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Vol. 45, No. 7
lhsimage.com
Feb. 14, 2014 Lafayette High School – 17050 Clayton Rd. – Wildwood, MO 63011
Nail biting
Gossiping Overspending Pressing snooze Being late Swearing Procrastinating Belching Complaining Slouching Snacking Arguing Bragging Littering Jealousy Lying Judging Fidgeting Getting distracted
Wasting time
Breaking
Bullying
HABITS
Most people have habits they would like to give up, or changes they wish they could make in their lives. New Year’s resolutions provide an opportunity to do just that. However, making changes is easier said than done.
page 8
A look at changes in nutrition guidelines in Rockwood
page 12
Two students share how they overcame brain tumors
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02misc. In This Issue
Feb. 14, 2014
your smart phone with Aurasma app scan this picture some interviews about drive. UseUse your smart phone with thethe Aurasma app to to scan this picture to to seesee some interviews about thethe tripblood to Jeff City.
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Sophomore Brendan Scales is on track to break school shotput record
Students reveal favorite cartoons from the 90s and new millenium
On The Web The Schaper Seriesremarkable siblings featured in weekly Through These Halls
What goes on behind closed doors on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at LHS?
Opinions on stars in the For breaking news, news: Bieber, Cyrus and check out lhsimage. Swift com and follow @lhsimage on Twitter
and
Staff Policies Gabby McDaris – Editor in Chief Jack Rogan– News Editor Megan Rigabar– Asst. News Editor Alex LaMar – Opinion Editor Jennifer Butler – Entertainment Editor Avery Cantor – Features Editor Arianna Demos – Sports Editor Hannah Martin – Asst. Sports Editor Lucas Meyrer – Webmaster Hannah Marshall – Webmaster Delaney Eyermann – Asst. Webmaster Katie Blackstone – Multimedia Editor Alaina Strollo – Social Media Editor Jessica Brown – Business Manager Nancy Y. Smith, MJE – Adviser
Staff Members — Image
Emily Altic Seth Boester McKinzie Duesenberg Madison Kesselring Garrett McBay Jordan McDonnell Kelly Panzitta Monica Piccinni Ben Rachell Kourtney Wahl, artist
Digital Media Julianne Beffa Gabby Breiten Jalyn Henderson Haley Gassel Jacob Robbe Brendan Rodgers Karina Patel Ellie Swoboda Kyle Witzig
Information —
The Image is published 10 times a year by the Newspaper Production Class. Subscriptions are $30. Free issues are distributed on campus. The 2012-2013 Image received a rating of First Class with two marks of distinction from the National Scholastic Press Association and was a Pacemaker Finalist. lhsimage.com received a rating of All-American with four marks of distinction. The 20122013 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) 733-4118 and our e-mail address is smithnancy@ rockwood.k12.mo.us 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.
GIVING BACK Senior Alex Brcic donates blood at the annual drive sponsored by Student Council and the Red Cross. The blood drive took place Jan. 31 in the Back Gym where 102 units were collected. About 25 students who hd signed up to donate did not show up. — photo by Marie Rogan
The Cover
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Editors —
Breaking Habits An in-depth experiment performed by Image staff on the effectiveness of New Year’s resolutions and the lifestyle changes they can bring.
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Feb. 14, 2014
Time for Change
On April 8, an election will be held to choose three Board of Education members. Five Rockwood citizens are running for these three spots. Take a look at each candidate in order of how they’ll appear on the ballot. jackrogan
–news editor–
Darby Jo Arakelian •Arakelian has been a board member for one year as she filled the vacant seat of Steve Smith in March 2013. She believes having the opportunity to sit on the Board for an abbreviated time helped her to determine that she would like to dedicate herself to a three-year term to the Board of Education. •Arakelian said one of her strengths is her experience in communications, which helped the Board to reestablish the Communications, Outreach and Public Engagement (COPE) committee. •If elected, she would like to continue to advocate for a more open approach to dialoguing and responding with the public on the myriad of issues of concern to this diverse patron community.
Keith Kinder
Matt Doell
Eileen Tyrrell
Dominique Paul
•Kinder has been a Board member since 2011. Being an administrator at three of Rockwood’s high schools, Kinder believes his familiarity with Rockwood has helped him contribute to the Board.
•Doell was also elected to the Board in 2011. He considers playing a role in the finding and hiring of people, such as CFO Tim Rooney and Interim-Superintendent Terry Adams as one of his major accomplishments as a Board member.
•Tyrrell wants Rockwood to focus on students and believes Rockwood needs a Board that is cautious when passing District policies and implements a knowledgeable and clear cut vision that is reasonable and fair for teachers, students and parents.
•Paul is Co-Chair of the Rockwood Early Childhood Activities program and is a member of the teacher grants committee, which she believes have given her insight into teachers’ needs.
•He plans to improve challenges in Rockwood in three specific areas including Rockwood’s monetary needs, staff development, and public image. •Like other Board candidates, Kinder believes communication is very important in Rockwood. He wants to let the public know what kinds of decisions are made, what led to those decisions and why they were made. Kinder believes the public should be able to be informed about whatever it is they want to know.
•Doell believes Rockwood’s greatest challenge is limited funding. He would like to see the district back on sustainable financial footing. He believes the quality of education should be a primary goal, but financial constraints must be addressed. •Doell believes that since he has completed a full term as a Board member, his experience will help ensure a successful transition for the new Superintendent in Rockwood.
•Tyrrell’s goals are earning back the trust of the Rockwood community, beginning to make tough decisions regarding Rockwood’s financial issues and directing resources back to the classroom. •Tyrrell is Co-founder and Spokesperson of a citizens’ watchdog coalition, which she believes brought responsibility, accountability and transparency to Rockwood.
•Paul’s goals for Rockwood include restoring public trust and perception of the board, being a positive advocate for the teachers and students, establishing a clear direction for education standards, selecting a great superintendent, ensuring transparency of the District and moving the District forward positively to enable Rockwood to compete on a global scale. •Paul wants to make certain the District remains challenging for students and rewarding for teachers.
The District is looking for a new Superintendent to replace Terry Adams. How will Rockwood conduct this search? The search has begun. An independent firm, School Exec Connect, will help Rockwood hire a new leader to replace Superintendent Terry Adams, who was hired for a one-year interim term. The search began several weeks ago and will continue until about March 13, on which Rockwood plans to have the Superintendent hired. Linda Hanson, president of School Exec Connect, described the process that has already started and which will continue for the next month. “We started the search about six weeks ago,” Hanson said, “We hope to bring candidates to the Board of Education by the end of February. We will interview a number of candidates and
we will bring five or six to the Board of Education.” The company is conducting a national search, so prospective Board members will be sought across the entire nation. In order to find candidates across such a large region, people can refer candidates and candidates can apply through School Exec Connect’s website. School Exec Connect also advertises nationally, so, when people read about Rockwood, they can apply. Hanson also said that she, along with two others, can also reach out personally and seek people interested in filling Rockwood’s vacant position. “I am working with two other Missouri consultants and between the three of us, we know a lot of superintendents,”
she said, “We all belong to national superintendent groups as well.” To be qualified to become a superintendent, especially of a district as large as Rockwood, generally a person must have superintendent or central office experiences. Most candidates for the job, according to Hanson, will have a doctorate as well. Near the end of 2013, Rockwood conducted a survey to gather the opinions of Rockwood community members, such as teachers, parents and students, to get an idea of what qualities a Rockwood superintendent should possess, along with changes Rockwood could make as a whole. The survey, which was responded to by mostly teachers, making up 53.3 per-
cent of the responders, reported the superintendent should focus mainly on financial issues and have a clear vision for leading the schools that inspires others. School Exec Connect helped the district to create a superintendent profile, which describes the qualities the superintendent should have, along with major strengths Rockwood has had along with weaknesses that the superintendent should be able to work on. School Exec Connect will be using the profile to help determine potential candidates for the position. “After the applications are in we do paper screening and internet searches to see what kinds of things are out there. Then we invite people in and we interview the candidates face to face. The
questions we ask generally come out of the profile that we have created,” Hanson said. The new Superintendent will be hired by March 13 and he or she will begin work on July 1.
For more information regarding the Superintendent search: http://www.rockwood.k12.mo.us/ boardofeducation/suptsearch/Pages/ default.aspx
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04opinions
Feb. 14, 2014
Harmful activity plagues school 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.
Through these halls, a sinister and unsightly outbreak threatens to overwhelm the students at this school. Especially around this time of year, it is increasingly important for students to be wary of this. It is a plague to the entire institution and must be put to an end. Though there is a well-known and accepted name for it, it is known by many slang names as well. Some call it “mack”, “snog” or even “canoodle.” On the shores of the great country of Poland, it is referred to as “pocalunek.” According to Merriam-Webster, it was known as “buss” in archaic times. Its names may seem humorous, but this is no laughing matter. This has become an epidemic and given the current time of year, we can only expect it to become more common. It’s more than just a minor annoyance; it’s a detriment to the hygienic standards of this school and a major risk to the health of students. According to MedicineNet.com, this activity is associated as the prime source for infections caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which can cause extreme cases fever, fatigue, malaise and sore throat. This sickness is also known by profession-
als as glandular fever, Filatov’s disease or Pfeiffer’s disease. For those who are guilty of this, it must seem very exciting in the moment. It’s a rush; it’s practically euphoric. This has become so widespread that it’s practically impossible to spend a day at school without somehow witnessing it. Some do it in the freshman stairwell to add the adrenaline of being caught by a staff member or fellow students. Most are more upfront about it, daring to do so out in the open, crowded hallways. These people are the worst offenders, because they do it proudly and publicly, almost as if daring somebody to stop them. Some people even have the nerve to get together and do it in the parking lot or in a car before they leave school at the end of the day. Though the administrators of this fine institution have put rules and guidelines in place to extinguish this activity, those demands for justice have been ignored by prime offenders and newcomers alike. It seems as though whatever has been printed in the Student Handbook or resides in the policies of Rockwood on the subject fall on deaf ears. Nobody enforces the rules we have in place to prevent this, so it is subsequently ignored.
“Suicide Note” by Kourtney Wahl
If anything, this is a call to action. We aren’t saying that students can’t do it ever. It has not yet been made illegal and if it’s done right and in correct moderation, it is not nearly as harmful to friends and family. It’s all about control. There’s a right place for it and a right time for it, but that time and place is not at 8:15 a.m. on the way to 1st Hour Statistics. Whatever students do in their personal lives is their own business, we are just requesting, no, demanding that it not be done here. Our school is one that is not only locally well-recognized and esteemed, but also high ranking on a national scale. The fact students feel they have the right to shamelessy participate in such activities during active school hours reflects poorly on the upstanding standards of our school and the image of the student body as a whole. We don’t have to keep living like this. The only way for things to get better is for people to learn how to control themselves when the opportunity to participate in this infectious activity arises while present in the learning environment. No matter how you look at it, there’s no excuse for it and it absolutely needs to stop. Students need to stop making out at school.
stars & gripes Stars To:
• Lafayette Theater Company’s production of Shrek: The Musical. There were great performances all around and enough fart jokes to last a lifetime. • CVS Pharmacy taking tobacco products off of shelves. The first step to quitting is having to go to Walgreens instead. • The Turnabout theme is The Great Gatsby. Sounds like a good time, but let’s all hope this doesn’t end like the book and that the music is better than in the movie. • The Walking Dead starting a new season. After four seasons it’s still alive and kicking. • A public petition posted on the White House’s website to deport Justin Bieber and revoke his green card has gained over 250,000 digital signatures since it was posted on Jan. 23. Just show us where to sign.
Gripes To:
• The Flappy Bird epidemic. There is no way to win, you just keep going until you pull all of your hair out and throw the phone in a food processor. • Actor Phillip Seymore Hoffman was found dead on Feb. 2, the death apparently linked to lethal overdose. It’s always sad when Hollywood stars make poor decisions. • The Broncos’ performance at the Super Bowl. Nobody would have even noticed if they had let the Rams play instead. • J.K. Rowling caused stirs among the Harry Potter fanbase by publicly stating that she wanted Harry to end up with Hermione instead of Ron. Our personal preference would have been Neville. • Terrorist threats at the Olympics. It’s already dangerous enough in Russia. • Star Trek star Leonard Nimoy’s health is deteriorating due to a chronic lung condition linked to cigarette smoking during his early acting days. He has been and always shall be, an icon.
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Feb. 14, 2014
Blood drive brings out giving side of students As I was sitting in my 1st Hour class, Once that needle was out of my something suddenly dawned on me. Toarm, everything was downhill. Things day was the blood drive. became blurry; everything sounded The problem with forgetting that muffed. I was passing out. you are supposed to donate blood is that As soon as I opened my eyes it took you do not have the ability to properly me a second to remember where I was prepare your body for what lies ahead. and what had just happened. I hadn’t eaten breakfast nor packed I had a cold towel on my forehead a proper lunch for after I donated. and my neck and my leg was throbgabbymcdaris bing. I was a hot mess, both literally All throughout 1st Hour and 2nd –editor in chief– Hour, I kept on debating on whether or and figuratively. not I should go through with donating. After gingerly walking over to sit I was in no way physically prepared on the mats laid out for recent donafor what I was about to do, but I didn’t want tors, I sat down and inhaled a can of apple that to stop me from possibly saving a life. juice, a bag of cookies and two bags of Cheez-Its. I eventually came to the decision that I would go through As I was sitting in the gym, a sense of pride came over me. with the donation process. It’s no secret that a number of students donated as a way getWhen it came to the possibility of passing out, the odds ting out of class. were not in my favor. But there is also the possibility some were donating for The lack of food in my system combined with my own his- the simple act of giving. tory of fainting, there was about a 95 percent chance that I A decent number of the students there were donating would take an involuntary minute-long nap. blood for the sheer act of giving back to others. The first thing I was asked when I arrived at the back gym As the iron levels in my blood were being tested, the nurse was whether I had eaten anything that day and I shamefully made a comment that she was impressed by the amount of replied with a simple yes. students who were donating blood that day. I was now on a mission to donate and nothing was going I made the decision that the possibility of passing out to stop me. would not stop me from attempting to donate. After successfully answering all of the questions I was If my blood was good enough, I was going to do what I asked and getting the iron amount in my blood tested, I was could to contribute. cleared to donate. There was a dead giveaway to who had not taken too well While they were taking blood I was fine, I felt calm and to the blood loss. not at all nauseous, I was shocked. If you were to simply look around the gym, and see someWas I Superman? I had literally eaten nothing the entire one with their arm raised, their feet elevated and a towel on day and here I was, getting a pint of myself voluntarily re- their face and neck, you knew what had happened. moved from my body and I felt completely fine. They had given up their ability to comprehend anything As the nurse came over to remove the needle from my arm, for a couple of minutes in order to possibly change someone’s I was astonished. How in the world did I not feel terrible? life. I had my answer. The physical act of the blood being reAfter leaving the gym I wore my red bandage with pride. moved was not what I needed to worry about, but what came Although I did feel like I could fall over any second, it was after. well worth it.
Let Me Tell You
Around the country, across the web and all over the school we find things that intrigue us. Here are a few things that are on our radar this month:
1
- In a world void of modern Romeos, we’re quite certain a few guys out there completely forgot to get anything for that special someone for today. Never fear. Here’s a list
of easily accessible, last minute Valentine’s Day gift ideas for those who need a cop-out by 3:05 p.m. • Paper origami • The gift of mutual respect • A handwritten haiku • A 2014-2015 subscription to the Image
2
- As of the time of writing, the running total of snow days this school year has reached nine. Everyone loves a snow day now and then, but this is insane. And by the way, the last day of school is now after Memorial Day!
3
- The “high five” could become Missouri’s official state greeting. This is surprising to us, considering state pride is a foreign concept to most Missourians.
4
- Amid recent issues with hotels for competitors and attendees at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, a new Twitter account called @ sochiproblems has gained popularity. It’s almost more interesting to watch than the actual Olympics.
Criticism is encouraged, as long as points have been researched I really should have seen this coming, but with all of the columns and staff editorials I have written this year containing controversial content related to the school district, I never thought the piece I would hear the most backlash from would be my column about marijuana. In the weeks since Issue 6 of the Image was distributed, I’ve heard a lot of criticism regarding my opinion piece, “Argument made for marijuana legalization is not strong enough.” A few people had so much to say about my column, they approached me in the halls or came to Room 137A to seek me out. I greatly appreciate it when people read the work I publish and I would like to thank anyone who approached me. That being said, a few people who had a problem with what I wrote did not offer
much helpful discussion when they came to me. At least a handful of people said the same thing: “You know you can’t overdose on weed, right?” Now, even though that statement is incorrect, I would have no problem with somebody arguing this to me, as long as that person had done ample background research to back up the point. Whenever somebody would tell me this, I would immediately ask them where they got that information from. Most people would simply respond by saying that it’s common knowledge or something. One person told me that “they” have done tests with overdoses on monkeys, even though he did not seem to know who “they” were. I’m not trying to get the last word or
publicly disprove the points people made to me and discourage future criticism; I’m just saying that I would have taken some people’s points a lot more seriously if they had done research to back them up. Gathering information for an argument through research is an important skill and I fear that more and more people have gotten in a bad habit of ignoring this. We all do it. Sometimes I will read something online or hear it on the news and simply accept it as fact before doing any follow-up research whatsoever. I feel like the internet has had a big hand in this deterioration of well-researched arguments. Yes, having immediate access to unlimited amounts of information is a good thing, but the amount of refutable or inaccurate information on the internet is astronomical.
Even professional news sites are not immune to misinformation. This is exactly why people should not allow themselves to become accustomed to seeing an article or quote from one source and believing it before consulting any other resources. Again, I don’t want readers to think I’m trying to call out the people who criticized my work. I appreciate it when people read and form opinions on what I have written. I would just prefer it if more of the people who sought me out would have known what they were going to say before they approached me and had done the necessary amount of research to argue against any counterpoints I would make. Having a strong opinion about something isn’t enough. It’s important to be absolutely certain about the points being
I’m Just Sayin’ alexlamar
–opinions editor– made by researching before the argument. Otherwise, both parties are just wasting their time. As to anyone who read my column in Issue 6 and would still like to have a discussion about it, I would be more than happy to hear what you want to say, as long as you’ve done your research.
Your Turn What is the worst thing that could happen to somebody on Valentine’s Day? lucasmeyrer –webmaster–
Megan Rueschhoff, 9
Trever Osborne, 10
Sam Walker, 11
Marisa Henderson, 12
Jeff Landow, Language Arts
“Someone breaking up with you publicly. That would definitely be the worst.”
“It would be pretty bad if someone rejects your marriage proposal.”
“The worst thing that could happen would be catching your significant other cheating on you with your best friend.”
“Taking someone on a date and then telling them it’s over.”
“You get a candy heart that reads ‘The answer is no.’”
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A Day in AFJROTC
Feb. 14, 2014
1.
Though it has been around for years, few know very much about Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corp classes monicapiccinni –reporter–
>What is AFJROTC?
Every Thursday, a group of students wear a clean cut, heavily decorated, official-esque uniform to school. Most students know that means the student is in ROTC, but what exactly does that mean? Few know what being enrolled in AFJROTC really entails. The Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) is jointly sponsored by the Rockwood School District and the United States Air Force. As a course, it emphasizes academic and life skills, history, science, management and leadership, global studies, citizenship, community service, wellness and extracurricular activities. The goal of the course is to turn the enrolled students into productive citizens and leaders in their community both during and after high school. The class is taught by Col. Mike Berenc and Sgt. David Cugier, both retired Air Force officers. Colonel Berenc teaches Aerospace Science twice a week, and Sergeant Cugier teaches Life Skills Education twice a week. The remaining day is left for Wellness Education, the part of the
>My experience
I had the opportunity to sit in on an average class session during which the inspections took place. The inspections were taking place in a separate room, so I didn’t get to see how that affected the attitude of the class other than the fact that the lesson for the day was shortened to accommodate for students potentially missing material. In my opinion, this was a blessing; I was able to see how an average day was conducted with minimal alterations. We started off saying the Pledge of Allegiance, as is done every day at the start of their class. After the pledge, the class proceeded with basically a highschool version of “circle time.” Both the students and teacher took turns sharing something interesting, boring, weird or enter-
course with an emphasis on physical achievements with standards based on gender and age. AFJROTC students have assigned ranks as if they were a real Air Force Unit. A student can advance in rank through a promotion board, similar to a job interview. A student wishing to advance beyond automatic promotions must exemplify good character, including factors such as good attendance, maintaining their uniform, and good classroom behavior. AFJROTC participates in community service regularly. Their current project is Pasta for Pennies, raising money for the Leukemia Society. Several other service projects include the Circle of Concern Canned Food Drive, the Salvation Army Tree of Lights Campaign, H2O for Troops, Peter Navarro Patriot Scholarship BBQ, and St. James Veterans Home Adopt -A-Vet. Extracurricular activities are offered through the course as well. The AFJROTC Drill Team features two different types of performances, Regulation drill and Exhibition drill. Regulation drill is a standard, left face about face march, while Exhibition drill uses the same commands but with
a choreographed routine. The team competes in three competitions a year, one in Florida, one in Joplin, MO, and one in St. Louis. Participants have the opportunity to earn a varsity letter. Many Air Force-sponsored scholarships are offered through participation in ROTC, whether that student plans on joining the Air Force after high school or not.
taining about their day. They included me in this activity. A person wishing to speak starts by saying “I’m jus’ sayin’, I’m not sayin’, you know what I’m sayin’” and proceeds with their short narrative (mine was about how I had tests in five classes the following day). The actual information in class was kicked off with a student update at the front podium. The “Flight Leader,” as the student is referred to, is in charge of announcements, attendance and maintaining order. He or she will also lead the class in the Pledge. I happened to sit in on a day where Sgt. Cugier taught his life-skills unit. The day was a bit abridged due to the inspections, but a few words were said about Pasta for Pennies, their most recent community service project. Since it was a Thursday, the students were required to wear
uniforms. Student uniforms are inspected by higher ranking students every Thursday for a 100-point grade. Usually this would happen prior to instruction, but since the day was a little shifted up due to the inspections happening simultaneously, the uniform evaluations concluded the abridged class. I didn’t expect the class to be anything like what it is. Each hour is like their own little Air Force unit, and it is run with the same kind of disciplined procedure. I was surprised at the content of the class. I had expected it to be a science-and-history-oriented class with a focus on the Air Force, when in reality this is only a portion of the instruction. I really enjoyed seeing a small picture of what a regular day in AFJROTC looks like.
>Inspections
Every three to four years, the program is evaluated by a representative from the Air Force. This year, the evaluation was conducted by Mr. Paul Keeping from the Air Force Headquarters in Alabama. “The inspector sits in during class to see how Sergeant and Colonel interact with us. He watches drill to make sure we’re doing it right, and makes sure we’re keeping track of our uniforms and logistics,” Said AFJROTC senior Alex Kreikemeier. “Basically, he’s there to make sure the unit is being run correctly.” The inspector spends the day in the classroom watching how class is conducted and pulling cadets aside into a separate room to review them as individuals.
2.
3.
AFJROTC IN ACTION 1. At the start of each class period, AFJROTC students and teachers recite the Pledge. 2. On Jan. 30, students were pulled aside and evaluated by inspector Paul Keeping. 3. Co-Commander Rachel Eads evaluates a student’s uniform display. Every Thursday, AFJROTC students are graded on proper wearing of their uniform.
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08news
Dietary Distress meganrigabar
–asst. news editor–
For many teenagers, lunch isn’t complete without chips and a cookie. However, new nutritional guidelines may force students to replace their coveted treats with healthier options.
>Back to the Basics
In 2010, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) was enacted by Congress, setting new science-based criterions for school nutrition known as the “Smart Snacks in School” standards. According to HHFKA, nutrition standards apply to all foods sold outside the school meal program, on the school campus or at any time during the school day. Therefore, the new criteria applies to a la carte items in the cafeteria, school stores, snack bars, vending machines and other venues. The standards in place regulate the nutritional content in each food item. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) website, “Any food sold in schools must: be a ‘whole grain-rich’ grain product; or have the first ingredient [be] a fruit, a vegetable, a dairy product, or a protein food; or be a combination food that contains at least one-fourth cup of fruit and/or vegetable; or contain 10 percent of the daily value (DV) of one of the nutrients of public health concern in the 2010 dietary guidelines for Americans (calcium, potassium, vitamin D, or dietary fiber).” However, there are some exceptions to these sweeping rules. For example, certain fundraising efforts will not be impacted by the standards. According to the USDA website, “the sale of food items that meet nutrition requirements at fundraisers is not limited in any way under the standards. The standards do not apply during non-school hours, on weekends and at off-campus fundraising events. The standards provide a special exemption for infrequent fundraisers that do not meet the nutrition standards.” Die-hard candy lovers need not panic…yet. The new guidelines are not set to be put in place overnight; rather, any changes will be gradually phased in over the next few years. “While Rockwood is working with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and our own Wellness Policy, the HHFKA sets the minimum standards we are ultimately required to comply with. Currently, schools have been asked to make gradual changes,” Carmen Fischer, Director of Child Nutrition Services, said. In 2013, Rockwood issued a memo that gave recommendations for high schools regarding the nutritional content of food sold through “vending, school stores and fundraising, specifically during the school day and before school meal periods.” The memo also proposed a timeline which suggested all foods and beverages sold must meet 50 percent of the new nutritional criteria (see sidebar for specific criteria) for the 2013-2014 school year. For the 2014-2015 school year, the memo advised all foods and beverages should meet 75 percent of the criteria, while 100 percent of the food and beverage require-
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Feb. 14, 2014
Are new nutritional guidelines cutting calories or budgets?
ments should be met in the 2015-2016 school year. “The Board of Education has seen the recommendations that were sent out last school year. The recommendations in the memo from last year are just that—recommendations, but the district is moving forward with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. As a part of that program, changes are being made throughout the school district to improve the environment for students and staff,” Fischer said. According to its website, the mission of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation is to “help teachers, school staff, parents, and community members bring about the specific changes their schools need to become healthier environments for their kids.” However, there have been further modifications and updated rules established since the original memo was issued. “Since the memo was sent, the USDA has published an Interim Final Rule: Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in Schools. Implementation of this rule begins July 1, 2014,” Fischer said. The Interim Final Rule expands on the earlier dietary guidelines and recommendations, including standards for calories, saturated fat, sodium, total sugars and trans fat.
the strict guidelines. Size and calories per unit will really be hard to work with,” Chorzel said. In addition to the Lancer’s Landing, the cookie stand is a prominent seller of school treats, mainly fresh baked cookies. Despite the mouth-watering goodness that each cookie brings, the cookies come at a nutritional price that may or may not survive the implementation of the new guidelines. ”The new Smart Snacks in School [standards] will affect the cookie stand. The cookies will need to meet the ‘whole grain-rich’ requirement, be less than 200 calories, have less than 230mg of sodium, have less than 35 percent of calories from fat and have less than 35 percent of weight from total sugar. The cookie stand can remain in business if these guidelines are met,” Fischer said. In light of these new requirements, the cookie stand has begun reevaluating its products. “Mr. Landwehr has also taken a look at [the guidelines], and he’s actually on the committee that’s working with these new guidelines. Again, we are beginning to look at what the cookie stand offers in the short amount of time they’re open and how we can balance what’s asked of us requirement wise and what we offer,” Shaughnessy said.
forced to seek a sweet tooth satisfaction elsewhere. For some, the solution to the problem could easily be solved by bringing food from home. “I probably would bring more from home. I do already, but I’d probably bring snacks during the day, like junk food snacks obviously,” Emily DiCarlo, freshman, said. For others, it would be easier just to accept the new procedures rather than resist them. “I would probably just deal with what they give me. I don’t like the rules, but I’m not just going to go out of my way and bring in a ton of junk food all the time,” Thomas Garlick, junior, said. Until the rules are fully implemented, students can rest assured that the Lafayette administration is doing all they can to keep its stores up and running. “Do I want us to keep selling those things at the store? Yes. Will we do that? Yes. But at some point we’ve got to make sure that we’re really trying to work towards establishing those guidelines,” Shaughnessy said.
In response to these new recommendations, Lafayette has begun taking steps to review the food options it currently offers, such as those in the school store and the cookie stand. “We got those guidelines last year, and I had meetings with both Mr. Landwehr in the cookie stand and our parent organization about finding a way to meet the needs of what these guidelines said. There’s a timeline, so not everything has to happen right away,” Principal John Shaughnessy said. Still, changes have already been made in the school store, the Lancer’s Landing. “This year, our school store has worked very hard to meet a lot of the requirements, so the items you see in there coincide with the expectations of where we are this year with the nutrition requirements. That has allowed us to continue to keeping the school store functioning and making money for our school,” Shaughnessy said. Nevertheless, revising the school store inventory to comply with the dietary updates was no easy task. “The school store is currently following [Rockwood’s] policy instructions. We do not set our own policy, and we have spent many long hours looking at a lot of food labels over the summer to be in compliance with their guidelines,” Karen Chorzel, School Store Manager, said. This year, the Lancer’s Landing replaced several candy items with healthier options such as fruit cups, smoothies and yogurts in order to keep up with the standards. Next year, when 75 percent of foods are supposed to make the cut, the school store will have to reevaluate a second time. “Next year the requirements will be for even more healthy food. We will probably have to dramatically cut down the soda refrigerator and take away some varieties of candy. It is very difficult to satisfy
Nevertheless, these new guidelines could negatively impact school funding if places like the cookie stand were forced out of business. Every year, both the school store and the cookie stand raise substantial amounts of money that go to fund numerous things such as activities, clubs, Renaissance, teacher grants and other projects. “Between the school store and the cookie stand, that’s thousands of dollars that’s raised that we’re able to give back in a variety of ways to our kids. Where is that going to come from now?” Matthew Landwehr, business teacher, said. As a result, Lafayette would be forced to look elsewhere for extra funding. “I think it would cause us to be creative in the way that we continue to fund organizations and opportunities. Certainly we would have to make more decisions on what we can and can’t do than we do now,” Shaughnessy said. Despite the circulation of numerous new rules and regulations, there are still many aspects of the updated rules that remain ambiguous. For example, the cafeteria staff does not know the full impact of the rules and probably will not find out until later meetings in the summer. “We just had a manager’s meeting last week, and we were told that the new guidelines for 2014-2015 are going to change and that there probably won’t be a la carte next year. We don’t really have all the information yet, so we probably won’t get the gist of it completely until the managers meeting this summer,” Wendi Bening, Cafeteria Manager, said.
Recommendations for the 2014-2015 School Year:*
>Reviewing and Replacing >Farewell Funding?
>Student Standpoint
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the issue, many students already have a plan of action if they were
An excerpt from the
Wellness Memo: 1. Discourage the sale of non-cafeteria food items. 2. If food is sold, it should move towards the standard of EXEMPLARY per the Missouri Eat Smart Guidelines. FOODS – At least 75 percent of items offered must meet all of the following criteria: •Fat – Except for nuts, seeds and nut butters, no more than 35 percent of total calories from fat (less than four grams of fat per 100 calories) per serving. •Sugar – Except for fruit without added sugar, no more than 35 percent of calories from sugar (less than nine grams of sugar per 100 calories) per serving. •Calories – No more than 200 calories per selling unit. BEVERAGES – At least 75 percent of items offered must including the following: •Water, without flavoring, additives or carbonation. •Only low-fat (one percent or one-half percent) and/ or skim (nonfat) milk, unflavored or flavored. •100 percent juice. •Calcium-fortified soy or rice beverages may be offered, unflavored or flavored. *These recommendations are the same for the 2015-2016 school year, except that 100 percent implementation (replacing 75 percent) is advised.
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Feb. 14, 2014
District explains changes in physics courses delaneyeyermann –asst. webmaster–
As students make their schedules, they are learning about changes to the Physics courses starting next school year. A major problem is many students are confused and don’t have a clear understanding of what is going on with the new Physics courses. Also an issue is the fact that students don’t understand why changes are being made. Danielle Feltz, junior, said the new courses were not explained to her by anyone ahead of time. “I was planning on doing AP Physics senior year, and now I’m really confused about what I’m supposed to do,” Feltz said. Currently, the Rockwood School District offers regular Physics, Advanced Placement (AP) Physics and AP Advanced Physics. Next year there will be AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2 and AP Advanced Physics. The major changes involve the removal of regular Physics and AP Physics, and instead adding AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2. According to Kevin McColgan, curriculum-content facilitator of science for Rockwood’s secondary schools, these changes came about in response to the College Board which elected to discontinue the current AP Physics course and replace it with AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2. Lafayette Physics teacher Shannon Campbell said, “The new AP Physics program [AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2] is going to take the current AP Physics class and put it over two years. So, the first semester, with some additional material, will be one year; the second semester will be another year.” While the new AP Physics one course can be compared to the current regular course, the new AP Physics 2 can not be compared to the current AP Physics course. “AP Physics 2 is a continuation of topics covered in AP Physics 1 with even deeper expanded studies, while also adding new modern Physics topics,” McColgan said, “It would be the completion of the second semester of college Physics.” Next year there will be no AP Physics; McColgan said the current AP Physics course no longer meets the growing demands colleges have for inquiry-based science courses. One concern is the removal of the regular Physics course. “The reason they decided to get rid of the regular Physics program
is because the new AP Physics program will not have as many topics as the regular Physics class does, so they thought it would make more sense just to have the AP Physics 1 class instead of regular Physics,” Campbell, said. Students may not know which course would better suit their interests and ability levels. “Students electing to go to college and study the life sciences are often best served by AP Physics 2, while students who are looking at careers in engineering, research or Physics can now go directly into AP Advanced Physics without taking AP Physics 2,” McColgan explained. A controversy surrounding this change involves the AP test. Many students, including Feltz, feel cheated because they have learned the same material in regular Physics that students in AP Physics 1 will learn. However, students who are taking, or have taken, regular Physics are not able to take the AP test. McColgan said very few differences were noted between the current regular Physics and new AP Physics 1 courses, and McColgan also said students in regular Physics are prepared to take the exam. “I don’t like that I’m doing the same work and not getting the credit for it,” Feltz said. Another problem is the fear of taking an AP course. Students may not feel they are ready to take an AP course. With the removal of the regular Physics course the only Physics courses being offered are AP Physics courses. “As noted from College Board, AP Physics 1 is a course that is suitable for any student and can be used as a replacement for high school general Physics courses by school districts,” McColgan said. While the new AP Physics 1 course has a slightly different curriculum than regular Physics, the course was designed to be similar. “We have made every effort to make the new AP Physics 1 course as comparable to the former general Physics course as possible with the added advantages that come with an AP course like college credit,” McColgan said. Students concerned about the AP Physics 1 course’s pace of learning being too quick can find solace as Campbell said students will actually have more time to cover topics in AP Physics 1 than they would in regular Physics. “So the thought is that any student should, at the pace we’re going to go, be able to be successful at Physics,” Campbell said.
LET’S GET PHYSICAL Students in the current AP Physics course perform a laboratory experiment on mapping electric field lines and equipotential surfaces during Zero Hour on Feb. 7. — photo by Alex LaMar
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10cover story
Resolution: Dressing better
Resolution: No texting
I’m not a tomboy, but when it comes to dressing for school, I like to roll out of bed, throw on a sweatshirt and leave around 8:05 a.m. I don’t see the point in dressing up when you can sleep in an extra 40 minutes and be comfortable all day. Plus, it seems like T-shirts and sweatpants take up the majority of my closet. When I decided to make the change to dress up for school, I was kind of excited to sport clothing I normally wouldn’t wear to school. However, as time went on, I found it was a bit more challenging than I had planned it to be. I was running out of cute outfits and getting grouchy from waking up earlier.
Day 1:
Dressing up was not as bad as I had expected; although, I was very lucky to start on a Late Start Day. I had enough time to get plenty of sleep and still straighten my hair and apply makeup. The overall day was fine; I’ve worn nice clothes to school before, just not very often. So I took this day as one of those once-in-ablue moon days where I look presentable.
Day 2:
This day proved itself to be slightly harder than the first, but not as impossible as I had predicted. It was by far my most uncomfortable outfit and of course the one I received the most compliments on. The compliments made the discomfort worth it though; they truly boosted my selfconfidence.
Day 3:
I woke up with your typical cold symptoms— headache, sore throat, stuffy nose and more. I felt terrible and longed to stay in my pajamas. Although I was strong enough to wear a decent-looking outfit, I ended up wearing a jacket for most of the day due to the arctic temperatures of some classrooms. It was a good effort.
averycantor
–features editor–
Day 4:
I didn’t make it to school because I was too sick. I spent the entire day in sweatpants and loved every second of it.
Day 5: While recovering from being ill, the absolute last thing I wanted to do was worry about how I looked. As tempting as it was to reach for the sweatpants, I managed to dress myself in leggings and a sweater. The great thing about this combination is that it looks like I’m making an effort, but in reality I was just as comfortable as I would be wearing a sweatshirt or crewneck.
Conclusion:
Day 1:
Day 2:
This was definitely the hardest day. I woke up with several text messages and being honest, I replied to them. I knew I would need to just put my phone down, because I’d be too tempted to compose a message. During school, I kept my phone in my locker just to avoid the temptation. Once I got home from school, I turned my phone off, but then turned it back on to check my social media sites. It’s not like I gave up my whole phone, I wanted to treat myself to at least a little social activity.
This day actually went by very well. The school day was pretty easy without texting anyone, and when I got home I needed to study anyway so I put my phone downstairs while I studied in my room. Later that night, though, I was in the middle of writing a message to a friend about the test we had the next day and I realized that I couldn’t text. I subconsciously began to write the message without even realizing I couldn’t do that!
To start my day off, I had some sort of low-calorie breakfast sandwich my mom had found at dierbergs. I’ve never been a breakfast person when it comes to school days because I don’t like taking the time to make something and I am usually not that hungry. The good thing about actually having breakfast was that I was less hungry leading up to lunch. My lunch was practically the same as the day before.
Everything about this day was fine until I had to go to work that night. I work at an ice cream shop, so temptation was around me everywhere, calling out to me to cheat. Before I left for work my mom made me shrimp, which was awesome.
jackrogan
–news editor–
–editor in chief–
Day 4:
By now, I longed to have a casual conversation with a friend, because I was beggining to feel left out. I wanted to have some social interaction outside of school. It was difficult. This day, I realized that I had not notified members of Renaissance Student Steering Committee that we had an event the following morning, and since it was late evening, I had no way to make sure everyone knew other than through text. While this was a slip-up, I considered it more of an obligation.
Day 5:
I woke up so happy because I knew it was the day I could finally pick up my phone and text! I just had to wait until 3:05p.m., when school let out. To avoid any slips during the last day, I tried having my phone off for the rest of the day. That didn’t work too well, but I never texted! 3:05 came and I made it. Finally!
Not texting required me to have more face-to-face interaction rather than behind a screen. If I needed to ask someone a question, I had to find them at school and talk to them instead. I also got work done quicker. Typically, when I do homework, I text a friend for a little while, getting my work done slower. Since I was not able to text, I was able to finish my homework and was in bed a half hour or more earlier than usual. In short, while not being able to do something for a week that you’ve gotten so used to doing, even subconsciously, can be extremely hard, it can also be exceptionally beneficial. Not being able to text was rewarding because it helped me to appreciate having the luxury of being able to engage in conversation so easily.
I’m pretty social media savvy. I run the Image accounts on Instagram and Twitter and am frequently on my own account. I tweet a lot more than I probably should and am hooked on keeping tabs on my peers and what’s going on in the world. I will miss seeing what everyone is doing all the time and being able to put in my own input (and stupid jokes). Snapchat stories and goofy pictures will be put on hold as well a reblogging artsy Tumblr posts. I’m attached to pretty much all social media outlets and I’ve tried taking Twitter and Instagram breaks, but going on an all social media hiatus will be a challenge for me.
Day 4:
This was the most difficult lunch to get through, since everyone around me was walking in with pizza and tater tots, while I sadly stared at my whole wheat sandwich and cottage cheese.
Day 5: At this point I thought I was going to go insane from the sheer amount of turkey I had eaten in the past four days, but I powered through and ate it for the last time. This day was a little different because I participated in the blood drive and happened to pass out, so I had to shotgun two bags of Cheez- Its and a bag of mini cookies in order to keep my blood sugar up for the rest of the day.
Conclusion: gabbymcdaris
Wednesday was probably the day where my “no texting” rule became easier. I did not text at all this day, but it wasn’t too incredibly hard. Once or twice throughout the day I almost texted someone to ask a question, but I caught myself in the act and quickly exited the messaging app.
“Shopping would be the hardest thing to give up. I go shopping every weekend and it just gives you a way to express yourself through your clothes.”
Tatyana Mosby, 9 “I couldn’t go without sports. I’ve been playing football and wrestling my whole life. It’d be really hard to give up.”
Noah Robinson, 10 “It would be hard to give up my car. I love my car. I’ve invested a lot into it and it involves a lot of my time. Plus, I need it to go places.”
Ty Ramadan, 11 “I’d have a hard time giving up field hockey. For the past four years, it’s been something I do on a regular basis. It’s a lot of fun; I couldn’t see myself going without it.”
Resolution: No social media
I have never been a healthy eater and have never really had a desire to start. The biggest excuse I always gave myself is my food allergy to almost all fruits and vegetables if they have not been cooked or processed in some way. This has always made me opposed to eating healthy, since I physically can not eat so much food without discomfort. My usual diet consists of anything that involves cheese and/or carbs. When I do eat fruits or vegetables it is only because I feel like I need to in order to maintain a bare minimum, not really healthy diet.
I ate a turkey sandwich on thin wheat bread with a side of yogurt, hard-boiled egg and mandarin oranges. I had a huge urge to snack throughout the day, but fought the temptation. I felt a little cranky and hungry, but nothing I couldn’t handle. For dinner my mom made roasted chicken with broccoli, which was awesome because roasted chicken is one of my favorite foods.
What would be the most difficult thing for you to change or give up?
Good or bad, habits can be hard to overcome and for this reason, it’s no surprise most people quit their New Year’s resolution by the time February rolls around. Take a look at how difficult it can be to make a change for just five days.
Resolution: Eating healthier
Day 3:
Day 3:
Conclusion:
Breaking Day 2:
Your Turn
As a teenager, I really enjoy using my cell phone. Whether it’s to update my Twitter, text a friend, or play a game of Flappy Bird, I’m on my phone a lot. It’s extremely convenient in those situations when you’re waiting for your doctor appointment to start, or for your sibling to get out of piano lessons. I think that not texting, a privilege that I’ve had for such a long time, might be difficult, especially since it’s such an easy way to communicate with others. I know I am going to want to talk to people besides having face-to-face conversations, but I need to hold back. It may be hard, but I can do it. I’m going to give it all I’ve got to not type a single word on that keyboard.
Overall, I learned that dressing up is not as difficult as I made it out to be. It doesn’t take as long as you think it would to get ready in the morning, especially if you set your clothes out or have an idea of what you’re going to wear. For me, straightening my hair before I went to bed really helped because then I wouldn’t have to wake up an extra 20 minutes earlier. Although I don’t think this experience will majorly change the way I dress, I can definitely see myself putting more effort into outfits in the future. Even if it was something as small as “I like your shoes,” being complimented on my clothing, or even the way my hair looked, was nice and made me feel great.
Day 1:
cover story11
Feb. 14, 2014
Overall, the experience was not too bad. It started to become annoying at times when I couldn’t eat what I wanted to whenever I felt like it. As far as feeling better and/or happier because I was eating healthier, I did not notice a major change in how I felt, but since this was only over a five day period, I am sure that if I had sustained this lifestyle for a longer period of time, I would have noticed greater changes. But this did open my eyes to wanting to eat healthier on a more consistent basis.
Day 1:
Today was all-around rough. As if Mondays weren’t bad enough, I didn’t have anything to distract myself from the long day. At lunch and in the hallways, most of my friends were on their phones, so it was incredibly boring and a bit annoying. The lack of social media put a damper on my day, and I was grumpy. After I had finished all my homework (which I finished hours earlier than I normally would), I watched TV and just went to bed. For that reason, giving it up was helpful because I got more “beauty sleep” than ever before.
Day 2:
Tension was running high; patience was running low. My thumbs longed to be scrolling through my Twitter and double tapping pictures on Instagram. The second day was definitely harder and I gave in to the temptation of Twitter and Snapchat (with much regret). The weirdest part about being without social media is not being unaware to what everyone is doing 24/7, but not being able to say what I’m doing and what I’m thinking.
Day 3:
Today was easier than the other days. Though I hated not being able to post my thoughts and updates, I felt more academically focused. Also, I was more in tune with what was going on right in front of me. Usually, in between classes, I have my head down and I’m scrolling through social media. Without that to worry about, I actually had the chance to interact with others. At school, I appreciated being without social media, but at home, it was different story. I texted, but that didn’t stop me from feeling out of the loop and separated from my peers.
Day 4:
alainastrollo
–social media editor–
By this point I resigned to the reality that I couldn’t go on social media, so the thought didn’t even really cross my mind. Not surprisingly, I got a lot more homework done and I actually cleaned my room without my parents telling me. Though the boredom got to some intense levels, I knew I was almost at the end of the experiment.
Day 5:
Brooke Withington, 12
The last day was easily the hardest one. The temptation to cheat was the highest. It was especially rough because I was so close, yet so far away from the end. I felt so out of the loop—I felt like I missed out on quite a bit within that five day span. Nothing felt better than being able to check my timeline at 3:05 p.m
Conclusion: Though going without social media was more difficult than I thought it would be, I think it was an important experiment. What I failed to realize before was how much I can accomplish without distractions like Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr. I aced my tests that week, voluntarily helped around the house,and was more actively involved socially. Without a timeline to scroll through or a picture to filter, I was more involved in current conversation and I think in that sense, my communication skills improved.
“I definitely wish my little girl would stay a baby. I want her to always be my little girl and stay young. Her growing up will be the hardest change.”
Crystal Gray, language arts teacher
Log on to lhsimage.com for more stories about changes and see how reporter Garrett McBay copes without playing video games.
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12features
Against the Odds
Feb. 14, 2014
These two “one-percent-ers” have endured more pain than anyone their age should have to, but have proven that age does not define strength and their brain tumors do not define them. mckinzieduesenberg
RENNIE PETTINELLI rests in hospital room after the removal of his pilocytic astrocy brain tumor on Nov. 27, 2010. — photo courtesy of Ren Pettinelli
“
It’s going to sound cliche, but my brain tumor taught me to just never stop fighting and put passion into everything you can.
renniepettinelli –12
”
ASA ROYAL recovers after emergency brain surgery on May 7, 2013 — photo by Varsha Royal
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Yet, despite all the hardships I endured, the brain tumor taught me resilience: how to spring back from any situation and not fall slave to its burden.
asaroyal –11
”
High school –reporter– brings about many new opportunities, goals and difficulties. But when envisioning these highly anticipated four years, fighting for the national championship or high grades may be part of the picture, but fighting for your life— that’s hard to imagine. For senior Louis (Rennie) Pettinelli and junior Asa Royal an unexpected twist of events halted their typical teenage antics as they had to battle not only high school, but a brain tumor as well. In 2013, roughly 4,300 children under the age of 20 were diagnosed with a brain tumor and a little less than three-fourths were under the age of 15. According to the American Brain Tumor Association, there is less than a one percent chance a person will develop a brain tumor over a lifetime. Both men, unaware of these rare tumors, went through unforgettable events leading up to the discovery of t h e thing that would forever alter their lives.
Rennie Pettinelli//
When Pettinelli was a freshman, he was playing on his soccer team when he was kicked in the head. When he began getting headaches, he dismissed them as part of the incident. He was unable to test for a concussion because his team was scheduled to take the concussion baseline test the day after he had been kicked. Not knowing if he had been concussed or not, Pettinelli continued on with his athletic lifestyle, playing soccer and lacrosse without any worry. As the headaches continued, doctors realized it was anything but a sports-related concussion—it was a pilocytic astrocytoma brain tumor. A pilocytic astrocytoma is a neoplasm of the brain that occurs primarily in children near the brainstem. It is slow growing and typically benign, which Pettinelli’s was. No one knew that a kick to the head during a soccer game in September would lead to the discovery of a brain tumor in late November, so they fully removed it that very night of the discovery. “The surgery took six hours and I was in the hospital for eight days, but pain medication made it feel like weeks. In the operation they went through my skull and brain to the tumor and pulled it out, for lack of a better term. Once the procedure was done, they put my skull back together and kept it in place with a small piece of titanium that’s shaped like a dog bone,” he explained. However it was not the surgery that was the difficult part, it was the recovery process that took the biggest toll on his active lifestyle. In a matter of months he went from running in soccer and lacrosse to needing help standing up because his muscles had atrophied. He had to attend physical therapy in order to build up muscle mass and regain balance and flexibility. “Getting back into the thing I love, lacrosse, took a little longer,” Pettinelli said. Doctors told him it normally takes people who undergo procedures like his 12 months to be fully recovered, and therefore cleared for sports like lacrosse. Pettinelli didn’t give up and would not wait that long. Just four months after his operation he was cleared to play lacrosse. “I had to arm wrestle my neurosurgeon to convince him I was all right,” Pettinelli said. Even though the difficult feat of getting back onto
the lacrosse field was accomplished, Pettinelli is still dealing with the lasting impact of the tumor. He is currently on an anti-seizure medicine called Kepra until he is done being active. “I was off of it for about four months but had a seizure at lacrosse practice where one second I was playing then I woke up in the hospital with a three inch needle in my arm,” he said. But he has taken everything that has happened to him and made sure something positive came out of it. Pettinelli took his love of lacrosse and decided to run a charity lacrosse game in which all proceeds go towards a tumor study at Children’s Hospital. Two years ago he raised $2,100 and unfortunately due to weather wasn’t able to hold one last year. This year it will be in the beginning of March. Also in cooperation with the Children’s Hospital, Pettinelli is survivor mentor where he meets with other people who have had or have a similar tumor. “I talk to them about how they feel, talk them through their worries or social problems like bullying and depression are huge effects of brain surgery. I just want to help other people going through what I went through,” Pettinelli said. Even through one of the toughest times of his life, he used his dedication to lacrosse to not only regain his strength but also provide strength to those in his situation. “It’s going to sound cliche, but my brain tumor taught me to just never stop fighting and put passion into everything y o u can,” Pettinelli concluded. “For 16 years of my life, I lived in close to perfect health. I had few allergies, rarely got sick, and had a healthy BMI. Sophomore year, up until a life-changing event, was much the same as the rest of my life had been, health-wise—at least externally. All of that changed for me on May 6, 2013,” Royal began. With AP tests approaching, Royal brushed off the headache he had as he arrived at school. But the slight headache soon erupted into a “skull-splitting storm.” “By 3rd Hour, I was a vegetable: I could do nothing but lay my head down on the desk and blank out my mind. 4th Hour, on my way to the classroom, I suddenly stopped and spontaneously vomited my guts out on a girl standing next to me,” Royal recalled. Taking the rest of the day and that night to lay in bed, he had no idea the events that were about to transpire the next day would be more unexpected and terrifying than anything. Because he was still nauseous, Royal’s mom kept him from school the next day as she could clearly see that her son was in no state to function, much less take the AP tests scheduled for that day. “For the rest of the day, I remained in bed, unknowingly slipping into a coma. By the time my sister, in middle school at the time, got home and found me, I was virtually brain dead. My body was nested in a pool of vomit and waste atop my bed, from which I hadn’t budged all day. I was unable to see or hear my sister, giving no response to any of her actions but to knock, with my flailing arms, the hot cup of tea she was carrying,” Royal said. His parents rushed him to St. Luke’s Hospital Emergency Room where he fell into a level 7 coma and was rushed into a scanning room. Soon a swollen tumor was
Asa Royal//
discovered in the pineal gland of his brain. Unable to treat him, Royal was airlifted in an EMT helicopter from St. Luke’s to St. Louis Children’s Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery to reduce the pressure from the tumor on his brain and to drain the fluid. This led to a hydrocephalus or “water in the brain” which led to several more surgeries that finally ended in a biopsy of the tumor. Roughly a week later, Royal awoke in the hospital with no recollection as to where he was, what day it was or what had happened to him. “The next week was a blur; I slept almost all day, while nurses attended to various IVs, a surgery head dressing and a catheter on me. About two weeks after my surgery, I began walking and felt OK. At about that time, I was discharged from the hospital,” Royal said. Royal had an Pineal Gland immature teratoma and after he was discharged from the hospital he was told he would have to undergo chemotherapy and radiation starting the last week of June. “Chemotherapy was awful. A one word description of chemo doesn’t even begin to suffice, but it’s hard to describe something that I found so abhorrent. Chemotherapy affects everyone differently, as everyone’s body functions differently than other people’s; additionally, the drugs given in chemotherapy varies with prognosis,” Royal explained. He underwent chemotherapy that alternated in rounds of three and six days. Upon his discharge of the three-day stint at the hospital, he realized he couldn’t eat anything, which, in combination with the drugs he was put on, put his stomach in a constant state of pain that kept him in bed for a week. As his chemo continued he soon came to the realization that eating while receiving these treatments was something he would have to live with. “I soon learned that seven days spent fasting during chemotherapy was far preferable to the alternative of tasting everything I ate coming up. Drinking water, getting out of bed, brushing my teeth: all were a luxury I couldn’t afford during chemotherapy,” Royal said. In October, the chemotherapy was proven ineffective on his tumor and his doctors decided the only other alternative was to surgically remove it. On Dec. 5, he left school to have a complex surgery, removing the tumor from his pineal gland. “The narcotics given to me during surgery completely warped my sense of time and left me with little consciousness. The only thing that broke through my brain was the immense level of pain that had been caused by the surgeon burrowing through my neck and head. It’s hard to effectively explain the surgery and its aftereffects, but they effectively took me out of commission throughout December and the rest of winter break,” Royal said. This is an ongoing battle for Royal, but he keeps on fighting. With more radiation looming, everything has been put into perspective. Royal had planned to spend that summer at Harvard, but he spent it doing chemo. Instead of focusing primarily on grades the first semester of his junior year, he lived in fear of another chemo treatment and surgery. “After months of dealing with the tumor and all that came with it, I can say without a doubt that having a brain tumor was probably the most influential thing that has ever occurred in my life. And yet, despite all of the hardships I endured, the brain tumor taught me resilience: how to spring back from any situation and
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Kiss& Tell
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Feb. 14, 2014
How old were you when you had your first kiss? 16% 29%
emilyaltic
17%
–reporter–
Valentine’s Day. The holiday of cheesy cards, romantic flowers, candlelit dinners and, of course, locking lips. Take a look at some smooching stories and statistics. With Valentine’s Day upon us PDA is at its peak. Couples seem to use this day as a free pass to flaunt their evident happiness and consume each other’s faces in the hallways. Some view kissing as more than a slobbery interaction that disgusts unfortunate bystanders; it’s a traditional way to strengthen the bond of a relationship. Not to mention reduce stress levels and boost immune systems. Though locking lips is beneficial in certain aspects, it can make those who
happen to be around the lovely couple uncomfortable. Thus, many have nicknamed Valentine’s Day “Single Awareness Day.” “I’m going out to dinner with my boyfriend for Valentines Day this year, but when I used to be single I thought couples on Valentines Day were dumb. I hated looking and feeling lonely,” freshman Megan Dill said. One kiss that seems to be the most monumental is the ever suspenseful “first kiss.” When students were surveyed, the
resulta showed most either had their first kiss very young, or are still waiting. While many seem to be ashamed of not having a first kiss, even ducking their heads and turning pink when circling “I haven’t yet” on the survey, some embrace the idea of waiting for that special someone and aren’t worried about other’s judgement. “I want to wait for the right person. I shouldn’t have to feel pressure to kiss someone that I don’t want to,” senior Libby Zohner said.
“We were each other’s first kiss” “After a band rehearsal we were talking and I asked her to the 8th Prade dance. Monica said, ‘ All right. Well, close your eyes.” I did and then she kissed me and ran around the corner with her friends without saying anything. I love Monica but it was probably the most awkward kiss I’ve ever had, I wasn’t really ready for it.” -Lucas Meyrer 12
28%
8%
I haven’t yet
12 & under
13-14
*200 students were surveyed
15-16
17-18
One peck on the lips can transfer up to 278 different types of germs. Fortunately, 95 percent of the bacteria aren’t harmful.
The average woman will kiss 15 people before death and will spend two weeks of her life kissing.
An average of 9 milligrams of water, 0.7 milligrams of protein, 0.18 milligrams of organic matter and 0.71 milligrams of fat are exchanged in an open-mouth kiss.
An open mouth kiss can decrease the development of wrinkles due to the 34 facial muscles put into action when “swapping spit.”
Depending on the intensity, studies show that partners can burn around 26 calories for one minute of French kissing, equivalent to the calories of a single Hershey’s kiss. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the longest kiss recorded was by a couple in Thailand. The kiss lasted 58 hours, 35 minutes and 58 seconds.
Seniors Lucas Meyrer and Monica Piccinni
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–sports reporter– With the team missing strong seniors from last season, the Sophomore Class and select upperclassmen have stepped up to a new level. Seniors Christian Alexander and Adam Bogar have stepped up as leaders while two underclassmen have displayed raw potential. This year, the wrestling team’s two outstanding athletes happen to be sophomores. Alex Wier and Chase Behrndt found success so far this season in their weight class categories. Wier’s father, Assistant Coach Joe Wier, introduced him to wrestling when he was in Kindergarten. After falling in love with it and following in his family’s prosperous footsteps, he has become one of Lafayette’s biggest assets. His father adds that he likes to play the role of “dad” most of the time. “Coach Sumner really does a fantastic job with Alex so I try to leave him alone. My focus is on the other kids on the team.” For Alex this season, his best meet was the Lafayette Invitational. Coach Wier likes to explain Alex as more of a “funk and junk” wrestler. During youth wrestling he would roll around and not do any “real moves.” “The same thing that he did then that only worked sometimes, are the things he wins with today,” Coach Wier said. Wrestling is a little more complicated than other sports. Each athlete is placed in a weight class. The classes start at 106 and go up from there. Alex explained you can’t win overall, but you can win your weight class. The way an athlete receives his points is by doing certain “moves”. Moves such as a “take down” are two points, “escape” is one point and if someone is “pinned” to the ground for more than 10 seconds, it’s an automatic win. Lafayette’s biggest competitor will be Seckman during Districts. According to Alex, each year is always a good meet.
Small but Mighty: Underclassmen lead the wrestling team to success
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“
It is not meant for everybody, but the guys that make it through will be able to accomplish anything in life. The discipline of a wrestler must have to succeed is five times that of a normal person.
coach joewier
”
PINNED FOR THE WIN Senior Adam Bogar competes against Parkway South in the 145 weight class. After having the competitor pinned down for more than 10 seconds, Bogar takes home another win. — photo courtesy of Debbie Bogar If the team can push through and defeat Seckman, the goal is to have everyone on varsity qualify for State and bring home at least five medals. At only 16 years old and competing for the second time at State, Alex said, “My personal goal is to place Top Three at State in my weight class.” Alex comes from a long line of wrestling history rooting for him to succeed. His uncle was a four-time Missouri State Champion and three-time All-American wrestler at Northwestern, he likes to say “it’s in his blood.” Unlike Alex who has years of experience, sophomore Chase Behrndt’s first time wrestling was last year as a freshman. Behrndt said his favorite part
about wrestling is the hard work. “There is no greater feeling in the world than working as hard as you can and seeing how it paid off or how you need to improve,” Behrndt said. His biggest accomplishment this season has been winning the Jefferson City Capital Tournament and also winning the Lafayette Invitational, not to mention also placing 3rd All Suburban. This 6 foot 4 inch athlete has big goals ahead of him as the season comes to a close. “My goal is to place Top Four at Districts, go to State and at least get a medal while there,” Behrndt said. During the off season, he tries his best to attend as
many summer practices as possible. He said playing football helps him stay in shape for wrestling. Coach Wier said wrestling practice is tougher than any other sport, and that is the reason why most people do not do it. The boys participate in two-a-day practices most of the week. Morning practice includes lifting and running. Afternoon practices are filled with drilling and live wrestling. “Our guys are in the best shape in the school and area thanks to that type of training,” Coach Wier said. His favorite part about coaching is working with the awesome staff at LHS. “Most people don’t realize that we have five State finalist coaches and six excollege wrestlers coaching at LHS,” he said. Wier has won 2nd in State in 1991, is a two-time JCAA All-American, a 1996 Big 8 Champion for University of Missouri-Columbia and an Academic AllAmerican Wrestler. “There is not a better group of technicians in the state,” he said about the staff. The team’s goal was to hopefully win all the tournaments leading up to Districts. Also the dual meets against Lindbergh and Fox are big meets for the team. Sectionals begin Feb. 14.
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Feb. 14, 2014
Ten Lancer athletes sign to compete at collegiate level sethboester
benrachell
–sports reporter–
–sports reporter–
Every fall and spring, athletes from around the nation who advance on to play their respective sports in college participate in their high school’s signing day. Many student athletes have cultivated both their athletic and academic talents over the past four years, opening the door for scholarships and other posthigh school opportunities. So far this year, the Class of 2014 has generated a total of 10 athletes who have signed letters of intent to play in college. Senior Jackie Scott, an outside hitter for the varsity volleyball team, is a a six-year veteran of the sport. Now college-bound, Jackie states “I started playing in middle school when I was about 12.” Starting in middle school then transitioning to high school has allowed her to cultivate her skill set and make major improvements that have resulted in a scholarship to the University of Western Kentucky. When she’s not playing with the Lancers, Jackie plays for the Rockwood Thunder, an out-of-school team, (which is associated with the district). She has played for the Thunder since she started playing volleyball. During her time at Lafayette, Jackie believes her participation on the varsity team has been instrumental in accelerating her success. “I’ve gotten to play with such great teammates. They’ve helped me get to where I am now. Same with all of my coaches,” she said. One of her fellow teammates, her twin sister Maggie, is also moving on to the college level and will soon be playing for the University of Oregon. When explaining why she chose Oregon, Maggie said, “I looked at a couple different schools, and I really liked Oregon’s athletic facilities. The coaches and the team are great. They felt like home.” Senior Brenna Griffey will be attending McKendree University for volleyball. By putting up impressive stats all season long, her
performance this season has resulted in her getting substantial scholarship. This year, her 142 total kills have supported the Lancer’s efforts and helped them propel to their success this season. Also leading the State championship volleyball team was senior Lily Johnson. She was named the 2013 American Volleyball Coaches Association Under Armour Second Team All-American and is a two time First Team All-State pick. Back in the fall, she decided to take her talents to Missouri State University. Winning a State championship this year, volleyball has excelled and exceeded all of their possible expectations. With four volleyball players continuing on to play at the college level, it isn’t difficult to see why the team has been consistently competitive. Lafayette’s acclaimed baseball program has a long history of its athletes being prosperous at both the college and professional levels. For baseball this season, seniors Nick Oliff and Cole DuPont both signed to their respective universities. DuPont, a four-year veteran of the varsity baseball team, received a scholarship offer from Kansas State University. DuPont said the campus, athletic facilities and culture of the community influenced his overall decision to attend K-State next fall. DuPont’s teammate, middle infielder Nick Oliff signed with Missouri S&T. Lafayette’s varsity football team will have a member of its squad proceeding on to the college level as well. Kevin Hampton, a running back on varsity, has been playing the sport since he was 10-years-old. Now a senior who just finished his final season
Class of 2014 Signees Tara Deskin, field hockey Bellarmine, DII Cole DuPont, baseball Kansas State, DI Brenna Griffey, volleyball McKendree, DII Kevin Hampton, football Washburn, DII Lily Johnson, volleyball Missouri State, DI Nick Oliff, baseball Missouri S&T, DII
AND HE’S OFF Senior Kevin Hampton dashes down the field against Oakville right before his season-ending injury. The Lancers defeated the Tigers by a score of 21-7 in a close matchup. — photo by Hannah Martin with the team, Hampton hopes his time playing for the Washburn Ichabods will top his outstanding career as a Lancer. Hampton is confident in his decision to attend the Topeka-based university. He said, “I knew that the facilities were great and the academics were there, so after I got a chance to meet with the coaches I went back home, talked to my parents and committed.” During his senior year on the varsity team, Hampton suffered a leg injury that put him out for a large chunk of the season. He hasn’t touched a football field since. When describing the goal for his first year at
Natalie Quisenberry, soccer Quincy, DII Jackie Scott, volleyball Western Kentucky, DI Maggie Scott, volleyball Oregon, DI Brooke Withington, field hockey Bellarmine, DII Washburn, Hampton stated: “My main priority is to get back on [the field] and make sure that I can do what I used to do before I got hurt.” Not every athlete can make a comeback from a major injury, but for Kevin, his outlook is bright. Tara Deskin and Brooke Withington will both go together to Bellarmine University for field hockey. For varsity girls soccer, Natalie Quisenberry is going to sign with the Quincy Hawks.
STUCO presents
Turnabout 2014 Saturday, February 22nd Dance theme: The Great Gatsby 7:30-10:30 p.m. Ticket sales start February 19th at lunch $10 singles’ ticket & $20 couples’ tickets
Don’t miss out on this special night!
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Lancers establish new rugby program, Basic Rules will play for Eureka or Marquette until hiring of official coaching staff ariannademos –sports editor–
In the efforts to continue expanding the athletic program at Lafayette, rugby has been added as a Lancer club team. For now, the players have yet to find a coach with level 200 certification, so they will be joining either Eureka or Marquette’s programs. Although the three schools have tremendous rivalries, they are eliminated in rugby as the athletes have joined forces to create two strong teams. Language arts teacher, Jennifer Pautz, served as a major factor behind the new rugby program as she is no stranger to the sport. Pautz first began her rugby career as a freshman at Truman State University. “My starting position was a ‘prop’ in the front row. Basically a power player. By the time I graduated, I had
played every single ‘Forward’ position (prop, hook, lock, flank and eight-man),” Pautz said. As a sophomore, Pautz was elected as match secretary, scheduling all the games for the club. During her junior and senior years, Pautz continued to show her dedication to the team as she was also elected as player-coach. “I was in charge of planning practices, checking safety and teaching the game,” Pautz said. The idea of a Lancer rugby team first came about as sophomores Jordan Carothers, Eugene Liddell and junior Damontay Battle approached Pautz after discovering her rugby career at Truman State. “I’ve never played before, but we all thought it would be really fun. Our first step was to ask Pautz if she could help,” Liddell said. Excited to explore their suggestions, Pautz has been in contact with both the Eureka coach, Roger Tucker, and the Marquette coach, Patrick Grant, who have helped her with requirements for starting up a team. In preparation for starting their own team, the Lancer players must join the other rugby squads for experience. Practices for Marquette will be held at Castlewood Park on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-6 p.m. until Feb. 20, and then move to Crestview Middle School starting on the 25. Practices for Eureka will be held at 161 Williams Rd. in Eureka on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4-6 p.m. Competition will include Ft. Zumwalt, Kirkwood, CBC, SLUH, DeSmet and Southside. The teams also compete in the Creve Coeur Ruggerfest Tournament held in April. After clinching their second straight St. Louis area title, the SLUH Bills will be
a tough battle for both Eureka and Marquette this season. Sophomore Nathan Brooks began his rugby career as a freshman and he has competed on Eureka’s varsity team ever since. “I was very excited to hear about Lafayette’s new rugby program. I’m looking forward to the expansion of our athletics,” Brooks said. Many people may have misconceptions about rugby. It is not just football without pads, it has its own unique game style with completely different rules and positions. “My favorite aspect of the sport is the constant contact, aggressiveness and makes fight to be the toughest kid out there,” Brooks said. Rugby has also been known not only for its competitive nature, but also for the strong team chemistry it creates. “The camaraderie that rugby instills in people is beyond words. We have our own secret club that we want as many people as possible to join,” Pautz said The new rugby program is still looking for players to join. Pautz and the rest of the organization are hoping to build up the club as another strong, competitive sport. “I’m truly excited to be starting this club at Lafayette, and I hope others will become just as excited as I am,” Pautz said. Pautz said on the first day of practice, the senior players told her that they wouldn’t need any other friends, because the rugby team would fill that position. This could be the start of a long tradition at Lafayette. If you are interested in making history and joining the rugby team, contact Pautz, Eureka Coach Tucker or Marquette Coach Grant for more information.
•Competition last for 80 minutes with two 40-minute halves •Each team has 15 athletes playing various positions including eight forwards and seven backs •The ball can be moved by carrying it in the hands, or kicking at any time during the play, but it is illegal for the ball to be passed or made to go forward by the ball carrier other than by kicking the ball with the foot or shin •If the ball is hit or passed forward without it being kicked, it is called a “knock-on” and is a penalty which results in a scrum, or restart of play, to the opposition •The aim of both teams is to score as many points against your opponent using four methods, tries, conversions, penalties and drop-goals. •A try is worth five points and is scored by a player touching the ball down into the opponent’s “try-area” (between the try line and dead-ball line) •A conversion is awarded when a try is scored and allows the attacking team to gain two more points by kicking the ball over the posts of the rugby goal •A penalty kick scores three points and is awarded if a serious foul has been committed.
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Feb. 14, 2014
Giving it a shot
Scales has big expectations for upcoming track season as he works to break long-standing shot put record set in 1979 hannahmartin
–asst. sports editor– The board of Lafayette’s track and field record holders looks you right in the eyes as you walk through the pool entrance doors. The small space of multiple names seem to blend together, but there’s one name that stands out to sophomore Brendan Scales. In white lettering on the black board it states, “Shot put R. James 55’9” ‘79”. As a freshman, Scales represented Lafayette at State throwing shot put, the biggest stage for high school athletes. It’s an experience any athlete dreams of. Scales quickly found his way in high school through sports; varsity football, basketball and track and field. Prior to high school, Scales had little experience with shot put but no one would ever guess. Pressure wasn’t a factor for him all season because of the upperclassmen guiding him. Their experience kept Scales relaxed and made the most of his freshman season. “There wasn’t too much pressure because everybody was always older than me, but there were times I got nervous,” Scales said. Last season, Scales set his personal record at Sectionals, throwing 50 ft 7 in. That was the throw that qualified him for State and for him it was the best moment of the season, but he still wasn’t satisfied. Scales is determined to break Lafayette’s record this year which was set by Rob James, Class of ‘79, in 1979. James set the record his senior season at State and it is one of the only two records still from the 70s. “It seems silly because it’s just discus and shot, but it’s something you get
wrapped up in high school and it’s something you never forget,” James said of his experiences with track and field. Although discus was his main event, it went hand in hand with shot put. After graduating from Lafayette, James went to Mizzou on a scholarship for track and field, to throw discus. James was a Division 1 All-American athlete at Mizzou then went on to the Olympic trials. “Shot put was my second event and I never thought the record would last that long because it really isn’t that great, but I know that it is going down this year,” James said. Kenny Boyer, Class of 2013, was an inch short of breaking James’ record last season, but like James, shot put is his second event to discus. Boyer now attends the University of Kansas where he throws discus on a scholarship and was one of Scales’ biggest mentors last season. Scales caught James’ attention last year when James came up to watch and follow Boyer. “Following Kenny, I saw this freshman, a 50-foot thrower going to State and I could see he had a lot of raw talent and strength, along with height. Kenny is a big guy, but this kid, he’s something else,” James said. James wanted to send a message to Scales, saying he is a discus thrower he just doesn’t know it yet. “He [Scales] is going to knock off that shot record this year, but I need him to take down that discus record. I was dying to have that one so I wish he would smash that record sometime soon for me,” he said. If Scales breaks the school record this season, he is on track to be throwing over 65 feet by the time he graduates. Along
ROAD TO STATE Sophomore Brendan Scales places third overall at Districts at Ladue High School. He then went on to Sectionals and threw his personal record, qualifying him for State. — photo courtesy of Brendan Scales with breaking the school record, he plans to make it back to State. Another person that has been a big part of Scales success is math teacher and track and field coach Tom Beckmeyer. Beckmeyer’s dad was a coach growing up and he has been coaching since college. He was also proud to mention that he coached Olympian Lance Brooks for two years in college. Beckmeyer is confident Scales will
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break the school record this year. Something he always stresses to the guys he coaches is being mentally right and their preparation includes getting your mind in the right spot to throw. “We do a lot of visualization and meet preparation,” Beckmeyer said. “With any sport, it takes having your mind in the right place to do what you have to do, he added.” To stay focused before a meet, Scales
listens to music and talks to his coaches. It didn’t take much for Scales to prove what he is made of. James referred to Scales as a monster who will be able to get a scholarship anywhere he wants to go. Scales never stops working for what he wants and with his mentality, we will see Scales back at State this year and hopefully a new name will be added to that record board.
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Sweet 3-Peat: Girls volleyball team earns special recognition
TOP TEN TEAM (TIMES TWO) On Feb. 7, the girls varsity volleyball team was honored at half time of the boys varsity basketball game versus Oakville with the National Rankings Trophy by MaxPreps and the National Guard. Only 10 high school teams nationwide are presented with this honor and this is the second consecutive year the three-peat State champions have received the award. Each player was also given their State Championship rings as they were individually introduced. — photos by Hannah Martin
February Lit Link Crossword
*Turn in your completed crossword on the stage at lunch for prizes!* Word Bank repose, rescind, sanguine, sardonic, saturnine, scourge, sequester, slothful, solace, sonorous, squalid, staunch, supposition, surreptitious, sychophant, taciturn, tarry, tenacious, terse, torpid
ACROSS 2 to make void, as an act, by the enacting authority or a superior authority 4 unyielding 6 a cause of wide or great affliction 7 done, made, or acquired by stealth 9 a person who praises powerful people in order to obtain their approval 10 temperament marked by sturdiness, high color, and cheerfulness 12 resonant 16 to delay or be tardy in acting or doing 17 disinclined to talk 18 comfort in grief, trouble, or calamity
DOWN 1 to cause to withdraw or retire, as from society or public life 3 disdainfully or skeptically humorous 5 of a gloomy or surly disposition 8 conjecture; hypothesis 10 full of a disinclination to action or labor 11 steadfast in loyalty or principle 13 a state of resting after exertion or strain 14 having a dirty, mean, poverty-stricken appearance 15 using few words 17 lacking in energy or vigor; apathetic, dull
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Picks of the Month
Movie: Stalingrad
The year is 1942 in Stalingrad, and Soviet troops are retreating the Volgo River where the German forces are stationed. A few soldiers are stranded in a boathouse, where they meet a young woman who was unable to escape during the uprooting of the rest of the Stalingrad population. These Soviet soldiers have an obligation to protect this woman from the German forces. A war movie turns to love and creates the perfect movie for men and women. Stalingrad was released in Europe initially on Oct. 10, 2013. It was the first Russian film to be completely made in 3D. It was filmed in St. Petersburg, Russia, which used to be Leningrad, another main city in Soviet Russia that German troops attacked during World War II. The movie will be playing nationwide starting Feb. 28 for one week only. The coastal house that is the main setting of Stalingrad is loosely based off of Pavlov’s House, an apartment building seized and protected by Soviet soldiers from September 1942-February 1943 during the Battle of Stalingrad. Since Stalingrad is a Russian film, it is subtitled. It also has an Oscar nomination for best foreign film. It is rated R for violence.—Jennifer Butler
The Image staffers give their entertainment picks for the month of February.
Book: Damned From the author of Fight Club, comes a much more “hellish” story. Damned focuses on a 13-year-old girl named Madison who attends a Swiss boarding school and over Christmas dies from a marijuana overdose, wakes up in Hell in a Breakfast Club like setting with a jock, cheerleader, nerd and punk. Palahniuk described the novel as “if The Shawshank Redemption had a baby by The Lovely Bones and it was raised by Judy Blume.” Madison and this band of misfits journey across Hell to eventually confront the Devil. This book has everything one would expect in a Chuck Palahniuk novel. Humor, insanity and a little bit of evil.— Gabby McDaris
TV Show: The Tonight Show
Jimmy Fallon’s career started when he became a part of the cast on Saturday Night Live and from there Fallon has moved on with a successful career as a stand-up comedian as well as a successful primetime show, Late Night. Now, Fallon will be taking over Jay Leno’s hosting position on The Tonight Show. Leno has not announced any plans after he leaves The Tonight Show. Seth Meyers will be taking over Late Night. Fallon, with his comedy segments, comedic videos, and games with guests ensure his takeover of The Tonight Show to be anything but dull. While there are skeptics, Fallon’s success on Saturday Night Live and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon will surely make the new Tonight Show a mustsee.—Delaney Eyermann
App: Dumb Ways to Die
“Dumb Ways to Die” was actually meant to promote safety around trains. It was produced by the Metro Trans Melbourne PTY LTD. Every person to uploads the app and plays it pledges to be safe around trains. The app is a combination of challenges where the gamer must survive each dangerous task, either by getting a fork out of a toaster, or avoid getting hit by a train. There are multiple situations avoid an oncoming train. As the game progresses, new characters continue to be added on the title page. There is also a corresponding video in which it features all the ways to die in the app. It’s a great way to promote safety, having a game dedicated to not dying.—Jennifer Butler
Video Game: Broken Age
After a record breaking kick starter campaign, which rose over $3.45 million, industry legend Tim Schafer returns with “Broken Age,” his first point-and-click adventure game since “Grim Fandango.” Players control two young adults, a girl, Vella, who lives in a small village, and a boy named Shay who is stuck in a spaceship floating through the cosmos with only a computer as company. Though they are both controllable, their storylines are completely independent of each other, with the player having the ability to switch between characters at any time. The game has a star studded cast, with the voice talent of famous actors, including Jack Black, Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward and Elijah Wood.—Garrett McBay
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20entertainment
Feb. 14, 2014
Cartoons: Then and Now Much has changed since the cartoons we loved as children aired, but students still enjoy the more recent cartoons that Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network have to offer.
jenniferbutler
–entertainment editor–
*Photo courtesy of Internet Movie Database
Most Popular 90s Cartoons Poll of 109 students
Fairly Oddparents (7%) Hey Arnold! (7%)
Johnny Bravo (8%)
Most Popular New Millennia Cartoons Poll of 109 students
Spongebob Squarepants (22%)
Spongebob Squarepants (22%)
Regular Show (2%) Phineas and Ferb (24%)
Total Drama Action (3%)
PowerPuff Girls (20%)
Adventure Time (18%) Rugrats (30%)
Pokemon (6%)
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
Rugrats As most students were babies in the mid-90s, a TV show about babies was most attractive. Rugrats is all about the adventures of Tommy, Chuckie, Phil and Lil, Angelica and Susie. The show also features Tommy’s younger brother, Dil, and Tommy’s dog, Spike. To the parents, these babies are angels who don’t know any better, but once they leave the room, Tommy pulls out his screwdriver and they go for an adventure. The show premiered in 1991 and spent the next 13 years on the small screen, including nine seasons, and three movies. The first movie introduced Dil, Tommy’s younger brother to the series in 1998 in theaters. After that, Rugrats in Paris: The Movie brought Chuckie’s stepmom and stepsister into the picture two years later in 2000. The last movie, Rugrats Gone Wild, features the babies and other characters stranded on an island,
Jimmy Neutron (28%)
Family Guy (3%)
and brought in fans from the separate Nickelodeon show, The Wild Thornberrys. After the show ended, it found its way back to the screen with All Grown Up in 2003 in which the babies and other characters are pre-teens. This lasted five seasons and gave the series another five years of fame.
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius features the boy genius himself whose inventions get him in trouble more often than not. It’s a story about a boy, his dog Goddard and his oh-so-famous “brain blasts” that help him save the day. The show premiered in 2002 and aired for four years with three seasons in tow and 43 episodes. Despite the short life that Jimmy Neutron had, the producers found ways to create an interesting plotline for each episode. For instance, Nickelodeon put The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius and the show Fairly OddParents together in three different episodes, where the characters flipped back and forth from one dimension to the other. Nickelodeon called them “The Jimmy/ Timmy Power Hours.” Once Jimmy Neutron finished, the spinoff Planet Sheen premiered in 2010. The show is features Jimmy’s good friend acci-
dentally boarding and flying a rocket to the planet Zeenu and meeting friends while he is stranded there. This also had a short life of only three years with two seasons before it was cancelled as well.
Spongebob Squarepants: The Longest Running Cartoon Technically, Spongebob Squarepants is a 90s cartoon, even though it premiered in the last year of the decade. The iconic show is about the life of a talking sponge under the sea, his friends Patrick Star and Squidward Tentacles and his job as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab. This is probably Nickelodeon’s most famous show and it continues to air now. So far, Spongebob Squarepants has spent 15 years on the screen and nine seasons with kids of all ages watching intently.
The 10th season of Spongebob will air this year. The franchise of the series has spread out to video and computer screens with games pertaining to certain adventures of the underwater crew. Spongebob-based shirts, and even hats have promoted Spongebob and its franchise. Spongebob Squarepants has also touched the movie screen with Spongebob Squarepants: The Movie. It is said that the production of a sequel to this movie is in tow and will air in two years time.
The show has even had a documentary aired on VH1 in 2009. This featured the creation, development, and the effect of the show, entitled Square Roots: The Story of Spongebob Squarepants. Though it is not the only cartoon to continue from the 90s into the new millennia, it is the longest running show on Nickelodeon. There have been speculations about the show ending in 2015 with the sequel coming out. However, there has been no true inclination that Spongebob Squarepants will end anytime soon.
Your Turn What is your favorite cartoon of all time and why? garrettmcbay –reporter–
Dylan Schaschl, 9
Becca Leslie, 10
Austin Stoller, 11
Sara Ruby, 12
Bernie Widdis, S
“I liked Spongebob as a kid, since it was so absurd and over the top.”
“Adventure Time is cool, since its just so crazy and colorful.”
“Courage the Cowardly Dog. It’s so weird, cool and awesome. The grandparents didn’t know what was going on and things would morph shape. It was trippy.”
“Pokemon was a way for my brother and I to bond. We had the cards, played the games and would wake up early on Saturdays to watch the show.”
“Charlie Brown was great, since it had so many different people who somehow managed to come together.”