Journalism I Issue: The Final Hour 2023

OUR POLICY

The Final Hour is an annual newspaper created by the Journalism I class that strives to inform and entertain Ladue students, staff and community members, as well to uphold professional standards of accuracy and fairness. The publication hopes to engage the student body by eliciting dialogue among our readers. It aims to reflect

STAFF

NEWS

Nitya Nara

Cindy Liu

Ariella Fellman

HEALTH AND SPORTS

Ryan Snyder

Stephen Song

Ben Manlin

Emily Rosen

Luke Ye

IN-DEPTH

Madeline Awad

Max Karsh

Ella Bender

Frank Chen

FEATURES

Elena Bollman

Will Kodner

Millie Birchfield

Jimena Copeland

A+E

Ira Rodrigues

Maya Mathew

Mya Collins

Grace Kweon

diversity of the population it serves and observes the journalistic principal of doing no harm. The Final Hour welcomes letters to the editors. Please bring signed letters to room 1311. The Final Hour maintains the right to revise submissions as long as original intent remains preserved.

OPINIONS

Amelia Goldwasser

Nyla Weathersby

Sylvia Hanes

MANAGING EDITORS

Will Kodner

Madeline Awad

COPY EDITORS

Ira Rodrigues

Sylvia Hanes

DESIGN EDITORS

Maya Mathew

Frank Chen

ARTISTS

Mya Collins

Stephen Song

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Elena Bollman

Emily Rosen

ADVISER

Sarah Kirksey

cover design by Mya Collins and back cover design by Maya Mathew and Mya Collins, TOC photo courtesy of Vincent Hsiao

Retiring Staff

By Nitya Nara news staff

WHAT ARE YOUR RETIREMENT PLANS?

Fine Arts: 2001-2023

I’m taking what you would call a gap year. One of my friends suggested that after I retire especially from teaching to just take a year and figure out what I miss. For example, do I miss being around students? Do I miss having a job, somewhere to go every day and a schedule? I’m trying to figure out what I will be doing.

WHAT WILL YOU MISS THE MOST ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL?

I love the energy of interacting with young people. I like the daily routine of seeing people [and] for the most part interested in being here. The nice thing is get to see them mature and develop into pretty neat young adults.

Science: 1994-2023

WHAT ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE STUDENTS?

English: 2000-2023

At some point in life, you’re going to have to have a thought in your head. It’s very easy to stop trying to possess your own thoughts due to all the technology we have in today’s world. School is not about the end product, it’s about the pursuance of the thinking that gets you to that place.

WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL?

I will miss working with the colleagues and of course the students. I have been able to work with people across multiple disciplines and teach students with them, which has been a really cool experience. I am also going to just miss coming to school everyday and that routine is no longer going to be there.

WHAT ARE YOUR RETIREMENT PLANS?

English: 1993-2023

A lot of traveling. I have grandchildren and we have a lot of friends throughout the world. We are planning to visit Bermuda, Curacao. Mostly my plans are, spending time with my family especially my grandchildren and have fun.

PracticalArts: 1993-2023

SPREAD DESIGN

NITYA NARA

Thomas Lowery

Jeffery Vetter

Kimberly Gutchewsk y

Wendy Guhr Stephen Schmidt

First ANNUAL Rams Around the World

Ladue celebrates different cultures in their first Rams Around the World

BY CINDY LIU news staff

On April 26, Ladue

Horton Watkins High School hosted their first ever “Rams Around the World Night,” also known as Passport Night, from 5-7 p.m., where students shared their cultural food, attire and performances.

Clubs such as the Bollywood Dance Club, UNICEF and the SAGE club all participated, contributing all that they’ve learned to the event. Upon entrance, students can write a phrase in a language they speak to share their culture.

Stuti Dasgupta, a sophomore, sang a traditional song, “Pherari Mon,” along with her younger sister, who played the guitar. Dasgupta says the meaning is a longing love song.

“[The song] translates to Wandering Heart,” Dasgupta said. “It’s about a girl singing to this guy that she lost a long time ago.”

Dasgupta was proud to be sharing her culture, especially through singing.

“Passport Night was a super fun experience performing for the Bollywood Dance Club,

singing with my sister and tasting various cultural foods with my friend was really unique! When I was performing, obviously, I was kind of nervous because I don’t sing cultural songs outside very often, let alone people I go to school with,” Dasgupta said.

Behind the scenes, or rather, behind the tables, sophomore Adam Ye worked hard to make and give out boba, along with freshman Rex Zhu and sophomore Bohan Pan. Together, they worked as a team in the “China” booth, against the flooding lines of people trying to get boba and food.

“I thought it was pretty crowded, but it was in a good way. It was energetic and everyone was really excited by all the food, the culture, the people and, of course, the boba,” Ye said.

Ye was glad to have been apart of the experience, as he felt it was important that others understood and respected cultures that were different from their own.

“I felt like it was pretty exhilarating and fun, because I think, it’s [great] knowing that your booth is really popular and that your culture is being spread to other people, and other people are getting a positive experience of your culture,” Ye said.

The performers, such as

Dasgupta, and volunteers, such as Ye, were extremely vital to the event, but without the coordinators, Rebecca Rubin-Schlansky, who teaches freshmen World History and AP World History and Jennifer Tuttle, who works as a librarian for LHWHS, there wouldn’t be an event at all. The co-hosts were extremely happy with the turnout and felt that seeing everyone eating, laughing and learning, was very rewarding and that their hard work was all worth it.

“It was really moving to see that many people come together, especially at a really busy time of year. It showed the level of commitment our district and our community have to celebrating all its members,” Tuttle said.

Due to the of the great success of the event, Tuttle and Rubin-Schlansky have goals set to make this a Ladue tradition.

“When everyone was leaving, they were saying ‘Next year we should...,’ so this gives me hope that we’ll be able to make this an annual event that will grow and improve every year,” Rubin-Schlansky said. So be sure to catch the event next year, for what Tuttle hopes will be “even bigger and better.”

Ladue Clubs Wrapped

What is something your club did to wrap up the year?

By Ariella Fellman News Staff

Betty Gema, a junior, and a leading member of Ladue’s Feminist Coalition, discusses the state of the club as the year comes to an end. “FemCo is having an end of year party to celebrate our members and our accomplishments throughout the year. We want to end the year on a great note, as we have worked on many awesome discussions and fundraisers this year. We are in the process of wrapping up the year where our leadership will be seniors, and we scout for people to continue this legacy as we leave.”

Ella Marks, a junior, and passionate member of UNICEF Ladue, shares her fond memories of the club’s conclusion this school year. “So we had a really fun nal meeting that had a lot of food. We did a presentation, and all the seniors got to say goodbye. We all cheered for them, and we’ll miss them very much. It was really more of a celebration of everything we had done this year.”

Francesca Bochicchio, a junior, and longtime member of Ladue’s Mock Trial, discusses how the club came to a close this year. “This year we ended with regionals, which is not typical, but I think it was really good and important for the newbies, because we had a lot of new people this year. I think that they denitely learned a lot, because they were exposed to the courtroom earlier than usual because we didn’t have a lot of veterans on the team this year.”

Will Feng, a junior, and member of Ladue’s DECA, recounts some of the clubs nal gatherings of the 20233-2023 school year. “We just celebrated all our seniors, and then celebrated all the winners who had won international placement for the international competition [on] the bus ride back from Kansas City.”

Mimi Zhou, a junior, and avid member of Ladue’s debate team, The Talking Rams, dishes on the long-standing rivalry between Ladue and Clayton. “To celebrate the debate season, we did a kickball game against Clayton. So we played against them in our friendly little competition.”

Building Bonds

BY RYAN SNYDER health & sports

Team bonding brings together sports teams

La Lock-In

In order to improve team bonding, the Ladue Girls Lacrosse Team hosted an overnight lock-in at the High School beginning the night of April 15 extending to the morning of April 16.”

The team got the most out of the night, as sophomore varisty player Audrey Mentle felt a lot of positives came out of the Lock-In.

“It was good getting to know people from varsity and JV, and getting to understand people but also have a fun time doing it,” Mentle said.

Since the lock-in, Mentle has felt changes both on and off the field, which has led to team success, given the lacrosse team’s 8-1 record.

“The chemistry has gotten better and the love for each other that we all have was there before, but now I think that it’s definitely more prevalent,” Mentle said. “Because getting to know your teammates on a personal level improves how you play on the field together.”

When asked if she would be inclined to do another lock-in next year, and if she thinks it would be beneficial to other sports, Mentle gave a very strong response.

“I definitely would. It really builds this connection between grade levels that is clearly seen on the field,” Mentle said.

Members of the Ladue Girls Lacrosse Team smile at the Lacrosse Lock-In on April 16. The lock-in’s goal was to improve chemistry within the team, and this has been succesful given the team’s 8-1 record “It was good getting to know people from both varsity and JV to a deeper extent and getting to understand people but also have a fun time doing it,” Mentle said.

Carter Hanley (10) Football

“We have team dinner where we watch film. With the time we spend together it’s impossible for us not to be close.”

Braedan Wallace (10) Soccer

“We do a lot of activities and stuff. It’s a team sport so chemistry off-the field leads to chemistry on the field.”

Why Team Bonding is Important

It builds teamwork seperate from the court and field that leads to better teamwork on the field or court Comunicating in a different way from normal improves communication

Team bonding builds love between teammates, furthering what they would do for their teammates

Piersson Calvert (11) Basketball

“We do team dinners and that helps us bond and develop good relationships with each other.”

THE ADDRESS

Ladue Lacrosse Star and Gettysburg Commit

Jacob Goldstein’s Path to Success

ETTYSBURG A

health & sports writers

“I started playing lacrosse in sixth grade,” Goldstein said. “I picked up a stick and I fell in love. I’ve been playing ever since.”

Currently a senior, Goldstein is recognized as the one of the top face off guys in the state of Missouri accord ing to publications (such as STLToday) and many players around the city. Jacob plays as a face off specialist where he takes the face offs for his team. A face off in lacrosse is a physical contest where two opposing players attempt to gain possession of the ball after it is placed between their sticks on the ground.

“I won my first few face offs and it felt good

to d WIN”

Goldstein said. “So I just kept doing it, got a lot better and luckily was able to pursue it as far as I could take it, and I’m gonna play

Following the 2022 season, Goldstein led the St. Louis metro-area in face off win percentage. According to STLToday, he finished his junior year with a face off percentage of 77.9% or in other words a nearly 8/10 win rate. Having a

secutive winning seasons, 11 final four appearances, and three finals appearances including the most recent in 2009.

“We’ve been ranked in the top two in the country,” Goldstein said. “It would be awesome to win a natty(national championship) within the next few years. That would be the goal.”

Goldstein has credited lacrosse for many positive experiences in his life.

“I think everyone should join lacrosse. It’s a fun sport. Good for bonding and just overall makes you a better person,” Goldstein said.

706 face offs won

Most in ladue history

95 career goals

82 face off win % 580 ground balls

teammate who almost always secures you the ball can be the most valuable con-

Shedding Light On

Sunscreen Sunscreen

BY EMILY ROSEN AND LUKE YE photo editor and health & sports staff

OUR TOP FIVE: OUR TOP FIVE:

DO YOU WEAR SUNSCREEN DAILY?

DO YOU WEAR SUNSCREEN DAILY?

“I don’t wear sunscreen every day but I do when it’s really sunny and I’m outside for a while.”

“I try to wear sunscreen every day but sometimes I forget. I usually put it on for soccer practice.”

“I only wear sunscreen in the summer when it’s very hot outside. I don’t need it in the fall.”

“I don’t wear sunscreen everyday, I only ever wear it in the summer.”

Colette Brennan (9) Eric Fan (10)

Brooke Kolker (9) Charlie Goldstein (9)

U-V not believe it

U-Will not believe it

Fast facts about the importance of sunscreen

Ensure that you apply sunscreen everywhere on your body. Some commonly missed spots include the tops of the ears, the back of the neck, the throat area and the chest.

Any sunscreen marketed in the US undergoes FDA testing and is classified as a drug. In European countries, sunscreens are classified as cosmetics and undergo less testing.

There are two types of UV light: UV-A and UV-B. Aging and wrinkling is caused by UV-A while UV-B causes burning and most of the damage.

Sunscreens are not entirely waterproof; they can only be advertised as water-resistant for either 40 or 80 minutes.

A 15 SPF sunscreen protects against 14/15 of UV rays. 50 SPF protects against 49/50…100 SPF is the strongest sunscreen consumers can buy.

The adequate amount of sunscreen for your face and neck is a glob the size of a big marble, and about two shot glasses to safeguard your body.

Sunscreens only protect against UV-B rays unless labeled as ‘Broad Spectrum’.

Wearing a white shirt provides an equivalent of 7 SPF of protection. A dark, long-sleeved denim jacket offers 1700 SPF, which is essentially complete protection.

Reapplying sunscreen about every two hours is just as crucial as the initial application.

scales of success

Different types of success and coping with expectations

by:

staff

Success stories are frequently present in the media, inspiring people to become the next star of the show. What isn’t always shown is the countless hours of hard work, innumerable sleepless nights and immense amounts of dedication that go into every success story.

The measure of success is nothing concrete. In fact, it is a complete opinion. It can be a

mechanism of comparison, a personal goal or a representation of something ideal.

What is certain is that success isn’t linear. On the path to success, there are always obstacles that appear impossible to overcome, but once a person can conquer them, they are able to achieve their goals. These obstacles provide opportunities for personal growth and development.

Despite the positive side of success, there are times when the weight of expectations can be too much to bear. Nobody is

How do you define success?

always successful, but there is still pressure, whether internal or external, to succeed in every moment. High schoolers have to push through this burden every day, whether it’s in academics, athletics or extracurriculars. The looming pressure to achieve success can lift people up or rip them apart.

As school ends and college decisions are made, students must consider what it takes to

frank chen, ella bender, madeline awad, max karsh in-depth

"Being content with what you’ve done with yourself and your actions."

Lang (10)

"A mindset that is going to affect your life if you commit to your goals."

Lila Meyers (9)

"Success is an accomplishment, or something you gain."

Aiden Qian (9)

"[Successful people] don't have to be ranked the highest but change lives."

Tori Thomas (11)

Ladue students cheer during the Special Olympics. Courtesy of Lisa Zhou

66% of Ladue students believe that they're successful

60% of Ladue students state that academic success is the most important to them

What kind of success is most important to you?

90%

of Ladue students feel externally pressured to be successful

Academic Other Artistic Sports

succeed. Does success mean a straight-A report card? A 4.0 GPA? An acceptance into an Ivy League college? As college looms around the corner, the ever-growing crisis presents itself. Students scramble to find ways to distinguish themselves and their academic success on a piece of paper.

Does the A+ on a report card account for the sleepless nights, countless last-minute study sessions or staying home on a Saturday night to ensure a good grade? Whether directly or not, there is always an unabating pressure to achieve absolute perfection. This constant pressure to achieve greatness in school, home and society can be crushing.

High-achieving high schools have a vested interest in preserving an achievement contest among the student body. For senior Saba Fajors, going to a high-achieving school felt inevitable.

“I put in a lot of effort into my grades and extracurriculars that I felt like the outcome I deserve would be a top university,” Fajors said. “I like the competitive environment, and the schools that I applied to have a good balance of work hard, play hard.”

Your sense of success is greatly influenced by the people with

whom you surround yourself. In fact, they mold it. Whether it be trying to measure up to your older sibling’s accomplishments or making your parents proud, success can, at times, feel insurmountable.

“I feel like I owe my parents my full effort because they do so much to support me and make sure that I achieve my dreams,” Fajors said. “I also felt pressure from them because of the way that they talked about my brother and the way they treat him."

However, things don't always work out. When students are rejected, people often presume that some are meant for greatness and others are doomed to fail. It is important to change our society’s stigma around rejection and recognize that disappointment can be a motivator.

“It's okay to be disappointed and it's okay to accept that disappointment. You can use it to fuel you into doing a better job next time and preparing yourself for a better outcome,” Fajors said. “When I come short of my goals, I know there are always times where I could have done better and taken the time to focus on that more.”

In life, options are given to you at every turn. High-performing

90%

of Ladue students feel internally pressured to be successful

students frequently have to make a decision between their social life and academic career. For Fajors, it is worthwhile to go above and beyond to sacrifice time and even work-life balance.

“You have to prioritize certain things at the end of the day,” Fajors said. “Do you want to go out and party and have fun with your friends, or do you want to get the work done that you need to get done? If you want to be great, sometimes you're gonna have to prioritize the work over the fun.”

In an environment of competitive institutions, ambitious students must outdo one another for a small number of highly desired positions. Unfortunately, activities that were once purely for enjoyment can turn into a means to an end. To avoid this, we must be mindful of the things we prioritize and devote our daily time and effort to.

“For a while, I struggled to find something that I would love to study in college and something that would drive me and that I knew I could be great in,” Fajors said. “Recently I've just come to realize that I need to pursue the things that make me happy and the things that excite me. I think that everyone should do that.”

*Statistics from an email survey of more than 180 Ladue HS students. Numbers rounded.

ATHLETICS

In addition to academic success, athletic success is a major motivator for high school students. Freshman Angela Chen has been playing tennis since she was 8 and a half years old and was on the varsity tennis team as a freshman. Chen feels that she has been success ful.

“[Success is] to reach what you want and set ting certain goals you, goals that are hard to reach, and then achieving them and then making more goals in the future,” Chen said. “And then when you complete all those goals, and you’re ready to make more harder goals, I feel like that’s success.”

Success is achieved through multiple factors that look different for everyone. Hard work can only get someone so far. A proper support system and healthy habits are essential on the journey to athletic success.

“The amount of times I’ve played [tennis] a week and the amount of lessons that I took [led to my success],” Chen said. “My friends helped me keep going and when I saw the worst they would help me see the better.”

People strive for success for a variety of reasons. Many people seek it because of the positive outcomes that it produces, such as an increase in happiness and self-esteem.

“My confidence definitely went up [once I started winning]. When you have the confidence to win you are more likely to win and it builds you up,” Chen said.

Regardless of the positive impacts of success, reaching success comes with unintend-

ed consequences. It can lead to pressure to constantly be successful and it can make losses hurt much more.

“[When I lose], I reflect on how I played that day and why I lost so that I just don’t make the same mistakes over and over again,” Chen said. “Then I play more so that I can work on those things that I didn’t do well.” Finding a balance between working towards athletic success, staying on top of schoolwork and maintaining a social circle can be difficult. Sometimes friendships and assignments are put on the back burner in order to reach athlet-

“The biggest thing [I’ve lost] is my personal time, time for myself to relax or cool down,” Chen said. “But tennis usually helps me because it relieves my stress.”

Working towards an athletic goal is never easy. There are countless ups and downs, but hard work and dedication often pay off.

“Even if you hate something right now, if you keep doing it and start to want something out of that sport or hobby or interest, then you’ll definitely gain more motivation to be better,” Chen said.

EXTRACURRICULARS

Many people strive for success outside of academics and athletics. Sophomore Eric Fan was a debate state champion. He has learned to balance working towards his goals and taking care of his mental health.

“I feel like I’ve been successful, both [in] competitiveness and

emotionally,” Fan said. “It was really important for me to balance that workload with doing other activities. I’d say the biggest thing in becoming successful is to be mentally and emotionally healthy.”

Sometimes goals can be far away and working towards them can seem daunting. Despite this challenge, success doesn’t necessarily mean that every goal was met.

“In my opinion, success is achieving happiness,” Fan said. “It could be performing well or reaching a big goal, but it could also be just having a lot of fun. If you’re enjoying your time in an activity, you’ve reached success.”

There isn’t one strict path to success. Oftentimes, achieving goals comes with a lot of failure along the way. Working past those challenges is what unlocks the door to success.

“Coming into the varsity competition this year, I had high expectations for myself. However, after losing a lot, I learned that this mindset really weighed me down and hurt my mental health,” Fan said. “Only after freeing myself from these expectations did I really improve and become successful.”

Once a person works past the internal and external pressure to succeed, they can finally focus on achieving their goals, but it can be difficult to find balance between success and everything else.

“Overworking yourself might lead to short term improvement; but long term you’ll be burned out and more likely to quit. Maintaining a sustainable approach to any activity you do is key to success,” Fan said.

Steps to success

Have a reason.

Why is this important to you? Why do you want to succeed? How will this bring joy and help others? The better you can answer these questions, the more motivated you will be when the time comes to put in the work.

Learn from others.

Whether they’re stories from people with similar goals, or success stories in general, or even tales of failure, there is always something to be learned from everyone. From things you can improve on to hard lessons learned the easy way, stories from others can help you forge ahead and avoid pitfalls on the way.

Plan it out.

When people think of plans, they often imagine long, boring lists and timetables with tasks listed out like parts in an assembly manual. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Far from making work seem dull and unappealing, a good, well-designed roadmap will help you visualize the future and inspire you to build your own destiny.

Put the boots on the ground.

People often assume that through a mixture of “good planning” and “working smart, not hard,” they can achieve the impossible with fantastical ease and little effort. Again, this is a myth. A real plan should not be to help you slack off, or to miraculously dispel all of your problems. Few good things come easy, and you will inevitable have to put in work to achieve your goals. But work doesn’t always have to be something miserable. When you are striving for yourself, for others, for something worthwhile, to give your life meaning, the only thing more pleasurable than working is the success that will spring from it.

Reflect.

It is often important to take a little break sometimes and look again at the bigger picture. Analyze your progress, your little victories, your little failures. Draw lessons and recalibrate your plans and your goals.

Repeat.

Whether you’ve achieved your goals and are now setting your sights on something else or redrawing your action plans after reflecting on your journey, there’s always something else to be done, another roadmark to reach, another star to reach out and touch. Go ahead.

You can do it.

What are you waiting for?

Time For Tai

By Will Kodner

You paint brush strokes on canvas with precision and concentration. After about four hours, you have a fully formed squash painting of your dogs while listening to Vulfpeck. Sound familiar? Probably not. But to Moore, this may not seem too askew from a normal day. From french horn rehearsal to curling practice, Michigan native Tai Moore paints to express herself, make her way to higher education and more.

Prior to her discovery of her prodigal artistic skills, Moore’s inspiration began in architecture back in Michigan.

“There are a lot of things like the Henry Herbert [museum] that we visited in middle school and that made me like architecture. Then as I grew up, it changed from architecture to liking art more,” Moore said.

Moore has been painting for only three years and already has a myriad of pieces in the senior art gallery. Moore gives her family a lot of credit for her success.

“The encouragement from my family, complimenting me every time I made art, made me want to do art even more,” Moore said.

Although Moore has only been painting for three years, she already has a grasp on how to deal with struggle.

“There’s always going to be a lot of rough patches when you’re trying to make art. Every time I make art, there’s always that one time where you just think ‘oh, this looks really bad, I don’t think it’s going to look any better’,” Moore said. “There’s a lot of times where I just give up art because of that. Sometimes you just gotta push through the ugly and it will eventually look like something that you’re happy with.”

While “Deconstructed” takes

the cake for the largest project in the senior art show, her humility for the other artists is admirable.

“I think Mate Daus and Max Yang have a lot of really good pieces... [Daus is] really into animation and I see the animations on the TV at the art show and it takes a lot to not only make the animation, but to make a really nice one,” Moore said.

For Moore, her art endeavors will not end after high school. Moore plans to attend Washington University Saint Louis in the fall and wants to major in studio art or design communication. Although Moore’s funny and sarcastic demeanor may be all that meets the eye, Moore’s interpretation of art goes beyond the surface.

“A lot of what I say is usually stereotypical like what a lot of artists say. [It’s] kind of like journaling, as a way to not only express myself but to understand things,” Moore said.

managing editor

Senior artist Tai Moore ends senior year on high note with aspirations for future 1

photos by e. bollman

This is Moore’s ‘Deconstructed’. She created it for her college art portfolio. “I wanted to challenge the limits of my abilities,” Moore said.

snapshot into Bea

Senior

Talbott and her journey with photography

Camera shutters snapping a picture, capturing a single moment. Whether it’s candid, staged or edited, photos give people an opportunity to experience a point in time as if they saw it with their own eyes.

Bea Talbott is one of the artists who submitted their works to

the Ladue senior art show. Many of the works submitted by others consist of drawings or paintings, but Talbott submitted photos.

Talbott has been creating art since she was a kid, whether it was drawing or taking photographs. Taking the messages she receives from moments in life, she displays them to share with others.

“Even though I like to draw and paint and do all that, I feel like my photography actually shows my vision and my voice a lot more than other media,” Talbott said.

One photo Talbott submitted is called “Locks”, in which she took inspiration from another artist named

Painting Max

Whether it’s visual or performative, art can be developed and altered to test boundaries. Art can be used as a creative outlet to let one express themselves.

Max Yang has been creating art ever since he was 5 years old. Whether that is drawing, painting or sculpting, Yang has been able to express his creative outlet through art. Visual art compels

Yang to keep creating by an expressive media.

Yang has taken three art classes at Ladue High School, one being AP Studio Art during his senior year. However Yang has found to enjoy painting the most because it allows him to make mistakes.

“I think mistakes add to the piece as you go over different forms of expression and allow a lot of expression,” Yang said.

For Yang’s AP Studio Art project, the theme was based on major decomposers. Yang wanted to bring light to what he says, these unsung heroes. His piece is called “Found” and was displayed in the senior show-

By Elena BOLLMAN managing editor

Jay Maisel. She was interested in the shape the object gave, as well as the compositional elements making the photo interesting and interpretive.

“I really was just trying to mimic [Maisel’s] style and he does a lot of street style photography and I liked the format of the picture,” Talbott said.

case.

“Decomposers kind of get a pretty bad reputation yet they do so much for the environment and for human society that they remain pretty much unseen or frowned upon so I wanted to illustrate the beautiful side of that,” Yang said.

Bea

Senior Max Yang highlights his work in the senior art show

Locks- Bea Talbott

My two Dogs - Tai Moore

Crowded Mind - Bea Talbott

If birds can fly, why cant i? - Max Yang

teach me how to deca

DECA program thrives under Kennedy’s leadership

by Jimena copeland and millie birchfield

If you were to ask three different high school students what they’d want to pursue when they grow up, you’d end up with various ambiguous replies. For Jessica Kennedy, her response was straight to the point. With a major on the marketing field and a minor in Apparel Managment, Kennedy ended up becoming a business teacher at Ladue and taking on the huge role of the DECA business program with help from her co-worker, Chris Geisz.

“DECA is an opportunity for competitive students who are not necessarily athletic or for those who like to experience things outside athletics. Whether they’re creative, with public speaking, or they have general problem solving skills, DECA gives them the opportunity to do that in a competitive environment,” Geisz said.

DECA has grown significantly over the course of eight

years, since Kennedy took over, with over 130 members currently enrolled in the program. Her hard work and dedication has resulted in tons of students qualifying for internationals.

“We’re consistently taking numerous students to internationals every year, so in my first year seven qualified for internationals, this year 25 qualified,” Kennedy said.

Behind the scenes, Kennedy navigates the guidelines and regulations set forth by international DECA and the Missouri State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Kennedy spends countless hours organizing meetings, fundraising events and preparing her students for competition. Fundraising is a crucial component of the program, as she organized Ladue Night Lights, a community service project, and has the Ram Shack (the school store) fundraise money as well.

“If we would’ve taken everyone to internations that qualified our traveling budget would

have been over $55,000. Just to state this year, we took 50 and it was about $20,000. So we’re talking about raising $75,000 a year just to get to the competitions, not including the couple thousand for Districts,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy’s contribution to the growth and success of DECA at Ladue can’t be overstated. Her hard work, dedication and leadership have helped transform the program into one of the largest and most successful extracurricular clubs in the school. As her students continue to thrive and excel, Kennedy’s work will continue to impress.

“[Kennedy] does everything for it, she did a great job of recruiting the new class. She does a great job of getting the information out about when meetings are, trips, and all of that. She takes over the charitable aspect of it as well,” Geisz said. “She’s an extremely strong asset to DECA.”

features staff

Photo courtesy of Jessica Kennedy

Ladue 2023 DECA state finalists pose at Chesterfield Mall after their first meeting. “I’m so proud of all of these kids and their hard work, DECA has grown significantly through the past 10 years.” Geisz said.

“Being able to go to internationals last year.”

Charles Wolf, 12

“When

Arden Poger, 9

“Definitely

Kate Margulis, 11

UPPER LEFT: 2021 DECA getting ready to compete at Districts.

UPPER RIGHT: Group of DECA students at the Chesterfield Mall in 2018.

LOW LEFT: Ladue DECA 2019 prepares to compete at districts.

MIDDLE RIGHT: DECA program TOP RIGHT: DECA 2022 program celebrating with their trophies after state.

“When I finished presentating, I got food and hung out with my friends, it was really fun.”

Cole Wallis, 9

SPREAD

SUMMER READS

by MAYA MATHEW AND IRA RODRIGUES design editor and copy editor

Six of CrowS

This fantasy, written by Leigh Bardugo, comes with a complete host of characters and universe within. The beginning is a bit overwhelming, but once you understand the rules of Ketterdam, where this story takes place, the book will suck you in. For the setting details alone, I think this book one of the best fantasy books I’ve read, but the characters make it so much better. If you’re looking for a book that will keep you hooked until the very last page, I highly recommend you check out Six of Crows this summer.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Looking for drama? How about 1950s Hollywood, glamorous celebrities, and complex love? This historical fiction book has all of that and more. The vivid imagery in the book makes it impossible to put down. Monique, the struggling journalist, and Evelyn, the gorgeous movie star with her own secrets to keep, are characters that develop throughout the story. The plot is incredibly engaging and the character growth adds to the plot. If you’re looking for a book that you won’t be able to put down, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is the perfect read for you.

FAST FACTS

Since 2016 the percentage of kids who don’t read over the summer has doubled

32% of kids from ages 15 to 17 read zero books over the summer

83% of educators say summer reading helps students empathize of reading skills are lost over the summer

2 MONTHS

Our top recommendations of books to read this summer

One of Us is Lying

One of Us is Lying starts with the premise of four high school students, all of them teen stereotypes, all in the same room when their classmate, Simon Kelleher, is murdered. Now the spotlight is on them, and when the book finally comes to its tangled conclusion, you realize that everyone has something to hide. What we love about this book is the characters: Karen McManus takes every stereotype and turns it on its head. Packed with suspense, this book is fast-paced and an excellent summer read.

The Unhoneymooners

The enemies-to-lovers trope strikes again! We’ve seen this trope a lot in romance books, and to be honest, it makes The Unhoneymooners slightly predictable. Olive, the female lead, is lovably flawed, describing herself as a magnet for bad luck and never able to measure up to her twin sister, Ami. Her nemesis, Ethan, is the tall, broody love interest we’ve all come to expect in these books. When they get sent to Maui on a honeymoon trip meant for Olive’s twin, you can guess what’s going to happen. Although it’s predictable, The Unhoneymooners is hilarious.

Top 4 New York Times Bestsellers

C olors of Victory

Using colors to your advantage RED

Red is often used in marketing, sports, or anywhere that needs notoriety in full. Red is also a color that primes people for action. You can see it on limited-time sales or in outlet malls. In clothes, it can boost your own pride or help show off your strengths. Personally, I would recommend a bright red, scarlet or candy apple for accents. Full red outfits should use darker reds, like carmine or maroon.

Blue

Blue is well known as the ‘soothing’ or ‘stable’ member of the color wheel. It is most often used in hospital settings or office settings, as its tones offer a sense of security and reliability with the product or company than others. It’s best used in settings where people need to place a lot of trust on you or when you need to show credibility. I would offer bright blues like ultramarine or cornflower as accents paired with whites and grays, or darker blues such as midnight or navy blue as a main color.

BLACK

Purple

by MYA COLLINS art editor

Purple creates a very distinct identity for itself, down to its history. People used plants for dyes, but finding plants that produced purple dye were hard to come by. So they were used exclusively for royals, and that perception still sticks today. Certain candy or snack brands will use the color purple to add wonder to their identity. For clothes however, purple helps you stand out more from your peers. I would place a mild or dark purple, like violet and mulberry, as a main color and use brighter colors like french-violet as accents.

Green

Green is similar to blue in identity, in that they are both colors that put people at ease. However, green is known for friendliness than blue is. Healthy restaurants or environment-based companies will often use green, as it also elicits feelings of growth or improvement. It’s best paired with more comfy clothing, like sweaters or hoodies, to portray yourself as kind or caring. I would advise against wearing bright neon green because it’s obnoxious and instead recommend using shades like mint or sea-foam.

Surprisingly, black isn’t a color at all, and neither is its white counterpart. Within the color spectrum, black is the absence of color, while white is considered a combination of all colors. Otherwise, they are know as extended shades. The color black is heavily associated with being ‘sleek’ and ‘clean’, which makes it a prominent color within luxury brands like Gucci or Prada. Black in clothes can be used to present yourself with credibility or power, a person that demands respect and everyone knows their name. So, it’s best to wear black to show that you know your power and worth. As an accent, black is best used with white or darker shades of various other colors for a deep, mysterious look in your wardrobe.

Let’s Go School Lunch

A review of four Ladue school lunch choices from a student’s point of view

By Grace Kweon A+E STAFF

Sono Nacho Meal Classic Cheese Pizza

The combination of the salty, crunchy tortilla chips with the warm and scrumptious fajita chicken paired with the soft cheddar cheese that melts in your mouth was nothing short of delicious. This customizable, flavorful and tangy meal will always fill that hole in your heart. And the best part is that despite the taste, the line at lunch will always be near empty.

To Go Deli - Ham and Swiss Cheese

From someone who eats sandwiches from top to bottom instead of eating it regularly, I believe this is the best lunch option you could go for. Perfectly satiating, delicious, crispy and crunchy. It’s simple and not overwhelming, nutritious, flavorful, well seasoned and per-

fectly warm from the heater lamp that its served under every lunch period. Instead of walking over to the lunch line and waiting half your lunch period for food, you can get a quick and warm sandwich on the go. Who knew sandwiches could be this good?

I struggled to finish this. The moz zarella cheese barely stuck to the low quality ingredients that made it pizza. It tasted like straight plastic when I finally brought myself to consume it. The rubber-like cheese completely fell off the soggy dough covered in the excuse of tomato sauce as I bit into it. I don’t have anything good to say about this bland, dry, unseasoned and stale flatbread with a layer of unpalatable rubber excuse of cheese.

Create Your Own Deli

As a lunch pastime, me and my friends would desperately speed walk as fast as we could to get closer to the front of the line for a hot deli sandwich a second or two faster, because these deli sandwiches are worth worshiping. Compared to the to-go deli sandwiches, the bread is softer, not as seasoned and not as crunchy. Depending on how many condiments you get, it might be hard to actually bite into it. The customizability of the sandwich makes this lunch choice great for picky eaters.

What do you bring to school for lunch?

“I bring a ham & cheese wrap everyday.”

Will Kodner, 10

“Whatever my mom makes, leftovers to anything new.”

Elena Bollman, 10

“PB&J because it’s easy to make and good. Also fruit.”

Ariella Fellman, 11

“Something easy like a sandwich with fruits and vegetables.”

Sylvia Hanes, 10

“I like to bring a lot of fruits and pasta sometimes.”

Ira Rodrigues, 9

Our college choices do not dictate our futures

In today’s rapidly evolving job market, the belief that your college major determines your future is outdated. While selecting a major is an important decision, it isn’t the sole thing that determines career success. The mindset that a specific major leads to a specific profession fails to acknowledge the skills and experiences that individuals bring to the table. In reality, adaptability, passion and continuous learning are the real factors that shape someone’s path in the professional world.

Gone are the days when a predetermined path dictated your entire career. The job landscape is constantly shifting, with new industries emerging and old ones changing. The skills demanded by employers are becoming more intersectional, and the ability to think critically and problem solve has become

a requirement. Employers value transferable skills and the capacity to learn and adapt more and more.

Imagine a student who pursued a degree in English literature but developed a passion for coding while in college, which is not a rare case considering only 27 percent of people are in a job that relates to their major, according to Liberty Street Economics. With the ability to communicate effectively and use critical thinking, they could pivot to a career in technology easily by acquiring skills through online courses or internships.

While a college major can provide a foundation of knowledge and specific skills, it does not dictate one’s future. Success is built on many factors, including a willingness to learn, adaptability and genuine passion. The ability to continually acquire

new skills and evolve with the changing demands of the job market is far more important than the specific major listed on a resume.

The idea that college majors define an individual’s future is obsolete. In today’s dynamic world, success is determined by a combination of flexibility and a passion for learning more. A college major may provide a starting point, but it is the individual’s drive and determination that shapes their path. Employers seek professionals who can leverage their varied skills and experiences to thrive in a changing workplace.

Let’s embrace the idea that our futures are not limited by a choice we make when we are young, and instead shaped by our efforts and skills we create along the way.

illustration by Grace Kweon

IT’S NOT UP FOR DEBATE

by AMELIA GOLDWaSSER opinions staff

Debates have become an essential part of fan bases and daily life. The question of Star Wars or Star Trek, Marvel or DC, all the way down to chocolate or vanilla have become commonplace online. While these types of conversations can be fun, what happens when the debates you have can affect human life?

The goal when debating is to change the view of the opposition, therefore winning the argument. But in debates or arguments, it can quickly get hostile. In a study performed at the Canadian Psychological Association, participants were given a topic and were asked to give their opinion, they were then shown a debate on the issue and then were asked to rate their opinion of each side. They found that the side with a person who was insulting their opponent were rated lower while the side with the person who was insulted’s rating had not changed. A very simple takeaway from the study is that debates should be more civil and fair, but is it fair when one of the sides views can lead to death? Should we be made to have

calm conversations with those who advocate for policies that can get people killed?

Ben Shapiro is a notable conservative political commentator, whose fame erupted due to compilation of him debating people about political issues, often being found in the recommended section on Youtube. Shapiro is someone who is anti gun regulation. “We must balance the need and right to firearms with public policy concerns, including the risk that a machine gun will be used in public,” Shapiro said in an article published to the Jewish Journal after the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, the deadliest in United States history. Is it fair to argue over issues that can get people killed, wasting time with people whose opinions won’t change while more people die?

Since Barack Obama’s election in 2008, there has been a notable increase in partisan politics, meaning that it has become rare for republicans to vote positively on democratic bills, and vice versa. This trend only increased when Donald Trump was elected president in 2016. Currently, the senate is nearly split down the middle in terms of political party, with democrats having a 51% majority. With party lines so entrenched, it’s become hard for progress to be made. Debates have only made the divides larger, with people digging their feet in the sand trying to keep to their views. Effective and quick change is becoming a thing of the past.

Home, school then where?

The lack of third places in modern society leaves a vortex for teens

by Nyla Weathersby opinions writer

“Whyare you always at home?” This is a question that my mother can’t seem to shake. It’s not like I want to be trapped in my room all day unless I’m at school. I also know I am free to go anywhere I may. There are no bars hindering my flight. But where would I even go? Unlike my mother, I don’t have a surplus of places to go. When she was younger she would go to the mall, roller skating and anywhere else she might have found herself. But in today’s society there are a limited number of recreational spaces, these are called third places. The first two places are your home (the first place) and your work (the second place). Third places provide opportunities to meet and socialize, and could be anywhere from a coffee shop to a park.

The importance of third places

The need for third places are heavily overlooked by policymakers, health officials and researchers. After all of our time locked inside of our homes, we all need an out. Third spaces are crucial to combat loneliness, alienation and stress, while also supporting the growth of comradery within the community as well as individual growth. The pandemic only exacerbated the problem, making it harder to ignore. If you’ve talked to a middle schooler or elementary aged child you can clearly tell they missed their time in the sun to properly develop their social skills. A lot of the kids don’t have empathy that they would have obtained in an ordinary childhood. With multiple studies supporting that children are suffering developmentally because of the isolation tactics used to combat COVID-19 and are significantly behind compared to prior children. How do we as a community come together to help them?

How can third place be saved

Social media platforms like Tiktok and Instagram have adopted the role of a digital third place. A digital forum is not the most effective way to form connections. To lessen the necessity of digital forms of third places there needs to be a systemic change to the way we both handle and treat third places. Third places have been sabotaged by low cost meeting spaces being hijacked with higher rent prices, making them harder to sustain. On top of already dysfunctional zoning, the suburbs in particular are at high risk. Considering current zoning laws enable single-use zoning, only allowing one type of use for our purposes housing, which inadvertently intensifies this dire situation. It would be best to remove these laws and allow for multi-use zoning and not separate housing from third places. Making third places all around more accessible to the greatest number of people. Third spaces can level the playing field and provide everyone with great opportunities, but that’s only if we keep them alive.

Gilded Goals

Weighing the pros and cons of goal setting

A

PROS

Goals can be useful motivators. By dangling the taste of success above our heads, we prod ourselves to chase faster, get closer, work harder. We start to crave the taste of success that we know will come with achievement. This desperation can reveal what we are truly capable of, reaching and even exceeding the original goals we set for ourselves.

Additionally, when we give ourselves a clear vision of the desired outcome, it can help reveal the steps we need to take to get there. We become more organized and efficient in our attempts, determining exactly what needs to be done to get us where we want to go. Goals can help us channel our efforts in the right direction, pulling us towards our success even more quickly.

Having a clear idea of our priorities is undeniably crucial if we want to accomplish the things that are important to us.

by SYlvia Hanes copy editor

what are you PROUD OF celebrate?

Students reflect on their proudest accomplishments

s students, as athletes, as humans with ambition, we are taught that goals are the best ways to chase our dreams. That without defining our expectations and ambitions, we are incapable of achieving what we want. We are taught that success is a linear path with checkpoints and that failure sends us right back to where we started. However, these strict goals and checklists have their downsides.“An accomplishment I’m proud of is amassing 600 hours of volunteering service. I celebrate my achievements by going out for a meal with my parents or friends.”

CONS

The problem occurs when goals are prioritized above all else, because they can trick us into linking our worth with our success. We start to build our identity around our proficiency and progress towards this lofty ambition, which means that even our own sense of self can revolve around our success in this one area. The Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu scripture, says that people “motivated only by desire for the fruits of action are miserable, for they are constantly anxious about the results of what they do.”

This can be devastating for our self-esteem and mental health when we encounter what we perceive as failure. In reality, failure is beautiful and valuable, and it can be hugely helpful in our journey to our goal. It illuminates areas for improvement, as well as leading us to the next steps forward. Failure and success are not opposites, rather they are intertwined.

Shauna Prasad, 12

“My proudest accomplishments include achieving Eagle Scout rank and becoming a diving state placer. I often go out to eat with family and friends to celebrate.”

David Ciorba, 12

“An accomplishment I’m proud of is starting my own coffee business. I celebrate this accomplishment by working hard for it every day.”

Noah Temple, 10

“One of my favorite achievements was making the volleyball team this year and I celebrated by going to get ice cream.”

Eva Vonallmen, 9