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Vol. 45, No. 6
lhsimage.com
Jan. 24, 2014 Lafayette High School – 17050 Clayton Rd. – Wildwood, MO 63011
The Great Debate
We all have an opinion.
page 3
Information on the recent flu outbreak
page 11
Benefits of teachers on social media
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02misc. In This Issue
Jan. 24, 2014
Use your smart phone with the Aurasma app to scan this picture to see some interviews about the trip to Jeff City.
page 12
page 16
Students and staff look forward to the Winter Olympics
An inside look at Lafayette Theatre Company’s Shrek: The Musical
On The Web The Weather Outside is Frightful: pictures and stories from the Snowpacolypse
Snow days lead to District-wide cancellations, extended school schedule
Out and About: Finding a hidden gem of Japanese cuisine in West County
For breaking news, check out lhsimage. 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 – Asst. 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 Kesserling Daniel Martinez, artist Garrett McBay Jordan McDonnell Kelly Panzitta Monica Piccinni Ben Rachell
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.
CAPITAL QUEENS The varsity girls volleyball team isn’t through with its storybook season yet. On Jan. 15, the Three-Peat Class 4A State Champions were invited to Jefferson City to be recognized for their rare achievement of back-to-back-to-back State titles. The team’s legacy will continue on Feb. 7, when they will be honored with their second consecutive National Guard award during the halftime of the varsity boys basketball game versus Oakville High School— photo courtesy of Maryellen Johnson
The Cover
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This vs. That
Whether it’s Backstreet Boys vs. ‘N sync or paper vs. plastic, everyone has a preference and, generally, a passionate argument to defend their choice. This issue’s cover story breaks down the arguments point by point.
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Jan. 24, 2014
Preventative steps could stop flu frenzy meganrigabar
–asst. news editor– Aches. Cough. Fever. Sore Throat. These are just a few signs of the seasonal flu; the number of cases has increased in recent weeks, making Missouri one of the states with high flu activity. Missouri isn’t the only state reporting an increase of influenza cases. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), cases of the flu are now widespread in the United States. “It generally moves from West Coast to East Coast…what the virus does is: you’re contagious probably a day or so before you get sick, and then once your fever breaks, you’re probably still contagious for another two to three days, so anybody who is around somebody with the flu is going to get sick if they haven’t been vaccinated,” Dr. Kent Killian, West County Pediatrics, said. Due to the highly contagious nature of the flu, it is easy for one person to infect many. “One person will probably infect five other people, and then they’ll infect five other people and then it kind of explodes until you get the emergency state,” Killian said. In addition, people with the flu are often contagious before their symptoms really hit, which further accelerates the rapid spread of the influenza. “You’re most contagious just right before you have a fever and [when you] just feel like you’ve been hit by a mack truck. That’s one of the hard parts about containing the spread of influenza and lots of viruses, quite frankly,” Amy Wehr, Rockwood’s Supervisor of Health and Wellness, said. Having the flu will leave you feeling blue; symptoms include body aches, chills, a dry, hacking cough, a fever, a headache, lack of energy, a runny nose, sneezing and a sore throat. “It’s cold-like symptoms, but you will have a higher fever and the symptoms are more pronounced and last longer,” Catherine Wieder, Lafayette’s school nurse, said. Furthermore, having a case of the flu almost guarantees school absences, which could mean extra work for students, especially considering the delay caused by recent snow days. The general rule of thumb is to wait at least 24 hours after the fever has broken before returning to
school. “For most individuals, if they’re otherwise healthy, they will be sick for about four to five days with the high fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headaches and [they will] be very tired. Then once the fever ends, they’ll cough for another five to seven days, so it’s about a 10-12 day illness,” Killian said. However, there is a beacon of hope that comes in two forms: an injected vaccine and a nasal mist, both of which are vaccines designed to protect the recipient from the flu virus. “The shot version is about 92 percent effective, meaning that out of 100 people that get the vaccine, only eight will it not work in… The nasal mist vaccine is 98 percent effective,” Killian said. Despite its effectiveness, the nasal mist is not for everyone. “That’s available to anyone over age 2 to age 50, but you have to be generally very healthy. You can’t have asthma, diabetes, or things like cystic fibrosis … if you’re in those groups, then you have to get the injectable vaccine because it’s not live. The nasal spray vaccine is a live vaccine,” Killian said. Basically, a vaccination is your best bet to avoiding a bout of this year’s influenza. According to the CDC website, the “CDC recommends yearly vaccination as the best protection. This season’s flu vaccine is designed to protect against three to four influenza viruses, depending on which vaccine you get.” Although the CDC estimated that the flu vaccination prevented 79,000 hospitalizations and 6.6 million cases last season, a majority of people still are not getting immunized. Luckily, it isn’t too late. “It’s only too late [to vaccinate] once you get the flu. So, even through March, we will continue to give the influenza vaccine,” Killian said. Although vaccination is the best way to prevent the flu, the vaccination is not 100 percent effective. It does, however, lessen the symptoms and effects of the flu. “If you’re vaccinated and you get [the flu] it will be a milder case,” Wieder said. Besides the vaccine, there are still other precautions that can be taken to avoid the influenza. “Vaccination is most effective. Second is to practice good hand washing, especially before meals. If
PUBLIC PANDEMIC- Thirty-five states have reported widespread flu activity. This number increased from the previous week, when the number of states reporting such activity was 25. — graphic from cdc.gov flu (besides a vaccine) is to keep your distance from people with the flu and practice good hygiene in order to discourage the spread of the virus. “My best advice is to be vaccinated if you can, stay home if you feel ill and stay away from people who say that they feel poorly. Wash your hands and get vaccinated, cover your coughs, that sort of thing. That’s about all we can do and encourage people to do,” Wehr said. Flu vaccines are still available at many area hospitals and other public health facilities. Students who did not get a vaccine yet should check with their pediatrician’s office or a local Urgent Care center for information on the vaccine.
you do have a cough, cover your cough so you’re not spreading the virus out and about the environment,” Killian said. In fact, people with the flu can spread it to others up to about six feet away through their coughs and sneezes, according to the CDC. If you happen to be one of the unlucky people that catch the virus, a medicine specifically designed to treat the flu, called Tamiflu, can help you get through. “You have to get the Tamiflu early; within a couple of days. There’s been a little bit of a shortage of it but I think they’re trying to get more stocks out there for people,” Wieder said. Basically, your best bet to preventing a case of the
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04opinions
Jan. 24, 2014
Rockwood New Year’s resolutions 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.
2013 was a bit of an unconventional year for the Rockwood School District. From a letter scandal regarding Best Grading Practices to the new Late Start schedules, the year was filled with new developments and issues. Last year was not exactly a terrible year, but there were definitely some things we can all look back on and learn from. Seeing as 2014 is just getting started, now is a perfect time to issue some New Year’s resolutions for both Rockwood and its students. On a very basic level, the people involved in Rockwood can be broken down into three groups: administrators, teachers and students. Seeing as most of what teachers do collectively is dictated by Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings with different teachers for each subject, there is not much that we can say the teachers at our school need to improve on this year as a unit. We decided to focus on the students and the administrators when deciding on our Rockwood resolutions. It’s pretty obvious what Rockwood officials need to do better this year. After everything that went down with the Best Grading Practices and the Late Start Days in 2013, it’s abundantly clear that Rockwood officials need to focus on being more transparent with the public. In recent years (especially in 2013) Board members and administrators have gotten in a habit of putting new practices and initiatives through the paces without much thought to the public’s or teachers’ opinions on them. There were many people who spoke out about
both of these changes, but no attention was paid to their comments until things were well underway. The administrators need to put more effort into communicating with the public before new ideas are set in stone. Trying to think of a good resolution for students may seem easy, but coming up with a genuine example proved itself a harder feat than thought. It would be easy to issue a blanket statement as the students’ New Year’s resolution such as “get straight As” or “do all of our homework,” but we had to dig deeper to find a good example of something that pertains to a majority of the student body and is something that we all need to work on. The biggest change for students that Rockwood schools saw in 2013 was the introduction of Late Start Days. Last semester, according to Lafayette’s Attendance Supervisor, 62 students showed up later than 9:46 on the first PLC day (Sep. 23) and had to sign in at the Welcome Center. This large number can be attributed to the fact that it was the first Late Start of the year and students simply had not prepared for the change, but the second Late Start (Oct. 21) saw an increase. A whopping 101 students were late coming in that morning. And neither of those numbers are taking into account the people who made it into the school on time, but didn’t make it to class before the first bell. Most subsequent Late Starts had equally unsavory turnouts. On Nov. 18, 81 students arrived late and the total on Dec. 2 was almost as bad as Oct. 21; 99 students. Only 41 student had to sign in late on Nov. 4, but that number only seems small in com-
Two Minute Doodle
parison to the large amount of tardies on all other days. It might seem like a fairly specific complaint, but there’s always room for improvement and it’s something that our student body is completely responsible for as a whole. We’ve been through a semester with regular monthly Late Starts, so we should all know the drill by now. One would assume that the records got better as the semester progressed, but overall no downward trend exists. The number of tardies on the most recent PLC day (Jan. 13) was still even higher than in September. We’ve already got our foot in the door of the new semester and we’re already falling into the same rut we did in the first semester. Seeing as there is not much of a correlation between the number of tardies each subsequent Late Start, it’s obvious that a lot of students just aren’t being conscience enough about getting to school on time when the schedule is out of the norm. The fact that after a whole semester there still wasn’t a downward trend in 1st Hour tardies proves that we as a student body aren’t being conscience enough and budgeting time correctly when school starts an hour and a half late. Last year was a year full of hiccups, so of course, the New Year provides a much needed opportunity for Rockwood to grow at the fundamental levels. Just like any other year, 2014 could be a great one for us all. Everyone involved in Rockwood just needs to do a bit of reflection and then we can all finish this school year off right in May and be better prepared for the 2014-2015 school year starting this fall.
stars & gripes Stars To:
• Easing into the new semester with a one-day school week, followed by a Late Start Monday, followed by another holiday and another snow day. It’s easier to come back when the pain is spread thin. • After an egg-throwing incident, Justin Bieber’s house was raided by police and traces of cocaine were found. Retirement was one good choice he made. It appears he needs to work on making others as well. • In other pop star news, One Direction’s This Is Us was rightfully ignored at the Golden Globes. Good to know that the award show that allowed Ricky Gervais to host three times still has standards. • Coincidentally, both teams in the Super Bowl are from states that recently legalized recreational marijuana use. Gives new meaning to the term Super Bowl.
Gripes To:
-Daniel Martinez
• People who have already given up on their New Year’s resolutions. You can’t go to the gym for one week only and call yourself a changed soul. • The Velveeta Cheese shortage. What a coincidence that everyone had specific food cravings the month that Colorado legalized pot. • Target department stores’ systems being hacked, resulting in over 40 million credit card numbers being stolen. It’s always sad when a respectable business becomes the target of criminals. • A Southwest Airliner carrying over 100 passengers, scheduled to land at Branson airport, somehow ended up landing at Taney County airport. The real question is, why did over 100 people want to go to Branson in the first place? • Snow days. We can’t believe we’re saying this, but enough is enough. We need to work out a Late Start snow schedule or something so students can get back in action.
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Freedom of press needs to be recognized for high school papers In December’s issue, the Image wrote both a news story and a staff editorial regarding the district’s communication problems and the letter Language Arts Teacher Melissa Schumacher wrote to the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Neither of these articles painted Rockwood in a very positive light and those we interviewed could very well see that. Nonetheless, teachers and administrators were still willing to cooperate and answer our questions. When three other editors and I interviewed Principal John Shaughnessy, we were pleasantly surprised at his cooperation with us and his willingness to take an hour of his time to answer our questions. I have heard numerous stories about school administrators not willing to cooperate with their student journalists by refusing to interview with reporters or trying to censor papers, making it that much more refreshing for the community to talk with us in such a respecting manner. Rockwood is one of the few districts that allows its student journalists complete control of their publications. In the official policies and regulations set by the Board of Education under “Regulation 2911 Publication and Distribution of Materials,” it states, “Speech cannot be banned because it is controversial, expresses minority viewpoints or contains
Let Me Tell You
gabbymcdaris –editor in chief–
unpopular or unpleasant opinions. Viewpoint discrimination is not a basis for banning speech.” Although the Image can be very hard on Rockwood and Lafayette, we have to praise them for one thing: their overwhelming support of student publications and free speech. Everyday across the country there are different court cases and debates over the rights of student journalists. The most famous case took place in 1988 in Missouri at Hazelwood High School, and the Supreme Court’s decision is still discussed in classrooms and courtrooms to this day. The case involved the school’s newspaper being censored for stories discussing divorce and teen pregnancy. The court ruled that the principal did not violate the students’ free speech rights because the paper was school sponsored. The outcome of the case still has a negative impact on free speech and
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:
journalists across the nation. For Rockwood to take a stand against these policies shows just how lucky we are to be a part of this community. Gone are the days of papers covering only school dances and issues with hallway traffic. High school publications have turned themselves into respected and powerful mediums that teach young adults just how important one voice can be. Every day there are students fighting across the country to earn basic first amendment rights. There is an entire organization dedicated to fighting for the rights of student journalists across the country called the Student Press Law Center. In Pennsylvania there was a high school that banned the use of their schools mascot, the Redskins, in their paper, citing that the label was racist and offensive. The school’s story became national news and has helped spark discussion about the use of other Native American labels in professional and collegiate sports. In this day and age student journalists have been given the ability to make an impact on their community with the written word if they are granted their basic human rights. The Image is one of the few papers that has been given this power, and we will continue to take advantage of it.
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- A recent study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that a recent decline in teenage pregnancies can be attributed to the MTV reality show, 16 and Pregnant. This is probably because no teen wants to end up on a show so unwatchable.
- In a moment of journalistic brilliance, local news station KSDK sent a reporter to roam aimlessly around campus at schools in the area to test school security. When the reporter visited Kirkwood and mysteriously disappeared, the school went on a 40 minute lockdown complete with armed police response, all of which the reporter filmed. Since we model ourselves off of the most professional news outlets, we have been brainstorming story ideas to imitate KSDK’s groundbreaking experimental piece. • Slip large doses of recreational drugs into athletes’ beverages before a school-sponsored sporting event. Perform follow-up investigations on the effect of ejection and loss of scholarship money. • Remove all the plumbing in the restrooms to test the district’s response to a HazMat situation. • Double the calorie amount in the cookies from the Cookie Stand to perform tests on teen obesity. • Secretly remove the batteries from all staff walkie-talkies to see if they are actually useful. • Replace all cans of Axe body spray in the freshman hallway with airborne diseases to test Darwin’s natural selection theory in a contemporary setting.
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Argument made for marijuana legalization is not strong enough I know this is a pretty common feeling for a student at LHS, but I feel like everyone is talking about pot these days. Anyone who hasn’t spent the past few months under a rock knows that on Jan. 1, a new law went into effect which legalized the recreational use of marijuana at the age of 21 in the state of Colorado. While it’s easy to take the high road and deny that any legitimate argument for legal weed exists, there are reasons why it could be seen as a good idea. However, when you boil it down, there are countless cons and only a handful of pros when it comes to legalization argumentation. I’ve heard some good points made, yes, but the major arguments I’ve come across are way too easily disputable. One of the arguments I’ve heard in defense of legal grass is that alcohol is a
much more dangerous substance and it has been legal at 21 since the end of prohibition. Though there may be countless cases of alcoholism in the United States, a majority of people are able to use it responsibly. Alcohol can easily be used in small increments that will have next to no effect on behavior. According to The Foundation for a Drug-Free World, marijuana has immediate effects on the body when used, such as disorientation, lack of coordination and sleepiness. There is no way to use marijuana recreationally in a way that has no effect on the body. Not to mention, there is a definitive way to tell if somebody is drunk or not. If a person takes a Breathalyzer test, it is possible to see the exact Blood Alcohol Content of the person.
Sure, it’s pretty obvious when someone is really high, but there is no way to tell exactly how high someone is. A user could be on the brink of overdose and still look safe to drive. I’m not saying that everyone who smokes dope is irresponsible enough to do so, but the few who are pose an extremely dangerous threat to society. Not only this, but cannabis is also a gateway drug, which makes it exceedingly more dangerous than alcohol in a sense. Another claim I’ve heard thrown around is that legalization would cause a decrease in gang violence and crime. This is not the case. The Office of National Drug Control Policy states that marijuana only accounts for a portion of the proceeds gained by criminal organizations that profit from drug distribution, so legalizing marijuana would not deter
these groups from continuing to operate. Just because people are able to buy dope at a local “weed shop,” gangs aren’t just going to stop dealing drugs. Successful criminal groups will either take a minor hit in proceeds, or just find something else to sell instead. In short, are there viable reasons to make marijuana legal? Yes, but most of the arguments for legalization are too easily shot down. I recognize that there are circumstances under which recreational use would not become a problem, but overall, the legalization of such a drug could potentially cause a world of complications for others as a whole. Maybe some people are able to handle it responsibly but that’s not enough justification to make it available to the entirety of the general public. There is not
I’m Just Sayin’ alexlamar
–opinions editor– enough good to outweigh the bad. It’s not that I have a problem with people smoking weed. I’m just saying that proponents should find less disputable argumentation. If such argumentation does not exist, then there is no reason for recreational marijuana to be made legal.
Your Turn What is your New Year’s resolution and how has it been going so far? sethboester –reporter–
Alex Childers, 9
Michael Swisher, 10
Chandler Leonard, 11
Jacob Bolstad, 12
Ryan Bixby, Science Teacher
“My New Year’s resolution is to get healthier by doing 10 push-ups every morning. I mostly do it, but sometimes I forget.”
“My New Year’s resolution is to play some more live performances with my guitar.”
“My New Year’s resolution is to get As in all my classes. So far I still have all As but I’m not sure how long that will last.”
“My resolution is to be more active and play less video games. I’ve gotten back into working out.”
“My New Year’s resolution is to learn how to play the violin. I’ve been practicing when I get home from work.”
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Too cool for school During the past two months, the word “snow” has become a real four-letter word. While most people love the occasional snow day, weather has caused major disruptions this year from event cancellations to additional days tacked on the calendar. Is there more to come? jackrogan
–news editor– Rockwood’s first encounter with snow was early this year. School was cancelled after a brief snow shower hit right around the morning rush hour on Dec. 6. And, from then on, things just got worse. When snow began late on Dec., 13, school districts around the region including Lafayette were forced to cancel the ACT scheduled for Dec. 14. Activities Director Steve Berry worked with ACT Testing Coordinator Gaylen Laster to reschedule the test for Jan. 4. But the ACT was not the only thing that would cause in scheduling concerns this winter. Berry deals with the rescheduling and cancellations of specific events such as sporting contests, and practices as well as other school activities. This season has become a challenge with calendar reshuffling and notifying patrons of all the changes. Finals came and went without any inclement weather issues leading to the start of Winter Break. For almost the entire break, which was supposed to be just short of two weeks, there was barely any real “winter” weather. Then, suddenly, on the night of Jan. 1, a snow storm came and started the ball rolling for what would be an extended winter break. Between the heavy snow, bus malfunctions due to the bitter cold, dangerously cold temperatures and then additional snow, the district racked up six days in a row past the scheduled Winter Break stretching from Jan. 2-Jan. 9. Students finally returned to class on a Friday, Jan. 10. According to KMOV, some parts of the St. Louis area got up to 15 inches of snow from the Jan. 4 storm and some parts had temperatures as low as -10 degrees Fahrenheit on Jan. 7. It was caused by what meteorologists called a Polar Vortex. Students took to Facebook and Twitter to praise Rockwood Superintendent Terry Adams for the extra days off and everyone seemed perfectly content with staying in. But, the days off took their toll on sports teams that had to cancel numerous events and practices. Yearbook club pictures had to be cancelled and rescheduled causing the staff to miss its deadline. However, once the number of snow days piled up like snow on the streets, cabin fever seemed to consume many. Dylan Schaschl, freshman, was ready to go to school after a few days snowed in. “I had mixed feelings toward the snow days. I didn’t have a problem with not going to school, but then after a couple of days I got lonely and bored at my house,” he said. Additional snow fell on the night of Jan. 20 into
the morning of Jan. 21, and Rockwood was forced to cancel classes again. Now that Rockwood has had eight snow days this year, two school days must be added onto the calendar at the end of the school year, making the last day of school, as of now, May 27, which is the Tuesday after Memorial Day. Teacher’s last day is a work day and will now be May 28. Rockwood’s policy regarding inclement weather, which comes from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), states that schools must have at least 174 days in the school year and 1,044 hours of instruction. Therefore, since Rockwood has 180 days in the school year, six days are built into the system to accommodate days including inclement weather, when school must be cancelled. Once the six days built into the system have been used, Rockwood must make up the next seven snow days. Starting with the eighth additional snow day, every other snow day is forgiven, until the 14th, in which the rest are forgiven, meaning Rockwood will not need to make those up. A minimum school day consists of at least three hours, so an additional day of school due to inclement weather does not need to be a full day, as long as it fulfills the 1,044 hours required. So far, Rockwood has two snow days to make up. However, there could be more snow on its way. According to Anthony Lupo, Department Chair and Professor of Atmospheric Science at University of Missouri, the major storm that the Midwest saw this year probably won’t take place again, but Missouri could have more snow. “It appears that the winter will continue with this pattern of up and down temperatures, so I’m guessing that we could be getting more snow this season. We can expect the snow to be at or above average for February,” Lupo said. This means that Rockwood could have even more school cancellations due to inclement weather which would lead to pushing the end of school even further into summer. Students like junior Taylor Hall are growing concerned with all of the snow. Hall is supposed to leave for a European vacation one week before school lets out and the possibility of a longer school year leaves her worried that she will not be able to do so. “The snow days mean that I will have to miss even more days at the end of the school year,” Hall said, “No matter what I will have to take finals later in June if I leave early. The snow days are putting a lot of stress on the decision making because there is a possibility of having even more.” Hall, like everyone else, will have to wait and see what happens for the duration of the school year regarding weather.
WINTER WONDERLAND Senior Hannah Marshall’s backyard is piled up with snow on Jan. 5 as a winter storm, which made it difficult for people to leave their homes, rolled through. — photo by Hannah Marshall
Do you wish Rockwood had cancelled fewer school days?
Yes
No
28%
72%
*Approximately 100 students polled
Lafayette Theatre Company Presents Presents: Lafayette Theatre Company
February 6th, 7th, and 8th February 6th, 7th, and 8th @ 7:00@ PM7:00 p.m. Tickets: Tickets $8 in advance $10 are 8.00 in advance and— 10.00 at the at door the door Tickets sold the week of the show during all lunch shifts Tickets will be sold the week of the show during all lunch shifts
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Jan. 24, 2014
Class of ‘84 grad returns as Resource Officer, reconnects with his former students from RVMS lucasmeyrer –webmaster–
The new semester has brought about a key change to a vital staff position, as Officer Oliver Helbig, School Resource Officer (SRO) at Lafayette for the past eight years, switched posts with fellow St. Louis County Police Department Officer Bernard Widdis, Bernard Widdis previously the SRO at Rockwood Valley Middle School. Widdis said the change was initiated by the Police Department with cooperation from the Rockwood School District. “Like most jobs, the Police Department moves people around to keep us fresh, and with working with the schools, Officer Helbig was coming up on 8 years here and I was coming up on seven years at Rockwood Valley,” Widdis said. The job of an SRO has a lot of different roles. “It can be a counselor, it can be a teacher, it can be a confidant, a friend. I’ve been asked to come into classrooms to talk about Constitutional law, I’ve been asked to go to Driver’s Education classes to talk about driving, I’ve been to the band room and choir room from time to time...it can be anything,” Widdis said. SROs also have roles in planning emergency drills, drug dog visits and different school functions, like the Homecoming Parade, according to Widdis. SROs have been at Lafayette full-time since the 1997-1998 school year. Marquette and Eureka already had SROs, and Lafayette followed their trend. However, the first try at having a police officer in the building was unsuccessful. During the 1995-1996 school year, an SRO was covering multiple schools in the Lafayette quadrant, but the relationship was ended by the St. Louis County Police Department over a disagreement in philosophy. Lafayette originally wanted a police officer to remain parked behind the school and rarely interact with students, which the County felt to be too restrictive and ineffective. The officer program was resumed the next year. Widdis is the third SRO Lafayette has had, following Helbig and his predecessor, Officer Tom Krause, and there are currently SROs at every Rockwood school who come from either the St. Louis County Police Department (like Widdis and Helbig) or from local city police departments. Principal John Shaughnessy has a lot of experience working with Widdis at events. “[Widdis] has been support at Lafayette in terms of covering Officer Helbig’s SRO responsibilities in his absence, supervising athletic events, school dances as well as any other support/supervision roles he was asked to do for LHS,” he said. Widdis is a graduate of Lafayette’s Class of ‘84 and played football for two years at LHS’ previous
location on Clarkson Road (where Crestview Middle School currently is). Widdis was also taught by language arts teacher Jean Peters, during his senior year. “I graduated in 1984. Right after that I immediately went into the Marines. I was supposed to be in there for four years but because of the first call for war, they extended me,” Widdis said. Coming out of the Marines, Widdis took college courses and entered the Fenton Police Department (which has since been taken over by the St. Louis Police Department). Before becoming an SRO, Widdis worked in areas like drug interdiction, accident reconstruction and on the Traffic and Highway Safety Unit (THSU). Widdis made the first ever Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) stop for the THSU when it opened. “On Interstate 44 I’ve had major drug stops where I’ve stopped a lot of drugs and a lot of money,” Widdis said. In a decorated career in law enforcement, Widdis became the first police officer nationally to receive a Red Cross life-saving award for a CPR save he performed in Wildwood in 2000. Widdis’ career in the district has also included a 2005 ROSE Award, one of the only one ever awarded to an SRO. Widdis was known at RVMS for how personable he was with others in his building. “Officer Widdis brings a knowledge of our students to his new role as Lafayette’s SRO. Officer Widdis is great at building relationships with students and staff members, and that is a strength and a necessity in his role,” Shaughnessy said. Sophomore Nathan Frederickson recalled Widdis’ antics at the middle school fondly. “My mom taught at Rockwood Valley, and he would always go into my mom’s classroom and help her out with teaching Forensics and all sorts of crazy stuff. He even brought in a taser to show off,” Frederickson said. Senior Rachel Uebelein remembers Widdis taking on the counselor role while she was a student at Rockwood Valley. “Even if he had something he was working on, if you really needed him, he would drop what he was doing and talk to you about whatever,” Uebelein said. At RVMS, Widdis was also well-known for his help with drug and alcohol awareness education, which was taught to all grade levels through physical education classes. Widdis shared with the students his experiences with underage drunk drivers. His fiancé and unborn child were killed in a car accident involving one. Furthermore, Widdis himself was involved in an accident at a DWI traffic stop with an underage drunk driver. Widdis had his leg run over and was forced into surgery. He carries 10 screws and a metal plate in his ankle. “In areas like that I can relate and explain how it feels as a victim,” Widdis said. Though it is a new position, Widdis doesn’t appear to be too far out of his depth because of his familiarity with staff members and students “We are excited to have him back in the building as staff,” Shaughnessy said.
GLORY DAYS [ABOVE] School Resource Officer Bernard Widdis talks with students while cleaning up a lunch table. “He used to come talk to my friends and me at my lunch table,” sophomore Nathan Frederickson said of Widdis from his time at RVMS. [INSET] Widdis keeps memorabilia from his LHS student days in his office, including his varsity football letterman’s jacket, a senior picture (photo courtesy of Bernard Widdis) and a cap given to him by the school. — photos by Lucas Meyrer
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Rules
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08cover story
vs In 1886, pharmacist Dr. Pemberton invented flavored syrup that, when mixed with carbonated water, created the popular drink known today as Coca-Cola. Since then, the company has expanded and created over 500 beverage brands, such as Fanta and Sprite. Coke is the brand of choice at Lafayette, as its products fill the school store and vending machines.
Shortly after the invention of Coca-Cola, PepsiCola was introduced, taking its name after the pepsin and cola nuts used in its recipe. Although pepsi products are not sold at Lafayette, several local restaurants have pepsi products in their soft drink fountains.
Nutrition
Products
Original Coke
Original Pepsi
140 cal.
150 cal.
Cola
Dr. Slice
Sodium
Sprite, Fresca, Fanta
15 mg.
7-Up, Sierra Mist
Sugar
41 mg.
Mug’s
Barq’s
Caffeine
Iced Tea
15 mg.
45 mg.
Sports Drink Gatorade, Propel
Powerade Neither is healthy, but nutrition-wise, Pepsi is superior. Although Pepsi has more calories and sugar than Coke, the difference is minor in comparison to the difference in caffeine and sodium.
Justin Schreiner, 9
“I prefer Coke products. The flavor of Coke is much richer, and I like Seagram’s Ginger Ale.”
The Apple App Store offers over 700,000 apps and generally develops apps before the Android Market does. Most software developers choose to develop their app for iOS before Android because it is easier to focus on a consistent platform.
Energy Drink Monster, NOS, Full Throttle
Seeing as iTunes was created years before the introduction of the iPhone, iOS really has a leg up when it comes to music. iTunes is user-friendly and introduced the popular iTunes Radio with iOS.
Colton Morgan, 10 “I prefer Pepsi, specifically because I like Mountain Dew.”
A big complaint about Android is its lack of group messaging. Although they are quickly improving, several phones still do not offer this service. Androids do, however, offer the Swype typing feature that allows users to type at a much faster rate than the hunt and peck method.
The famous 3-cheese queso that the franchise prides themselves in and students tend to list as an advantage over Chipotle, is 90 calories for a small cup. The chicken nachos with tortilla chips and queso adds up to a total of 930 calories without any extra toppings. Though not as high in calories or fat content when compared to Chipotle, the establishment is not an ideal postworkout meal.
Although there are things you can do to protect your phone, ultimately, the iPhone has a glass screen with a metal body. The glass is easily breakable, so the durability of the phone really depends on the cautiousness of the user.
To keep satisfied customers returning to their restaurant, Qdoba offers a rewards card for frequent buyers. Cardholders are able to register online or through an app to see how high their point balance is and view rewards. Benefits provided through the program include free entrees, birthday gifts and email offers.
Lydia Kemmerling, 9
Pepsi
Chicken Burrito $6.89
Most Android phones are not as breakable as iPhones. Although they are definitely subject to damage, they can withstand normal wear and tear.
31%
Coke
When it comes to choosing between Coke and Pepsi, it really depends on personal taste preference. Try each one and decide for yourself.
This or That?
*247 students were surveyed
Mechanical or No. 2?
Book or Movie?
Brad Cox, 9
Nina Theobald, 12
“Mechanical pencils are better because then I don’t have to get up and sharpen it.”
“I personally like books better because they have more detail.”
Katy Perry or Lady Gaga?
Sarah Clay, 11 “Katy Perry because I like her music better and she’s not as weird.”
monicapiccinni –reporter–
BBQ or Plain Chips?
Kevin Chang, 9
“BBQ flavor is better. Plain chips are just nasty.”
iOS
24% 76%
Chicken Burrito $6.77
Chicken Quesadilla
Chicken Tacos
Chicken Tacos
$7.76
$6.05
$6.77
Jack Dickinson, 11
“The overall Android experience is better. It’s more customizable and you have more access to the whole device. It’s not locked down like Apple products are.”
Devin Meyrer, 10
“Qdoba feels friendlierand they have queso.”
averycantor
*234 students were surveyed
–features editor–
Pop or Country?
Lydia Kneemueller, 11
Grace Breiten, 10
“I like plastic better. That’s just what my mom gets.”
“I like pop because the beat is better.”
Qdoba
Elise Laarman, 10
“I like Chipotle; I like how it’s decorated better and doesn’t feel like fast food. I prefer the quality better overall.”
Chipotle To satisfy a craving for loaded nachos with signature queso, Qdoba is the obvious answer. However, if organic food and the well-being of the meat is a factor when choosing a place to eat, Chipotle will satisfy.
44%
Both iOS and Android are well-made operating systems with unique features. If you’re looking for a clean, easy to use smartphone, iOS is a great option. However, if it’s customizability you desire, Android might better fit your needs.
Paper or Plastic?
Prices
Chicken Quesadilla
Android
69%
Chipotle is able to convey the ideals of their program, “Food With Integrity,” while the players get to enjoy a game and earn rewards that are redeemable at any Chipotle location through an app called “Chipotle Scarecrow.” The rewards are distributed electronically when players earn three out of five stars on a level.
original release, it is nowhere near as popular as iTunes.
$6.89
“The iPhone looks nicer and is easier to use. I used to have an Android and it glitched a lot. My iPhone is so much better.”
brown rice, pinto beans, shredded cheese and guacamole adds up to a total of 1065 calories and 48.5 grams of fat. This is 315 calories more than a McDonald’s Double Quarter Pounder with cheese. Using the same ingredients on a salad with romaine lettuce can reduce the total to 775. Either way, Chipotle meals definitely pack on the calories.
Rewards
Although it has been a problem in years past, the Android Market has significantly caught up with the App Store and has around 600,000 apps.
Durability
Amp, Rockstar
Steve Ells, the founder of Chipotle, vows to solely use farm-raised animals as meat in his restaurant. He refers to his mission as “Food with Integrity,” and informs consumers of his accomplishments. “It’s our promise to run our business in a way that doesn’t exploit animals, people or the environment.”
Nutrition In a basic flour tortilla burrito with chicken,
Music Although Google Play has made significant strides since its
Lipton, Brisk
Nestea
Android is available on several different types of phones, ranging from LG, HTC and Samsung. The extra variety allows customers to select a phone that fits their specific needs. Sizes and features vary from phone to phone, so it is easier to find a phone in your price range.
Apps
Patio
Root Beer
Qdoba prides itself in selecting high quality ingredients. On the website, Qdoba conveys high expectations: “We tend to get a little obsessive when it comes to ingredients. Not surprisingly, that obsessiveness culminates in the creation of a great tasting meal.” Every food combination is prepared by hand for the customer to see to provide the ideal Qdoba experience.
Messaging
iMessage sends messages to other Apple products through the web instead of through the user’s texting plan. Plus, the layout is more aesthetically pleasing and offers features like read receipts, delivery notifications and the ability to see when another person is typing.
Ginger Ale
Seagram’s
Android is an open-source platform and nearly everything on the phone can be changed. Users have more access to the device itself and can easily customize their keyboard, widgets, browsers and more.
Phone Selection
Pepper Style Lemon-Lime/Citrus
39 mg.
Customizability
In comparison to Android, not much is changeable with iOS. However, the simplicity of the iPhone is one of the reasons it is so popular. Unfortunately, if you want to customize your iPhone, you have to jailbreak it, which voids the warranty.
Pepsi
Coke
When it comes to getting a Mexican fix, Qdoba and Chipotle are two speedy, available options. See what restaurant can give you the whole enchilada. Ingredients
With many different options when it comes to selecting a smartphone, it is difficult to choose between iOS and Android.
The iOS processing system is only available on Apple products. Some might find this aspect limiting when it comes to phone selection, but the coherence of Apple devices makes them easier to use.
Mr. Pibb
45 mg.
vs
vs
Pop. Soda. Fizzy drink. Whatever you call it, the average American drinks about 50 gallons of it annually. Now, let us compare the two rivals. Background
Calories
The Great Debate
cover story09
Jan. 24, 2014
56%
emilyaltic
*243 students were surveyed
Playstation or Xbox?
Jake Sessen, 9 “Playstation. I just own one.”
–reporter–
Instagram or Twitter?
Erin Horner, 12 “I think I like Instagram better because I like photography.”
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image
Tube In the world there are close to 1.3 billion active Facebook users, nearly 650 million Twitter users and according to YouTube, “more than 1 billion unique users” visit their site each month. A majority of these sites are overpowered by teenagers and as students, most would not envision their teachers as a part of those statistics but those numbers are on the rise. Student’s opinions tend to vary when it comes to this topic, from greatly appreciative that teachers make an effort to keep students informed on these sites to strangely disturbed that they have Facebook or Twitter. In August of 2011, Missouri almost passed Senate Bill (SB) 54 which, among other things, banned all educators from using any form of social-networking to communicate with students unless parents and the administration had access as well. This bill was quite controversial and short lived. Governor Jay Nixon who signed SB 1 repealing the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act (SB54) was quoted saying having educators comply with these unnecessary restrictions was a “far worse result.” SB 1 states that school districts in Missouri must have outlines of proper electronic communication between educators and students. As many would claim, these restricu;
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Jan. 24, 2014
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teachers who use social media
tions infringe on the First Amendment rights on teachers. However according to the National Education Association, the three court cases involving teachers who claimed their rights were violated the teachers lost every case. However despite popular opinion, teachers having social media is not at all strange/threatening, it can be one of the best resources. Two teachers in particular have taken social-networking by storm. Math teacher Sean O’Connor and science teacher Shannon Campbell both use not only Twitter but YouTube to communicate with their students. O’Connor, who also is the cross country/track team coach, got the idea to use YouTube as way to communicate with students from his wife who happens to be a math teacher in another school district. He ran with the idea and started to put his class notes on YouTube last semester. “What I liked about the idea was if you’re a student who may have a hard time taking notes, listening and answering questions simultaneously in class, this allows you to get a head start on the notes so you can focus on listening and participating in the discussion during class,” O’Connor added. Not only does having this resource help students achieve academic poten-
tial, but it also helps his students in other areas as well. Senior Mackenzie Wolk said, “I like how he posts lessons on YouTube in case I am absent or need more reviewing for a test or final. I think it is really considerate and find that Mr. O’Connor is willing to help us succeed.” As for Twitter, O’Connor posts results and practice details or changes so the parents and students who follow him can get information quickly. To help keep her students up-todate, Campbell tends to lean more to Twitter than O’Connor does. She has been using Twitter for about two and a half years for teaching purposes. It wasn’t until the unexpected extended winter break that she began to use YouTube. “I posted six lessons for my AP classes. With AP I can’t afford to lose any time because the AP test doesn’t move so it was a way of me providing material for [students] without them actually being [at school],” Campbell said. Society claims the younger generation is too tied up with these sites, but Campbell actually wishes more of her students used Twitter so she could keep them up to date on zero hours, lessons like she did over the snow days and even if they have any questions. “Some students direct message [on Twitter] me and I find it’s a good way
for the kids to ask me questions. If they send it through email I might not check it that night, but Twitter pops up on my phone automatically and I can respond to them right away,” Campbell said. Forms of communication has evolved to keep up with the younger generation. O’Connor said, “Society has shifted over the last decade or so where social media is how we get news/updates so it makes sense to adjust and change your approach to go with the times.” Teachers have noticed their students intrigue in social-networking and started to use it to their advantage and in hopes of strengthening their students academic awareness. “No matter where you are you can get the information right on the spot. It is also easier to communicate with teachers through it because the teacher can make it so everyone has access to it. Some teachers may not want you having their phone number and vice versa,” junior Tony Chang said. Even though a negative connotation tends to be intertwined with the idea of teachers with social media, it actually has a lot of benefits. O’Connor said, “Nothing can fully replace having a teacher help you one on one with a problem but it can be used as a resource to aid in enhancing the learning experience.”
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Aubrey McRae, 10th
“It is just weird to picture teachers having friends and family outside of school and doing things that they would post about. As long as it is not on their personal account or anything I think it could be helpful to some students if they used it for educational purposes.”
“I like when they remind us about homework and stuff on the places I actually check often, but it’s kind of a weird feeling like I need to be on my best behavior and they’re always watching, even though they aren’t. I just prefer Rachael Krajewski, 11th when they use the texting service.” “Most teachers properly use it for benefiting the classroom, while others have tried to further their relationships with their students which is too far.”
Luke Bradley, 12th
Teachers take on social media:
Contrary to popular belief, teachers use social-networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more) to further their students educations.
McKinzie Duesenberg Reporter
613 views
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Olympics WINTER
ariannademos –sports editor–
benrachell
–sports reporter– The 22nd Winter Olympics will be held in Sochi, Russia from Feb. 7-23, 2014. Sochi, a resort city in Krasnodar Krai territory, will be the first Russian city to host the Winter Olympics. Members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) elected Sochi as a host city on July 4, 2007 at the 119th Session in Guatemala City. All ice events, the Coastal Cluster, will take place near the Black Sea in the Imeretinskaya Valley, while all skiing and sliding events, the Mountain Cluster, will be held in the Krasnaya Polyana Mountains. The Paralympic Games will be held March 7-16. Kicking off the first Olympic Games in 1924, Chamonix in France held the Winter Olympics during the same time Paris hosted the Summer Olympics. Compiled of 11 women and 247 men, 16 countries participated in 16 games as American speed skater Charles Jewtraw
won the first ever Olympic gold medal. Both winter and summer games were held in the same year for the last time in 1936 when the outbreak of World War II paralyzed the Olympics for 12 years. 1960 is accredited as the year the game organizers decided to sell exclusive broadcasting rights as CBS paid $50,000 to televise the events. Also debuting in the 1960 Games was Frank Zamboni’s ice machine, a critical tool after originally invented in 1940. In 1964, the unbelievable happened as the athletes faced a snow shortage. Luckily, the Austrian Army volunteered to carve out snow from the mountains and transport it to the bobsled, luge events and ski slopes. As time progressed, the Winter Olympics garnered more international interest throughout the world and as a result, expanded greatly throughout the last century. Added sports, along with a budget of $51 billion, the 2014 Olympics in Sochi will rank as the most expensive Olympics of all time. Many medals will be presented during this year’s games, culminating from the 98 total events.
Jan. 24, 2014
February kicks off events in Sochi, Russia, featuring 12 new competitions
For the first time in Olympic history, the games will begin before the opening ceremony. Events will include men’s and women’s snowboard slopestyle, team figure skating and women’s freestyle moguls. Also a first for the Winter Olympics, Sochi will be the warmest city to host the games, averaging a temperature of 43 degrees Fahrenheit in February. Known as the “Russian Riviera” for its sandy beaches and warm climate along the Black Sea, Sochi attracts over 2 million visitors each year. Debuting at the 2014 Winter Olympics, 12 new sports events will be added to the schedule. Events include men’s and women’s freeskiing halfpipe, men’s and women’s freeskiing slopestyle, men’s and women’s snowboard slopestyle, Biathlon mixed relay, women’s ski jumping, figure skating team event, men’s and women’s snowboard parallel special slalom and luge team relay. For the United States, the loss of gold medalist Lindsey Vonn is critical and has been probably the biggest story of the Olympics so far. She announced on Jan. 6 that she
would be withdrawing from this year’s Olympics due to an ACL injury she sustained last year. Now that Vonn is off the slopes, a replacement will be necessary if they intend to compete. At a troubling disadvantage, the U.S. Olympic team will look to Julia Mancuso, an ambitious three-time Olympic medalist, to fill the void of Vonn’s absence. Despite a possible depletion of momentum with her loss, the U.S. Olympic Women’s skiing team will be tough competition once February rolls around. The men’s ice hockey team, padded by the Blues’ David Backes, T.J. Oshie and Kevin Shattenkirk will also provide a solid and resilient effort in the Olympics. Goaltenders Ryan Miller and Jonathon Quick will supply depth between the crease, big time goal scorers like the Blackhawk’s Patrick Kane and Maple Leaf’s Phil Kessel will help to supply the offense that will be needed to compete against other European countries. Men’s skiing will be headlined by Bodie Miller, a gold medalist in 2010. Jeremy Abbott and Max Aaron will solidify the United States when it comes to winning in men’s figure skating.
After finishing in first place at the U.S. Olympic Curling Trials in Fargo, N.D. in November, 2013, Debbie McCormick will be competing in her fourth Winter Olympics this February. Also representing the States in curling competition will be Jessica Schultz, Ann Swisshelm, Jeff Isaacson, John Landsteiner and Jared Zezel. Qualifying for the US Luge team, Summer Britcher looks to find success in Sochi after winning the 2013 Luge Junior Nationals. The team also welcomed 18-year-old Tucker West, the youngest member ever to compete on the U.S. Olympic team. Overall, team USA will supply all around tough competition and will look to continue the success they’ve attained in previous years. Coverage will be presented by NBCUniversal and will be shown on NBC, NBCSN, CNBC, MSNBC and NBCOlympics.com. Meredith Vieira and Matt Lauer will broadcast the opening ceremony on Feb. 7, 6:30 p.m. central time. With a total of 84 broadcasters including St. Louis’s Bob Costas, this is the most widely covered Olympics ever.
Your Turn What are you most looking forward to watching during the 2014 Winter Olympic games?
Collin Gallagher, 10
Katherine Murphy, 10
Andrew Marsh, 12
Betsy Rivas, Business
Jean Peters, Language Arts
“My favorite event will be snowboarding. The athlete to watch will be Stale Sandbech in slopestyle.”
“I will be watching Gracie Gold in the ice skating event. She is a local from Springfield, MO.”
“TJ Oshie from the Blues will be playing on the USA Hockey team. It will be fun to watch.”
“I am really excited about speed skating! It is really fun and results are always unexpected.”
“Figure skating. In my next life, I dream of being a figure skater. They are such graceful and beautiful athletes.”
Trivia Night! When? Feburary 1st, Doors open at 6 p.m. and Trivia will begin at 7 p.m. Where? Lafayette High School Commons Who? You! Tickets are $20 per person, or $10 for students. 8 people per table Why? To help support the Sophomore Class and have fun while doing it! There will be a 50/50 raffle, games between rounds, a silent auction, prize for the best decorated table, and of course a great night of trivia.
Sponsored by the Class of 2016
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Girls Swimming: kellypanzitta
–sports reporter– Swimming all over the opponents this season, the girls swimming and diving team has a lot to look forward to. Defeating Mehlville and also Marquette this season, they are in the race to succeed at Conference. For senior contributors Laura Hansen, Emily Hepper, Mollie MacRae, Olivia Thoelke, Mae Riordan and Candice Vorbek, the team’s goal is to win Conference and hopefully place in top four at State. All the girls started swimming as freshman except for Vorbek who moved to Lafayette her junior year from Eureka. The most exciting moment of the season was on Jan 14 when the team went up against Marquette at the Marquette Invitational. Winning by eight points only, it was a close meet for all. MacRae said her favorite part of the meet was standing on the bleachers and leading the team to a victory. Hansen, MacRae and Riordan went through a training process with Athletic Director Steve Berry. During the training, the three girls learned to become “team leaders”. Berry taught them how to positively encourage the team and pump them up at meets. But one of the seniors that shows the most teamwork and spirit is Riordan. Planning to swim in college, she is excited for what the future holds for her. With a scholarship to Iowa State, Riordan feels less pressure as she finishes out the season. Her personal goal she said is to place top three at State. Riordan’s favored race is the 500 freestyle. Beginning at the age of 6, Riordan began swimming just in a neighborhood summer league. It wasn’t until she turned eight that she joined a more competitive league, Rockwood Swim Club. “So far the recruitment process has been easier than I thought it would be,” said Riordan. “All I had
Seniors pumped up to end season with success at Conference, State
to do was fill out recruiting questionnaire and then the teams would contact me.” After visiting and swimming at Iowa State, she is still undecided. For Riordan, her Lafayette swimming highlight was winning Conference with her team from last year. After losing very talented seniors such as Gretchen Cox and Laura Paskoff, the team has had some adjusting to do. With the help of superstar freshman Lily VanBiljon, the adjustment has become easier. Swimming this season with a varsity letter already, bright things are in store for VanBiljon. One being that she has already qualified for two events at State. Putting in a lot of dedication, she is still nervous to compete at State. “The seniors and juniors on my team have already been to the State meet before, so they know what to expect, unlike me.” Fellow teammate MacRae described her as, “extremely humble but is probably one of the fastest on the team.” Although she agrees that at times she can be humble when it comes to her talent she said she doesn’t like to flaunt it. Her favorite part about swimming is the feeling she gets when she’s racing. The biggest adjustment for VanBiljon has been meets. After swimming for Rockwood for so long she said that high school meets move a lot faster. “I’ve learned to become more prepared because there are less breaks in between events.” But being the underclassman on the team doesn’t frighten her. She said the older girls have been more then welcoming to her. Another athlete that has made the state cut is senior Mollie MacRae. Qualifying in the 100 butterfly, she is excited to finish up the season. MacRae said she is the “team flyer.” A flyer is the team’s fastest butterfly swimmer. Although MacRae will not be swimming in college, she too has set personal goals for herself and the
TOTAL DOMINATION The seniors , pictured in the front row, hope to lead the team to their second consecutive Conference title this year. After winning it for 26 years in a row, and losing in 2012 they are looking to make big waves at upcoming meets. — photo courtesy of Mae Riordan team. “Winning conference this year is what we all want to achieve. At our Conference meet, especially for us seniors, it’s important that we perform our best because it could be the last time we will be racing against girls who we have been competing with over the last four years.” With this mentality, MacRae and the rest of the team will be on their “A” game. Preparing for upcoming meets, the team will have practice everyday after school which includes train-
ing to improve times and working on technique led by Head Coach Todd Gabel. Fortunately for the Lancer squad, with all this hard work comes a little bit of fun. The night before competition, the team will all meet at a players house for a Pasta Party where all the girls carb out. Upcoming important meets include the Parkway South Invitational that will be held Jan 17- 18, the Invitational held in Springfield, MO and the State meet Feb. 21-22 at St. Peters Rec-Plex.
January Lit Link Crossword
*turn in your completed crossword on the stage at lunch for prizes*
Word Bank obligatory, obsequious, odious, palliate, pander, parsimonious, perambulate, pernicious, pragmatic, pretentious, prevaricate, propitiate, propitious, pungent, queue, quixotic, rapacious, raze, remunerate, reparation
ACROSS
2) the act of making amends, offering expiation, or giving satisfaction for a wrong or injury 6) to walk about 7) to provide gratification for others’ desires 10) expressive of affective, unwarranted, or exaggerated importance, worth, or stature 12) practical as opposed to idealistic 14) to destroy to the ground; demolish 15) foolishly impractical, especially in the pursuit of ideals 17 marked by or exhibiting attentiveness 18 a good sign or omen 20 to moderate the intensity of
DOWN
1) to gain or regain the favor or goodwill of; appease 3) mandatory or required 4) unduly sparing in the use or expenditure of money 5) highly injurious or destructive 8) to deviate from the truth 9) always wanting more money, possessions, etc.; wanting more than is needed or deserved 11) a line 13) to pay or pay for 16) causing a sharp or irritating sensation 19) hateful
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14sports
Messin’ Around
Jan. 24, 2014
From internet fame to success on the court, varsity basketball star Nate Messer looks to keep up family success hannahmartin
–asst. sports editor– Nate Messer has been a leader since the moment he stepped onto the court as a Lancer. He is determined to end his run with Lafayette on a high note and make a lasting impression. He has been playing basketball all his life and is surrounded by his four brothers who also share a love for basketball. “I started playing around the age of four for the YMCA league,” Messer said. Messer is in his fourth year playing basketball for Lafayette, third year playing varsity. He is a key component to the Lancers offense and one of the biggest contributors to the team. As a junior, Messer made 1st Team All-Conference, 1st Team All-District, Webster Classic AllTournament Team, Ameritime All-Tournament Team, MVP for the Lancers, and tied the record for most three-pointers in one game (7) for the Lancers. Messer was also the only Lancer to average double figures last season. This season isn’t looking much different as Nate has made the All-Tournament team for both the Webster and Meremac Holiday Tournaments, also putting up multiple double figure games. Messer seems to be most comfortable outside of the three point arc. Twelve games into the season, Messer has 30 three-point field goals and 58 field goals all together. In the Webster Tournament, Messer totaled 23 points against Washington and had a stand out game. The Messer family has been a big part of Lafayette’s basketball program. Nick Messer, Class of 2012, lettered four years at Lafayette for basketball and now attends WilliamJewel where he plays football. Freshman Jake Messer currently plays junior varsity basketball at Lafayette. Nate hopes to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Michael Messer, Class of 2010, who now plays basketball for Southern Illinois UniversityEdwardsville.
“When Michael was here, he was playing with my brother Nick, who’s younger, then I came up and I was in Nick’s position playing with him after Michael graduated. We’ve all been in the same situation playing together. I look up to Michael based on the numbers he put up,” Nate said. Michael played varsity three years while at Lafayette. Michael had a very successful high school basketball career and holds records for most points in a season (583), and most 30 point games (4). Michael received numerous awards as a Lancer basketball player such as Best Defensive Player, Most Valuable Player, Most Improved Player, Academic All-State Team, Free Throw Award, Assist Award, The Lancer award (twice) and Honorable Mention. Also while at Lafayette, Michael made the AllState first team his senior year, 1st Team All-District and 1st Team All-Conference. “Michael really enjoyed high school basketball and he had a great time playing,” Nate said. As of now, Nate has no offers to play in college, but plans to get a few within the next month. A few schools he is interested in are Navy, Illinois-Springfield and Central Arkansas. For Nate, even his free time is consumed by basketball. He has become something of a Vine sensation for his amazing half court shots, making them look completely effortless. His most recognized Vine, “Behind the Back #fromtheground #scoopshot #trickshot,” racked up over 60,000 revines and more than 50,000 likes. Furthermore, this Vine was featured on Bleacher Report, an online sports content site. “I didn’t see it for myself until one day my friend was like ‘Dude! Your thing is on Bleacher Report!’ So I went and checked it out and that’s when I saw it. I was pretty excited about it,” Messer said. Nate and Michael go to the gym and shoot around for about an hour then the ideas just come to them. As for upcoming vines, Nate says he has a few more tricks up his sleeve and we can see some new ones shortly. He has one simple message for those who think his vines are fake, “They’re not fake.”
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PASS, DRIBBLE, SHOOT Nate Messer (22) pulls up for a three (top) over defender and drives to the basketball against Troy at the Family Arena. The Lancers went on to win 58-28. — photos by Hannah Martin
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Jan. 24, 2014
Picks of the Month
Album: See The Light, Less Than Jake
After forming in 1992, Less Than Jake came out with their ninth album, See the Light on Nov. 12, 2013. Founded in Gainesville, FL, Less Than Jake has travelled all over the country, including headlining the FAT tour and visiting St. Louis for a show at The Firebird on Nov. 17, just five days after their album released. Less Than Jake has been in the music business since 1995, when they debuted with their album Pezcore. As they continued releasing albums from different labels, two of the albums, Losing Streak (1996) and Hello Rockview (1998), were released through major record label Capitol Records. Their experience and knowledge from working in music for 22 years has clearly paid off. In fact, after Less Than Jake’s last three albums including GNV/FLA (2008), Greetings and Salutations (2012) and See the Light (2013) have been produced through their own record label, Sleep It Off, that they started in 2008. Less Than Jake is a ska-punk band, a combination between punk rock and ska music, a precursor genre to reggae, though similar. It offers a brighter tone to the commonly darker punk music of today. The band mixes saxophones and trombones with the electric guitars and syncopated rhythms from the drums to form this truly unique piece of music. I personally have never heard of anything like it.—Jennifer Butler
The Image staffers give their entertainment picks for the month of January.
TV Show: House of Cards
Video Game: Bravely Default
Netflix made waves when it decided to begin creating and producing their own web television, but Emmywinning House of Cards proved this new medium could be successful. A political drama starring Kevin Spacey as an accomplished and diabolical Congressman from South Carolina, Season One’s 13 episodes (all released simultaneously in February 2013) follow his exploits on Capitol Hill as he and his wife take revenge on those who betrayed him politically. House of Cards is quick-paced, clever and incredibly intelligent and has been released on DVD for non-Netflix owners. Binge watchers have until Feb. 14 to get caught up, when Season Two will be released.—Lucas Meyrer
On Feb. 7, Nintendo and Square Enix are coming together to bring Bravely Default, the best-selling JRPG to North America for the Nintendo 3DS. Similar to the Final Fantasy games before they became horrible, Bravely Default is a turn-based strategy game with full voice-acted cut scenes. Like all other recent Nintendo releases, Bravely Default will be available at retail or for digital download on the Nintendo eShop. The game has already received almost universal critical acclaim and looks like it will stand proud alongside games like Fire Emblem: Awakening and in the 3DS’ growing lineup of great exclusive RPGs. Nintendo has given no information about the plot prior to release.—Alex LaMar
App: 4 Pics 1 Song
Movie: Endless Love
Although there are variants to this app, such as 4 Pics 1 Movie, 4 Pics 1 Song truly tests problem-solving skills and irrelevant trivia knowledge. There are over 80 levels where you must solve for 16 different songs ranging in genre and decade using only four pictures as clues. The correct number of spaces and given letters are also given. The pictures can be specific words of the song or the band who sings it. As you finish levels, every other level starts to unlock. It takes 24 hours to unlock, however there is a rather recent addition to the app. Once you finish a level, you can try for a Platinum Record. A Platinum Record is the same thing, only you’re given a limited time and each picture appears after a certain amount of time.—Jennifer Butler
Looking for a steamy romance movie to see with your sweetie this V-Day? If so, you’re in luck. Endless Love hits theaters Feb. 14. The romantic-drama is a remake of the 1981 film. It tells the story of a passionate, volatile teenage romance. 15-year-old Jade (Gabrielle Wilde) is a privileged teen who falls for charismatic 17-yearold David (Alex Pettyfer). When Jade’s family tries to separate the young couple, David’s behavior grows increasingly reckless and he takes the phrase “love makes people do crazy things” to a whole new meaning. With it’s plot twists and turns, attractive male and female leads, and killer soundtrack, Endless Love is a must see.—Jordan McDonnell
Stuck in the Suburbs
alainastrollo
–social media editor–
After record-low temperatures and a snow storm caused by the Polar Vortex, students, faculty all learned the real meaning of the expression “cabin fever.” With six extra days of winter break coming to a total of 21 Lazy Snow Days For some students, the extended break called for coamounts of Netflix and extra naps. days, students all spent their pious“I laid around and watched literally four seasons of Futurama. There’s a dent in my couch where I was days off differently. sitting. I was there for three weeks,” Sophomore BecLife Goes On While some students were using the school cancellations as time for chilling, other students and teachers took advantage of their time off and got ahead academically. Teachers sent out tweets and emails to notify students of upcoming due dates and work that they could start before school reconvened. AP Literature teacher Dawn Indelicato-Faw tweeted out links for preparation of the AP Exam. Also, AP Physics students could view lesson videos created by science teacher Shannon Campbell. “It is important to me that I keep my classes on schedule as much as possible so we have enough time to review before the AP Physics test. The only way I could think to do that was to make videos of the lessons the students were missing,” Campbell said. Publications staff had work days to assign stories for the upcoming issue of the Image and meet deadline for the Legend. Also, students had to pick up extra shifts at work despite the icy roads and flurries. Senior Courtney Poppell had to work at Bounce U in the heart of the storm. “When all those snow days hit, I thought I would get called off but they actually called me into work to come even earlier. When I left, it took me forever to even get out of the parking lot,” Poppell said.
Twitter Report In this time of boredom, Twitter was quite active. Students shared their thoughts one tweet at a time.
ca Leslie said. Freshman Maddie Hallums laid around and watched Netflix as well. Junior Matt Waeckerle spent his days playing and improving his skills on the football video game Madden. “I had nothing else to do. My mom said I couldn’t go anywhere,” he said. “I sat in my bed the entire time,” senior Matt Underwood said.
“Well looks like school won’t start up again until April. #snowpocalypse2k14” -@LHSproblems “By the time we get back to school all of Rockwood will have watched everything Netflix has to offer” -@sityourASHdown
Fun In The Snow For others, the snow was the perfect opportunity for sledding and hanging out with friends. Junior Kassie Bennett hung out with friends and went sledding. Senior Emily Hepper got snowed in at a friend’s house. “I got stuck at Lauren Hansen’s house. I expected to [get snowed in], so it’s why I went over there in the first place. It was definitely better being snowed in at a friend’s than at my own house,” she said. Some students weren’t even in town for Snowpocalypse. Sophomore Christian Verde was in Louisiana visiting family and stayed there an extra week because of the school cancellations. “I went sledding down my neighbor’s hill and it was fun but we ran into a snowman,” Underwood said.
“Terry is not a Lafayette problem. #Day5” -@LHSproblems “Our break last year: 288 hours Our break this year: 540 hours” -@houseofStauss1 “Snow day #5000” -@mrs_if LET IT SNOW A total of almost 7 and a half inches of snow gave Rockwood students six extra days off of school. Students were excited about the break for the most part. — photo by Smrithi Mani
“#longlivewinterbreak -@jeccaboo10
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16entertainment
Jan. 24, 2014
Shrek: The Musical takes high school musicals to a new level as the Lafayette theater pushes limits with humor, staging and dance numbers and reaches out to LHS alum. jenniferbutler
–entertainment editor–
Why should students see Shrek? Shrek: The Musical will be performed Thursday through Saturday, starting Feb. 6, with seniors Marlon Banks and Kate Pennington as Shrek and Fiona, and freshman Peyton Boyd as Donkey. This musical will be the fifth for Natasha Toro, drama teacher, to direct the LHS cast. Toro will also have choral and choreography help from choral director Michele Rodgers. “Everything is going to be giant for this one, more-so than anything we’ve done,” said Toro. Stage manager and senior Connor Knutson said, “You should see it because it’s going to be really funny, and if you’ve seen the movie, you’re going to really enjoy the musical because there’s a lot of the same dialogue and the main jokes from the movie are all in there.” Some jokes are also added to musical, such as a song dedicated to farts and the Wolf character as a drag queen. This is a humor that previous high school productions haven’t usually had, which makes this year’s musical much more unique and opens the LHS theater to a wider variety of shows after this.
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THE SHOW MUST GO ON 1. Natasha Toro and sophomore Alex Brown work to stand up plants for the swamp scenes. 2. Alumni Jack Sippel explains a dance routine to the cast. 3. Sophomore Peyton Boyd learns the choreography as a main character in the show. 4. Senior Connor Knutson and junior Robert Healy and begin putting wheels on the moveable sets for the show. — photos by Madison Kesselring
Directors, cast deem this the most difficult show so far With a big cast, dance numbers and staging, Shrek: The Musical will be one of the most difficult performances for the Lafayette Theatre Company (LTC). Connor Knutson, stage manager, said, “there’s a cast of about 40 people and a scene where Fiona has to change from her human form into the ogre form.” Forty is a large cast number compared to the past musicals where there’s only been between 10 and 20 students, such as Sound of Music or 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Makeup is also a huge concern as there have not been various fairytale characters in past musicals. Drama teacher Natasha Toro said, “We have a costume and makeup crew, but we will also have Samantha Rodgers to come in and help and show some of the things she’s learned so far from her work with Six Flags and other experiences.” Rodgers is a college student majoring in the Fine Arts department and is choral teacher Michele Rodgers’ daughter. She has helped in previous years with the high school productions, whether it be costume design or as an aid. Jack Sippel, Class of 2012, is also helping the LTC with choreography for the show. Just like the professional show, there will be a lifesize dragon for the performance. It takes three or four people to control her, and a student for the part of the dragon’s voice. This means that some of the cast will have two or more characters to learn lines, choreography and sing for. For example, the Gingerbread Man is actually a puppet and the voice part is usually a fairy or another character in the musical, sometimes in the
same scene, while a separate student works the puppet. Students will have to learn more lines than usual and be able to work together and simultaneously for the production to be a success. There will also be nine sets and over 20 set changes throughout the musical. The musical is just like the movie, only with singing and dance numbers. Unlike similar shows, however, all the music in Shrek: The Musical is originally scored and arranged, with the exception of “I’m A Believer” at the end of the show. This song will certainly be a crowd pleaser as it will be set up in the same way as the movie is. Shrek and Fiona as well as the rest of the cast will sing karaoke-style and dance at the reception. “I always have that fear where the musical won’t live up to the standards, and especially this one because everyone has seen the movie, but my kids are so talented and they work so hard,” Toro said. The pressure is on for these high school thespians, as most people have seen the musical and will have even higher expectations than previous productions.
BREAK OUT (on right) Junior Jack DeLine pauses running his lines and spends time on his phone. Deline will be Lord Farquaad in the musical. — photo by Madison Kesselring
ROLLIN’ IN THE DEEP (on right) Junior Robert Healy teaches junior Danielle Nosal how to set up wheels on sets. Each wheel need a block of wood to attach the wheel and moveable set. — photo by Madison Kesselring
DANCE PARTY the cast practices their dance numbers. Senior Christine Schierholz attempts jazz hands. — photo by Madison Kesselring