JANUARY RECAP illustration by | DANIELLE ZHANG
IN THE CLUBS CLUB NEURO
Club Neuro, which deals with neuroscience, meets every other Tuesday over Zoom at 3:00 p.m. with 45 minute meetings mainly focused on preparing for the Brain Bee, which is currently scheduled for March 27 at Washington University in St. Louis. “We all have a brain; why not learn more about it?” senior and club co-president Ashna Chali said. “Neuroscience is one of the most fascinating and interdisciplinary areas of study. If you look at any field, I guarantee that you can relate it to neuroscience, because the way we perceive the world, in a sense, shapes our reality.” The upcoming Feb. 2 meeting will include information for registration for the Brain Bee. New members are still able to join by emailing achali66@ ladueschools.net. “We welcome anyone who is remotely interested in learning about how their brain works, or about mental health issues, or in fundraising for brain-related causes,” Chali said.
ETHAN WILLICK editor in chief
TACTIC TACTIC, also known as Teens Against Child Trafficking, meets every Monday at 2:30 p.m. to brainstorm new anti-child trafficking initiatives, such as their upcoming video project. “Every video will have a purpose aside from simply spreading awareness,” senior and president Joshua Wolk said. “Some will function as PSAs for child safety [and] some as calls to action for policy change.” The group has already interviewed Professor of Psychiatry at Washington University in St. Louis Rumi Price, among others, to begin production of the videos, and has more interviews planned. The club plans to release the videos on their YouTube and social media. “We’d love to see new people at our meetings since we have a lot to accomplish beyond the horizon,” Wolk said. “If you’re interested in spreading awareness through mixed media, participating in U.S. politics, or are simply passionate about the issue at hand, this is the club for you.”
IN THE CLASSROOM AEROSPACE SCIENCE
The aerospace science course consists of learning about the engineering of aircrafts, physics of flight and history of aviation. “I think the construction and testing of the aircrafts is [what] I am most excited about,” aerospace science teacher Jeffery Vetter said. “The construction is about the anticipation of a successful project and the testing of the aircraft is where the real learning occurs.” This semester, due to the inability to do group projects, more building materials had to be purchased. This is Vetter’s first time teaching the class, which has previously been taught by Richard Witt, Jesse McGlaughlin and Theodore Waterson. “The intuitive aspects of construction may be realized by learners who do not succeed in academically-challenging coursework,” Vetter said. “And vice-versa, those who do find academic success more readily may discover that real-life construction projects are very difficult.”
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NEWS
BAND The concert and symphonic bands have had to implement new ways of rehearsing in an attempt to mitigate COVID-19 spread. “If you watch our band rehearse, you’ll see students wearing special masks designed to cover the nose and mouth while still allowing the instrument to be played,” band director Aaron Lehde said. “Bell covers are placed over the ends of the instruments to keep any airborne particles from escaping. To catch brass players’ spit condensation, we’re using puppy training pads on the floor.” Rehearsing with these safety measures has been a unique experience for band members. While the precautions can make it more challenging to play the instruments, they also allow the band to finally play music together again. “The precautions make it harder to play tuba,” junior Jake Goldman said. “When I put the mouthpiece in the mask, the mask nearly comes off my face. But, it feels great to play in person again.” SPREAD DESIGN BY RHEA PATNEY
