April 17, 2015

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April 17, 2015 Vol. 46, No. 8 Lafayette High School – 17050 Clayton Rd. – Wildwood, MO 63011

lhsimage.com

Look at any ad or movie. It is no secret that society has an obsession with body image. This has led teens to scrutinize their own physical attributes. See pages 10-11 to learn about student perceptions of body image. *photo illustration by Jack Rogan

Staff & Policies Editors

Staff Members Image:

Mary Adcock, Suzy Blalock, Jessica Collins, Alex Kessler, Patrick Levine, Garrett McBay, Grant Norfleet, Anna Preuss, Dominic Scaglione, Chris Shorter, Bryan Woode, Kaitlyn Wylie

Digital Media:

Julianne Beffa / Managing Editor Karina Patel / Asst. Managing Editor Colleen Pavia / Digital Media Editor Shelby Robbe / Asst. Digital Media Editor Alex Moss / Equipment Manager Jimmy Bowman, Brian Gassel, Logan Jordan, Amelia Konicki, Laura Stewart, Mason Smith

Information

Image is published nine times a year by the News Production Class. Subscriptions are $30. Free issues are distributed on campus. The 2013-2014 Image received a rating of First Class from the National Scholastic Press Association. lhsimage.com received a rating of All-American with five marks of distinction.

The 2013-2014 Image was awarded the George H. Gallup Award from Quill and Scroll.

Philosophy Statement

The newspaper’s primary obligation is to inform its readers about events in the school and community and of issues of national or international importance which directly or indirectly affect the school population. The newspaper, while serving as a training ground for future journalists as part of the school curriculum, recognizes all rights and responsibilities under the First Amendment. Operating as a public forum, student editors will apply professional standards and ethics for decision making as they take on the responsibility for content and production of the newspaper.

Contact Us

Located in Room 137A at Lafayette High School, 17050 Clayton Rd., Wildwood, MO 63011. Our phone number is (636) 7334118 and our e-mail address is lhsimage@gmail.com or visit on the web at: www.lhsimage.com

Policies

A complete explanation of the Rockwood School District Policies and Regulations concerning official student publications and the policies and procedures used by the Image staff can be found on the website www.lhsimage.com under the About Us tab.

On The Web

lhsimage.com

&

NEWS numbers 4.1

Million children in 2012 reported to have food allergies * www.aaaai.org

73

Percentage of Americans who expect to see a female president in their lifetime *census.org

Under the Influence

57

Percent of fatally injured drivers that had alcohol and or drugs found in their system

21

Percent of drivers whose alcohol levels were above the legal limit

1.2

Million drivers were arrested for being under the influence of drugs and or alcohol

28

Number of Americans who die each day due to drunk driving accidents *MADD

Average Prom Spending Per Family in 2014 West Coast: $1,125 East Coast: $1,104 South: $926 Midwest: $835

By Region

Hannah Martin--------------------Editor in Chief Kayley Allen------------------------- News Editor Jack Rogan---------------------- Lifestyle Editor Jennifer Butler------------------- Opinion Editor Elly Levy------------------- Asst. Opinion Editor Ben Rachell------------------------Sports Editor Seth Boester-----------------------Sports Editor Alaina Strollo------------------------Feed Editor Anna James---------- News & Numbers Editor Delaney Eyermann----------------- Webmaster Megan Rigabar---------------------- Webmaster Amanda Shaw---------------- Asst. Webmaster Madison Kesselring---------Business Manager Nancy Y. Smith, MJE------------------- Adviser

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April 17, 2015

U.S. Top 10 Dangerous Cities

2 misc.

*www.usnews.com

1. Detroit, MI 2. St. Louis, MO 3. Oakland, CA 4. Memphis, TN 5. Birmingham, AL 6. Atlanta, GA 7. Baltimore, MD 8. Stockton, NJ 9. Cleveland, OH 10.Buffalo, NY *Forbes

480,000 Define Beauty Deaths are caused yearly in the United States by cigarette smoking

Webster Says:

Beauty/noun/beau·ty “Beauty is being comfortable

*cdc.gov

101

Average amount of sunny days in St. Louis *currentresults.com

LHS Says:

– the quality of being physically attractive – the qualities in a person or a thing that give pleasure to the senses or the mind

with yourself despite your flaws.”

– Nikita Sridhar, 10 “Beauty is when a girl is confident in how she is perceived by others.”

– Rithia Reddy, 9

2015 “As Seen By Teens” Poster Winners

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April 17, 2015

news 3

In Memory Of...

ROTC running with new fundraising ideas elly levy

– asst. opinion editor – Lafayette’s Air Force Junior Reserved Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) will again honor Rockwoods fallen heroes when they spearhead the Rockwood Hero 5K and 1 Mile walk on Saturday, May 16.

For Lafayette, this event started in 2011.

The first four events were called the Peter Navarro Patriot Scholarship BBQ, recognizing the personal sacrifice of Lafayette High School alumnus and Army Specialist Peter Navarro.

Navarro died in Iraq in 2005.

“Peter was a silent leader,” said senior ROTC member Katherine Schroeder. “He’s been missed dearly ever since.”

Over the past couple of years, not only has the event grown, but the number of people showing up to pay their respects to these heros has increased dramatically. The event is known all throughout Rockwood.

Funds from the events were shared between the Rockwood high schools to provide scholarships for students in the names of graduates who were killed while serving in the military.

“We have briefed all Rockwood schools, so hopefully from elementary to high school students, parents, family and friends will participate,” Col. Mike Berenc said about this year’s plans.

Race volunteers are hoping for 400-500 registrants.

Berenc said that AFJROTC senior students coordinate the activity as a part of their Legacy Project.

Schroeder said the Legacy project was a “tradition” they leave behind for years to come.

“It’s a tribute to all we’ve accomplished,”

Schroeder said. “And so now we’re giving back to the entire Rockwood community.”

Considering this year’s senior class is so large for the ROTC class, it’s been split up, so every student has a different job to do on the day of the race.

As Schroeder brought up, the 5K is a great way to help give back to a community of heros in multiple ways.

“Since 2011, we have raised an excess of $26,000 for scholarships for Rockwood students, veteran groups and for Backstoppers, an organization that supports police, fire and EMS personnel,” Berenc added. “Money raised this year goes to Rockwood’s four high schools to support academic and award recognition programs.”

Starting at 9 a.m., there will be two separate events, followed by an awards ceremony and a BBQ from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants get lunch as part of their registration fees.

Awards will be presented to first overall male and female in both the 5K and 1 Mile, as well as the top three males and females in each age group.

Other activities that will be held will include HUMVEE rides, a bouncy house, face painting, pony rides and numerous displays, such as army vehicles.

Anyone who wants to support the cause can register for the 5K or 1 Mile via mail-in form, which can be printed out. Online registartion will also be available shortly. Race Packets can be picked up at a local Fleet Feet office. On race morning, packet pick-up and registration will be available at Lafayette in the parking lot from 7:30-8:45 a.m.

A video has also been posted to the Lafayette website, and a Facebook page set up to help increase awareness and participation.

BBQ FAQ WHEN: Saturday, May 16 WHERE: Lafayette High School TIMES: 9 a.m. – 5K Race 10 a.m. – 1 Mile Walk 10:15 a.m. – Awards Ceremony 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. – BBQ (TOP) SUPPORTING THE CAUSE At last

year’s BBQ event, Rockwood community members including Peter Navarro’s parents, Jose and Rowena Navarro (in red T-shirts), showed up to support the event.

(BOTTOM) AMERICAN PRIDE The

“American Sprit Mustang” which was on display at last year’s event will serve as the pace car for the start of the 5K. (photos provided by Colonel Mike Berenc)

STUDY SKILLS

M AT H

COST: – $22 for 5K until April 25 – $18 for 1 Mile Walk until April 25 – prices go up after April 25 and May 15 TO REGISTER: – Online or via mail-in form to participate **Please email Col. Mike Berenc at berencmike@rockwood.k12.mo.us with a name to include if you would like to run or walk in honor of an armed services member, veteran or First Responder.

S AT / AC T P R E P

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stars & gripes Stars: - Siobhan O’Dell in North Carolina received a rejection letter from Duke University, and responded with a rejection letter herself, stating that she had to reject their rejection and that she will be a part of the 2015 freshmen class at Duke. That’s one way to deal with rejection.

- As of his visit to Utah on April 3, President Barack Obama has visited 49 states during his presidency. The only state unvisited is South Dakota #thanksobama - Last week was the 40th anniversary of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Between the Knights who say Ni and the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, no one can keep a straight face.

Freedom of religion or freedom of oppression? staff ed Opinions expressed on the editorial pages do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints or official policies of the school administration.

All editorials (unsigned) represent a majority opinion of the Editorial Board. Signed columns, blogs, editorial cartoons and reviews reflect the views of the author and not necessarily those of the Image Editorial Board.

- Prom is coming up, and it’s at the fancy-schmancy Ritz Carlton Hotel this year. Fortunately, we won’t pay any more than last year’s Renaissance Grand outing.

- Prop 4 passed on the April 7 election. Finally we can have our turf fields and updated science labs. Too bad the same old network will still be runnng all the new technology.

- The new emojis. Now you can text a holiday greeting with a Santa of any ethnicity. How did we survive without this?

Gripes: - Rolling Stone magazine for the inaccurate reporting of alleged sexual assaults of the University of Virginia campus. I mean, c’mon, even us high schoolers know about using reliable sources and fact checking.

- In the last week, we have seen hail, floods and a lot of lightning that have taken the power and some of our chimneys out. But it’s not all bad. Maybe instead of a snow day we’ll have a rain day.

- Zayn Malik announced he was leaving One Direction last month.

Naturally, millions of teenagers and even a few moms cried for hours.

- The Alabama congress is being accused gerrymandering, or manipulating the boundaries to favor one party or class. Honestly, we never knew we’d use the word “gerrymandering” outside our government class.

Point Counterpoint

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April 17, 2015

4 opinion

We have come a long way since the beginning of our nation.

Slavery was abolished in 1865, freeing millions of people. In 1954, the Supreme Court abolished the Separate But Equal Act, opening school, public and private facilities to African Americans.

And this year, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)’s walk in Selma for the security of their right to vote.

All this progress, and now we begin to regress.

Indiana recently passed a law that could allow discrimination of homosexuals and possibly others.

And it’s not the only state.

Nineteen other states have these so-called “religious freedom” acts, including Missouri.

Arkansas’ Governor recently rejected a similar law because of the backlash in Indiana’s case.

We also have the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) at the federal level, signed into law by Bill Clinton in 1993.

To be fair, the federal RFRA was created to protect religious minorities, specifically Native Americans.

It states that the, “Government shall not substantially burden a person’s exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability,” or that the government cannot pass laws to force people to act against their religion.

But here’s where the problems

start: the wording of these acts could allow the majority to take advantage of it and oppress the minority.

Take Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. for example.

Hobby Lobby, or at least the CEO of the corporation, was faced with the HHS contraception mandate, which would force for-profit associations like Hobby Lobby’s insurance/ health care to provide their employees with contraceptives.

He used the RFRA to say that following this law would be a burden to their religious practice.

Despite the fact that a corporation like Hobby Lobby (or any corporation for that matter) is not a person and cannot have any thoughts about religion, let alone claim a religion, the majority ruling was for Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. State laws like Arkansas’ and Indiana’s give an even broader term to what a “person” is and what a “burden of religious freedom” is, causing even more problems for minorities.

The wording of these new laws could allow any business to claim that religious freedom is infringed.

And with the overwhelming push to legalize same-sex marriage, many conservative business owners are up in arms, trying to find some way to oppress them.

And now they can, thanks to this law.

Apparently, these people are claiming that they’re religious freedom is being oppressed by serving homosexuals.

They want to turn people away just for their sexual identity.

And that’s not right.

Honestly, we don’t see how a person or people who want to give a business money can possibly oppress any religion.

And things will just get out of hand.

It will start with a florist or hotel refusing to cater a same-sex wedding, but there will be stores and restaurants refuse a same-sex couple service or entrance, there will be realtors or apartment attendees who will refuse to sell or rent rooms to same-sex couples. Businesses and schools will refuse to hire a lesbian or gay man. And the Equal Rights Act does not protect sexuality, only gender.

Discrimination isn’t only factor.

There’s already a Church of Cannabis attempting to state that part of their religion is smoking pot and they are being oppressed by the government. What’s next, cocaine?

We will admit, we don’t think that the nation will let it get so out of hand. Honestly, people will probably stop going to the stores who refuse homosexuals, and those businesses will fail.

But that’s not the point.

This is 2015. We are far less discriminatory than our parents and our grandparents and our greatgrandparents.

So how are we in an age where people can turn customers–paying customers–away for who they are?

Guest Column: Why is size glamorized? megan rigabar – webmaster –

“I just want to lose five pounds.”

I’m no psychologist, but I can tell when someone is lying to me.

And when my friend uttered those words, I could tell something more was going on.

First, let me give some background. I’m a ballet dancer, which is sometimes synonymous with anorexic.

Though I hate the stereotype everyone so freely applies to the ballet world, I admit there is some truth to it.

While dancing, I witnessed (and sometimes partook in) body shaming, unhealthy eating habits and a general loathing of the bodies we’d been given.

Since a young age, I’ve been trained to look in the mirror and find flaws in my positioning, my placement and sometimes my own body.

I realize these experiences only reveal the negatives of ballet.

To be clear, ballet has an innumerable amount of positives; I credit my tenacity, dedication and discipline to years of ballet.

Without the art form, I would have missed out on countless opportuni-

Due to recent airline accidents around the world, would you be more likely to use alternative ways of travel to avoid flying?

ties to travel and perform; without ballet I wouldn’t have met some of my best friends.

Ballet has been a driving force in my life that has shaped who I am as a performer and also as a person.

However, every activity has pros and cons. In ballet, I’ve seen firsthand how negative thought patterns regarding body image can lead to unhealthy extremes.

Unfortunately, I’ve watched many friends succumb to the pressures.

At the end of my junior year, I traveled with my ballet company to Chicago for a dance festival. There were multiple dancers —my friends— whose self-destructive, anorexic habits became blatantly obvious.

As the oldest dancer, I was bombarded by younger dancers who came to me with frantic updates about the latest meal so-and-so skipped or how their friend’s skin looked grey from malnutrition.

It was incredibly sad and horrific to watch my friends slowly waste away. What’s more, the most anorexic girl was my roommate, making it impossible for me to distance myself from the problem.

During the festival, I ended up staying up late at night listening and talking to the girls about body image and eating disorders.

It was as if years of pressure from both ballet and society just boiled over into an anorexia epidemic.

Once we came back from Chicago and completed our two week ballet intensive (where the most severely anorexic girls were asked to sit out for fear of possible medical emergencies), we parted ways for the summer.

When I returned for my senior year a few months later, the problem had only worsened.

Due to my seniority, I spent a good chunk of first quarter mediating between parents, dancers and faculty in effort to find a solution to the destructive habits that had become so rampant.

Panicked daily texts and calls from my friends freaking out about another dancer’s anorexic habits made it hard for me to focus on school.

In the end, the company was forced to dismiss two of its most anorexic dancers.

I say all this to illustrate the detrimental impact of persistent negative thought patterns, specifically about the body.

You may be thinking, “I’m not a ballet dancer so it doesn’t affect me.”

This may be true. But everyone is exposed to a media that idealizes the

not. The incidents that “haveProbably happened were extremely isolated, and were at the fault of either the pilot or some technical issue, so it doesn’t make the whole system faulty. The odds of it happening to me are slim-to-none.

Plus, planes are so much fun!

”

Allison Hine, 10

“thigh gap” and the “bikini bod.”

The media constantly barrages us with images of stick thin models.

Thinness is glorified. Weight loss is coveted. And I’ve learned that five pounds is never really enough.

According to society’s standards, there’s no time to be satisfied with your body because something could always be changed.

Did you lose a ton of weight? Well now you’re too skinny— gain some more. Oh no, you overdid it— you gotta go lose weight again.

I’m tired of it. Why are we so preoccupied with a number? The number on the scale says nothing about your intelligence, your humor, your demeanor or your beauty.

I want to be described as smart or funny or faithful or a hundred other things before skinny because my body shape does not define who I am.

My wish for our generation is that we would learn to value the content of our character over the size of our waist or how we compare to magazine covers, advertisements and each other.

I hope we will admire each other for our confidence or personality rather than our dress size, for our inner qualities are what truly define who we are.

for a few reasons. “ Yes,Notbutonlyonlyis flying slightly more dangerous now, but having to deal with the TSA is a huge ordeal as well. Also, the prices now a days make it extremely difficult to simply get from one place to another.

”

Ben Landauer, 10

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April 17, 2015

opinion 5

know WHAT

YOU

I’ve been wanting to talk about this for a long time. Since before I had even been interested in journalism, in fact.

I wanted to bring it up my first day of being a reporter. But I was just a reporter—no one would listen to me.

I kept the idea with me, waiting to talk about it, cover it, and say something before it was too late.

And then it was too early. It would be triggering, it was too soon and we needed to wait. So I waited.

This year, as an editor, I had more decision-making power—my ideas would finally be heard.

It was put on a list of stories we should cover some time this year. But it hasn’t been.

I’ve finally found the courage to talk about it.

I’m going to talk about depression.

I realize this is a sensitive topic to many. Our school community has lost people to depression, I know it is controversial. But that’s why it needs to be discussed.

As a child, I learned that you need to talk about everything, no matter how uncomfortable it is.

Closure is important for all of us.

I had a large and loud family and every time I’ve been to a family member’s funeral it seemed more like a reunion.

Talk of a new boyfriend, congratulations on a baby, sympathies on a

Jennifer Butler, Opinion Editor

lost job and many other topics were mixed in with the remembrance. After my great aunt died, her siblings sat around and told stories of when they were kids. We talked about our loss, and what we’d miss and the happy times we had with each other. That’s how we mourned.

That’s how I mourn today.

But I’ve found it difficult to talk about it with anyone at this school.

Like I’ve said, I’ve wanted to cover teen depression since long before I was in newspaper, before anything in the past year had happened.

And when something big happens, our newspaper staff covers it— it’s newsworthy, of course the newspaper will cover it.

But we didn’t, and we still haven’t put it up on the board of stories.

It’s been in the back our minds, yes, and we have talked about it among editors, but it’s always been too soon, always next time, always something else.

And I understand. A week after a disaster, I wouldn’t want to cover it.

There’s a difference between being open and being insensitive.

But I’m not going to sit here and forget about it, either.

Teen depression is something that happens, more often than you would think. You’ve probably heard in your health classes at some point that at least one in eight teenagers suffer from depression.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death of people aged 15-24.

Twenty percent of people will experience depression before they reach

Popular Opinion #1

St. Louis has one of the highest sightings of UFOs in Missouri.

Do you believe in extraterrestrials? *poll of 118 students

adulthood.

Every day, there is an average of over 5,400 suicide attempts by children in grades 7-12.

So why, if this is a huge issue in America, are we not talking about it?

Yes, we’ve lost people to depression, and very recently. Yes, it’s an uncomfortable topic.

But it is unhealthy to keep our thoughts and feelings hidden. And honestly, that might be why we lost those people.

Depression is a serious issue, and people who have depression feel alone, they don’t think they can talk to anyone about it.

We should be supporting each other mentally and emotionally. I try my hardest to make sure everyone knows that I’m there for them, whether they want me there or not.

It is important to know that there are people there for you.

And yes, it is an uncomfortable topic. There is nothing that will make it easier to talk about. The same goes for the inevitable “sex talk” we’ll have or have had with our parents.

But both are necessary in order to be informed and know how to handle depression if you or someone you know has it.

It seems disrespectful to not talk about it, to forget those we’ve lost.

No one is alone, and it’s our responsibility to make sure students and staff at Lafayette know that.

= 10 students

Yes (58)

TAKE

Tell us an interesting story about a dance you attended

Emily Brisotti, 9 “We kept going back to checking area to grab our phones and take pictures during the Winter Formal. It was funny because the parents were joking that we could only come back once and we were there over five times.”

Peyton Boyd, 10

“My date was wearing red so I was matching her and one of the other couples were wearing red so the four of us ended up matching. We ended up getting a photo where the girls wearing the same thing and the guys were doing the same thing. We looked like twins.”

“We were taking pictures before Winter Formal and the pizza guy came to the door right as we started. We invited him in and he took pictures with us. It was really funny.”

Matt McCool, 11

Alex Cassell, 12

“My best friend and I got the same prom dress. We weren’t in the same group, since we thought having the same dress in all the pictures would be a bit awkward.

We actually did show up and take a picture together.”

No (60) #2

What is the most important aspect of a person? *poll of 124 students

YOUR

what’s

Depression needs to be discussed

Looks (23)

Personality (72)

“Decisions, Decisions” By Anna Preuss, Cartoonist

Intelligence (24)

“There was a Joe Wier, science teacher big circle and people were going out and dancing so I decided to go out even though I can’t dance. I was doing some goofy stuff and I wanted to do a back handspring. When I did it, I didn’t realize that there was a guy behind me and I kicked him in the nose and broke it.”

6 news

Celebrating

Life

image

April 17, 2015 hannah martin – editor in chief –

For 15 years, Rockwood has hosted its own Relay for Life to honor those who have beat cancer, are battling cancer and to remember those who lost their life to cancer. This year’s event took place at Lafayette March 27-28.

Relay for Life is one of the largest events to help fight the battle aganst cancer across the country.

Hundreds of people from the Rockwood community set up tents with their groups around the track anticipating the start of the race and celebrating together.

Annie Martino, event chair, has been working for Relay for Life for five years now in honor of her mother who passed away from breast cancer three years ago.

“Knowing that I’m helping so many people and all the fundraising is the best part of [Relay for Life],” Martino said.

For Rockwood Superintendent Eric Knost,

(FAR LEFT) BEYOND THE BALLOONS

Senior Josiah McElmurry holds the balloon arch while volunteering at the race. McElmurry and his friends walked around the track displaying the balloons in celebration of cancer survivors. (photo by Hannah Martin)

it was his first Relay for Life for the Rockwood School District.

“Everybody has been touched by cancer.

Whether it’s personally, battling themselves or family members. I don’t know how you can not know someone that’s impacted by cancer,” Knost said.

The race kicked off at 7 p.m. after an opening ceremony to celebrate the surivors. Unlike most races, the Relay for Life takes place throughout the night.

As the sun starts to set, it represents the cancer patient hearing the news about being diagnosed with cancer. As the night approaches, the cancer patient loses hope and becomes.

However, the sun starts to come up which represents hope coming back into the patient’s life.

Unfortunately, due to freezing weather, the race was cancelled around 2 a.m.

Whether a minor battle against cancer or a large one, Relay for Life encourages everyone to stay hopeful and fight back against cancer.

(LEFT) CELEBRATING MORE BIRTHDAYS The Adventure Club’s theme at

the race was to “celebrate more birthdays”. The entire race is revolved around celebrating and remembering those who have lived with cancer. (photo by Hannah Martin)

(BELOW) GIVING HOPE A large sign that

displays the word “HOPE” could be seen from far away. At night, the sign lit up to remind everyone to keep hoping and never give up as the race went on. (photo by Hannah Martin)

(BOTTOM) I WILL SURVIVE Five of the

many cancer survivors who participated in the event held the sign together while they walked the kick off first lap. Each survivor told what type of cancer they had and how many birthdays they’ve had since being diagnosed with the disease.

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April 17, 2015

news 7

The Price For Pizza

Restaurant pizza day proves to be popular with students to the tune of 170 pies a week amanda shaw

– assistant webmaster – For many students, lunch is the highlight of their school day. That 20-25 minutes provides a mental break from learning, time to talk with friends and most importantly, gives them time to fuel up for the rest of the day by eating.

The most popular day for students to buy lunch is Thursday —the day when students have the option of buying pizza from Papa John’s, Pizza Hut or Domino’s.

In fact, there are 125 more meals purchased on Thursdays than any other day of the week.

“On Feb. 12, 372 pizza meals and 753 additional slices were sold,” Carmen Fischer, Rockwood’s Director of Child Nutrition Services, said.

Although they are certainly buying the pizza, some students question its price which is $2.25 a slice and $2.85 for a whole meal.

“You can get an entire pizza for 10 bucks at the restaurant or even one for free on Trivia Tuesday. [$2.25] for one slice is extremely overpriced,” freshman, Calia Gammill said.

Lafayette purchases 170 pizzas every Thursday. That’s 1,360 slices since there are eight slices in each 14 inch pizza.

According to the Board Docs from July 17, 2014, the school only pays $6.55 per pizza.

That averaged out to about 80 cents per slice.

Students are paying $1.45 extra, so where does the extra $1.45 go?

That extra money goes to cover a variety of expenses.

“Any profit that is made goes back into the

program. Rockwood Child Nutrition Services (CNS) pays the district back for indirect cost,” Fischer said.

Indirect cost includes utilities and other services such as human resources (employees) that CNS does not pay for directly.

“We also use funds to reinvest in our kitchens and cafeteria lines. Last year, CNS purchased a new deli line cooler and a new speed oven to toast the deli sandwiches. We have also purchased new Combi ovens for schools throughout the district with the revenue generated from the department. We are planning to purchase approximately 11 new Combi ovens over the summer and additional equipment for several of our kitchens throughout the district,” Fischer said.

In addition, there are other costs such as the trays, napkins and plastic utensils that are used.

Theft and carelessness are also a factor.

“There are always slices that are eaten while students wait for the cashier, and slices wasted when students select a piece of pizza and then set it down somewhere else. Those pieces have to be thrown away,” Fischer said.

Due to the volume ordered, the district does get a hefty discount and does not pay extra for the low sodium or low fat cheese and pepperoni, as well as the whole grain or wheat crust that has to be swapped out for normal ingredients to abide by the new government health rules.

And while the school pays $1,020 for 170 Papa John’s pizzas every Thursday, a normal person would pay $2,378.30.

PIZZA’S THE NAME, MONEY’S THE GAME Child nutritionists serve over 1,300 slices of restaurant pizza every Thursday. On March 26, the pizza was from Domino’s. The district uses three vendors because of the large quantity needed each week. (photo by Amanda Shaw)

More than 1.2 million students got their start at STLCC. How about you?

DID YOU KNOW?

Students can choose from more than 100 clubs and organizations, plus we have seven intercollegiate athletic teams at STLCC.

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April 17, 2015

8 news

School store utilizes social media to maintain success alex kessler – reporter –

This year, Rockwood fully implemented the school new nutrition standards by replacing old snacks such as cookies, candy, chips, donuts and soda, with items like popcorn, baked chips, fruit cups and plain water.

These new “Smart Snacks” filled the usedto-be sugary vending machines and stacked the shelves of the school store with whole grain, protein-packed, and low fat dairy foods.

Volunteers who run the school store, Lancers Landing, have spent countless hours working to help the school have an easy and smooth transition to make it easy for kids to adapt to the new rules set in place.

“We had to get rid of most products, mainly all the products that had too much sodium and too much sugar. We can’t have any of that anymore. So, we have a calculator that we use and we calculate the back of the package to see how many fats, sugars and sodium are in it. If it meets the bill, it stays,” volunteer Kellie Lundquist said.

The struggle was in the preparation during the summer.

Finding snacks that fit the criteria was difficult because most companies hadn’t modified their foods to the standards of the new guidelines. But, with schools demand for new smart snacks, companies are slowly making changes and new foods are becoming available to put on the shelf.

“Some packages are smaller, but most things we are finding now, have taken all year, are pretty comparable. So, there’s not too much the kids are missing out on anymore,” Lundquist said.

As expected, not everyone was happy about the changes. Snacks such as Goldfish and Cheez-Itz are whole grain now and in smaller packages. Kids weren’t so sweet about the fact their candy that was taken away, and even volunteer parents who once helped out with the store, found the changes irritating.

“They spent all last summer searching all over the stores, and we would have to bring our calculator and go up and down all the isles plugging everything in. In the beginning, it was

a lot harder. A lot of the complaining was from the parents who volunteered here, not just the students. But if you just don’t feed into it, then it stops,” Lundquist said.

But, it’s gotten better throughout the school year. Healthier foods that the school store volunteers never expected to be a big hit sometimes sell out before the weeks even over.

“The kids start to look around more and find things to substitute what they use to get.

Things you wouldn’t expect are selling out, like the Mentos and Fruit bt the Foot. It’s neat to see the change. We are slowly finding the products like Cheetos and Doritos that fit the bill. It’s going to be so much easier next year because we know how this works now,” Lundquist said.

Luckily, students have been keeping sales going as they’ve slowly been finding new substitutes for their unsatisfied sweet tooth. However, there’s still a huge gap from the amount of sales the store received with the sweet snacks from previous years.

“We receive donations from Smoothie King and Papa Johns, and they see that we talk to over 600 kids on twitter and they see the publicity that it puts out for them. A big majority of kids have a twitter account, and with the retweeting it helps. It’s taken two years for us to gain all the followers we have now,” Karen Chrozel, Lancer Landing manager said.

Chrozel, who also runs the Lancer Landing’s twitter page, tweets out prizes that kids can win by being the first to retweet.

“We also hide those pull off coupons around the school. When we put those up, it gets kids into the store. Even kids who never found the store before. We sample things, as well,” Chrozel said.

But it doesn’t stop there. New spirit wear has been available and has brought a lot of profit.

“We have had really cute clothes that’ve come out. Next year, we have even cuter designs coming,” Chrozel said.

Of course even with all of the extra work and publicity the store has put forth, the sales still aren’t where they use to be. But the effort to find items students want seems to have made a huge difference.

“I think if Karen did not do that, the store

would be down in the dumps. But because she’s done that, it’s kept us still making a profit,” Lundquist said.

That profit is divided among the four grade levels. Each gets the same amount of money from whatever the store makes at the end of the year.

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April 17, 2015

news 9

Testing Tips n’ Tricks

Quick Facts

On April 28, the ACT will be administered to all juniors at Lafayette with the writing test

• The writing test is an essay that is always the last section of the ACT. Students are allowed 30 minutes to complete the test.

• Normally, this is an option test with an addtional fee.

• The writing score is separate the ACT composite score, so it won’t affect your overall ACT score.

• Essays are graded a scale of 0-12, by two graders.

• The prompt will always consist of an issue that students choose a viewpoint on and support it.

bryan woode – reporter –

At the end of the month on April 28, all juniors will be required to take the ACT along with the writing portion of the test.

Though all Rockwood juniors have taken the ACT during school each spring for several years, the test with the writing portion included is in a new requirement by the state of Missouri.

The writing section does not have any impact on the composite ACT score, but it does give students a slight edge with college acceptance.

Junior Hunter McDowell gives his take on the mandatory writing test.

“I like how they give us an opportunity to take the writing test, but I think it should not be required,” McDowell said.

The four traditional parts of the ACT exam are English, Mathematics, Reading and Science.

The writing portion of the ACT is an essay that tests writing skills in which students are given 30 minutes to complete.

It is always administered after the four scan-tron portions. However, the score on this portion does not affect the composite ACT score of the four sections.

The ACT writing test is similar to essays that students do in language arts classes, but the difference between the two is that the prompt is always about an issue relevant to high school students and will ask for your opinion on it.

There will be one prompt given, which will be an issue about a scenario, and you will have to respond with your opinion. You can either agree with the statement or disagree in a written statement.

Before the test, some experts advise looking at sample prompts. They can be found online or in practice ACT tests. By doing this, you can familiarize yourself with the content and know what to look for.

Also, writing practice essays is a good way to prepare for the test because it’ll help you work quicker during the test. Set goals for your ideal score and work towards it each time you practice.

During the writing portion, read the prompt carefully to understand the issue. This will give you time to collect and organize your thoughts.

After reading and analyzing the prompt, select the stance you want to take in your essay.

Spend anywhere between two and four minutes in this process before you begin the essay.

This is better than writing the essay straight from the beginning. Be aware of your time throughout your essay.

When you begin writing, make sure you have a clear thesis. A strong thesis shows the graders that you really know what you’re talking about right off the bat. When writing, refrain from skipping lines.

Throughout your essay, use many specific details to reinforce your argument. Discuss any broad impacts that the issue can have one

“

I like how they give us and opportunity to take the writitng test but I think that It should not be required.”

– Hunter McDowell, 11 other people, places or things.

Address any refutations that others might say if they had a different viewpoint. This can strengthen your essay because it uses logic to tie your viewpoint to specific details.

Be cautious about the conciseness of your word choices because the ACT is very picky about that. When you’re nearly finished with your essay ensure that you end it with supporting details that tie into your viewpoint on the issue.

Scoring on the ACT is on a scale of 0-12.

There are two readers that grade the test. Each will give a score of 1-6, one being the lowest score and six the highest. These scores from each grader is added to create the total score.

These points are given based on the overall quality of the essay.

Be sure to prep for the ACT along with the writing test in advance to increase readiness and maximize the chances of being successful on the writing test. *Information and facts courtesy of ACT.com and Kaplan ACT Prep.

Coming Soon Senior Mag • parting quotes • superlatives • memories • final thoughts • post-grad plans • shout-outs • and more

Special Senior Congrats Ads Due April 24 order forms at lhsimage.com

Lafayette Theatre Company Presents

Thursday Night Live Come see this hilarious show featuring UNDEFINED performing various sketches, musicals guests and a special appearance from a few of your administrators!

April 23rd at 7 p.m. in the Lafayette Theater

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Visit lifeguardsunlimited.com for more info

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April 17, 2015

10 cover story

versus

tall

kaitlyn wylie – staff reporter –

It’s hard to escape the ever present grip that Hollywood’s most elite have on all of America.

Some hang on to their every word and try to recreate their outfits and attitudes, but we can’t all be models and the pressures that are placed on high school students across America can be felt even in our own school.

These pressures can make students feel inadequate and the images that come out of Hollywood (photo-shopped as they may be) have serious negative effects on selfesteem by causing people,especially girls, to compare themselves to actresses and models.

With all of these pressures to be perfect, it’s easy to see why some people turn to plastic surgery to correct what they believe needs to be fixed or enhanced.

But, having plastic surgery also has a stigma around it, and many people, possibly the same who idolize Hollywood celebrities, often make snap judgements about people who choose to receive these surgeries.

Last year, junior Danielle Tarazi had her own plastic surgery, a breast reduction, to help relieve her aching back and an everpresent headache.

For Tarazi, it wasn’t about changing her appearance, but for her health which is an aspect of plastic surgery that sometimes gets lost when others are quick to make judgement about people who have gotten plastic surgery. “‘Everyone likes to think plastic surgery means face lifts and nose jobs, but I think that if it’s something that makes you happy and it’s something that you’ve always wanted then I say go for it. There’s nothing wrong with [surgery]. It’s how you want to

4’9’’

“

When I first meet somebody they might treat me differently, but when I’m with my friends I don’t really feel that different.”

– Zach Steinberg, 12

“

If I ever play hide and go seek, I bet I can hide in more places than most people who are my age.”

anna james

– staff reporter –

Uncommon Heights

Zach Steinberg

Colton Vonk

Students on opposite end of spectrum share experiences with their statures Senior Zach Steinberg has had to get used to being looked up to. Standing six feet, nine inches tall, Steinberg himself believes it wouldn’t be too hard to pick him out in a crowd.

With his height though has come a slew of small problems that others could probably not even think about.

“Finding pants is really hard, along with other clothes,” Steinberg said.

In the end, sometimes Steinberg has to either get clothes custom made or altered to fit him.

see yourself and you’re perfect either way, but if it’s something that’s really intruding on your life daily then go for it,” Tarazi said.

Plastic surgery may seem extreme, especially for teenagers, but it is more common than one might assume.

According to American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) statistics, 63,623 cosmetic surgical procedures were performed on teens age 13-19 in 2013.

Among the 63,623 procedures the most common were nose reshaping, male breast reduction, fixing protruding ears, breast augmentation and liposuction.

Last year, junior Shaye Sellers had a different kind of surgery.

A broken nose which led to a slanted deviated septum making it difficult for her to breath. When it started to impact her everyday life, Sellers chose to get septal reconstruction.

“One reason that I had the surgery was because I also have asthma, so with sports it was super hard to breath. Now I can breathe out of my nose and it is very relieving,” Sellers said.

Plastic surgery is a process that can help someone in their everyday life to become more comfortable.

Then there comes into question whether or not to wait to be older and more physically and emotionally mature to make a life changing decision. That is a question that patients and doctos need to discuss together.

A local board certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Judith Gurley, believes it is not necessary to wait until the patient is out of their teenage years.

“Forcing a teenager to “wait” to have plastic surgery if they are both physically (usually two years after the start of the menstrual cycle in girls) and emotionally mature,

Eating disorders prevalent among teens, local treatment center works to help

– Colton Vonk, 11

– staff reporter –

*Doubletruck designed by Jack Rogan

Girls undergo surgery for reasons beyond enhancement

6’9’’

small

garrett mcbay

cover story 11

Another obscure problem, Steinberg finds himself in trouble whenever he visits Six Flags.

“Roller coasters are really hard to fit in as well.

The bar will come down right at my knees and I’m not secured at all,” he said.

All together though, Steinberg doesn’t see his height as a problem and more as a blessing, helping him out with things such as his spot on the basketball team.

“When I first meet somebody they might treat me differently, but when I’m with my friends I don’t really feel that different with them, like I’m not really that tall,” Steinberg said.

Junior Colton Vonk comes in just below five feet tall at four feet, nine inches, but always

seems optimistic in his outlook of being shorter than most of his peers.

“There are pros and cons to being short or tall.

If you really don’t care about it then it isn’t bad.

But hey, if I ever play hide and go seek, I bet I can hide in more places than most people who are my age,” Vonk said.

Vonk has found some disadvantages to his height, like needing assistance to reach things on top shelves at stores, but has found more positives than negatives to his situation.

Vonk manages the track and field team and also participates on the Lancer Bowling Team. He plays rec soccer as well.

He said he believes his height gives him a

lower center of gravity, helping him play better.

Vonk does think sometimes people think of him differently because of his short stature, but in the end he believes that society is pretty supportive of smaller people.

“You get those occasional short jokes like ‘How do you drive?’, but hey, they made electric chairs in cars to move around or get higher up for a reason. I think people don’t recognize that we have a society where there making changes to make things more accessible to people of all sizes. I think people sometimes don’t think before they say things about short people and they think that if you’re short you can’t do things, but it’s anybody’s opinion,” Vonk said.

Struggling in high school is already hard enough with sports, academics and a social life. Yet what some teens don’t experience is what others struggle with most: eating disorders.

Statistics indicate that 95 percent of people who have an eating disorder are between the ages of 12 to 25. Body image is linked closely to self-esteem, which can lead many young adults to develop eating disorders and some can reach the point so severe they need medical attention.

Castlewood Treatment Center sees roughly 300 patients annually across their three locations. However, their staff said only about 10 perfect of people struggling with an eating disorder actually seek professional help.

Castlewood is very careful when diagnosing patients at admission, ensuring that they are assessed by psychiatrists, dietitians and therapists.

A typical in-patient stay lasts 20 to 30 days, depending on the severity of the problem.

The center takes patients in to monitor, assess and help through their disorder to help them gain self confidence and strength to return back to a normal daily routine.

Treatments consist of group activities, oneon-one meetings with specialists, exercising, therapy and a dieting program.

These activities will help patients regain the ability to contain symptoms to prevent a relapse.

“For admission to occur, first you must show signs of low body weight, binge eating or purging a certain amount daily, abnormal lab work, dizziness, passing out, dehydration. Clients with a disorder such as binging commonly show high cholesterol, unstable management of diabetes and cardiac issues,” Deanna James, Director of Referral Relations and Marketing at Castlewood, said.

According to a study by U.S. News and World Report in 2013, at least 10 million Americans are estimated to suffer from potentially life-threatening eating disorders.

Between 10 and 50 percent of American college women report having binge eaten and then vomited to control their weight and approximately 40 percent of American girls ages 9 and 10 report being or having been on a diet to lose weight.

In addition, the study found that some 50 to 60 percent of teenage American girls believe they are overweight, yet only 15 to 20 percent of them actually are overweight.

Exerts believe that a major part of the problem leading to negative body image is that only five percent of women naturally posses the body type that Americans portray as “perfect” and or “beautiful” through the media.

James said 80 percent of patients Castlewood sees for wating disorders are female.

is a tremendous disservice to them. With the surgical techniques and plastic surgeons who have adolescent practices, the results are life changing,” Gurley said.

Although getting cosmetic plastic surgery can boost self-esteem, undergoing such major surgeries should not be taken lightly.

Before getting surgery make sure you have the support of family and friends, you also have to realize there are limitations to surgery.

Getting a nose job is not a way to get people to like you, but rather a way to help you feel more confident and comfortable in your own skin.

The reason for getting any plastic surgery should not be for another person, and the reasons have to come from within.

“Parents accompany the patient and the reason to proceed with surgery is only if that is what the patient wants (not the parent),” Gurley said.

“

There’s nothing wrong with [surgery]. It’s how you want to see yourself and you’re perfect either way, but if it’s something that’s really intruding on your daily life then go for it.”

– Danielle Tarazi, 11

Danielle Tarazi

thefacts • Anorexia is the third most common chronic illness among adolescents • 95 percent of those who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25 • An estimated 10-15 percent of people with anorexia or bulimia are male • 35 percent of “normal dieters” progress to pathological dieting. Of those, 20-25 percent progress to partial or full-syndrome eating disorders *www.anad.org

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April 17, 2015

12 life

GoneClubbin’

FeminismClub This new group is currently in the formation process. The founders are preparing for next year when they will become an official club.

Next year they will try to spread awareness of sexism and take action against gender inequality. There are currently 32 members attempting to get a sponsor.

Feminism Club takes on more issues other than feminism; it encompasses many issues regarding sexuality. It is much more than woman seeking equality, they delve into various problems involving multiple issues teens are facing today.

New organizations, specialized groups always looking for more interested student members jessica collins – staff reporter –

TheFounders:

TeenageHealth Consultants

Nathan Frederickson founded Christian Apologetics while attending Meet Me at the Pole in September. “I mentioned I would be interested in starting a Christian Apologetics Club. I said I didn’t have anyone to sponsor and Lyubov Briginets agreed to be the final piece to the puzzle,” Frederickson said.

Smrithi Mani and Charlie Wefelmeyer are two of the 32 students who are part of the newly-formed Feminism Club. “I’ve always had the idea to create a club supporting my beliefs, but the commercials during the Super Bowl such as, ‘Like a Girl’ really pushed me to do it,” Wefelmeyer said.

Teenage Health Consultants (TAHC) is a health education project sponsored by the Saint Louis County Department of Health in partnership with local schools.

The TAHC Program recognizes that peers have an important role in influencing young people’s choices. Kids involved in this club are required to attend a workshop to get familiar on the topic they teach.

Trained Teenage Health Consultants have a positive effect on other students by leading discussions about important issues and encouraging healthy decision-making.

The main goal of the program is to help teenagers reach their full potential through a healthy lifestyle.

A program sponsor in each participating high school recruits students to be trained to speak to students in upper elementary and middle school on the following topics which impact young people and their futures: dealing with conflict, every choice counts, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and dating issues.

Christian Apologetics Christian Apologetics is a club dedicated to explaining the logical and scientific reasoning behind faith.

In Greek, apolo means from and logos means logic.

While kids may perceive the club as an apology, it serves as an outlet to explore faith.

Many people look at any religion and say faith is by definition a belief based on no evidence; this club is formed to be the antithesis to that statement.

Christian Apologetics provides a safe environment for people to explore their faith and get into a deeper meaning of why they believe what they believe.

The club meets on Thursdays after school in Room 212 and is open to all students.

FocusYouth Leadership Focus Youth Leadership is a group of students from around St. Louis that come together and discuss the social problems arising in our area, including racial issues and poverty.

Each student group enacts a two-year project. For Lafayette, the group is doing a project regarding mental issues and depression, and substances, including drugs and alcohol.

They go to different workshops and conferences that are led by different groups. To become a group member, you have to apply or be chosen.

Overall, these students are creating awareness of underlying issues that are effecting kids in our community.

April Lit Link Crossword Name:

*This ad is paid for by Lafayette Renaissance Word Bank -charisma -mendacious -assiduous -nepolism -elucidate -baral -denigrate -zealot -paradox -vociferous -hiatus -ternchant -querulous -saturnine -repercussion -obesequious -fastidious -inimical -gaunt -urbane

1

Complete the crossword below 2

Bring finished puzzle to the stage at lunch for a prize!

Across 5. a person who shows zeal 6. adverse in tendency or effect; unfavorable; 4 harmful 5 6 13. sluggish in temperament; gloomy; taciturn 14. to speak harshly of; criticize in a derogatory 7 8 9 manner 15. constant; unremitting 17. excessively particular, critical, or demanding; 10 11 hard to please 12 18. having the suavity regarded as characteristic of sophisticated social life in major cities 19. full of complaints; complaining 20. patronage bestowed or favoritism shown on 13 14 the basis of family relationship, as in business or politics Down 15 16 1. devoid of freshness or originality 2. extremely thin and bony 3. vigorous; effective; energetic 17 4. to make lucid or clear; throw light upon; explain 7. a break or interruption in the continu18 ity of a work, series, action, etc.

8. crying out noisily; clamorous 9. an effect or result, often indirect or remote, of some event or action 19 10. a personal quality that gives an individual influence or authority over large numbers of people 20 11. telling lies, especially habitually; dishonest; lying; untruthful Created on TheTeachersCorner.net Crossword Maker12. a statement or proposition that seems Paradox Charisma Urbane Denigrate Vociferous Neopolism Saturnine Fastidious self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth Repercussion Elucidate Mendacious Inimical Zealot Assiduous Trenchant Baral 16. characterized by or showing servile complaisance or deference 3

Gaunt

Querulous

Hiatus

Obsequious

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April 17, 2015

life 13

Other MissionTrips *All trips feature service similar to the LHS Mission trip such as home building, green house building, working with children and protecting wildlife.* Ambassador, A Christian group that strives to help God’s less fortunate children, and to train participants to hears God’s voice. Age 14-18 venture overseas for 2-4 weeks: feature trips to Jamaica, Honduras, Nicaragua and Puerto Rico.

ON THE JOB LHS seniors work in New Orleans, laying down the foundation for a new home to be built. The students worked for four days building homes in neighborhoods that were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. (photo courtesy of Jordan Miller)

Seniors On a Mission

Students travel to New Orleans to give back to areas destroyed by Hurricane Katrina anna preuss

– staff reporter – In reality, few people are willing to give up their vacation time to help others. However, 53 seniors in the Rockwood School District willingly gave up their Spring Break to improve the lives of those affected by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

In 2005 after the category three hurricane, Hurricane Katrina, hit New Orleans, the city was left devastated. Eighty percent of the city became flooded, destroying entire neighborhoods as well as killing a significant number of people.

In 2007, Lafayette and several other Rockwood schools began the Spring Break trip to help neighborhoods that were wiped out. They built houses for those who lost their homes and Lafayette has gone back to New Orleans for eight more years following the initial trip.

Hurricane Katrina caused $81 billion in property damages, but it is estimated that the total economic impact in Louisiana and Mississippi may exceed $150 billion, earning the title of costliest hurricane ever in U.S. history.

The region affected by the storm supported roughly one million non-farm jobs, and still, hundreds of thousands of local residents were left unemployed by the hurricane. Communities are suffering from a very low income, resulting in the dire need for volunteers to offer their help in rebuilding the communities.

“The jJob is never done, we need to keep coming back to these neighborhoods and keep building. There are entire lots where there used to be schools and now there’s nothing.

And not only is this trip beneficial to the residents but it benefits the students of Lafayette and the other rockwood schools that participate.The students learn to appreciate the things they have because we live in such a great area, where as these people have nothing,” coordinator and Assistant Principal Tim Jones said.

The trip is made possible through donations. Lafayette receives money from the Powder Puff game and the trip also accepts funds from the cookie stand.

Each year, Rockwood volunteers team up with Habitats for Humanity, a non-profit, non-governmental organization that provides simple, affordable housing for those in need.

The students spent an entire week in New

Orleans building homes as well as touring the city. ISS teacher Darrion Cochran who accompanied Jones and members of the senior class on the trip to New Orleans described it as an eye opening experience.

The students worked in a neighborhood that had entire lots completely wiped out. Houses weren’t built from the ground up, but the students laid out the foundations for a home.

“The neighborhood we worked in was ripped apart. It was devastating. I think the fact that myself, Dr Jones and a lot of the students here who gave up their Spring Break to help a community that has nothing to do with them is incredible. We didn’t have one student from Lafayette or any of the other Rockwood schools that complained. Everyone worked hard,” Cochran said.

The students remained optimistic throughout the trip, even when overnight, the supplies that were needed to build a house the next day were stolen. $5,000 worth of supplies and equipment were stolen leaving the students with little to work with when building the house.

“Even though this happened, all the students came back the next day happy. They did everything they needed to do to make up for the items that were lost. Personally, I was very proud of the students who showed up and still gave it their all to help out,” Cochran said.

Some may deem it crazy to give up their senior Spring Break to go on a mission trip instead of going somewhere amazing for their last year. However, Cochran and senior Jordan Miller have a different view on the situation.

Cokrell saw the trip as an opprotunity to give back to those less fortunate than he.

“I grew up in the city of St. Louis. Everywhere I see communities that need to be built up. I figured I can give back by going down to New Orleans and giving my time by building up their community. I know that in New Orleans, when Hurricane Katrina hit, there was a lot of damage and the least I can do is give up my time to help these people who have absolutely nothing. I go home every day and I have a roof over my head, I have food and there are people who have absolutely nothing. Who am I not to give up seven days to help someone less fortunate than I.” Cokrell said.

In Miller’s case, going on the trip helped her create a more memorable and unique spring break. She wanted to experience her final

Global Leadership Adventures, (GLA) is a non-religious mission trip for teens. These trips focus on meaningful service work and pair cultural activities and adventures alongside volunteering.

They feature trips to Africa, Peru, Thailand, India and Fiji. These trips feature 2-4 weeks.

Teen Missions International is a mission group that includes teens, kids and adults. They strive to improve the life for orphans with AIDS and distributing supplies that the children need.

They feature trips to Russia, China, Africa, Australia, and the United States.

These trips are 6- 8 weeks.

READY TO WORK in high spirits, seniors participating in the Habitat For Humanity trip to New Orleans departed on March 13. (photo courtesy of Jordan Miller) Spring Break with her senior class.

“My brother went on this trip three years ago and had always talked about how amazing and eye opening it was. I wanted to share the share the same experience as him, so my sister and I decided to go on the trip our senior year as well,” Miller said.

Miller and Cokrell alike said the trip was eye opening, helped them realize how little some people have and how much service matters.

“Going on this trip took my mind out of the ‘West County Bubble.’ It opened up my eyes to people who are less fortunate, I mean we were out in neighborhoods building these small houses, and the residents were grateful for that.

If what we did made those citizens that much happier, then I think that is something to be proud of,” Miller said.

The group spent four days working on houses, and three days exploring New Orleans.

“My hope that is that after giving up this

week, later in life the students will be more open to volunteer service whether it be international, national or just in our community. We still have graduated seniors that come back every year and go on this trip with us, this is my ninth year going,” Jones said.

Miller plans to continue to do mission work whenever she can.

“I was definitely inspired by this trip. I grew so much closer to my classmates and the feeling you get when you help others is indescribable. I realized how important it is to give back to communities less fortunate than you. This community wasn’t just less fortunate, it was destroyed,so it is very important that the seniors keep going back to New Orleans to help. Given the opportunity again, I would definitely travel for mission work again, and I advise any upcoming senior to go on this trip.

It is truly something you don’t want to miss out on,” Miller said.

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April 17, 2015

14 life

Music to her Ears

Despite hearing loss, Ma overcomes challenge to pursue musical opportunities mary adcock – reporter –

As songs and tunes become stuck in her head, junior Shu Ma has the ability to learn them by ear on guitar. She practices perpetually and soon zones out and daydreams about it.

The music becomes gradually more emotional as she empathizes by visualizing a situation in her head.

Ma has had hearing loss since birth due to nerve damage but is also a musician.

She has played flute, percussion, piano and guitar and dabbled in bass guitar, the recorder and ukulele.

“I basically just play guitar every day. Every Monday I take guitar lessons. I spend every single one of my study halls playing guitar,” Ma said.

She is also involved in Wednesday Guitar Ensemble, Thursday Jam Band, takes Advanced Placement (AP) Music Theory, took Advanced Guitar and is going to help teach guitar next year.

Ma hopes to work with music in the future and attend a music conservatory.

Her hearing loss cannot be fixed with a Cochlear implant. She has a hearing aid in each ear to amplify sound.

Guitar teacher Traci Bolton has been a frequent teacher to Ma. “I think she’s a very talented musician. I would describe her as having a good ear which is beyond impressive. She has picked out that skill and honed it,” Bolton said.

Although Ma usually feels people do not notice her hearing impairment, it does impact her life in certain ways.

She struggles on listening tests in her Spanish foreign language class and could not take Aquatics classes.

“It takes 6 seconds for [the aid] to turn on so it is difficult to turn on and off during class.

I tend to hear bass notes normally but trebles and mids tend to be messed up so it’s a weird equalizer for me,” Ma said.

Bolton makes the effort as a music teacher to help students with hearing impairments.

“How I generally help with that is with preferential seating so they can see better. I’ll write more things on the board, more visual stuff and I will often give the student a heads up on what’s going to be in the book. I think visual cues in general are good for students with hearing impairments and other students because we don’t all earn orally, by hearing,” Bolton said.

Bolton has witnessed others who have overcome setbacks to learning music as well.

“I was in concert band in college. A trombonist was legally blind but wanted to play with the group so he spent time on his own memorizing the music. It’s fascinating how people can overcome these things,” Bolton said.

For people with struggles that are unseen in general, Ma feels people should not let it hold them back.

“It doesn’t matter what other people say. If people give you a hard time it just means they don’t really know better,” Ma said.

JAMMING ON GUITAR Junior Shu Ma practices guitar between songs at Thursday Jam Band.

Ma has been hearing impaired since birth. (photo by Mary Adcock)

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April 17, 2015 dominic scaglione – staff reporter –

Personalized license plates let drivers tell their story Dave Cugier, ROTC Instructor “It stands for is Eagle Boy. It’s really just a big joke. I got it when I got my first eagle in golf. It was a really lucky shot so when I got it I was so impressed with myself I started calling myself Eagle Boy. When I got back to the hotel that night I walked into the room and said, ‘Eagle Boy is here!’ People would actually come up to me and ask me who I was and I would say Eagle Boy. The bad part to all this was a week later my car was totaled in an accident, so we had to get new licence plates and my wife suggested, Why don’t you get Eagle Boy? The funny part is my wife got the plate Eagle Girl to match mine.”

Shaye Sellers, 11 “My sister and I are both in love with Yadier Molina, so on my 16th birthday when I got my car she surprised me with the 4YADI-M licence plate. My family has season tickets ever since I could remember. It really makes me happy becuse I love Yadi.

life 15

Getting a Personalized License Plate: If you want to stand out in a sea of basic cars, here are the steps to take: 1. Visit the Department of Revenue and then go the Personalize & Reserve page.

Once you’re there, browse the hundreds of special plates that you can choose from.

After you find the one that suits you the best, you can submit and reserve it.

2. After you submit your design, the Missouri Department of Revenue will review the design to determine if it is appropriate for the road. if it is approved, then it will be manufactured and sent to the licence office that you ordered it from.

Other People with Personalized Plates

Alex Walker, 10 “I wanted to be unique and different so I got my last name minus one letter on my licence plate. People usually call me that so I thought it would be a good fit.”

• Lizzy Joslyn MEEP LJ • Haley Hubbard THE HUB • Danny Huffman HUFFMN • Jenna Hawker LIL HWK • Amanda Noel N0-L330

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15425 Manchester Rd #7, Ballwin, MO 63011 (314) 550-0507

TheWolfStl.com

April 17, 2015

16 life

ANYTHING BUT

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Ordinary Austin shares incredible story of her life before joining staff as new hall monitor grant norfleet – staff reporter –

Students recognize Mary Custard Austin as the incredibly friendly hall monitor who greets everyone with a smile and positive attitude.

A regular day for Austin consists of delivering notes, sitting at the front desk signing in late students and directing traffic after school.

Considering Austin has only been a staff member for less than a year, not many people know much about her, which is why most students have absolutely no clue they are walking past a superhero. Mary Custard Austin is anything but ordinary.

Austin has gone from playing college basketball at the University of Kentucky to winning a ring with the Houston Comets to being a police Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) officer. And that’s just scratching the surface.

Many of Austin’s achievements can be attributed to her extraordinary athleticism.

During her time at Harrison County High School in Kentucky, she was an all-American five-time state champion in track.

From high school she went on to Lee’s Junior College (Now called Hazard Technical College) and became a Kodak All-American in track. From there she transferred to the University of Kentucky to play basketball for one year.

“University of Kentucky was not a powerhouse when I was there. The women’s team was still in rebuilding season. I came in to the program under the late Terry Hall in 1988. After one year, I went pro,” Austin said.

Austin played professional basketball overseas and came back to the States to play in the inaugural season of the WNBA with the Houston Comets.

With the Comets, Austin was part of the team that won the first championship of the league’s existence.

After her championship with the Comets, Austin played with the Minnesota Lynx during her second year in the WNBA.

After a year with the Minnesota Lynx, Austin traveled to Columbia, Tennessee and traded the basketball for a badge.

She became the first African-American police officer on the Columbia Police Department in 129 years.

Being the first black female officer in a city with a history clouded by intolerance, Austin was bound to face adversity.

She encountered people, even her fellow officers, that were critical of her race.

“When I was an officer there, I would run out on calls and not get back up. I was called the N-word by people with the same uniform on. It took me about three years to gain the respect of my fellow officers, and after three years I became an officer of SWAT,” Austin said.

The racial intolerance only served as part of the hardship that Austin had to overcome while on the police force.

“The craziest thing I witnessed as an officer, or at least the thing I hated the most, was showing up at the scene of an accident,” Austin said.

She had witnessed many tragic events while on duty, but one event in particular served as the hardest thing she has ever had to experience.

“Having kids of my own, it still brings tears to my eyes when I think about it. It was a family of four, two small kids in the back seat. An 18-wheeler plowed into them, and the kids were integrated into the wiring of the seat. We had to get them out and thankfully one of them lived, but the other one lost their life. That was the most tragic thing for me to deal with, even though I had to be on the front line as a black female officer dealing with threats from the Klu Klux Klan. Nothing could ever compare to arriving on the scene of that accident,” Austin said.

Austin had to leave her duties as a police officer due to a shoulder injury.

She is married to a preacher and has two children.

Because of her strong Christian faith, Austin

HALL IS LIFE Austin holds a collage of pictures and news articles a friend gave her as a gift.The items highlight many of her achievements in basketball and police work over the years. (photo by Grant Norfleet) said her church is more important to her than any of her achievements.

How did this former WNBA player and SWAT officer end up as a hall monitor?

Austin attributes her current job to a random encounter with Assistant Principal Tim Jones.

“I was blessed. I love kids and used to coach, so one day I was out at my son’s cross country meet and Dr. Jones was out there. I was just cheering on everybody when he approached me and asked, ‘you’ve got to be a coach, where are you coaching at?’ I told him I wasn’t coaching anywhere and he said ‘well why don’t you come to Lafayette?’ and that is basically how it happened,” she said.

Austin hoped to coach girls basketball, but the position was filled before her arrival. The

administrators still wanted to have Austin on staff, so she was offered a hall monitor position.

“Although working as a high school hall monitor is not what I thought I’d be doing, I took the position because I love kids and it gets me out of the house,” Austin said.

In regards to her future, Austin is not entirely sure. When asked about potentially coaching basketball some day, Austin said, “That is not really my call to make. It’s in the hands of the Athletic Director. If the job was offered to me, I would love to.”

It is incredible to think that everyday Lafayette students receive notes from the same hands that wore a WNBA championship ring and held the badge of a Columbia Police SWAT officer, and they don’t even know it.

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April 17, 2015

ads 17

18 sports

April 17, 2015

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SEEING THREES (above) senior Kyle Rombach celebrates after nailing a three pointer against Lafayette varsity basketball players Sam Charlton and Ethan Harris. Rombach and his partner, senior Jack Duncan (pictured left) eventually lost out to the two-man team. (photo by Hannah Martin)

KLOHMANNVILLE KLASSIC:

7th Annual tournament goes out with a bang seth boester

– sports editor – When driving through a neighborhood, it’s not rare that you’ll spot at least one group of kids playing basketball on a driveway.

But it shouldn’t be every day that you see a seemingly endless line of cars parked down the street for blocks, leading up to a driveway two-on-two hoops tournament, spectated by a group high schoolers packed into a garage.

It didn’t start out this extravagantly for senior Jake Klohmann.

The Klohmannville Klassic (KVK) began in 2009, when Jake, with permission from his parents, Randy and Shelly, gathered 19 friends and held a one-on-one basketball championship in his neighborhood.

“March Madness was going on at the time, and Jake wanted to do a tournament inspired by that, so we used ours and our neighbor’s driveways, and held one,” Shelly said.

That was just the first year. Held every Good Friday since that day, the tournament grew and grew in popularity, eventually requiring the shift from singles matches to doubles, due to the increasing demand for player participation.

By the sixth year, Klohmann launched a Twitter account for the tourney, @KVK_VI. In its seventh year, KVK has turned into a full blown event, with hype and discussion surrounding the tournament being spread across the school in the weeks leading up to it.

This year alone had 50 kids registered to participate. This isn’t even counting the number of spectators it had amassed.

“At first, we thought that it was just going to be a one-time deal,” Shelly said.

“We never expected it to get this big.”

The increasing popularity has also allowed the competition to be played for a cause.

Suggested by Jake’s mom during the sixth year, the KVK began raising money for the St. Baldrick’s Childhood Cancer

Foundation, with shirt sales and the $10 player entry fee being the main source of donations.

Klohmann and his parents chose the cancer foundation due to their close family ties with the disease.

“Last year, Jake’s cousin Amanda was diagnosed with Leukemia, and when he was 10, his friend Tyler was also stricken with it. His cousin survived and is fine now, but sadly Tyler passed away. I told Jake that if we were going add a charity to the tournament, it should be one that means something to him,” Shelly said.

The partnership with St. Baldrick’s proved to be a huge success, as the family raised over $1,000 in just the first year.

On April 4, KVK VII made its mark as arguably the most exciting contest in tournament history. Several of the match ups proved to be some of the best KVK has had to offer, including the dynamic duo, juniors Will Stonecipher and Luke Finley squaring off against the defensive wall of seniors Zach Steinberg and Justin Zadoks.

The competition ended in a grand fashion when Zadoks and Steinberg faced off against seniors Will McIntyre and Eric Knowling in the finals.

While it was back and forth, McIntyre kept his cool, while Knowling rained three pointers the entire time. Steinberg and his partner lost out to the two-man team, 22-19. This broke Zadoks’ four year win streak.

“The atmosphere of the final match was amazing. It was intense the whole way through,” McIntyre said.

Despite losing out in the first round with his partner senior Caleb Lewis, selfproclaimed MVP of the tournament senior Matt Alwell is proud of what he dished out that Good Friday afternoon.

“I’ve been training for this all year, and the hard work finally paid off,” he said.

Unfortunately, this may be the last year for the tournament.

Klohmann will be off at the University of Missouri at this time next year, so the

DAVID VERSUS GOLIATH Jake Klohmann attempts to put up a defensive front around 6’9”

Zach Steinberg during the Round of 16. Klohmann and his partner Matt Keegans were eventually knocked out by the Justin Zadoks/Steinberg duo, 31-16. (photo by Hannah Martin)

future of the annual event is uncertain.

“Jake said he’d keep doing the tournament until he won it, and that could be until he’s 40 for all we know,” Shelly said.

“Many people have asked me to hold it in the summer, when we’ll all be at home and on break from college, but we’ll just have to wait and see,” he said.

While the fundraising has been a secondary component added to the tournament in recent years, the main purpose of the KVK isn’t too complicated—it’s a

group of guys who just want to play ball. .

The bonds the players have made contending in the tournament are strong.

So strong, in fact, that two-time KVK MVP Scott Garcia travels from Chicago, and Klohmann’s partner in the event, Matt Keegans, flies in from Ridgefield, Connecticut, to play in the Chesterfield-based neighborhood basketball tournament.

“To me, KVK is just about a bunch of friends playing basketball, simple as that,” Klohmann said.

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April 17, 2015

sports 19

The Crack of the Bat

Equipment changes alter the way the game is played ben rachell

– sports editor– Nearly each every year, rules and regulations change the size and weight of the bats that we use to play America’s favorite pastime.

When the new rules are set into effect, players must make sure their equipment is up to date.

Disciplinary actions can occur such as ejection or an automatic out depending on the specific situation the illegal bat is used.

At all different levels in local leagues, as well as professional, umpires are charged with monitoring the equipment that the players use in a game. In Major League Baseball (MLB) there is a strict set of guidelines the players must follow.

MLB rule 1.10 reads: “The bat shall be a smooth, round stick not more than 23/4 inches in diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches in length. The bat shall be one piece of solid wood.”

Rules also state that any performance enhancing material may not be be used to help exaggerate performance. Although it seems that it would be difficult for an umpire to tell visually if a bat is illegal or not, sometimes it’s exposed on accident.

That same rule reads, “The bat handle, for not more than 18 inches from its end, may be covered or treated with any material or substance to improve the grip. Any such material or substance, which extends past the 18 inch limitation, shall cause the bat to be removed from the game.”

In addition to the size restrictions, materials that alter the shape of the bat are also prohibited.

In 2003, just as it appeared the MLB had began its road to recovery following the steroid allegations and usage that were left over from the 1990s, the latter of those two rule stipulations described above came into play.

Another reputation that had already been on the fence became tarnished after a specific incident that hurt the integrity once again of America’s pastime.

Several years after the famous home run chase between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa that encapsulated fans back to baseball, an unfortunate event occurred that preceded McGwire admitting to steroid usage during that stretch.

While playing in a daytime game with the Tampa Devil Rays, the Chicago Cubs star outfielder Sammy Sosa came to the plate.

As the count deepened, Sosa made contact with the ball and his bat shattered. A prohibited substance was ejected from the pine bat, and sprayed across the infield.

Confused, the umpires went to check on the substance and discovered it was cork.

Sosa was tossed from the game immediately and dealt an eight game suspension.

Ever since the scandal, a higher level of scrutiny was implemented in regards to watching the bats.

While the MLB sticks to the script with those rules without much change, youth leagues alter their rules all the time.

Over the last several years Lafayette has had to make the transition from traditional bats that were used during the high school

career’s of David Freese and Ryan Howard, to the new Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) stamped and certified bats.

While the BBCOR certification has been around for ages, they were never a necessity like they are now.

The goal of the composite twig is to deaden the trampoline effect that typical aluminum bats make.

It replicates the characteristics of a wood bat, but it’s supplemented by the fact that it’s nearly impossible to crack this bat off of a pitched ball.

Although it seems strange that colleges use bats that are more similar to high school bats rather than professional bats, it makes a lot of sense from a financial sense.

Wooden bats that big leaguers use are usually composed of maple or hickory, which can cost several hundred dollars for a single bat.

Those are prone to break, which can price out college teams a lot.

Lafayette has had to use the new bats since 2012. Despite the lack of pop that many players report during the transition, many of Lafayette’s baseball players seem to disagree.

Junior Brock Ellis said, “These bats fit the middle ground between youth league bats and professional wooden bats, creating a nice transition for those those fortunate enough to graduate to the majors. It hasn’t changed the way our team has played. I don’t even realize the modifications of the bats anymore.”

It seems like the players should be able to adapt to the constantly changing rules.

Attention Seniors-Juniors ACT/SAT Tutoring

Call Dr. Jack Arnold 314-805-4561 Appointments Tuesday/Thursday Evenings Saturday/Sunday afternoons www.JackArnold.org

the feed alaina strollo

– the feed editor –

WATCH On April 24, Apple will officially release the much-anticipated and first ever electronic watch. According to Apple, the watch is referred to as their “most personal device yet.”

It offers different types of personal customization and service that the consumer could possibly need.

The watch offers an alarm, weather updates, sports scores, maps, stocks, calendar, music and a plethora of other services that products like the iPhone and iPad offer.

The watch also involves a fitness component that can measure heart rate and exercise results.

According to the Apple website, the three versions are the Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition.

Prices range from $349-$17,000. It works in conjunction with an iPhone 5 or higher.

So, is anyone ready to take the plunge?

“

I think it’s really amazing and convenient for using maps, checking the weather and quickly replying to texts. I personally wouldn’t buy it because it’s basically another phone just attached to your wrist.

–Charlotte Thissen, 11

“

The Sound of St. Louis ScottTrade Center, Verizon Ampitheater and Edward Jones Dome are all the classic venues that come to mind for concerts in St. Louis. Beneath the surface are small, inexpensive venues that bring a new intimacy to live music.

The Firebird is a bigger and more well-known venue in the St. Louis area. The venue is comprised of booths and room to stand, enjoy the music and dance. It holds a more mature audience but the venue hosts music artists ranging from traditional rock to youthful indie and other styles of music. Smallpools, Bad Suns and vine famous Taylor Caniff are artists that will soon be performing at the Firebird. In the months of April and May, the Firebird has at least three concerts per week. During the summer, the Firebird has a consistent flow of new artists coming weekly too. The broad range of music offered at the Firebird guarantees a concert for just about anyone.

Location: 2706 Olive Street · St. Louis, MO 63103 Website: http://www.firebirdstl.com/

The Ready Room in the Grove is the ideal venue for music that flies under the radar. The venue is an open garage for small audiences with tickets ranging anywhere from an easy $10 to a steep $75 and beyond. The Ready Room hosts a variety of different artists such as rock bands, indie folk, acoustic music, mature, old-school sounds and others. Soon to come to the Ready Room is the popular pop-punk band Neon Trees and indie-folk artist Gregory Alan Isakov. One draw to the venue is its neighbors such as Rise Coffee House and eccentric restaurants such as Joyia Tapas and Sweetie Pies.

Location: 4195 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110 Website: http://www.thereadyroom.com/

Other Local Venues:

Other Upcoming Concerts:

1. The Old Rock House | www.oldrockhouse.com 2. The Pageant | www.thepageant.com/ 3. The Demo | www.thedemostl.com/ 4. Peabody Opera House | www.peabodyoperahouse. com/ 5. Chaifetz Area | thechaifetzarena.com/ 6. The Gramophone | www.gramophonestl.com/ 7. Beale on Broadway | www.bealeonbroadway.com/

1. The Kooks at the Pageant | April 30 2. Ed Sheeran at the Scottrade Center | May 10 3. Milky Chance at the Pageant | May 12 4. Matt Townsend at the Demo | May 16 5. The Cave Singers at the Demo | June 17 6. “Weird Al” Yankovic at the Peabody Opera House | June 28 7. Sam Smith at the Chaifetz Arena | July 30

How to Improve Your Driving rebecca handler – guest writer –

I think I would wait to see what else comes out with future versions. Right now I think it’s overpriced for the features it has to offer.

–Jordan Lundquist, 12

*photo from Forbes

page 20 April 17, 2015

lhsimage.com

megan rigabar

– assistant webmaster –

Following the below guidelines will ensure a pristine driving record. Abiding by these rules will earn you the love of drivers far and wide.

1. Before you even enter your car, make sure to decorate with copious bumper stickers proving to the world that you are, indeed, a hipster.

2. Next, go to your car, which should be parked crookedly on the side of your neighborhood street. Your car should conveniently block half of the road.

3. As you are driving out of your neighborhood, be sure to check your phone incessantly to make sure your friend bought that new pair of shoes she wanted. Don’t mind the kids playing on the side of the road–your impeccable driving won’t be a hazard at all.

4. To add some excitement, don’t use your blinker as you turn out of the neighborhood. Let those drivers behind you play a guessing game as to which way you’re going. Abide by this no-blinker rule at all times.

5. On the rare occasion that you do use your blinker, make sure to leave it on for 10 minute intervals, regardless of whether you are actually turning or not. If you’re feeling more ambitious, leave it on for 20 minutes.

6. While you are driving, be sure to alternate between extremely slow speeds and super fast speeds, never keeping your speed constant. This way, people won’t know if you’re an 80 year old grandma or a 16 year old teenager.

7. If ever you mess up, throw a variety of profane gestures at the other driver, regardless of who is at fault. In fact, if you are to blame, increase the amount and intensity of said gestures.

8. When you reach your destination, don’t worry about parking in the lines. Those white lines are just suggestions.