Panorama
ladue horton watkins high schoolw1201 s. warson roadwst. louis, mo 63124wvolume 60 issue 2woctober 7, 2011
Jazz acapella group takes center stage LEO DICERA —a&e/features writer
N A ROYAL BALL After being named king and queen, seniors Cody Medler and Jody Peterson give a
shout out to the crowd. The coronation marked the end of an eventful Homecoming week. (photo by Danielle Thompson)
o matter what genre, artist or song, music has the power to move people and unite audiences. One rare and intimate performance brought students together and disproved any doubt of music’s immense power. On Sept. 22, Ladue and other area students gathered in the Performing Arts Center for a once in a lifetime, up close and personal performance by the a cappella ensemble, Take 6. The tentime-Grammy Award winning ensemble is known for their intricate harmonies and complex arrangements, and being comprised of six members, the group often sings in six parts. Vocal music students from across the local area in schools such as Parkway North, Fort Zumwalt West and Kirkwood joined Ladue choir students from the middle school, Spoede and Conway elementary schools, in addition to the high school’s choir, band and orchestra students. Nearly all 700 seats in the PAC were filled. continued on page 9...
International community responds to execution Troy Davis’ death raises questions about death penalty SARAH ALLEN —news editor After 20 years on death row and three postponed executions, Troy Davis was executed Sept. 21 in Georgia, maintaining his innocence until his death. Davis was convicted for the murder of police officer Mark MacPhail in Aug. 1989, despite evidence suggesting Davis’ innocence. Davis served 20 years on death row, and his sentence led to an ultimately unsuccessful campaign to reverse his conviction. On the night of the execution, the Supreme Court reviewed a petition from Davis’ lawyers, postponing the execution by a few hours and renewing hope that Davis might not be executed, but chose not to act on the request. According to Davis’ 1991
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conviction, Davis shot MacPhail, who had a second job as a security guard, in a parking lot as MacPhail attempted to assist the victim of a beating. During the trial, witnesses testified that they saw Davis shoot MacPhail, yet the prosecution produced no physical evidence linking Davis to the crime, and all but two witnesses later withdrew their statements. The uncertainties that arose after the verdict led to three stays of Davis’ execution and multiple appeals to higher courts and convinced many that Davis was innocent. “I just believe that an innocent man was put to death,” senior and Ladue African American Students Association chairman Charlene Masona said. “The death penalty in general shouldn’t be legal because it is still taking someone’s life. The whole situation was tragic and I feel that America’s justice system is failing time and time again.”
Though the appeals did not reverse Davis’ sentence, Davis’ lawyers, along with anti-death penalty organizations like Amnesty International, delayed the execution for four years after the initial execution date in July 2007. Davis’ defense could take no further action when the Supreme Court rejected Davis’ appeal on the night of the execution. “The campaign to halt his execution failed because there was no legal intervention that could be made that wasn’t already made,” social studies teacher and Amnesty International club sponsor Eric Hahn said. “For example, I know the governor [of Georgia], who has been requested to stop the execution, didn’t do it. I believe Amnesty asked President Obama [to intervene]. He said it would be inappropriate for him to override a state decision.” continued on page 24...
A&E/ Opinions Features Almost, Maine page 8
Economy
page 15
Sports
Field Hockey page 23
2 C U E
PANORAMA
NEWS
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Ladu
Jeff Bigg (12), Eliza Colby (12), Xinhe Dai (12), Clare Misko (11), Sayli Sant (12), Braham Snyder (12) and Qiaonan Zhong (12)are 2011 National Merit Semifinalists. William Keith (12) is a 2011 National Achievement Semifinalist. Kelsey Bearman (12), Paige Carlson (12), Eliza Colby (12), Sydni Davis (11), Blake Eastman (12), Hannah Eastman (10), Sarah Fee (12), Melissa Ferrie (11), Alex Gandlmayr (12), Maria Gannon (10), Dylan Hafer (11), Leslie Insell (11), Diana Jung (11), Johannes Koenig (10), Jacob Levens (12), Charlene Masona (12), Janine Norman (9), David Pruchno (12), and Kennedy San (11) were accepted into the St. Louis Suburban District Choir. Ladue High School students recorded the highest average ACT score of 26 in the St. Louis region. The new Ladue Early Childhood Center opened Sept. 13 with more space and updated facilities than the previous building. Colorful murals on the walls, a new play structure and other additions contribute to a playful environment for the children. Strolling Strings travels to Atlanta, Ga. Oct. 14 to 17 to perform for __. Victor Wang (11) attended the Mathematical Olympiad Program this summer.
OCTOBER 7, 2011
Local charity nominated for Nobel Peace Prize Wings of Hope flies necessities to poor nations
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MIRANDA SIWAK —news editor
ings of Hope, an organization headquartered in Chesterfield, Miss., has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. The organization flies volunteers around the world to provide health care and teach people living in poverty how to tackle their struggles. “It is very humbling being nominated and it’s a tremendous tribute to all the volunteers and the donors of Wings of Hope,” Executive Director Doug Clements said. “We have won many awards, but this is our first time being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize award. So, even if we don’t win, it is a tremendous honor to be nominated.” The organization uses donated aircrafts to fly sick children from the United States and around the world to receive free and proper health care. Volunteers also fly animals, mostly pigs and chickens, into jungles so that villagers can learn to produce their own food and be independent. Teaching these villagers selfsufficiency is a key component of Wings of Hope’s mission. The volunteers who help Wings of Hope come from all over the world to help bring peace and hope to those in need. Even with their vast workforce, they are always looking for more help and welcome new volunteers. “Wings of Hope is a humanitarian organization, and that means if you are someone that needs health care or medical attention, we provide that for you,” Vice President Michele Rutledge said. “But if you are someone who is hungry, we’ll teach you how to grow your own food, and if you are someone who is ignorant, and ignorant in the sense where you don’t know anything yet, then we’ll provide education for you.” The organization has more than 2,500 volunteers working to develop the infrastructure of many countries, such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Haiti, Congo, Tanzania and Somalia.
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it works to bring self-sufficiency to people in need,” Rutledge said. “In St. Louis, we have a free medical relief and air transport program, and that program is the only free air transport program in North America, and we serve 26 states from our base at Spirit of St. Louis airport.” The organization helps more than one million people a year, spreading their influence around the world. Members of Wings of Hope assert that the difference being made exceeds the practical. The emotional strength they foster is equally valuable to those that they help. “I think the most important things we do is to give people hope,” Clements said. “They have no opportunity to get healthy, no opportunity to get education, no opportunity for food, a job, or anything, and we feel very privileged to be able to expand the hand of human kindness to these unfortunate people, the most important thing we give them is hope. Without hope, human beings don’t do something that might pay a benefit tomorrow, or the next day, or a year from now. When you’re hopeless, you’ll live from moment to moment and it’s only when you have hope that you’ll work hard today to do some benefit to yourself.” The organization has volunteers who are pilots, doctors,
We are very proud of [our organization], but, of course, our work will go on and there is always more to do.
-Executive Director Doug Clements
Citizens are aided in reaching self-sufficiency through health care, micro-loans for businesses and sustainable food, water and education and other programs. “We address these three major issues people have with becoming self-sufficient: the lack of health care, a lack of sustainable food and water, and a lack of education. Wings of Hope implements programs to conquer those deficiencies,” Clements said. “For sustainable food and water, we will teach people how to raise animals and plants on an organized basis so that they can provide food for themselves rather than having to look for food in the jungle. For health care, we will arrange for advanced health care, get them to that health care, and then we also teach them how to operate small clinics and hospitals that we help manage for them so they can provide for their own health care.” The organization, founded in 1962, is the oldest and largest volunteer humanitarian and aviation based charity in the world. Despite growing over the years, the group still emphasizes its core values and ties to St. Louis, the site of its establishment. “Wings of Hope is nonsectarian, nonpolitical, nonracial, and it’s an international organization, based in St. Louis, and
FLY TO HEALTH Wings of Hope volunteers help load a sick teenager in the United States on an airplane to fly the child to better health care. The charity also flies necessary items to poor regions so they can be independent. (Photo courtesy of Doug Clements) nurses, medics, mechanics, administrators, secretaries, janitors, and other positions needed to run a corporation. Because of this variety, many people can volunteer their services. “I think it’s important that everyone knows that each of our volunteers is very, very important,” Clements said. “Without our volunteers, we could not do the work that we do; we can’t afford to pay people salaries, so we rely upon donations and volunteers to help the poor and needy around the world.” While the nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize is flattering and indicative of the hard work the organization has put in, Wings of Hope doesn’t see this as a cap to their success. “We are very proud of it, but, of course, our work will go on and there is always more to do, and like any organization, we get asked to do much more than we can do, and we always feel bad about that, so we always try harder to do more next week or next month, then we did this week,” Clements said. w
PANORAMA
OCTOBER 7, 2011
NEWS
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New way to buy lunch
Outtakes stand offers new dining options BEZA GETAHUN —news writer
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he updates to the Commons have changed the way Ladue students eat, drink, and socialize. Only a year ago, there was blue carpeting, the Ram Shack to sell spirit wear, long cafeteria lines and vending machines. Now, the school has replaced the blue carpet with white marble flooring, and the new Outtakes station in the Commons has been introduced to eliminate inconveniences for students buying lunch at school. This new lunch stand sells quick meal options and snacks. Outtakes sells salads, cookies and other snacks, and various beverages, such as Powerade and V8. This stand has decreased cafeteria lines due to some students buying lunch via the Commons. Also, new additions have been made to the already existing vending machines, now offering healthy op-
tions, including string cheese, animal crackers and yogurt. For those who find hanging out in the Commons enjoyable, the changes came as a welcome surprise. Some students who spend their mornings in the Commons are glad to see that the carpet gone. “Me and my friends like to sit on the floor in the mornings most of the time,” junior Briana Kyles said. “Don’t ask me why; it’s just something we’ve done since freshman year. ... It’s just nice to know that I am not sitting on some carpet that was stepped on by students for the past 50 years.” Although freshmen were not present long enough to see the Commons prior to the changes, many appreciate its benefits. Many elements of the Commons were not present at the middle school. “I like the vending machines most of all,” freshman Yafet Asefa said. “They didn’t have this many options in the middle school. Now
I can stay after school and have a snack. It’s worth waiting for the busses.” However, some people are not as appreciative. A few students feel that this year’s improvements to the Commons are excessive. Concerns have arisen that the high school spends too much money on items that are not necessary for students and their education. “I don’t really think it was all that necessary,” junior Ruth Abraha said. “We could have just changed the flooring and been done with it. I don’t think anyone cares if we have a touch screen vending machine or a regular one.” Assistant principal Ellen Duncan believes the changes in the Commons are aesthetically pleasing to view, but also that they are necessary for the school. A COMMONS COMMOTION Adam Bogard (9) purchases lunch “The changes have made the from the new Outtakes cafeteria stand in the Commons. The Commons so much nicer,” Duncan said. “The floor looks much better. I stand offers an additional array of lunch items for students to choose from. (Photo by Jeanne Wilkinson) think it was worth it.”w
St. Louis charter schools may close due to low test scores Imagine Schools criticized by St. Louis City Mayor Francis Slay about student performance HAOHANG XU —news writer
“They have consistently been underperforming in every category tested,” Mayor Slay told Fox News Sept. 16. “It’s math, it’s communication arts, and science as well.” Slay wants to improve public education and supports state intervention in public schools, according to the Fox article. He believes that charter schools can be a quality
school company by name. According to Slay, the Imagine schools had five years since their opening to improve, and yet, not ptions may be dwindling one Imagine School that’s for parents who do not want in existence right now has their children attending ever scored above the floor public schools. St. Louis City Mayor in any category, in any Francis Slay called for the closure grade, that’s been tested in of Imagine charter schools in the St. any year. Louis area Sept. Some feel 16 based on that the schools poor academic Schools that fail to meet the standards are not the should not be the performance on problem in and of themselves,” Goldwasser said. only ones taking statewide stan“[They are] the symptoms of much larger societal responsibility dardized tests. for failing test The six St. problems. scores, arguLouis schools -social studies teacher James Goldwasser ing instead that run by the parents and their Virginia-based children should Imagine Schools be held accountIncorporated, able as well. the largest charter “Students lack school operator alternative to public schools, and has an incentive to do well on the tests,” in the country, currently rank at directly invited educators to open social studies teacher James Goldthe bottom of charter schools and charter schools in the city. wasser said. “Teachers and schools below almost all regular city public Imagine, however, was not are held accountable but not students schools in St. Louis on the Missouri among the charter school companies or parents.” Assessment Program. In fact, just endorsed by the mayor. Slay has In response to the mayor’s accu3.9 percent of Imagine Academy of long criticized charter schools that sations, Imagine Schools replied that Careers Elementary students passed fail to meet state-wide standards, it is unfair to judge a school solely the 2011 state math exam, compared urging them to improve or close, but based on failing test scores. Accordwith a 30.9 percent passing rate for this is the first time that the mayor ing to Imagine officials, enrollment students attending St. Louis Public has publicly criticized a charter is up at every school, and parents are Schools.
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happy with the system. Data from surveys taken in 2011 showed that over 65 percent of the parents at every Imagine School felt satisfied with the quality of their children’s education. Over 80 percent of parents of children at Imagine Academy of Careers Elementary feel the school is safe and were satisfied with the quality of education that their children were receiving, according to the elementary school’s website. “Parents are the best judges of school quality,” Imagine Schools Executive Vice President Sam Howard stated in a press release Sept. 16. “They assess our performance every day, and they keep coming back.” Additionally, according to Howard, students enrolling in Imagine schools are generally far below grade level, and proficiency tests do not show the background of the students, what level they entered the school at, and how much they have progressed in the school. Further, Howard says,
the 95.3 percent graduation rate and 100 percent college acceptance rate among graduates shows how Imagine Schools have improved lives. “There are so many factors that decide whether a school is successful or not,” special electives teacher Molly Beck said. “Choosing test scores to judge the entire school is not wise.” Imagine School improvement plans are being created with the help of the schools’ sponsor, Missouri Baptist University. According to Dr. John Jackson, the university’s charter school liaison, sponsorship cannot continue if the proposed plans do not effectively improve state test results. Ultimately, sub-standard education is a problem that everyone must deal with. “Schools that fail to meet the standards are not the problem in and of themselves,” Goldwasser said. “[They are] the symptoms of much larger societal problems.” w
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PANORAMA
Global Update:
OCTOBER 7, 2011
A snapshot of the world today EMILY BIEST —news editor
Gay men allowed to donate blood in Britain A ban that prevented gay men from donating blood will be lifted in England, Scotland and Wales Nov. 7. They will be allowed donate if their last sexual encounter with another man was a year prior to the donation. British experts told the Telegraph Sept. 8 that the ban can be more relaxed because of improved testing for infections, such as HIV. Social, cultural, and legal changes have also contributed to lifting the ban. This introduces the Labour Party’s Equality Act, which outlaws discrimination of homosexuals and states that ban gay men donating blood must have legitimate and reliable data. The ban was put into place in the 1980s because of the widespread fear of AIDS. Veteran campaigner David Tatchell told the Telegraph that while the policy is a large improvement, the 12-month ban is unjustified and excessive.
Israeli embassy evacuated in Jordan Israeli embassy staff in Jordan were evacuated from the Amman location Sept. 6 in order to avoid anticipated protests. Though embassy protocol requires staff to return home each Friday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman ordered staff home one day early due to security risks. The protest, publicized though a Facebook group labeled “Million Man March to Close the Israeli Embassy in Jordan,” boasted over 3,000 members. Only about 300 Jordinian activists arrived for the peaceful protest, which was handled by Jordan officials. Embassy staff returned as planned the following Monday.
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Guatamalan presidential campaign continues The top candidates in the Guatamalan presidential elections, former General Otto Perez and businessman Manuel Baldizo, will continue to another round of presidential elections in November. None of the candidates received the required 50 percent majority to obtain the Guatemalan presidency in the September elections. Polls showed Perez with 36 percent of the vote, Baldizo with 24 percent and Eduardo Suger with 16 percent. The Organization of American States criticized slow vote counting and disorganization in the preliminary election, CNN said Sept. 12. Problems with voters have also been reported, according to electoral watchdog Mirador Electoral. At least 65 cases of falsified ballots have been discovered during the election process, along with other isolated incidents of vote buying. Due to the increase in crime and violence in Guatamala, presidential campaigns centered on safety and security issues. Leading candidate Perez promised voters “security now,” while other candidates pledged to fight crime rings and Mexican drug cartels, according to a Times Union article Sept. 12.
American hikers released from Iran American hikers were released from Iranian custody to the Gulf state of Oman where they were reunited with their families Sept. 28. Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, who had spent over 2 years in Iranian custody, and released on $1 million bail. The pair expressed grateful sentiments toward Irananian government for their release, but contested their original imprisonment. “Two years in prison is too long and we sincerely hope for the freedom of other political prisoners and other unjustly imprisoned people in America and Iran,” Bauer said in a statement. In July 2009, Fattal, Bauer and companion Sarah Shourd crossed over the IranIraq border while hiking and were jailed as spies. The pair were allowed to leave Oman and returned to the U.S. Sept. 25.
OCTOBER 7, 2011
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Palestine applies for statehood from United Nations security council Proposal meets disapproval from top U.N. countries MARINA MAY —news writer
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midst international controversy, the Palestinian government applied for a Unilateral Declaration of Independence to the United Nations Security Council at the 66th Annual U.N. General Assembly Sept. 20. This decision follows almost 20 years of negotiations between Palestine, Israel and the U.S. regarding the two-state solution enacted by the U.N. in 1948. Proposed to ease tensions between the Arab and Jewish people in the Middle East, this solution creates separate territories for Palestine and Israel. With Israeli settlements located in the disputed West Bank territories, the Palestinian government sees its application for statehood with the U.N. as an attempt to preserve this two-state resolution. Many supporters of Israel counter that Palestine’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence sidesteps difficult negotiations between the two countries and will not ensure viable long-term peace. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, along with other diplomats, has guided Palestine back to direct negotiations in the weeks leading up to the U.N. vote. These diplomats hope to restart Israeli-Palestinian talks, which they believe might lead to
progress without Palestine’s application for statehood. “While it is a truism that only the parties themselves can make the hard choices necessary for peace, there is no substitute for continued active American leadership,” Clinton said in an article written for the JCRC. The U.S. may now be in a precarious position. Last year, Obama’s made a statement that he would “welcome Palestine as the U.N.’s newest member,” but this year, the U.S. is prepared to use its vote on the United Nations Security Council to veto the Palestinians Declaration of Independence. The U.S. fears that the application will cause major setbacks in any negotiations between Israel and Palestine. “The United States is one of the world’s foremost powers, and we shouldn’t be afraid to act as a mediator between Israel and Palestine, and we should remain involved through the negotiation process,” senior Lila Greenberg said. According to CNN reports, supporters of Palestine’s application for statehood acknowledge the fact that bringing the issue to the forefront of the U.N. agenda may slow a solution just as quickly as it could speed things up. However, they feel the risk is worth it. “I’m not a fan of Palestine, but I feel like they should have their own state,” senior Isaac Walker said. The Palestinian government’s main concern is time. After
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20 years of negotiations and resolutions enacted by the U.N. with little follow up enforcement, the government is seeking a swifter, more permanent resolution to the border dispute issues. Palestinians want the international community to weigh in on the situation instead of allowing America to act as the sole mediator. Analysts project that this will alienate Washington. “If they can work out border issues and still have direct negotiation with Israel, then I see no problem with Palestine becoming a state, but they can't ignore the people directly involved," math teacher Debra Carson said.w
Explosion in France increases growing nuclear concerns JEET DAS —news writer
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recent explosion at a nuclear waste processing site in France has led to growing concerns over the safety of nuclear plants, intensifying demands for new sources of energy. The blast at the Marcoule plant in southern France Sept. 12 caused the death of one person and injured four more. The owner of the nuclear plant called it “an industrial accident, not a nuclear one,” after a fire near a waste storage furnace ignited the explosion. Following this malfunction, the International Atomic Energy Agency has been closely monitoring the situation, contacting French authorities to gather more information about the accident even though the plant said that there is no chance of a radioactive leak and no exterior impact has yet been detected. France, Japan and the United States currently account for over 50 percent of nuclear-generated electricity in the world. However, France, which is home to over 58 of the 143 reactors in the European Union, refused to follow the decision made by other European countries. Many of them plan to scale back on nuclear plans following the earthquake-caused Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in March. Germany plans to phase out its 17 nuclear power stations by 2022, while Switzerland and Italy intend to take similar action. “I don’t think [the accident] will affect France,” AP environmental science teacher Sweeney LaBarge said. “They get 80 percent of their power from nuclear plants and Japan gets almost all of their power from nuclear because they don’t have any carbon based resources.” The United States currently has over 100 working nuclear plants, in addition to about 50 smaller reactors; it is the largest supplier of commercial nuclear power. “One of the benefits of nuclear power is that it reduces our
dependence on foreign energy sources,” junior Stephen Fredericks said. “We can rely more on ourselves because of it.” Behind coal and natural gas, nuclear sources were responsible for over 20 percent of electricity produced in 2009. Demand for nuclear energy has since decreased, most notably after the Japanese disaster. An April survey revealed that 64
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percent of Americans opposed the building of new reactors. “When the accident occurred in Japan, the economy took a downturn to fix it,” freshman Ginger LaMoore said. “When nuclear power messes up, its costs... outweigh its benefits.”
Accident at Marcoule plant causes one death and four injuries
The debate over the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power began in the 1970s and reached its peak in the 1980s after two major incidents. In March 1979, the Three Mile power plant released a limited amount of radioactivity. This accident is still considered the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history and brought about widespread changes to safety regulations in the nuclear power industry. Seven years later, 30 people died following the explosion of a reactor at the Chernobyl power plant in the former Soviet Union. The blast led to a fire that burned for nine days and released over 100 times more radiation than the atomic bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima in World War II. Two people died from the Chernobyl explosion while 28 suffered acute radiation sickness immediately afterward. A huge cover is being built to surround the plant, which is expected to be finished in 2013. “I’m not too worried about nuclear safety here probably because I haven’t had any experiences where I have needed to in the past,” sophomore Emily Chu said. “However, I think that there is always a probability that an accident can occur. As time progresses, stricter safety regulations will develop that will keep the plants safe.” As it stands currently, many countries worldwide believe that the need for nuclear power outweighs the dangers. Though some countries are now reducing their dependence on nuclear energy, many have no other option but to utilize this potentially dangerous resource due to the amount of power it generates. According to LaBarge, nuclear waste is also a factor that countries must consider about this energy source. “The problem with nuclear power isn’t the plant; it’s the waste,” LaBarge said. “We don’t know what to do with it. Some of it can be reprocessed into other fuel or weapons. Most of it needs to be stored but the US can’t determine a place to do this. The real question is: can we build nuclear power plants in safe locations?” w
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NEWS
OCTOBER 7, 2011
Obama proposes new jobs plan Economic package attempts to lower unemployment and boost growth SARAH ALLEN —news editor
plans that should be done, but as the President, he has to be a leader and he has to get things done, and he resident Barack Obama hasn’t done that.” outlined the American Jobs Finding the funds to pay for the Act in a Sept. 8 speech before almost $500 billion bill will fall to Congress, a $450 billion measure the deficit super-committee, a group intended to generate new jobs and of six congressman tasked with lift the American economy out of its substantially lowering the $14 trilperiod of recession. lion national debt. The Washington With unemployment at 9.1 perPost said Sept. 9 that in addition cent, the proposal includes payroll to the $1.5 trillion budget cuts the tax cuts, extension of unemployment super-committee already must agree benefits, and tax breaks for business, upon, Obama requested an additional including a tax credit incentivizing $450 billion in cuts in order hiring of the longto fund his plan. There is no change, no progress, no term unemployed. “It adds to the scale of The International solutions to problems. … The public the failure. The super-comBusiness Times said doesn’t see anything getting done. mittee will never be able to Sept. 9 that accordcut $1.5 trillion. Having it ing to the ratings cut $2 trillion is just giving firm Moody’s, the -senior Derek Bergman it more of an opportunity to plan will generate fail,” junior David Abraham 1.9 million jobs and said. “Our ability to reach a expand the American deficit reduction plan is hineconomy by 2 percent. dered by a lack of compromise and a Young Republicans Greg Gan“I think that Obama’s stimulus large expectation that will never be non said. “He is trying to do stuff worked well but now that it is over fulfilled.” because but it’s difficult when he the economy is taking another hit,” However, the bill faces more has so many different opinions of junior Jennifer Lesorogol said.
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“Considering the state of the nation when he went into office he is doing the best that we could expect for him to do with the economy.” While some Americans support the plan but feel it comes too late, other groups, including many conservatives, believe the bill fails to address America’s economic woes. Conservatives point out that as of yet, Obama’s has not improved the economy at the rate he promised to. “I don’t think he has done enough,” senior and leader of the
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Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Officially Repealed
challenges than finding money to fund it. As congressional Republicans speak out against its provisions, the passage of the bill is also in doubt. “The chances that the whole plan is going to pass would be zero. The chances pieces are going to art by AMY DAI pass would be decent because the Republican leadership has been receptive to some of the ideas that are public doesn’t see anything getting in there,” social studies teacher David done. The most extreme members of the Republican Party are holding Sonius said. our political system hostage,” leader The unlikelihood of compromise reflects the political gridlock that has of the Young Moderates and senior Derek Bergman said. entrenched Congress for months. In Despite disagreements about August, political gridlock led to a Obama’s plan, Americans agree that debt ceiling crisis that spurred ratings the U.S. economy must improve. firm Moody’s to downgrade the U.S. However, recovery may not have a credit rating from the safest category short-term solution. of investment to the second safest. “The mess America is in right The ensuing weeks saw a record low in Congressional approval levels that now is a long process and can not be solved in a couple of months,” has yet to substantially improve. As bipartisanship fails in Congress, many freshman Hile Ermias said. “I think have come to doubt that true partner- Obama’s job right now is to just put the United States back on track so ship in government is possible. we can be successful as a nation in “There is no change, no progress, the future.” w no solutions to problems. … The
LGBTQ service members now permitted to serve openly in the U.S. military art by ANDREW RUBIN
EMILY BELL —editor in chief Don’t Ask Don’t Tell(DADT), the military’s policy banning gay and lesbian personnel from serving openly was repealed Sept. 20. DADT was instated in 1993, and according to the New York Times, during it’s 18 year effect, more than 13,000 members were discharged. “What Don’t Ask Don’t Tell essentially did was it made people be quiet about their sexuality and hide it from people around them even when they are doing something like risking their lives for their country,” senior and GSA co-leader David Mullis said. Under DADT, service members were discharged if they came out with their sexuality. Though the policy has been repealed, some are unsure of its long lasting impacts. “While policy has changed, allowing gay, lesbian and bisexual soldiers to serve openly, those individuals will still face opposition from those who have deep convictions against the policy,” social studies teacher and GSA sponsor Rob Good said. “However, over time attitudes will change as people have positive interactions with each other.” Others, though, are unsure of DADT’s ultimate impacts. Freshman Miriam Hauptman said that the Obama administration handled the repeal well. “I think it was a reasonable plan; I am still unsure as to whether the repeal of it will have benefits,” Hauptman. “Time will tell. If gay, lesbian, and bisexual soldiers didn’t speak
up about their sexuality, they faced less prejudice and harm. Though it may have been hard to conceal such a big part of their identity.” Regardless of its long-term effects, the repeal created large changes within the military and required all military personnel to be trained in the new policies. All service members had to attend training sessions in which a Power Point was presented; the sessions lasted about a half hour each. “The goal was to ensure a smooth transition so that there’d be no surprises and everybody would know how to act accordingly,” reserve judge advocate and social studies teacher Robert Snidman, who is responsible for some military training, said. “They prohibited the repeal [until] it was certified that 100% of all military personnel were trained.” The military training not only detailed potential situations and warned against harassment, but outlined how the repeal of DADT relates to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). While it is now legal for members of the LGBTQ community to serve openly in the military, the federal law does not recognize same sex marriage and thus the military doesn’t, which means same sex spouses of service members won’t receive military benefits or privileges granted to heterosexual marriages. “[The training] was rather embarrassing because it was so simplistic: ‘don’t discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation,’” Snidman said. “But it was also important because if you were in a same sex marriage you needed to be warned that the military would not look at that same sex marriage the same as a heterosexual marriage because of the DOMA. You would not be fired for being in that marriage,
which until Sept. 20 was certainly the case, but that marriage is not recognized which is a real hardship and kind of strange but that’s what the federal law dictates.” While the military adjusts to their new policy, the larger LGBTQ community marches ahead. Junior Harika Upadhyayula said that the repeal of DADT was a step in the right direction. “In terms of gay rights and gay marriage, this is definitely a good start,” Upadhyayula said. “Though it may not necessarily be met with open arms, it will hopefully be the first step in the race for acceptance.” Ladue’s chapter of GSA may hold a discussion about the repeal of DADT during Ally Week, which is Oct. 31 through Nov. 4. “I’m glad that DADT was repealed because I don’t that people should have to hide who they are and have to deal with consequences,” senior Etinosa Ogbevoen said. “We are all created equally and we should be able to do what we want without people judging us if we are different from the norm.” w
PANORAMA
OCTOBER 7, 2011
A&E/FEATURES
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HOT
STUFF (Left) While warming the pans for cooking, Wilkinson prepares her equipment before frying her homemade potstickers in Independent Cooking. (photo by Elizabeth Ornitz)
SOMEONE’S IN THE KITCHEN (Right) Before frying, Wilkinson cuts, folds and stuffs her potstickers with pork, cabbage or green onion. (photo by Elizabeth Ornitz)
Finding B Her ‘Niche’
Senior Melissa Wilkinson puts her passion to work at locally renowned STL restaurant
eight other fast paced workers, shouting out, and hungry customers to feed, it can get busy. “It can be stressful, sometimes [the other workers and I] get yelled at by Chef Craft,” Wilkinson said. “On weekends roil, braise, grill, grind, roast, sauté, shuck. All of these we sometimes get up to 80 customers throughout the day and words aren’t commonly used in everyday conversation; we have to get the food out fast. When I go out to dinner now, one might even question the meaning of some. But for I know what it’s like being the person who has to get the food senior Melissa Wilkinson, they’re a common language. out, I’ll never complain about how fast or slow my food gets to At eight years old, Wilkinson’s admiration for cooking came my table again!” clearly the day of her father’s 50th birthday party when her Melissa knows her passion is making food that people can parents hired a professional chef to prepare the food. get excited about. And she finds practicing with her family, as “I was absolutely fascinated with it all,” Wilkinson said. well as her classmates, to be helpful. “I even remembered the chocolate soufflé and exactly how it “I think she’s very ambitious,” senior Alison Fiorenza said. tasted. I just knew then and “I find her extreme passion for there that I wanted to make cooking especially admirable food that people would be for someone our age. It’s obI’m very fortunate to have this internship. genuintely excited about.” viously a treat [having a class I could have started at the bottom and Now, Wilkinson cooks with Melissa] because who worked my way up, but instead I get to at least once a week for her can pass up frequently baked family and takes independent homemade desserts [during start at the top. It’s very cool. cooking with practical arts English class]?” teacher Jill Svejkosky. She After high school, Wilkin- senior Melissa Wilkinson has even acquired a stage, or son plans to follow her pasinternship, with local downsion and attend a college with town restaurant Niche, where a strong culinary program. she works under Chef Gerard Craft. A small ad for a stage at She also hopes to open her own restaurant in the future. Niche was posted in a local newspaper and Wilkinson submitted “My ultimate dream is to open a swanky, little twelve-seater her resumé, thinking it would be the ideal experience she needed where I can have an open area and talk to my customers and me for working in a professional kitchen. and three other people would run the whole thing,” Wilkinson “I [submitted my resumé] thinking it was a long shot, but the said. “It’ll be all about the food.” chef replied instantly and asked to meet me,” Wilkinson said. But for now, she’s focused on her stage at Niche, which will After a brief, five-minute interview, Wilkinson was asked to be moving to Clayton in January, and improving her cooking join the team at Niche. She now works Mondays, Wednesdays, techniques with Svejkosky in her independent study course. alternate Fridays and Sundays. “I’m very fortunate to have this internship. I could have “[At Niche] I just do a lot of prep work like shucking corn started at the bottom and worked my way up, but instead I get and preparing mushrooms, but on Mondays I get to prepare to start at the top. It’s very cool,” she said. “Chef Craft is a salads. I also do a lot of dessert plating.” completely innovative person; he focuses on good quality ingreThough it’s an unpaid internship, Wilkinson is more than dients that are carefully prepared but ultimately simple. I really happy to do something she loves. But with steaming hot plates, admire that philosophy.” w
SARAH KLOEPPLE —a&e/features editor
”
COOK IT OUT (Left)
Once the potstickers are ready, Wilkinson adds them to the pan to fry and cook for 40 minutes while adding fresh oil into the mix. (photo by Elizabeth Ornitz)
BON APPETIT (Right) Two and a half hours later, Wilkinson shares the potstickers with classmates and pratical arts teacher Jill Svejkosky. Wilkinson uses class time to try things she hasn’t before and work on other techniques. (photo by Elizabeth Ornitz)
PANORAMA 8 The Making of ‘Almost, Maine’ One Theme, Nine Stories A&E/FEATURES
“It’s a series of vignettes about people in different stages of their relationships,” junior Taylor Thompson said. “It is a huge departure from last year… We haven’t done anything like this before.” The characters in different scenes do not interact with one another, meaning in rehearsal the actors
SAYLI SANT —a&e/features writer
O
ct. 26 through 29, hundreds of Ladue students and parents will wait eagerly for the lights in the black box theater to dim. Every fall, the Ladue theatre department stages a show, however, “Almost, Maine” is not an average school play. Rather than one plot line and a small number of lead roles, the show involves nine smaller plots, involving a total of 18 characters. The various stories are tied together by one common theme.
OCTOBER 7, 2011
Additionally, having multiple relationships in the show allows it to explore the nature of relationships more deeply. Some characters face difficult breakups, while others are just meeting. As with real relationships, the thematic stories combine humor with emotional drama, thus creating
It’s a series of vignettes about people in different stages of their relationships. It’s a huge departure from last year. We haven’t done anything like this before. -junior Taylor Thompson
rehearse with only one other person. At the same time, actors do not get to spend as much time together as a full cast. This is unfamiliar for many Ladue theatre veterans. “It is a more intimate setting, and it is easier to focus,” senior Alex Mitchell said. “[However,] many of my friends are also in the show, and since they are in different scenes I don’t get to see them,” There are other advantages however to having such disconnected scenes. Actors often have fewer and/ or shorter rehearsals. “Everyone is a lead for one scene, but then they also have a lot of extra time that they can learn to work other aspects of the production, such as props,” senior Lily Boalbey said.
”
a meaningful romantic comedy completely unlike last year’s play, “The Miracle Worker.” “I look for contrast from year-to-year and show-to-show. One of the unique elements in this production involves special lighting effects [and the] variety of roles available,” director and theatre program director Janine Burmeister said. The differences in genre and special effects makes the play unusual in that the interpretation of many of the scenes is very literal. “The show involves physical manifestations of abstract concepts, which could confuse the audience, if it’s unclear,” Thompson said. This can make portraying certain characters more difficult. However, it also adds some humor to the show. “My favorite scene involves somewhat of a metaphor for two people falling in love, and they literally fall on stage,” freshman Jack Lavey said. The novelty of the script is
far from an insurmountable hurdle though. This is because the cast has the guidance from Burmeister. “She won’t tell you how to say a line, she just gives you suggestions and makes you question your decisions,” Mitchell said. As opening night approaches, cast members have much to accomplish. Entering the final month of rehearsals, the cast and crew must come together to produce a cohesive and successful show. “We are in very good shape right now,” Burmeister said. “The crews are working hard to hit their deadlines as are the actors with staging and line memorization.” Producing a good show requires a lot of commitment. There are lines to memorize, sets to build, and props to create. However, the students involved in “Almost Maine,” remain unfazed and hopeful. “The best part is spending every day with a really fun group of people who are also more professional, dedicated and focused than anyone I have worked with before,” Lavey said. Cast members seem to be enjoying both their peers and their script. “I love this show,” Mitchell said, “I want everyone who sees it to love it too.” w
ALMOST READY (Left) Junior Leo DiCera and senior Charlene Masona listen to their director, Janine Burmeister, as she gives advice. (Right top) During after school rehearsal, freshman Jack Lavey and senior Stella Hoft run through their scene about a couple trying to make a long distance relationship work. (Right middle) After rehearsal, director Janine Burmeister wraps up with an overview of criticism and encouragement. (Right bottom) Senior Isaac Walker reacts as he discovers that his character’s two best friends have found love. (photos by Elizabeth Ornitz)
PANORAMA
OCTOBER 7, 2011
Grammy winners take over PAC LEO DICERA —a&e/features writer continued from page 1 “It’s not every day a group that has won multiple Grammy’s is going to be performing at your school,” senior Paige Carlson said. “I was thrilled to get the opportunity to see them.” While at Ladue, Take 6 showcased not only their repertoire of hit songs such as, “Windmills of Your Mind,” but also described the process behind performing a piece to students. Throughout the performance, students were singing, dancing and clapping along to Take 6’s songs; their genuine interest in the performers and their music was abundant. Students maintained an energetic spirit the entire time, with some elementary students giving standing ovations at the end of every song. By the end of their set, students were still cheering for an encore, and Take 6 came back on stage to perform an extra song. Founded in 1980, the group formed in college while studying at Oakwood University in Huntsville, AL. Take 6 started from their common love of music and desire to pursue music as a career. Members in the group, such as Alvin “Vinnie” Chea,
A&E/FEATURES
9
A capella group, Take 6, gives live performance, Sept. 22
often appear in voice work in film and television. Chea’s most recent films were “Happy Feet 2” and “The Smurfs,” his most notable voice work being the opening theme chords for the television series, “Glee.” Being great fans of the popular series, students were in awe when Chea recited the chords spot on. “I hope students took note not only of their artistry, but also, their ability to connect with an audience, an indication of their continual commitment to excellence,” Ladue Middle School vocal music director, Brandon Williams said. To book Take 6, Williams was approached by Phil Dunlap of the music education program, Jazz St. Louis about the possibility of showcasing a Jazz St. Louis season artist at school. When word spread, other schools asked to participate and Ladue was chosen as the host school for the performance. After finalizing arrangements, the event was coordinated through the additional help of High School Vocal Music Director, Tom Lowery, and LHWHS arts department chair, Jim Waecter. “I definitely took away a deeper appreciation for a capella music and music in general. Everyone got really into the performance and it was fun to stand in the middle of all these people who were just truly excited by the music,” Carlson said. w
MUSICAL MEN (Left) (From left to right) Grammy-
winners David Thomas, Alvin “Vinnie” Chea, Mark Kibble and Joey Kibble open the performance with a group number. The vocal group was formed in 1980 and has won ten Grammy’s. (Top Right) Take 6 member, and bass vocalist, Chea gets the crowd excited during his musical number. Chea has been in the musical industry for 25 years. (Bottom Right) Joining the vocal group this year, newest Take 6 member Khristian Dentley (right) performs alongside fellow perfomer Mark Kibble (left). Dentley is considered a baritone vocalist, the most common type. (photos by Julia Novak)
Double Take
junior Julia Kenter
actress Saoirse Ronan
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 Sam Stelzer
actor Will Friedle
senior Caleb Ellis
actor Ed Westwick
photos courtesy of WHSTV.com, saoirse-ronan.org and fanpop.com
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A&E/FEATURES
PANORAMA
ENTERTAINMENT MONTHLY
Oct. 4
People & Things Jack’s Mannequin
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Fall Flavors
With the arrival of Autumn, we rated these coffee spots’ seasonal Pumpkin Latte on a one to five “pumpkin scale” CHRISTINE WANG —a&e/features editor
S
tarbucks may be known as the tycoon of corporate coffee, but when it comes to their seasonal Pumpkin Spice latte, Starbucks has created a perfect blend of smooth autumn spices and creamy pumpkin flavoring. One sip entices the warm, cozy sensation of fall that overcomes the steadily chilling temperatures. The espresso flavor is barely present with the more overpowering flavor of authentic pumpkin pie which is nice for drinkers that don’t like the slightly burnt taste of Starbucks coffee. w
Last Man Standing
$3.75
Northwest Coffee
T
Footloose
he on-the-corner coffee shop ambiance translates directly into our top pick, Northwest’s pumpkin latte. Instead of using pumpkin pie spices as a topping, Northwest uses a unique liquid pumpkin sauce that is almost too sickly sweet. However, the espresso balances the pumpkin flavor very nicely and although the espresso is strong, it doesn’t have a bitter bite. The creamy and thick mountain of whipped cream also adds a comforting change in texture, especially because there is barely any foam to even out the creamy body of the latte. w
$3.25
Paranormal Activity 3
Deer Creek Coffee
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oamy: the most conclusive adjective to describe this latte. A third of this drink is foam. The foam is thick in a good way, but not sweet. Although less sweet than other lattes, the enormous amount of spices make up for it. The seasoning of cinnamon and nutmeg adds another punch of flavor which is slightly overwhelming. Although this latte is much less sweet, it tastes more like authentic pumpkin; it’s much thinner and watered down as is the whipped cream. w
Chuck 7-8pm
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$3.00
Straight No Chaser Fox Theater
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ELIZABETH ORNITZ —photo editor
Starbucks
The Ides of March
7-7:30pm
OCTOBER 7, 2011
The Rum Diary
Kayak’s Cafe
I
n aesthetics, Kayak’s gets an A+ for the design of its pumpkin latte. Each pumpkin latte has a delicate foam heart and an optional topping of whipped cream, seasoning, and crumbled graham crackers which add a crunchy texture. The bland taste of the latte, however, disappoints. The watery consistency lacks a rich texture along with a bold pumpkin flavor. The unproportional amount of spices in the latte also tastes too strong compared to the almost nonexistent pumpkin flavor. w
$3.50
(photos by Elizabeth Ornitz, pumpkin icon courtesy of acclaimclipart.com)
PANORAMA
OCTOBER 7, 2011
Q&A
— art teacher Michelle Graf
Coming Together: S
RU N BI
nization has received the World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child (also known as the Children’s Nobel Prize), the Human Rights Award from the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations, and has formed successful partnerships with leading school boards and Oprah’s Angel Network. “It feels great to be a part of an organization that makes such a big impact throughout the world and locally,” Hollingsworth said. “By merging our clubs, we hope to expand our sphere of influence.” While FTC’s mission is to help
W RE
helping youth” through fund-raisers, informational speakers, activities and after school meetings. “The club actually started when I was watching Oprah one day,” sponsor and middle school social studies teacher Erin Hurley said. “She had a piece where she was partnering with Free The Children, which is an organization based in Canada, and she was bringing it to the U.S. So I applied and our school was chosen.” Juniors Chelsea Mohr, Emma Grady-Pawl, Leo DiCera, and Sarah Hollingsworth set out to make a change in seventh grade and
supplies to students who are in need of materials. Between 2009-2011, the club donated approximately $7000, which benefitted the creation of women’s rights, education of youth and clean water projects. FTC and SHC encour-
ND
”
- junior Emma Grady-Pawl
children in third world countries obtain education, freedom from child labor, discrimination, and unequal treatment of females, SHC aims to help children within close proximity to the Ladue community. SHC and FTC are excited to mesh together, in hopes to raise more awareness about civil rights both overseas and in the local community. “The main reason that FTC and SHC decided to merge was because we wanted to increase the amount of members involved in hopes to be more proactive,” Mohr said. “SHC and FTC both share the same goals in terms of helping youth make a change in the world, both locally and internationally, and we look forward to accomplishing some great things this year.” SHC and FTC will split up the money earned and apply half of the donations to community projects including areas in Missouri affected by the 2011 tornadoes. The remaining half will go to other countries such as Sierra Leone. “We have been more and more successful every year and hope to double the size of our club and triple the amount of donations,” Grady-Pawl said. Between 2008-2009, Free the Children has given $900 to organizations that provide school
yA
We have been more and more successful every year and hope to double the size of our club and triple the amount of donations.
“The Haunting in Connecticut.” — Mukund Subramanian (11)
Students Helping Children and Free The Children combine for larger membership
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helped with the start of the club. As the sponsor of FTC, Hurley also overtook the sponsorship of the conjoined clubs. “I oversee and support the students and their ideas from collecting school supplies to the Turkey Trot which served as a liaison between the middle school and Free the Children,” Hurley said. “The main thing is I let the students lead.” FTC is the world’s largest network of children helping children through education, with more than one million youth involved in innovative education and development programs in 45 countries. Founded in 1995 by international child rights activist Craig Kielburger FTC has a track record of success. The orga-
“Friday the 13th.” — Xavier Gee (9)
ar
ince the end of the civil war, the Sierra Leonean government has persistently tried to protect children from being used as slaves in diamond mines. In addition to child labor, Sierra Leone experiences a lack of clean water. With some of the poorest standards of living in the world, over 70 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. Free The Children (FTC) and Students Helping Children (SHC) have merged for the first time this year at Ladue. The club’s main focus is to promote the principle of “youth
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What’s your favorite scary movie?
Panorama wants to know your answers on all things entertainment! Here’s what you said “None of them, I hate scary this month. movies!”
MACKENZIE PASS —a&e/features writer
A&E/FEATURES
age everyone to attend at least one meeting, which are held Friday afternoons once a month. There, they will be informed about current local and global issues. “All of our executive board members are juniors and seniors, so we are really looking forward to next year to attract younger members to take on leadership roles of the club in the future,” Mohr said. FTC and SHC are always looking for new members to join the group. At meetings, students discuss relevant societal and civilizational issues, both local and international. “FTC and SHC is a great way to get yourself involved within the Ladue community and youth community while having fun with your friends. We always are accepting new members and new ideas to the group,” Grady-Pawl said. “Bringing the entire school together, we plan to continue our success and increase our impact of helping global youth organizations all around the world.” w
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PHOTO
PANORAMA
OCTOBER 7, 2011
WALK THE LINE Top: Seniors Cody Medler and Jody Peterson show their excitement. Above: Seniors Caleb Ellis and Susan Mandelker wave to the paparazzi. (Photos by Lee Goodman)
Ladue, You’re The
Homecoming
WE GO TOGETHER Above: Seniors Cody Medler and
Jody Peterson share a dance after winning the titles of Homecoming King and Queen. (Photo by Lee Goodman) Right: Seniors Charlene Masona and William Keith are introduced as the third couple on Homecoming Court. (Photo by Lee Goodman) Below: The Homecoming Bonfire erupts over forty feet in the air. (Photo by Elizabeth Ornitz)
EDGE OF GLORY Below: Seniors Jehu Chesson and Molly Laycob display their enthusiasm at pep rally. Bottom: Seniors Josh Wolderufael and Emily Warner wave to the crowd. (Photos by Lee Goodman)
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS Top and above: (Photos by Lee Goodman)
OCTOBER 7, 2011
One That I Want
PANORAMA
PHOTO
13
THE BEST OF FRIENDS Top: The crowd goes wild for senior Charlene Masona, the most spirited student. (Photo by Elyse Mack) Above: Juniors Heather Alton, Melissa Moise and Jeslyn Trau show Disney spirit. (Photo courtesy of Melissa Moise)
2011
MOVES LIKE JAGGER Above: A mosh pit of students
dance at Homecoming. (Photo by Lee Goodman) Left: Senior Elaine Schillinger shares the magic of Harry Potter during spirit week. (Photo by Elizabeth Ornitz) Below: Teachers Debra Carson and Mike Hill lead the teacher flash mob during the pep rally. (Photo by Elyse Mack)
GREASED LIGHTNIN’ Below: Seniors Charlene Masona and Sarah Fee mosey through western day. (Photo by Josh Wolderufael) Bottom: Senior girls show off their Grease attire. (Photo by Elyse Mack)
The Ladue Rams crushed Affton 48-0 in the homecoming game on Saturday.
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PANORAMA
OPINIONS
OCTOBER 7, 2011
Should the budget affect abortion rights? When it comes to controversial issues, abortion is always a hot topic. The age old debate has been renewed yet again by recent legislation, especially a February bill passed by the House of Representatives cutting funding for organizations such as Planned Parenthood. The bill is a continuation of a pro-life movement, also seen in the Supreme Court case of Gonzales v. Carhart (2007), where abortions in the late stages of pregnancy were banned. Does the government have the right to intervene in individual rights because of budget issues? Or should they stick by their original ruling in Roe v. Wade (1973)?
ASK THE AC LAB This month Panorama asked Ladue students and staff whether or not it was right for the
44 % 43 % 13 %
government to reduce funding for Planned Parenthood. Of the 350 students and teachers surveyed, 43 percent believed that the government did not have the right to cut funding to Planned Parenthood, while 13 percent thought the government could. The rest had no opinion on the matter.
Absolutely! HANNAH SCHWARTZ —opinions writer
A
nyone who’s read the book “Horton Hears a Who” remembers its moral: “A person’s a person, no matter how small.” Though this lesson comes from a children’s movie with a talking elephant, it can be analogous to the answer of the abortion debate. Because of the immorality of abortion, funding for organizations such as Planned Parenthood should not remain as high as its standard. Not only will the demand for their services slowly die out, but more people can educate themselves on less harmful, morally sound family planning tactics. More women can learn the serious ethical and health-related problems abortion initiates.
Abortion rights advocates express the view that the fetus is not a person, and therefore killing it is not wrong. However, a fetus’s heart begins to beat at only 25 days, and electrical brain waves have been recorded 43 days after conception, showing that the fetus is a living human being. In addition, Senate Bill 158, or the Human Life Bill, and scientific literature agree that conception marks the beginning of a new human life. Knowing that a fetus is a person confirms the idea that abortion is murder. The unborn baby deserves and has same constitutional right to life as any other human. Our society doesn’t permit one human to intentionally harm or take the life of another, and abortion is no different. People also falsely claim that the fetus doesn’t experience any pain during the process. However, according to Dr. Paul Ranalli, a neurologist at the University of Toronto, unborn babies 20-30 weeks into their de-
velopment can feel pain even more intensely than adults. Abortion sometimes involves pregnancy after rape or incest. As hard as it may be to go through such a difficult process, two wrongs never make a right. Rape is a very troubling experience, however ruining another human being’s life is not the wise, mature decision. The perpetrator should be punished, not a defenseless child. Not only are abortions immoral, the choice is often made amidst stress. The Guttmacher Institute found that 50 percent of U.S. women having abortions are younger than 25. These women may not be mature enough or have the experience to make a life-changing decision on their own. In addition, Planned Parenthood protects their patients’ right to keep the procedure from their parents, which could lead to a hasty, immature decision.
Abortions can also negatively affect the women they are performed on. Many experience Post Abortion Syndrome, with sudden, recurring flashbacks of their abortion during similar situations, like a routine gynecological exam or the sound of a vacuum. They also often have sudden crying episodes, lose motivation for their daily activities, have thoughts of depression or suicide, or even a preoccupation with death. A study by the Elliot Institute discovered that 33 percent of post-abortive women surveyed would rather die than go on with their lives. With recurrent themes of illegalizing or increasing the complications of receiving an abortion in this year’s legislation, clearly anti-abortion changes need to be made. The government should continue these bills, preventing harm to innocent children and young women from making hasty decisions they could regret for the rest of their lives. w
Absolutely not! Abortion rights have never been about promoting “irresponsible behavior…” The question is not if abortions will happen, it is whether they will happen safely.
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-senior Zoe Krause
I believe that even though people should have the right to choose, killing off innocent babies is never right.
”
-sophomore Patrick Sullivan
I think that a woman should have to right to an abortion because it’s her baby and her decision and no one else should be able to decide that for her. Also, in certain situations, abortion may be the better choice.
”
-freshman Iris Yang
Babies should never be killed – even in sticky situations, abortion shouldn’t be an option. The woman can have the baby and give it up later in its life.
”
-sophomore Clark Canepa
espite the abortion controversy, people sure love talking about it, especially the House of Representatives. The recent bill slashing funding for Planned Parenthood renewed the nation’s interest in abortion rights. This isn’t the first time the government intervened on this issue. Many recall the historic Roe v. Wade case (1973), which declared abortion legal under the Fourteenth Amendment. Since then, this ruling has served as a guideline to what the government can and cannot do with regard to abortions. Somewhere along the way, however, the law no longer applied. Health education teachers promote awareness and understanding of sexual health from middle school onward. Planned Parenthood is es-
they fail to recognize that in certain situations, childbirth can be a form of murder itself. Anti-abortion advocate Frederica Mathewes-Green provided more insight in the psychology of abortions when she compared a woman having an abortion to an animal caught in a trap gnawing off its own leg. When the choice is between health complications or a child the woman may not be ready for, abortion, though difficult, may yield the healthiest results. More misconception surrounds the safety of abortions. While they can go wrong, many exaggerate the complications of abortions; statistically, legal abortions within the first trimester are 11 times safer than childbirth and are among the safest surgical procedures for women if done properly. It’s when women resort to back alley practices when medical problems arise. Thus, challenges to the legality of abortion don’t make sense when abortions
sentially a continuation of that effort, not only educating young people but providing them access to preventive care. In fact, 90% of the services Planned Parenthood offers are purely preventive. According to Alison Gee, Vice President of Public Policy at Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, none of the federal funding for Missouri’s Planned Parenthood pays for abortions. Not that Missourians would protest if it did. Because the media directs so much attention to Congress, many Americans don’t realize that the anti-abortion views of U. S. Representative Mike Pence of Indiana (R), who championed the efforts at reducing funds for Planned Parenthood reflect only a small percentage of the nation. The reality is, according to a 2009 Pew Research Center poll, nearly six in ten Americans approve of upholding the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v. Wade, and for good reason. Although anti-abortion advocates have equated abortion to murder,
keep many women from seeking dangerous substitutes. How would cutting off Planned Parenthood’s funding—money that goes into educating women so they do not make dangerous mistakes rather than abortions themselves—stop the rate of abortions? If anything, it indirectly promotes back alley abortions. Planned Parenthood doesn’t just help women suffering or who will suffer from their pregnancy by providing safe abortions, it also promotes education and understanding of the body to prevent disasters. In an ideal world, abortions wouldn’t be necessary. All sex would be safe and consented to and words like rape and incest wouldn’t exist. But the world isn’t perfect, and thousands of women find themselves with an unwanted child with abortion as their only option. This fact does not depend on where the government wants to allocate funds. In the end, the decision for or against abortion should rest in a woman and her doctor. w
HANNAH CROPF —opinions writer
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OCTOBER 7, 2011
PANORAMA
OPINIONS
1
Too many clubs overwhelm students with choices Fewer clubs could mean more dedication and stronger leadership SARAH JACOB —opinions writer Here at Ladue, our school prides itself in the number of clubs it offers, but like Robert Browning once said, sometimes “less is more.” At the beginning of each year, the school website posts an updated list of clubs. According to this year’s list, there are 50 clubs, 20 organizations, and 15 different sports available to students, ranging from intense and academic like debate to carefree and laid-back like Club Mudd. With so many options, students can feel overwhelmed and have a hard time trying to decide which clubs to allot their time to. What numerous students don’t realize is how similar most of the clubs at Ladue are. For example, there are multiple clubs devoted to student artwork, such as Art in Action and Studio 204. Whether for charity or for expression, these clubs have the same general basis and goal. The same can go for Elements and the Recycling club. If similar clubs combined, then Ladue students would have an easier time choosing the clubs they want to become a part of. In addition to presenting students with fewer options, the merging of clubs would make clubs larger and more unified. Merging clubs together could allow students to interact more with peers with similar interests, which could result in strong friendships and connections. Larger clubs would also present club leaders with greater leadership roles. Because we have so many clubs, many of them have small enrollment numbers, and leaders lose the opportu-
nity to lead. Therefore, the title of president no longer carries any weight anymore. Another benefit of larger clubs is that they are more likely to survive and continue even after their founders graduate. Without dedicated members and a strong leader, clubs simply cannot survive juggling schedule arrangements, funding, and other challenges. Truthfully, most students are only passionate about maybe two of their activities, and the rest are just for colleges. However, Angel B. Perez, the Director of Admission at Pitzer College, said in a Washington Post article online that a student’s passion, involvement, and impact matters the most, not how many clubs a student is involved in. Even though students may want to portray themselves as well-rounded individuals through the diversity of their extracurricular activities, it’s important they sign up with the right intentions and not just for college. It’s not just students who have this notion that clubs are key in college admissions; teachers who sponsor clubs also practice this idea. To boost the number of members in their clubs, teachers often try to encourage students to join their sponsored club by saying, “It looks great on a college application.” Teachers should not be using this as a valid motive for their pupils to join clubs. As our mentors, teachers should encourage us to do what we are passionate about, not what is going to get us into college. High school isn’t just about preparing students for college: it’s a place for students to excel academically, build relationships, learn, and participate in activities that they are passionate about. However, the presence of so many clubs distracts students from subjects they are truly passionate about and keeps them from excelling in a specific field. w
It just makes cent$
In comparison, our economy is really not that bad DENIS VOLOBUEV —business manager Despite the belief that our economy is the worst, there are markets suffering more than ours. Even though America’s unemployment rate has skyrocketed, the value of the dollar has increased to the highest it has been in the past couple of years. The aching economies in Europe rather than in the United States have caused many repercussions in the global economy. According to CNBC, during the global recessions, the European Economic Community failed to establish effective austerity measures, or to pay back the debts owed to the European Union government for its bailout packages. Issues complicate more when all 27 countries all have to agree on one topic to improve their economical views. As a result, the Eurozone, or the 17 countries that use the Euro as their currency, experienced high inflation and an increase of prices of purchased goods, or “commodities.” The inflation rate rose from 1.9 percent in November to 2.2 percent in December 2009, according to the New York Times.
The increase of inflation only became detrimental because of the standards of the European Central Bank. At least JeanClaude Trichet, president of the ECB, has just enough standards on the current system to keep the bank in order and the economy from totally crashing and burning. In addition, it takes the ECB a month to notice significant set backs in the inflation curve. To prevent this from happening in the future, the ECB should develop a warning system before the inflation rates reach alarming heights. In addition, all the countries in the EEC will have to work together to make fresh start, according to the Associated Press. In comparison, the United States’ economy is much better off. Despite our supposedly horrible unemployment rate, the European Commission announced July that the current unemployment rate in Europe is 9.5 percent (versus the United States 9.1 percent according to tradingeconomics.com Sept. 2). In addition, CNN Money reported that unleaded gas stock has dropped 7.5 percent in the past month in the United States. Because the commodity gas is traded with American dollars and the American economy is more efficient and stable than the Eurozone, the gas prices will continue to fall until an equilibrium art by ANDREW RUBIN is reached between the two markets. However, our economy is in a good place because another economy is struggling. And that just makes cent$. w
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annotations CHLOE AN —opinions editor
As fall rolls around and September turns into October, a multitude of things fill the minds of students - the end of the first six week grading period, the chill in the air, and, of course, Homecoming. But as a true kid at heart, the best part of the new month is Halloween. Since the second half of the nineteenth century, Americans have associated Halloween with dressing up in costumes and trick-or-treating. However, Halloween’s origins begin much farther back in history. About 2,000 years ago, the ancient Celts celebrated the end of summer and the beginning of winter on Nov. 1. The night before, on Samhain, they celebrated the return of the dead to the earth with large bonfires and elaborate costumes. After the Romans conquered Celtic territory, the tradition of Samhain was joined with Roman festivals honoring the passing of the dead and the Roman goddess of fruit and tress, Pomona. This may have begun the tradition of bobbing for apples, Pomona’s symbol, that many children enjoy on Halloween. By the eighth century, the Celtic holiday had merged with the Catholic feast of All Martyrs Day, and finally created the true All-Hallows Eve, or Halloween. When the holiday first reached America, it was a time to celebrate the harvest, share stories of the deceased, dance and sing, tell ghost stories, and have a good time with neighbors. However, as more Americans began to dress up and go doorto-door asking for money or food, the Halloween we know today began to form. Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year. I mean, who doesn’t like free candy? Today, the elements of fear and superstition have been replaced with jokes and games, and every Oct. 31 the streets shine with lights and jack-o-lanterns and resonate with joyful shrieks, ringing doorbells, and corny jokes from house to house. Just standing outside leaves you with a strong sense of community and happiness. For me, you can never get too old for trick-or-treating, and local laws barring children over a certain age from trick-or-treating are absolutely absurd. Yes, there are some kids who steal all the candy or hide in the shadows scaring younger kids. But the majority of teenagers just want to have fun like everyone else! Since when did age ever have to do with anything when it comes to holidays? Halloween is and always will be a time of pure joy. It’s impossible for Halloween to ever get boring or disappointing. Every year, it’s just as exciting to comb through the racks of animal suits, princess dresses, and superhero capes for the perfect costume. It feels just as self-accomplished to carve the guts out of a fresh pumpkin, light a candle, and watch its eyes flicker in the wind. It’s just as thrilling (and tiring) to fill your bag with well-deserved candy. It’s always just as exhilarating to sit on the floor, trading and sorting candy with friends. For me, Halloween is the perfect time to let your inner kid out...when you have time for it. Some years, you get lucky and Halloween is on a Friday or Saturday, and you can stay up as late as you want without a care or worry for school or homework. This year, we weren’t so fortunate. I can already predict Oct. 31 as a horrendously long Monday night of AP World notes and the constant ringing of the doorbell, as if luring me out to join the festivities of the night. How am I supposed to focus on school with that? So here’s my proposal: change Halloween to the last Friday of the month. That way, students can have fun dressing up in their costumes to school, yet still enjoy their night homework and worry free. Better yet, if changing the date takes away from the importance of the holiday’s history, have no school the next day. Otherwise, all you’re going to get is a lot of jittery, sleep-deprived, unprepared students. w (This column represents the opinion of the writer.)
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PANORAMA
OPINIONS
OCTOBER 7, 2011
‘Open lunch’ should be reinstated
Views from the Burrow
Allowing upperclassmen to leave during lunch would fuel local economy; incentive to stay in class art by AUDREY KOCHER
Spice it up MOLLY BURROUGHS —opinions editor
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hips and salsa represent an idealized snack, perfect for midnight munchies, after school appetizers and teatime temptations. Tortilla chips, by far the most common mate for the zesty sauce, come in thousands of varieties to suit individual needs, including low sodium, low fat and heart-attack inducing. This classic pairing clearly wins out over milk and cookies (the cookies usually end up crumbled and soggy at the bottom of the milk glass), cheese and crackers (cheese is moldy dairy product, which ruins perfectly good crackers), eggs and bacon (cholesterol much?) and peanut butter and jelly (the bread always ends up damp and mushy by the time you eat it). In all honesty, chips and salsa are just about the best match around, so why would anyone bother eating anything else? Less devoted snackers argue chips and salsa are unhealthy, but like any terrific relationship, chips and salsa face their own ups and downs. Some chips, bland as they taste, are just too demanding for their poor salsa companions. Similarly, some salsa brands, with their flashy tomato and pepper chunks, pretend to be vastly different than they actually taste. On occasion, the differences between a certain match of chips and salsa are irreparable, yet most often, only slight changes are necessary to fix the taste. Some kinds of salsa require stirring. It’s as simple as that. Ladue’s wide-ranging clubs, activities and sports teams are the chips and salsa of our district. For example, with its relaxed atmosphere yet serious dedication, Art in Action balances a cool ranch flavor with debate’s superintense nacho cheese. Cross country is the Flamin’ Hot to field hockey’s salt and vinegar. Wrestling clearly tastes like dill pickle potato chips. School-wide assemblies, such as this year’s highly successful pep rally, can provide the necessary catalyst to blend Ladue’s diverse social and interest groups, as if we were all dipped in a deliciously unifying salsa. Whether they are band geeks rocking out during the fight song or seniors celebrating their well-deserved notoriety, most agree the 2011 pep rally was an undeniable success. However, it’s impossible to leave out the terrific performance from teachers and administrators when discussing the pep rally, and excluding them from such a delicious analogy would be practically a criminal offense. They are the guacamole of the snack tray, reminding all the students at Ladue that there is life beyond high school, and options outside of salsa. Though it’s painful to admit, eating nothing but chips and salsa all day would be quite dull if we couldn’t intermingle with a little guacamole every once in a while. Similarly, guacamole is shockingly delicious, and teachers are much more interesting and friendly than they may seem when they assign multi-page essays due next class. In conclusion, don’t be afraid of guacamole, it’s supposed to be green, and never dip dill chips in peanut butter. Stay classy, snackers. w (Columns represent the opinon of the writer.)
ALEX SHIMONY —opinions writer
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eniors have been mastering the technique since they first were allowed to drive and park at school. It’s a skill that requires timing, precision, and a little guts. Escaping the parking lot, a refined art, may be risky, but the outcome reaps huge benefits. Sadly, school administrators and staff fail to recognize students’ motivations for sneaking out and attempt to keep them at school by assigning parking lot monitors and other AI D Y semi-efficient methods. However, AM by t this entire struggle is unnecessary, ar especially as most students who leave just want to get good food. If the school would consider an open campus policy for lunch, this epidemic could be significantly relieved.
[Open lunch] would relieve the problem of students sneaking off campus during class by offering them an opportunity and eliminating their desire to leave. Ladue used to have an open campus, a long time ago before the current teachers even worked here. Ladue’s system was similar to other area schools’. That era’s administrators, however, decided that the time and effort devoted to keeping the students honest was not worth it. They closed down the old system, and current staff members have not yet found a way to modify open lunch policies to make it easier for administrators to monitor students. There are plenty of existing food establishments around the school that cater to people looking for a quick, delicious meal. The cafeteria and bringing food from home are by far the most popular, and just recently a new food station was added to the Commons. This selection works perfectly for students who have a limited amount of time for lunch. Let’s be honest, half an hour is not enough time for most people to eat a balanced meal, even when teens do stay at school.
The decrease in scrutiny shows [Clayton] students that the administration trusts them and the majority of students take that responsibility seriously. There are potential problems that exist with allowing students to leave during lunch. Parking lot monitors would have a more difficult time monitoring who comes and goes, and it would be hard to keep track of who has which lunch time. In
addition, less money would go to the school income from lunch costs. These problems can be easily prevented. Potentially, each student could get a punch hole on their ID card, marked for A, B, C, or D lunch, that would tell what time they are allowed to be off campus. In order to leave the parking lot during lunch, students would have to show the parking lot attendant their ID, confirming their identity and lunch time. This would relieve the problem of students sneaking off campus during class by offering them an opportunity and eliminating their desire to leave. Also, this privilege would only be available to upperclassmen, which would reward them for two years of good behavior while giving younger students something to look forward to. Most likely, students going to Schnucks, Companion, or other local restaurants on a daily basis would raise the revenue of those companies, though this would be at the cost of decreasing school income, which may be harmful. However, the increase in revenue from those food establishments could be followed by a slight tax increase for those companies, enough to substitute the profit that the school lost, but not enough to completely take away the benefits to the restaurants. If managed properly by the school district and municipal government, open lunch could benefit not only students, but schools and businesses as well. Other schools in the St. Louis County have open campus for lunch, proving that such a practice can be successful. Take Clayton, for example: its high school is extremely close to many restaurants and students frequently leave to grab a quick bite to eat during their designated lunch times. The decrease in scrutiny shows students that the administration trusts them and the majority of students take that responsibility seriously. Clayton has been using the open campus system for years, and they
If managed properly by the school district and municipal government, open lunch could benefit not only students, but schools and businesses as well. very rarely have problems with students abusing the system. If students were to take advantage of the privilege, their opportunity to leave could be revoked. Modifications can be made to other schools’ models in order to tailor them to Ladue. Perhaps parents and teachers would have to sign a permission slip in order to allow students to leave during lunch. Second, open campus privileges can be taken away very easily, and could be accompanied by a no tolerance policy for kids leaving at other times during the day. As the system would flourish and evolve, more guidelines could be established in order to prevent students from taking advantage of the system, and to keep it convenient for administrators. All in all, the benefits of open lunch greatly outweigh the problems. Businesses would be encouraged to open around the school and the local economy would be improved. High school students deserve the opportunity to take on more responsibility, and this is a small step that would be very highly regarded in the eyes of all students. w
PANORAMA
OCTOBER 7, 2011
Spirit Week 2011
We be (flash) mobbin’
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[staff]EDITORIAL Troy Davis’ execution began at 10:53 p.m., Wednesday Sept.19. He died at 11:08 p.m. At the time when his heart stopped beating, the international community was far from quiet. RIPTROYDAVIS and IAMTROYDAVIS trended on Twitter all night, and newspapers were tweeting updates about the crowd gathered in vigil and the state of the case. Facebook groups were active, showing support of Davis and the next day, photos of crying men and women flashed on the news while reports of the tension surrounding Davis’ final night--and how his execution almost didn’t happen, were told. Though Davis may be dead, communities must not let his fire or his cause die. Davis, and those who died before him by execution, must not die in vain. In a developed country, where the political system is stable enough to make changes to the judicial system, it is shameful that we still have the death penalty. When it comes to the question of human life, the economic benefits of capital punishment must not be taken
into account. Many states have eliminated the death penalty, but Missouri still has one, having reinstated it in the 1970s. But Davis’ case is about more than just whether one supports the death penalty or not. This case addresses fundamental problems with our justice system that involve racial biases, backroom deals and the obstruction of justice. At a time when men like the West Memphis Three are being freed because of DNA evidence and based on plea bargains, it is upsetting that a man who continued to plead innocent is killed. In such a contentious case as this, where the jury and witnesses admit to being manipulated, and three prior execution dates have been postponed, a permanent punishment like death should not have been administered. Davis’ execution was scheduled for 7 p.m., but was delayed by another appeal to the court, of which the requested stay of execution was not granted. President Obama did not pardon Davis’ and the pleas of others, including former President Jimmy
Carter and Amnesty International, were not enough. Amnesty International started an online petition called ‘Not in my name’ and one of their six focus campaigns: abolishing the death penalty, seems more timely than ever. Though the image of Davis in his mug shot is a haunting one, the ones of his family and supporters is more so. It can be difficult to measure the impact a death will have until after it happens, and the impact in Davis’ case was immense. Davis’ last words were, “I am innocent.” If the community sits by and watches this case fade into time without a fight, then we are all guilty of civic neglect. Everyone must take a moment to think about Davis, and about what his fight for justice can teach. Yet, we must not only reflect on Davis’ death, but also take action and find a way to change these aspects of our society. Perhaps one man’s death can create a global effort to stop the death penalty, starting with the United States, a country that is perhaps the most capable of doing so.
(Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Panorama editorial staff)
art by AMY DAI
September Corrections
w on page 2, junior Victor Wang attended the Mathematical Olympiad Program along with junior Max Schindler w on page 8, math teacher Micheal Farrell’s name was misspelled w on page 11, Zev Kane and Jeremy Novack graduated class of ‘10, Max Schindler and Haohang Xu are juniors, and Ben Zhang is a sophomore
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. EDITORS IN CHIEF Emily Bell Caleb Ellis
Photo Editors Gretchen McCarthy Elizabeth Ornitz
A&E/Features Editors Sarah Kloepple Christine Wang
Sports Editors Hamm Hooper Jason Kaplan
News Editors Sarah Allen Emily Biest Miranda Siwak
Business manager Denis Volobuev
Opinions Editors Chloe An Molly Burroughs
OPINIONS
Writers Hannah Cropf Jeet Das Leonardo DiCera Mike Figenshau
Karen Figenshau Beza Getahun Sarah Jacob Bram Levy Dana Magruder Marina May Tari Nussinov Mackenzie Pass Nathan Perlmutter Hannah Schwartz Alex Shimony Haohang Xu Photographers Tyler Christner Lee Goodman
Elyse Mack Julia Novack Carrie Seleman Danielle Thompson Jeanne Wilkinson Joshua Wolderufael Artists Amy Dai Xunyi Gao Bowon Joung Audrey Kocher Andrew Rubin Adviser Jillian Proehl
PLEASE RECYCLE
[staff]EDITORIAL Most Americans have felt the effects of the economic recession since December 2007. According to demographers who track poverty trends, in 2009, more than one in seven Americans lived below the poverty line. But even the lives of the other six in seven Americans have been forever changed by the problems with our economy. Mothers have been clipping coupons and rethinking spending. A trip to the mall is no longer a shopping spree; rather, making a purchase takes research, a hunt for sales and eventually a calculated purchase. Even though most families must cut back on spending, we want to maintain our lifestyle and appearance. Even within our own family and friend groups, we like to emphasize accomplishments and minimize our struggles. When we do admit to a problem, we often downplay its effects, or stress that we are finding a solution, but often we make excuses or take action simply in order to maintain a reputation, which should not be a priority. However, many Americans are not fortunate enough to be worrying about canceling a gym membership or cutting back on trips to restaurants. These people are past the point of keeping up appearances.
Losing a job or a home can do that to a person. After losing everything, people have few options besides charity from friends, programs such as shelters or food banks and government help. However, these resources are not enough to support 43.6 million people. Driving through downtown St. Louis, an observer notices people on the street corner begging for food or walking down the sidewalk holding everything that they own in a soggy, ripped cardboard box. When unemployment money runs out, when the job market doesn’t yield positions or when people are evicted from their homes, where do they turn? Government funding can only go so far; ordinary people and charity work are the gum stuck to the chicken’s foot that can change the life of someone in need. This is when average Americans, who have their own struggles, must take a look at their lives and ask how they can help others. For Americans, it’s all to easy to get caught up in trivial issues. What country club you belong to, where one’s father works... it must be kept in perspective. And the political gridlock in Washington can cause even more confusion amongst an already bemused populace. Yes, it’s extremely
important to pay attention to the issues affecting the U.S. government and to follow and form opinions about the environment, how our tax dollars should be used, the positioning of our military, etc. But by focusing on political drama, we forget what’s really important: the people they are governing. There will always be conflict between political parties because their fundamental ideologies will never perfectly line up. But people don’t always need to be poor or hungry or homeless. If we as Americans look past the political gridlock and the smiling faces on TV to the people that are actually living alongside us in vastly different circumstances, maybe those in Washington will too. Instead of being solely concerned with their image and how they appear to voters, maybe politicians could take genuine action to help the Americans that are struggling economically. In a time with so much political conflict within our own country, we as Americans cannot forget the others living in our country, even our cities and communities. If we remember to give to charity and help the poor, we will be taking steps to fight back against poverty. And then perhaps our country’s leaders could follow our example.
(Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Panorama editorial staff)
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AD
PANORAMA
OCTOBER 7, 2011
PANORAMA 19 Back and ready to counter attack SPORTS
OCTOBER 7, 2011
With a strong start to the season, the varsity soccer team looks to power forward into the playoffs NATHAN PERLMUTTER —sports writer
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his year’s varsity soccer team has shown the teamwork, skill, and determination to finish the season with more success than in previous years. Before the season started, some players were unsure of how well they would play this year. The team has many talented individuals. The question, rather, was whether all this skill would come together and mesh into a team. After posting a 6-6-1 record thus far, little is left to wonder. “I was not sure of our talent, but [the] Quincy [tournament] put things in perspective that we could hang with a really good team, and this is crucial for the Suburban South Conference, which has great teams such as: Webster Groves, Kirkwood, and Rockwood Summit,” junior Michael Kelly said. Ladue thrived in Quincy with a record of 2-1, casting away all doubt. The lone loss that the team suffered was against one of the more talented teams in the area. “The Quincy Tournament helped us ease into the season. We played great soccer and showed great determination playing three games in a span of 18 hours. The trip was probably the most fun I’ve had in a soccer tournament in years,” Kelly said. Everyday the team works on
their skills, practicing from 3-5 p.m. at Ladue Middle School. When the players arrive at the middle school field they first separate into varsity and junior varsity to warm up for 10 to 15 minutes. For the majority of practice, the JV and varsity teams separate and start to drill. “We have many goals for our season, short and long term. We talk about them, and work on things we need to work on so that we can achieve our goals,” Coach Matt Prange said. One of the team’s long term goals for the year is to finish in the top half of their conference along with wining a few games in districts. One of the keys for the team to achieve its goals is an emphasis on cohesion and unity. To help keep the boys together the team looks to the seniors to lead them in the right direction. “Our captains are Sam Stelzer, Alex Shimony, and Joe Lombard. They do a nice job of leading us,” Prange said. Despite the successes that the team has faced early on, the road is only bound to get tougher. The team’s mettle will be tested against tougher district opponents, and especially in the playoffs. “We’re going to have many obstacles in reaching our goal, of getting into the top half of conference. Team chemistry is a necessity in reaching our goal, and staying healthy has been an issue so far. With a small roster we need to stay
healthy to compete with the best teams in our conference,” Kelly said. Although there are many challenges ahead, the team has not lost sight of the success they have had. Many younger team members are being groomed for future positions, and they’ve still tasted some big wins. On Sept. 15, the team beat their archrival, Clayton. It was a close contest, with a final score of 1-0. “That game was fun. It was very intense and you could not let your guard down. It was huge win for morale, and beating Clayton is always fun. It was a great win. Everybody worked their hardest in a game that really mattered. We were out shot but when we had our FIGHTING UP THE FIELD As he races up the field, sophomore Patrick Sulchances we took them livan eyes the ball. Sullivan is one of four sophomores who make up the and put them away,” Joe younger nucleus of the team. (photo by Julia Novack) Lombard said. The success has been team- Patrick Sullivan, Eric Peterson for the team, however, they hope met with other difficulson, Daniel Israeli and Reid Cytron. that with this blend of youth and ties, as an ankle injury has sidelined [They] have fit in really well with experience they can erase the past senior Devin Gerstein. Senior Jake the rest of the team, and we brought couple seasons of disappointment Weisman notes the role the younger them up from JV,” Weisman said. and reinstate the winning tradition players have taken in stepping up. It has been a very polarizing seathe program is known for. w “We have 4 sophomores on the
GOING TO THE GOAL
While driving toward the goal, senior and captain Sam Stelzer dribbles the ball. Stelzer, along with seniors Alex Shimony and Joe Lombard, is one of three captains on the team, a trio which looks to lead the squad to a winning season. (left) (photo by Julia Novack)
MAYHEM IN THE MIDFIELD While
making a joint tackle, juniors Jeet Das and Michael Kelly battle an opposing defender. The team is optimistic about the season and hopes to restore the tradition of the program. (right) (photo by Julia Novack)
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SPORTS
PANORAMA
OCTOBER 7, 2011
Addition of new coaches brings experience to young softball team Girls look to reload after departure of talented graduates and long time coach
coaches get along well with the team which the players see as a plus. “They have awesome he Ladue girls softball team chemistry together as picked up the slack after the coaches and work us hard. loss of skilled graduates with Their coaching style is very the addition of two new coaches. proactive, and I can see all The new coaches are Jennifer Tuttle, of the girls improving imwho is an English teacher at the high mensely in just one season,” school, and Darci Cadieux, who is Smith said. working at Spode Elementary. Both Coach Tuttle is very coaches are ready to step up to the enthustiastic about the team plate to bring the team success. and their upcoming season. Last year’s seniors had the Tuttle feels that her devotion most experience on the team and to softball will inspire the were crucial in the team’s sucteam. cess. Among those who graduated “I love the game of softwas Micah Scharff, who is now ball, and I love the responsiplaying softball at Emory College bility of passing that passion in Atlanta. The team needs extra and education on to a new SWING BATTER SWING Freshman Bailey Lynn steps up to the plate leadership from both coaches and generation. I feel that my love against Westminster. Ladue went on to lose the game by a score of players to make up for the loss. for the game, my enthusiasm, 12-1. (photo by Danielle Thompson) “Micah was definitely a huge part and intensity benefit the of the team in past years. She knew team,” Tuttle said. the game better than anyone, and In past years, the team the loss of a major leader like her has had great success, winhas been difficult,” senior Natalie ning the majority of their Grimm said. “Luckily other players games. Tuttle and Cadieux like Sarah Kirchgessner have taken have been trying out playon the leadership role on and off the ers at new positions to see field.” what can best help the team Both coaches, Tuttle and and keep the winning spirit Cadieux, have always had softball going. in their lives. After their competitive “The major changes careers, both women continued doare just shifts in positions. Everyone is having SWINGING FOR THE FENCES Freshman Bailey Lynn studies the to try out new spots pitcher as she stands to bat. Lynn currently has six runs batted in ac- on the field to see cording to the St. Louis Post Dispach (photo by Danielle Thompson) what works best for the team as a whole. That’s something we are still working on and will continue to work on but everyone has been filling in nicely. All we are looking for is improvement and a EYE ON THE BALL Sophomore ANGEL IN THE OUTFIELD While few wins here and Natalie Grimm takes a swing at in the outfield, sophomore Nathere, but with the loss a pitch during a game against tasha Medler throws the ball toof five talented seniors Jennings. New coaches Tuttle wards home plate. Medler is one it’s been difficult to and Cadieux anticipate a bright of many underclassmen who rebuild,” Grimm said. future with so many talented comprise the team’s young nuThe coaches aim to young players on the roster. cleus. (photo by Danielle Thomphelp the girls grow both (photo by Danielle Thompson) son) on and off the field. A firm understanding of the game and good team chemistry will be key to the squad’s overall success. “I want this team to begin to learn to understand the strategies of the game and to be confident in their abilities to do well while playing. I want them to have fun together and learn the meaning and importance of teamwork,” Tuttle said. w
KAREN FIGENSHAU —sports writer
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ing what they love by coaching. “I have played softball since I was about seven. I played in high school and in college, and I’ve coached junior varsity softball as well as varsity for seven years,” Tuttle said. The Ladue players welcome the coaches. With the addition, players foresee a benefit to the success of the team and expect more girls to come out in the upcoming seasons. “I think that the Ladue softball program will definitely grow under Coach Tuttle and Coach Cadieux. We had the most freshmen come out this year, and that gave us some confidence before the season started. I can see a JV [team] starting in the coming years,” junior Julia Smith said. As the season starts, the team looks forward to some victories with skills learned from the new coaches. All the players agree that Tuttle and Cadieux, have a wealth of knowledge about softball and are good teachers of the game. Their leadership is a key to future success. “Coach Tuttle tends to be the expert infielder and gives great instruction to going about a play, while Coach Cadieux helps the outfield to continue to improve.” Grimm said. Both coaches put a lot of effort towards working with the team. Both
OCTOBER 7, 2011
PANORAMA
SPORTS
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Varsity volleyball takes to the court with youth and talent Without any seniors, girls look to elevate their game to keep up with steep competition Junior captain Christina Shaw leads the team. Shaw, a junior, is among the best returning players, along with junior Erika Ingels. “Christina’s playing an important role as our libero this adue’s volleyball players are bumping, digging, and spikyear, our defensive specialist. She’ll have a lot of playing time ing their way through a great season so far. The girls are in the back row,” McCaffrey said. “Erika’s ability is tremenplaying well without any seniors on the team. dous, and she has college potential. She leads in most of our “There are no seniors this year. Really, only four girls are statistics. She should be a first place all-conference selection.” returning to varsity from last year’s team. The new players Julia Sachs, Olivia Adkins, and Peyton Farmer are freshmen, contribute a lot of playing experience,” coach Roberta McCafbut nonetheless talented players who form the future of Ladue frey said. volleyball. CONSTANT VIGILANCE Junior Erika Ingels “Julia is a strong outside attacker. surveys the defense before she serves. Olivia will share setting position along Ingels has stepped in as a leader on the with outside hitting,” McCaffrey said court, filling in for the lack of seniors. Peyton, once injury-free, will contribute (photo by Gretchen McCarthy) to the middle attacker position.[They] are starting varsity for a reason.” AT THE READY As the get in position, juThe girls share several goals. nior Christina Shaw and freshmen Olivia Primarily the team hopes to dominate Atkins and Julia Sachs get ready to recieve the Suburban East Conference, which the serve against Clayton. Ladue won the is among the most competitive in the match taking two out of the three sets. state. (photo by Gretchen McCarthy) “This year, we would like to finish above .500, and to be competitive in the Suburban East conference,” McCaffrey said. We would also like to win the Suburban East tournament at the end of the year, which starts October 17. One positive sign of the girls’ power is from the Ladue vs. Clayton game on Sept. 16. The girls beat Clayton by winning two sets. “We did an amazing job, and by the second game, we showed Clayton how the game is really played!” Ingels said. However, the team faces even more
MIKE FIGENSHAU —sports writer
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ON THE FRONT LINE Freshman Olivia Adkins talks
to her fellow players in between rallies. Communication is key in volleyball because the players need to know who is going to what part of the court. (photo by Gretchen McCarthy)
tough competition in its district. The teams in contention are among the best in the state. “We have a tough district. We lost to Kirkwood in the first round last year. We also have St. Joe’s, which has won state three out of the last four last years,” McCaffrey said. If we win the first round, we’re in the top 50 percent of schools in the state. Our primary goal is to get through districts first just to get to sectionals.” The team has worked overtime to prepare for the difficult tournaments this season. The girls are already garnering benefits from their dedication. “We’ve worked hard. The girls who returned worked hard during spring and summer workouts, and that’s starting to pay off,” McCaffrey said. Players say they feel more than athletic might from playing volleyball. They say the team has bonded closely, with a sense of camaraderie. “Everyone on the team contributes a great role in so many different ways and we are one of the closest teams I have personally been on,” Ingels said. w
Mark YOUR CALENDAR Save the date and saddle up to go cheer on your Rams at these marquee matchups:
lOct. 10 - Girls Field Hockey vs. Lafayette
lOct.11- Girls Volleyball vs. MICDS
lOct.13- Boys Soccer vs. Kirkwood
lOct.15- Boys Football @ MICDS
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SPORTS
PANORAMA
On the Sidelines:
QUICK, SCAN IT Don’t question it, just do it. Scanning this image on a smartphone will instantly provide a new, interactive way to... Scan to discover more. However, if a smartphone is not available, simply visit www.laduepanorama. com. Did that just give the function of this QR Code away? Maybe, maybe not.
Forrest Donnell
Q: Why did you start swimming? A: I started swimming my freshman year. I was planning on trying out for soccer, but decided I didn’t want to do all that running. It turned out I was a pretty good swimmer and made state my freshman year. Q: What are the team’s goals? A: We all want to be on time and start practice on time. We all want to be able to push ourselves to be the best we can be. Q: How does the team work together? A: Everyone thinks swimming is an individual sport, even though you win as a team and lose as a team. If a person doesn’t do what they are supposed to do as an individual, overall it will hurt them as a whole.
OCTOBER 7, 2011
SPLASH BACK Backstroking his way to individually
MAKING FACES Powering through the water, senior Reinhardt Criss swims backstroke. One of six seniors on the team, he brings a sense of humor to the determined squad. (photo by Lee Goodman)
qualify for State, senior Salman Mahmood continues to improve. “My favorite swim team memory was getting the opportunity to speak at Blue and White Night, in front of the whole school,” Mahmood said. As nervous as I was, I’m glad I got to finally show off our uniform and represent the Ladue swim team.” (photo by Lee Goodman)
Q: What is a swim meet like? A: Swim meets are like any other sport, especially track. You have your event to get ready for, and once that event goes you put all your energy in to that. Your next event might be right after, or it could be in ten minutes, so you always have to be ready for whatever happens. Q: Any thoughts on State? A: At state this year we want to qualify at least two more relays, and for me I hope to be able to get in the top eight in state. Q: What are your plans for after high school? A: I’m looking at some colleges for swimming, and I’m looking at some for water polo. If I go out to California I might swim and play water polo, if I go up North I’ll probably swim, and if I go down South I’ll probably swim, too. Q: What is your best swim memory? A: My best memory is getting a school record for the 400 meter freestyle last year. Q: What is your worst swim memory? A: My worst swimming memory goes back to my freshman year. I was 0.01 seconds off from making state. That was a heart breaker. Q: How do you get in shape? A: To get in shape you really just have to push yourself to go down and back, down and back 100 times or more. Q: What is your favorite meal? A: After practice I’m pretty hungry. I get two Subway sandwiches, a smoothie from St. Louis Smoothie, go home and have some brownies and other stuff. When you swim, you have to eat a lot.
TAKING A BREATH Coming up for air, senior Carter
Blase scans the water ahead of him. “We are kind of struggling this year, but we will get better,” Blase said. Blase is an essential relay swimmer for the Rams. (photo by Lee Goodman)
Progress report: boys swimming “Right now we are working on qualifying more relays for state, like the 200 meter relay,” Blase said. In addition to qualifying, the
individual event,” Mahmood said. “I would also like to be Ladue’s varsity swim team a good leader to the younger kicked off the year with confiswimmers and encourage dence and pride. Led by sethem to work harder and niors Forrest Donnell, become better swimAs a team, I would like us all to push ourSalman Mahmood and mers, surpassing the selves and become a dominant group of Carter Blase, the team individuals before performed highly at the swimmers that will not only be successthem. As a team, I Ladue Invite, qualifying would like us all to ful this year but for the next few years as for the state championpush ourselves and well. -senior Salman Mahmood ship in November. become a dominant Ranking first in St. group of swimmers Louis in the 100 meter that will not only be freestyle with a time of 48.88 team is focusing on some other successful this year but for seconds, Donnell is ready to goals. Leadership, teamwork, the next few years as well.” anchor his team and guide it and success are just some of The state tournament will to victory. Also swimming hard Mahmood’s current ambitions be here soon, and this team and leading the team, Blase’s for the season. will have the opportunity to personal record is 53 seconds “My personal goal is to qualify prove itself strong, worthy in the 100 meter freestyle. in the state tournament for an and victorious. JASON KAPLAN —sports editor
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PANORAMA
OCTOBER 7, 2011
SPORTS
23
Field hockey continues dominance
HOOP’S HUDDLE
Exceeding expectations, team victorious over St. Joe for first time
A Series of Unfortunate Events
BRAM LEVY —sports writer
F
ield hockey continues to attack the league with constant energy as one of Ladue’s most successful sports teams. With a 8-4 record as of Oct. 2, the girls continue to fight after a huge victory over St. Joe. Undefeated in conference play and losing only to the pool champion in the Gateway Classic tournament, the team is off to a great start. Key players, including junior right-wing Courtney Emert with 7 points, sophomore Concie O’Keefe with 4 points, and junior Elise Pellett with 28 points as the team’s leading point scorer, each contribute to their success. LEAN WITH IT Following through a pass up field, senior Elena They made it to the elite eight in last year’s playoffs, and this young team, with only four Gresick has her eyes locked on the ball. Clearly untouched and seniors, shows no signs of slowing down. To unaffected by the Kirkwood players surrounding her, Gresick rephead coach Barb Dwyer, currently in her 15th resents the true strength of the Lady Rams. (photo by Elyse Mack) year of coaching, the game-time achievements to keep them motivated.” are not the most important thing. Gresick has many accomplishments, including taking her “If you do it for winning and losing, you’ll get frustratfield hockey talents to the Junior Olympics and earning a ed,” Dwyer said. “I am as competitive as the next person, but gold medal. Despite having an impressive personal body of what’s most important to me is developing players both on work, she will stop at nothing to help the team win. and off the field.” “This year my team goal is to go further in the state finals The team’s two captains, seniors Elena Gresick and Bea than we ever have, and of course to have fun,” Gresick said. Dageforde, are also valuable members of the team. Gresick Dageforde, the team’s current shutout leader as goalie, has racked in a solid 13 points, and Dageforde currently knows what a little positive energy can do for those on the holds 64 saved shots on goal. team. Being the field general, she knows how important “Team leaders are so important because they set the tone composure can be. for everybody else,” Dwyer said. “As a coach, I want to see “In practices I think one of the main things I’ve done is the girls pick each other up and encourage one another rather encourage everyone to keep pushing,” Dageforde said. “For than put each other down, which we’ve had in the past. This example, when we’re doing sprints I like cheering everyone has been one of my best teams as far as encouraging one on, even if they’re passing me. Also, as a goalie, I have to another.” organize the defense because I have the best view of the Gresick, in her tenth year of playing field hockey, underwhole field.” stands how important her role as a senior leader is. Despite But the seniors are not the only players contributing. the challenges that are coupled with it, she relishes the opAlong with two freshman on the team, Riley Kniptash and portunity. Sarah Waldman, sophomore Grace Waldman wants to show “I have been on varsity since freshman year and I try to that she can lead by example despite her young age. lead the team by example,” Gresick said. “Also, I really try “I try to help everyone and give advice and encourageto keep the team positive even if we are losing. It is somement, and to always be the hardest worker on the field,” times very challenging to keep the team focused during Waldman said. warm ups because we love to talk. Also, it puts pressure on Armed with a stellar coaching staff and the talent to win, me to be really good all the time because they look up at me it looks like the Lady Rams will keep dominating the field. w
The Monthly Poll This month Panorama asks: How do you think referees are treated?
Tweet your answer for the chance to win a shirt from the Ram Shack!
A. Highly respected
@itsduetime
B. Deserve more credit
C. Who cares, it’s their job September results: Thanks for all the tweets! It was tie: Adrian Peterson and Drew Brees were both voted as Ladue’s #1 fantasy draft picks!
Book One: The Tale of the Referee HAMM HOOPER —sports editor
A couple weeks ago, a high school football referee was blindsided by a kid after he made what the player thought was a bad call. After watching a video of this attack, I and millions of other people burst out laughing until upon further reading the corresponding article, discovered the hit actually broke the ref’s collarbone. Bummer. Being a high school referee easily ranks in the top five under the category of “Worst Job Known to the Human Race.” What perks are there to being a high school ref? The money can’t be good enough for the endless torments referees endure. There’s always know-it-all coaches yelling after every call an official makes and looking like nothing would make them happier than strangling the ref with their bare hands. I’ve seen coaches stare so venomously at refs after a call went against their team that a weaker individual would have crumpled like a cheap tent. Even worse are the stuck up players themselves, who argue calls they know nothing about. I’m sure referees have had the strong urge to give a good kick to some snotty kid during a game, yet you rarely see them lose their tempers. Referees are the scapegoats of society. They can’t win. If they make a call, someone is always unhappy. They are heckled constantly by fans booing and yelling “What game are you watching, Zebra!” Referees also always seem to end up getting blamed for a team’s loss, regardless of how badly the team played. A losing team’s head coach usually starts out his post game speech with something along the lines of, “Well boys we might have played like crap today... but if that ref had even half an eye we would have won easy.” High school referees and pretty much anyone else who wears the hated black and white stripes are treated like Cinderella was treated by her stepsisters. They are flat out bullied by fans, coaches, and even players. According to the National Association of Sports Officials, there are more than a hundred reports annually that involve physical contact between coaches, players, and fans. For example, in Pennsylvania, a parent body slammed a high school referee for kicking his wife out after the woman allegedly yelled obscenities during the game. The referee went to the hospital were he was treated for a concussion. There have been numerous accounts of brutality against refs ranging from an entire basketball team beating up a ref after a game, to my personal favorite, a man starting a fight with an umpire during a six-year-old softball’s game. I mean, Good Gravy, it’s not like these guys are human punching bags and everyone gets a turn. What point was that guy trying to make in a six year old softball game? I think it’s safe to say, we need to take it a little easy on our referees. Just look at most high school refs. They look like little, disheveled old people who’d be the first to tell you if they didn’t have to do this job, they wouldn’t. For example, the referee at the Jennings-Ladue football game looked miserable standing in the cold rain and eerily similar to the sad old guy from the movie “UP.” It’s a wellknown fact that refs miss calls, but we have to acknowledge that this is just the human element of all sports. Let’s face it, they’re only human and make mistakes. And the arguing over calls is completely unnecessary. Whenever you see managers going out to argue a call during baseball games, does the umpire ever change his mind No. It just makes the one arguing look like an idiot. If parents and fans are so desperate for their team to win that they are willing to assault a ref and embarrass themselves, maybe they should consider a more productive way to help the team. Something along the lines of cheering on their own kids could be a start. w
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COVER
PANORAMA
OCTOBER 7, 2011
Troy Davis dies After three failed execution by lethal injection, dates, letters and pleas fail Sept. 21 in Georgia SARAH ALLEN —news editor continued from page 1... However, throughout 20 years of attempts to overturn Davis’ conviction, including multiple appeals to the Supreme Court, his initial conviction remained standing. When Davis appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in April 2009, the court wrote in its decision, “When we view all of this evidence as a whole, we cannot honestly say that Davis can establish by clear and convincing evidence that a jury would not have found him guilty of Officer MacPhail’s murder. We are also unpersuaded by Davis’s suggestion that his claim of innocence has not been and will never be heard. As the record shows, both the state trial court and the Supreme Court of Georgia have painstakingly reviewed, and rejected, Davis’s claim of innocence.” Some theorize that if the evidence did indicate Davis’ innocence, his advocates would have successfully overturned the decision over the course of 20 years of appeals. “I can understand why people are really upset about this,” senior and Young Republican member Katie Huey said. “It’s a tragedy every time a human life is lost. I do think they made a bigger deal about this case than they should’ve. ... It was originally twenty years ago, and if they appealed for twenty years and nobody was able to overturn it, maybe he was guilty.” Doubts about Davis’ guilt led Amnesty International to use Davis’ example to push for the abolition of the death penalty. In the hopes of halting the executing, Amnesty International collected and sent over six hundred thousand letters to the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Parole requesting that the execution be delayed. The organization encouraged those against Davis’ sentence to sign an online petition in favor of abolishing the death penalty called the “Not In My Name Pledge.” The immense for support for Davis has encouraged Amnesty that the support for their fight to eliminate capital punishment will grow in the future. “We got a lot of support. People are kind of energized by that. … They’re outraged that it happened. … There’s been an outpouring of support for him,” Brian Evans, the campaign manager of Amnesty International USA’s Death Penalty Abolition Campaign, said. “We feel really energized by that. … We feel like going forward there’s a much larger group of people ready to take action to stop it.” Momentum for abolishing the death penalty shows no sign of slowing as a result of Davis’ death. Recently, more states have begun to reconsider the death penalty, a positive signs for anti-death penalty advocates. “I think the campaign to abolish the death penalty will not stop as a result of Troy Davis’ execution,” Hahn said. “As a matter of fact, I think there has been a number of state that have
abolished the death penalty or have said we’re going to stop all cases of death penalty right now for further review, which could be indefinite.” Anti-death penalty advocates have successfully abolished the death penalty in 16 states, but have yet to eliminate capital punishment in the remaining 34. However, the process of prohibiting a practice across the U.S. can be lengthy given disparities in states laws. “I think that as opposed to countries in Western Europe, the U.S. is culturally different,” Evans said. “We have a long history of slavery and our political system is set up to keep people under control and the death penalty is an extension of that. We have a system where each state has to abolish the death penalty itself. We have abolished the death penalty in 16 states [but] we have to abolish the death penalty 34 times, so it’s much more difficult than in a place like France.” Like Georgia, Missouri administers capital punishment by means of lethal gas or injection. According to a document on the history of the death penalty in Missouri published by the Missouri Department of Corrections in February 2011, “Prior to [September 1937], criminals in Missouri were executed by
public hangings, conducted by the Sheriff in the county where the crime was committed.” Missouri stopped administering the death penalty after a 1968 Supreme Court declared the practice cruel and unusual punishment, but resumed the practice in 1976 upon the Supreme Court reversal on its earlier ruling. Since 1976, Missouri has executed 68 people, the fifth most executions of all states. Amnesty International celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this year, and abolishing the death penalty was among six focus campaigns chosen to celebrate the anniversary. Ladue Amnesty discussed the Troy Davis case Sept. 22 at their second meeting of the year. Initially, Ladue’s Amnesty International chapter planned to focus on women’s rights in Nicaragua for the month of October, but subsequently shifted to focus to Amnesty’s abolish the death penalty campaign. “One of Amnesty’s big campaigns this year is working to abolish the death penalty, so we’ve used his execution to initiate discussion about that and create awareness about the issue: whether the death penalty can ever be applied fairly, whether humans ever have the right to apply it, and the high cost it imposes on state budgets,” junior and Ladue Amnesty vice president Emma Grady-Pawl said. Some Amnesty members, including juniors Lizzy Wallis and Isabella Benduski, feel that Davis’ execution was unjust view the case as an extension of a problematic judiciary. They see the verdict as a result of an unpredictable and inconsistent court system. “America’s court system has too many unreliable factors to insure for a proper trial,” Benduski said. “The witnesses, jury and evidence are all things that have an impact on the trials’ outcome. Unfortunately for Troy Davis, his trial may have been swayed in the wrong direction by unreliable, biased information.” While Troy Davis was executed, his cause nevertheless inspired discussion about the death penalty. Those against capital punishment often argue that death is irreversible and that retaliating against crime with another crime is hypocritical. “I strongly am against capital punishment because I don’t believe we should justify a crime by committing another crime,” Wallis said. “Once something so permanent such a murder is committed, there is no turning back, so if the person turned out to be innocent, there is no way to bring them back to life. I believe sentencing the person to prison for life would be a worse punishment because they would have to actually think about and face what they did rather than just being killed and running away from it.” However, proponents of the death penalty believe otherwise. Supporters reason that the death penalty deters crime and that those who commit monstrous acts deserve the ultimate punishment. “I am typically against it, but I find there to be some circumstances in which I believe it is justified,” junior Meredith Behrens said. “I believe it’s justified when the killer creates a situation of unfathomable suffering for the victim, when the killer’s actions create a level of suffering that you can’t even comprehend what the victims must have gone through at the killer’s hands.” w art by AUDREY KOCHER