Dec 11 2015 by Lafayette High School

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December 11, 2015 • Vol. 47, No. 4

Students work to earn cash so they can stay in the black financially.

Read pages 6-7 to see how students are handling their money.

But a desire for the latest trends and impulse buying often leaves them in the red.

Lafayette High School • 17050 Clayton Rd. • Wildwood, MO 63011 • lhsimage.com • @LHSimage

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page two • opinions

Dec. 11, 2015

Different kind of joy comes from giving back staff editorial 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.

Staff • Policies

Editors

Seth Boester • Editor in Chief Anna James • News Editor Jessica Collins • Lifestyle Editor Ben Rachell• Opinion Editor Kayley Allen • Sports Editor Kaitlyn Wylie • Feed Editor

The holiday season is a time of giving and a time to usher in the new year. It’s also a time for spending time with families, friends and loved ones. During the holidays the purpose of gift giving is to show other people how much we care about them. We’re concerned that people are overvaluing materialistic items. One of the most important parts of the season is the gift of giving. We cannot forget this time of year’s true intentions. It’s absolutely okay to give others expensive gifts, just as long as the thought and feeling and caring for others is there. It doesn’t matter the price of the gift or what it is, but if the thought isn’t there, then the point is being missed. Each person in the United States is statistically given around 12 gifts a year. With so many gifts being shared, people may begin to feel entitled to the newest electronics and trinkets. Fortunately, some families are getting away from this idea of giving more presents than necessary and are instead giving back to the community. Volunteering around the community is another example of something that represents the spirit of the holiday season. Throughout the St. Louis area, there are plenty of places to volunteer and donate that allow students to experience a true sense of giving. At Lafayette, it started with the canned food

Nancy Y. Smith, MJE • Adviser

Staff Members Tyler Burnett, Erin Coogan, Arpan Das, Jack Deubner, Brinlee Frazier, Elly Levy, Alex Kessler, Dominic Scaglione, Josh Waitsman

Digital Media:

Logan Jordan • Editor in Chief Julianne Beffa • Editor in Chief Malcolm Beattie-Hauser, Jimmy Bowman, Kevin Chang, Nathan Hinton, Olivia Jaeger, Ben Laves, Karina Patel, Shelby Robbe, Mason Smith, Laura Stewart, Cameron Wolk

Information

Image is published nine times a year by the News Production class. Subscriptions are $30. Free issues are distributed on campus. The 2014-2015 Image received an All-American rating with five marks of distinction from the National Scholastic Press Association. The 2013-2014 website 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.

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.

Christmas Child is run by Samaritan’s Purse. Students pack a shoebox full of items that a child in a third world country has the need for and then when the Christmas time comes, they send them there. Whole villages will get boxes from churches and after the box is opened, the donor can get details sent on where it went. Not only does helping others make someone feel good inside, but participating in other holiday themed events can bring the spirit to someone. Some people choose to follow in the footsteps of family traditions, while others choose to spend time doing other events. People do things like ice skating and caroling with their families to bring them closer together. Others bake cookies and go to shows like the Nutcracker. If all the traditional Christmas lights get too boring, Santa’s Magical Kingdom down in Pacific has many displays and decorations up for families in the area. Many people’s extended and immediate families can only get together infrequently to enjoy each others company. That’s why it’s so important to use the holiday season to appreciate the time you have, not only the items that are gifted to you. There are more ways than one to help others this holiday season; if we can get back to our roots of giving, then we may begin to experience a different kind of a joy.

A+ program vital for students’ future; supplies great route for cheaper college

Suzy Blalock • Webmaster Garrett McBay • Asst. Webmaster

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drive. Students gathered up hundreds and hundreds of items of food to donate at local food pantries with a goal of ending holiday season hunger. The students here gathered enough cans (26,000) that it took 25+ students an entire hour to transport the boxes halfway across the school. The contributions are visible, as students were able to donate so many items of food that it filled an entire portion of the Commons. If you missed out on the canned food drive, there are still many other organizations that allow you to help others. Wheels For Wishes is a car donation program benefiting Make-A-Wish® Missouri. They offer an easy way to recycle or donate unwanted cars, trucks, motorcycles, SUV’s, RV’s or even boats (with trailers), by turning them into a wish for a local child. Vehicles are accepted whether they are running or not, and you will also receive a tax deduction for your charitable donation. This is a wonderful way to help spread joy by making children’s holiday season a bit brighter. There are other ways to help. Students can donate old jackets to Goodwill and spend time preparing and serving with Meals on Wheels volunteers. You can work for Habitat for Humanity or donate to the Salvation Army. Donations of beds, mattresses, items of clothing, furniture and other around the house items are all accepted. Another organization called Operation

Created in 1993 as a by-product of Senate Bill 380, Missouri’s A+ program is an educational incentive program that is available for high school students that want a cheaper start to their college education and experience. When the state approved the bill, Lafayette and other Missouri schools received funding soon after to enact the new program. The way the program helps pay for education is by reimbursing recently graduated high school students’ tuition at local community colleges. Through community college, students can receive an associate’s degree or transfer their completed credits over to a four-year university. This prioritizes education and provides a fantastic opportunity for students to get college credit for a less price than traditional university. It’s easy to enroll in and it’s requirements are simple enough that if a student puts their mind to it, they can qualify for it without much trouble. Although the program isn’t incredibly difficult to get active with and become a part of, there’s still a sizeable list of guidelines a student has to follow in order to get into the program. For example, one of those requirements states that students are required to maintain a 95 percent attendance rate. This demonstrates and teaches students how important showing up to class is. In my opinion, this is one of the most important requirement; it tackles a problem that seemingly gets worse and grows as a student’s high school careers go on- showing up to class. Other fulfillments include maintaining a 2.5 cumulative GPA, a clean disciplinary record and 50 hours of unpaid tutoring and mentoring of younger students. All of these factors teach students responsibility and the payout of free tuition is a great incentive for students who work hard in the program. Despite the fact that Rockwood is a wealthier school district, a considerable amount

of students in the district are in need of financial aid and support to continue their education. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and scholarships are helpful, but there can always be more routes for students to afford education. But the continued funding and usage of this extra program statistically will graduate and educate more students than the state would without its implementation. And it’s lived up to it’s standards rather successfully. Statistically, before the program was created, Missouri had a 75 percent high school graduation rate; a rate that has risen up to nearly 81 percent in the years following its enactment. Now Missouri ranks in the top ten in the country for having the highest high school graduation rate. And not only are we seeing educational improvements at the high school level, but we’re seeing more students moving on to college and thousands of high schoolers utilizing this program. This option is critical not only for our school district, but even more importantly, the rest of the state of Missouri. Comparatively, other schools and districts simply just do not have the resources and funds we have; which makes this program even more important for both students’ in Missouri financial and professional lives. Despite the program’s success, in September of 2014, Missouri’s Department of Higher Education announced that the program could possibly lose funding and reimburse a smaller amount of money for students in the very soon future. There has been a serious series of budget threats facing the state, and in a more narrow focus, education. When it comes to pinching pennies, education often faces cuts, particularly targeting particularly K-12 education. This prophecy of the predicted cuts almost became true. A local CBS station reported that “in the past, the program paid for two years of tuition at any Missouri technical or community college, as long as students met the GPA and attendance requirements. However, high school students could soon get a letter that says the A+ Program does not equal two years of free tuition. Instead, current proposals could cut that funding, meaning it would quit reimbursing community colleges for up to 4 credit hours per student starting in the spring.” One of the main threats in regards to the potential funding depletion referenced comes

Ben There, Done That ben rachell opinions editor as a consequence of a series of bills, called the “Friday Favors”, and other bills like those. These specific laws were passed by legislators, but eventually vetoed by Governor Jay Nixon. The bills proposed a tax break to corporations at the expense of other departments and services, including education, which includes this program. Although these laws never game to fruition via veto, the only things standing between millions of dollars of lost funding was a single signature. For my fellow youth involved with the A-plus program, this is a little too close for comfort. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned from volunteering at one of the local elementary schools, it’s that everything starts there. If funding cuts inevitably affect the foundation that education creates for a child, whether it be a first grader or a senior in high school, then consequences in the future will be worse than any sort of extra band aid for a failing business. In my view, any temporary solution that attacks the stability of a child’s permanent education and chance at becoming competitive member of society is unacceptable. Those cuts certainly would have helped out corporations and local businesses by giving them a tax break. Even though they could have potentionally helped stimulate the economy; it would have come at too great of a cost. Moving forward, the state has indicated more potential budget issues and cuts in the coming future. This puts current students who are relying on this program, and students in the future, in great risk.

Dec. 11, 2015

Headwear should no longer be prohibited by district administration I normally tackle issues such as political correctness, the heartbreak of being a sports fan and the importance of technology in our lives. But I’m honestly going to be real here and ask a simple question. Why can’t I wear a hat in school? It seems like a trivial issue at first, but when you actually stop to think about it, it does seem a little bit strange that something as harmless as a hat is ruled out as a wearable clothing item in school. So why exactly are hats banned? Let’s take to the Lafayette Student Handbook to find out. “Caps or hats are not to be worn inside the school building during the school day.” Sadly, the book doesn’t seem to give a reason, or anything else really. When looking at other high schools in the district, Eureka and Marquette at least have the decency to add in other helpful information to their handbooks, like the fact that hats can be worn for religious or medical reasons. Strangely enough, Rockwood Summit makes no mention of a hat/cap policy in their guidelines, instead claiming their rules on clothing are meant to complement the already existing district-wide dress code policies. The Board of Education’s Regulation 2160 involving dress code states ”If a student’s general appearance attracts undue attention to the extent that it becomes a disruptive factor in the school, a building administrator will ask the student to make the necessary changes.” The rule is written as openly as possible so as to avoid specific situations with clothing, which can be either beneficial or a problem. I’ve always been proud about my love for the Green Bay Packers, but should it be justifiable for me to walk around in a giant

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page three • opinions

Cheesehead hat during school hours? According to district guidelines it’s not, as it would most likely be considered “disruptive” by the average administrator. But what if it’s cold out one day, and I decided to wear a beanie; not something wild with stickers and pins all over it, just a regular beanie? Should that be allowed? Again, if we refer back to the District guidelines, an administrator is given full authority to tell me that I can’t wear that, if they believe it’s disruptive to the learning environment. This is where the problems with the current policies/regulations come in. The rule is written so generally to avoid specific instances of dress code infringement that it ends up hurting the majority of students who don’t intend to disrupt the school environment in the first place. If my head is cold because I have a class in a particularly freezing part of the school (that’s an issue for another day), it’s downright ridiculous that I can’t wear a winter hat because of my school district’s all-encompassing, gray policy regarding dress code. Let’s pause on the practical use of hats for a second because I’ve barely even tackled freedom of expression yet. That’s a whole other jar of controversy to open up. Regarding the landmark Tinker v. Des Moines Supreme Court case (I’ll spare you the history lesson, but I’d recommend looking this one up), the Court held that in order for school officials to justify censoring speech, they “must be able to show that [their] action was caused by something more than a mere desire to avoid the discomfort and unpleasantness that always accompany an unpopular viewpoint.”

Real Talk

stars & gripes

Stars: - Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has pledged to donate 99 percent of his company shares, worth $45 billion, to charity. Sears CEO Edward Lampent has also promised to share his wealth, which consists of $12, an expired coupon and a partially broken Craftsman power drill. - Star Wars: The Force Awakens will open on Dec. 18. Make sure to arrive extra early to the movie theater to account for the influx of Tie Fighters that will crowd up the parking lot.

seth boester editor in chief They basically said an administrator shouldn’t be able to remove an item because of the negative connotations surrounding it; they must have a Constitutionally valid reason. I’m not saying students should be allowed to walk around wearing items that promote drug use, violence or even things like racism or gang affiliation. But, we should be allowed some freedom in headwear. Regular, non-descript hats, hats with sports team logos and seasonal headgear should all be allowed. And with that, I now challenge you, the student body, to bring awareness to this policy if you feel that there need to be changes. I believe that I’m doing my part successfully to bring this topic to the forefront of student issues, and I hope that if you think similarly, you will do the same.

- The country of Montenegro recently gained membership into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This news has upset Antarctica, who is still trying to gain traction with their own group, the Coalition of Penguin-Occupied Territories.

Gripes - After nearly 20 years in the NBA, Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant announced he will retire at the end of this season. Although his story is over, the tradition of shouting his name as you bank a piece of paper into a trashcan will live on. - The St. Louis Rams had a paultry record of 1-4 in the month of November. According to owner Stan Kroenke, if they were back in Los Angeles, they would’ve gone 16-0 this season. - Why are there so many cars with reindeer costumes? It was bad enough when those people dressed up their cats for the holidays.

Logic debuts a successful sophomore project ben rachell • opinions editor

Maryland rapper Logic released his second album, The Incredible True Story on Nov. 13, to fairly positive reviews. So far, the album has sold an impressive 128,000 units, beating out the initial projection of 90,000-95,000. Besides the new Justin Bieber album, whenever I look over somebody’s shoulder in the hallway, they always seem to be bumping this tape. Signing to Def Jam turned out to be a key move for Logic because it’s allowed him to be marketed by professionals, which has most likely been the key factor in regards to his recent sales hike and popularity. Consequently, out of all the albums I have reviewed and listened to, this album seems to be getting the most attention from students. It’s apparent that Logic has garnered a lot of mainstream likeability and that’s led him to successfully correlate with students here. Perhaps the reason he’s been able to connect so well with our school is because he’s mastered an appealing image. His likeable and friendly personality strikes a chord with students and people in general, which in rap music, can be rare often times. And to be honest, he’s got a lot of listenable,

good music. After being relatively disappointed in his debut album Under Pressure, this album’s commercial success and replay value for my peers supplied me with motivation to give it a listen. Another reason I was looking forward to listening to this album was because it’s cover is incredibly detailed and visually appealing. They say don’t judge a book by it’s cover, but I’ve found that usually if an artist spends time on his cover art, it means they worked even harder on their music. The cover depicts Logic at the controls of a spaceship and indicates that an outer space theme will be the direction of the project. And that’s the strangest part; despite the significant and unique album art, it has little to do with the actual music or album. There are only several moments on the project that reference outer space; nor do any of the tracks on the album have an outer space feel. The art’s certainly a good concept, but it falls short and doesn’t deliver when it comes to substance. But for the most part, to be honest, it’s a

good, consistent project; the instrumentals are bright, addictive, and most importantly, easy to digest. Songs like Intermission, Fade Away, and Run It contain incredible production and sound very jazzy and fluent. Logic’s flows and ad-libs are engaging and his voice remains incredibly catchy. He’s such a unique artist because his instrumentals have an old-school feel to them, while simultaneously still sounding poppy and catchy and of course, modern. His lyrics on the other hand are often very generic, unprofound, very boring and overshadowed by his great beat selection. If the listener actually listens and digs into what he says and how much he repeats what he says, it is obvious how dull and monotonous it gets at times. Being a technically skilled rapper who can rap fast and use big words doesn’t directly mean you’re a great lyricist or mean you can say anything that isn’t surface level. But it often indicates that the artist has the talent and potential to be a great story teller. His ability to rap and make powerful connective music shines brightly here; but the

words he chooses in order to send across his recycled messages are forgettable and totally average. He seems like he has so much to say from his rare point of view, but once again, he never quite breaks through that wall. Logic also seems to take a lot of characteristics of other popular rappers and mesh them together into his own style and sometimes that’s detrimental to him. For example, on the song Stainless, it’s the beat to Travis Scott’s Backyard, just slightly altered. If I wanted to hear that song, I’d just listen to the original, better version. The skits on this record save the disorganization of the tracks and keep the album relatively cohesive. The skits are funny, contextually important to the project, and are overall, exceptional. Apart from a couple of gripes, nearly all of the songs on this record are very listenable. There’s issues with their repetitiveness, but for the most part, all of these tracks are very enjoyable and easy to listen to. At the very least, it’s nice to see a positive and captivating rap record every once in a while.

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page four • news

Dec. 11, 2015

Holiday depression can take toll on festivities

Experts, sufferers break down severity of seasonal affective disorder anna james • news editor The winter season is commonly known as “the most wonderful time of the year,” yet for some, depression and anxiety may rule over their holiday cheer. A female junior [who we will call Amy] who has suffered from depression in the past said, “I dealt with depression for years. The stress from my family’s expectations, loads of school work and my social life took a toll on my mental state. Even though I had a lot on my plate all year, I found the holidays the most miserable. When you’re around people so happy and carefree it brings you down even more.” Amy is not alone. Nor is she imagining that holidays can bring on depression or worsen it. “Holiday blues” are a real thing. LHS school nurse Molly Bozada said, “Teens undergo a lot of stress that leads to depression. Teens now have to deal with school, problems they may come across in their home life and social life as well.” During the holiday season, those who are already diagnosed with depression, or others who normally do not suffer from depression may come down with the Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) aka “holiday blues”. According to Mental Health America SAD affects half a million people every winter between September and April, peaking in December, January and February. A milder form of SAD, may affect even more people. Symptoms may include depression, anxiety, mood changes, sleep problems, lethargy, overeating and social problems. Dr. Gary Behrman, the Family Support Program Manager at Chad’s Coalition, said research says not only does a diagnosis of depression affect a person, but age, sex, location and family history come into play. Most sufferers are between the age of 18 to 30, and every three out of four are women. Location plays a role as well. Living within 30 degrees of the equator reduces the chances of falling under depression around the holidays.

When out of that range, the chances increase due to cold weather related depression. Seasons changing causes the circadian rhythm in the brain aka “internal clocks” because of the sunlight patterns. When these change and get out of line with daily schedules, it affects the mood of a person. Some doctors will prescribe a light therapy, which is linked to a chemical produced in the brain, melatonin, a natural sleep hormone. This hormone can be tied to depression due to the lack of daylight during the end of the year which triggers SAD symptoms. Light from this type of therapy will balance the brain’s levels of secretion which make it less likely for someone who suffers from general depression to suffer from holiday blues. The light therapy will reduce the secretion of melatonin from the brain, hopefully causing less stress and anxiety to trigger depression. Chronotherapy is an alternative treatment that some doctors use to regulate the emotions and actions of a person. It relates to the body’s natural time balance. The use of this will level out a daily routine to help soothe the stress of daylight loss and lack of activity time. Small daily activities not involved in “holiday joy” are often used to suppress the symptoms of mild cases. Professionals say to clean the house, get out and give to the community or simply just go on a walk outside to enjoy the nature. “I tried everything naturally to get over my thoughts that brought me down. I would walk around my house and tell myself all of the things that were happy memories. My family tried to help but didn’t always succeed. The joy of opening presents didn’t come because I was anxious that all attention was on me and I had to like the present in front of me,” Amy said. Although, for cases that are on the more extreme side, an anti-depressant may be needed from a medical doctor. Seeking help is a very important for any type of depression, even for what might just seem to be the holiday blues.

2015-2016 Annual High School Contest

Students share your talents by creating a PSA, poster or radio ad about preventing substance abuse! Entry Deadline: Jan. 29, 2016

Students, share your talents by creating a public service announcement or poster about preventing substance abuse!

Visit RockwoodCoalition.org for rules, Winning entries will be featured at Six Flags, schools, city halls, fitness centers, and on TV channels including and MTV, MTV2 and Nick! eligibility, prizes submission forms.

TIPS FOR A JOYFUL HOLIDAY Start your own traditons

Old traditions may bring back bad memories, make some of your own!

Help someone else Serve in a soup kitchen or help less fortunate children.

Stay busy and avoid unstructured time Plan ahead and make sure to never be sitting idle, if you're always doing fun activities you're less likely to be depressed.

Get outside in the sun Exercising or just enjoying nature for 20 minutes will help endorphin run and ease your emotions

Real Sports, Real Talk PATRICK LEVINE Podcast LEARN FROM A PERFECT SCORER!

SAT/ACT TUTORING FOR $25.00/HOUR (402)-682-2286

OR PHLEVIN@CHARTER.NET

First, second and third place prizes and People’s Choice Awards will be awarded for the best high school and middle school PSAs and posters.

    

Rules

Entries must include at least one statistic related to alcohol or other drugs Entries cannot include copyrighted material A submission form must accompany your entry Only one entry per student Posters and PSAs must meet requirements specified on submission forms

Prizes

Gift cards, sporting tickets, movie passes, catered school lunches and other great prizes will be awarded to all winners! To be eligible, you must attend school or live in the Rockwood School District.

Dates

Entry Deadline: January 22, 2014 Judging and Awards Ceremony: February 19, 2014 B&B Theatre in Wildwood, 7:00 p.m. Submission forms and more information:

Chesterfield Commons 17304 Chesterfield Airport Rd. Chesterfield, MO 63005

(636) 519-8267

Go to lhsimage. com and tune in every Friday to get the latest news on St. Louis sports

Dec. 11, 2015

Blue light from electronic devices, constant notifications negatively impacts teen sleep cycles jessica collins • lifestyles editor Four out of five teens sleep next to their phone, according to psychologist Dr. Suzanne Phillips. With society becoming more and more attached to technology, this has also caused a change in sleep patterns, specifically a decline in the total amount of hours slept nightly. Senior Sarah Harshman admits she is constantly distracted by her phone, especially at night. “In the night, when I’m trying to go to sleep, every time it goes off it distracts me from homework or other priorities I have. If I’m asleep and I get a text, I immediately wake up,” she said. Harshman said it’s hard to go to bed with all of the social media apps on her phone. “I like to check Instagram and Twitter right before bed. Sometimes I get distracted and I’m on my phone for hours.” Freshmen Chloe Rigg said when her parents take her phone from her, she sleeps better. “When I wake up in the morning, I feel energized. And, I can concentrate better in school,” Rigg said. The body’s circadian rhythm, or internal clock, determines when the body is alert or awake and when it is ready for sleep. A person’s internal clock is influenced by environmental factors such as temperature, activity and meals. But the strongest influence on a person’s circadian rhythm is light exposure. When the sun sets and light becomes dim, the brain begins to produce melatonin, one of the major causes of sleepiness. The human body produces melatonin throughout the night, helping a person stay asleep. When a person wakes up in the morning, melatonin is metabolized quickly when he/she is exposed to bright light, most commonly sunlight. The blue light emitted from technological devices can mimic sunlight, and research shows that teenagers may be even more sensitive to the effects of blue light than adults. Blue light has a short wavelength, so it produces a higher amount of energy.

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page f ive • lifestyles

Studies suggest that over time, exposure to the blue end of the light spectrum could cause serious damage to a person’s eyes. Blue wavelengths are beneficial during daylight hours because they boost attention, reaction time and mood. Consequently, they have a negative, disruptive, effect at night. Even dim light can interfere with a person’s circadian rhythm and melatonin secretion. Light at night is part of the reason many people don’t get enough sleep and researchers have linked short sleep to increased risk for depression, as well as diabetes and cardiovascular problems. Lack of sleep causes inattention and difficulty focusing. It has a negative effect on our interpersonal relationships, and can limit creativity and memory recall. “Excessive technology that causes chronic sleep loss can have health consequences. People who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to be overweight, have a higher risk of developing diabetes and heart problems, and even more importantly, are at a greater risk to be involved in a drowsy driving crash,” Sleep Educator Amy Leavitt said. “The negative effect that technology has on sleep can be attributed to several different factors. Handheld technology, including cell phones, tablets and laptops can be a distraction to both teenagers and adults during the day, but also have the potential to be distracting in the nighttime hours. The use of technology can certainly cause a person to go to bed later than expected,” Leavitt said. Leavitt said even if a teenager tries to limit technology near bedtime, social media alerts, phone calls and texts can disrupt it. “Many people will toss and turn, and eventually go back to using their device, believing it will help them sleep, when in fact it is not,” she added. What this means is that at night, when a person is supposed to be producing melatonin to make him/her feel sleepy, instead, they are canceling out the effect of melatonin because the light from technology. One of the reasons handheld technology devices are much more problematic is because many people hold the device 12-18 inches from their eyes and directly look at the light in front

Sound Asleep? of them. “The prevalence of technology is only going to increase. As our society becomes more ‘connected’ it will be a challenge to set personal limits to prevent disruptions from technology,” Leavitt said. She added that technology has benefits involving social connections. “For teenagers, technology will continue to increase the number of ways that you can remain in contact with friends and family. As teenagers become adults, they may find that their job may require them to work from home, take phone calls, or check emails in the evening. It will remain challenging to make sleep and rest a priority,” Leavitt said. There isn’t a way a person can just eliminate all electronic use before bed Leavitt said, but there are some things a person can do to limit their exposure. “My advice would be to limit technology use within an hour or more of bedtime whenever possible. If you must use technology, dim the screen as much as possible. Light can be a powerful influence on our ability to sleep, and keep overhead lights dim near bedtime. Consider keeping your phone in a different room overnight so friends cannot text or call and disrupt your sleep. If your phone must be in your room, think about changing your phone settings or find an app that will prevent calls and texts during certain hours,” Leavitt said. Sophomore Lily Cooper has already taken several steps in the right direction to end the distraction from technology before bed; she charges her phone downstairs instead of in her room. “It started when I was about 13 and my parents forced me into doing it in order to get more sleep. But, I actually don’t mind it much anymore because I do sleep better when my phone isn’t going off,” Cooper said. Cooper said it has become more than a way to rest more effectively; it has become a habit. “We all have things where we have to have our door closed, or a person might have to have all of their lights off, and mine is that I just can’t have my phone in my room anymore. Even when I am in a hotel, I charge it in the bathroom,” Cooper said.

TIPS TO GET A BETTER NIGHT'S SLEEP STICK TO A STRICT, REGULAR SLEEP SCHEDULE PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU EAT AND DRINK MANAGE STRESS AT SCHOOL AND AT WORK INCLUDE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN YOUR ROUTINE FIGHT AFTER DINNER DROWSINESS HAVE A SPECIFIC NIGHTTIME RITUAL AVOID DRINKING TOO MANY FLUIDS SLEEP WITH COMFORTABLE MATTRESSES AND PILLOWS

Attention Research on this article is done with the help of Heath Thomas, a health technology expert teaching at University of Louisiana.

Seniors-Juniors ACT/SAT Tutoring

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

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pages six and seven • cover story

Easy Come, Easy Go

Dec. 11, 2015 brinlee frazier • staff reporter erin coogan • staff reporter

Student work to earn cash, but just as fast as it comes in, they are spending it. Annually, U.S. teens earn $91.1 billion from their part-time jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 20.3 million teens and young adults in the work force. Here is how much some students make.

Where They Work & What They Make Senior Jack Berry works at Noodles and Company and has worked there for about nine months. He makes $7.75 per hour. Junior Harley Morgan worked at Rombach’s Farm and has worked there for one season. She makes $10 per hour. Junior Grant Turner works at Weherenberg Theater, and he has been working there a few months and makes $7.75 per hour. Sophomore Ian McCown works two jobs. He works at Anna Marie’s and Letty Lou’s Cafe. He has worked at Anna Marie’s for six months and Letty Lou’s for about a month. He makes $8.50 for Anna Marie’s and $7.50 at Letty Lou’s.

With earning comes spending. According to Statistic Brain Research Institution, the average spending of teenagers per year is $258.7 billion. Here’s what Lancers are doing with their money

Survey of 187 students

“I don’t really spend a lot; mostly on clothes and food.” -Wendy Han, 12 “I work at BounceU and make $7.50 per hour. I like having my own cash around for stuff. The job actually sounded fun and something I’d like to do, so that was definitely a plus.” -Sammy McCarthy, 11 “I babysit because I like kids. The money is also nice. I make about $20 per hour.” -Natalie Lenoard, 9 “I love working at Old Navy. I love the people there and I get 25 percent off of Old Navy, 50 percent off at Gap and Banana Republic and 30 percent off of all the Gap outlets, and I make $10 per hour.” - Liz McKenna, 11

“I’m saving up for a Mormon church mission because it is something I have always wanted to do. It’s the right thing,” JJ Thorley, 11.

Trends influence teen spending Business teacher Scott Beaver shared his ideas about student spending. He said, “I think [modern trends] have a huge influence on what teens will buy. They won’t buy it if it’s not cool.” Such truths are seen through studies conducted by Business Insider, which state that brands that were once popular, like Aeropostale, have seen drops in sales in the past three years, as other brands emerged in popularity. According to the New York Times, teens are willing to spend more money on technology than they are on clothes. In addition, a Taking Stock With Teens survey in October of 2014 found that Apple is the number one electronic brand for teens with 67 percent having iPhones. Another thing the survey found is that activewear now takes up 28 percent of teen’s clothing purchases. Nike was named the top clothing brand among teens across all income levels. Top footwear brands for upper-income teens are, in order, Nike, Converse, Sperry Top-Sider and Steve Madden. For the first time in the survey’s history, teens are spending nearly as much on food as they are on clothing. Starbucks was the favorite among all teens for food-and-drink spending, according to the survey.

“I think [modern trends] have a huge influence on what teens will buy. They won’t buy it if it’s not cool.” -Scott Beaver, business teacher

18%

41%

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page eight • lifestlyes

Dec. 11, 2015

Double takes for dopplegangers jack deubner • Staff Reporter

With 7.3 billion humans wandering the face of the Earth, people are bound to look a bit like someone else. There’s always that one person you pass in the halls who you think looks exactly like someone else, whether it’s a celebrity, a friend or even yourself. And when you notice a look alike that’s just perfect, it’s hard to look just once. Check out these Lancer look-alikes.

Mike Brown, 10

Emilio Estevez from The Breakfast Club

Scott Beaver, business

Deion Sanders, former football and baseball player

David Choate, language arts

Wolverine from the X-Men

John Shaughnessy, Principal

Gru from Despicable Me

Jeff Landow, language arts

Charlie Day, actor

Caroline Beirne, 11

Peggy Carter from Captain America

Sgt. Dave Cugier, ROTC

Ned Flanders from The Simpsons

Dec. 11, 2015

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page nine • sports

DraftKings, Fanduel stimulate controversy tyler burnett • sports reporter Sports fans love their weekly football, but some enhance the experience by betting on players’ performances to win money through fantasy football. Two major websites for this are DraftKings and Fanduel. Fantasy sports are a competition in which participants select imaginary teams from among players in a league, in this case football, and score points according to the actual performance of their players. Before DraftKings and Fanduel were around, people would throw in around $20 in a bucket at work and bet on a player or a team. Then after waiting a whole season, someone would be crowned a winner. What DraftKings and Fanduel allow participants to do is play in one-day or one-week games and place money, ranging anywhere from 25 cents to thousands of dollars, in a pool with other people. These sites have both become quite popular, considering the fact that in October of 2015 DraftKings or Fanduel aired a national television commercial about every 90 seconds. “I see usually one commercial per commercial break on sports channels like ESPN and during most games,” Will Bowman, sophomore, said. Bowman said he enjoys watching the Seattle Seahawks on Sundays, as well as the Wisconsin Badgers, and always gets a glimpse of an advertisement for DraftKings or Fanduel. The commercials for both businesses show people who have won anywhere from a thousand dollars to millions and attract many people to play. But the people on those commercials represent only one percent of the people that actually win big money. For example, during the first half of the 2015 Major League Baseball season, 91 percent of

the profits won for daily fantasy were by the top 1.3 percent of players. 85 percent of those participants lost. “I would not participate because I would rather enjoy watching games than be worried that I might lose money if one player drops a pass,” Bowman said. Starting in late September and into October of 2015, DraftKings and Fanduel’s legality were put into question. Representative Frank Pallone of New Jersey sent a letter to the Republican leaders of the House Energy Commerce Committee saying he wanted to hold a meeting regarding the legal status of fantasy sports. Pallone’s entire letter outlined how daily fantasy sports are basically internet gambling. Which if it is, that could potentially be a big problem because internet gambling is illegal in the United States. “I feel that Fanduel and DraftKings aren’t legal because they don’t have the required gambling licenses,” Bowman said, “If someone is putting money on an unpredictable event, like how well a player does in a certain game, then it is gambling.” Gambling is to play a game in which you can win or lose money or possessions. Although that sounds exactly what you one would do on DraftKings and Fanduel both companies say that it’s a game of skill, not gambling. Plus both of these businesses have another ally. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which was passed in 2006, says that participating in internet gambling is illegal, but it specifically exempts fantasy sports. But the question is, is it legal? On Nov. 10, 2015, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman declared DraftKings and Fanduel illegal and asked them to stop accepting wagers in New York, which is the

The logos for both DraftKings and Fanduel are seen just about everywhere, from ads in the local newspaper to being shown on national television. Sometimes big events such as a professional football game, a television show or even a college basketball tournament are sponsored by either DraftKings or Fanduel. headquarters for both companies. But what Schneiderman didn’t mention was for both DraftKings and Fanduel to stop conducting their national business. DraftKings and Fanduel both pointed out to the 2006 law for backup and claim that they are 100 percent legal. With the recent controversy many states have outlawed, or already outlawed, playing fantasy sports for money. Several other states prohibit the use of some forms of daily fantasy at all. Missouri is just one of 43 states that allow DraftKings and Fanduel to be played, while seven other states have completely shut down the fantasy sports business in their state. New York now joins Arizona, Iowa,

Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, and Washington as states who have banned fantasy sports. If Congress decides to end daily fantasy sports, it would severely hurt the sports industry and many people would lose their jobs. DraftKings and Fanduel have advertising and sponsorship deals with multiple teams and arenas. If DraftKings and Fanduel end up shutting down for good, then anyone involved in a deal with DraftKings or Fanduel could potentially lose millions of dollars. However, if congress lets DraftKings and Fanduel continue to operate their business’s, then expect to see the fantasy sports world to continue to grow.

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page ten • sports

Dec. 11, 2015

Fanbase of Origin

Family, proximity among top reasons sports fans choose their favorite teams joshua waitsman • sports reporter Most people have a favorite team in the world of professional sports, but exactly how and why is a team chosen? In the majority of cases it comes down to the three F’s: Family, Friends or Fame. The most common reason someone decides on a favorite team is usually family tradtion. Family can be broken down into two separate categories of where someone is born and also passing down favorites through generations. Among the two subcategories the passing of favorite teams from one generation to the next seems to be the more prevalent one. For instance, Gregory Korkal, senior, who is a fan of the Winnipeg Jets said, “When I was a kid my dad pushed them to me and I accepted them with loving arms.” Korkal also said he was a fan, “despite their recent struggles,” reaffirming that it is not simply fame that caused him to choose the Winnipeg Jets. The St. Louis Cardinals provide an excellent example for both generational and geographical ties, as few teams garner more hometown support. Senior Kyle Burdine has spent much of his life living in St. Louis and said, “they’re [St. Louis Cardinal] my favorite team because I’m from St. Louis.” He is not the only one who is a Cardinals based off of geography. For instance, Jacob Friedhoff, senior, is also a Cardinals fan. He said, “I was born in St. Louis and my family likes the Cardinals, so I became an instant fan.” Friedhoff added, “I am also a Blues fan because of my parents, and a Rams fan, too. I am a Rams fan because of my grandparents

Mock-up of a checkbox where a fan would select his favorite teams. who took me to many games.” Junior Andrew Phipps said, “It was family interference” that caused him to become a Cardinals fan and that his family was “really the only reason.” Geography still comes into effect when someone decides what team they support. Dan Head, junior and Houston Texans fan, said, “The reason I am a Texans fan is because

when I lived in Houston everyone liked the Texans, and they were right there.” Family might be one reason someone is a fan of a certain team, but friend groups can lead to team support. Burdine said, “When I was finishing elementary school I lived in upstate New York and all of my friends were fans of the Montreal Canadiens, so everyone was watching them,

and I joined in.” Korkal also had something to say about friends being a major influence in becoming a fan of a certain team. He said, “When I moved to St. Louis I never had really cared much about baseball but by friends all liked the Cardinals, so now I do, too.” There are many reasons friends will influence someones choice about a favorite team but it usaully comes down to camaraderie because people want to be on the same side and bond over triumphs (and struggles) of their favorite team. The last major reason someone selects a team to be their favorite is fame or, in other words, bandwagoning. It is not easy to suddenly become a fan of a struggling team, but to become a fan of a perennial contender such as the St. Louis Cardinals or the New England Patriots is not tough. In fact, the Cardinals garner the third most fan support in the MLB, per MLB.com, while the Patriots have the fourth most fans in the NFL, per NFL.com. What really matters is when someone gets into a certain sport. “When I first got into football it was the year the Seahawks won the Super Bowl, so I saw them everywhere and became a fan,” freshman Kurtis Amburn said. There are also many Cardinals fans who claim to like them because of their success. In fact, Burdine, Friedhoff, Korkal and Phipps all had similar statements about the team’s winning history in their descriptions as to why they support the Cardinals. These might not be the only ways that one could choose a favorite team, but they definiltely seem to be the most prevalent.

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