Panorama March Issue by Ladue Publications

Editors’ Note

Whether or not you’ve heard about the reignited push to dismantle the United States Department of Education, there is no argument that the issue has been called into question more frequently and with more support than in times past. That is why for this issue’s in-depth, we’ve decided to talk about everyone’s favorite thing: school! More specifically, our in-depth dissects the impact of numerous recent political attempts to delegitimize and defund public schools, both in Missouri and nationally.

Read on for a staffer’s critique on political misinformation, a self-proclaimed nerd’s reaction to a popular “romantasy” and a preview of spring sports. For more on athletics, find a profile on the ultimate frisbee captain and explore the rise of pickleball in a dill-ightful infographic. Elsewhere in the issue, we introduce a new student teacher and catch up on community and club events in March and April. Feeling parched? Turn to page 33 for a step-by-step recipe to refreshing spring drinks.

As the end of the school year approaches, we wish you all the best and hope that you enjoy our March issue!

Katie Myckatyn

cover photo by Vincent Hsiao. Back cover design by Nina Ye.

Scan to view Ladue

Publications’ Editorial Policy

Panorama Staf

EXECUTIVE EDITOR IN CHIEF

Arti Jain

MANAGING EDITOR IN CHIEF

Lathan Levy

DESIGN EDITOR IN CHIEF

Emily Liu

COPY EDITORS IN CHIEF

Katie Myckatyn

Will Kodner

ART EDITOR IN CHIEF

Kelly Zhang

PHOTO EDITOR IN CHIEF

Vincent Hsiao

NEWS EDITORS

Marie Demkovitch

Cindy Liu

FEATURES EDITORS

Grace Huewe

Ira Rodrigues

IN-DEPTH EDITORS

Alzhraa Mahmoud

Celina Zhou

OPINIONS EDITORS

Ella Bender

Grace Kweon

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

EDITORS

Sara Rohatgi

Aaron Lin

HEALTH & SPORTS EDITORS

Mason Eastman

Ryan Snyder

STAFF MANAGER

Nyla Weathersby

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

LIAISON

Ishaan Pandey

COLUMNIST

Frank Chen

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Michael Zegel

Jay Heintz

NEWS STAFF

Madeline Fong

FEATURES STAFF

Jane Schefel

Kaichen Chou

IN-DEPTH STAFF

Amelie Lock

Meg Myckatyn

OPINIONS STAFF

Adela Gingrich

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

STAFF

Medha Chode

HEALTH & SPORTS STAFF

Isaac Zelinske

Tiya Kaul

Vicky Derdoy

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Elena Bollman

Isak Taylor

Lilly Jacks

ARTISTS

Aalaa Mahmoud

Nina Ye

Nora Brunnquell

Stephen Song

WEB EDITORS IN CHIEF

Josh Devine

Madeline Awad

WEB STAFF

Emily Pan

Fiona Van Allen

Josie Stout

Katie Jansen

Loukya Gillella

Nathan King

ID EDITORS IN CHIEF

Sylvia Hanes

Maya Mathew

Ella Braig

ID STAFF

Max Karsh

Annabelle Reagan

ADVISERS

Sarah Kirksey

Abigail Eisenberg

CREDITS: Editor’s photo by Vincent Hsiao. Front cover design by Celina Zhou. Front

Emily Liu Will Kodner Arti Jain Katie Myckatyn Lathan Levy

News to Know

Events

Community events in March and April

Prom

Prom will take place April 5 from 7 to 10:30 p.m. at the Khorassan Ballroom venue at the Chase Park Plaza. This year’s theme will be ‘A Night in Paris,’ featuring black, gold and navy as the theme colors. Tickets will be on sale March 12, 13 and 28 and will be $95. The Parent Association will be hosting a Post Prom Party at Amp Up Action Park from 10:30 to 12:30 p.m. This is included in the price of the ticket.

Rams Around the World

The Diversity Equity and Inclusion Association will be holding the annual Rams Around the World cultural sharing event in the multipurpose room April 23. Any student or faculty member can sign up to represent their country or attend the event. Cultural food, attire and music will be featured.

International Food Sampler

Students cook international food samples Feb. 25

Key events in the months of February, March and April

Board Update

Board of Education adjusts teacher insurance and parent-teacher conference policies

By Arti Jain

Executive Editor in Chief

The Board of Education met Feb. 26 to discuss Meet and Confer Proposals with the Ladue Education Association. They approved policies increasing the employee and retiree premium by 8%, despite maintaining costs for current employees. The board also clarified parent-teacher conference requirements, standardizing the exclusion of dinner breaks from the allotted time. The meeting was attended by employees from all eight schools.

“I want to really appreciate the members of our teaching staff who are here

tonight,” LEA director Jennifer Hartigan said. “I think their presence here shows the commitments that we have to one another, our students and the new school district.”

The board also recognized February’s Excellence in Education recipient, Ladue Early Childhood Center teacher Kristin Hoeflinger. She recently had a Ladue Education Foundation grant approved, funding playground equipment.

“She is highly requested each year,” Ladue Early Childhood Center director Stacy Carlock said. “We have parents that come in saying, ‘We want Kristin, we want our kiddo to be in the Bear Room.’ She’s been amazing.” P

New Members Open seats will be flled

CURIOUS?

Scan here for a Q&A with Amy Kuo Hammerman

April 9

CURIOUS?

Scan here for a Q&A with Robert Snidman

RIGHT: Students cook foods from diferent cultures around the world. This was the second day of international week where students were able to attend a food sampler. “It’s always a fun experience getting to make food and serve it to the Ladue community,” French Honor Society President Garon Agrawal (12) said. (Photos by Bella Plumb)

Photo courtesy of Amy Kuo Hammerman

Photo courtesy of Robert Snidman

Kaleidoscope Practice

Orchestra students prepare for the Kaleidoscope Concert April 26

LEFT: Ashvik

Chilakala (10) practices for the Kaleidoscope Concert April 26. Students started practicing in January. “My favorite part about Kaleidoscope is it allows me to play the piece that I want to play,” Chilakala said. (Photo by Nyla Weathersby)

Courthouse Visit

AP Government students visit the Thomas F. Eagleton Courthouse Feb. 24 and 25

By Marie Demkovitch

News Editor

AP Government and Politics students taught by Conner Katsev and Tim Bambenek took a field trip to the Thomas F. Eagleton Courthouse Feb. 24 and 25 to see how the judicial system works.

The Eagleton Courthouse is the first in the United States to have a judicial learning center. Students got to experience the learning center and attended an arraignment.

“We [got to] see the judicial system at work, and it’s important to know that it’s a public space,” Katsev said. “We shouldn’t do that kind of process behind closed doors.”

The field trip focused on the judicial branch of the government, showing students how a courthouse works.

“We started with the three different branches of government, and this one is judicial,” Selene Gao (12) said. “We’ve already learned the general idea of the branches, and now we’re going more in depth.”

Students were also able to see a Court of Appeals, which is the second highest order of the court. Overall, the field tripgave the opportunity to see the process within a courthouse in real time.

“Sometimes a judge will finish the ruling, and he’ll stay after and answer questions,” Katsev said. “[It] is awesome to hear the thought process, but [also] just see that they’re real humans too, asking those questions, seeing the process, and again, just being in a federal building, where the judicial process works through itself every single day.”

Dressing up was encouraged and students who did it were rewarded with extra credit. Students received the opportunity to present themselves professionally and see the application of what they have learned in the world.

“Being able to walk away knowing what the inside of a courtroom looks like and how proceedings work [is] really cool because right now everything that we learn is just facts,” Gao said. “It’s nothing we can actually go experience — I feel like this lets us actually experience what we are learning.”

Club Events

Past and upcoming club activities

Speech and Debate

The Talking Rams competed in Speech and Debate MSHSAA districts March 7-8. Eric Fan (12), Bohan Pan (12), Urmil Patel (11), Felix Zhang (10), Zoe Mei (9), Elliot Broadbent (10), Addie Flintrop (10), Liam Shoghi (10), Sahil Chatwal (12), Sophie Hughes (10), Nina Ye (10), Franklyn Yang (12), Shang Jiang (12) and Emery Mao (9) advanced. They will compete at MSHSAA State April 25-26 at Missouri State University in Springfeld. There are three types of debate and 12 types of speech events that they are able to compete in. “[We prepare] by practicing every single day,” Mei said. “We’re putting a lot of time into writing cases and just really working on collaboration with the team. You have to put in a lot of time to get good and it’s really just the more time you put into it the better you do things.”

Amnesty International

Amnesty International Club, a human rights organization, will be holding the annual Write for Rights campaign in April. They will write letters to international leaders about specifc cases where a person’s human rights were violated and ask them to instill change to take action. “I’m looking forward to writing more letters and also spreading awareness about cases about human rights that [have] probably never [been] heard before,” Co-President of Amnesty International Club Lily Plumb (11) said.

Photo by Madeline Fong

LEFT: State Leadership Conference qualifying members of the Health Occupation Students of America club attend a preparation meeting March 5. A recordbreaking number of Missouri SLC qualifers, 2,304 competitors, will attend this year.“[The purpose of the meeting] was to touch base with everyone before spring break and to give information,” Alexandra Tsygankov (12) said. “[We wanted] to get everyone on the same page.” (Photos by Cindy Liu)

HOSA Hustle

HOSA travels to Rolla Sr. High School for State Leadership Conference March 24-25

By Cindy Liu

News Editor

Health Occupation Students of America, a club that encourages students aiming to become healthcare professionals, will attend the State Leadership Convention March 24-25 in Rolla, Mo. This year marks a record-breaking number of Ladue High School qualifiers, with 41 members advancing to SLC. They will compete in solo or partner events against competitors throughout 104 Missouri HOSA chapters.

SLC consists of 81 competitive events. Competitors qualify by placing in the top 10 of their event.

Jenna Song (11) and Sahasra Mandalapu (11) will compete as a team in a digital upload event. They will create a social media campaign to promote mental health awareness and anxiety management.

“Every competitor for digital upload sends their portfolio,” Song said. “Judges take around two-three weeks [to] score you. [I’m excited] to show all our hard work because we know the effort we put into this and how our campaign can create an impact.”

Competitors placing in the top three at SLC move on to the International Leadership Conference in Houston in June. HOSA advisor Allen Weltig said that ILC is a great opportunity for networking.

“Even though you’re competing against each other, you still have a connection with people with the same interests as you.”

Jenna Song (11)

“Getting to see [members] interacting with other like-minded students, networking, learning, just getting fired up about healthcare careers, whether or not they place, it’s always really exciting because they get a lot out of it,” Weltig said.

Eleven members attended ILC last year. HOSA President Anthony Zhao (11) was one of two who placed first in their event. Zhao said that winning was his most rewarding memory in HOSA.

“I was overwhelmed with happiness and my club members’ support,” Zhao said. “After the ceremony my sister and I laid on the grass outside and [talked] about how great the HOSA trip was.”

Club Events P

Nine clubs participate in a fundraiser to help Los Angeles and St. Louis communities March 5-6

LEFT: Clubs held a rafe fundraiser March 5-6 to raise money for Los Angeles and St. Louis communities. Tickets were sold at lunches to win prize baskets. “The clubs haven’t decided where the money will go,” President of St. Louis Teens Aid Refugees Today club Emaan Waheed (12) said. “The goal is to support organizations [that help] people in St. Louis and those afected by the wildfres in Los Angeles,”

(Photos by Elena Bollman)

Beyond Creation

Heroes: Biblical & Mythological explores myth archetypes through a video project

By Nyla Weathersby

Staf Manager

Heroes: Biblical & Mythological class produced video projects Feb. 3-26 that depicted students’ interpretations of various myth archetypes across cultures.

“[HBM] used to be about classical heroes from typically Greek mythology as well as biblical mythology,” HBM teacher Nicholas Buckvar said. “Now the course has become a multicultural class; and beyond heroes, we also look at myths from multiple cultures regarding different aspects of life, like creation. We start to see [the things the civilizations values] within the heroes that they create myths and stories about.”

For the latest project, students dove into creation myths from around the world. Eric Fan (12) attempted to go beyond creation, examining archetypal patterns within different myths.

“I think this project really made me understand this concept called the ‘collective unconscious,’ and that’s something we’ve been learning in class,” Fan said. “This idea that these different civilizations separated by centuries in time and miles in geographical location, they all have very similar archetypes to all of their stories.”

Students chose an archetype such as flood myths, apocalypse

myths or twin and sibling myths and found three examples from different cultures, then analyzed the common themes and patterns across them.

“I think it’s a super interesting class,” Fan said. “You always hear about myths throughout your time in school, but [this is] the first class where I’ve really dove deep into understanding its every intricacy, its background and its history.”

Students were allowed to customize their journey by choosing what medium they wanted their project to be in.

“This project has evolved from just being a stop-motion project to [one] where now there’s so many different possibilities they can do in terms of animating it, or using technology and using different different platforms to create it,” Buckvar said.

This shift in approach allowed students the opportunity to learn in new and diverse ways.

“I think [that when] collaborating with others you get different perspectives,” Fan said. “When you’re learning just by yourself, you only get your own perspective. But when you collaborate with even one individual or multiple people, you get their perspectives. So in a way, you get double the learning.” P

“[The project] analyzes how humans, regardless of what part of the world or what time period they’re from, used myths to explain very similar things and concepts.”

Nicholas Buckvar Teacher

CURIOUS?

Scan here for examples of the ‘Beyond Creation’ projects

ABOVE: Heroes: Biblical & Mythological analyzes clips from the movie “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lighting Thief” and the TV show “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” to compare the representation of Medusa after completing their ‘Beyond Creation’ video projects March 3. “My favorite thing about HBM is the teacher, Mr. Buckvar, but I also enjoy learning about diferent myths and how they relate to each other,” Madeline Summers (11) said. (Photos by Nyla Weathersby)

Game, Set, Pickle

Examining aspects of pickleball’s recent rise to fame

Illustrations by Madeline Awad, Josh Devine & Kelly Zhang

How to Move

Parts of the pickleball court

Baseline Marks the end of the court

Serving Side Right side starts when the side changes

Mastering the Hits

Breaking down the three most common pickleball moves

Growth Game

Score Card

Start:

Game:

Then and Now

A look into pickleball’s history

Pickleball is created by Joel Pritchard.

The frst pickleball tournament is held in Tukwila, Washington.

“I play pickleball with my family and friends. I’m also a part of pickleball club.”

The Professional Pickleball Association is founded.

“I like pickleball because you can play and have a conversation at once.”

Where to Go

Places to play pickleball around St. Louis

The Sports and Fitness Association calls pickleball the fastest-growing sport.

“Pickleball is fun for me because it’s similar to tennis, which I also like.”

The PPA goes on its frst tour in the United States.

Student opinions on pickleball and how they got involved

Sources: Market US, PlayPickleball.com, USA Pickleball

Pickle Preferences

Student pickleball playing choices

Photo illustration by

Josh

Devine & Vincent Hsiao

Brockden Miller (10) Balkis Prothro (12)

Elle Kerner (11)

The Prom: The Musical

Ladue Theatre performs “The Prom: School Edition” spring musical Feb. 20-22

By Vincent Hsiao

Photo Editor in Chief

Ladue Theatre performed “The Prom: School Edition” for the spring musical in the Performing Arts Center Feb. 20-22. The musical’s plot follows four Broadway stars who travel to a small Indiana town to advocate for lesbian student Emma Nolan after her school cancels prom when she plans to bring her girlfriend. Nolan, played by Amelie Lock (10), challenged the school PTA’s rules that restricted her from attending the prom with her girlfriend, Alyssa Greene, who was not out. Greene was played by Adaeze Loynd (11). Initially focused solely on boosting their public image, the struggling Broadway actors, including Dee Dee Allen, portrayed by Kate Sheley (12), eventually champion for a genuine cause by fnancing a new, inclusive prom. Nolan received widespread support from the local and online community, marking a shift from the once-prejudiced classmates who had bullied her. Greene’s conservative mother, played by Lily Crabtree (10), served as the head of the PTA and was reluctant to accept Alyssa coming out. “The Prom” draws real-life inspiration from a 2010 controversy at a Mississippi high school, where a student planned to wear a tuxedo and bring her girlfriend but was subsequently banned by the school board, leading to an ACLU lawsuit. Rehearsing since late November, Ladue’s production featured about 75 members, including 15 pit orchestra musicians. Loynd, who has been involved in theater for the past 13 years, including performances at the Muny, made her Ladue debut in this production. “During the Alyssa Greene song it ends in tears,” Loynd said. “It was hard getting to that place acting-wise and being able to get the tears fowing, but yeah, it was fun to play with that.”

CURIOUS?

Scan here for the Ladue Theatre website

Art Unleashed

Jane Carrico develops her skills as an artist

By Jane Schefel

Staf

Radiant white light streams through glass, landing on top of a large tarp holding a white canvas. Shades of blue sit nearby, joined by a clear glass of water that will soon become a muddy brown despite the beautiful colors dipped in it. Preoccupied with school work, community service and other responsibilities, Jane Carrico (10) finally has time to paint.

Many different artists help and inspire Carrico to paint. Among these influences is her dad, David Carrico, an architectural illustrator who draws models for companies.

“[My dad is] always coming in and showing me how to do different shading techniques,” Carrico said. “It’s a big inspiration.”

Most of Carrico’s paintings depict different scenes in nature. She has worked on portraits, but finds that painting the enviroment is more fun.

“I really like landscapes,” Carrico said. “I love trees and houses, and I’ve been getting into beaches and mountainscapes.”

The painting “Sesuit Harbor” was her first commissioned painting, requested by instructional coach Rebecca Rubin-Schlansky. Prior to that, Carrico had only made paintings for fun.

“[Rubin-Schlansky] reached out to me in search for a specific type of painting based on something I had done previously,” Carrico said.

multiple times as a freshman, to be featured in the Spiritas Art Gallery.

“Different shows that we have will put out announcements for work that we’ll look at,” Raedeke said. “We’ll choose the work that goes in.”

Carrico’s paintings have also been selected by painting teacher Daniel Raedeke, who taught her

Carrico has been painting her entire life.Her determination guides her to continue to grow and become even better in the future.

“My personal drive [is] to see myself do better in art because I feel like there’s more I have to improve on,” Carrico said. “It’s something for myself, just to see where I’m at.” P

Jane Carrico (10)

A New Angle

Benny Shepherd pursues his love for education as a math teaching assistant

By Grace Huewe

Features Editor

The teaching industry: rewarding, yet, the salary isn’t high enough to pursue it as a career. Teachers are in high demand, but it’s simply not worth the risk of being underpaid. Even with complaints and a universal belief that teachers deserve better, action has yet to be taken.

Despite these common objections, there is a strong sense of passion that exists among teachers today. For student teacher Benny Shepherd, the fulfillment he gets from teaching is an incentive to persevere.

“I’ve always been passionate about education,” Shepherd said. “I coached soccer growing up, I tutored kids in high school and I really enjoyed that. I always said, ‘I want to be a teacher if they made more money,’ but, as I’ve grown up, I’ve learned there are things that matter more than money.”

As a student at Washington University in St. Louis, Shepherd held these values when faced with difficult decisions for his future.

“I came to WashU thinking I wanted to be a doctor, but it wasn’t the right path,” Shepherd said. “I was only in it for the money. At the end of freshman year, I was feeling a little burnt out and I asked myself if this was worth it, and the answer was no.”

Shepherd came to Ladue High School at the start of the 2024-25 school year and has since transitioned into his role as a student teacher, leading Algebra II and

“Mr. Shepherd is really motivated to learn and improve and is always [thinking of] ways to get even better.”

After spending the school year with Shepherd, Rzeszutko reflects on their time together and his growth as an educator.

“It’s obvious that he cares about our students’ success,” Rzeszutko said. “He has a strong math background and is incredibly receptive to feedback on how to make the material more accessible to high school students.”

Shepherd has always loved math, ultimately majoring in it. He hopes that his students will walk away with more than just a concrete understanding of math.

“I’m focused on more than developing just procedural understanding, but developing problem solving,” Shepherd said. “The age old question about math is, ‘When am I ever going to use this?’ The answer is probably never, but one of the things I love about math is how it gives me the opportunity to develop problem solving abilities that [apply] to everything you do in life.”

Do the Math

Benny Shepherd’s path to Ladue High School

Student teacher

Benny Shepherd teaches Algebra II March 6. As an instructor, he bonded with his students. "It's about relationships," Shepherd said. "Some students won't try unless they trust you."

(Photo by Lilly Jacks)

As a teen, Shepherd coaches soccer and tutors, realizing his love of teaching. Shepherd attends Washington University in St. Louis, majoring in medicine.

Shepherd switches his major to math and becomes a TA for math teacher Ryan Rzeszutko.

by Ira Rodrigues 2015-18

Today, Shepherd teaches Algebra II independently and coteaches AP Statistics.

Illustration

Across the Globe

Luis Fontes De Castro moves to the United States after living in Europe and Brazil all his life

By Kaichen Chou

Staf

From waking up to the sight of Porto’s vintage cobblestone terraces to Paris’s gothic Haussmen structures, or from the placid streets of Montreux to the bustling metrop-

olis of Sao Paulo, it’s clear that Luis Fontes De Castro (10) has experienced numerous walks of life. However, his day-to-day extends beyond the trivial juxtaposition of window-views, broadened to a lifetime of relocation and most pointedly, adjustment.

Fontes De Castro was born and raised in Porto, Portugal, before moving to Paris, France, where he lived for five years. He then

Mapping It Out

Paris, France

“ I really liked the activities I did in [France].”

Porto, Portugal

Portuguese people are pretty welcoming.” “

St. Louis, UnitedStat e s

“ My favorite thing is the food and activities.”

“

The person I am is based on the countries that I’ve lived in. I try to adapt.”

Luis Fontes De Castro (10)

Montreux, Switzerland where he would reside for two years prior to settling in Sao Paulo, Brazil for another five. In January of this year, he moved to St. Louis.

“I move a lot because of my mother’s work,” Fontes De Castro said. “She works at Nestle Purina [as] a factory manager, and we came because she changed positions to the [United States].”

Moving from place to place — let alone country to country — is

LuisFontesDeCastrorefectsonhisworldjourney

Montreux, Switzerland

“ Switzerland was the best country.”

SaoPaolo, Brazil

“ I met a lot of great friends [in Brazil].”

Photo by Lathan Levy

example, in Brazil, which is the same language as in Portugal, it was less problematic.”

After his move from France to Switzerland, Fontes De Castro prepared to start this process a second time and get acquainted with a third language — English.

“When I was 9 years old I moved to a British school, and they had a program for non-English speakers, [which is how] I learned,” Fontes De Castro said.

In total, Fontes De Castro is fluent in four languages: English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. French teacher Elise Dale, who has worked with numerous exchange students and native speakers in the past, finds his situation particularly special.

“He’s very modest about [his skills],” Dale said. “Most other native speakers I have are highly proficient in two, maybe three [languages], but he’s lived in so many places which makes his situation rather unique.”

Becoming familiar with several languages, especially at a young age, certainly has its perks.

“It’s definitely beneficial in terms of traveling,” Fontes De Castro said. “It’s good to meet new people, communicate and it’s good for your career.”

Besides the initial language barriers that came with each move, there was culture shock for him to overcome.

“The most shocking [transition] I had was from Switzerland to Brazil because they’re polar opposites,” Fontes De Castro said. “Switzerland was very much a quiet place, meanwhile Brazil was a mega city [with] way more traffic, and people are more outgoing.”

Despite never living in the U.S., Fontes De Castro has been successful in familiarizing himself with his new environment. He always puts his best foot forward with a strong work ethic and motivated approach to learning.

TRAVEL PATH birth to age 4

PORTUGAL

FRANCE ages 4 to 9

SWITZERLAND ages 9 to 11

BRAZIL ages 11 to 16

go-karts, skis, swims, wakeboards and more in places ranging from Portugal to Brazil. Fontes De Castro picked up many of these activities from the various countries he’s lived in, which helped him grow comfortable with the new environments he was faced with. When Fontes De Castro had to move again, these activities he’d learned helped him say goodbye.

“I spent a few days with all my friends [before my move], and we did everything that we like doing together, like boating [and] soccer,” Fontes De Castro said. (Photos

“When I ask questions, I notice that he takes his time and he gives really thoughtful answers to things,” Dale said. “He’s thinking about it, applying what he knows and what he’s trying to learn.”

When it comes to building relationships, Fontes De Castro finds common interests that have led him to bond with new peers.

“Since I always need to build new friendships, that’s another way [moving has] impacted me,” Fontes De Castro said. “I’ve just been talking to people [and] trying to do stuff outside of school with people I’ve met, [like] playing soccer.”

Amidst the adjustments and challenges, Fontes De Castro looks forward to what life in the U.S. has to offer him.

UNITED STATES ages 16 to now P

“It was a bit sad [moving again] because I had to leave behind a lot of great friends,” Fontes De Castro said. “But overall, I was excited to come here, and I’ve been enjoying it.”

LEFT: Luis Fontes De Castro (10)

courtesy of Luis Fontes De Castro)

Mastering Time

Sanjay Adireddi develops the website ‘Ramwatch’ to monitor class time

By Ishaan Pandey

Community Engagement Liaison

Over the course of the school day, some students fixate on the clocks, watching seconds drag by and calculating the time left in class. Others stay unaware of the minutes slipping by and are startled by the sound of the bell signifying the end of class. Sanjay Adireddi (11) combined the concept of time with technology to create Ramwatch — a simple, but powerful website that displays live class countdowns, daily schedules and serves as an all-in-one hub for students’ school-related needs.

“Ramwatch is just a simple website that I made during my free time,” Adireddi said. “[It’s] basically a onestop shop for people to find out how much time is [left] and check the schedules for upcoming dates. [You can] find your closest bathroom; and for teachers, they can select random groups of students and have timers and stopwatches to set tasks for students for work.”

However, Adireddi didn’t foresee the

it came to coding and working on developing his Ramwatch project.

“It took me a couple hundred hours or so,” Adireddi said. “It started off simple, and I thought it wouldn’t be that hard, but in reality, there were all sorts of bugs I had to face, especially when trying to modify the schedules and integrate new features.”

As Ramwatch grew in popularity, its impact became clear, amassing over 90,000 uses to date.

“I made this website to make the workfow easier for teachers, and I believe it’s made both students’ and teachers’ lives a lot easier to manage.”

Sanjay Adireddi (11)

First-year-Ladue-student and friend of Adireddi’s, Peter Pruett (10), was uncertain of the schedule, and inspired

Adireddi to begin the Ramwatch project with just a simple statement.

“I was in Latin class on my first white day of the year, and I didn’t know when the bell rang,” Pruett said. “I was thinking back to when I used to go to [John] Burroughs [High School], and they had a site that a former student created called JBS Dash. It was really convenient because it would tell the student when the next bell would ring, so you wouldn’t have to memorize all the schedules for each special day. I spoke out loud saying that I wish someone would create this for Ladue, and Sanjay was like, ‘I can do that.’”

Adireddi didn’t embark on this mission alone, though. Aiden Qian (11) — a friend and mentor of Sanjay — assisted him throughout the different aspects of his Ramwatch journey.

“At the beginning of the year, he was excited to show me his new idea,” Qian said. “He asked me to look at his code and suggest improvements. When I helped with his code, he was curious and asked a lot of questions. It was fun to see his passion for learning.”

Sept.

2, 2024 P

64.8% was the ofcial release day of Ramwatch.

macOS is the operating system used the most for Ramwatch. of users use Chrome to view Ramwatch.

Desktop is the device most often used for Ramwatch over mobile.

90,000+ uses have been amassed since Ramwatch’s release.

On the Table

Due to new political leadership, bills impacting education emerge on state and federal levels

By Alzhraa Mahmoud Staf

By Amelie Lock

In-Depth Editor

We are in danger of producing an educated proletariat … That’s dynamite!” These were the words of Roger A. Freeman, a key educational adviser to Ronald Reagan, defending the decision to shut down several public universities in California following student protests in 1970. His statement reflects a historical fear — and at times, hope — among the powerful: that education, when accessible to the masses, becomes a tool for reshaping society. Throughout history, efforts to control education have emerged in various forms — from defunding public schools to censoring curricula — all in an attempt to dictate who gets to learn and who gets to lead.

As new leadership enters office, bills that can determine the fate of the modern education system are on constant watch for public districts nationwide. Many states have implemented voucher programs, diverting funding to private and religious schools, and some have shown support for the dissolution of the Department of Education as a whole. Today, new legislation and the expanding school choice movement present a double-edged sword. Certain components could potentially expand educational opportunities, while others could divert resources and limit access. Ultimately, the battle over education remains as much about money as it is about learning.

Photo by Vincent Hsiao

Report Card

On the Dime

During the infancy of the United States, children were educated through a mix of haphazard, disjointed methods. It wasn’t until the 1830s that Massachusetts legislator Horace Mann advocated for state-funded schools, believing education would create moral and productive citizens, that public schooling became the norm.

“An educated public serves two functions,” instructional coach Rebecca Rubin-Schlanksy said. “First, [it] is vital for a healthy democracy — if we are to disagree, we cannot do that from a place of ignorance. Second, [it] is an embodiment of our government’s responsibility to its citizenry to protect inalienable rights.”

Before the Civil War, public school funding came from taxes on liquor, theatre and lotteries. As the need for an educated workforce grew, lawmakers sought more stable funding. Today, public schools are funded by federal, state and local sources, with local property taxes providing the most stable revenue. In Missouri, which ranks 49th in state funding, this instability worsens dispari-

ties between wealthy and low-income communities.

“[Some] districts that don’t have a robust tax base rely on the state, and the expenditure per pupil is then much lower,” social studies teacher Meg Kaupp said.

Per pupil expenditure is calculated by dividing a district’s total spending by its student population. However, funding allocation is more complex. Missouri’s school funding formula centers on the state adequacy target, set at $6,375 in 2006 as the minimum cost for quality education. Two decades later, education costs have nearly doubled, but the SAT remains unchanged.

“The governor said ‘[The formula is] broken,’ [and] I agree,” assistant superintendent for business & finance Geoff Macy said. “But unless they put more money into [it], it’s always going to be the same amount, just redistributed.”

On the Floor

Recently, various levels of government are reassessing how funding is spent and distributed. Public school funding is often on the chopping block in order to free

up cash for the individual’s benefit. Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe introduced an updated budget that falls $300 million short of funding the formula after claiming that he is not seeing “acceptable” results. At Ladue, students would be impacted by such policies.

“Income [tax reductions] would impact our transportation,” Geoff Macy said. “Right now we receive approximately a million dollars to support transportation. The first line item the governor cuts is transportation. So if income tax is reduced, the most immediate impact to us would be a reduction in [those] revenues.”

Residential property taxes make up a large percent of the district’s revenue, and the assessment value rate lies at 19%.

Proposed Senate Bill 87 would decrease this assessment value to 17%, resulting in a 10.5% decrease in property tax, ultimately prompting a 9.86% drop in revenue for the district.

“There is a desire to cut property taxes or cap them,” Phillys Pasley, director of the Missouri Arts Alliance for Education, said. “The people who are bringing this

about are operating under the belief that by putting more dollars into each individual’s pocket, the benefits are going to outweigh the programs that will be cut.”

In just the first few months of 2025, Missouri lawmakers have filed over 100 bills impacting education. While current bills like Senate Bill 87 raise a broad concern due to their direct impact, all bills that could affect education are on watch for the school board and administration.

“It’s that old fable of ‘The boy who cried wolf’ [with a new bill]. Our families get panicked, then it never even gets out of [committee]. We don’t want to overwhelm our community, but want to let them know.”

Jim Wipke Superintendent

A recent headliner has been House Bill 711, which addresses open enrollment. It would allow students to travel outside of their designated district, expanding educational opportunities. The counterargument is that this could create an entirely new point of financial contention for low income public schools.

“So, the kids that can leave, leave, and then what does it leave behind in terms of finances? Their money is leaving that district as well,” Wipke said. “You’re essentially causing a situation where districts that are already struggling will probably collapse.”

On the Move

As legislation increasingly focuses on the possibility of ex-

panding school choice, many see charter schools as alternatives amid concerns over an allegedly ineffective public education system. Charter schools are free, publicly funded institutions that operate independently, allowing for greater experimentation. They can receive funding from private entities, leading to the belief that they will be able to level the playing field for kids in less affluent areas.

“School choice being a matter of fairness is an oxymoron,” Calvino Hammerman (10) said. “Also, everyone already has a choice. In current proposals, school choice legislation would be applicable for people who could have already afforded private school. The possible mixing of state funds in private religious schools is not fair.”

Despite critiques, Jesse Dixon, a partner at the Opportunity Trust, a St. Louis nonprofit supporting charter schools, believes this model isn’t as harmful as some claim it to be.

“Charter [schools] are generally no better or worse than district schools,” Dixon said. “We end up spending quite a bit of money on charter schools in my organization, because the district isn’t getting better in St. Louis City. If we want better educational outcomes for our kids, we can’t influence the elected board of the district. With charters, we can decide tomorrow if we want to do something new.”

The growth of charters, with enrollment increasing by nearly 400,000 students in the last five years, often comes at a cost to local public schools. With limited budgets and declining enrollment partly as a result of charters, public schools risk losing resources, funding and teachers.

“The single loudest anti-charter voice is the teacher unions,” Dixon said. “For them, every char-

What Do You Think the School District Spends the Most Money On?

“I think paper

Betina Hirsch (10)

“I think it’s electricity.”

Delaney Brinker

“I’d have to say it’s electricity.”

Marcos Moran Echevarria (11)

“[It’s] probably infrastructure.”

Roger Tang (9)

chunky signs that are everywhere above the doors.”

Mimi Tabscott (10)

Funding Formula

Public school funds allocation formula, broken down

Weighted Average Daily Attendance:

The higher the average attendance, the more funding a school district is capable of receiving.

-ter school that opens and fills 300 seats means fewer seats in district schools. They argue that charter schools hurt districts, but they also create competition that compels districts to improve.”

State Adequacy Target:

The averaged target amount of funding that the state will try to provide the schools with.

Dollar Value Modifer:

The argument that competition from charter schools translates to improved public districts is a common one. The most recent study to reinforce these claims comes from Brown University in 2024 which sampled charters in 12 districts in Florida as well as their public schools, ultimately finding that charter school presence improved reading scores and absenteeism in their respective public districts. However, limited research and the lack of safety guards for students remaining in districts still leave uncertainty.

Local Efort:

This adjusts the funding based on the cost of living in an area. The higher, the more funding, and the lower, the less funding. The contribution to the district from local taxes. This can be dependent on property value changes and district fnes.

“In my opinion, most, not all, but most charter schools don’t have a solid plan for longevity. And in my opinion, I would consider it a little bit of a money grab.”

Jim Wipke Superintendent

The latest national study on charters from Stanford University has found that the typical charter student had reading gains that outpaced their peers in the public schools they would have attended. However, the fact remains that a quarter of charter schools close within their first five years.

“If the argument is we can turn charter schools faster, why do you need to turn a school that you just started?” Wipke said. “I don’t understand why we need to change something when we just

Students weigh in on budgets and funding

ON THE BOOKS

got started. If we are constantly innovating, then what are we getting done?”

On the Ground

While many adults devote their career to advocating for equitable access to education, student voices provide a personalized perspective when having conversations with state and federal legislators.

More to Know

33.9% of students believe public school teacher salaries in Missouri are far too low and 38.8% believe public school teacher salaries are slightly too low.

1 in 4 students believe Ladue does not prioritize spending in ways that most beneft students while 1 in 5 report that budget constraints have directly afected their experience at school.

Panorama surveyed 123 students Feb. 27

“I walk into a state representative’s office and I say my part and give my information, and the response is ‘Uh huh,’” Pasley said.

“If a student walks into that same office, with the same message, they hear it completely differently. Student voices are incredibly powerful, especially when that student is sharing information from their lived experience.”

While it may be easy to become despondent and remain ignorant to issues relating to the subsistence of the education system, nothing will change if student’s stories go untold.

“I got involved in advocacy because I care about the world around me and I have a lot of opinions on what’s happening in the world,” Hammerman said. “I learned at a young age that change happens when you talk to people in power, and that’s exactly what advocacy is.”

The accessibility of education is ultimately a determinant of humanity’s future and of each student’s future. Advocating for education allows young people to take control of their lives.

“Not every [student] feels comfortable going up to an adult and saying ‘Here’s what you need to do, here’s why,’” Pasley said.

“When students become more aware of the structures in place and the role they can play, everybody wins. They develop the skills to ask for what they want, and be able to defend it.”

Regional Budgeting

The Missouri Board of Education requested $500 million to meet adequacy targets in 2026. Only $200 million is provided in Gov. Mike Kehoe’s proposed budget.

Infation rates rose 65% since 2020 while state target spending per student only rose 17%.

$23,299 per student

Ladue spends well above the median of $14,000 for spending per student in the St. Louis area.

$19,275 per student Saint Louis Public Schools

$12,068 per student

Riverview Gardens

Paper Trail

Examining regional education funding

Missouri education budget allocation 2015-24, percent of general revenue

Sources: Still Unequal, Forward through Ferguson, Missouri Budget, Missouri Independent

Illustration by Celina Zhou

Photo by Vincent Hsiao

Panorama Perspective

The Gilded Age has never been history — it should be

Robber barons, monopolies, muckrakers — remember these terms from history class? Missouri’s own Mark Twain coined the name of this late-19th century era with his book, “The Gilded Age,” noting the period’s “every man for themselves” mindset, obscene wealth gaps and homogenization of corporations and political entities.

History textbooks have not yet coined the modern versions of these terms, though “social media dictator” or “tech overseer” may look nice bolded in a glossary. The idea of a modern Gilded Age is not new. However, some believe we are living in a “Second Gilded Age,” implying that the first one ended. The truth is, it never did.

Historically, magnates like John Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie and J.P. Morgan largely benefited from the corruption that was built on the backs of lower-class citizens and immigrants resulting in their respective oil, steel and banking tycoons. These companies would set the precedent for the United States' ultimate division between the rich and poor, the exploiters and the exploited. The Gilded Age consisted of three simple motifs: economic disparity, political/ business monopolization and suffering of the lower class.

While current circumstances are starkly dissimilar, the contingency still stands. According to the St. Louis Federal Reserve, in 2024 the top earning 10% of the U.S. population held 67% of the total wealth. Similarly, during the implementation of the Homestead Act in the 1860-70s, according to the Center for Social Development at Washington University in St. Louis, the top earning 1% owned 29.5% of total wealth.

Aside from the fiscal injustice, the line dividing corporations and the government is becoming less clear. Just as Rockefeller rewrote and hijacked factory regulation and antitrust laws, Elon Musk’s newly established Department of Government Efficiency has been slashing government budgets and cutting federal staff, proving once again that those who have money make the decisions. Cutting the National Institute of Health’s “indirect funds” has already proven costly and DOGE’s actions are threatening the livelihood of those in every public sector.

Lastly, the lower class in this country has been continuously under-served and under-acknowledged by the upper-class's not-in-my-backyard mentality. Whether through oil refinery or tech startup, corporation leaders have shown minimal interest in the well-being of the lower-class employees their fortunes are built on. Why study these eras in hindsight if we fail to learn from their blunders?

Editorial Note: Each editorial, Panorama selects an issue that the staf thinks is important to address and expresses a view that belongs to the majority of the staf. Panorama welcomes the opinions of its readers and encourages letters to the editors. Panorama reserves the right to revise submissions for length as long as original intent remains unaltered.

SOMETHING TO ADD?

Scan here for more on letters to the editor, guest essays, submitting correction and the full editorial policy.

'Due for a Change

"Administrations have banned the imports of Chinese EV's, although they are cheaper and better for the environment. This shows that these corporations are working in the government to make sure their industry is upheld."

people, is pretty 'gilded.'"

Students and staff discuss the modern Gilded Age

"I think the most prevalent example is the image of tech and industrial titans sitting behind the podium at the most recent presidential inauguration. This visual quite literally mirrors the political infuence of the 19th-century industrial titans."

"There's this graph that compares the wealth disparity of pre-French Revolution and now, and the one now in America is worse. I think that's a glaring example that a lot of people don't think about."

"Donald Trump with his scandal with the pornstar, and how he was still elected by a vast majority of

SAHIL(CHATWAL 12)

KAYLA CHAN (11)

RILEY KELTNER SOCIALSTUDIES TEACHER

ADDIE (FLINTROP 10)

Stay Gilded

How the United States has been "Gilded" since the Gilded Age

REDLINING (1940s)

Post Great Depression times left house buyers in shambles with not enough money to buy houses. To combat this, the Home Owners Loan Corporation began determining loans. Loans were based on the appraisal of the buyer's region, usually basing it of of race, lowering the home value, while it appeared economic progress was made.

2008 MARKET CRASH (2008)

Amidst the notorious market crash of 2008, U.S. banks were bailed out with the "too big to fail" mentality, leaving millions to struggle and forge a path under hyperinfation.

If the United States was made up of 100 people, the richest person would have the same amount of wealth as all of these states (2024 GDP contribution)

Fully separate

Very separate

Somewhat separate Not separate

How Separate do you Think Businesses and Government Entities Are?

Sources: Bill of Rights Institute, History.com, MSNBC News, NYC.gov, "The History of Tammany Hall" by Gustavus Myers, United States Department of Commerce, United States Federal Reserve Panorama surveyed 137 students Feb. 27

ROARING 20s (1920s)

The Roaring 20s served as era to contribute to a new, post-World War I United States. While this came with the increased infux of urban movement, it left farmers in the dust of the econmic uproar. Jazz, created by Black musicians, took center stage of American art, yet racial discrimination was blantant while the art was ignorantly enjoyed.

TAMMANY HALL (1870s)

Originally a political society headed by Aaron Burr, Tammany Hall became a spearheading, corrupt force in politics. Most famously, William "Boss" Tweed essentially took over the political scene in New York City by counting his own votes, and nominating his business counterparts for political positions.

GOLD CARD (2025)

DOGE's idea for a new way of immigration would allow non-citizens to pay $5 million to obtain a "Gold Card," ultimately securing them guaranteed U.S. citizenship.

Illustration by Aalaa Mahmoud and Will Kodner

Little Lies

Blatant, intentional misinformation from political ofcials shouldn’t be tolerated

TBy Grace Kweon

Opinions Editor

hey’re eating the dogs, [...] they’re eating the cats.” This phrase echoed throughout social media compilations after President Donald Trump repeated an unfounded claim about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, escalating threats and violence against the Haitian community. Yet Trump wasn’t held responsible for this false and discriminatory statement, regardless of its consequences. But in order to better protect minority groups like the Haitians from targeted misinformation, greater political accountability must be enforced.

Trump’s lie about Haitian migrants eating pets wasn’t just a slip of the tongue. It was amongst the numerous false statements made during the 2024 presiden-

tial debate, from outright lies about his opponent’s policies to exaggerated embellishments about his own accomplishments. After all, he’s been making thousands of these claims since his first presidential term, so much so that his falsehoods have become ingrained into his political brand.

But it’s not just Trump who used misinformation to back his own agenda. Throughout history, dictators like Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Joseph Stalin have spread outright falsifications to justify discrimination, oppression and genocide on certain marginalized groups. Atrocities like the Holocaust, Libyan genocide and Holodomor, respectively, were all justified with the manipulation of public perception.

Further, former U.S. President George Bush declared war on Iraq in part due to the false claim that its President, Saddam Hussein, possessed weapons of mass destruction. The nation ended up at war for nine grueling years, leading to hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths and little longterm stability for the country.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, false claims made by political officials led to the mistrust and misinformation of health advisory. For example, former President Joe Biden incorrectly stated that vaccinated individuals were unable to spread COVID-19, contradicting recommendations from health officials. On the oth-

MORE TO KNOW

100% of students believe misinformation is a prevalent issue in society.

94% of students believe politicians should be penalized for misinformation.

9% of students would support a politician with a reputation of giving false claims.

er hand, Trump promoted the use of the drug hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 cure without any scientific backing, essentially encouraging individuals to seek potentially dangerous treatments. Trump also played a significant role in spurring over a thousand rioters to storm the Capitol by perpetuating the baseless claim that the 2020 election was fraudulent. As a result, five people died, over 140 more were injured, and Trump was impeached. Yet the Senate still acquitted him, making him eligible to run again for president. When he was re-elected, he was able to pardon all the rioters of their criminal charges, effectively eliminating any consequences for him and his supporters who acted violently on behalf of an unsupported rumor.

In a recent meeting with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump accused him of being a “dictator without elections” and that his country started the war against Russia. Those watching might not have even known that those statements were false, because no jurisdictional force had held him accountable.

When misinformation has historically inspired unfounded hate, violence and mistrust towards certain groups of people, the government must step up to hold politicians and other influential people responsible for what they say. It’s time to stop tolerating these little lies.

CURIOUS? Scan here for sources

Panorama surveyed 136 students Feb. 27.

Illustration by Aalaa Mahmoud

Existence is Resistance

Attempts to legislate transgender people

out of

existence are unacceptable and will fail

OBy Ella Bender

Opinions Editor

n his first day in office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order declaring that “it is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female,” and that sex is “not changeable.” This legally erases the existence of transgender people.

Trump claims that the presence of transgender people “fundamentally [attacks] women by depriving them of their dignity, safety and well-being.” In reality, the welfare of cisgender women is not diminished by transgender people. According to the Williams Institute, there is no evidence that allowing transgender people to use public facilities, such as bathrooms and locker rooms, that align with their gender increases safety risks. Trump’s blatant lies perpetuate misconceptions that result in, rather than eliminate, harm. In 2021, the Williams Institute found that transgender people are over four times as likely to be subject to violent victimization, such as rape and abuse, than cisgender people.

This executive order is already affecting transgender Americans. According to AP News, the State Department no longer offers “X” as a gender-marker option on passports and will not approve requests to change gender-markers. Many transgender people suffer from gender dysphoria, distress from a disconnect between their sex and gender. For those who experience dys-

phoria, having documents that don’t match their gender can further this pain.

In addition to his executive orders, Trump has taken down countless mentions of transgender people from the White House website. Many references to “gender” have been changed to “sex.” A travel tip page now addresses “LGB travelers” instead of “LGBTQIA+ travelers.” Mental health resources for queer people have been removed. Instead of protecting Americans, Trump is hurting those who are the most vulnerable. Following the 2024 election, the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization for queer youth, saw a 700% increase in volume of calls and messages to their crisis helplines.

“Each time the Trump administration attacks a small vulnerable community, the ripple efects of hate echo across our society.”

Sarah McBride

Delaware Representative, frst openly transgender person elected to U.S. Congress

All hope is not lost. Transgender people have survived and thrived through thousands of years of discrimination. They won’t disappear just because the U.S. doesn’t recognize them. If people work together, change can be made. Offer support to those impacted by these policies. Uplift queer voices. Educate others. Do not give up. It will be a long, uphill battle, but no one is fighting it alone.

Zooming Out

Highlights from President Donald Trump’s transphobic executive orders

Jan. 20: “It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable.”

Jan. 27: “Adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conficts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful and disciplined lifestyle.”

Jan. 28: “It is the policy of the [U.S.] that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another.”

Jan. 29: “[The U.S. will eliminate] Federal funding or support for illegal and discriminatory treatment and indoctrination in K-12 schools, including based on gender ideology.”

Feb. 5: “[The U.S. will] rescind support for and participation in people-to-people sports exchanges or other sports programs within which the relevant female sports category is based on identity and not sex.”

Source: The White House

Think Before You Buy

Teenagers must be aware of the experimentation process behind cosmetic purchases

Every night before bed, I take a seat at my vanity amongst a large array of products, from makeup to skin creams. I begin my nightly routine of product usage, a practice most teenagers are accustomed to, unaware of the brutal experimentation process that lingers beneath. The reality is, the physical and emotional health of animals are sacrificed for the sake of capitalism, consumerism and beauty trends. Although several brands today have been adapting to cruelty free procedures, many still continue testing their products on animals. This process is immoral, corrupt and support for it must decline to allow for the possibility of change.

The process of animal testing began in the United States with the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act of 1938 which required corporations to take stronger measures in ensuring the safety of their ex-

ports. As a way to experiment on the effects of products, multiple corporations started taking advantage of animals. 87 years later, an estimated 190 million animals are forced into painful experimentation within the cosmetic, chemical and drug industries according to the Humane Society. While scientific progression is crucial, it is not worth the physical torment, psychological stress and even death of tons of animals.

MORE TO KNOW

By Adela Gingrich P

ones that don’t, change is inevitable; industries will have no choice but to respond.

An estimated 14

million animals per year are used for testing and experiments in the United States.

In 2021, there was a

In this consumer-driven world, people are constantly purchasing product after product, whether due to necessity or impulsivity. At the expense of this excessive human consumption is the harmful exploitation of another race. Being the dominant species, humans tend to forget that they share this planet with millions of other creatures, and repeatedly take advantage of their inability to vocalize and make their own choices. However, just because certain industries choose to infringe on the rights of animals doesn’t mean that people have to support them. By boycotting the brands that test on animals and supporting the

6% increase in the number of animals used in experiments in the U.S.

Source: Cruelty Free International

CURIOUS? Scan here for certifed cruelty free brands

The tricky thing about brands is that they can easily manipulate the way the public perceives their manufacturing process. For a brand to officially be considered cruelty free, they must be certified by Leaping Bunny, PETA and Cruelty Free International. A trendy new foundation bottle or facial moisturizer may slap on a cruelty free logo, but if it isn’t verified by these three organizations, the brand is likely faking it. Since a simple logo can’t completely deem a brand as cruelty free, it is imperative to do quick online background checks of a brand before purchasing a product.

While putting animal testing to a complete halt would be quite difficult for a single high school journalist to do, together, teenagers can continue to support vegan, cruelty-free brands while advocating against animal cruelty. After centuries of torment and abuse, a step as seemingly small as this is essential for giving animals the rights they deserve.

Staf

Illustration by Nora Brunnquell

Get Punched

People should embrace failure to progress further in life

EBy Michael Zegel

Associate Editor

veryone should get punched in the face. No, I don’t mean that literally. Well, kind of. Without a doubt, most everyone’s goal is to be successful in whatever it is they want to do — me included. But the question we’re trying to answer is: how do we get there? I’ve got one word: failure. In the path to success, one has to view failure as a nonnegotiable. It’s not just success that stems from hardship; the experience of failure provides the tools needed to be a good person. Get o the high horse and go do something that scares you. ere

Getting “punched” not only helps people introspectively, but helps their interaction with others, too. Struggle creates empathy. Especially for those who are just starting their adult lives, struggle is necessary to face the world with modesty. Humanity is born ignorant. rough faults and failures, people gain empathy, the cure for ignorance. e more failures one experiences brings them closer to the rest of the population whether or not they notice it or not. One becomes appreciative of their own experiences and will begin to understand the way the world really works. If everyone had their own punch in the face, society would be more empathetic as a whole, as everyone would know what it’s like to be down for the count.

ful llment. If people have never been faced with lows, how could they ever appreciate the highs? For all individuals, knowing they were so close but hadn’t accomplished their goals makes their eventual victory that much sweeter.

One of the most in uential people of our time is Anthony Bourdain. He was a renowned chef and free thinker. He lost his life to suicide in 2018. His death le behind an abundance of wisdom.

One of my favorite quotes from him is, “ e journey is part of the experience — an expression of the seriousness of one’s intent. One doesn’t take the A Train to Mecca.” Intent is the utmost requirement; the drive, the want to continue. Joy doesn’t always show face when on the path to success. Intent in wanting to achieve something great will get you further than ever.

All in all, success does not happen overnight. True success isn’t linear and will never be found unless purpose is consistently exerted into one’s life. Struggle is necessary for growth, and when people grow, they succeed.

The

Tank’s Take

The Edward Snowden scandal exposes government hypocrisy

JBy Frank Chen

Columnist

an. 30, Tulsi Gabbard, the current Director of National Intelligence, faced a confirmation hearing before the United States Senate. Among Gabbard’s many controversies, one seemed to infuriate senators from both parties more than any other: her refusal to condemn Edward Snowden, a whistleblower from the National Security Administration, as a “traitor.”

The NSA, one of the U.S.’s 18 different spy agencies, specializes in internet surveillance. In 2013, Snowden, then a contractor for the agency, leaked up to 10,000 classified documents to the Guardian and the Washington Post exposing unconstitutional spying programs that for years had amassed the web histories, emails and phone calls of millions of, if not all, American citizens into vast government databases.

The things Snowden revealed are likely only the tip of the iceberg, but even so, he was forced to flee the country. Twelve years later, the country he risked his life to defend still hunts him as a “traitor,” while many of the illegal spying programs he exposed continue to operate with impunity. For all the senators’ rage that Snowden betrayed the government, they forget that he did so to expose an even greater betrayal.

As Snowden himself put it, “when exposing a crime is treated as committing a crime, you are being ruled by criminals.” P

In the Spotlight

Check it Out

Engage in the arts this spring at Ladue High School

Spiritas Gallery

The Spiritas Gallery was opened in 2017 after renovations to the high school. It hosts exhibitions open to the public about six times a school year. The current nature photography pieces displayed in the gallery had a exhibiton March 6, which will change to the Senior Art Show in April. “It’s a showcase for our graduating seniors to share their artwork they’ve created throughout their whole entire career,” art teacher Daniel Raedeke said.

Upcoming arts & entertainment events

“They’re moved only by air and the environment.They’re just very soothing to look at.” (Photos by

Art of Sculpting

Sculpture classes foster creativity through three-dimesional art and skill building

By Medha Chode

Staf

The door swings open and the chatter of students drifts into the hall.

Students laugh as they work on projects and find themselves surrounded by materials and sculptures.

At Ladue High School, there are two sculpture classes both taught by art teacher Emily Hogan this semester.

Pi Day

Pi Day falls March 14 every year. It celebrates pi, an infnite, mathematical constant that has many uses, such as calculating the area of a circle. Ladue High School math teacher Laura Kaufman throws an annual party for Pi Day. Students can bring in round-shaped foods. “I love how creative students get with the round treats they bring in,” Kaufman said.

“One of the nice things about Sculpture is that you can tailor it to what you feel comfortable [with],” Hogan said.

Sculpture I is a visual arts class that focuses on three-dimensional design. The class has just finished creating mobiles, a type of sculpture with multiple parts that are suspended and moving in the air.

“[The mobiles are] based on the Alexander Calder work,” Hogan said. “[They worked] on balance and creating mobiles that are interesting to look at and also interesting in three dimensions.”

Sculpture II is a more advanced class meant to help students develop more sophisticated skills and explore sculpting techniques. It is independently oriented and challenges students to set personal goals in both art and research.

“Especially in Sculpture II, I like the freedom,” Arianna Stephens (10) said. “I love art in general, and I feel it’s a good class because you get to work with a lot of different materials.”

In sculpture classes a variety of materials are used. This brings challenges.

“Spray foam was really frustrating to work with, but it was something I’d never tried,” Stephens said. “[It was something] I didn’t even think about trying.”

The inconsistency in materials and themes in sculpture classes have helped Stephens grow as an artist.

“[Sculpture] forces you to keep an open mind when things go wrong,” Stephens said. “[It] helped me look on the bright side when things aren’t going your way.” P

LEFT: Mobile sculptures are displayed in art teacher Patricia Chavez’s room. Students were required to create their own theme and designs for the individual pieces in their mobiles.“My favorite part is how peaceful they are once they’re hanging,” Chavez said.

Lilly Jacks)

Expression in Ink

Students and staf showcase their family-centered tattoos

By Jay Heintz

Associate Editor

Emma Bangert (12)

While some recent adults pick their frst tattoos of of Pinterest, Emma Bangert saw her 18th birthday as an opportunity for something much deeper. After the passing of her older sister Mycaila Bangert in 2022, Emma struggled to fnd ways to feel close to her again. However, a tattoo in her sister’s honor seemed like the perfect solution. “It was a way for me to stay connected to my sister,” Emma said. Feb. 9, Emma walked into the tattoo shop knowing exactly what she wanted. “I went by myself [to get the tattoo] and it was a very intimate experience because I felt her being there, giving me a gift [on my birthday],” Emma said.

Sydney Proper

(12)

Sydney Proper reaches down to fx her jeans, brushing the small patch of ink on the side of her ankle. Proper and her mother have always loved lavender, their house constantly flled with competing lavender aromas, and the tattoo is a constant reminder of their similarity. When Proper turned 18, it gave them an exciting new opportunity to bond. The process of picking out, designing and getting the tattoo together was a nostalgic experience for both her and her mom that strengthened their relationship. “I’m happy that I’ll have this tattoo with me because it’ll be a symbol of my connection with my mom forever,” Proper said.

Justin Espinosa

Supervisory Assistant

Though Justin Espinosa was not as close with his father during his childhood, his journey navigating adulthood gave him a new appreciation for his father’s toughness. “Sometimes you don’t realize until you get to college how much your parents mean to you,” Espinosa said. After spending his high school years working for his father’s landscaping company, he gained a new understanding of his father. “I grew to admire how he provided for our family,” Espinosa said. He saw how hard his father worked for his family, and that lesson has stuck with him throughout his life. Espinosa’s tattoo reads 9-29-68, his fathers birthday, to honor him, his morals and everything he did for their family.

Photo & Illustration by Jay Heintz

Fly or Die

Certifed nerd reads and reviews the popular book “Fourth Wing”

WBy Aaron Lin

A&E Editor

ith some peer pressure from my fellow Panorama staffers, I decided to conduct an experiment: read the fabled romance and fantasy book, “Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros. My hypothesis: as someone who spends all day solving math equations and physics problems, I didn’t think I’d enjoy it. I mean, why would I read a romance-filled book with law-defying dragons? Turns out, the dragons were very worth it.

The book follows the story of wannabe-scribe Violet Sorrengail who is forced by her mother to attend a dragon-riding school. Said school is not exactly known for its safety record; students are occasionally murdered by their classmates (and dragons), and lethal

By the Stars

Aaron Lin’s “Fourth Wing”

training exercises don’t exactly help Violet’s case. Along with the help of Xaden Riorson, a powerful upperclassman, Violet gradually proves herself. As she trains, she manages to bond with not just one, but two dragons, a feat that has never occurred before. Further, she discovers her signet, a power that manifests off of a rider’s bond with their dragon. I do recommend the book, I won’t spoil the rest of the story.

What this book does really well is keep you hooked. It’s a chaotic hybrid of “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins and “How to Train Your Dragon.” Something is always happening, from a deadly challenge to romantic subplots.

Speaking of romance, the tension between Violet and Xaden

“

I would rather lose this entire war than live without you, and if that means I have to prove myself over and over, then I’ll do it. You gave me your heart, and I’m keeping it.”

Xaden Riorson Smoldering Starer

is great, but nothing impecabble. Xaden loathes Violet’s mother, who killed his father. However, Xaden isn’t cruel to Violet, and as Violet demonstrates her intelligence, Xaden slowly starts to respect her and eventually grows to love her. Overall, the “enemies-to-lovers” plot is fine, but one comment I have is that the book can’t go for two pages without Xaden giving Violet a “smoldering stare.” What even is that?

The book also personifies dragons, which really interested me. In addition to breathing fire, they also held grudges and had great dramatic timing. On the other hand, as much as I enjoyed the chaos, the plot was often too convenient. Violet almost dies an uncountable number of times, yet every time she manages to survive in ways such as developing her signet and immediately wielding it. I came into this book expecting it to be out of my comfort zone. However, while being something I wouldn’t usually read, the book is decent and a good break from my usual textbooks. It’s not the most innovative story, but it is a fun read. If fantasy isn’t for you, give this one a shot. At least you can say you conducted a literary experiment if you didn’t like it.

Illustration by Nina Ye & Medha Chode

Tasting Spring

Try three refreshing drink recipes this season

By Sara Rohatgi

A&E Editor

RASPBERRY

LEMON PUNCH

Ingredients

One cup raspberries

Two tablespoons honey

One tablespoon lemon juice

One cup cold sparkling water

Half a cup coconut water

Fresh mint leaves

Recipe

Step 1: In a bowl, mash raspberries with honey and lemon juice until well combined.

Step 2: Strain the mixture through a fne mesh sieve.

Step 3: Pour the raspberry mixture into a glass and add coconut water, stirring gently.

Step 4: Top with sparkling water and garnish with raspberries and mint leaves.

COCONUT LIMEADE

FRUIT FIZZ

Recipe Ingredients

One cup sugar

One teaspoon lime juice

One tablespoon sugar

One cup coconutfavored sparkling water, chilled

One lime wedge

Recipe Ingredients

Step 1: Squeeze lime juice in a container and flter out the pulp,

Step 2: Add the lime juice, water, and sugar to a pitcher.

Step 3: Fill a glass with ice and pour in the juice mixture.

Step 4: Top it of with coconut sparkling water, stir to combine and garnish with mint leaves.

Half a cup water

Fresh mint sprigs

Half a quart fresh strawberries

Half a cup fresh cubed cantaloupe

Sparkling white grape juice

Step 1: In a saucepan, bring sugar, water and mint to boil. Lower to medium and let simmer for ten minutes.

Step 2: Fill a pitcher with strawberries and melon. Drizzle the syrup made in the frst step, pour in sparkling white grape juice and garnish with mint.

Head in the Game Boys Lacrosse

Q&A with Head Baseball Coach

Rob Garrett

Q: What are you expecting out of this year’s baseball team?

A: I always expect our team to come out and play with great passion and energy. This team is no exception. I feel that they will play very strong and efective defense and will be fun and exciting on ofense. Our pitchers should do well at pitching to contact and allowing our defense to shine. We look to capture a conference title.

Q: What are the keys to building a positive culture for the team?

A: We work hard to maintain a very positive team atmosphere. We all play for each other and support each other. We spend time of the feld at lunches or dinners after practice and have fun together while we work hard. We believe that we are a family.

Q: How does the Ladue Baseball program help players grown on the feld and of the feld?

A: The lessons that are learned on the feld carry over into life. We learn how to work hard to achieve goals. We learn to work together as a team and to understand that while roles can be diferent, they are all important. These players learn how to be pushed to achieve more than they thought they were capable of. Great memories are made in big moments, we work to have those big moments and do not fear them.

Overview of spring sports

Boys lacrosse looks to improve upon last year’s 7-10 record

By Ryan Snyder

Health & Sports Editor

Official team practices for boys lacrosse started the week of Feb. 17, but students who weren’t aware or are concluding winter sports are welcome to come practice later in the season. The team does not have tryouts and is open to players of all skill levels, but the varsity team will typically include the older and more experienced players with the others playing on the junior varsity team. The Rams are coming off a 7-10 record and are looking to improve upon that record this year. The team is led by captains Max

Weinstock (12), Lathan Levy (12) and Alonzo Williams (12). The team’s most significant rivalry game takes place against Clayton High School May 3, where the winning team receives the Challenge Cup.

“If we get our chemistry down it should be a pretty successful season,” varsity midfielder Johnny Alvarado (12) said. “Last year we were fine, but we all have higher expectations this year.”

BELOW: Andy Schulte (11) and Alonzo Williams (12) play in a game versus O’Fallon High School in the frst round of the Missouri Scholastic Lacrosse Association Class 1 playofs. The Rams went on to win the game by a score of 15-6. “We have a team that works well together and plays as one unit,” Schulte said. “I’m confdent that we will do well this year and exceed a lot of the expectations people have for us” (Photos by Vincent Hsiao)

Girls Water Polo

Girls water polo strives for success

Why they play: Water polo players take immense pride in the sport they play. This is for good reason, as the sport demands both great physical and mental strength. Players are forced to exert force and energy to their play while simultaneously paddling to stay afoat. Overcoming the difculty of the sport rewards players with great physical conditioning and a sense of accomplishment that comes from completing a hard game or practice.

Team Bonding: Given how team-oriented the sport is, the team puts a large emphasis on team building. The team has plans for team scavenger hunts, lunches and dinners. Skill is important in water polo, but being able to work well with your teammates is even more important. This makes the team-bonding acitivies worthwhile for the team, as they directly lead to winning.

Girls Soccer

LEFT: Brooke Kolker (11) and Balkis Prothro (12) dribble the ball in a game vs. John Borroughs High School. The Rams went on to fnish their season 18-7. “I think this is the best team we’ve had in a while,” Kolker said. (Photos by Vincent Hsiao)

Girls soccer looks to build on last year’s momentum

By Tiya Kaul

Staf

The girls soccer season begins in late March and ending in mid May.

“It’s supposed to be a successful year, and I think we’ll be the most talented,” varsity midfielder Balkis Prothro (12) said.

The team will face tough competition throughout the year, and will need to rely on improvements they’ve made.

“We have huge talent and therefore high expectations,” coach David Aronberg said.

The team is participating in the inaugural Champions League,which top 16 St. Louis teams against one another.

“It’s an honor for us to be included,” Aronberg said.

The team has also planned events to strengthen the teams sense of community.

“We will do an out of town trip to [Kansas City] and will do lots of different team bonding like going out to eat, team trivia night [and] scavenger hunts,” Aronberg said.

Overall, Aronberg’s primary goal is for the team to have a great and successful season this spring.

“I hope we have a great drama free season full of fun competition.” Aronberg said. “I hope the girls leave knowing they did their best and loved the experience.”

Q&A with Head Lacrosse Coach

Carrie Lampe

Q: What are you most excited for regarding the girls lacrosse season?

A: I am beyond excited. Excited feels like an understatement. I’m most excited to see the progress we can make from last season to this season with a much more competitive schedule. I feel like we can actually validate how good we are, playing top ten teams. I’m defnitely very excited about the freshmen girls we have coming in.

Q: What is your favorite part of coaching girls lacrosse?

A: My favorite part of coaching is drawing up plays and designing defenses to break it, so the chess part of coaching is so fun for me, and it’s diferent than every other sport that I coach.

Photo Track & Field

Track & feld looks to repeat state titles

Defending the title: The bar is set high for track & fIeld as they are coming off overall girls and boys state titles. Only three high schools have won boys and girls state the same year. The team will look to repeat this feat again this season.

Not just running: While track is about who runs the fastest, there’s more to the sport than that. Runners do weight training and plyometrics to build strength that translates to speed. They also practice running diferent distances than what they run for events, as various distances run produce various benefts.

Flying Low

Ultimate frisbee player Michael Wise displays his skills on and of the feld

By Isaac Zelinske

Staf

An article written by geeksforgeeks.org lists soccer as the most popular sport in the world, clocking in at a rough 3.5 billion fans. This is closely followed by cricket at 2.5 billion, field hockey at 2 billion and tennis at 1 billion. Football doesn’t even show up until number 10, capping off with 400 million fans. But what about the sports that are lower on the list — those that have tens of millions of fans? Ultimate frisbee exists in that space. Despite clocking in at around 10 million fans, its player’s and fans are just as passionate as any other sport.

Michael Wise’s (12) first experience with ultimate frisbee was at a summer camp when he was 11. After a successful first try at the sport, Wise searched far and wide for more opportunities to play — eventually ending up as the captain of the ultimate frisbee team at Ladue High School. His youth had been filled with sports like baseball, soccer and volleyball. However, none of them clicked for him like ultimate did.

“I’d never heard of [ultimate], but a bunch of my friends wanted to try it, so I was like, ‘Okay, why not?’” Wise said.

After a few more years of casual play, Wise sought a more organized team, finding Ladue High School’s Ultimate Frisbee team.

The Basics

Moves to know before getting on the feld

Backhand throw

First take the rim of the disk and place it in your palm, then place your thumb on top and wrap four fingers around the edge. Place your feet shoulder-width apart and point your shoulder towards your target. Finally, while keeping the disk flat, launch the disk towards your target and snap your wrist to release it.

What is Ultimate?

Ultimate is a self-ofcated team disk sport, in which your team’s goal is to get the disk to the other end of the feld by throwing it to one another.

EXCITED? Scan here for the ultimate frisbee team’s GroupMe

“One of the seniors who was on the team at the time told me, ‘You should come out to an [ultimate] practice,’” Wise said. “ I went there, had a blast and they told me, ‘You should try out, see what happens.’ I ended up trying out my freshman year and I’ve played ever since.”

Since freshman year, ultimate has helped define Wise’s high school experience. His position as captain has pushed him to promote the sport within the school.

“Ultimate frisbee is late to the game,” Wise said. “It has this kind of prevailing notion of being a middle school physical education sport, which if you go watch some of the 70 professional players out there, you’ll realize it really isn’t .”

Forehand throw

First stick your middle finger against the inside rim of the disk. Next spread your index finger to form a V shape with your middle finger. Now place your thumb on the top of the disk, extend your arm out to the side. Finally, step out on the same side as your throwing hand, snap your wrist and launch.

Illustration by Isaac Zelinske

Photo by Vincent Hsiao

Wise has gotten far more from ultimate than just enjoyment. Wise’s coaches have worked to assure he isn’t only a good player on the field, but a good human being.

“Ultimate is not just about learning to become a good player, but learning to become a good and truthful person.”

Wise’s coaches have given him a set of tools he can approach each game with. They have not only given him the skills to win, but the mindset needed to keep a level head.

“When you’re in that moment, the game is everything,” Wise said. “But it’s having the patience and having the self awareness to realize, ‘I may be angry, but this is a game, right?’ And then going right back to it, anger is dissipated, but you’re still in the game.”

Wise’s coaches have been with him since he first started on the team freshman year. They’ve seen his entire development as both a player and as a student.

“[Wise has] gone from a quiet freshman learning the game to a towering athlete that exudes leadership at all times,” ultimate frisbee coach Joe Barzilai said. “He not only understands the game at a high level now, but he’s pushing himself athletically even when he may already be one of the best [players] in the city.”

Now that Wise is one of the older players, he has taken a leadership role within the team. He is no longer worried about developing only himself — his focus has turned to his teammates.

“Mikey is a true leader for our team,” Barzilai said. “I don’t even need to name him as a captain for others to know he helps me run the team. He helps lead both on the field during play and off the field either helping at practice or organizing players in between events.”

Wise’s experience with ultimate hardly stops at Ladue High School. Ultimate, being only a spring sport, leaves many opportunities for Wise to play during the rest of the year.

“St. Louis Ultimate Association hosts summer leagues,” Wise said. “In the spring, I play here at Ladue, and then club during the summer.”

Wise played for the Solar Flares, a team within St. Louis Ultimate Association. His experience with this club team taught him a new way to interact with the sport in a more professional way.

“[Ladue] does maintain a core of people who have a lot of mechanical skills, but a lot of times we just bring in people who just have great athletic ability,” Wise said. “We find success that way. The difference with the club is a lot of people have both the athleticism and the disc skill.”

Wise’s desire to continue playing is a large factor in how he is making his decision both for college, deciding to play for Dartmouth College next fall, as well as how he wants to live his life.

“I definitely plan on playing my four years,” Wise said. “Beyond that, there are active club scenes throughout the entire United States. No matter what I feel confident that I will be able to find a group of people to play with.” P

Michael Wise (12)

Back on Track

Addie Salvatori is ready to prove her strength on the track despite injury and setbacks

By Victoria Derdoy

Staf

Before a race, Addie Salvatori (10) eats peanut butter and honey toast, slips on her lucky socks and heads towards the track. As tension builds up in the air, she stands at the starting line, tying her spikes with precision and looping the laces exactly as she always does.

With the track season underway, Addie is gearing up for what she hopes will be a “redemption season.” After a particularly challenging cross-country season where she ran through a stress fracture, Addie is determined to prove herself in the mile and two-mile events. Last season, she ran a sub-six mile, highlighting her speed and potential and ultimately setting the stage for an even stronger sophomore season.

“I didn’t make it to state in cross country, and that made me really upset,” Addie said. “But then I realized there’s still track season, [and] I still have a lot [of] years to go.”

Addie’s sister, Molly Salvatori (11), has witnessed Addie’s growth and resilience firsthand. Cheering her on over the years has allowed her to watch her sister develop not only as an athlete, but also as a person.

“I’ve seen her get a lot more confident in her abilities and really trusting herself,” Molly said. “I’ve really seen her go outside of her comfort zone to push herself to the next level.”

Aside from Addie’s physical strength, it’s her mental toughness that truly sets her apart. For Addie, staying mentally tough means embracing challenges and seeing setbacks as an opportunity to come back stronger. Addie attributes her success to this relentless mindset.

“I tell myself it’s better to be suffering now than be really upset with a time or race in the future,” Addie said.

Addie’s determination to be a top competitor has continued to grow over the years, and her focus and dedication has been evident to everyone around her. Whether at a practice or meet, she pushes herself to be better, driven by the desire to outwork her competition.

“Addie’s work ethic is one of the best I’ve ever seen. She pushes herself to new limits that I haven’t seen [in years]. No matter how she’s feeling, she’s always at the track ready to put in work.”

Harper

Buxner Teammate, (12)

Although training for the season looks a little different with a foot injury, Addie has found cross training and biking to be effective alternatives, helping her maintain her fitness despite being unable to stick to her usual routine of running and weightlifting throughout the week.

“I think she finds other outlets to put that work in,” Molly said. “[Her injury has] been hard for her, but I think she’s found ways to keep going, even if she can’t do it in her typical way.”

As Addie looks ahead to future meets, she’s more focused than ever. With her determination driving her, she’s ready to show what she’s capable of.

“I want to be able to prove myself,” Addie said. “Even with a stress fracture, I can still compete.”

Addie Salvatori (10) runs at a track meet at Ladue High School. She has been running track since eighth grade. “I’m looking forward to meets because it’s a chance to see my hard work pay of,” Addie said. (Photo by Vincent Hsiao) P

Illustration by Mason Eastman

Health Boost

Deep dive into the truths of everyday supplements

“I take vitamin pills because it gives me more vitamins during the day.”

Kydn Xeu (9)

“Supplements are part of my routine and make me feel great.”

Charan Sakshi (11)

“I take daily vitamins and melatonin because I don’t sleep well at night.”

Tori Fox (10)

“I take protein powder when I am working out to get big.”

Dawit Muluye (12)

Daily Dose

Student discuss their daily supplements

MythBusters

Addressing common myths associated with supplements

1. Creatine

Sources: Cleveland ClinicMayo Clinic, TopNurtrionCoaching

The most researched supplement in the world, creatine is often used by weightlifters to help them gain strength and muscle mass. There are many forms of the supplement, with the most popular being creatine monohydrate. Many athletes take the supplement to supply extra energy to their muscles, promoting strength and brain health. However, creatine is also naturally occurring, most commonly taken in through the consumption of red meat and seafood, as well as being naturally produced in the body’s liver, pancreas and kidneys.

Myth

Creatine is a steroid.

Fact

Creatine is a natural compound that does not alter hormone levels in any way

Myth

Creatine causes dehydration.

Fact

Creatine can reduce dehydration, cramping and injury with the proper water intake.

Myth

Creatine is only for athletic performance.

Fact

Many non-athletic individuals take creatine to improve their brain

2. Bloom Nutrition

Bloom Nutrition is a brand trending all over the internet selling its superfood powder supplement. The powder is a blend of over 30 superfoods that can then be combined with water to produce a highly nutritious drink. The goal of the supplement is to bridge the gap between users’ fruit and vegetable intake. Additionally, it is said to promote healthy digestion and limit bloating.

Myth

Bloom can lead to weight loss.

Fact

The drink is low calorie, but it does not explicitly cause weight loss.

3.

Myth

Bloom greens can replace fruits and vegetables.

Fact

The drink does not include the same nutrition values that eating full vegetables and fruits would.

Hydration Drinks

Myth

Bloom detoxes the body.

Fact

Bloom can support digestion through probiotics and fber, but does not “detox.”

Hydration drinks have been around since the 1960s and aid in the replenishment of fuids, electrolytes and energy lost through sweat, dehydration or illness. Electrolytes are simply positively or negatively charged substances that help our bodies function. Gatorade was developed by a doctor for the University of Florida Gators football team as a solution to the teams dehydration. Since then, a wide variety of hydration drinks have been created to serve the same purpose as Gatorade.

Myth

Hydration drinks are better than water.

Fact

Hydration drinks are only needed to compensate the excessive loss of electrolytes and fuids.

Myth

You can’t over hydrate with hydration drinks.

Fact

Over hydrating can lead to hyperemia, a sodium water imbalance in blood, and hyperemia.

Myth

Hydration drinks are only used by athletes.

Fact

Anyone dealing with any form of loss of fuids can drink hydration drinks.

Hydration drinks can be used by anybody sufering from loss of fuids and electrolytes.

Panorama March Issue

Editors’ Note

Panorama Staf

Sponsors

Issue

Gold

News to Know

Events

Community events in March and April

Prom

Menu

Rams Around the World

International Food Sampler

Key events in the months of February, March and April

Board Update

Board of Education adjusts teacher insurance and parent-teacher conference policies

New Members Open seats will be flled

Kaleidoscope Practice

Orchestra students prepare for the Kaleidoscope Concert April 26

Courthouse Visit

Club Events

Speech and Debate

Amnesty International

HOSA Hustle

Beyond Creation

CURIOUS?

Game, Set, Pickle

How to Move

Mastering the Hits

Growth Game

Score Card

Then and Now

Where to Go

Places to play pickleball around St. Louis

Pickle Preferences

Student pickleball playing choices

The Prom: The Musical

CURIOUS?

Art Unleashed

Jane Carrico develops her skills as an artist

A New Angle

Benny Shepherd pursues his love for education as a math teaching assistant

Do the Math

Benny Shepherd’s path to Ladue High School

Across the Globe

Mapping It Out

LuisFontesDeCastrorefectsonhisworldjourney

Mastering Time

Sanjay Adireddi develops the website ‘Ramwatch’ to monitor class time

Community Engagement Liaison

Sept.

On the Table

Report Card

On the Dime

On the Floor

What Do You Think the School District Spends the Most Money On?

Funding Formula

ON THE BOOKS

More to Know

Regional Budgeting

Paper Trail

Panorama Perspective

SOMETHING TO ADD?

'Due for a Change

Stay Gilded

REDLINING (1940s)

2008 MARKET CRASH (2008)

ROARING 20s (1920s)

TAMMANY HALL (1870s)

GOLD CARD (2025)

Little Lies

MORE TO KNOW

Existence is Resistance

Attempts to legislate transgender people

existence are unacceptable and will fail

Zooming Out

Think Before You Buy

Teenagers must be aware of the experimentation process behind cosmetic purchases

MORE TO KNOW

Get Punched