November 2022: The Teen Issue

TEEN ISSUE

Editor's note

It seems counterintuitive that a high school newsmagazine would have to dedicate a special issue for teens. But that’s exactly what we did. Despite the fact that Panorama covers teen students every issue, we’ve only covered their novel activities, achievements, perspectives and assorted interests. We realized we have never taken a second look at their everyday lives — our own everyday lives that we deemed too ubiquitous to be newsworthy.

But there is merit in investigating what teen life is in 2022, with the advent of social media giving us a window into worlds we wouldn’t know otherwise. The highs and lows of the human experience, especially of our peers’ lives, are put on full display. In this issue, the in-depth covers the fear of missing out, better known in its acronym form, FOMO. Our hyperconnected world gives teens access to people seemingly at their best and only at their best. The envy that this produces and the fear that we aren’t living our fullest lives can pressure us

to make a litany of unhealthy decisions that we explore in this section.

This Teen Issue also features unique sections that better encapsulate areas of interest for teens: communication, community, relationships, culture & lifestyle and a special identity section, where we dive into the ways different factors of

our identity (namely race, religion, gender and sexual orientation) impacts and characterizes our adolescence.

We hope you enjoy this issue of the Panorama and have a cozy winter!

Panorama staf

EDITORS IN CHIEF

Max Eastman

Olivia Hu Allen You

MANAGING EDITOR

Emmi Walker

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Mac Huffman

Mimi Zhou

ART EDITORS

Tarek Al Husseini

Erica Shi

PHOTO EDITOR

Sydney Collinger

COMMUNITY EDITOR Avery Anderson

RELATIONSHIPS EDITORS

Pranavi Chintha Riley Coates

COMMUNICATION EDITOR Olivia Chen

IN-DEPTH EDITOR

Annie Zhao

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Luke Lochmoeller

COMMUNITY STAFF

Richie Jiang Lathan Levy Mahith Samarathunga

RELATIONSHIPS STAFF

Jay Heintz Emily Liu

COMMUNICATION STAFF

Addie Kerner IN-DEPTH STAFF Arti Jain

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE STAFF

Max Eastman Olivia Hu Allen You

Table of contents

Inside identity

In-depth: How the fear of missing out affects teens' lives

Identity: Explore how race, religion, gender and sexuality impacts students' lives

Communication: pages 18-19

Panorama policy

Our Policy

Panorama is a student-led monthly newsmagazine that strives to inform and entertain Ladue students, staff and community members and to uphold professional standards of accuracy and fairness. The publication hopes to engage the student body by eliciting dialogue among students on important issues. Panorama aims to reflect the diversity of the population it serves and to observe the journalistic principle of doing no harm. All surveys are completely anonymous unless otherwise stated and results cannot be used against respondents. Panorama will not share the names of anonymous sources. Panorama is produced by the newspaper class of Ladue Horton Watkins High School, and students on staff make all content decisions. Panorama operates as a public forum by practice and is not under prior review by administration. All opinions

Better together Relationships: pages 10-11

30-31

expressed in the Panorama do not necessarily reflect those of the Ladue School District, nor do individual opinion columns necessarily reflect those of the rest of the Panorama staff.

Scholastic Journalism Associations

Panorama is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association, Quill and Scroll and the Missouri Interscholastic Journalism Association. Panorama earned a Pacemaker in 2021, was a Pacemaker finalist in 2019 and has been a CSPA crown recipient since 2019.

Credits

Front cover art by Erica Shi. Front cover design by Olivia Hu. Back cover illustration by Emilie Tian. EIC photo by Sydney Collinger.

Sponsors

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SPREAD DESIGN BY OLIVIA HU | AVERY ANDERSON & MAHITH SAMARATHUNGA

Campaigning the cause

by Avery Anderson Community editor

Teenagers are looking for a way to involve themselves in politics more than ever,so it comes as no surprise that students have done campaign work for local and out-of-state politicians. Junior Carmel Andeberhan has been active in politics since middle school when she began Sunrise, an organization fighting climate issues. Since then, she’s been active in a multitude of elections, supporting numerous candidates who share her political views.

New voters speak up

“I was a student election judge, so from 5 a.m. until 7 p.m., [I helped out] with the election,” Andeberhan said. “I would sign ballots. By working for that, I was helping to work towards more democracy for republicans and democrats.”

In addition to being a student election judge, Andeberhan has also phone banked. Phone banking, as Andeberhan explained, is calling up registered and even unregistered voters and encouraging them to vote for a specific candidate in an upcoming election.

“I phone banked with Kansas for Constitutional Freedom for the Aug. 2 ballot against a constitutional amendment that

would restrict abortion rights in Kansas,” Andeberhan said. “I also phone banked for Cori Bush and wrote and sent cards and texts for Bernie for the 2020 presidential election through Sunrise.”

Andeberhan also touched on the importance of the individual votes, saying that while one vote may not be the deciding factor in a presidential election, it still matters and can make all the difference in a local election.

“Voting may not change the entire world, like it may not fix climate change or systemic racism,” Andeberhan said. “But it’s going to push your local community in the direction that you want.”

“I think the first time was fun and exciting because I’ve never done it before.”

When I started the company, I basically did a copy-and-paste email to three of the biggest people I knew. Somehow Eric Schmitt stumbled across me. I went in for an interview, and they loved what I was doing.

I hopped on it because as a new company, that is a pretty large job. I figured it’ll help put my name out there for so many new clients.

I took a new approach on video creation when making videos for politicians. It was definitely a new way of making videos.

To learn more about Austin’s work, scan the QR to explore his Instagram.

Andeberhan increases engagement for election Nov.2

“I felt like I was making a difference by voting for who I wanted to be represented by.”

“It was interesting and it’s nice to have your voice heard.”

Carmel Andeberhan stands outside the election center while working as an election judge. The turnout for the senate election was high. “Seeing a Black working woman vote was special,” Andeberhan said. (Photo by Sydney Collinger)

Coburn creates campaign videos for Eric Schmitt

Jonah Sa mson(12)

Kamryn S a mple(12)

Anna H a ines(12)

Robbie M abbs(12)

“I was nervous going into the polling place,but afterwards I felt glad I actively participated.”

HOW DID YOU MEET ERIC SCHMITT? WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO BE A PART OF HIS CAMPAIGN?

WHAT DID YOU LEARN BY CREATING THESE CAMPAIGNS?

RIGHT: Senior Edward Zhang talks with fellow referees. All three referees work together to offciate the game. "Before the game, we typically check the score sheet to make sure everything's set up correctly and that coaches have signed," Zhang said. "Then after the game, we typically have to go review the score sheet again, to make sure everything's right."

FAR RIGHT: Zhang calls a delayed penalty. A delayed penalty is when a referee makes a call after the penalty happened. "I really enjoy being a mentor to younger players and offcial," Zhang said.

ABOVE: Zhang skates across the ice during a game at the St. Peters Rec-Plex. The game took place Nov. 18." I played hockey from second grade until eighth grade," Zhang said. "I played up to the end of eighth grade year. However, after that, I stopped playing."

FAR RIGHT: Zhang makes a "wash out" call during a game. The call "wash out" refers to when both of the player's arm swung shoulder height, not waist height. "Referees have to referee age groups that you are at least two years younger than them," Zhang said. "I was born in 2005 so I can referee age groups that are 2007 and younger."

RIGHT: Zhang prepares to drop the puck as two players line up for the draw. Faceoffs are an important part of the game as they determine possession. "Reffng has allowed me to continue staying in this sport and I get to continue keeping my skating skills in check," Zhang said. (Photos by Vincent Hsiao)

Hockey hobby turned hustle

Senior Edward Zhang switches from playing hockey to reffing

LEFT: Sophomore Evan McMullen sits on stand at the indoor pool in the Richmond Heights Community Center. He started working as a lifeguard after sophomore Pablo Salkoff recommended it to him. "I wasn't really looking for a job," McMullen said. "It was the frst thing that came up and I just took the opportunity." (Photo by Sydney Collinger)

RIGHT: Sophomore Alonzo Williams sits on stand at the pool in the Richmond Heights Community Center. He prepares to go on break while Salkoff takes a shift on stand. “It's a really good pastime because you're spending time doing something not boring," Williams said. "But you're also spending time with your friends and also getting money."(Photos by Sydney Collinger)

Swimming in money

Sophomore friends work lifeguard job together during summer

by Lathan Levy community staff

The 2:30 p.m. dismissal bell rings, and students pour into the hallway. Most teens either head home and do homework or stay at school for clubs and sports practices. But for these three students, that isn't the case. Instead, sophomores Alonzo Williams, Pablo Salkoff and Evan McMullen all work together as lifeguards at the Richmond Heights Community Center as lifeguards after the school day and on the weekends.

“We all have to sit through school all day and have teachers tell us what to do,” McMullen said. “And then normally once you get off school, it's your free time. But when you're working, you still have that authority figure, your boss, telling you what to do and you don't have that kind of free time you normally would.”

Most people assume that lifeguards simply sit on the stand all day, watching the water; but their jobs entail so much more. Aside from saving lives, they have

other important roles and duties to attend to.

“We watch the water and clean certain facilities,'' Salkoff said. “We also occasionaly have to deal with frustrated patrons and make sure the chemicals in the pool are balanced and safe for patrons to swim in.”

The idea to work as lifeguards at the Richmond Heights Community Center was originally Salkoff ’s, and he motivated two of his friends to work there with him. The idea of working a job appealed to Willams and McMullen as well. During the summer, the three of them worked 40 hours every week.

“I enjoy meeting new people,” McMullen said. “I'm working with some people from school, but we also have made a new friend group with our work friends.”

They all had to take part in a three-day training course that allowed them to obtain the necessary certifications required to become a lifeguard. The course taught them how to perform CPR, first aid and water rescues.

“I had to get my American Red Cross

CPR certification and my lifeguard certification,” Williams said. “That means I can do CPR and save you if you're in need of it.”

There are some significant benefits to being a lifeguard. Some of these reasons are why McMullen, Salkoff and Williams chose to be lifeguards over another job.

"Lifeguarding pays really well," Salkoff said. "And I get to tan and swim."

McMullen has only been working as a lifeguard for a little while, but he already feels connected in the workplace. Although the work is hard, to McMullen, it’s worth it.

“My favorite of lifeguarding is knowing that you’re doing something good,” McMullen said. “It’s a great feeling because you can save a life."

Pablo Salkof (10)

"Our bond as friends have grown stronger because we spend so much time together now."

Alonzo Williams (10)

Giving back to community

Students help their communities through volunteering projects

Volunteering with Verstappen

by Richie Jiang community staff

Q: How long have you been in NCL?

A: I’ve been in NCL since seventh grade, but they really only count the hours when you’re in high school for college. It wasn’t originally my choice, but once I started going more, I started loving it. I had a really fun time and it is a great learning experience.

Q: Where do you volunteer?

A: We volunteer with a lot of service areas. My favorites are American Red Cross, and sometimes we go to Southside Early Childhood Center, which is a school downtown. I help out with the teachers, like I help out with parties and stuff. I also volunteered at Shakespeare in the Park over the summer, which is really fun.

Q: What would you say you've learned from volunteering since seventh grade?

A: Volunteering over the years has shown me how you can make a difference in the world and other people, e-

ven if it is small. The small things count, whether it's baking a batch of cookies to donate to a family or packing a care package at the diaper bank; [they] can impact someone's life significantly.

Q: What was your favorite moment volunteering with NCL?

A: My favorite moment is when I did my leadership project, which was last year for a group called Angels’ Arms. We had collected cereals, bars, stuff like that for all of the foster families who have so many children and don’t have the necessities for it. So I think that was really inspiring. We delivered it and it was a great experience.

Q: What would you say you learned from your leadership project?

A: Throughout my leadership project I learned how fortunate I am. I learned how fortunate I am to have loving parents who are able to support me and my sisters, and how some people don't have these same experiences as me. Doing this project also showed me how easy it is to take initiative for something you can see change in and help make other people's lives better, which was the best feeling.

A: Angels' Arms has always been an organization my family likes to volunteer for. We would bake cookies around the holidays and deliver them to foster families around the St. Louis area, and the look of appreciation has always made us, especially me, grateful. When Angels' Arms came out with a need for supplies and necessities, we knew this was the job for us. We, along with two other NCL families (the Kerners and the Lackys), had the mothers and daughters of NCL help donate these supplies for the families.

Q: What would you say to other students looking to start their own volunteer projects?

A: Act, don't react. If you think of something that may help families or organizations and help make their lives better, do it. Taking initiative and being a leader in your community isn't that hard when you know it's for a good cause and have people who can help you.

All about Angels' Arms

Angels' Arms was founded in 2000 with the goal of providing safe homes and loving families to foster children.

It now has 13 homes serving nearly 100 children annually.

ABOVE: Senior Zoe Verstappen stands with other NCL members. "Doing this project showed me how easy it is to take initiative for something you can see change in and help make other people's lives better, which was the best feeling," Verstappen said. (Photo courtesy of Zoe Verstappen)

Verstappen's leadership project donated paper products to over helping

800 800 items such as toys, food and foster families, kids.

Q: How did you decide on the idea for your leadership project?

Q&A with senior Zoe Verstappen over her volunteer work with National Charity League

Robotics with Suri and Jain

Q: Why did you start LCSRC?

A: So they have competitions like FLL (FIRST Lego League), which Adi [Jain] and I did a lot growing up. We have a former gifted teacher who gave us a couple volunteer opportunities, and we saw that the knowledge we have could make a big difference. So we decided to run our own organization to help people and expose them to these STEM opportunities early on.

Q: What schools do you work with?

A: We always work with schools that are underserved, or in underserved communities. Oak Bridge School is one of them, and they work with an organization called Vitendo 4 Africa. All the kids, their parents are immigrants or refugees from Africa. These kids don’t get as many opportunities growing up, so our goal is to help those kids get opportunities and whatnot.

Q: What initiatives do you run?

A: There’s a lot of FLL teams in the area that need mentorship and help, so we provide them with mentoring resources, that kind of stuff. We also run our own camps at schools that need help, like after school programs. And then we run events like day-long or summer camps, or just scrimmages for FLL.

Q: How do you plan initiatives?

A: Right now, Adi and I do most of the work for the organization. Alison [Nieder] helps out a lot with managing the money and whatnot. What happens most often is Adi and I plan out the ventures, and then we talk to our board of advisors about it. Since they're all adults, they can give us estimates about the cost, what we'll need to get it done. Then we start talking to the people on our student board, and we start getting the details worked out.

Q: How are the camps funded?

A: All the camps and events are free because we've done fundraising [to provide the fee that every student would need to attend camp]. So yeah, everything comes out of our pocket.

Q: What was your favorite initiative?

A: Out of all of them, I’m actually going to say the one we just did. That initiative was essentially a FLL scrimmage. We worked with FIRST Missouri to help get that off the ground and held it at the Ladue Fifth Grade Center. So teams from all over the region, a couple from Illinois came actually, they all got to participate in a scrimmage for the FIRST competition.

Q: What was special about it?

A: The thing is, a lot of these teams don’t get opportunities to compete before their actual competition day, so a lot of teams are unprepared. So we wanted to simulate a competition-like environment, and that’s what we did, a thing with 150 people in attendance.

LEFT: Teams participate at the LCSRC-hosted FLL Challenge Scrimmage in the Fifth Grade Center gym Oct. 29. "Teams from all over the region ... all got to participate in a scrimmage for the FIRST competition," Suri said.

BELOW: Juniors and co-founders Adi Jain (left) and Rohan Suri (right) receive the Emerging Leadership-Kiongozi Award at the Vitendo 4 Africa gala Nov. 12. "We are lucky to be connected to such a great organization," Suri said. (Photos courtesy of Rohan Suri)

Scan the code to check out Ladue Community STEM and Robotics Club's website and view their other initiatives

Q&A with Ladue Community STEM and Robotics Club co-founder Rohan Suri

Better together

Two unconventional families share their unique stories

by Emily Liu relationships staff

The Travers family

Upon a starlit night Nov. 12, a set of towering wooden doors push open, as Alexis and Melissa Travers walk out for the first time as wives and eternal partners. Alexis walks down a staircase towards the altar, while from outside Melissa steps in. By their side is sophomore Mabry Travers and her siblings, Kamry and Logan, who fight back tears of joy as their biological mother, Melissa, marries her girlfriend.

“I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful combination than that,” Melissa said. “People [could] truly feel the love that we have for one another, the love that we have for the children, the love that they have for us.”

Prior to their relationship, Alexis recalls a life preoccupied with work, while Melissa was a single mom of three. It was on a dating app in 2019 that they both found the courage to

swipe right on one another, hitting it off immediately. When Mabry discovered that their family friend wasn’t just a friend after all, she couldn’t have been more excited for her mom.

“At first, it was obviously surprising and I didn't expect it, but I was really happy for her — that she felt comfortable telling me and she was comfortable in her sexuality,” Mabry said. Being a couple outside of the heteronormative structure, Melissa and Alexis both faced varying struggles with expressing who they truly were. Alexis found support among her high school peers, but struggled to admit her sexuality to her parents.

“Whenever I went away to college, I told myself that I was going to try and be straight, for the benefit of my parents, because I felt like that was what they wanted,” Alexis said. “It wasn't until later that I realized that what they really wanted was for me to find happiness.”

For Melissa, however, her experiences were very different. This was due to her being raised in a primarily religious and small community.

HEART: Alexis and Melissa Travers enjoy dinner on their wedding night. It had been two years since they frst engaged. "I was in awe of how beautiful, elegant [and] perfect it was," Melissa said. (Photo courtesy of the Travers family)

TOP RIGHT: Mabry, Kamry and Logan gasp in awe at their moms' wedding attire. Mabry and Kamry had even prepared a special choreographed dance for the wedding. “It's very exciting," Mabry said. "We've looked forward to this day for a long time now." (Photo courtesy of Julia Noack Photography)

BOTTOM RIGHT: Melissa, Mabry, Kamry and Logan Travers huddle together for a selfe. They had lived in Illinois, with the children living frequently with their grandmother while Melissa worked. "She always acted as if it was easy, but I know it wasn't," Mabry said. (Photo courtesy of the Travers family)

“I dared not ever allow myself to think or feel or show any sort of feelings or thoughts towards that,” Melissa said. “It’s something that came much, much later in life. But even then it was something I would feel so heavily convicted for because of prior conditioning.”

Their family remains optimistic for the future ahead, with the relationship marking the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. While Melissa originally suggested a more quaint wedding, Alexis wanted the opportunity to celebrate her love in a more meaningful way.

“People fought for this,” Alexis said. “People died without ever having the ability to marry the person that they loved because it wasn't legal for many years, and I didn’t want to do some courthouse ceremony that silences the right that we have been given.”

While Mabry herself has not experienced the particular struggles they have, her love and admiration for her parents is unwavering, and she chooses to support them as family.

“Having two moms is not a bad thing," Mabry said. "I mean, if anything, it's a great thing. It's important to be proud of who my moms are and support and love them unconditionally.”

RIGHT: Seniors Chloe and Molly pose for a photo during their trip to Disneyland. Even before their parents had married, they had gone on family vacations together. “We were already living together and we were family,” Molly said. (Photo courtesy of the Walker-Milton Family)

BOTTOM RIGHT: During a family vacation, the Walker-Milton family smiles from a boat. Although they may bicker on trips, Chloe and Molly attest that it has only helped build their relationship. “That was a huge moment for everyone to come together,” Molly said. (Photo courtesy of the Walker-Milton family)

BELOW: Molly, Chloe and their parents, Amy and Stephen, pose for a family photo. Prior to the relationship, they had lived down the street together, allowing Chloe and Molly to grow close. “Being with your best friend 24/7 was really cool,” Chloe said. (Photo courtesy of the Walker-Milton family)

BOTTOM: On a cozy autumn afternoon, the Travers family and their dogs, King and Lola, gather for a portrait. Since Alexis joined the family, Mabry has been working on calling her ima, the Yiddish term for mother. “She's so loving and caring," Mabry said. "She's defnitely meant to be a mother."(Photo courtesy of the Travers family)

The moment your best friend becomes your sister is often the stuff of Hollywood fantasy and movie magic. For seniors Chloe Walker and Molly Milton, it became very much their reality. Throughout early elementary school, both girls had been close friends and even neighbors, which served to bring their parents together following each of their divorces. In 2014, after years of mutual playdates and drop-offs, Chloe’s mother, Amy Walker-Milton, and Molly’s father, Stephen Milton, officially began dating before tying the knot in 2016. For Molly and Chloe, however, it didn't feel as the relationship had changed anything between them.

“It didn't really change that dynamic that we had,” Walker said. “We were best friends for so long and so close forever.”

After the marriage, they both left their respective schools to move into a home together in Ladue, and neither of them were apprehensive about the change. To them, their families had not truly been whole for a long period of time before the relationship.

“At first it felt like a split family, and then when they started dating, I felt like I had two families,” Milton said. “There were more kids to be around, we got dogs, it was a whole new environment I've never been a part of and I'm so grateful for it.”

They had also grown closer to each other’s siblings, even creating game nights occurring two to three times a week. Popular games include Yahtzee, Mexican Trains and Shanghai Rummy — a long-standing favorite passed down from Chloe’s great-grandmother.

“It's just a good moment and a good way to spend time with your family, and even though it's planned [it] is still a great thing to do with each other.” Walker said.

With Molly switching from living with her father’s side of the family, to her mothers’s household throughout the week, these game nights become all the more precious to them.

“[Nuclear families] don't have to make time for family because there are a lot of times they all end up happening to be there,” Milton said. “But with me only being there half the week, it doesn't just happen. You have to plan it. The family has to be together. Time is more valuable because you don't have as much time with each person.”

Even with a large and split family, they continue to prioritize one another in their social lives and endeavors.

“We show up for each other’s events no matter how hard it might be; we figure out how to even see 15 minutes of something,” Steve Walker, Chloe’s father and Molly’s step father, said.

Through the experience of having a blended family, for the Walker-Miltons, it was time together that has always been most valuable; from family outings to game nights.

“I'd say family is everything," Milton said. "And I know that in 20 years who knows what life is going to look like but we're still going to be together. We're going to be friends and family.” P

The Walker-Milton family

illustration by | EMILY LIU

The sibling scoop

A look into the relationships between the siblings of Ladue

Seeing double Twins give insight into their relationship

Nethmi & Nevinka Amarakone (9)

Sibling stats

"If we were strangers, I don't think we would be friends. She's a bit too much for me."

" [Our parents] don't really compare us. They mostly consider us the same person."

Panorama surveyed 215 students Nov. 23

"Fashion wise, she has definitely helped me build a good sense of fashion."

Wise

"He's really dedicated to band [and] I think that's cool. He plays the saxophone a lot."

CHINTHA

words

Freshman and senior siblings give each other advice

"Do your homework earlier in the day. [You] stay up until 12 o'clock every night. "

"Get involved [and] live your life to the fullest. Carpe Diem, if you may. "

14%

Number of siblings Ladue students have 38.6% 29.3% 8.4% 9.8%

Will & Sarah Kodner (10) 120 100 80 60 40 20 0

Students Years

0

1 2 3 4+

108 64 12 43

Age gap between siblings 1 2 3 4+

Before vs. afer

Siblings recreate a picture from their childhood

Andrew (12) and Phoebe Chen (11) ages 6 and 5 Sassy Saleeby (12)

Andrew and Phoebe Chen ages 17 and 16

SPREAD DESIGN BY PRANAVI CHINTHA | RILEY COATES

Jack Saleeby (9)

illustration by | PRANAVI

by Riley Coates relationships editor

Perfect as platonic

Everyday media pushes stereotypes that romantic relationships are necessary for young adults

Opening Netflix, you scroll through New Releases and Trending shows looking for something to watch. Rom-com after rom-com appears on the screen, every once awhile broken up by book adaptations or thrillers, each with their own romantic storylines watering down the plot. You begin to wonder why the majority of movies and shows find romantic plotlines and constant relationship drama so important.

It needs to be made clear within the media and in everyday life that the connections one can form through platonic friendships are just as fulfilling as romantic relationships. One major influence of this stereotype is the effect it has on how others view friendships between people of the opposite gender. So often a guy and a girl can’t be friends without multiplie people assuming that they are in a relationship, or that there’s romantic feelings from at least one of them. This common assumption can be detrimental for friendships and stems from a heteronormative mindset in which opposite genders are automatically going to be attracted to each other.

The pressure to conform to stereotypes is felt by most, if not all, teenagers. When romantic re-

lationships are constantly being pushed as the norm for high school students, that pressure to fit in pushes a lot of teens into relationships, out of the desire to appear normal and popular. This also creates the likelihood of high schoolers rushing into other mature things because they have been made to feel as though this is the time to engage in activities such as drugs and sex or else they’re “behind” in some way. The idea that you can only be fulfilled and accomplished through attaining a romantic partner is harmful, for high schoolers especially, and can be detrimental to self-confidence. It’s very common for teenagers to feel inferior if many of their friends are in relationships, but they have not yet found a partner. Teenagers do not need to feel pressured into finding a partner before they are ready.

The media released into the world on a daily basis, many of it directed towards teens, is consistently brimming with these stereotypes that leak into our lives. The common theme of romance within nearly every show, book and song perpetuates the idea that romance is the most important aspect of life. Everyone has their guilty pleasure show, but the trend of prioritizing romance needs to stop.

Mainstream media also pushes a heteronormative ideal when

asexual and aromantic people comprise about

1%

of the total population

72%

aesexual youth identify as genderqueer/ non-binary

orientations

of 20 there are at least that fall under the aro/ace spectrum

Sources: UC Santa Barbara, UCLA William Institute

See page For a feature on an asexual student at Ladue

Scan the QR code to learn more about asexuality from The Trevor Project.

there is still a severe lack of queer representation. Aromantic is a sexual orientation in which people do not feel romantic attraction towards others, and many have no desire for a romantic relationship. Asexual is another sexual orientation for many people who don’t feel sexual attraction towards others. There is also a lot of variation within the ace/aro spectrum that can vary a person’s sexual and romantic feelings. Understanding these feelings and how to communicate them with others is difficult enough on its own, however the pressure is heightened when relationships are being pushed by every show and everyone in your school seems to have a partner. The 2022 reboot of “Heartbreak High,” a popular show on Netflix, is one of the first shows I’ve seen with asexual representation in a character, another example being “Bojack Horseman.” Featuring characters who go through identity struggles such as this is beyond important to help watchers understand themselves. Not only is the presence of these characters important, but the conversations they have with friends, family and partners can be so beneficial for guiding watchers who may feel similarly.

Living Life36

How a Ladue family has utilized most popular tracking app for parents and teens

by Sophia Tarpey staff writer

Most students would not describe the bright, neon purple square on their phones as social media. Instagram, Snapchat, Tiktok, these are the apps teens everywhere have designated as social media. But Life360? Not so much. Although a teenager would never describe Life360 as social networking, that’s what it is advertised as — a family social networking app.

“The app is a way to see where your family members are, what their last location was and if they are driving,” senior Riley Kovacs said. “I use it to see my family’s location and they do that for me too.”

The Kovacs family has been using Life360 and all of its features since Riley was in sixth grade. As Kovacs and her family grew, so did the app. New features like crash detection, speed reports and roadside assistance were added over time to improve on the basic location tracking the app had originally.

“We started using it before the kids started driving,” Riley’s mother, Deborah Kovacs said. “We used it more in the aspect that we both are work-

ing parents and wanted to make sure [the kids] were getting home. Over time, when they started driving, it was just a safety mechanism. We could monitor where they were going, how fast [they were] going [or] if they were braking too hard.”

Life360 is one of most used location tracking apps with 42 million users worldwide. Reviewers praise the app’s elaborate features, making it the best family safety app with a 4.5 star rating on the Apple Store.

“It gives you a little more detail,” Deborah said. “When you have a new driver. You're just so nervous about it. [Life360] just makes it more reassuring for a parent from a parent's point of view.”

Scan the QR code to explore the Life360 website and learn more about the benefts

Some argue that Life360 can be too invasive for teens, but this lack of privacy can lead to better communication due to their parent's trust in the app. Parents and kids can use Life360 to see each other's location instead of constantly texting each other.

“If I'm going somewhere and I end up going to other places, I do prefer Life360

Mapped out

"Life360 is kind of a weird app. I don’t fnd it that bothersome because my parents don’t monitor my location 24/7, but I can defnitely see how invasive this app can be."

Tanvi Genti, junior

Ladue's opinions on Life360

"It's 100% about safety. It's nice to know how fast they're driving on the highways. It's nice to know where they are and that they're okay. Safety-wise it's a great app."

Adam Stirrat, staf

because they [my parents] don't have to bug me and text me,” Riley said. “They can check on their own and notice that I'm somewhere else.”

Riley only tracks her family through Life360, although some of her friends use the app with their families and friends as well. Riley also has friends who don’t use the app, and who's parents don't feel the need to track where they are going.

“There’s been times where I've had to text a parent that I'm going somewhere and then they're like, ‘Oh, we don't want you going there,’” Riley said. “So, then I have to say no because I know they have my location. I was jealous of my friends when they didn't have to do that.”

Riley’s going to college soon, meaning Life360 won’t be used as regularly in her life. However, Riley’s family is still planning on using it every once in awhile to make sure she's home at her dorm.

“Over time you kind of forget that you have it,” Deborah said. “Because you've built the trust and you know where they are. Once you have that trust and communication you feel you don't need the extra sense of security anymore.” P

by | RILEY COATES

"It's not my favorite just because it takes away a lot of freedom. But it's nice that it goes both ways and I can see where the rest of my family is."

Naomi Lang, senior

"When you have a new driver, you're just so nervous about it. [Life 360] just makes it more reassuring for a parent."

Deborah Kovacs, parent

illustration

Teens will be teens held accountable

Warning signs of abuse

Showing extreme jealousy of your friends or preventing or discouraging you from spending time with others and away from them

Insulting, demeaning or shaming you, especially in front of other people. (ex: telling you that you never do anything right or that they do not respect you)

Preventing you from making your own decisions, for example, about working or school

Pressuring you to have sex or perform sexual acts you’re not comfortable with, or pressuring you to use drugs or alcohol

Intimidating you through threatening looks, actions or weapons

Destroying your belongings or your home

Student quotes

by | JAY HEINTZ

Stirring the pot

Panorama debates pros and cons of gossip culture in high school

Spread the word Zip that lip

In the world of high school, gossip serves as a form of social currency. People collect rumors like money, save them for later and spend them when they have the perfect opportunity. The juicier the rumor, the greater the reaction and the more attention the gossiper will receive. The “big spenders” become competitive, casually dropping rumors left and right, trying to flex their riches.

In an attempt to tear down someone else, gossiping exposes one’s own flaws: it is simply a reflection of one’s insecurities. Knowing more about someone than others makes people feel empowered, the same way winning some extra cash would empower a gambler. Judging others can boost an insecure person’s self-esteem and give them a temporary sense of security.

Not only will spreading rumors reveal your low confidence; betraying your friends is a quick way to lose them. If you aren’t able to refrain from gossip, you will be deemed untrustworthy and friends will avoid confiding in you. Would you trust your money with a bank that’s known for fraud? Being able to restrain from gossiping when surrounded by it, as most of us are in high school, exemplifies self control and loyalty. Lets be honest, this is easier said than done, but try to think of it as saving money and investing in yourself.

Gossiping conversations often begin with a short comment which opens the door to a rabbit hole of rumors and bashing. Have you ever gone to the store for a necessity, but ended up leaving with a cart full of purchases? Just like you intended to simply buy a tube of toothpaste or shampoo, your original intent might be to rant to your friend for therapeutic comfort. And similar to how you got caught up in the excitement of candy and snacks at the store, you may have gotten carried away and spilled secrets a close friend trusted you with. The short relief of turning in your gossip is never worth the dirty feeling experienced afterward, the same shameful feeling you might suffer after blowing a new paycheck. If you take the extra second to reflect and remember that ugly feeling of regret before speaking negatively about someone, you’re a lot less likely to follow through with gossiping. A penny saved is a penny earned.

by Addie Kerner communication staff

Biologists have spent years trying to figure out what makes us different from animals. In summary, it’s our opposable thumbs and consciousness that sets us apart from our earthly roommates. But there’s one more thing that makes us who we are, our use of complex language. Without complex language humans would be just another animal.

The word gossip comes from godsibb, an old English word for a typically female family member or close friend. The word became synonymous with conversations between women to entertain themselves while doing chores. Now, gossip has been condemned and due to its close association with women, it’s seen as a woman’s issue. However, everyone gossips. The Journal of Gender Studies found that men and women gossip at the same rate.

Gossip is any conversation that discusses someone who is not there. In this wide definition there are different kinds of gossip, healthy and harmful. Both spread information across social networks, but harmful gossip is unjustly negative towards a person. Unjustly is key because if someone has done something bad, a negative outcry is normal. For example, gossiping about something inappropriate someone did would be healthy gossip even though it speaks negatively about a person because a negative reaction to a negative action prompts accountability.

As a rule of thumb, gossiping about someone else for one’s own gain is usually harmful. However, a majority of gossip isn’t negative. Megan Robbins, an associate Professor of Psychology at University of California found that 75% of all gossip is neutral, 15% negative and 10% positive. So even though on average people spend 52 minutes gossiping a day, most of it is neutral.

All in all, gossiping, despite all of its cliches, isn’t something we need to purge from society. But it’s not an excuse to betray your friends or insult someone for no reason.

Normal Gossip is a weekly podcast that anonymously retells gossip. The hosts make you not only care about characters in their stories, but make you feel like you’ve known them for years.

by Mac Hufman associate editor

Keeping in touch

An analysis of most popular way for teenagers to communicate: texting

The text history

is

A timeline of texting

Engineers Friedhelm Hillebrand and Bernard Ghillbaert introduce short message service (SMS) with a 160 character limit

1992 Neil Papworth sends the frst ever text from his computer to Richard Jarvis. It says "Merry Christmas."

1998

Japanese artist Shigetaka Kurita creates 176 emojis with the phone carrier,

1984

Nokia releases the frst phone with a QWERTY keyboard: the Nokia 9000 Communicator. It originally sold for $800 in the US.

Pet peeves in practice

A ranking of most disliked texing habits according to students Yesterday

The annual amount of text message surpasses phone calls.

6 out of10

students have

3

out of

2021 66% of students usually text 22% most often text family members and 12% most often text their partners

their friends while Calling 8%

Slang searching

A timeline of changes in informal speech over time and their catalysts

1960s

Era of rebellion leads to new car-related terms

Bookin': Going fast in a car

Burn rubber: To squeal tires and leave rubber on the road

Chinese fre drill: When people get out of a car at a red light and exchange places in the car Race for pinks: Race cars when the winner keeps the loser's car

1969

Woodstock Festival popularizes counterculture

Deuce: Putting two fngers up in a peace symbol Dove: A peace lover

Flower power: The peaceful protest movement of the '60s counterculture

Gone: Under the infuence of drugs Hippie/Hippy: A member of the counterculture: a free-spirited, unconventional person In the groove: A person who is part of the in-crowd

1980s

Golden age hip hop infuences mainstream culture

Sources: history.com, yourdictionary.com, Glamour, Mental Floss, Garfeld Messenger, dictionary.com, axis.org, ClassicStock / Masterfle, Stas Namin Center/ CC BY-SA 3.0, Asim Saleem, Flowizm

1960

Teachers' takes

"I used to say 'moded' a lot. Instead of 'oh, burned' or 'oh, busted,'it would be 'moded.'"

"I still say 'rad' and my son thinks it's the cringiest thing ever."

"We used to say 'the bomb' when something was awesome. Like, 'that party was the bomb.'"

Sucka MCs: Originally describing bad rappers, extended to mean anyone who is uncool`

Yo mama: A mild standardized insult, originally a version of "your mother" B-boy: Dancer, originally "break boy," referring to breakdancing Cold lampin': Relaxing at home, not doing much Drop science: Share knowledge Herb: A man without social skills or style

Robert Snidman

Kim Gutchewsky

William Layher

*African American Vernacular English (AAVE) was declared as its own language in 1996. Despite this, many consider it as a dialect or incorrect version of English. This mindset perpetuates racial prejudice against Black people. Instead, it's important to acknowledge and respect the background behind these terms. They are not "Gen Z lingo," but AAVE.

READ MORE ABOUT AAVE HISTORY

2010s to present Slang

originating from African American Vernacular English* rises in popularity

Slaps: A word for describing music with a prominent beat, originating from Bay Area hip-hop slang around the early 2000s Periodt: Something is fnal, this spelling originated from southern Black gay communities during the early 2000s Lowkey: Doing something subtly, popularized by hip-hop music from artists like Chance the Rapper in the 2010s Fam: People who aren’t necessarily blood related but are close to you, originating from Black English around the early 2000s Cap/No Cap: A brag or a lie/not bragging or not a lie, dates back to Black slang from the early 1900s

Teachers recall popular slang when they were younger

"In college, we used to say 'SINS' which meant sorry I'm not sorry when you're trying to get at someone."

"'I still say 'dang' and probably used that the most [when I was younger]."

"We used to say 'have a cow' which meant overreact. Like, 'my mom had a cow.'"

2020 2000 1995

2002

Release of Xbox Live kicks off new era of gaming slang

GG: Good game NPC: Non-player character, used to describe someone who does not think for themselves Bot: A person who's bad at a game; as good as a bot Sus: Suspicious, popularized by the game Among Us Noob: A person who is new to an online community and display a lack of skill or knowledge Rage quit: Turning off a game due to frustration Throwing: Intentionally trying to lose a game Carrying: winning a game for everyone else

Language from "Clueless" seeps into conversations

As if: Short for, as if that would ever happen Buggin': Being annoying or tripping out I’m Audi: I’m leaving Digits: Telephone number Surf the crimson wave: To be on your period Phat: Excellent, fashionable or cool Monet: Good-looking from a distance

Riley Keltner Micheal Farrell

Janet Duckham

ANNIE ZHAO & MAX EASTMAN

the fear of missing out affects teens' lives

by Max Eastman editor in chief

by Arti Jain in-depth staff

You turn on your phone and start clicking through Snapchat stories. One particular story stops your mindless clicking: a story of a party posted by someone who you aren’t on the best of terms with. You swipe over to Snap map and immediately see a huge conglomeration of Bitmojis, all of them standing on top of each other. Your friends are among those in attendance. You sigh and shut your phone off, a feeling of sadness washing over you. Despite the personal disagreements between you and the host, you’d give anything to be at that party right now. The possibilities of what to do tonight suddenly seem much fewer, with a simple movie at home being the most enticing.

The feeling described above is something that almost everyone has experienced at one time or another and has been recently coined “fear of missing out.” FOMO was first used in 2004 and was added to the Oxford dictionary in 2013. FOMO is a feeling of fear that comes from being excluded from something that one deems more

enticing than one's current situation. This fear is especially prevalent in teens as teens prioritize social acceptance. This is exacerbated by social media's heavy impact on teens.

Party culture

House parties are a core social component of high school for many. They are environments for teens to let loose and mature socially. Despite these bonuses, the nature of having alcohol and other illicit substances around can create an environment that is a breeding ground for peer pressure.

“You always want to fit in with the crowd,” senior Nahome Tewelde said. “So you're going to do things to attract attention. I could definitely relate to that because my junior year I'd do a lot of stuff like that. I'd mess around and do some stupid stuff, but over that year I've learned a lot. I realized that I didn't have to do any of that to fit in. So now I am just being myself and just doing what I am focused on.”

Pressure to participate in activities teenagers wouldn’t normally engage in within party situations is an interesting phenomenon. One part of it is peer pressure, which as Tewelde expressed, is “wanting to fit in with the crowd” so that others view you positively. But there is another reason students feel

pressure. FOMO creates the internal feeling that you may be missing out on happiness if you don’t engage in a certain activity, which creates a compulsion to do said activity, much like peer pressure. Both of these pressures combine to put students in situations where they may be acting upon compromised morals or even completely disregarding their own morals.

“100% yes, [I have kissed people I wouldn’t have normally kissed],” junior Abigail Jackson* said. “Especially at parties because when it's the end of a party and everyone's just making out and I'm drunk, I'm like, I just want to have fun. Everyone else is doing it, so let me engage in this too. Then I regret it later, but at the time I was just like whatever. But then I look back on it and I regret it a lot.”

FOMO does not just occur within the party, however. It can also occur when a teen is not invited or is unable to attend a social event. Despite the fact that FOMO is hard to resist, sometimes students are forced to overcome FOMO to better themselves.

"When I had to study for my ACT because I had it the next day, there was a huge party," Tewelde said. "But I couldn't go. I was kind of bummed out because I could see all my friends having fun [on social media]. It made me feel a little sad,

How do diferent apps cause varying levels of FOMO?

“Yes, [I have seen my freinds hanging out through BeReal]. I was in Florida and they were all at Hibachi, so I was really having FOMO. It made me feel hungry and upset because I really wanted to go with them.”

“It hurt my feelings [when I saw people making TikToks without me] because why wouldn’t they have asked me to join I thought we were a friend group, we should be doing the TikTok as a group.”

“I have seen people hanging out on facebook when I wasn’t included. When I was younger, it was hurtful. Now I have more of the perspective that I don’t need to be invited to everything.”

“Yes, [I have seen people on Snapchat without me]. I felt like I was disregarded as a friend and they were very hurtful to me.”

Sources: “Facebook Use Predicts Declines in Subjective Well-Being

“Motivational, emotional, and behavioral correlates of fear of missing out”

“[Even though I’ve seen people post on Instagram without me], I don’t really care. I kind of have my circle of friends who don’t ever post on Instagram, so I don’t really care what they’re doing.”

One study found that the more people use Facebook, the worse they feel minute to minute. Those who experienced higher levels of FOMO also tended to report lower overall levels of life satisfaction.

31% of Americans say they feel they are missing out on fun activities that others are doing, at least occasionally.

in Young Adults” by Ethan Kross,

by Andrew K.Przybylski, CBS.com

* indicates an anonymous source used to protect the student's identity.

Natalie Brunworth

Nyla Weathersby

Elijah Lardge

Claire Fredman

Molly Beck freshman sophomore teacher freshman senior

but I was just like, ‘I'm doing it to better myself.’ I knew I definitely would have made some memories at the party, but the ACT is my future, so I had to do that."

Social media

Every single high school student, whether they have it or not, can speak about social media. It has the power to make or break a student’s self-esteem, friend group and their very perception of reality. With how rampant social media is in today’s world, it is easy to forget that it is still a relatively new invention — and its effect on students is largely disregarded.

Social media simply exacerbates the issue of FOMO — students are able to scroll through at any time of the day and see their

friends spending time together, all while they may be doing something less desirable, such as studying or working.

“It just sucks to see everyone, all your friends hanging out, and not being able to be there with them,” freshman Elle Kerner said.

This is a relatively new phenomenon as social media use has skyrocketed in recent years.

“It’s just easier to spread things around [due to] the advent of social media and the instantaneous nature of being able to capture things at parties,” social studies teacher Meg Kaupp said.

An element of “I wish I was having that good of a time” is all too familiar in teenagers when they see pictures of others clustered together. This is especially common with the use of social media.

“Before [social media], you would just know there was a party, but now you can see what's going on there,” senior Jackson Freeman said. “You are like, ‘I want to be there. I want to experience what they're experiencing.’”

Social media allows for the amplification of prominent issues. Common anxieties, such as self-consciousness or body image, are among some of the things social media creates FOMO about, harming teenage physical and mental well-being.

“The problem with social media is that it gives kids access to things they would previously have to work much harder for,” Kaupp said. “Social media creates a normalizing effect for kids, causing them to believe social media is real life, even though if you talk to pediatricians and child development specialists, they would say this [people's bodies and lifestyles on social media] is not the norm. But because it’s being presented as the norm and people are absorbing that, it leads to a lot of 'what’s wrong with me?' [or] 'why am I not there?' [It creates] all kinds of personal insecurities.”

SPREAD DESIGN BY ANNIE ZHAO & MAX EASTMAN

Research suggests that people who experience FOMO are more likely to value social media. 71% of young adults went more than $100 into FOMO related debt in 2019.

FOMO was associated with distracted driving and use of social media during lectures.

illustrationby|

ANNIEZHAO

Academics

An interesting way that FOMO affects teens in today's world is through academics. Students everywhere, especially here at Ladue, are susceptible to believing the perceived greatness of their peers, rather than actually seeing what they are accomplishing.

“I think there is [academic FOMO],” Kaupp said. “I think it is similar to how it seems like everybody's out having a party, going to parties and having a great time. And with academics, it seems like everybody is composing a symphony or winning awards or getting free education to this stun-

ning place, and that’s just not the reality either.”

The effects of the misperceived success of those around you, coupled with the feeling that if you don’t take all the hardest courses you are going to be left behind, are very real.

“You might want to take courses that others say is the hardest class or courses others say you need to get into a good college,” Freeman said. “It's because you don't want to miss out on that because it could help you get into college or something else like that.”

Taking these courses because a student is scared of missing out on a fu-

FOMO is closely related to social networking site use and has negative effects on academic success.

ture opportunity rather than because they wanted to learn the material can have detrimental effects on a student's health, both mental and physical.

Do you feel as though there is pressure from others to buy things you may not have the money for?

“There is defnitely sometimes pressure from others [to buy things you may not have the money for].

For example, this year at homecoming I decided to get a steak that was already way too expensive but also ended up being way too small. That lead me, unlike my friends, to have to make a trip to Taco Bell and purchase a party pack of Doritos Locos Tacos.

I defnitely regretted my decisions.”

“I think [the consequences of academic FOMO] are the same things we see with regular FOMO, anxiety and depression,” Kaupp said. “The thing I noticed is kids who don’t sleep in order to get everything done that they have, they’ve got to give up on something. They give up on probably the most important thing, which is their sleep. Or eating, or exercising, or just enjoying family time, friend time.”

Sometimes, however, a student challenging themselves to not miss out on what friends are doing can

have a beneficial outcome. It truly depends on finding balance between school work and hobbies, but it can be done.

“I’m taking a lot of hard classes this year and I’m doing better than I had thought,” junior Allison Nieder said. “I wouldn't have taken as many APs as I had without all my friends also taking very rigorous courses. I would have been okay with one or two AP classes.”

Conclusion

Being a teen today means experiencing FOMO. No teen is ever

invited to every party, hangout or social event. In addition, no teen has such ironclad control of their emotions that they are immune to FOMO when being left out of an event. The only thing that teens can do to reduce the hold FOMO has on them is to not allow FOMO to influence their decisions. This is a lofty goal, but slowly, with adequate self confidence and social intelligence any teen should be capable of this.

“You feel pressure to do things you don't feel comfortable doing [when you have FOMO],” Freeman said. “When you are in more control, you don't do stuff [you wouldn't be comfortable with] because you're not worried you're missing out on something.” P

SPREAD DESIGN BY TAREK AL HUSSEINI

Q&A with junior Sanjay Calfee

"While people don't like the AP classes, they want to get involved because they think that it will look super good in college.”

Nahome Tewelde, senior

Pano perspective

for their actions

How often, in day-to-day conversations, does someone say something that makes your stomach turn? Leaves you feeling a little uneasy? It could be something overtly bigoted, or a joke that just goes a little too far. In the Ladue community, many students have experienced a friend saying something that makes them or others around them uncomfortable. Students should, no matter the situation, confront their peers when discomfort arises.

There are obvious situations, such as saying a slur, where the Ladue community should put an immediate stop to a potentially repetitive act. But in more nuanced situations, hateful undertones can be disguised by a light smile or friendly laugh. Bigotry can come across subtly, with some students not realizing when a joke has gone too far. However, if they do understand the harmful tone of someone’s statement, students need to talk about it with their friend. If they neglect to bring up the problem, the situation can repeat without their friend realizing that what they said was wrong. Even though there may be possible discomfort, students need to invest in the greater good. No matter the target of the comments, it’s imperative for students to do their part to stop the cycle of harmful dialogue that can lead to perpetuation of damaging stereotypes or beliefs.

In the case where one might feel hesitant to confront their peers, talking to an adult is always an option. Whether it’s a teacher or parent, adult guidance can be helpful in leading a student towards a productive solution. Teachers can make their classrooms a more accepting environment by individually discussing problematic behaviors. Teachers should play an educational role and explain to the student why what they are saying, even if not overtly hateful, is wrong and needs to stop. If teachers don’t take action or choose to discuss individual problems with an entire class, the negative comments will continue.

Currently, some students avoid bringing up conflict due to fear of damaging relationships, sometimes important or longterm ones. Students can also be scared of being socially outcasted if their peers disagree with them. Though this fear is understandable, students still should persevere and hold their peers accountable for their actions.

Overall, bigotry, no matter how subtle, should be halted as quickly as possible. Everyone in the Ladue community can play a part by confronting their peers or conferring with an adult when their peer is making them or someone else uncomfortable. Don’t be a bystander as your stomach turns. If you know something is wrong, do something to better the situation.

Editorial Note: Each editorial, Panorama selects an issue that the staff thinks is important to address and expresses a view that belongs to the majority of the staff. Panorama welcomes the opinions of its readers, and encourages letters to the editors. Please bring signed letters to room 1311 or email Panorama at publications01@ladueschools.net. Panorama reserves the right to revise submissions for length as long as original intent remains unaltered.

23 out of 23 Panorama staff members agree

Teens should do a better job at holding their friends accountable

illustration by | TAREK AL HUSSEINI

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- used to manage behavior of websites, like interactive items - most common language and the easiest to pick up Diffculty: Easy Diffculty: Easy Diffculty: Intermediate

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- used to format how page looks, like interactive items - language is limited to creating and structuring text - general purpose code - made for easy code testing, better to fnish

- applied with HTML - governs the sites appearance Diffculty: Hard Diffculty: Easy Diffculty: Intermediate

CSS Java SQL

Coding with a purpose

by Luke Lochmoeller culture & lifestyle editor

With a lot of time on her hands and an interest in computer science, freshman Grace Kweon designed and coded one of her very first games and immediately fell in love with coding.

“Once I finished my first game I was in love with it,” Kweon said. “Then that turned into like, ‘Hey lets learn this coding language,’ and I’ve basically done this pretty much every day of freshman year.”

Learning how to code is a difficult process and can take a very long time due to the multiple different languages of coding and the complexity of the language required for the computer to understand it.

“You need dedication and you have to work a long, long

time,” Kweon said. “You have to work on the same thing over and over again and you cannot give up, which is something I’m pretty good at: just not quitting. For the coding, you have to figure a lot of things out on the fly and it's constant problem-solving.”

Coding the video game is one big factor of what it takes to make the whole, game but along with that comes the actual graphics of said game which, is also a difficult concept to master.

“The thing is, for graphics, I just use free assets,” Kweon said. “But to actually make a [well] functioning game, you need lots of graphics and really, really good visuals. But I'm not very good at that stuff yet.”

Practicing her coding the past few months, Kweon began messing around, making numerous different games on different platforms, all while using different languages of code.

“I have made a bunch of games on a website called Replit that my friends helped inspire,” Kweon said. “I also just started making games using Unity Game Engine writing in C++ and Python.”

Kweon practices and puts her skills to use in coding on the new all freshman VEX Robotics club.

“I do a lot of the programming for it,” Kweon said. “Basically, you have to program your robot and build it to score goals and collect coins. You have to plan ahead and the commands need to be accurate and work well.”

The Robotics team competes in multiple competitions in between January and February, giving Kweon a small window of time to keep mastering her programming skills and plan.

“You program your robot before the event instead of having control there,” Kweon said, “So even things like moving five inches left, you have to be accurate or you can't reach your goal or destination.”

Despite the fact that one mistake or wrong command anywhere in a script could possibly mess things up, finding and fixing these mistakes takes time and effort. Kweon perseveres due to her love and dedication for coding.

“When I mess something up and don't know what happened, I have to take a break," Kweon said. "It’s really demotivating, but I always end up getting back on track because coding is my passion.”

- object oriented language - makes structure for programs and applications - used for database management - allows programmers to query databases CULTURE & LIFESTYLE 28

Personal favorites

Ladue students share favorite video games

"This is the game I'm best at, which keeps me coming back."

"The free roaming is super fun because you can do so much."

"All my friends enjoy Star Wars, so we love getting to actually play."

"I like this game because I play hockey. [It] adds to the fun."

All fun & games

Teens

share fondest memories involving video games

"Some of my greatest memories were when Fortnite was really big when I was in seventh grade and we had big sleepovers to stay up and play all night."

"I was on my mic in a party with my friends. My mom came in screaming about school and work around the house and my friends were just about crying laughing."

"Back during COVID when I would play Fortnite I would play almost all day because it was a really good way to connect with my friends in a time that wasn't easy."

Miko Kurtama (12)

Image sources: ARTSTATION, Xbox Store, Playstation store

Senya Simmons (11) Maxwell Crane (11) DJ Levinson (9)

Gabe Elzein (11) Chase Allen (12) Stephen Song (10)

INDIE CLUTTER

Sophomore Madison Davidson stands by her adorned windowsill, looking toward the bed in their room. The inspiration she gained for her bedroom’s decoration came from apps like TikTok and Pinterest. This inspiration, in combination with her interests, have seeped into the decorations that live in both the crevices and open spaces of her room. "I feel like if you walk in, you can see [that] this girl likes anime, and not only does she like anime, she likes a bunch of vintage [stuff],” Davidson said. “I feel like once you walk into my room, you can tell [who] I am.” (Photos

Roominations

Exploring students' unique rooms

by Sydney Collinger)

CONTROLLED CHAOS

Senior Mate Daus sits on his bed at his house in the Tower Grove neighborhood Nov. 8. His room’s eclectic nature is a product of his collections, from fea markets to his grandparents’ house. The trinkets in his room showcase all of his interests, which range from Disney to the Muppets to vinyls and movies. “There's just so many little things to look at,” Daus said. “And every little object in here has a story, so I think that's what I enjoy the most [about my room].”

Rumors of the road

Students anonymously share some of their wildest moments captured while driving

illustration by | MIMI ZHOU

"I was driving home and a deer jumped in front of my car. I had to slam on the brakes and drive the rest of the way home with my hand over my mouth with my eyes bugged out."

"pretend it wasn't my fault."

"I was in the car with someone and they screamed, 'WE ARE DRIVING IN THE U.K!' and went into oncoming traffc."

A raccoon fell from a tree branch onto the hood of my car and started peeing so I slowed down and it hopped off."

CONFESSIONS

"" "I dragged a cone a mile after running over it and thought that I broke my car."

I routinely exceed 65 mph on Lindbergh and I do not intend to stop."

I hit a parked car and totaled my car because I was looking at the moon while I was driving."

SPREAD DESIGN BY MICHAEL ZEGEL | JOSEPH BAKER & MIMI ZHOU

photoby|SYDNEYCOLLINGER

“I think I fnd comfort in clothing rather than style. It was really cold out and I found my sweatshirt which kept me the warmest.”

Stylish stats

Ella Braig (10)

“I

Hampton (12)

“I really like Nike Jordans and when I want to dress it up I go with a polo and comfortable jeans.”

Passion for fash

by Joseph Baker culture & lifestyle staff

It’s 6 a.m. in the morning when your alarm starts blaring. After getting up, you decide to go get dressed for the day ahead. Whether you meticulously picked out clothes the night before or just reached for whatever shirt is clean, fashion is a fundamental part of being a teenager.

For those interested, the Fashion Club and elective class are open to anyone who yearns for creativity, wants to discover new things or just wants to do fun projects. The Fashion Club meets after

school. They teach about the fashion industry while pushing students to create their own clothing line.

“The class is a lot more about learning about the fashion industry and the concepts about fashion and colors,” junior Anna Long, a president of the Fashion Club, said. “You don’t need to be in the class. We try to do simple activities if you just are interested in fashion.”

Anna Long, with a few other students, run the club under Kim Boyles, who has been a teaching at Ladue for 17 years, sharing knowledge about sewing, interior design and everything in between.

“There’s never a dull moment,” Boyles

said. “It’s always something interesting and different. The things that I teach are the things that are so important and that people can use on a daily basis.”

Long’s curiosity led to being a part of fashion, and she created the fashion club with her classmates. She is learning new skills along her journey, fashion has al lowed Long to find her true passion and what she wants to do after high school: by expressing herself through clothing in an artistic way.

“Fashion is something that I’m just very passionate about,” Long said. “Because in a way [fashion] combines emotions and our personalities.”

“Dressing nice makes you feel cleaner and better, and when you dress bad, you feel lazy throughout the day.”

Jeha Hwang (9)

Lila Goldstein (11)

really like anything decade wise. I like the ‘70s with all the fowy stuff with the patterns.”

Zion

An insight on how clothing has the ability to express who we are through what we wear

illustration by | EMILIE TIAN & MIMI ZHOU

Numbers from a survey of 198 students

Loungewear Streetwear Preppy

What’s your favorite style of clothing?

Takiya Arnold (11)

Emma Hsiao (9)

Adam Ye (10)

Hailey Green (11)

Sela Masaki (12)

Ryan Li (10)

George Fister (9)

Inside identity

In 1971, Coca-Cola released an ad titled “I’d like to buy the world a Coke.” It was a media sensation. The video consisted of young people from all over the world and of all identities atop a hill in Italy. Each person held a Coke and sang a tune, united by the soda bottle, regardless of their differences.

TOP RIGHT: Four of Agnew’s books lay ordered across the table. From left to right are “The 1619 Project,” “The Negro Motorist Green-Book,” “B-Sides” and “Unraveling.” “It shouldn't have to be an extracurricular for students to learn about Black people,” Agnew said. “This country was built on the backs of African-Americans.” (Photo by Sydney Collinger)

TOP LEFT: Sophomore Luca PiñonDickey smiles sitting down. Because Hispanic teens share many household similarities, he likes to crack jokes about it with them. “We start talking about how the culture in our houses are similar and we make jokes about it,” Piñon-Dickey said. “And then, we become more of friends because of that.”

(Photo by Aditi Navjith)

CENTER RIGHT: On top of a fabric sit fve of Piñon-Dickey’s Mexican items. The black heart and shot glass are “Barro Negro,” the colorful animal is an “Alebrije,” the wooden mixer is a “Molinillo” and the colorful small cup is “Talavera pottery.” “In a lot of Hispanic culture, there’s a lot of vibrant, really strong and deep rooted culture,” PiñonDickey said. (Photo by Vincent Hsiao)

BOTTOM LEFT: Sophomore Grace Agnew wears a bonnet. Hair holds a unique place in Black identity, especially for black women. “Our hair has always been a big deal,” Agnew said. “It always will be.” (Photo by Sydney Collinger)

BOTTOM RIGHT: Sophomore Sancho Miguel Bhane Gatungay rests at a picnic table. Gatungay believed that the U.S. experience was defned by city life, not the suburbs of Ladue, where he is now. “I thought America was like New York,” Gatungay said. “But, I moved to St. Louis. Before I went to America, I went to very technologically advanced Asian cities like Tokyo and Hong Kong.”

(Photo by Aditi Navjith)

But the world, despite the success, knew soda couldn’t permeate the prejudices that separated the kids, whether they were aware of them or not. And as much as Coke wanted to create a solidarity based on carbonated sugar water, it was an uncomfortable attempt at equality. Understanding identityinstead requires a harder look into

Scan to see the full photo gallery of all stories

what its like to walk in each other’s shoes and stand atop that hill.

The following stories traverse aspects of the lives of teenagers in underrepresented groups. The stories are not intended to represent an exhaustive list of all identities. This section steps into four, but not all, spectrums of identity: race, religion, gender and sexuality.

by Allen You editor in chief

There wasn't even a concept of race when communities from centuries ago were monocultural and ethnically homogeneous. But it’s now difficult to deny the importance of a person's heritage, appearance and history in a multicultural society. It’s not even their choice what race they are, yet the modern world assigns so much value to it. Race exists, and it matters, especially in our adolescence.

Just calling Gatungay “Asian” or “Hispanic” erases his complex Filipino history, because the Philippines isn’t “Asian” in the most common sense, and it was hundreds of years of brutal Spanish colonization that entrenched Hispanic influence. So the traditional ways that America classifies race is muddled when applied to his Filipino heritage. Today, Gatungay wears his Filipino badge proudly, reminding everyone that our histories matters.

“I try to be the most Filipino person ever so I can tell people about my culture, because I really love talking about it,” Gatungay said.

“For the longest time, I kept bugging my dad because the school didn't have my name as Piñon-Dickey,” Piñon-Dickey said. “It just had Dickey. I want the Piñon part to be there.”

His history leaps off textbook pages; the colonization of the Philippines is a stain on sophomore Sancho Miguel Bhane Gatungay’s boyhood. Even though the Americans left in 1946, the West remained, and it creeped upon the native culture.

“I grew up idolizing white people,” Gatungay said. “Colorism was a big thing. I grew up wanting to be white, like pale. And [white people] were the beauty standard. You’d think they were beautiful just because they were white.”

This made Gatungay’s arrival at Ladue his freshman year a rude awakening to the American gaze.

“Back home, nobody thinks about racism,” Gatungay said. “We don't have a concept of race. And when I moved here, it was kind of a weird thing. People think I'm Hispanic. You don't really see a lot of Filipino representation. Even Hispanic people think I’m Hispanic.”

Sophomore Luca Piñon-Dickey was raised two ways: the ways of his white, American-born father and those of his mother, a Mexican native. In most cases, Piñon-Dickey celebrates his mother’s philosophy on life: one of respect, discipline and selflessness.

“A lot with my mom is knowing how to act and being fine with not getting what you want,” Piñon-Dickey said. “My mom would say no to things and I would have to deal with it a lot of the time and I would know not to argue with her. And then with having a mom that's in charge, [there’s] a lot more learning to respect women and all of that growing up.”

He still loves his dad. It’s just hard not to draw more of his identity from his Mexican mother, his access point to his extended family and heritage. Despite his passion for Hispanic culture, he’s had to struggle for it to be shown and to matter to other people.

At school, it was slavery. It was segregation. It was trauma. It was all sophomore Grace Agnew learned about her past.

“We're not represented in history classes,” Agnew said. “And it's not like every white kid is going to take Black studies. So our history isn't really shown either. I feel like the only thing we ever really learned about as kids, going into high school, is first they were in Africa, then they were brought here and then we're slaves. And then there was sharecropping, which is basically slavery, and then segregation and then well, here we are. And I feel like all we were talking about is Black trauma.”

This constant depiction of Black history as purely traumatic makes it difficult for Black teens to imagine a brighter path forward. Agnew, in response, initiated a club at Ladue middle school to teach Black history, a painful one, yes, but also one filled with celebration. Nevertheless, the problem prevails.

“Some kids don't have conversations about their history with their parents at home,” Agnew said. “So school is how they're learning about themselves. And if all they're learning about themselves is Black trauma and how we're always being pushed down, that's not going to help them or make them feel good about themselves at all.”

Religion

by Laura Shareshian identity staff

In America’s secular society, the life of a teenager is decided. It doesn’t account for much outside of what’s deemed standard: school days, spending time with friends and extracurricular activities. For students who deviate from this norm, the little time left between fixed obligations is often not sufficient. Amongst the deviations that disrupt a teen’s day is religion. Moral beliefs, mandatory prayers and standards of modesty can conflict with being a teenager, but religious students continue to maintain their practices.

"What does religion mean to you?" Is a question with a variety of answers, no two exactly alike. Yet for dedicated religious high schoolers, there’s one common thread: faith is maintained through any condition or hardship, including the demanding life of a teenager.

people that knew better to properly teach.”

It’s true – Sikhs are rarely discussed in media or in school curriculum.

With minimal public education and a small local community, finding support and combatting damaging misconceptions can be difficult to do.

“There [are] so many misunderstandings and so many ideas that get twisted from communication that I wish didn’t exist,” Singh said.

Though he’s familiar with rude remarks and comments disguised as jokes, targeted remarks take a new form in school.

“[Misconceptions about Sikhi], I wouldn't say, directly affect me,” Singh said. “But I can hear [judgment] in the hallways, I can see in people's eyes the way that they judge you – because they don't know.”

In responding to remarks, questions and prejudices, Singh always takes a peaceful approach.

“It's always peaceful," Singh said. "It's never violent ever. We make it into a [lesson] to somebody we can teach.”

On a larger scale, education on Sikhi must expand to eliminate misconceptions.

“If that curriculum was cleaned up more, [there would be fewer] misunderstandings,” Singh said. “If that could just be fixed, that’s literally all that we ask for. Misunderstandings, [they’re] pretty powerful.”

of bed. This isn’t the time for eating breakfast or preparing her backpack. No, this is the time for the Fajr prayer, one out of the five mandatory Islamic prayers done almost every day.

Besides praying and going to her mosque, Khan meets with a Muslim youth group every week.

“[The youth group meets every week] and we go and we do fun activities, like watching movies,” Khan said. “One day, we were kayaking together and paintballing. It's a group full of girls and we just talk about topics in Islam and [hang out] together. It's a really good, supportive community.”

Besides group activities and advocacy, Khan can go to the youth group to find support when she’s struggling with her religious practices. Amongst her struggles is praying five times every day, a number that often disagrees with her teenage life.

“Having to stop your day five times and just forget everything and go pray is a really difficult thing because I want to watch Netflix, I want to go to the movies with my friends, I want to hang out,” Khan said. “I'm still working on it today, I find strength in knowing that you know, all my Muslim friends are going through the same thing and we help each other out.”

Praying is an important part of Islam, and one that Zahra values more than teenage complications.

Harfateh Singh was in sixth grade when his history teacher taught him about the four most popular world religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. Singh wanted to know why the list had gone to four instead of five; why his religion hadn’t made the cut.

“Sikhi is number five, and I talked to [my history teacher] for a few weeks, and she told me how it wasn't in the curriculum," Singh said. Maybe there [weren't] enough

Zahra Khan wakes up twice every morning.

Two hours before her 6 a.m. school alarm rings, she gets out

“I just go pray. And that time between myself and God, it's just us two - I clear my mind of any other thoughts, and I think it's the most valuable thing you can have,” Khan said.

Betty Gema

Harfateh Singh

Zahra Khan

Betty Gema was 4 years old when she left Ethiopia. She had never been to America, didn’t speak English and had left without her brother and mother; they would be coming later.

Thirteen years later, she is still a member of the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church. But Gema is also 17, a high school student. Her weeks are occupied by studying, extracurriculars and friends. Few days go by without a club meeting, a shift at work or a get-together, but it’s Sunday that she’s reserved for peace. From 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., Gema is at church. She finds peace there, praying alongside others and taking communion.

As a teenager, Gema has taught younger church members organized life and religious lessons and coached the younger players on the community soccer team. Now, she’s provided with internships, volunteer opportunities and guidance from college graduates. Though the community offers help, its high expectations can be a source of stress for adolescents.

“I think sometimes there's maybe a little too much pressure on trying to be perfect and doing just amazing in life with all these milestones that they've set up for us,” Gema said.

Teenagers in Gema's community fill another unique role: a bridge between the culture of their home country and American assimilation. While many Ethiopian parents know little English, young children of diaspora speak English, but often don’t speak an Ethiopian language. As American-born Ethiopians become less involved in their ancestry, cultural and religious practices are practiced less often and lose ground.

“I worry for our church,” Gema said. “How’s it going to continue in America when many of the children have been more acclimated to American culture so they just don’t know the prayers, the importance of the church or the language?”

LEFT: Junior Zahra Khan looks out upon her mosque. Khan’s faith has been aided by her family. “I've grown up watching my parents and my grandparents,” Khan said. “I've seen them set an example for me about how to do all my prayers, so I have a really good foundation.”

ABOVE: Senior Harfateh Singh prays at his temple. Before Singh goes to temple

at home before sunrise. “[Praying] really sets your whole mind and tone for the rest of the day,” Singh said. “When you get that mindset you’re able to move forward for the day.”

LEFT: Sikhs serve food at temple. The food was available to anyone at the temple because equality is an important value of Sikhi. “[Temple goers] are allowed food, [which is] for anyone and everyone, you can go no matter what religion, sex [or] race,” Singh said. (photos courtesy of Harfateh Singh)

ABOVE: Junior Betty Gema wears a detailed Ethiopian kemis to church. Gema’s dresses were handmade in Ethiopia and feature distinctive designs. “A lot of families get unique trims so they can match,” Gema said. “The men also have matching shirts and [pants], it’s not just dresses.”

LEFT: Gema lights religious candles, one of which features Mariam, more commonly The Virgin Mary, among Western Christians. Gema has found that Mariam is of greater importance in Ethiopian Orthodoxy than in Western iterations of Christianity. “We hold Holy Mary to a higher [importance] than I've seen in America,” Gema said. “We have a lot of artwork and pictures depicting her.” (Photos by Mac Huffman)

(Photo by Mac Huffman)

Gender

by Rory Lustberg

identity staff

Step into Target. Walk to the so-called “girl’s” section, and you’re sure to be met with glitter, sequins and plenty of pink. The “boy’s” section is quite a different sight, with toy guns and footballs populating every corner of each blue-tinted aisle. Gender has long been seen as a binary, a two-tone of blue and pink. Now, the definition is changing. For many teens, high school is the pinnacle of self-discovery, and gender plays a large role. Understanding and respecting a multitude of gender identities is incredibly important in forging connections as we all grow up together.

Skylar Lucas

Skylar Lucas constantly feels manipulated. Though her relationship has changed throughout the years, she’s always felt a sense of separation between herself and her gender assigned at birth.

“I feel like my relationship with gender is the same as a relationship with someone you've known all your life,” Lucas said. “It’s as if I was two people that were best friends their entire life and now I don't want to be best friends with

LEFT: Senior Emily Shaw works on a math problem on the whiteboard of her calculus 3 class. She has taken many S.T.E.M. classes, and notices that girls often feel hesitancy toward taking calculus 3. “It feels like you have to show other girls that you can take this [class],” Shaw said.

RIGHT: Shaw talks with calculus 3 teacher Rachel Garavaglia as they solve a math problem together. She noticed the gender disparity between the number of girls and boys in the class, and that can add pressure to Shaw in her performance in the class. “I can see how some people would be afraid to speak up, especially in a male dominated class,” Shaw said. (photo by Mac Huffman)

that person anymore. But they keep coming up, and you see them all the time. You hear them, and they're mean sometimes. So I try to break it off.”

Lucas began questioning their gender in fifth grade, when they first felt the friendship start to splinter. Now, Lucas uses she/they pronouns. She often felt manipulated by gender, like their friendship turned sour quickly.

“Now it's not a friendship anymore,” Lucas said. “Now they're there. They're stalking you. They're persistent. They won't leave you alone. At first, I was happy realizing this, but over time, it starts to get sadder and sadder. You don't get angry, you get lonely. You get a feeling of, ‘Maybe I made the wrong decision.’”

Though Lucas has her moments of self doubt, she sticks by her gender evolution and her journy to who she is today. She encounters the opinions of others often, but Lucas wants to take her development on her own time.

“It's my pace and it's how I want to move forward,” Lucas said. “I appreciate [people] wanting to help me move forward faster by making me wear new clothes, maybe going to therapy, hormone treatment, all that kind of stuff. I want to do that. But it's going to take a while for me to truly be able to look past what people perceive me as because that's what we've been taught our entire lives and that's what human

nature is: that we strive to get people's acceptance.”

Lucas has many friends who are in the midst of their own gender development and discovery. She tries to give her friends advice, but mostly focuses on making sure they’re well-informed before embarking on any sort of permanent procedure. Most advice she gives stems from the idea of advocating for yourself .

“The biggest thing I want to say to people is that you need to stand up for yourself because [teachers are] going to perceive you as the person they see on your Infinite Campus, [what] they see on your transcript,” Lucas said. “You see all of this, and it has the M or the F that you fear all the time. You want to scratch it out and write the one that you like, but it's not going to happen until you change it yourself.”

Science and math classes have always populated senior Emily Shaw’s schedule. Starting with AP computer science in her sophomore year, Shaw continued to

advance and is currently taking calculus 3, AP statistics and AP chemistry. In her calculus 3 class, she is one of two female students out of a class of 15. She feels that there is a preference for males in math and science, most often within her family.

“I have a younger brother, and [my parents] pushed him way harder to do well in math and gave him more math classes and resources,” Shaw said. “That's something I just had to do on my own. He skipped three grades in math, and I skipped one.”

Since Shaw is in the minority of women in her calculus class, she faces different struggles than the men. Though she may struggle more with speaking up in class, they can face their own issues in planning for the future, something Shaw has seen firsthand.

“I feel more pressure trying to fit in within a classroom and stand out there, but I think guys feel a lot more pressure standing out within a pool of applicants for college,” Shaw said. “I definitely have an advantage over them in that and that's where I think they feel more stressed.”

While Shaw empathizes with the difficulties of the men in her class, she feels a weight that she doesn’t imagine they carry. She wants to encourage other women to take calculus 3, but feels that she’s representing all the girls in higher math classes.

GENDER

IDENTITY BREAKDOWN

GENDER

A social construct of norms, behaviors and roles that varies between societies and over time

TRANSGENDER

Someone whose gender identity differs from the sex assigned at birth

CISGENDER

Someone whose gender identity is their sex assigned at birth

NONBINARY

Someone whose gender identity doesn't ft in the gender binary of men and women

AGENDER

Someone who does not identify as any gender

INTERSEX

Someone with differences in reproductive anatomy, chromosomes or hormones that don't ft typical defnitions of male and female

Source: NPR

“Sometimes I feel like I look bad,” Shaw said. “If I don't do well, I'm one of two girls. If I fail the class, that's 50% of girls who take this class and do not do well.”

While the pressure can get to her sometimes, Shaw finds comfort in her teacher. This is Rachel Garavaglia’s second year teaching calculus 3, and her positive attitude motivates Shaw.

“[Garavaglia] is really [passionate about] women in STEM,” Shaw said. “That's made it way more enjoyable for me, the fact that she wants more girls there and she wants me there. She's willing to help in everything and that makes it a lot better.”

and because of that, I've been able to express myself in different ways, which has been a lot through art but also through my makeup and the way that I dress.”

Schepker has found a cathartic and creative outlet within his art and makeup. While he loves to experiment with different styles.

“People stereotype [makeup] as a very feminine thing, but it doesn't have to be,” Schepker said. “I think about that in terms of art. I love to paint and that's just how I get my emotions out or stress, and I love to do my makeup. "

Since Schepker initially came out as transgender in fifth grade, he felt that he missed out on some of both the traditional male and female childhood experiences. He finds this catching up with him in the pressure to look or act a certain way, impeding that movie-esque, quintessential teen experience.

Alex Schepker

Senior Alex Schepker sees his gender development most through his physical changes. He came out as transgender in fifth grade and immediately saw a change in the way he dresses.

“When I first came out, I was really shy, and so I wore a lot of baggy clothes,” Schepker said. “I’d [wear] sweatshirts and that's it. But I became more confident over time,

“Yes, I'm proud that I'm trans but I'd rather not be [trans],” Schepker said. “It would be so nice to have that ideal, stereotypical teenage life. I'm happy where I am, but it would be a lot easier if I wasn't where I am.”

Schepker emphasizes the importance of treating people who don’t identify with their gender at birth the same as one would treat anyone else.

“Just treat them like a human being, and it works out.” Schepker said. “At the end of the day that’s what we’re trying to be.”

LEFT: Senior Alex Schepker shows off his eye makeup. He doesn't see makeup as somthing only for women, but others often do. "[Wearing makeup] leads to me getting misgendered a lot, which is not a fun time, but I feel like I look good," Schepker said. "So that's the way that I want to put myself out in the world. That works for me, even if it doesn't work for

RIGHT: Schepker smiles as he discusses his evolving style. When Schepker frst came out, he dressed in a hypermasculine way, but since then his clothing has evolved. “Over time, [my style] went from feminine to hypermasculine, and now I am androgynous in the way that I dress,” Schepker said. (Photos by Mac Huffman)

Sexuality

by Katie Myckatyn identity staff

Every year spring fades into summer, the temperature rises and May, the month of finals, becomes June, the month of freedom. Each year, as inevitable as panicked last-minute studying, corporations spew out their Pride Collections, slapping a cheap rainbow onto anything that doesn’t escape their grasp. The progress flag on a fanny pack? Target has two. "Love is love" proudly displayed on a dog collar? Done. If you can think it, it’s been merchandised.

You may be thinking, ‘Hey, this is great, right? Spreading awareness and all that?’ Yes and no. While the growing acceptance of LGBTQ+ culture and people is a blessing, the marketing of physical merchandise conceals both the history and efforts of those who progressed the world’s understanding and integration of the community and warps the perception of the community as a whole. It distracts from the indisputable fact that at the end of the day, sexuality isn’t a marketing strategy, but a valid part of people’s gender and sexual identities.

TOP RIGHT: Senior Xander Helmkampf lays in a bed of ivy. He has faced homophobia and now inspires understanding. “Humans are born to love; hate is what is taught," Helmkampf said.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Standing in front of a pride fag, sophomore Sylvia Hanes looks up at the sky. Their experience with sexuality was benefted by representation in media. “It’s great to see queer main characters because they portray such an underrepresented community," Hanes said

LEFT: Sophomore Sylvia Hanes glances over her shoulder in Stacey Park with her pride fag hanging from her back. They came out as queer in 2021. “Coming out is a scary thing, but it’s also an incredibly freeing feeling that you get once you’re comfortable with yourself and you [come out]," Hanes said. (photos by Sydney Collinger)

LGBTQ+ MENTAL HEALTH

LGBTQ+ youth whose family support them attempt suicide at less than half the rate of those who weren't supported

LGBTQ+ youth who schools are accepting reported lower rates of attempting suicide

LGBTQ+ youth who have not experienced discrimination based on their identity attempted suicide at less than half the rate of those who are dicrimated aginst

Source: Trevor Project

TREVOR

PROJECT

LGBTQ+ crisis center for youth struggling with mental helth

Sylvia Hanes

Sophomore Sylvia Hanes is one of thousands of teenagers in America that refuse to squash their pride in order to conform to the heteronormative standard.

“I identify as queer, [and] I’m still figuring out which labels that I specifically identify with; however, I’m experimenting with the term 'pansexual,'” Hanes said. “I’ve realized that who I like doesn’t depend on a person’s gender as much as it does on the person themself.”

Hanes views sexuality as a spectrum, sharing a similar sentiment with many other people in the LGBTQ+ community.

“While it’s easier for me personally to have a label, sexuality doesn’t necessarily need one,” Hanes said. “Some people are more comfortable with labels while others aren’t, and that’s completely valid. You don’t have to be confined into one set category, and sexual orientation is a spectrum for that exact reason.”

Hanes is the president of Ladue High School’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance.

“It's a safe space for people to come and talk about any issues they've faced or things they're struggling with,” Hanes said. “Both queer people and allies can get any help they need, or just spend time with other queer people in an LGBTQ+ friendly environment, which can be really healthy.”

GSA works not only as a support system, but also as a unit that promotes the comprehension of straight and cisgender students surrounding LGBTQ+ matters.

“When you have that mutual understanding, you have respect for each other," Hanes said. "That’s what it’s all about. Regardless of who you are, you will get that respect and you will get that love because every single person deserves it, regardless of what makes up certain parts of their identity.”

Xander Helmkampf

What beckoned him for years, senior Xander Helmkampf now embraces.

“Personally, I identify as bisexual,” Helmkampf said. “I'm attracted to just two genders: men and women.”

Bisexuality is a common but underrepresented community even within the overarching LGBTQ umbrella. Bisexual erasure diminishes the perceived validity of people struggling to come to terms with their identities.

“As it’s become more socially acceptable, people seem to understand the concept of just being gay or straight; however, I feel when you put the two concepts together, that’s what people have difficulty understanding,” Helmkampf said. “While we all have our different struggles, being a bisexual man is definitely different than being a gay man.”

Helmkampf understands, as many do, that the journey of self discovery is no easy thing.

“At first, I didn’t really know [the meaning of] what I was feeling, so I just tried to push it down,” Helmkampf said. “It’s so important to destigmatize sexuality because without that, people just remain ignorant, and that vital part of a person’s identity can remain hidden and people can even suffer from it.”

And when Helmkampf is outward about it, people deny the truth to his words.

“People say [bisexuality] is a phase, which it isn’t. If it’s a phase, then I’ve been going through it for 17 years,” Helmkampf said. “But [saying it’s a phase] is a major problem because it invalidates people's feelings. And that's just not something that you should do. You shouldn't invalidate somebody's feelings unless [their feelings] directly hurt someone, and I don't think I'm hurting anybody by talking about my feelings. I feel like that’s something that needs to be addressed.”

Asexuality is the term coined for people who feel romantic interest, however, don’t experience sexual attraction. However simple, Calvert adamantly elaborates on the copious amounts of misconceptions surrounding asexuality.

“There’s a lot of stigma concerning the asexual community, mostly stemming from ignorance,” Calvert said. “I’ve had people come up to me and be like, ‘Oh, I won’t make sex jokes around you,' and I’ve been in situations where a hypersexual person ignores set boundaries because they think it doesn’t apply to them.”

Resulting from unfamiliarity, asexual people are often objectified as an 'other.'

Chip Calvert

Within the broad range of sexual orientation lies a grand array of potential identities. No one trumps another in terms of validity; however, it holds true that some are more publicly known and accepted than others.

“I identify as an asexual lesbian,” freshman Chip Calvert said. “They’re overlapping parts of my identity, but people seem to understand the label of ‘lesbian’ more.”

“We’re not some alien species, we’re just people,” Calvert said. “We haven’t done anything to deserve the backlash we’ve faced; all we want is to exist."

At the end of the day, Calvert emphasizes the simplicity of accepting all parts of a person’s identity, including their gender, sexuality and romantic status.

“My identity as an asexual is as much a part of me as my identity as a lesbian,” Calvert said. “However people seem to almost view it as taboo or not believe in the validity of that part of me as much as they do the other. I don’t understand what’s so hard to get.”

ABOVE: Freshman Chip Calvert stares into the sun. They're an asexual lesbian. “It’s the same with non-asexual people in terms of setting boundaries to keep relationships comfortable; the boundaries are a little bit different,"Calvert said.

CENTER: Calvert has the lesbian pride fag painted across their cheeks. They started questioning their sexuality in ffth grade. “I’ve always thought girls were prettier than guys, but there’s such a heteronormative standard that I thought there wasn’t any more to it,” Calvert said.

LEFT: Senior Xander Helmkampf holds a bouquet of fowers that are the same colors as the bisexual pride fag. He found support in those around him and strives to create it for others. “It’s so important to have a support group who make you feel good about yourself,” Helmkampf said. (photos by Sydney Collinger)