Pano December 2023 by Ladue Publications

PA NO

BURSTING THE BUBBLE:

LADUE HORTON WATKINS HIGH SCHOOL 1201 S. WARSON RD. ST. LOUIS, MO 63124 NOVEMBER 2023 VOL. 73, ISSUE 4

ASSESSING THE ORIGINS AND IMPACTS OF SOCIAL POLARIZATION IN AMERICA

table of contents

panorama november 2023 // laduepublications.com

Editors’ Note

Every part of our lives is surrounded by a fragile, but enduring, bubble. For many, their home, school and work lives can be characterized as such. These boundaries are how we organize our lives, and we adapt our mindset and actions to fit the bubble we’re occupying. While our personal lives contain coexisting bubbles that we easily travel between, bubbles are apparent in our community and our city as well. With this issue’s in-depth, we are popping the bubbles that are present around groups in our community and beyond, focusing on the polarization of differing parties. We ponder whether our classrooms foster positive conversations about controversial topics, and how the media has heavily polarized views. On the subject

Panorama Staff Editors in Chief Tarek Al Husseini Riley Coates Mimi Zhou

Jay Heintz

Opinions Editor

Tarek Al Husseini

Ella Bender Grace Kweon

Ella Braig Josh Devine Mason Eastman Madeline Awad Maya Matthew Marie Demkovitch

News, Health & Sports Staff Grace Huewe Ryan Snyder

Emily Liu

Web Staff

News, Health & Sports Editors

Luke Lochmoeller Sara Rohatgi Nyla Weathersby Will Kodner Aaron Lin Kelly Zhang

Lathan Levy Michael Zegel

Photo Editor in Chief

In-Depth Staff

Vincent Hsiao

Alzhraa Mahmoud Frank Chen Sylvia Hanes

Web Editor in Chief Arti Jain

Features Staff

In-Depth Editor

Cindy Liu Ira Rodrigues

Katie Myckatyn

Features Editor Laura Shareshian

Arts & Entertainment Staff Celina Zhou Nitya Nara

Riley Coates

ID Staff

Arti Jain

Olivia Chen

Mimi Zhou

Opinions Staff

Associate Editor

Art Editor in Chief

Arts & Entertainment Editor

of media influence, two staffers argue the pros and cons of social media and advocacy. Elsewhere in this issue, read about the lesser known lives of teachers and the famous Snapchat filters created by a student. With the holidays approaching, continue reading to find a personalized gift guide for all the people in your life, along with an comedic review of classic holiday cookies. Happy holidays from the Panorama, we hope you enjoy our little gift to you.

Advisers Sarah Kirksey Abigail Eisenberg

SCAN FOR the full Panorama newsmagazine policy

Photographers Harper Buxner Bella Soyfer Sydney Proper Evan Cody Caroline Cobaugh Gabby Shafman

ID Editors in Chief Mac Huffman Annie Zhao Rory Lustberg

CREDITS: Front and back cover photo by Vincent Hsiao. Front cover design by Arti Jain. Back cover design by Mimi Zhou, Arti Jain & Katie Myckatyn

Table of 8 FEATURES

Looking at the lives of teachers outside of school

Contents

Unfiltered

News to Know

Unfiltered

Did you Know?

Infographic

Panorama staff analyze the reliability of social media news and if reposting drives change

“

Features

Ernie Batsell turns a passion for filter-making into a business pursuit

OPINIONS

I like drawing because it gives me a good outlet to express myself.”

MORE ON

Staff TE

P HA

NIE BELLV IL

Teachers pursue their other careers outside of school

SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER AND YOGA INSTRUCTOR

ABOVE: Lucas Alberts plays the trumpet alongside his fellow military bandmates. Alberts has played in the band since 2004. “The military bands are in the public eye much more, so we have to do our best to represent the military well,” Alberts said. (Photo courtesy of Master Sgt. Lealan Buehrer)

SCAN FOR more on teachers and their lives outside the classroom

HE MINUTE HIS EYES open, it’s time to work. The day is spent training and listening to the ceaseless commands of his military officers. Band teacher Lucas Alberts experienced this for seven and a half weeks during training for the Air Force National Guard. Alongside playing the trumpet in the military band, Alberts has served for nearly 20 years. Alberts first enlisted during college years in 2004. His training was demanding. While being a college student and playing the trumpet, he also had to fulfill other jobs within his military unit. “On top of my performing duties I also had ancillary duties in different shops,” Alberts said. “I was a member of the music library, a steward in supply, a coordinator in the operations shop, a trainer to help young airmen receive follow on training, a phys-

ical fitness leader, the load crew chief on annual performance tours and the non-commissioned officer in charge of the brass quintet.” Because Alberts was in the band of the Illinois National Guard, he saw firsthand how music boosted morale in the military. “Music has the power to help people feel a wide range of emotions including pride and ‘esprit de corps,’” Alberts said. “That is the reason why the military bands are part of the public relations and recruitment of the military.” Alberts’ service has given him access to many opportunities, and helped him forge lasting friendships as well. “I love to make music with my friends, and that is what I’m always doing in the Air Force National Guard Band,” Alberts said. “I have always felt lucky that I could serve my country in that way.” P

“Yoga helps me to return myself to equilibrium so that I can be present for my students.”

LE WALTO CHE N MI

MATH TEACHER AND ACTRESS “One of the reasons why I like teaching [is] because it’s a little bit of a performance art. You want to connect with your students. You want to bring things to life for them.”

MIKE HILL

SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER AND BEEKEEPER “I think the best part [of beekeeping] is being out there by yourself doing your own thing.”

Julianne Crockett

ESIDES STUDYING during college, English teacher Julianne Crockett played ultimate frisbee professionally, beginning with the Women’s Professional League. She was on a professional team while attending Truman State University, and continues playing in local teams today. “I founded the St. Louis women’s team, Stellar, in 2018, and I’ve been playing with them ever since,” Crockett said. Ultimate frisbee is a stamina and agility based sport, but it requires a tremendous amount of training. Conditioning is a vital and demanding part of the sport. “To train for the tournament style, you have practice three days a week,” Crockett said. “And then

on top of that, you do conditioning workouts and you do weightlifting workouts. And then you do throwing practices outside of practice as well. So it’s pretty much every day [that] you’re training in some way.” Besides the physical demand of ultimate frisbee, players must be good communicators. A couple words from a teammate could determine a win or loss. “Whether you’re on offense and you’re trying to communicate to your teammates, or you’re on defense and you’re trying to stop the other team from scoring, you have to communicate and you have to do it very effectively,” Crockett said. “Communication is really key to success.” P

ABOVE: Julianne Crockett throws a frisbee to a teammate. Crockett began ultimate frisbee after being introduced to it by her sister. “My favorite part about playing ultimate frisbee is that no matter where you are, there’s something you can learn,” Crockett said. (Photo courtesy of Kiersten Ruff)

Jamie Gavril

OST OF MATH teacher Jamie Gavril’s students see her in room 3309 teaching Geometry, Algebra I or Algebra II. However, when she’s not at school, one could likely find her in the stables. Gavril first started horseback riding when she was 9-years-old. She only participated in small shows at her farm until college. “[My farm] would host a little show, and then in college I specifically went to Indiana University to compete on the equestrian team,” Gavril said. “It has its own circuit called Intercollegiate Horse Show Association. We had 10 competitions per year, and then you could advance onto things like regionals and nationals. I did go to regionals twice.” Throughout those competitions, Gavril managed to place several times.

spread design by Cindy Liu & Ira Rodrigues

“I actually don’t think I ever won a blue ribbon with [my horse Tyler] but we got lots of second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth,” Gavril said. “The horse that I rode for my friend had a couple blue ribbons, but I’ve also had a show where I didn’t place with them.” Horseback riding is more than the competition itself, it requires a connection between the horse and the owner. Owners are responsible for their horse’s medical needs, housing and food, which makes the sport more expensive. “I was super privileged that I even got to step foot [in the stables] and take a lesson,” Gavril said. “But when you look around and you’re comparing yourself to someone whose parents bought them three horses and they’re top of the line, it changes your perspective, [because] you have to work for everything.” P

ABOVE: Jamie Gavril stands next to her two horses Tyler (left) and Rigel (right). Gavril’s career in horseback riding began young, and she continues to ride today. “As an adult, [horseback riding] has become part of my lifestyle. And if the drive isn’t more than 30 minutes, I go [to the stables] every day,” Gavril said. (Photo courtesy of Jamie Gavril)

features

panorama november 2023 // laduepublications.com

unfiltered Ernie Batsell’s filters have amassed

1,043,418,753 views

Ernie Batsell turns a passion for filter-making into a business pursuit

They have been sent to others

57,799,853

as of Nov. 28

times

“Pit Vipers” is Batsell’s most popular filter with

73,758,088

They’ve been played on Snapchat’s camera for

18.2 thousand hours

views

Who’s using Ernie’s Pit Vipers? by country

Other 5%

32%

U.S.

3.93% Australia

27.78%

3.3% South Africa

iOS U.K.

63%

Belgium

11.33%

80%

by operating system

Android

15.25%

by age and gender Women Men

60% 40% 20% 0%

13-17

18-20

21-24 age

PHOTOS BY VINCENT HSIAO

25-34

36+

47,417,595 plays 10,800,743 shares

the top countries using Ernie’s Pit Vipers filter

STORY BY LAURA SHARESHIAN

napchat is one of the most popular social medias in the world — as of this year, 406 million people worldwide use the app. That’s about 5% of the global population. But Ernie Batsell (12) isn’t just a user. He’s also a creator. In December 2020, Batsell’s friend was looking for a favor. He was growing his digital marketing brand and saw an opportunity: promotional Snapchat filters. Batsell, who had never made a filter, took on the challenge. Success came soon. “When I started, the first few filters I made for him actually all gained over a million views within a week,” Batsell said. That was impressive. But his standards have changed. “When I started making [filters], I considered anything over 100,000 [views] trending, and I know my first few filters hit [that],” Batsell said. “Now, after three years, they randomly started trending again. One is about to be at 3 million [views], the other one hit 50 million.” A view is counted whenever a Snapchatter taps on the filter. Ernie’s most popular, which simulates Pit Viper sunglasses on the user’s face, has amassed over 73 million views. “There [were] a lot of Pit Viper [filters] out there, and when a lot of people started using them I decided to hop on the trend,” Batsell said. That’s how he gets ideas for a lot of filters: when a topic trends, related lenses get more views. “When Kanye [West] and Kim [Kardashian] got divorced and when he was running for president, I created Kanye West filters because he was trending everywhere,” Batsell said. “It’d be like a FaceTiming filter where

spread design by Laura Shareshian

SCAN FOR ERNIE’S POPULAR FILTERS PIT VIPERS

ICE SPICE

VHS FISHEYE

RIZZ-OMETER

IRON MAN

70s VINTAGE

BASKETBALL

you would have a FaceTime ef- or YouTube, and the fact now that fect, and there would be a GIF of I’m getting a following and I’m [West] talking or just a funny pic- actually getting to know these ture of his face.” people is always good.” Batsell splits his filters into two Even though the filters Batsell categories: funny and aesthetic. makes for influencers aren’t pubFor aesthetic filters, his first inspi- lished under his profile, they proration was a camera. vide opportunities for growth. “For a little while I used to do “One of the filters I created photography,” Batsell said. “I had [an influencer] was a Mario filter a mini camera, and I really liked when the Super Mario Bros movie the filters on those specific cam- came out,” Batsell said. “He starteras.” ed telling his other friends about Batsell wanted to recreate the me, and I think there’s five new feel of those vintage-style filters. people I’m working with now “From old music videos from who want filters. It’s the fact that the 90s and early 2000s to those more people are hearing about me aesthetics on TV, I made vintage is how I’m [meeting] all of these and aesthetic filters based off of people.” those,” Batsell Batsell makes said. “I made a lot a lot of filters for of VHS filters and these influencers. a lot of analog fil“I think at I learned the ters.” one point I was process of [making To replicate [making and pubvintage aesthetlishing filters] filters]. After three ics, he uses Adofor more than 50 years, I’m still be Lightroom, people,” Batsell learning a lot.” one of the many said. “I limit my ERNIE BATSELL softwares Batsell time now” uses to make his Despite the filters; apps such stress, Batsell is as Lens Studio, Sketchfab, Google happy to help in the filter-making Drawings and Blender are all parts community, often without charge. of his process. It can be difficult “If [someone is asking for] to navigate the different programs, something simple, I’m not going but Batsell has help. to charge $50 for that,” Batsell “[This Youtuber had a lot of said. “I’m happy for the people effects in [one video],” Batsell that I meet [because] they see the said. “I asked him who his effect same view as me.” artist was, and he knew how to Batsell’s filters have also conuse Blender. I asked him [about] nected him with the world. some of the processes for it, and “For one of my filters, a large if there’s something that I wasn’t [amount of] people from Spain, Inable to do, I’ll ask him ‘hey, could dia, Türkiye, Ukraine [and] South you do this for me?’ and he will America [used my filter],” Batsell actually do it for me. I’m happy said. “It was mainly those places and really grateful for all of that.” where it was trending a lot.” Filter-making hasn’t just given His connections have brought Batsell technical knowledge — him many new opportunities. it’s given him a community. Most recently, verification. “[I meet] a lot of influencers,” “I woke up [Nov. 29] with my Batsell said. “I grew up watching verification star,” Batsell said. “It [them] on [websites] like Tik Tok was so worth it.” P

“

infographic

panorama november 2023 // laduepublications.com

What causes seasonal depression? Reduced sunlight leads to 3

a lack of vitamin D

decreased seratonin and dopamine levels

changes in circadian rhythm

Myths about SAD “Seasonal depression only occurs in the winter.” Although SAD symptoms usually peak between December and February, they can start as early as September or end as late as April. Additionally, some people may experience depressive symptoms during the summer months, known as summer-pattern seasonal depression.

“Seasonal depression is the same as having the winter blues.” It’s not uncommon for people to feel a decline in energy levels with the arrival of shorter days and chilly weather. However, with SAD, the change in seasons has a much greater effect on mood and energy levels, leading to symptoms that have a significant impact on day-to-day life.

SAD self-care

overproduction of melatonin

Symptoms may include but are not limited to: - extreme fatigue or lethargy - feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness - loss of interest in usually pleasurable activities - withdrawing from social interactions and events - increased sleeping and difficulty getting out of bed - decreased ability to focus or concentrate

stay active and take care of physical health

stick to a schedule and maintain a healthy routine

try light therapy to increase seratonin

- weight gain and increased appetite

Risk factors for SAD: - having an existing form of depression or bipolar disorder

consider medication to treat symptoms

go outside and seek sunlight

- having a family history of SAD or other mental health disorders

What is seasonal depression? The fall and winter seasons are often associated with holiday traditions and cheerful celebration. But for some, the grayer, colder days signify the start of a period filled with loneliness, fatigue and depression.

SAD statistics and demographics SAD is most prevalent in northern latitudes with shorter daylight hours

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that comes and goes with the changing of seasons, beginning and ending at about the same times each year. In most cases, SAD symptoms start in the late fall and go away during the spring or summer. 3 7th Do you personally experience seasonal depression? 55.4%

Out of 10 students, how many do you think experience seasonal depression?

No Yes

44.6%

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

16.5 million

Americans experience SAD each year

What do you do to combat seasonal depression?

Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

“I try to be more mindful of how I’m feeling and make more time for relaxation and recharging.”

“Crying helps to just let all your emotions out, and then talking to a trusted adult.”

“I take medication and I see a therapist who gives me coping mechanisms on a situational basis.” Sources: Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Michigan Medicine, National Institute of Mental Health

St. Louis P a r a ll e l

symptoms are most common from Dec. to Feb.

Panorama surveyed 179 students Nov. 28

ILLUSTRATION BY KELLY ZHANG

4/5 of people with seasonal depression are women

Feeling Colder Days A closer look at seasonal affective disorder as the winter season approaches

spread design by Kelly Zhang

photo

panorama november 2023 // laduepublications.com

Down to a

Fine Art

PHOTO STORY BY VINCENT HSIAO

Art teacher Daniel Raedeke’s students express their creativity through diverse forms of art

The AP Studio Art class works on independent projects Nov. 30. Each student chooses an overall theme for their work and develops a portfolio for submission to the College Board in May. “We can use whatever mediums we want, whether it’s painting, or drawing, or fibers, mixed media collage, clay [or] sculpture,” Esmé Roberts (12) said. “I think it’s interesting to see what people come up with to express themselves.”

Cosmic Creations Across the Universe Class Painting Painting 1 and 2

A snippet of artwork displayed in Spirtas Gallery

Bibi Maren Clear (12) Computer Animation

How Much is a Million?

Gray Baker (11) AP Studio Art

TOP LEFT: Lizzie Esther (12) squeezes paint out of a tube onto her palette. Esther was using acrylic paint for her realistic style painting of the University of Oklahoma library. TOP RIGHT: Esmé Roberts (12) looks at her hanging canvas frame to see how the pieces fit. She has worked on this piece using various techniques learned in Raedeke’s class. MIDDLE LEFT: Lalin Seagrave (12) draws a sketch of the human anatomy. She also painted a heart canvas as part of her overall collection for the portfolio. MIDDLE CENTER: Brie Shelley-Piccinini (11) intently works on painting a self portrait canvas using a selfie on her phone. MIDDLE RIGHT: Raedeke’s room displays a large canvas with layers and layers of paint. Raedeke’s students are told to put their excess paint onto this canvas at the end of each class. He has implemented this in his classes for about six years. LEFT: Gray Baker (11) uses various tools to shape and construct metal wire as part of her lamp project. The AP Studio Art class allowed students to explore many different compositions of art.

spread design by Vincent Hsiao

in-depth

panorama november 2023 // laduepublications.com

Bursting the

Bubble Assessing the origins and impacts of social polarization in America PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY VINCENT HSIAO & ARTI JAIN

STORY BY ALZHRAA MAHMOUD, SYLVIA HANES & FRANK CHEN

HEY GATHER IN the shadows of twilight. Armed with flags and signs, they assemble, at first in odd groups and clusters, then rapidly into formidable masses as the hours tick by. Across the street, an equally large crowd is forming. A jeer sounds from the depths of one of the crowds and is met with an equally ugly answer from the other side. The crowds begin to chant. Tension crackles between the two groups like the whiplash of lightning, arcing and hissing, jumping from protester to protester, who stand forebodingly like heavy thunderclouds in the dark of night. These factions are opposites, enemies. They have nothing in common but the searing red flare of anger — and beneath it, hatred, as deep and immovable as the roots of mountains.

In Context Since its founding, America has been marred by bitter conflicts, from the advent of directly opposing political parties to the Civil War. This has contributed to the polarization present in today’s society. Polarization is the widening divide between contrasting groups of people, forcing them into extreme positions. America today is the most polarized it has been in many decades. According to the Pew Research Center, the percentage of Americans who held deeply unfavorable views of the opposite political party doubled between 1994 and 2004. “There’s no middle ground [between political parties],” social studies teacher Robert Snidman said. “All are very extreme in their views, and there’s no room in the parties for people who don’t see things the way the party does — they’re not welcome.” In the Media Many draw understanding surrounding social and political issues from the news they consume.

“You have certain channels which are dedicated to one point of view only,” Snidman said. “For much of my life, the three major news outlets provided all the news coverage on TV. All of this was run by professional journalists who presented the picture as it was, not with an agenda. Those days are going away.” With this rise of biased news reporting, it has become easier for people to become entrenched in their own beliefs, as they’re easily able to cherry-pick which news outlets to consume. “Virtually all of us are in these echo chambers of information,” social studies teacher Rebecca Rubin-Schlansky said. “An unsurprising consequence of these echo chambers [is] that people are just not conditioned to think about multiple perspectives anymore.” These echo chambers are difficult to avoid, especially on social media. According to the Pew Research Center, in 2021, 36% of adult social media users rely on Facebook for their information. In order to keep users fixed for as long as possible, social media companies have developed the “for-you page,” which perpetuates pre-existing biases by only portraying content they likely already agree with.

spread design by Arti Jain, Alzhraa Mahmoud & Katie Myckatyn

BY THE BUBBLES In 2020,

89% of Trump supporters and

90% of Biden supporters said that the opposing candidate would deal

lasting damage to America

38% of Americans say they have

no faith in print, broadcast and paper journalism

Sources: Gallup, Pew Research Center

“[Generation Z] is so much about cancel culture,” Emaan Waheed (11) said. “It’s like, this person said this [so] we definitely need to cancel that. In a high school setting, it’s a lot about social stuff and fitting in, so if you say the wrong thing, or if people think you said the wrong thing, then that causes so much drama, which people want to avoid.” Feeds and news channels aren’t the only things that contribute to confirmation bias and lack of understanding of the “other.” The places students live and go to school also play a major role. “We live in the ‘Ladue Bubble,’” Snidman said. “The ‘Blue Bubble.’ You leave St. Louis, and in the countryside that poverty is stunning. Nobody in Ladue knows that. [Republicans] are giving a message that’s appealing to poor white people and they make up the bulk of [Missouri’s population].” The framing of political parties as being “for” or “against” certain demographics can cause individuals to feel apprehensive towards a party that is at odds with their identity. This can then perpetuate a refusal to engage in conversation with those groups. Often, the effects of this are not only experienced online, but closer to home as well. “If people just go off [of] something they see online and use that to portray a group of people [in a negative way], that can be really harmful as people will carry that into real life,” Waheed said.

in-depth

panorama november 2023 // laduepublications.com

Student Standpoint A look into student views of polarization

Do you believe that the opposing parties’ political beliefs are harmful?

Yes

In the Classroom BY THE NUMBERS

40% of teachers feel that

politics impacts their job

31% of districts reported

verbal or written threats against educators

SCAN FOR ways to discuss polarized topics

Sources: American School District Panel, Education Writers Association

66%

24%

34%

Panorama surveyed 179 students Nov. 28

Polarized topics are often difficult to navigate within a classroom setting. “I think it’s definitely taboo to talk about politics and religion in class,” Isabella Soyfer (11) said. “A lot of times teachers or parents will say, ‘don’t talk about this, it can cause conflict.’ People are trying to avoid conflict with their peers, which is understandable, but I think people are more likely to share their opinions with their classmates if there’s an open discussion available.” This taboo can create unspoken stereotypes surrounding political or religious groups, which may harm members of such groups by taking away their ability to accurately self-represent. “If you’re a practicing Christian, a practicing Muslim or practicing any religion, you could be considered to be too conservative [simply based on that],” Waheed said. “You could be considered too extreme. Especially as a teenager, it’s difficult. I feel like that’s stopping a lot of people from fully expressing themselves.” The difficulties students have expressing their views also weighs upon teachers. When dealing with controversial issues, the balance between neutrality and morality is a fine line to walk, and often leads to controversy. “[As a teacher,] you try to make space for all voices and all

Do you believe that democracy is threatened by political polarization?

Yes

76%

perspectives,” social studies teacher Riley Keltner said. “But at the same time, there are moral rights and wrongs in the arc “I’ve been called into the of history. How do you differenti- office numerous times because ate between what’s a moral right parents complain about me being and what’s a moral wrong [while too conservative or too liberal,” acknowledging] somebody else’s Snidman said. “But over the years, opinion that might be different the administrators just sort of nod, from yours?” and it’s been fine. We are allowed Keltner began teaching in 2016, to be open-minded and I’m well the year of a national election. As aware that there’s places througha new teacher, she struggled to out the country where it’s not alkeep her classroom nonpartisan as ways like that.” current events related to her GovAs the influence politics has on ernment class’ curriculum arose. the classroom continues to grow, “Attacks on public education teachers have had to adapt by [have] been going on for 100 teaching students critical media years, but it is jarring when you’re literacy to expose themselves to the one going through it and not different sources. studying it any“Our current more,” Keltner social studies desaid. “I think partment does an it’s fatiguing for amazing job [of] many, many eduwarning its stuYou should be cators across the dents about only nonpartisan, but nation.” acquiring news you should not These attacks and information always be neutral in have become esfrom a singular the classroom.” pecially promsource and the inent since the importance of RILEY KELTNER emergence of soembracing all social studies teacher cial movements perspectives on in the 20th cenany particular istury, such as the sue,” Assistant civil rights and gay rights move- Principal Andy Ross said. “But ments. Many teachers strive to the challenge is getting people to include multiple perspectives, be critical consumers of that inforwhich can trigger criticism. mation.”

“

How students rated their concern over national polarization

least

12%

30%

31%

18% most

In the Future Although much of Generation Z is only now of voting age, the generation has been making an impact for years. Young activists such as Greta Thunburg and Malala Yousafzai have used their voices to speak out against injustices such as oppression, inequality and climate change. This young leadership is a shift from social movements of the past that were often led by older adults. While younger individuals often have less experience than their older counterparts, their youth can make them more flexible and willing to collaborate. “As far as leadership from civil rights, there was very much a vacuum for many, many decades,” social studies teacher Ashley Lock said. “[Generation Z] was actually the first to work together. There’s not just one leader of one movement, you’re actually creating these movements.” In order to bridge this generational gap, it would help if students and teachers worked together through open-minded interaction and empathetic dialogue. “If we could see more of [a] student-teacher dynamic where

How many close friends do you have of a different political belief?

25% 24%

29%

Perceptions of the opposing political party Unintelligent

42 students

Lazy

13 students

Immoral

56 students

None of the above

97 students

students help teachers [deliver] the meaningful content and [make] sure their voices are heard in the classroom, that would be great,” Waheed said. By keeping classroom discussions and interactions open, both students and teachers can gain a better understanding of the other’s ideas and a more nuanced grasp of the topic itself. While teachers play a major role in facilitating these classroom interactions, student initiative is crucial for extracurricular involvement and conversations outside of school. “[Ladue has] a lot of different student organizations where kids can get involved and share ideas,” Ross said. “We’ve got groups that are working together towards developing mutual understanding.” One example of this collaboration is the fundraiser organized by Ladue’s Jewish Student Union and Muslim Student Association to support work done by the International Red Cross in war-torn areas of Israel and Palestine. Despite religious differences between the

spread design by Arti Jain, Alzhraa Mahmoud & Katie Myckatyn

16%

POLARIZATION RESOURCES

SCAN FOR organizations dedicated to depolarization

SCAN FOR tips regarding media literacy

SCAN FOR local election information

JSU and MSA, they were still able to work together and help civilians that been caught in the crossfire. “We as a community should be really proud of the joint endeavor between the MSA and JSU,” Rubin-Schlansky said. “It shows that the acts of a few are not representative of the majority.” It is important for young people to continue to organize and participate in opportunities like the fundraiser because they encourage open-mindedness, communication and collaboration. By taking action and coming together to solve global problems, people can unite and work to foster tolerance for those of differing beliefs. “Young people can help a lot to reduce polarization among our generation,” Soyfer said. “We often spread information about current issues and are active in advocating for them, which can help to bring us together as a generation rather than be driven apart.” P

opinions

panorama november 2023 // laduepublications.com

It’s Not that Simple The lack of informed opinions surrounding the Israel-Hamas War has resulted in increased prejudice

STORY BY EMILY LIU

LOODSHED EXTENDS

far beyond Gaza in the wake of the Israel-Hamas War. Across the nation, tensions rose following the grim reports of online threats to Jewish students at Cornell University and the fatal stabbing of a 6-year-old Palestinian American, which police claim was the result of a hate crime. Since then, reverberations of violence, fueled by growing antisemitic and anti-Muslim sentiments in the U.S., continue to batter innocent Jewish and Palestinian Americans with ignorant and misdirected resentment. From Oct. 7-24 alone, the Anti-Defamation League stated a 388% rise in antisemitic incidents in the U.S.—the highest since 2015. Similarly, the Council on American-Islamic Relations received an 182% increase in the re-

ports of bias incidents and requests for help from Muslims during the same period. Fearful of prejudice, many Jewish and Palestinian Americans have become avoidant of religious or cultural identification, foregoing visiting places of worship or wearing traditional clothing. Jewish Americans told CNN they are now hiding their kippahs, refusing to wear their Star of David necklaces and changing traditional of religious holidays out of fear of being killed, attacked or harassed. For many Muslims and Palestinians, the current situation is reminiscent of the aftermath of 9/11, which resulted in an uptick of Islamophobic violence. Mr Mussa, a Palestinian American attendant at a rally at Pennsylvania’s State Capitol Complex remarked on the rise of Islamophobic sentiments: “This is emboldening individuals in this country to treat us like animals, to not see us as equals, to not see us as Americans,” he told BBC.

BY THE NUMBERS

47%

of Gaza’s population are under 18.

7.6

million people identify as Jewish in the U.S.

222

thousand people identify as Palestinian in the U.S. At least

1/200 people in Gaza have been killed

The existences of Jewish and Palestinian Americans should not be treated as such a controversial or political issue. Rather than forming rigid opinions based upon misinformation or cursory assumptions, we must shift the focus of the conflict to empathize with those affected in our communities and work to separate our political opinions from the way we interact with others. This begins with gaining a fair understanding of the situation. However, much of the discourse regarding the conflict lacks not just empathy but the proper context as well. American politicians, media and culture remain stuck in the assumption that the latest conflict in Gaza ignited solely with Hamas’ assault. However, the history dates back much further to the end of the 19th century with Resolution 181, known as the Partition Plan. The resolution divided the British Mandate of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states, eventual2023

1948 Late 1800s Zionism incites Jewish migration to Palestine

Israel declares 1978 independence, first Arab-Israeli Camp David War begins Accords result in Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty

The Israel-Hamas War begins

2014 50-day war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza

2000 Second Intifada begins

2006

1947

Hamas wins Palestinian Parliamentary elections

UN General Assembly adopts Resolution 181

Unraveling History

1973 Egypt and Syria attack Israel in the Yom Kippur War

1987 First Intifada begins

2007 Hamas gains control of Gaza; blockade by Israel and Egypt

2008-09 Israel launches Operation Cast Lead in Gaza against Hamas

2021 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas over al-Aqsa Mosque

Human Cost of the Israel-Palestine Conflict

American Opinions on Biden’s Management of the Israel-Palestine Issue

Casualties and injuries as documented by the United Nations

American Adults say Biden is...

2,260

2011

136

4,936

2012

578

4,031

2013

157

Deaths

Not sure

Injuries

Favoring the Israelis too much

13%

Favoring the Palestinians too much

16%

2014

19,860 14,813

62%

3,572 8,526

Striking the right balance

31,558 15,628 2,781

Concern about Prejudice against Jews and Muslims by Political Party Democrats 57%

Republicans

Sources: CFR, Brookings Institute, Pew Research Center, Statistica

19,511 10,330 13,642

2015

339

2016

222

2017

174

2018

130

2019

133

2020

2021

181

2022

276

2023

278

Percent of Americans who say they have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of....

54%

Favorable

28%

64% 28%

Muslims

ly creating the State of Israel May 14, 1948. This would then spark the first Arab-Israeli war, largely between Israel and Egypt, which precipitated the division of territory into three parts, including the Gaza strip and displaced over 750,00 Palestinians. Due to confounding factors such as the involvement of Britain, Egypt and others as well as the great historical and religious importance of the disputed land to both sides, it is impossible to place definitive blame on either party. Despite this, there are those who would prefer to blindly support one side over the other, ignoring fact and reality. Opinions are inevitable and valid, however, we must

2019

SCAN FOR resources on the IsrealHamas War

Live updates from the New York Times

A history of the conflict and live tracker from CFR

Unfavorable

Israeli Government

Israeli People

spread design by Emily Liu

2,796

American Views of Israeli and Palestinian People and Government

58%

Jews

Israeli

Palestinian

67%

51% 41%

Palestinian People

48%

46%

44%

45%

52%

63%

40%

25% 2022 2019

Palestinian Government 71% 28% 19%

2022

2019

still recognize the actions that deserve to be condemned. Currently, more than one million Palestinians have been displaced in the Gaza Strip and forced to live with a complete lack of water, food and medical supplies. The situation is dire, as air strikes have razed entire neighborhoods, schools, and mosques. The devastation is not without fault from both sides. However, regardless of what you believe, asserting extreme support for one political power over another is irresponsible and wrongful. By blaming or justifying all of a government’s actions, you inherently dehumanize the people on the “opposing side.”

2022

2019

2022

Here in the U.S., this dehumanization culminates in the generalization of Jewish and Palestinian people. As a result, prejudice and hate stemming from the Israel-Hamas war has bled into a much greater worldwide conflict; one very much removed from Gaza itself. Unfortunately, this is far from the first, nor the last time we’ve allowed senseless prejudice to stain our nation, but, let this be a reminder that we must do better. We must recognize that Jewish and Palestinian individuals are far more than where they come from. We must recognize that they are people worthy of safety, respect and humanity. P

opinions

panorama november 2023 // laduepublications.com

Advocacy or Inaccuracy? Panorama staff analyze the reliability of social media news and if reposting drives change

Posting is Powerful STORY BY GRACE KWEON

O ONE WOULD’VE known about the death of George Floyd during the COVID-19 pandemic if not for social media. The popularity of the Black Lives Matter movement on social media brought light to racial discrimination and led to policies for police bodyworn cameras and bias training. Social media advocacy brings representation and proof of public opinion. It holds the power to shape the perspectives and opinions of people. It outlines problems in our society and brings them to our doorstep. It can start protests and revolutions, drive change and build a community of people with shared interests. Previously stigmas on feminism, mental health and racism

HOW TO BE AN

ONLINE ADVOCATE

Teen mental health is on the decline. 42% of teens felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021 (CDC). #MentalHealthMatters

have been weakened due to the spread of hashtags such as #MeToo, #MentalHealthMatters and #StopAsianHate that brought light to these issues. At Ladue, we occasionally receive an email advocating to join a club. Many of these clubs like advocate for global humanitarian aid and peace, leading students to become more educated and aware about the world around them. With the next generations being raised on screens, at least they can grow up being aware of these topics and not shy away from them. Every advocate’s perspective can expand one’s horizons and prevent ignorant acts. Nowadays, people no longer sit and watch the nightly news or tune into radio stations. New methods are used to spread information. Advocating on social media, such as a repost relating to a major news event, brings awareness and knowledge right to people’s feeds. Advocating for important real-life events helps everyone, regardless

million

dollars to plant trees The Ice Bucket Challenge has raised

100

million

dollars for ALS on Twitter Gofundme has raised

million

dollars for people in need

You can’t spread awareness on every problem. Pick an issue that is important to you and relevant to your viewers.

Don’t jump to conclusions. Do research and reference it in your post to make you more credible.

of wealth, influence, age or location, learn about what’s happening in the world in just a click. The age-old phrase, “Don’t believe everything you see on the internet,” is the effect of the internet’s history of misinformation, lies, bias and deception—but it’s not a reason to downvote social media advocacy in the first place. Social media can also be educational, convenient and connective. True, there are those who don’t bother to check their sources on the internet, but finding news through social media, even if it may be biased or deceptive, can spur people to do their own research and stay well informed. Every voice holds its own power, and social media provides a platform to represent that voice— and every voice, no matter how small, matters. Social media advocacy is just one way for you to spread awareness and influence people’s opinions. So if you have something to fight for, don’t be afraid to hit “post.” P political_cartoon

USE A HASHTAG

Hashtags broaden your audience and connect you with like-minded individuals.

Sources: Brookings, Maryville University, Pewresearch

Teamtrees has raised

CHOOSE YOUR TOPIC

CITE SOURCES

EFFECTS OF ADVOCACY

ILLUSTRATION BY OLIVIA CHEN

Apple News Today

Main S

TV 17.1% Social Media 70.7%

The Washington Post

Panorama surveyed 179 students Nov. 28

Take Real Action STORY BY ELLA BENDER

RINNING FACES, beachside sunrises and delicious food fill social media feeds. Imperfect moments and flawed appearances are seldom shown online. This is the reality of social media: it’s never completely accurate. So why do we trust the “news” we see on it? When you open Instagram now, people’s stories are flooded with frightening facts about discrimination in America and lengthy rants calling for change. But how do we know what to believe? According to a 2022 study by the Reuters Institute, 29% of Americans think that journalists should incorporate their opinions into news stories on social media. News by definition is factual, not opinionated, yet social media is altering its meaning for the worse. Online, anyone can share their viewpoints and claim them as fact, while physical media such as newspapers are held to ethical standards that aren’t applied to

spread design by Ella Bender

a brief daily podcast on current events

f News

Physical Media 12.2%

nts’ de

eo rc

St u

of users use their respective platform for news at least once a week

daily emails containing the top headlines

3/10 students don’t fact check the news they see on social media

ABC News App

live-streamed news right from your phone

4/10 students have shared news that they haven’t fact-checked

general users on social media. There’s no possible way that one striking statistic or a quick sentence stuffed with buzzwords can express the complexity of a current event. Yet people will see a post with big numbers and bright colors and add it to their Instagram story without a second thought. Reposters think they’re being advocates and spreading positive messaging, but they don’t even know if the claims they’re supporting are true. On top of that, posts online rarely cause significant change. There are currently 17.5 million posts on Instagram under #BlackoutTuesday. This movement took social media by storm. Non-Black people posted black screens on their feed and promised not to post for the remainder of the day and instead reflect on how structural racism benefits them. However, the trend did more harm than good. People tagged their blackout posts with #BlackLivesMatter and #BLM, drowning out educational resources and necessary updates for protesters. In addition, the idea of quiet reflection acts against the Black Lives Matter movement, which encourages discussion against police brutality instead

LACK OF FACT

90%

of Americans don’t factcheck social media news

25%

of Americans that don’t fact-check online news share it on social media

16%

of Americans trust all or most of the their friends’ content

63% of Americans trust some of their friends’ content

of contributions to the historic silencing of Black voices. Participants in the #BlackoutTuesday movement didn’t take the time to actually fight against racism; they instead took the easy way out by posting a picture on Instagram and pretending to make a difference. While #BlackoutTuesday negatively affected its cause, the efforts against the ConocoPhillips Willow Project made no impact at all. Even though 761.3 million people viewed #WillowProject on TikTok and 5 million people signed the petition on Change.org against the oil drilling project, it was still approved by President Biden. The drilling will proceed and release roughly 9.2 million metric tons of carbon yearly. Next time you want to fight for change, don’t just post on social media. Take real action. Attend a rally for a cause you support. If there isn’t a group fighting for an issue that you care about, start an organization with likeminded people. Write to government officials, urging them to take actions that protect your values. Encourage and inform your peers. Don’t just pretend to be an advocate when all you do is type on your phone from the comfort of your couch. P

Sources: Change.org, CNN, Guardian, NBC, NPR, NY Times, Reuters Institute, Zignal Labs

33%

39%

56%

reliable_resources

Panorama Perspective

editorial

panorama november 2023 // laduepublications.com

ILLUSTRATION BY OLIVIA CHEN

Students should respect hallway conduct to create an efficient and healthy school environment

15 OUT OF 15 PANORAMA EDITORS AGREE

N APRIL 2016, LADUE SCHOOL DISTRICT voters approved Proposition R: the 64-year-old high school building would undergo massive renovations, modernization, new facilities and a doubled square footage to accommodate a larger student body. The main architecture firm, Hastings + Chivetta, states that “common spaces [were] reconfigured to address widespread problems of accessibility, wayfinding, visibility and security.” So why is it that the hallways are still densely crowded and difficult to navigate? The answer is, often, poor hallway conduct. Poor hallway conduct, or poor behavior in hallways, leads to crowding, tardiness and stress. But students have the power to fix that. If students are impeding the flow of traffic, especially at the confluence of multiple hallways, all surrounding students are impacted. With two-lane traffic from three hallways and one staircase, the hallway overlooking the student entrance is one of the busiest spots in the school. To accommodate the foot traffic, it’s large: about 20 feet by 47 feet. The width is enough to fit four large adult male elephants or park 8 Toyota Camrys. But the large hallway isn’t just for students going to class; the spot is also a hub for passing period conversation. When students gather in the middle of the hallway to talk, everyone walking must circumnavigate the group. That means that someone walking to the library, for example, may have to cut into cafeteria-bound traffic to

avoid the static group. When the cafeteria-bound traffic is obstructed, they too must find a new path in a hallway filled with people. The result is a slow, dense and inefficient passage. That crowding causes other problems. Namely, tardiness and stress. With only five minutes between classes, every second of a passing period counts. Those five minutes aren’t just for travelling; they can also be for reorganizing and reflecting before and after class. So when students are slowed in crowded hallways, they lose vital time. The loss of that time can be a stressor, but so can the hallways themselves. A 2023 article in Scientific Reports found that moving in increased density, and thus less space, can lead to increased stress levels. Passing periods should provide breaks between classes, not exacerbate anxieties. When students gather to talk because they would like to have a conversation, they are doing so at the expense of everyone nearby — disrespecting their time, their emotions and their personal space. By following basic guidelines, students can create a healthier environment. First, don’t stop in the middle of the hallway. If you’re walking and talking with friends, avoid standing shoulder-to-shoulder and never take up more than half of the hallway. Follow the pace of the person in front of you and don’t block any stairs or doors. If possible, walk on the right side of the hallway. The student body shares one building. It’s necessary that students use it with their peers in mind by following basic hallway rules to support a respectful school. P

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.

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arts & entertainment

panorama november 2023 // laduepublications.com

For the

Baker

Scan for mug

Pet Lover amazon.com

Scan for cake stand

$12

food52.com

PERSONALIZED MUG VINTAGE CAKE STAND After creating the most magnificent cake, enhance its presentation with a cake plate. This holiday season, the ideal gift for a baker who seeks an element of elegance—a vintage cake stand, a symbol of style. This familiar pair not only displays your craftsmanship, but also guarantees that your masterpiece travels safely from the refrigerator to table. Allow your dessert to take center stage when it comes to elegance.

Wrap it Up For the

Homebody

The only thing more pleasant than a hot cup of morning brew is a mug painted with a familiar face. Simply submit a pet photo and you'll receive a mug with that photo painted on the front and back. You may further personalize it by selecting from four shades of color and two writing styles. This is a definite heartwarming hit for every pet parent.

The ultimate gift guide STORY BY NITYA NARA ILLUSTRATION BY OLIVIA CHEN

For the

Gamer Scan for headset

Scan for blanket hoodie

$3 amazon.com

$25

amazon.com

BLANKET HOODIE

GAMING HEADSET

Indulge in the warm embrace of comfort and update your homebody sanctuary with the ultimate snuggly companion: a cloud-soft hoodie. Imagine the feeling of a soft hug as you snuggle into this cocoon of warmth that elevates every lazy Sunday. Give the gift of warmth and relaxation to your favorite friend, since every moment needs to be cherished with this must-have hoodie.

This gaming headset offers great audio, a detachable microphone and all-memory foam ear pads. On top of this, this wired headset is versatile and able to work with a PC, PlayStation and more. Best of all, these features come for a reasonable price.

Classroom Doodles Three students share their drawings from class time

“

I like to draw because it’s a good thing to do when bored and it’s something you can keep getting better at.”

SOPHIE CULLETON (11)

“

I like drawing because it gives me a good outlet to express myself.”

MOSS TUNAY (11)

“

My artwork expresses how my mind processes things through loud colors, playful characters and an immense amount of detail or a lack of it entirely.”

MATAN COHN (12)

spread design by Nitya Nara | Jay Heintz

arts & entertainment

panorama november 2023 // laduepublications.com

Best Bites Reviewing and rating classic holiday treats for the home baker STORY BY CELINA ZHOU

SCAN FOR

PHOTO BY VINCENT HSIAO

the cookie recipes used on this platter

Gingerbread

★

Americans don’t season their chicken, but apparently they do season their cookies. A frankly disgusting amalgamation of spices, gingerbread cookies are the lovechild of a bog standard cookie and your grandma’s potpourri. They have an enjoyable texture, with the bite of the crust and the chewy inside, but an overwhelming flavor with a strangely salty undertone that will leave you wondering what exactly you’re tasting. You might be better off using gingerbread cookies as air fresheners rather than eating them.

Chocolate Crinkle

★★★★

Chocolate is usually one of those things that is only good in moderation, for me at least. It’s rich and sweet yet bitter, with an unpleasant heaviness that always lingers in your mouth. Brownies have always been my exception to that rule, and now chocolate crinkle cookies might be another. Delightfully fudgy and decadent, they’ll leave the scent of cocoa in your kitchen while you bake. They’re chewy and soft with a crisp exterior for that perfect first bite — the edge brownie in cookie form: exceptional.

Snowball

★★★★★

With just four ingredients thrown together in a mixing bowl, you wouldn’t expect snowball cookies, also known as Russian tea cakes or Mexican wedding cookies, to be as amazing as they are. Soft, crumbly and buttery with a coating of powdered sugar and a nice crunch from sliced nuts of your choice, they’re simple, easy to make and absolutely delicious. No matter what the occasion is, they’re a holiday must-have!

Biscotti

★★★★

There are people who will read this and be angry. “It’s called cantucci, biscotti just means biscuit, it’s not even a real cookie,” they’ll say, and to those people, my dearest readers, I say this: I don’t care. That’s irrelevant. Sweet but light and endlessly customizable, biscotti are the perfect pairing to your holiday hot drink of choice — whether it be tea, coffee or hot cocoa — and the end result fully makes up for the time it takes to twice-bake them. All the effort is worth it for that signature crisp, even dealing with a bunch of quarterItalians on your heels.

Snickerdoodle

★★★★

Soft, sweet and dusted with cinnamon sugar, the snickerdoodle is gingerbread’s prettier, smarter cousin — you know, the one who your parents always compare you with at holiday parties. When the whole family’s gathered together, it’s painfully clear who the superior daughter is. In this case, it’s the one who doesn’t smell like the seasoning aisle of an Asian supermarket. If you’re looking for sugar and spice and everything nice, always default to snickerdoodles.

Linzer

★★★

Linzer cookies are the essential splash of color in every holiday cookie board. But beyond aesthetics, how do they score on flavor? Soft sugar cookies with a faint almond undertone and a jam-filled center, they’re perfect if you’re looking for a classic treat with a hint of tartness. Baking them, though, is another story. Homemade linzers are delicious and customizable, but they’re an absolute nightmare to cut out, bake, fill and assemble. Before you bake, take a moment to consider this: are the aesthetics really worth the blood, sweat and tears poured into making them?

spread design by Celina Zhou

health & sports

panorama november 2023 // laduepublications.com

All About:

Overview of the college sports recruiting process for highschool athletes

Sports Recruiting Resources to help with recruiting

9TH GRADE !"Improve your skills and join a club team

Help share film

Help gain exposure

X (Twitter)

Instagram

YouTube

NCSA

HUDL

MAXPREPS

Facebook

SportsRecruits

• Decide if you want to play your sport in college and at what level

10TH GRADE • Decide what you are looking for academically and socially in a school !"Continue to improve your skills

11TH GRADE !"College coaches are now looking for athletes in to fill positions !"Reach out to as many schools as possible

12TH GRADE !"Contact as many schools as possible

Recruiting Recommendations Reminders for high school athletes when trying to get recruited

You need to be happy and successful at the school you commit to, regardless of athletics. That is why you need to keep in mind the “broken leg procedure.” This is a hypothetical scenario that all athletes should consider. If you sustain an injury that makes you unable to play your sport, will you still be happy at the school? If the answer is no, then that is not the right school for you.

College coaches are banned from contacting athletes during 9th & 10th grade. However, you can still attend events and fill out recruitment questionnaires. You should make a list of schools you are interested in and research their athletics as well as academics.

Just because you are a senior does not mean it is too late to start the process. Depending on your skill level and what division you are hoping to play, it is still possible to commit late into your senior year.

NCAA Divisions

MJ Bezzant BYU swim commit Q: What was the hardest part of the recruiting process for you? A:!Needing to appeal to the values of a school and presenting yourself to school is really hard, because you want to fit in with the school but you also want to be yourself.

Division 2 schools are slightly smaller than DI and have the fewest number of member schools. DII schools can offer athletic scholarships as well.

Q: Do you have any advice for athletes who want to look good while they’re doing official visits or meeting coaches? A:!When you’re calling with a coach or emailing a coach, don’t be afraid to brag about yourself. You are presenting yourself to a college and they want to see how good you are. Q: Any other advice? A: Don’t give up on the process because it’s really hard.

Division 1 schools are the largest schools with the most competitve teams in collegiate athletics as well as the most heavily funded. These schools offer the most and the largest athletic scholarships.

Division 3 has the largest number of member schools. DIII puts more emphasis on academics before athletics. This is shown through a lower amounts of competitive events and less frequent practices. DIII schools do not offer athletic scholarships.

NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) is most comparable to DII and DIII. NAIA offers athletic scholarships, however it has, on average, smaller athletic programs across the board.

Recruiting Advice

Advice from the Ladue community from their experience with the recruitment process

“Play in the hardest events you can find and don’t stress about who’s watching you. Just do your thing.”

“It’s definitely better to start at the beginning of junior year by sending out emails to coaches.”

“College sports are no joke. It’s more business than fun in high school. You have to be serious and committed to it.”

WILL KUNITZ (12)

LOGAN WALLACE (12)

CHAD ANDERSON

Maryville baseball commit

Missouri S&T soccer commit

Boys basketball coach

spread design by Lathan Levy

news, health & sports STORY BY GRACE HUEWE

On the

Run

Delaney Brinker finds an unexpected passion for running

panorama november 2023 // laduepublications.com

However her decision stems a S SHE PULLED UP to track and field tryouts different perspective from her twin her freshman year, Delaney sister, Zoey Brinker. Delaney and Brinker (11) had little on her mind. Zoey’s inseperable relationship It wasn’t until the soles of her cleats was strengthened by gymnastics, so met the track that it became clear to much so that they developed the goal her that she had made the right choice. of attending the same college. “It is a little scary for me because Coaches and runners watched in awe as her legs carried her around the path, I don’t want to hold her back from and Delaney realized this was much going to a college just because we want to go to college together,” Zoey more than just a recreational pursuit. Delaney joined track and field on said. “But we’re all really proud of a whim her freshman year, convinced her for everything that she’s done, that it would be a more laid back ad- even though we used to spend a lot dition to her rigorous gymnastics of time doing gymnastics together schedule. She had no idea that this [and] now we’re not doing that.” While Delaney often finds herself undertaking would carry her towards new volumes of success – including missing her other half, she has found five state titles, two national titles a sense of community among her teammates. Their and many more to mutual encouragecome – and become a ment pushes her to significant part of her constantly strive life and identity. for improvement. “Running is a way She’s certainly a leader “As much of an to escape reality,” and a pillar of what our individual sport as Delaney said. “Peoprogram is about.” it is, it’s so much ple always say that, more of a team [and] I think that sport, and you rely it’s definitely true. It NICK BUCKVAR on others to push takes your mind off track coach you and to cheer something if you’re you on,” Delaney having trouble.” It took time for Delaney to said. Track became much more imachieve this mindset. During the early stages of her track career, she un- portant to Delaney than she had originally intended. Her understandderestimated her natural talent. “From practice, I couldn’t really ing of how to further progress has tell how good I was,” Delaney said. impressed her coach, Nick Buckvar, “My first meet was a varsity meet and from the beginning. “She’s certainly a leader and a I went into it thinking, ‘Why did he put me into a varsity meet when I’ve pillar of what our program is about,” never ran before?’ I remember doing Buckvar said. “Her work ethic is really well and once I did good, after superb. She understands that all she needs to do is what is prescribed in that I was like ‘Oh, wow.’” Prior to her full commitment to practice and she trusts that.” From a collegiate perspective, track and field, Delaney had been a gymnast for over a decade of her life. Delaney is just the kind of athlete She never saw track as competition that recruiters are looking for, hence to gymnastics until it became diffi- the multiple Division I schools that are interested in her. Buckvar adcult to balance both sports at once. “[When I began track], I did run- mires the drive that Delaney posning all year round and gymnastics sesses during practice and meets, all year round, so it was hard to and believes it will carry her far. “Her eyes have been opened to juggle both of them,” Delaney said. “That was one of the main reasons the opportunities that [track] can why I quit gymnastics. My body was provide for her as well as what her abilities are,” Buckvar said. so tired.”

“

Brinker takes a lap around the track to warm up for her workout. She had just begun working out with her team after a short break preceding the off-season. “I just started working out two weeks ago, but when I was on my break, I realized how much I missed running,” Delaney said. “Like, wow, that was such a big part of me.” (Photo illustration by Mac Huffman and Vincent Hsiao)

Senior Swan Songs Senior athletes reflect on their time playing high school sports

ELIZABETH FOX Golf “Even though golf is an individual sport, [when you play golf] always go out of your way to meet others and socialize because golf opens so many doors.”

PHOTO BY SYDNEY PROPER PHOTO BY HARPER BUXNER

ABBY REA

ROSIE HUEWE

Field Hockey

Cross Country

“[Field hockey has] helped me build the people skills to be able to connect with other people.”

“Because [cross country] is such a hard sport, you have to use each other as a support system.”

DANIEL GARZA Swimming “Swim is more of a team sport. With all my teammates helping and cheering me on, it’s the people around you that make the experience.” PHOTO BY BELLA SOYFER

spread design by Grace Huewe | Ryan Snyder

PHOTO BY EVAN CODY

“

We live in the Ladue bubble. There’s no middle ground, and there’s no room for people who don’t see things the way that [the majority] does.” ROBERT SNIDMAN social studies teacher