 2012

Prop 1 vote, April 3 Students organize around tax levy, district holds information sessions EMILY BELL —editor in chief

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group of high school students are working to spread information about Prop 1 and show support before the April 3 vote. If Prop 1 passes, a .49 cent operating tax increase would go into place for the district.

It is a fact the district must have additional revenue or continue to make expenditure reductions,” Assistant Superintendent of Finance Jason Buckner said. “The community will weigh-in during this election to provide us direction for the next several budget years.”

Led by senior Lila Greenberg, in conjunction with www.commit2ladue.org, Greenberg said it is “really important for students, as the next generation, to express our opinions regarding the tax levy.”

“Since we are some of the people that will be directly impacted and we are the next generation of voters, it’s integral that we feel comfortable voicing our opinions in the community,” Greenberg said.

The students created the Vote for Prop 1 Facebook group, which is allowing more students and recent graduates of the high school to get involved. Greenberg and others have helped

distribute vote yes signs and informed alumna of how to receive their absentee ballots.

There are about 25 students that are highly involved with the group. While there are many motivators for the students, junior Alex Patershuk is thinking about the future of the district.

“We want the present grade school students to have the same advantages that we as high school students have had because of the reputation of our school,” Patershuk said.

The students also attended the informational meetings that the district held February 29 and March 5. Though students rallied together to voice their opinion about the placement of a college and career counselor on a list of potential cuts, which was subsequently removed and replaced by another undetermined full-time equivalent, Greenberg wants to make sure that student voices remain strong.

“It is wonderful that students have made a choice to get involved on their own time in the Prop 1 issue in our community,” Superintendent Marsha Chappelow said. “It is a real world issue.

I have always believed that the best learning for students takes place when they are able to connect what they have learned in school or use their skills on a real life challenge. It also shows that they value education and especially public education in our school district and community.” w

Roundtable Discussion The district held two informational meetings about Prop 1, February 29 and March 5. Assistant Superintendent of Finance Jason Buckner and Superintendent Marsha Chappelow gave a powerpoint presentation. Following this, attendees were split into groups to participate in roundtable discussions, shown above. In each group was placed at least one board member or administrators to answer people’s questions.

The meetings, which lasted about an hour and a half each, were time for the community members to raise concerns and comment about all aspects of the tax levy.

Administrators and board members took notes on the discussions and told attendees that they would follow-up with more information if they didn’t know the answer at the time. Topics in the roundtable discussions ranged from specifics like P.E. faculty and contested data to more general topics like creating a well rounded education. w

Ohio school shooting Hearings begin as Feb. 27, leaves three community mourns dead, two wounded as middle schoolers.

“I feel sick that we even need to EMILY BELL —editor in chief discuss a shooting that happened in school,” junior Diana Jung said. “A shooting in a school in a cafeteria he morning of Feb. 27, alwith hundreds leged gunman T. J. Lane of students entered Chardon High School Society needs to learn from such watching? Most and open fired in the cafeteria before events the extent some people will go importantly, school began. Lane was chased out the school to when provoked to the extreme... of the school and confessed later. environment Chardon High School, located Teachers and students need to be preshould at least outside of Cleveland, reopened four pared to make sure that this doesn’t make students days after the shooting, according feel comfort-junior Aitan Groener to the Los Angeles Times, March 2. happen again. able enough to Hearings have been set in juvewhere students nile court after 17-year-old Lane don’t have to was charged with three counts of carry around aggravated murder, two counts of atweapons during the school day.”

Maple Elementary School. Then, tempted aggravated murder and one Lane’s motivations are still being parents and guardians were free to count of felonius assault, but Lane questioned, according to the New pick up their high schoolers as well could be tried as an adult.

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Since the time of the shooting, one of the remaining victims was released from the hospital. The high school went on a lock down before students were relocated to the nearby

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York Times, March 1. Lane claims the victims were random, but the New York Times reported that “Lane rode a bus with several of them” and that he had dated the same girl as one of the victims.

Though bullying is being cast about as a possibility, others are turning to Lane’s troubled home life, as he ended up being raised by his maternal grandparents. TIME reported Feb. 28 that “children spend on average only about 11% of their childhood lives in school.”

Lane had previously tweeted that he was going to bring a gun to school, but this tweet was ignored.

According to an article published in Reuters Feb. 28, Chardon high schoolers placed ribbons on the school property in memoriam.

“Society needs to learn from such events the extent some people will go to when provoked to the extreme,” junior Aitan Groener said.

“Of course it wasn’t alright for this person to react with violence, but schools, teachers and students need to be prepared to make sure that this doesn’t happen again.”

While the Chardon community begins to heal, the shooting has raised issues of gun control, bullying, and school security. These topics surfaced after the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School and after the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting.

“We need to understand the pain that this causes others and, in doing so, relearn the kindness and human dignity that can unite us all,” senior Jeff Bigg said. w