J1 JOURNAL
B7 JOURNALISM
1201 SOUTH WARSON ROAD ST. LOUIS, MO 63124
MAY 2023
1201 SOUTH WARSON ROAD ST. LOUIS, MO 63124
MAY 2023
The J1 Journal is an annual newspaper created by the Journalism 1 class that strives to inform and entertain Ladue students, staff and community members, as well as to uphold professional standards of accuracy and fairness. The publication hopes to engage the student body by eliciting dialogue among our readers. It aims to reflect the diversity of the population it serves and observes the journalistic principle of doing no harm. The J1 journal welcomes letters from the editors. Please bring signed letters to room 1311. The J1 Journal maintains the right to revise submissions as long as origional intent remains preserved.
Austin Coburn
Vincent Hsiao
Aaron Lin
Ishaan Pandey
Mariana Copeland
Grace Huewe
Ava Leidenfrost
Grace Agnew
Ryan Lee
Sage Peace
Sydney Proper
Lila Meyers
Lila Goldstein
Ava Leidenfrost
Grace Huewe
Aaron Lin
Bella Soyfer
Josh Devine
Mason Eastman
Addie Hagen
Jax Bespalko
Sydney Proper Vincent Hsiao
Jax Bespalko
Lucy Dempsey
Bella Soyfer
Kelly Zhang
Kayla Chan
Devin Freeman
Lila Goldstein
Tessa Olschansky
A’Mirra Turner
Lila Meyers
Ryan Lee
Kelly Zhang
Due to many technical issues with the current scoreboard, a new scoreboard at the swimming pool is being built in the summer of 2023 to benefit Ladue students using the swimming pool.
“[The scoreboard] will really help everyone,” sophomore Oliver Stern, on both the swim and water polo team, said. “It'll be a much smoother experience to have a nice scoreboard.”
The new scoreboard will provide many benefits to the school. It will allow games to run smoother and reduce inconveniences.
“Just a more aesthetically pleasing view of everything that we do at the pool so kind of throughout the swim meets, throughout the water polo games, things like that,” Jacob Jagodzinski said, a math and science teacher. “We'll be able to put different pictures and graphics up to kind of provide some more community with our programs.”
The new scoreboard won’t have to be that big of a change. But it does need to match the requirements of water polo and swimming.
“We just have to ensure that the scoreboard works with the
Colorado timing system, which is what we use for all swimming events as well as all water pool things," Jagodzinski said. "That's really been the main thing is just to make sure that it works amongst all those different things.”
The malfunctioning of Ladue’s scoreboard does cause some heads to turn during the games. These heads are turned back once they find out that the scoreboard is outdated.
“The numbers are displayed upside down,” freshman Glen Widjaja, a freshman on the water polo team, said. “Sometimes our opponents get confused and they ask what the score is, and we have to tell them that the numbers are just upside down.”
There are many other instances of the scoreboard’s malfunction, some even occurring in matches.
“There's just little issues that happen with it. That can just be annoying or because things go wrong,” Stern said. “I remember one incident in one of the JV games, towards the beginning of the season against [Parkway] Central, where the scores were flipped. So it looked like we had nine goals. We had six goals, but it was flipped upside down. It looked like a six and I was just really, really confused what the score of the game was. That was upsetting.”
Freshman Emma Hsiao is the
team manager for the water polo team. She often runs the scoreboard clock during games and doesn’t make mistakes with it.
“I remember I was doing the scoreboard at the Founders Cup, which was a varsity tournament, and I and Emma, Vincent's sister and our team manager was sitting next to me doing the clock and she started the clock,” Stern said. “And then J, our Coach, comes running over and I see it's not running on the scoreboard, but it is on the little machine in front of me. And he comes running over like ‘Dude, start the clock,’ and I'm like, ‘It is, it's just not running on the scoreboard.’”
Focusing on the technical aspects, often there is an issue with the display. There are not many problems with the actual clock, but the scoreboard cannot display it correctly.
“There are certain locations on our current board that the lights don't actually work, so it causes different things, different circuit issues, as well as our system’s outdated,” Jagodzinski said. “And so we're just kind of upgrading. Nothing's technically broken, but it's just really an upgrade since we've had this one for quite some time.”
The scoreboard's age has mainly contributed to its problems. Time is a big contriubtor to the issues.
“I know [the scoreboard] has been broken since the beginning of water polo season,” Widjaja said.
The current scoreboard has been a problem for a long time, but it will soon be replaced this summer. Not too much is known about when the scoreboard will be built.
“It's not being built [right now], it'll be put in over the summer or at least that's the current idea,” Jagodzinski said.
It think [the scoreboard] is gonna be really cool. I always thought the new basketball and football scoreboard's were cool, so I think this new one is going to be cool."
Glen Widjaja, 9
Mid-19th century
Water Polo develops in Great Britain, when people were playing rugby in the water.
"I'm excited to get a new scoreboard for our swim season."
Vlad Chapman, 9
"I think it will be a great improvement to our swimming community."
Shang Jiang, 10
1888
The first national championship is played in Great Britain.
Water polo spreads to many other European nations including Hungary, Belgium, Austria, Germany and France.
1929
1890s Formation of first international water polo committee.
1900
Water Polo becomes an Olympic Sport.
2000
Women’s water polo becomes an Olympic sport.
Ladue’s student inclusion committee hosted their first annual cultural event called Rams Around The World in the multipurpose room and cafeteria April 26.
The event, also known as passport night, displayed a variety of world cultures to the Ladue community through food, music, crafts and posters filled with information, all at numerous table booths run by students and their families. Other students performed on stage throughout the two hour long event. It was a night that underwent months of planning by the inclusion committee.
“We were blown away by the response that we got this year,” librarian Jennifer Tuttle said. “We hope that because of how successful it went this year, it will just continue to grow.”
Tuttle is a co-sponsor for Ladue’s student inclusion committee, also known as the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility group. Students are nominated and chosen by staff to serve in DEIA. The group meets about
every six weeks.
“This year we asked them to identify an action, stuff that they would like to actually take charge of, and that was this Rams Around The World event,” Tuttle said.
Passport nights the Ladue elementary schools have held for years was the inspiration for Rams Around The World. It was fit for the goals of DEIA.
“They asked, ‘How can we have a similar kind of event where we are celebrating the different cultures, ethnicities, races, [and] differences within students in the building?’” Tuttle said.
DEIA started planning for the event at the start of this year. The committee had to coordinate with many families who wanted to participate in the passport night.
“It was a lot of just sending the promotional material out and [seeing] what came back, and then continuing communication with those people who were interested to ask, what is it that you need from us in order to make your booth successful?” Tuttle said.
One of the stage performanc-
es was from Ladue students in the Master Qi Kung Fu School, including freshman Jin Zhang. Zhang showed his skills off with nunchucks and a plastic spear.
“Prior to the event, I practiced around 45 minutes a day, like the week before. Especially my nunchucks, it is quite easy to drop,” Zhang said.
Other performances throughout the night included dancing from the Bollywood dance club, sophomore Stuti Dasgupta singing a Bengali song, storytelling and sing-alongs from former Ladue Middle School teacher Quentin Alimayu, salsa dancing from members of Spanish Honor Society and a Chinese tea ceremony performed by senior Jasmine Li. Zhang went to the booths and watched other performances after conducting his own.
“I think it is very important to know more about other cultures,” Zhang said. “Our school is a very culturally diverse place and every passport night, there’s food from every culture, new stuff you always learn. It’s a great thing.”
A welcome whiteboard sits near the entrance of Rams Around The World in the cafeteria April 26. The event was a showcase of the community's diverse backgrounds. "Just thank you, thank you for sharing your time, your resources, your knowledge, yourselves," librarian Jennifer Tuttle said. (Photo by Vincent Hsiao)“We hope that because of how successful it went this year, it will just continue to grow.”
Jennifer Tuttle, staff
TOP LEFT: Senior Jasmine Li pours hot water into teacups during the Chinese tea ceremony. The tea was later handed out to visitors throughout the multi-purpose room.
TOP RIGHT: Freshman Jin Zhang performs kung fu onstage with a large spear. Zhang was one of three Ladue students demonstrating their kung fu skills learned from the Master Qi Kung Fu School in St. Louis.
UPPER MIDDLE LEFT: Librarian Jennifer Tuttle speaks to eventgoers in the multi-purpose room near the end of Rams Around The World. DEIA members helped organize and run the event, pictured to the right of Tuttle. (Photos by Vincent Hsiao)
LOWER MIDDLE LEFT: Senior Nahome Tewelde serves Nigerian food to fellow senior Dylan Patterson. Tewelde was among the dozens of booths either displaying information and serving food to the Ladue community. (Photo illustration by Vincent Hsiao)
BOTTOM LEFT: Former Ladue Middle School history teacher Quentin Alimayu leads a sing-along song during his performance onstage. Alimayu explained the song's meaning and practiced the lyrics with the audience of Ladue families. (Photo illustration by Vincent Hsiao)
BOTTOM RIGHT: Seniors Rodina Elasbali and Zahra Khan hold up items showcasing Islamic culture at the Muslim Student Association booth. They featured food and drink including samosas, dates and Rooh Afza, along with henna tattoos and its Islamic history. "It’s amazing showcasing our beautiful diversity within our school, being able to dress up in our little cute outfits, and see everyone else’s outfits, it’s amazing," Khan said. (Photo by Vincent Hsiao)
There’s one minute until the bell kicks o second hour and Claire Fredman is racing from the student parking lot to get to class, careful not to spill her Starbucks Pink Drink while pounding on the door that is locked because of seniors like her. Counting down just ten days left of high school, Fredman can’t bring herself to sit through all 46 class periods that remain.
Taking on her 15th year at Ladue, Fredman is starting to feel burnt out. Senioritis is getting real for her and her friends and it’s becoming easier and easier to skip class, guilt-free. Senior year is very di erent when it comes to independence for many seniors. Already being committed to college takes the pressure o of grades, so many seniors are feeling as though there really is no point in showing up at school. Fredman has recently sealed the deal with the University of Tampa, and although she already considers herself a college girl, she is still grateful for her Ladue experience.
“This year has been so fun. I like being a senior. It's very di erent from all
LADUE SENIORS FACE INTENSE SENIORITIS THROUGHOUT THEIR LAST FEW DAYS OF HIGH SCHOOLI'm so over thisIllustrated By: Ava Leidenfrost
other years because I feel more independent, especially since I committed to college,” Fredman said.
Not showing up to class is a tendency that has gotten worse and worse for Fredman as the year progresses.
“At this point, I don't even have to text my mom to tell her I'm coming home and leaving. I'll just show up at the house and leave school which is not the best habit, but, I'm a senior, I have two weeks left of school so what are they going to do,” Fredman said.
Genie Hong is almost through with her 14th year of teaching at Ladue and she has had many experiences with seniors in her trigonometry and college algebra classes. Throughout Hong’s interactions with her senior students, she has realized how senioritis a ects her classes daily and how they run.
“It has a domino e ect. So when more students don't want to do things, they kind of encourage and in uence other people to not do things and so it de nitely changes the dynamics of a classroom,” Hong said.
In her class, slacking o does not
go unnoticed. As the year comes to an end, more and more students turn in less and less work and put little e ort into their classes.
“My seniors are becoming less enthusiastic about being at school and doing schoolwork and I have had to nd di erent ways to encourage them to participate,” Hong said.
Bobby Keller, another Ladue senior, can relate to Fredman’s struggles with school commitment. He looks forward to attending Texas Christian University in the fall. With a perfect 36 on the ACT, people may expect Keller to defy the bad habits of senioritis, but that is not the case.
“I don't think I've done an assignment that was not in-class work in probably a month. I probably go to two out of my four classes a day on average,” Keller said.
While these statistics might be alarming to some, the majority of Keller and Fredman’s friends have the exact same viewpoints on school: it does not matter.
“We all don't do anything. No one does a single thing. There is no commitment to school to speak of,” Keller said.
Seniors have proven that even after putting forth four years of hard work into high school, there’s really no getting around senioritis and its drawbacks. Fredman’s sights are too closely set on the future and all that’s to come that high school seems small and worthless at this point.
“There's just always going to be days where I really don’t want to be at school. I'll be in second hour and I’ll feel like leaving because I don't really care anymore. Senioritis causes me to not want to do work, but then it's like, I'm almost there. I need to do it,” Fredman said.
Following the steps of her sister, sophomore Ana Moreno embarks on a journey 4,410 miles away from home in Madrid to St. Louis for what will total up to one full academic year, nearly ten months and 300 days. Despite the thrill she feels about arriving, the drastic culture change did not help the situation. Little did she know that her journey would quickly turn around and would end with thousands of wonderful memories and new experiences that she will never forget.
“The rst day you get in the school, you don't know anyone, everyone knows everyone and everyone has friends and you're alone…I overcame it by joining cross country, and there I met many people like a lot of girls, and that made me make friends,” Moreno said.
In search to start adapting better to St. Louis, Moreno took a chance and joined the cross-country team, a sport that she had never done before since it wasn't a common activity in Spain. By joining the cross-country team she was able to become a member of a team
and build lasting connections with people, which was the rst major step in her adjustment to St. Louis.
“I love being around her…I'm gonna miss her humor and her being able to cheer everybody up and make the best out of a situation, like at practice when some people do not want to be there she makes us want to be there,” sophomore Annie Martin said.
As the months went by, Moreno started to get more comfortable and opened herself up to more people and created joyful memories. From bigger things like going to parties and aquariums to little things like Costco trips to get hot dogs and car rides.
“We're driving down Ladue road... and Ana puts on this re song…Ana was just singing her whole heart out, I think that's the moment that I saw Ana and her true happiness, just completely shining,” sophomore Alexandra Tsyzankov said.
Moreno did not only come to St. Louis and was able to learn more about herself and the kind of person she wants to be but she also helped others
do the same. Coming to St. Louis offered Moreno a di erent perspective of the world and herself while at the same time allowing others, like her friends, to learn valuable lessons.
“I learned from Ana and also my experience…that time is way too short to be worried about what other people think and you should enjoy as much time as you can in a new place that you have opportunities in,” Tsyzankov said.
Time ew by and now with only a couple weeks left before departure what started o as a hard and challenging journey ended up being one full of laughter, happiness, and unforgettable memories made with amazing friends that were made along the way. Moreno's time in St. Louis is something that she feels helped her grow as a person and see a di erent part of herself and the world and helped others do the same.
“[Overall] it's a great experience, you learn a lot from yourself, the country, and from the world, it's a thing that you're gonna remember all your life and it's totally worth it,” Moreno said.
ABOVE: Sophomores Ana Moreno, Annie Martin, Sydney Proper and Ella Bender take a picture after there rst track meet of the season. There track meet was at Wentzville Liberty High School. "The season was so fun especially with Ana she made everyone have a good time," Martin said. LEFT: Sophomore Ana Moreno poses with friends Annie Martin, Alexandra Tsyzankov, Peyton O'Shaughnessy and Lena Orywall before leaving for a party on Oct. 15, 2022. This was taken after coming from Ana's rst homecoming. "Homecoming was a lot of fun we all got to socialize and Ana got to meet new people," Martin said."[Going abroad] is a thing that you're gonna remember all your life and it's totally worth it."
Ana Moreno , Sophomore
The Ladue Dads Club is a group of fathers who come together to support their children's school, and simultaneously give back to their community. Will Dempsey, vice president and cochair of concessions at the Ladue Dads Club, loves the organization and all the things that go into it.
In regards to Dempseys decision to join the club, it was a 'No-brainer.' Dempsey has been a member of the LDC since 2018, organizing events and fundraisers to help the school and all of its students.
me to give back to the school,” Dempsey said.
Freshman John Caito has contribuated to the LDC in order to initiate a new restroom facilty at Ladue's West Campus. "My family donated to Ladues community to help make our school a better a place"
“I am a member of the Dads Club because it gives me the opportunity to be a part of the school community, gives me a chance to meet other dads, and allows
Although the LDC is heavily involved with Ladue, they are best known for their presence at the football games. They keep the concession stand up and running, all while bringing people together and keeping Ladue’s community replenished and hydrated with delicious food, drinks and fun. The Dads Club leaves nothing but a positive impact on its community, helping to fund multiple clubs and organizations. One club that they have especially helped is the Ladue Sparkle Effect. Sparkle is an all inclusive club that brings peers together, with and without disabilities.
“It's usually a highlight [at football and basketball games] just to see the inclusion and to see the smiles on their faces. It makes everyone happy, and to me that is a community.” Nikki Harrison, Sparkle sponsor says. Sparkle has not only benefited the school but given back to the Ladue community as a whole. Sparkle gives a sense of togetherness and support, and with the help of the Ladue Dads Club, they are able to sparkle and shine a little brighter.
“Sparkle is a club for anybody and everybody and I think that's what's really special about it, because we preach inclusivity, kindness and celebrating our differences and our talents.” Up and coming 2023-2024 Captain Georgia Bland said. The Ladue Dads Club enhances clubs like Sparkle and helps them to reach their full potential, and the ultimate goal of inclusivity in the Ladue community. "I love being able to help my community," says Caito.
"The Ladue Dads club is an incredibly generous club that helps tie Ladue together as a community."
First: CHOOSE YOUR SHOP
Known for its classic ice cream, Baskin Robbins has every flavor imaginable ranging
SECOND: CHOOSE YOUR FLAVOR
Andy’s has both a walk-up window for a nice summer snack and a drive thru window ready for a late night snack.
VeryBerry Strawberry
Mint chocolate chip
Fro-yo has all the toppings you can think of as well as many many flavors to choose from.
TRIPLEMintchipSTAWBERRYOREO
RAINBOW SPRINKLES: A classic for a reason, these tiny capsules of sugar are an amazing topping to put onto your ice cream.
BROWNIES: This crumbly dessert blends right into your ice cream spreading yummy chocolate throughout your dessert.
GUMMY BEARS: A great topping to add to your ice cream if you need a little more pizzazz. With 12 Different flaovors from lemon to strawberry these chewy creatures are full of variety.
COOKIE DOUGH: Everybody knows that cookie dough is even better than a cookie itself so of course it would make its way into ice cream.
HOT FUDGE: when ice cream gets too cold turn to this topping that will warm you inside and out.
BANANAS: My personal favorite topping of all is banana! Not an easier way to include refreshing and creamy flavors than the sweet fruit of a banana.
17.3%
4.2%
16.8%
12.5%
19.4%
9.9%
13.6%
6.3%
Mint chocolate chip Cookies and cream
Cookie dough
Chocolate
Strawberry Vanilla
Rocky road
FRUITY PEBBLES: No better item to add color and crunch to your ice cream than fruity pebbles. This delicious cereal is a genius topping to add to your ice cream.
MOCHI: If you picked a super flavorful ice cream and fear that toppings may be just too much go to mochi. These delightful rice cakes add a unique squishy texture yet don’t overwhelm your taste buds.
COCONUT SHAVINGS: Just like Fruity pebbles and Mochi coconut shavings also brings an amazing texture to your ice cream. Coconut adds a sweet creamy flavor and is an amazing addition to any ice cream.
Recent statistics state that 51% of high school students reported being told at least once a month that they appeared “burnt out” or stressed. I’m sure we’ve all been there, late nights studying trying to retain information or complete a teacher’s endless list of assignments. The question is, what can make these homework sessions more enjoyable, or maybe even more productive?
Music is my answer. After some research I discovered that music activates the left and right hemispheres of our brain, meaning that it can maximize our learning. For the weirdos who say “music distracts me,” I have a statistic for you from the New York Post. Turns out, 80% of people who listen to music while studying agree that it helps them concentrate or can even be therapeutic.
Here's the thing, what genre of music provides the most benefits for studying and productivity? To answer this question, I conducted my own little experiment. First, I had to conduct a hypothesis: Based on personal experience, I believe that the soul/neo-soul genre of music provides the most benefits for studying and productivity.
After school on some unassuming Tuesday night, I kicked my plan into action. With the dreaded AP exams approaching and the rest of my classes piling up content left and right, I had a good three and a half hours of
homework in front of me for the night. That’s 210 minutes of homework in total. Yippee. To then give each music genre a fair amount of time, I determined that for every 42 minutes of studying, I would listen to a different genre.
I started off with rock music and right off the bat, it was a lost cause. The screaming and shouting, fast tempo, and heavy guitar set me up for failure when it came to those first 42 minutes of studying. Hip Hop was a party for 42 minutes, as usual. While it got me hype and ready to dive into my work, I was still more focused on rapping the lyrics than studying for my dates quiz the next day.
I feel like lo-fi is very hit or miss for a lot of people, and when it comes to studying I think I gotta say it’s a miss for me. Instead of wanting to dive into a poetry analysis essay, I was more inclined to dive into my covers and take a 42-minute nap. Pop, on the other hand was a mess, while I got a handful of my geometry work done, my parents probably didn't love my impromptu karaoke sessions at 10:00 at night. The last genre I listened to was neo-soul, and you could say I saved the best for last. I’m thankful for it too, as in those last 42 minutes I got more work done than I had the entire night, truly. So here’s my consensus : in an unbiased, perfect study, classical or lofi-music tends to be the best for studying as it helps your brain absorb new information more easily without the added distraction of lyrics. In my professional high schooler opinion, however, listen to whatever music you want. As I like to say, music is medicine, and any genre that helps you get in the zone is the best choice.
Source: IMDb
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: VOLUME 3
DIRECTED BY JAMES GUNN
DISTRIBUTED BY WALT DISNEY STUDIOS
The beloved Guardians of the Galaxy movie series is back in theaters May 5 for its third and final film. Still grieving from the loss of Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) must reassemble his team to defend the galaxy against the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji).
SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE
DIRECTED BY JOAQUIM DOS SANTOS, KEMP POWERS, AND JUSTIN K. THOMPSON
DISTRIBUTED BY SONY PICTURES
As a continuation to the Oscar winning film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, it's highly awaited sequel arrives on June 2. The story takes place when Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) reunites with Miles (Shameik Moore) and they travel through the Multiverse where they come across a group of Spider-People sworn to protect their own existence. However, when a new multiversal threat leads the team to clash, Miles is suddenly in conflict with the other Spider-People, leading him on a journey on which he discovers what it means to be a hero.
BARBIE
DIRECTED BY GRETA GERWIG
DISTRIBUTED BY WARNER BROS
July 21, theaters will be introduced to the first ever live-action Barbie movie, based on the iconic doll. Starring Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken, the movie follows the blonde doll after she is expelled from “Barbieland” for not being perfect enough. However, in an attempt to turn things around, she takes off on an adventure into the real world.
What movie are you excited for this summer?
THE LITTLE MERMAID
DIRECTED BY ROB MARSHALL
DISTRIBUTED BY WALT DISNEY STUDIOS
Like many animated Disney films, it is finally time for the classic story of The Little Mermaid to be remade in live-action. The movie will be released May 26 and stars Halle Bailey as Ariel, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, and Jonah Hauer-King as Eric. Identical to the original film, the story tells the tale of King Triton’s mermaid daughter Ariel, a girl full of curiosity and has a thirst for adventure who falls in for with a man on the surface, forcing her to decide between her life underwater and her love.
DIRECTED BYJAMES MANGOLD
DISTRIBUTED BY WALT DISNEY PICTURES
After 15 years since the last films’ release, Harrison Ford will come back one last time for the final movie in the Indiana Jones series which will release June 30. This time around, Indiana Jones fights time to save an extraordinary dial that has the ability to change history. With the help of his granddaughter (Phoebe Waller Bridge), he suddenly finds himself on the bad side of Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), a former Nazi who now works for NASA.
DIRECTED BY ANGEL MANUEL SOTO
DISTRIBUTED BY WARNER BROS
Blue Beetle, a brand new DC superhero film, will land in theaters Aug. 18. Starring Xolo Maridueña, the story takes place when Jaime Reyes (Maridueña) unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient piece of alien biotechnology called the “Scarab', gifting him unbelievable powers and turning him into the hero, the Blue Beetle.
“I’m excited to see The Little Mermaid live-action because I always like the Disney live-actions.”
“I’m excited for the sequel to Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse because I thought the first one was good and I’m excited for what they could do for the second .”
Even if you’re not the biggest on peanuts or peanut M&Ms, I’d still recommend giving this a try. The textures of the two are impeccable together as they have a great crunch. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and salty as the pair manages to evenly balance out their own flavors.
Although this combination once again does provide a nice sweet and salty taste, it was a bit disappointing. Rather than being able to distinctly taste the flavors, the pretzels almost completely overpowered the chocolate/ peanut butter flavor of the Butterfingers. Furthermore, the process of eating this combination was messy, leaving behind many crumbs.
If you’re not into chocolate or super sweet candies, this combo is perfect for you. The light strawberry sweetness of the Twizzlers combined with the crunch and saltiness of the popcorn work very well together without one overpowering the other.
It’s a classic combination for a reason––chocolate and peanut butter are always a wonderful pair, especially when the chocolate comes in the form of an Oreo. The smooth and crunchy textures of this pair are very satisfying and the peanut butter manages to neutralize any overwhelming sweetness.
“I’m excited to see The Little Mermaid because it’s going to be the first live-action film with a black princess.”
College applications generally consist of two main sections, the essay portion along with academic and personal achievements. In the essay, students have no more than 650 words to sum up who they are and everything they stand for. Their attributes and greatest stories are condensed into a singular paragraph with hopes that those few sentences will somehow separate them from the rest of the competition. Then, for academic and personal achievements, students are expected to provide schools with their grades, test scores and GPA, all of which are vital components of the application. At the end of the day, regardless of how diligently one has worked through their academic career, admission officers place their personal value equivalent to those few numbers on a paper. Applicants' futures are solely dependent on these few pieces of information, causing many students to face the internal and external conflict of becoming more than their application.
The process begins sooner than many antici-
pate. The common misconception that junior year is the only time students should focus on college applications is an outdated, and in some cases, a self-sabotaging mindset. Many students, including senior Saba Fajors, wished they could have changed the time in which they began preparing.
“I definitely think I could have started earlier. I feel like a lot of my colleges I didn't put my best foot forward just because I was set on going to one school for a while,” Fajors said. “But that didn't work out and then I just rushed a bunch of my other essays. I definitely wish I started earlier, and I just researched a little bit more.”
Applying to college is a daunting task that lingers over students' heads through their time in high school. College counselors and teachers will try to aid students during this time by instilling good habits and techniques in them; despite their efforts, many con-
tinue to struggle. Senior Anna Carpenter finds that the best way to navigate this process is to create a plan curated toward her goals.
“I made a list of schools that I wanted to apply early to, and I kept track of all their due dates and basically filled up my applications in terms of importance to me,” Carpenter said. “And then as I went along, I submitted them after I looked them all over.”
Rejection is undoubtedly the most discouraging part of the entire process. Even top-performing students with flawless GPAs are faced with this situation at one point or another along their journey. However, rejection isn’t necessarily indicative of one's qualifications or application.
“For some rejections, it was kind of like, oh, wow, that sucks.
However, for the colleges that I really cared about it hurt a lot,” Fajors said. “It really, really, really, really sucked and I just was disappointed and it's like you start reflecting you know, like, oh, like what did I do wrong?”
Being in high school is already a stressful time for students; it's the time to figure life out, take on responsibilities and be held more accountable. For most students, the most stressful thing about it is grades. When it comes to grades, it seems like they define your self worth and your future. Grades are always in the back of your head. We tend to see time and time again that grades define your success on whether you are good enough to get into the college or profession of your dreams.
According to The Three Penny Press, a high schooler spends 2.7 hours a day on average just to manage their grades. Students feel that even if they get a B on a test or class, that means they are a complete failure. The pressure to keep a 4.0 GPA is so intense and toxic for young students, most pressures tend to come from parents and students peers.
“I think this pressure that students put on themselves and comparing themselves to their counterparts is very unhealthy,” history teacher Riley Keltner said.
We see this when it comes to certain situations in a daily setting like classes, and when tests are being passed back, students ask what others scored to compare. As long as acceptance rate percentages decrease, the more toxic grades will become. When it comes to college
and grades being the main determining factor for getting accepted, senior August Minkits disagrees with this system.
“Grades cannot be accurately applied as a representative of a person's intelligence, capability and competency on their own,” Minkits said.
The 2:30 bell rings and students flood out of their classrooms. Some run to their cars, some go to their jobs, but others go to extracurricular clubs and meetings. The idea of an extracurricular has changed dramatically from what it used to be. Fun after school get-togethers have turned into highly competitive and sometimes exclusive communities that can make or break your college decisions.
“Any teacher or college counselor will say, it looks a lot better when you have other things in your transcript. Just things like grades in colleges these days, they don't want to see straight A pluses,” sophomore Georgia Bland said. “They want to see what you are, they don't want to just see a student who knows how to study, they want to see a student who knows how to get involved who knows what their passions are and knows what they want to study.”
From what used to be a very impressive accomplishment, getting a perfect 4.0 and taking a high number of AP classes is now seen as a prerequisite for some colleges, and extracurriculars are needed to set yourself apart and above other applicants. Even if you are a well involved person, the top colleges are still looking for
75
more and being in only a few clubs has been deemed not enough.
“The standard these days is so high, like if you're not in every club then it’s a no, and if you're in every club you still won't get into some of these colleges, you have to be the president of every club, almost so,” Bland said.
49 Percent of students don't enjoy the topics they learn and classes they take
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The standards for the top colleges are ever changing, leaving students and counselors left to play a guessing game. This is a hard game to play and it's necessary for students to start becoming involved early in their high school careers. Although it's good to get started early, it's never too late to become more involved in your passions later on. However some upperclassmen, including junior Emmy Bassett, feel it's not that simple.
“I think once you start to become a sophomore, junior, senior, it's definitely harder to start and join clubs,” Bassett said. “There's more of a stigma of being the odd one out and like, you know, joining too late.”
4.8
15 Thousand students were admitted into the Ivy's on average
Overall, it's important for students to keep an open mind about clubs and extracurriculars. Although some can be demanding, school clubs are what you make of it. The pressure to be high achieving and involved can be overwhelming, so it's important not to step outside of one's comfort zone. Students should follow their passions and try to ignore the outside pressures.
“Join what you're interested in, try them out,” Bassett said. “There's no harm in going to one meeting and if you hate it, you never go back. No one's gonna judge you but it's good to see your options.”
1. How expensive is an average college tuition annually?
A: $5,000
B: $25,000
C: $15,000
D: $30,000
E: Free
2. What percent of students attend a four year college after high school?
A: 17.9%
B: 3.1%
C: 61.8%
D: 50.5%
E: 100%
3. How long is the ACT?
A: 30 min
B: 1 hr
C: 7 hrs
D: 3 hrs
4. What is the average GPA in America?
A: 1.5
B: 3.0
C: 3.5
D: 4.0
5. On average how many college applications are sent per student?
A: 1-5
B: 7
C: 9-11
D: 20-22
E: 30
6. Which is the most applied to college?
A: UCLA
B: Harvard
C: MIT
D: Alabama U
E: UMiami
7. What is the most studied college major?
A: Health
B: Education
C: History
D: Business
8. How many college students will there be by 2040?
A: 600 Million
B: 100 Million
C: 300 Million
D: 800 Million
9. True or False, more men go to college than women?
A: True
B: False
10. True or False, you need to go to college to be successful in life:
A: True
B: False
11. True or False, 34% of college students in the US have an anxiety disorder:
A: True
B: False
12. True or False, college leaves the majority you in debt:
A: True
B: False
13. What is the average finanical aid a student gets?
A: 20,000
B: 5,000
C: 15,000
D: 30,000
14. True or False, College students in the US owe 1.7 trillion dollar due to college
A: True
B: False
15. True or False, On average you need 20 credits in highschool to graduate in America:
A: True
B: False
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By Addie HagenQuiz sources: BestCollege.com, ePrincetonReview.com, Crimson.com, HigherEdDive.com, WhattoBecome.com and Corsera.com
“Two to three times a day, if I’m nervous about getting a test score then I check it more often.”
Maya Varadachari, 9
“I check Infinite Campus once a day to check on my grades and look for updates and other things.”
Andrew Kovalak, 10
“I check it at least three times a day, I check it about every class period to see if anything is in”
Ava Hillebrandt, 11
“I probably do it once a day, maybe twice if im feeling it, but once for the most part”
Orian Ibrahim, 12
the platforms that we rely on and use for access to entertainment, rather than stores like Blockbuster or Family Video, which you had to physically go to in order to rent movies. TV shows are also widely accessible on streaming, leading to drastically declining numbers on cable. In spite of some believing this is a positive development, making media more accessible to everyone, I don’t. With streaming services, we are leaving accessibility to media in the hands of large corpora-
In addition, on music streaming platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify, music can be removed by the artists themselves. We saw this with Taylor Swift’s removal of her entire discography off of Spotify back in 2014. However, regardless of who is in control of the content, as long as it is not the consumer, its accessibility is simply not reliable. With physical media, you buy it once and own it forever. Simple. No hassle. No need to worry about it being removed from streaming or being locked behind a premium paywall, as is the case with some shows on Hulu such as the critically acclaimed “Yellowjackets”.
To put it simply, streaming is a fickle thing. Physical media is reliable and in the hands of the consumer, giving them access to view or listen to it whenever and wherever they
I’m not saying that you should cancel your Netflix subscrip-
shows, movies, and music means a lot to us. Physical media simply allows you to ensure you will have access to your favorite pieces of content without stress and without needing to pay a monthly subscription to an already rich company. So go out today and, if you can, buy a CD. Buy vinyl. Buy a DVD. Just try your best to keep your favorite things near and dear.
Today, the culture of pressuring high school students to overachieve beyond their capabilities is at a peak, but how is this affecting students themselves? When teenagers see others getting accepted into their dream universities, those people often have extremely shiny resumes. These usually include perfect SAT or ACT scores, as well as tons of extracurricular activities and records of excellent community service. When this is the example set for people trying to achieve their dreams, it is very overwhelming and it can feel impossible and for many, it is. Unless someone’s entire life revolves around building the perfect application, most teens don’t have the time to stretch themselves across sports, work and AP classes while excelling in all of it. Eventually, this kind of lifestyle can lead to mental
health problems.
These issues are very common in adolescents already, with one in four teens being diagnosed with a mental health condition, according to the National Alliance of Mental Health.
Another problem with setting overachievement as the standard is that not all teens have the opportunity or ability to participate in all the recommended activities. Many of these things, like playing sports, cost money and not everyone can afford it. Someone’s family or living situation may also prevent them from being able to dedicate much time to extracurriculars. They may have a sick family member that needs care, or they live somewhere that does not have easy access to volunteer or job opportunities.
On the topic of mental health of students, another prevalent issue is maladaptive perfectionism. Described by Psychology Today, Maladaptive perfectionism is when students set unrealistic expectations for themselves and struggle to
accept anything less than perfection in their academics, often comparing themselves to other high achieving peers in competitive environments. This leads to a conversation on the issue of students placing their self worth on academic achievement which is often fostered, intentionally or not, by parents. There is nothing wrong with encouraging kids to thrive, until it becomes a burden rather than an inspiration. This pressure also comes from society, where not being advanced in all areas can be seen as “lazy” and being average is no longer acceptable.
Young people face pressure from all around them, and the expectation is only growing. This is why adults need to realize that high schoolers are still children, and forcing them to spend their teenage years trying to put together the perfect college application will only have negative repercussions on their health and happiness.
Outside of major cities, you’ll realize that most American neighborhoods look and function the same. No matter where you go, you’ll find seas of empty parking lots, big box chain stores and endless rows of McMansions. In addition to being a huge eyesore, these suburbs are incredibly drab, depressing and somewhat dystopian. Many of us can sense this on some level, but the question is, what really makes living in suburbia so soul crushing?
For decades, suburbia had been the embodiment of the American dream for millions. To the postwar generation, it represented a newfound hope for freedom and upward mobility. But as the years pass, it’s finally time for us to wake up from the American dream and face reality.
One of the first problems you’ll notice living in the suburbs is that cars
are prioritized over people. Large highways and parking lots seem to dominate the landscape, making driving the most dominant form of transportation. Because so much space is dedicated for vehicles, our communities lack the public spaces that promote social interaction, such as parks, plazas and sidewalks. This makes it extremely difficult for people to walk or bike anywhere and contributes to a large sense of isolation and disconnect from those around us. On top of environmental issues, car traffic also creates dangerous roads, leading many parents to keep their kids trapped in the safety of their homes. Therefore, most children will not develop a sense of independence or autonomy until they are old enough to own a car themselves. This horrific lack of socialization has deeply contributed to the desolation that is plaguing our society today.
In addition, the introduction of suburban develop-
170 million
8:1
ments has largely increased social and economic inequality within our cities. Suburban houses take up more space and resources per unit, with the majority of funds and opportunities concentrated in these areas. This has created a sort of “suburban elite” in which these wealthier suburbs are able to access better schools, safer neighborhoods and more resources than non-suburbs. Consequently, many urban areas have become neglected and underfunded, leading to the rise of crime and poverty.
While originally intended to provide a better quality of life for American families, it’s clear that the consequences of this failed suburban experiment have already begun to grow out of control. At this point, our government must break away from the car-centric norm and invest in building more sustainable infrastructure. Only then will our country be able to bring community driven development back to the people.
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Imagine you open your phone at a family event with people all around you and the last thing you went on was TikTok. As you unlock your phone, the app immediately opens to your “For You” page. Someone posted a visually explicit video, and your whole family just saw it on your phone.
Many think that TikTok is a place to express yourself, but hidden deep there are gross videos and things nobody would want to see. TikTok’s guidelines control what stays on and off of the app. Since the app is so large and there are people of all ages using it on a daily basis, the guidelines need to be more intelligent in order to keep users safe, while also being able to be and express themselves.
As predicted by “Insider Intelligence,” there are approximately 834.4 million monthly TikTok users. A little over 8% of the users on TikTok are under 13 years old. The minimum age for TikTok is 12, but there are no restrictions to people under 12, meaning kids under 12 are still able to download TikTok. No warnings. No restrictions. There are many videos online that should not be visible to younger children, or children at all.
From personal experience, I have seen so many things on TikTok that have made me want to puke. Sometimes, there are sensitive content warnings that will give the user the option to watch anyway or skip. I would say these are fairly helpful; however, they aren’t on a lot of the videos that contain worse things. As a 15 year old, I’d say it’s definitely not fit for people under the age of 13.
If TikTok will allow little 12 year olds to roam around on the app, then the guidelines should be more intelligent as to what stays and goes. Since it’s obvious they have the technological experience to add new features and be able to “improve” the app, they should use that ability and work into creating guidelines to better fit the age group. If TikTok allows 12 year olds to be on the app, then the guidelines should be more intelligent for the kids. It may be an idea to some to just raise the age you have to be to be on the app, but there is nothing that restricts a child younger than the required age from going on TikTok. The rules and guidelines on TikTok should be improved so that they fit the ages that are allowed to be on the app.
The varsity tennis team celebrates after defeating Marquette on April 24 at Ladue Middle school. Walsh is the team's manager and was a witness to the team's victory in Springfield, Mo. "I love the atmosphere of this team," Walsh said. "The guys are pretty cool." (Photo submitted by Sawyer Bland)
Winning a state title is just another day for the boys tennis team. Ladue may have the perfect formula to make a back to back state titles. The boys team is currently undefeated and was undefeated last season as well. With this streak going, the team will hopefully be able to grab victory again, a feeling the girls team achieved in the fall.
“I think that we will be able to take the team title,” Walsh said. Walsh is the manager for the team. He helps out Coach Margaret Shapiro at games taking, scores and cheering on the team. Walsh was on the varsity team
last year, but after a surgery just before tryouts, he was unable to play.
“The real question is whether or not we will win singles and doubles for individuals,” Walsh said. It’s true with an outstanding 5-0 sweep last year against Priory, Ladue seems like the favorite. However, the team may also have a chance at winning the singles and doubles titles as well. With Amit Kadan and Nathan Chan playing doubles, and Max Chen playing singles, the boys should be able to pull off three more tennis state titles for Ladue. There’s only one team that could possibly
stop this force, they’re known as MICDS.
“MICDS is a good team. We will have to play them at districts. With Jai at one and Owen at two, together they make a pretty insane doubles team. They almost beat Nathan and Amit at the tournament of champions last month,” Walsh said.
The doubles duo from Ladue barely beat the underclassmen, with a tiebreaker win of 10-7.
“The boys will definitely be able to handle, it like they always do. I can guarantee Ladue taking home yet another triple crown. We’re ready to make history,” Walsh said.
Ladue has added a new sport to the spring sports schedule; boys volleyball! For the first time in LHWHS history, boys volleyball will be played in 2023. Boys volleyball has been spreading throughout the United States, and it finally hit the St. Louis area. At Ladue High School there’s a junior varsity and varsity team, both highly competitive and fun to watch.
Ladue is one of two new teams in the St. Louis area, Clayton being the other, and plenty of boys were willing to sign up for it. The coaches of the varsity team are personal finance and Intro to Business teacher Christopher Geisz and faculty member Jared McCloud.
Andrew Logan, a freshman at Ladue, signed up to play organized volleyball for the first time. He is one of many who have never played organized volleyball before, so it was a fun and interesting experience for him.
“I think just learning the basics and stuff like that,” Logan said, “because like I’ve literally never played before other than PE volleyball, and it is way more complicated than PE volleyball.
Logan, just coming off of basketball season, felt like he
had nothing to do for the spring. When he saw volleyball was coming to Ladue this year, he was intrigued.
“You know I was tired of baseball,” Logan said, “I wasn’t very good at it, and I didn't really like it, so I scratched it off and decided to sign up for volleyball as soon as the applications came out. I also just wanted to try something new, of course.”
For a first year team, Logan said they’ve been doing pretty good. They participated in the Francis Howell tournament and got third place out of eight teams.
“We’ve won some games against teams that have been around,” Logan said. “I mean the only other first year team is Clayton, so like we aren’t really expected to win games really.”
One thing that's important to have as a team is chemistry and fun, and says there is plenty of chemistry and fun on this team. His favorite part of being on the team is the coaches and the players.
“The coaches are really nice,” Logan said , “and they’re really
good at their job. They know how to make practices fun and productive, and during games they aren’t too hard on the players. I have definitely gotten better since our first practice because of them. I like my teammates just because we always keep each other up, everythings positive around here, nothing negative.”
Keegan Cody is also freshman who is playing organized volleyball for the first time. His mom played volleyball back in high school, so he says he had to try it.
“I play soccer, so the hardest part for me was adjusting to a sport that used your hands 99% of the time rather than your feet,” Cody said, “Volleyball is so mechanically different from any other sport I have played.”
Cody, usually never playing a sport during the spring, likes having something to do. His favorite part of being on the team is having something fun to do at the end of the year.
“It’s fun being a part of the first team,” Cody said, “I feel like we are forever in Ladue’s history books as the ‘The first Ladue boys volleyball team.’”
LADUE'S FOOTBALL TEAM TRAINS THIS SUMMER TO GET READY FOR NEXT SEASON
Q: A: Q: A: Q: A: Q: A:
Why do you coach football?
I believe football tought me so much about myself and life. So much that it made me want to get into coaching so I could help kids experience those same benefits.
What are your goals during the summer training program?
I want to get all our basic install (plays/schemes) taught. I want to increase the size, strength and speed of our team. And, I want to grow the bond of the team overall.
What is a difficulty during summer training?
The hardest thing is scheduling. Between workingaround the heat, travel and players jobs there is no perfect way about it.
What is the most rewarding part of summer training?
The moment the coached and players recognize we have a team. Not in terms of talent, but a cohesive unit. It’s not a date, more of a feeling.
Must Needs
"Definitley the helmet. The helmet is important for protecting your cranium and getting used to your sensed with it on."
Boston Lee, 12
"I would say cleats. Without cleats it's tough to train because wearing normal shoes on turf makes you slip so you can't cut or run as well."
Beau Dolan , 11
"I would say our fiveman sled that we have because it helps o-line men for blocking."
Bryan Bailey, 9
What events do you run?
My events are 100m, 200m, 4x1, 4x2, and 4x4.
What is your PR?
My prs are good i’m close to pr every race.
Why did you Join track?
I thought it would be fun to run my freshman year.
What is it like maintaining school?
Maintaining track and school is cool.
What events do you run?
I’m primarily a jumper specifically triple
What is your PR?
it’s like every single week I’m PRing
Why did you Join track?
My parents and my body
What is it like maintaining school?
It’s hard but I use seminar time and make sure all my homework is compeleted.
What events do you run?
triple jump, long jump, 4x1, 4x2, 100,
What is your PR?
What are prs ?
Why did you Join track?
I joined because of my friends
What is it like maintaining school?
It sometimes gets a little difficult since some of the meets
What events do you run?
I do shotput,javelin,and discuss
What is your PR?
My prs. Are 23mt in jav
Why did you Join track?
I joined track because my friends were doing it
What is it like maintaining school?
It’s ok
Throughout the 2022-2023 basketball season, looking good was definitely a task at hand for me. Every day at practice and where it counts at highin games where everyone u know and love is going to attend. Looking good helped me feel better and try my hardest in most sports. Either I try to match everything with my matching uniform, or I buy extra things that will make a difference, including sets of headbands, socks, compression pants and shirts that match the school colors.
Feeling Good all the time makes my life feel better, like I have it my intire life under control even when in reality My life could be falling apart. Even at school, if I look good throughout the day then I do good with my schoolwork and then on to practice. It’s a great way to make people feel good about themselves if they're dressed up a little bit. Just imagine you tried your best that morning to get ready for school, then when you get to school someone notices how much you tried and compliments you on it. It’s really a great feeling so next time try and make someone's day with a smile on their face once you tell them how great they look.
list, you will most likely see that some type of syrup is first on the list. This is true for Juicy Burst, the first ingredient is corn syrup and the second on the list is sugar. Corn syrup is made of corn starch and other added sugars which are all very unhealthy for you.
The FDA recommends that teenagers aged 12-17 drink no more than 100 mg of caffeine. Although this is the recommendation, students still walk around with a drink called Celsius. According to Caffiene Informer, Celsius contains 16.67 mg of caffeine per fl oz, a 12 fl oz can has a total of 200 mg of caffeine and while consuming 200 mg of caffeine can be acceptable for some upperclassmen, it is not recommended for most students. What is even worse is that some students drink multiple cans of Celsius a day, which would be extremely over the limit. An excessive amount of caffeine intake by teenagers can result in nausea, nervousness, irritability and sleep impairment. Celsius isn’t the only caffeinated drink popular with students though; there are other options for an
energy boost. Monster Energy drinks recently came out with a drink line that contains 150 mg of caffeine and Red Bull contains 80 mg of caffeine. If both of those drinks contain less caffeine than Celsius, why don’t students drink those? There are two reasons: one, the school doesn’t carry many other options besides Mountain Dew, which contains only 54 mg of caffeine, and a couple other sodas. The school probably knows about the unhealthy level of caffeine in Celsius, but they still provide them in the vending machines and they now sell them at the snack shack. The second reason students choose to drink Celsius over other drinks is because it is non-carbonated and easy to drink.It also gives them a lot of energy in a short amount of time which overworked students desperately need. With finals right around the corner, expect to see lots of students with Celsius in hand.
Doritos Flamas contain a type of artificial food coloring called Red 40, which is added to processed foods. The FDA rules that it is not safe for public consumption. Overall Doritos Flamas are 150 calories total.do you
to snack on? "I really like the raspberry ice tea." Shauna Prasad, 12
"My favorite snack is fruit snacks and my favorite drink is Dr. Pepper."
Audrey Raibley, 9
"My favorite are goldfish." Lauren Straughter, 9