Jan 26, 2018

Jan. 26, 2018 | Vol. 49, No. 5

| I M A G E | Lafayette High School | 17050 Clayton Rd. Wildwood, MO 63011 | lancerfeed.press | @thelancerfeed

We’re all connected — sometimes in ways we could never imagine.

See pages 8-9 to read more about how many LHS students and staff are associated.

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Jan. 26, 2018 |OPINIONS| Just ‘having’ technology not enough; schools must thoughtfully use it Jack Weaver | Digital Media Editor

Staff Editorial Students suffer when teachers delay grading

Most teachers are good about grading The staff editorial assignments and posting those grades in Infinite Campus (IC). But there are a few who aren’t represents a majority so punctual, and that hurts students. Teachers opinion of the should be assessing students for learning and Image Editorial Board. improvement purposes rather than just assigning a grade and meeting an IC posting deadline.

Student learning requires feedback—timely feedback—so they can correct their mistakes and improve. When grades aren’t recorded in a timely fashion, how are students supposed to gauge their understanding?

Grading 100 essays is different from grading 100 multiple choice tests, and we understand this. The assignment type determines the pace of grading. Students should understand this too. However, when students are expected to meet deadlines with their work, it isn’t fair for teachers to put off grading until the final posting deadline. At that point, feedback is irrelevant to the learning process.

Grading in a timely manner doesn’t just help the students, it helps the teachers too. How are teachers supposed to analyze the effectiveness of their teaching if they don’t grade until last-minute?

And, when a slew of grades are posted the last week of the semester, a student has no real chance to improve upon that grade.

According to the 2014-2015 Secondary Best Grading Practice Guidebook for Rockwood School District Teachers and Staff, “staff members are expected to maintain, update and enter information into Infinite Campus on a regular basis.”

The policy specifies posting goals based on the assignment type. Papers should be recorded within two weeks, projects recorded within three weeks, tests recorded within two weeks and daily work and quizzes recorded within one week.

Plus, the number of students or other personal circumstances facing teachers may affect these dates, and students should understand that teachers are not superhumans and they also have responsibilities outside of school.

However, it’s up to the teachers to notify students when grading falls behind schedule, and it’s up to students to contact teachers when they feel that schedule is not being followed.

The Guidebook designates IC as a tool to “enhance communication” and “complement other means of parent-teacher communication such as email, telephone calls and by providing basic information for meaningful parental conferences.” Teachers: no more waiting to grade until the last minute, and students: let your teacher know if they aren’t using Infinite Campus timely enough. When it comes down to it, IC is a communication tool. It should be used so teachers to know how well they’re teaching, so students know how well they’re learning, and so they can both make changes if needed.

If a teacher doesn’t post grades until there’s nothing a student can do about it, let your grade-level principal know. That one little letter means something to students who want to take charge of their education andwork hard.

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Our world is constantly evolving as new technology is always being released.

As kids are getting technology in their hands sooner than ever, it is important that outdated education models are replaced with modernized methods to best deliver the material to the newest generation of students.

My four-year-old brother has his own iPad that he uses every minute of the day, becoming almost second nature to him as most peoples’ iPhones. With the undeniable spike in technological integration into our everyday routines, it’s easy to say that today’s children spend more time on technology than any generation before.

So why take it away from them in the classroom rather than using it to their advantage? It is important to incorporate the familiar use of technology into modern education.

However, this isn’t as easy as it may seem.

Rockwood’s One-to-One Program was created to provide students with personal technology in order to integrate education and technology. For this to be successful, teachers themselves must be comfortable

Cuts in high school sports represent healthy competition, motivation Delaney Stulce | Web Editor Welcome to high school. For students, competition defines numerous aspects of our lives: competing for grades, trying to beat your classmates in a game of Kahoot and racing to your car to be the first out of the parking lot. Competition is a healthy driving force for students, so why not apply it to all sports teams?

This societal fault has made its way to Lafayette and all high schools alike through no-cut school sports teams.

While it is a great idea to allow a freshman team to be no-cut in order to allow younger students the opportunity to try something new, junior varsity and varsity teams should be exclusively a competition.

The days of recreational, CYC leagues end the first day of freshman year — or at least they should.

Creating a competitive environment pushes individuals to work hard, and creates a drive to succeed. This drive is something that is necessary to succeed in the workforce.

Not only will it make someone learn how to be competitive, it also teaches one how to deal with rejection and how to use that hurt to inspire them to work even harder.

Teaching students that something they want will be handed to them without any real effort at a time when adulthood is within their grasp creates a sense of entitlement. This mindset robs students of the opportunity to work for what they want and learn to bounce back from rejection, which is bound to happen at least once in their adult lives.

It is great for students to explore a sport and possibly find an activity that they really enjoy, but if a student is not willing to be competitive, it is better to stick with a recreational league.

General Information

The Image is published nine times a year by the News Production class. Subscriptions are $30. Free issues are distributed on campus. The 2016-2017 Image received a First Class rating with three marks of distinction from the National Scholastic Press Association.

Philosophy Statement & Policies

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. The Rockwood School District Policies and Regulations concerning official student publications and the specific policies and procedures used by student publications can be found at lancerfeed.press under the About Us tab.

with the technology and be willing to work with it.

This means using the technology in every aspect of the education process and finding unique, wellcreated content for students to work with.

While looking into the use of the technology provided by the One-to-One Program, I found that most teachers feel that the use of the technology requires a significant amount of preparation.

Although it isn’t simple, it is certainly vital to invest the time and money, and most teachers are willing to take the time to do so.

Simply providing every student with a Chromebook does not satisfy the adequate immersion to technology that today’s generation of students need. Teachers must be given the time and resources to amend their curriculum with modern technology.

By doing so, teachers will be in a position to use modern technology in their classroom, delivering content to students in the most rational way.

The world of technology is changing everyday. It is important that students are given the opportunity to use the latest technology in the classroom rather than being restricted from the high-potential possibility offered to students and educators today.

STARS & GRIPES Stars:

• Eight cheetahs were recently born at the St. Louis Zoo. They now permanently reside on your aunt’s Facebook page.

• Black Mirror is back on Netflix to make sure you never sleep again.

• We love the Tide Pod challenge.

This modern-day natural selection process should work its magic and reduce world population in a jiffy.

Gripes:

• The cafeteria reached a “gas station food” low by shrink wrapping some of its meals.

• It’s so cold across the country, iguanas in Florida are freezing and dropping out of trees. Talk about a b-lizzard!

• Hey Knost mean-tweeters: Do you really think that helps? Oh, and then don’t show up to school in a T-shirt and athletic shorts.

Image Staff

Digital Media Staff

Editor in Chief | Jessica Cargill Asst. Editor | Amisha Paul Web Editor | Delaney Stulce Asst. Web Editor | Natalie Karlsson News Editor | Ty Prozorowski Opinions Editor | Travis Bodell Feature Editor | Gehrig Prozorowski Sports Editor | Kayla Carpenter Artists | Charlotte Komrosky-Licata, Ty Prozorowski Graphic Designer | Marlo May Adviser | Nancy Y. Smith, MJE Staff: Chloe Baker, Abby Karandjeff, Jasmin Kim, Grace Kirtley, Clare Mulherin, Naomi Saegusa, Alex Rozar, Shwetha Sundarrajan, Addie Watson

Digital Media Editor | Jack Weaver Special Projects Editor | Jimmy Bowman Video Package Editor | Kiley Black Aurasma Editor | Emma Grant Staff: Nick Koester, Clay Komor, Jonah Nickerson, Lucas Nickerson, Annika Renganathan, Shwetha Sundarrajan, Jacob Ward

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|OPINIONS|

Jan. 26, 2018

MICROAGGRESSIONS & STEREOTYPES:

The Monthly Strawman by Charlotte Komrosky-Licata

Prejudice presents itself in all shapes, forms, sizes

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CHALLENGES THAT BROKE THE INTERNET Over the years there have been many strange internet challenges. Here are a few examples of the dumb things kids and adults have done in the past.

“Did it pop yet?”

All through our childhood years, and even now, competing who has the best bubble is definitely a challenge many have tried.

“Dog food? Again?”

Most people have tried the Bean Boozled challenge at least once. If not, prepare now for the worst possible taste you’ve ever imagined.

“Chubafadfy Bgadunny” Ever gagged from having too many marshmallows in your mouth? Yeah, it sucks, but the Chubby Bunny challenge is as amusing as it is dangerous.

very so often, instances of prejudiced behavior rattle our Travis Bodell Opinions Editor school community.

A white kid uses the N-word; a physical altercation shortly follows.

Racist SnapChat messages lead to outcry from other students. It’s these painfully explicit and public acts of racism that draw our attention.

But what happens when these acts of prejudice cycle out of the “hot topics” of school discussion? Does that mean racism, homophobia and prejudice have ceased to exist?

To many, it would seem that way.

But we, students, staff and parents, often fail to acknowledge that hate is deeply embedded in society, and prejudice won’t always manifest itself as a blatant and explicit act of hate toward the oppressed.

In reality, prejudice incorporates itself into the teenage social dynamic on a daily basis, working silently and stealthily but nonetheless creating a noticeable rift based on race, gender, religion and sexuality.

Microaggressions, stereotyping and general insensitivity play a silent, yet major role in the treatment of minority groups, whether it be in the school environment or out in the world.

Microaggressions are small-scale behavioral and verbal degradations of a minority group. Needless to say, these sly and oftentimes unintentional comments, behaviors or gestures hold nowhere near the same social magnitude as a full-blown act of intolerance such as using a slur to insult a peer of a different skin color, which can be attributed to the subtle and sometimes unintended nature of their delivery.

Microaggressions are deeply embedded in society and hold an unrealized and toxic role in the social

That’s

theTea

dynamic, especially among teenagers: erasure.

“You don’t listen to rap music?” a white student tells a black peer. “I’m practically blacker than you, then!”

What can easily be interpreted as harmless observation by one party can be construed as offensive to the other.

Microaggressions and stereotypes frequently come hand-in-hand; the comment itself is often based upon a generalization or misconception about a minority group.

Comments as these effectively place individuals in a box. It may not be apparent at first, but stereotyping, even in an instance that could seem as superficial as this, confines one to a mold of how others believe they are supposed to act based on their background. A person’s unique qualities and differences are erased with comments and behaviors such as these, replaced with a stereotype that inaccurately represents who the individual really is.

Deposing microaggressions and stereotypes of their unrealized and hugely toxic role in social interactions is something that must be solved on a societal level; the problem is of epidemic proportions and cannot simply be mended on a small scale.

The daunting task of formulating a solution to this widespread fault in the social dynamic is only added to the failure of many to acknowledge that stereotyping, even in what some see to be “casual” conversations and exchanges, is a legitimate threat to social standing between different ethnic, religious and minority groups.

Acknowledgement is the first step.

We as a society have to realize that behaviors and remarks that are so nonchalantly used and exchanged on a regular basis play a serious role in the rift that, as of now, still separates us based on our differences.

Photo

Opinion

by Alex Rozar Reporter

What does being American mean to you?

| Abbey Freund, 9 | “It means respecting your country, respecting everyone’s beliefs and being kind.”

| Jackie Burton, 10 | “The right to be who you are, because you have that right. America is the Land of the Free.”

| Erika Buneta, 11 | “Being American means accepting uniqueness and diversity, and supporting each other when injustices occur.”

| Jakob Molskness, 12 | “The belief in freedom, liberty, and letting each man forge his own destiny.”

| Amy Merriott, social studies |

“Being American means being patriotic while being knowledgeable of our past. We can’t ignore any of our history, but we can acknowledge previous progress and hope for the future.”

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|NEWS |

Jan. 26, 2018

H.S. schedule format discussion underway Ty Prozorowski | News Editor

A steering committee is devising a new schedule structure to replace the current block hybrid high school schedules.

“Right now, we’re gathering input. A survey went out to all high school teaching staff about to collect information to help the committee make a recommendation for a change,” Principal Karen Calcaterra said.

Calcaterra is a member of the High School Program Design (HSPD) committee, which is working on various topics related to the district high schools, including the schedule. “[The scheduling sub-committee] is looking at changes because when the HSPD committee, probably 100 people or more, got together, we looked at what areas we need to consider for improving our schools and number one was the schedule,” she said.

Calcaterra said these plans are in early development.

“Right now it’s in the information collection stage, so I don’t want to be preemptive and say here’s schedule one, here’s schedule two and it’s a vote between them. We are not at that point in the process yet,” she said.

A new schedule would eliminate the need for students to select a standard or blocked class.

Instead all classes would have part of every class standard and part blocked.

However, a survey to staff members had three options. Staffers responded with their opinion of the two new options. The third option was keeping the schedule the same.

Schedule Option One is an ABCAA format.

On Monday, Thursday and Friday, students would go to all seven classes for the standard time.

On a B day, students would go to 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th Hours for a blocked period. On a C day, students would go to 2nd Hour, an advisory time and then 4th and 6th Hour for a block.

This “advisory” time is still unnamed.

“The idea behind that [period] is that we know we need time for students to get additional help or resources or make up tests.

Or maybe we don’t always have to have Student Council meetings after school or Key Club after school because so many kids work or are involved in athletics or don’t live close,” Calcaterra said. “If we had an advisory or flex time in the middle of the day, those clubs could potentially meet then sometimes.”

The second option staffers were asked to give feedback on was an ABCBC schedule. Only Mondays would have all seven classes. The rest of the week would be BCBC with advisory time built in each of those days. 7th Hour would be standard every day.

“By free I don’t mean like free roam around and do whatever, but an assigned time where [students can] get help with courses, use a computer, make up a test, have club meetings, whatever,” Calcaterra said.

According to the survey data, Lafayette and Rockwood Summit favor the ABCAA schedule.

Eureka likes the ABCBC schedule, while Marquette wants ABCAA one week and ABCBC the next week.

Questions asked by the high schools included what exactly is the “advisory” time, when is the deadline for making the decision and do all the high schools have to implement the same schedule.

It was concluded all the choices had more support than the current hybrid block schedule.

Calcaterra understands the necessity for a

Potential Schedule Options

new schedule.

“Our schedule is very limiting. When we do hear from parents, it’s mostly because ‘my son or daughter takes French 4 and Intro to Engineering Design, and they’re both 5th hour, and that’s the only time they’re offered, and they want to take both, and so what do we do?’”

Similarly we hear from kids, ‘I can’t take what I want to take,’” Calcaterra said.

Guidance Counselor Sarah Hicks agrees.

“Scheduling classes right now for everyone is pretty difficult. Many times students have to choose between two classes just to make their schedule work or have to pick up a class they don’t necessarily want because they need another blocked class,” Hicks said. “If we changed to a simpler format for a schedule, it would be likely that more students would get the classes they want and need on their schedule.”

There are other issues with the current

schedule.

“As a high school master-scheduler and a staff person, it becomes hard with our current schedule to study long-term data about classes we offer or we don’t because it’s all dependent on what students sign up for. And I don’t mean the classes themselves, I mean did you sign up for it as a blocked or a standard class. It makes it hard to make predictions because there is no connection,” Calcaterra said.

Regardless, she is ready for a change.

“My preference would be that we don’t continue with our current schedule. I could live with whatever best meets the needs of our kids and staff and that our community supports,” Calcaterra said.

The next meeting is Jan. 29.

“After Jan. 29, more information will be available to share,” Assistant Superintendent Supervision of Schools Lisa Counts said.

School starting times could still change for next year Ty Prozorowski | News Editor Amid setbacks and concerns, Rockwood is moving forward with its goal to alter middle school start times.

Assistant Superintendent Supervision of Schools Lisa Counts said the goal is to implement the changes for the 2018-2019 school year.

“There are several different options being considered, but the main goal is to move the middle school start time to a later time, somewhere around 8 a.m.,” Counts said.

The high school start time would be minimally affected, possibly moving back 5-10 minutes. Elementary start time would stay almost the same.

After years of statements from parents and the community insisting the middle school start time was too early and causing various issues for middle school students and families, the

district set out to adjust the start times.

“The Middle School Program Design Committee studied changing the middle school start time, surveyed the community and made a recommendation based on the majority of community members wanting a later start time for middle school,” Counts said.

Research on the correlation of school start time and student health impacted the decision.

“Earlier start times are linked to a variety of health and social-emotional issues,” Counts said.

The district is working closely with Rockwood transportation staff and hiring additional transportation routing consultants to assess current routing.

“Since we have a three-tier routing system, moving start times at one level can have impacts on all levels. We are trying to minimize the impact on the high schools and elementary schools. We are expecting to communicate any

changes to start times soon,” Counts said.

There are several other challenges.

“The obvious one is the end time for the school day. Many are concerned about the end time of the day being too late for students due to after school activities, child care, student engagement. This is a trade off of starting later.

The school day will end later,” Director of Purchasing and Transportation Bill Sloan said.

Rockwood has also found it hard to restructure its transportation system.

“It’s difficult to improve upon a system that is functioning so efficiently. However, we are dedicated to our kids and doing what is best for them, so we continue to look for ways to improve routing,” Chief Financial Officer Paul Northington said.

A nationwide bus driver shortage has also created a road block.

“If we compress the transportation schedule, will we need more buses and drivers, and

if so, are there enough people interested in driving a school bus as a part time job to fill the vacancies?” Sloan said.

Bus drivers must also meet a certain standard for the district to give them a job.

“We look to hire the best in the industry, and we are committed to recruiting and retaining school bus drivers who will safely transport our students,” Northington said.

The plans continue to move forward despite such obstacles.

“We are focused on creating routing models that will allow us to change the bell times and minimize the number of additional drivers and buses. This process is well underway, and the routing details should be completed in the next few weeks. The results will be provided to Dr. [Superintendent Eric] Knost and the Administrative team for next steps and possible community engagement if the results support moving forward with changes,” Sloan said.

Attention Seniors-Juniors ACT/SAT Tutoring

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

Jan. 26, 2018

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|NEWS |

New rule impacts student schedule changes Jessica Cargill | Editor-In-Chief

Many students have felt the despair of sitting through a class, wanting to just give up. Maybe the class material wasn’t interesting, or maybe it was just too difficult.

For students who decide to drop a class at that point, there is a procedure to follow, but for the most part, making a schedule change, even pretty late in the semester, is not impossible.

That will change next year when students will only have a five days at the start of first semester to make a level change.

A level change is when a student wants to switch from an AP or Honors class to a regular class.

“The goal is to try to minimize the number of students that are shifting classes after the semester has started,” guidance counselor James Waeckerle said.

With registration for 2018-2019 underway, LHS staff members are encouraging students to make good decisions beforehand to make sure they are academically prepared for classes they sign up for and are interested in the material.

“The emphasis is for kids to think about it ahead of time and do more of the leg work to find out what the class is about,” he said.

This is an issue that administrators and counselors needed to resolve because when students drop classes at the semester or during the year, it causes unbalanced classroom environments among the school.

“We make staffing decisions based upon what kids have requested and then when we have all of this movement. We have some classes that are full and other classes that end up really small,” Waeckerle said.

Once the five days are over, students desiring a schedule change will have to wait until the end of the semester.

In the past, the level change process was similar. Students fill out a form and have it approved by the grade level principal. Then, the parents and students must write a letter explaining why they want the change.

Starting next year, students will only have the first five days of the semester to make a change request.

This time limit will also be at the start of second semester in the 2018-2019 school year to give students a chance to possibly start over.

Once the deadline has passed, students will have to wait until the next semester in order to drop out of a class.

Associate Principal Matthew Irvin encourages students to stay in their class and work through their academic issues.

“Finding ways to navigate what is a rigorous academic setting by engaging and collaborating with the teacher and other students or finding strategies that allow them to be successful,” Irvin said.

He understands there will be challenges in school, but working through the issue will be beneficial to students in the long run.

“Part of it is to have kids be in a high school setting where they can be in a rigorous academic setting with high expectations and know that they can be successful even though there may be a temporary discomfort,” Irvin said.

If a student has tried to get help in a class and is still unsuccessful, they can meet with their grade level principal and may have a chance to make a change after the deadline.

“They can always talk to their grade level principal, but the principals are behind what we’re doing, so they support the decision making. I would say you can always make that appeal, but the goal at the administrator level

as well as in the counseling office is to try to get kids to really think about what they are choosing ahead of time,” Waeckerle said.

If the student still can’t make a level change, there are other options to still be successful in a class.

“I would advise a student to have conversations with that teacher. Have conversations with a teacher that may have had that same subject matter the previous year, where they have been successful in the past, and find ways to attach themselves to those strategies and those practices,” Irvin said.

Sometimes even those strategies may not work out with a student.

Sophomore Cameron Kelly dropped out of AP World History due to the amount of work and the rigor of the tests.

“The workload was so much out of school, and I couldn’t comprehend the test questions in the time given,” Kelly said.

After dropping out of AP, she noticed a benefit in the rest of her studies.

“It allowed me to focus my time on other classes and relieve stress from the workload,”

Kelly said.

If a student does decide to drop a class and the decision is approved, his or her grades in the previous class transfer over to the new class.

Over the past several years, rules have drastically changed when it came to dropping out of an AP/Honors class. AP Government teacher Lori Zang-Berns has noticed these changes first hand.

“The process has changed a lot in the 18 years I have been at Lafayette,” Zang-Berns said. “At first, no one was allowed to drop an AP course once the initial window passed at the start of the school year and a student would have needed an F in the class to be able to pursue dropping at the semester.”

With these sudden changes, although there is a step-by-step process, staff has become more accepting of the need to drop a class.

“Gradually, the process has become more liberal. Students have been permitted to drop after the 10-day window at the beginning of the school year, and students have been allowed to drop regardless of their grade in the class,” Zang-Berns said.

With level changes becoming more frequent, Zang-Berns starts out the school year talking about the policies in her classroom and the dedication that needs to be there for the class.

“I understand the importance of having a transcript that reflects a rigorous course-load and a high GPA,” Zang-Berns said. “I also understand how important it is to be happy and healthy throughout the school year.”

Zang-Berns agrees with encouraging students when signing up for classes to make sure it is something they are interested in learning about.

“We can do a better job making sure students are appropriately placed in a class at the start of the school year and at the same time allow students to challenge themselves in a more rigorous class,” Zang-Berns said.

She said it is important for students to understand hard work and how beneficial it is for them in the future.

“We can also do a better job telling students there is value in working hard and overcoming obstacles even if the end result is not perfection,” Zang-Berns said.

“In the end, a teacher never wants to feel sole responsibility for stress and anxiety his or her students might be experiencing, and I do whatever I can to help my students manage this,” she added.

the administration of semester final exams given to students.”

Assistant Principal Kirti Mehrotra said the policy only states the final exemption policy and that final exams should given in classes.

Waeckerle said, “What we are trying to do is to determine what is the best way to assess students and there a whole bunch of things on the table at this time. There are no decisions that have been made at this point.”

In order to make their plans work, Waeckerle said the committee is reviewing practices of colleges as well as what high schools are doing in regards to final exams because “we would like to prepare students for college but we are finding that colleges are changing their assessments as well.”

In addition to possibly changing the practice of how finals are being taken, the committee is also exploring the time frames of the finals.

Waeckerle said, “Right now we have a twohour time block for a final, but if you’re not really taking a written final, then what does that look like? There are a lot of logistical issues we have to work through.”

Waeckerle added if the district does establish a policy that ends up changing the format of the finals, exemptions might not be necessary.

“It’s premature to discuss what an

exemption policy might look like if you aren’t taking written finals. For instance, for an art project you are working on all semester, you can’t all of a sudden exempt that,” Waeckerle said. “There are some that are in favor of keeping an exemption, and some who are fully opposed to having any exemptions. I think until we know what we are looking at, it’s hard to even say if [exemptions] are needed.”

During the time of finals, Waeckerle states the counseling office does get an increase in the number of student’s come in who are experiencing some anxiety.

“Whether it’s the final exam or it’s the finality of the grade coming to the end of the semester and the panic over what that final grade is gonna look like. I don’t know if I can specify whether it’s the exams that are causing the anxiety or if it’s the finality of the semester,” Waeckerle said.

He believes the changes the committee is discussing could help students relieve some stress.

“However, having a final project due can be stressful, so I don’t know that it’s whole heartily going to alleviate all of the stress. Just that we don’t call it an ‘exam’ doesn’t mean it would be less stress provoking experience,” he said.

According to the National Institute of

Personal Health, anxiety is the most common mental health disorder in the U.S. affecting nearly one-third of both adolescents and adults.

Mehrotra said finals would be stressful if students were not studying the entire semester.

“Because students study only for the tests instead of learning the concepts and learning how to be able to apply those concepts things become harder,” Mehrotra said. “They study for the tests and then they forget the information so when the final exams come, they have to restudy everything.”

A question Waeckerle said the committee is focusing on is, “What does that final look like?”

“Are we just pulling out random factual information or are we looking at bigger picture concepts that are demonstrating you understood and mastered the course material,” he said.

Overall, the committee is exploring ideas for how finals should be set up for certain classes and to put all the information they decide on in a policy that clearly states how finals should be carried out.

As for right now, the committee is still in the beginning stages and will continue discussion until they have all reached an agreement.

Then a proposal would be passed on to the district administrators.

The committee’s next meeting is on Feb. 6.

photo by Jack Weaver

In Zang-Bern’s AP Government class, groups assess the level of political, economic and social development in one of their six countries of study. The AP test takes place at the end of the year.

Committee working to set final exam policy for high schools Addie Watson | Reporter Hayden Cottrell | Reporter

Finals are something that every high school student must endure, but the way they are graded and structured vary from class to class.

Therefore, a committee was established to discuss if the policy should be revised.

District policy and regulations contain information regarding grading and final exemptions, but there is no current policy about final exams themselves. What finals need to include or how they need to be implemented.

Counselor James Waeckerle said there is a practice or understanding that teachers have a final exam that was at least a certain percentage of the final grade based on a scale of 80 percent coursework 20 percent final exam, and that there had to be a written component on every final exam.

In reality, there is no policy that states any of those things. Yet, everyone representing the four high schools on the committee seemed to think there was.

District policy 6451, for instance, states, “Semester final exams should be used to assess student achievement on the major goals and objectives of a course. The superintendent/ designee will establish regulations that govern

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|NEWS |

Jan. 26, 2018

Let’s talk about sexual education

After Parkway passes new sex ed curriculum, many wonder if Rockwood can do the same

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Shwetha Sundarrajan| Reporter

t’s controversial, and it’s the topic of debates that plague the minds of concerned parents, school teachers and politicians.

The problematic nature of what to teach students in sexual education has hounded school officials and concerned parents for years whether to include a comprehensive sexual education or to instill an abstinence-only program.

In the United States, 37 states require information on abstinence, and out of those, 26 states require abstinence to be of importance.

Missouri is one of them.

In Missouri, schools are not required to teach sex ed, although if schools decide to implement a sex ed curriculum, it must be medically accurate and include abstinence as the primary method to deter STD’s, STI’s and teen pregnancies.

At Lafayette, the sexual education curriculum places an emphasis on abstinence while teaching about anatomy, the menstrual cycle, reproductive systems and the risks of unprotected sex.

David Witter, health teacher, also makes sure that students are well aware of the emotional repercussions of having a early sexual relationship.

“We talk risk of early sexual activity being emotional, which is something a lot of people don’t take into consideration. Everybody understands the physical risks of an unwanted pregnancy or contracting an STI or STD, but not a lot of people understand the emotional part of it,” Witter said. “Most people are physically fine to be sexually active, but are you emotionally ready?”

Rockwood tries to educate students about sex, albeit with a strong emphasis on abstinence.

Rockwood’s Curriculum

In the Rockwood, students begin learning about the reproductive system in 7th grade. In 8th grade, teachers begin to emphasize sexual abstinence. When students reach high school, topics like the menstrual cycle, STD’s and STI’s are introduced.

Despite some students opinions on what should be taught, Witter heavily emphasizes that questions that deviate from the curriculum are welcome in his classroom, and that it’s important to ask those questions.

“Generally speaking, I will teach along the lines of the curriculum. If there’s questions beyond that, then we dive more deeply into that conversation. Sometimes, that curiosity can be in the classroom, sometimes it can be during a private moment after class,” Witter said.

However, many students feel that the sexual

The map shows which states teach sexual orientation in their curricula and which states do not.

map created by mapchart.net

*chart created using mapchart.net education at Lafayette doesn’t do enough to inform students.

Senior Beth Burton opposes the concept of teaching only abstinence, and believes teachers are living under a false pretense that high schoolers aren’t engaging in sexual behavior.

“Living in this mindset of peer abstinence doesn’t work. The fact of the matter is, whether they want to take it with a grain of salt or realize that it’s actually taking place, teaching abstinence isn’t plausible anymore,” Burton said. “Because the reality is, people aren’t doing that anymore. And, because of the lack of education, I believe people are being mislead about their own bodies and how to take care of themselves.”

Another controversial element of many state currculum for sexual education includes discussion of LGBTQ+ issues, and online safety from sexual predators. Rockwood’s current curriculum does not include this, but neighboring school district, Parkway, does.

Parkway’s Curriculum On March 9, 2016, Parkway approved a new sex ed curriculum called the Healthy Relationships and Sexual Health Curriculum which teaches 8th graders and 10th graders about sexual consent and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. The board also added lessons about sexual predators, sexting and online safety and lessons for 3rd graders about gender stereotypes.

The decision was made with plenty of controversy, with parent organizations like Protect Parkway Students vehemently opposing the curriculum.

The current curriculum was compared with material outlined in the Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) standards. A CSE curriculum typically consists of anatomy, physiology, families, personal safety, healthy relationships, pregnancy and birth, sexually transmitted diseases including HIV, contraceptives, sexual orientation, pregnancy options, media literacy and more.

Protect Parkway Students website states that CSE “does not truly advocate for developing lifelong partnerships like marriage. This will have a detrimental long-term impact on families in the future since this generation of youth will no longer value marriage and family building like generations in the past have done.”

On the other side, many students, like Parkway Central High junior Megan Baris, pushed for the curriculum to pass.

“Through an average student’s perspective on what was going on, I know that my opinions and the opinions of many of my friends was that we absolutely wanted our sex education to cover the LGBTQ+ spectrum and we wanted more than abstinence based sex ed,” Baris said.

“There is a lot more out there than a cisgender man and a cisgender woman who want to have sex, but not until marriage.”

Even health organization Planned

Parenthood spoke in approval of the new curriculum, stating that “hundreds of studies have shown that sex education can have a positive effect on these behaviors, such as delaying sex until they are older, using condoms and contraception when they do have sex, reducing the frequency of sex and reducing the number of sexual partners.”

In light of the new curriculum that was passed in Parkway, many wonder if it’s plausible to implement a similar program in Rockwood.

“Part of it is how far you can take that conversation before your community doesn’t support you taking that conversation, like when you talk about LGBTQ relationships. That’s a difficult conversation for a for a faculty member to be involved in,” Witter said. “There are still people forming their opinions on that in the community and nationwide. For me, we can have a conversation in class. By allowing that conversation, it allows a teachable moment where you can understand each other a little differently.”

Overall, the differences between the two curriculums are small, with both districts following state-mandated guidelines. However, these changes can make an impact on the way students mature and view sex.

“If we brought [Parkway’s curriculum] to Rockwood, there would be a lot of controversy, but there would be so many students that would benefit from that as well, especially LGBTQ+ students that are still in the dark,” Burton said.

Photo

Opinion

by Naomi Saegusa Reporter

What do you think about the sex ed curriculum in Rockwood’s health classes?

| Kate Barnard, 9 |

“I’d probably choose an abstinence program, because it would give examples or why I should abstain from something like that, because some kids choose not to do that.”

| Austin Laves, 10 | “I think it definitely leaves out some parts of real life where they don’t want to bluntly say ‘don’t have sex’.

I think the overall system they have for sex ed is good, but they should go more indepth.”

| Lydia France, 11 |

“I’d rather learn about birth control because even if you’re being abstinent you should always know your priorities. No person is ready to have a baby in high school, and a lot of girls have pregnancy scares.”

| Kyle Donahue, 12 | “We have a sex ed program? I guess I would want more about how sex is bad.”

7

|NEWS |

Jan. 26, 2018

YLSL lets students design, run project to improve community Clare Mulherin | Reporter Amisha Paul | Asst. Editor in Chief Every Youth Leadership St. Louis (YLSL) team is required to conduct a research project within their school. This project is the culmination of all of the information and topics that the group learns about through the year, and gives each team the opportunity to leave a lasting mark on their school.

The research project must include a formal investigation of the issues facing the school, as well as the community. Teams must observe the school for a certain time period, conduct research and then only can they identify a problem. These issues must apply to the school and have a basis in one of the topics that YLSL learns about over the course of the year.

Once the problem is identified, the team begins brainstorming and implementing possible solutions.

At first, this year’s YLSL team was unsure of what topic to tackle within the Lafayette community.

“We had so many ideas back in September. We had originally considered stress as our main issue to address,” junior Nicole Lawson said.

In the week following the retreat, the verdict was announced that Jason Stockley would not be indicted in the shooting of Anthony Smith.

As the shooting and verdict both took place in St. Louis, the incident clearly hit close to home for many students at Lafayette.

The protest week that took place as a result of the verdict shined a light on the racial tensions within the Lafayette community.

“I told the group we should change our topic. I felt the racial tensions needed to be confronted,” junior Kira Downing said.

However, simply observing the protest week at Lafayette was not enough to finalize racial tensions as the team’s research topic.

“Youth Leadership required us to not just make observations, but conduct research and verify that this was a topic worth studying,” Lawson said. “To do that we sent out a survey to LHS students that asked a few questions about perceived racial tensions within the community.”

The survey got 238 responses and the results solidified racial tensions as the research topic.

“Once we decided on a topic, we kind of knew that we wanted to host a focus group where students could come together and just discuss any issues related to race at Lafayette,” Lawson said.

The group hosted its first focus group in December. Many staff members and administrators were also present and showed their support throughout the meeting.

“It was amazing to see how our idea brought together people from every grade in the school to form a group geared toward cultivating a greater bond in the LHS community,” junior Rosie Gill said.

As a group aimed at establishing leaders within the community, YLSL allows the students to take control of the research project without much guidance from supervisors. The students schedule their own meetings and plan for their project.

However, this has only helped the group expand their leadership skills and play out their visions exactly as they had imagined them.

“I feel like in the beginning of YLSL we got thrown into our

photo by Amisha Paul

YLSL students (from left to right) Heidi Zimmerman, Kira Downing, Morgan Goertz, Nicole Lawson, Victoria Lin, Evan Kellogg and Hannah Molskness debrief on the bus after a Diversity Summit held on Jan. 13. In addition to discussing what the speakers covered at the field trip, they talked about what steps the group should take to move their project forward. research project without any direction, but part of the club’s purpose is to generate leadership in schools, so we found a way to work as a team and start an impactful project to hopefully change Lafayette in a positive way,” Gill said.

As a group, they must also submit their research templates to a research project coordinator at St. Louis University.

These templates track the progress of the team in executing their projects and is another way that the group must show responsibility and commitment.

“Our team has been super responsible in making our research report deadlines and in putting together our project,” Lawson said. “I think that doing it all ourselves makes it even more rewarding to see our group succeed.”

The group has many plans for the future as well. In addition to continuing to host the focus group meetings once a month, Lafayette’s YLSL team hopes to hold a diversity fair later this semester to bring even more awareness and appreciation to the different walks of life represented at school.

“Our focus groups are really trying to build awareness so that all participants will understand and be tolerant of other groups.

We really want to expand that to a larger scale, and a Diversity Fair would be the perfect opportunity to do so,” Downing said.

Lafayette’s next Youth Leadership Focus Group meeting will take place on Feb. 21 after school in Room 137.

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All About The Program

Youth Leadership St. Louis (YLSL) is a leadership program sponsored

by FOCUS St. Louis and is designed for high school juniors in the St. Louis region. The program strives to give leaders more experience-based training and also to expose students to the issues facing the area.

“I feel our program is preparing civic minded leaders for community engagement that will ultimately transform St. Louis for the better,” YLSL coordinator Shalia Ford said.

Lafayette’s YLSL chapter is sponsored by World Language teacher Emily Osborn and counselor Stephanie Mullins. “[Former principal] John Shaughnessy was a participant when he was a high school student. Because of his positive experience, he has always been a supporter of the group,” Mullins said.

There are ten juniors involved with the program. They applied at the end of their sophomore year and underwent an application process consisting of interviews.

Students miss one day of school a month to participate in a field trip.

The destinations correlate to the topic that YLSL is addressing for the month.

“There is no other opportunity quite like YLSL in the region. It is a rare opportunity to access power, influence, vulnerability and be a part of the change in the region,” YLSL coordinator Harlan Hodge said.

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8

Jan. 26, 2018

B

eginning the 2017-2018 school year, Lafayette staff members have been using the #connectedlancer on social media to promote a sense of community within LHS. But, these connections didn’t just start this school year.

Some students and staff have been connected for years, and in unique ways. These special relationships are just a few examples of the many intertwined lives at Lafayette.

#connectedlancer Roger F ischer, Science Amisha Paul Asst. Editor in Chief

Sara Parikh , 10

an,

Mohlm Colin 12

Seniors Colin Mohlman and Steven Fuller were born in the same hospital in San Francisco, CA. “Somehow, we found our way from the same hospital in San Francisco to here in Missouri,” Mohlman said. “We never even knew each other there.”

Jessie

9

|COVER STORY|

Steven

Fuller, 12

Sophomore Sara Parik h’s pre-sc teacher wa hool s A S L t e acher Sara Keathley. h “I was aud itioning f Trial last o r Mock year and s he was jud me, and sh ging e was look ing at me whole time the ,“ Parikh said.

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ner, Derek Schrei 10

Schreiner’s mom Sophomore Derek st at Alizadehis an orthodonti ny ontics, where ma Schreiner Orthod nny fu patients.“It’s LHS students are on ys seeing my name because I’m alwa hreiner] hoodies. the [Alizadeh-Sc great, though,” It’s still pretty Schreiner said.

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Cargil 12

mage the I ts s i r ll Cargi language a the e i s and also r Jes ad Senio in-Chief, gram, was and h n r S I o H t L r i e s d f Ed k it’ tende Jenni n t i a , h r t e e .“I he n sh teach C whe an adviser e was in t I E e er as d.

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Jennife r Ingra m, Languag e Arts

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hley, Sarah Keat ASL

went home that ‘Oh “I only realized when I ra that I had in that was sweet little Sa a small world,” pre-school.’ It really is Keathley said.

Marlow Degraw, 10

and whenever “All my friends go there people that I I’m there, I always see Degraw said. know,” sophomore Marlow classes with “This year, I have some ke a lot of [Schreiner] but I feel li ” us are connected to him.

10

|FEATURE S |

Jan. 26, 2018

Sibling with Down syndrome gives Vasishta open-minded perspective on life Abby Karandjeff | Reporter Pooja Vasishta is a 24-year-old woman who was born in India and immigrated to the United States in 1995. She went to Eureka High School and she now works part-time at Half Baked in Chesterfield Valley. She enjoys reading, dancing, taekwondo, hanging out with friends and volunteering. She also has Down syndrome.

While there are many resources and outlets to learn about those with Down syndrome in the U.S., this isn’t the case worldwide.

“In India, [Down syndrome] was practically unheard of,” junior Pranav Vasishta, Pooja’s brother, said.

The Vasishta family lived in Bangalore, in southern India.

“We didn’t know anything until she was about seven months,” said Rajitha Vasishta, Pooja’s mother. “We would go to our regular checkup and our doctor didn’t have an answer, but we kind of figured out her developmental delay. We went back and saw another pediatrician who said, ‘Maybe she needs to get her chromosomes tested.’”

A chromosome test revealed Pooja had Down syndrome. Like the doctors, the Vasishta family did not have much knowledge of Pooja’s condition.

“My brother went to a library in the city and he got a copy of a book about children with Down syndrome. I think that’s the first time I really read about it. There wasn’t much information there.

That’s how I got to know what Down syndrome was,” Rajitha said.

The limited knowledge available made it difficult to understand Pooja’s condition and her needs.

According to The Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis’s website, Down syndrome is a genetic condition that causes delays in physical and intellectual development due to an extra chromosome.

The Vasishta family, at the time consisting of Pooja, Rajitha and Rajitha’s husband Shashi, moved to the United States in 1996 because of her husband’s work. The family lived in San Francisco, Portland and finally settled in Saint Louis.

“Before my daughter was born, my husband and I had come here, so we kind of knew that this would be a better place because there wasn’t much help where we lived,” Rajitha said.

The U.S. provided more options for Pooja as an individual living with Down syndrome. The increased support also helped the Vasishta family.

During her high school career, Pooja was a student in EHS’s special education program. She participated in activities like swimming and helping the theater and cheerleading teams during high school games.

“She was accepted very well. Her teachers were amazing, but more than the teachers, I think the kids made a big difference. It’s hard when classes are going on because everyone is so focused on learning. What really matters is what goes on in between periods or during lunch, that’s when she felt so at home at Eureka,” Rajitha said.

Pooja was welcomed by the school and was given the opportunity to make friends and to get involved.

“When they came [to the U.S.], there was so much more support and more people who were not only accepting but knew about special needs,” Pranav said.

When Pranav was a child, he didn’t think of Pooja as being any different than him.

“I didn’t really come to know of it and the specifics and everything that she had until I was maybe seven or eight. She was always just my sister,” Pranav said.

Throughout Pranav’s childhood, Pooja took on the role of a big sister as well as that of a student.

“My sister was one of those people who would do everything for me. It wasn’t until I saw her going to school and when she came back home that I noticed she wouldn’t do homework, but she went to speech therapy. That’s when I started asking questions and I realized she had a special need,” Pranav said.

Pooja, as a person with high-functioning Down syndrome, participates in a lot of activities that girls her age do.

“She has this girlfriends group with the closest people she’s ever been to, and a lot of them have a lot of big problems and needed surgeries,” Pranav said.

Fortunately, Pooja’s condtion does not treatment and lives a happy and healthy life.

“Physically, she’s completely fine. She’s this frail little pancake, but other than that she’s really good at getting stuff done. Processing and learning things is hard for her, but really she’s pretty high functioning,” Pranav said.

Despite her condition, Pooja works hard to meet her goals and live life to the fullest.

“Pooja is a blessing to me every single day. No matter the barriers she has, she’s still happy. You’ll never see her look down upon herself or anyone else just because they have special needs.

Even though we know she can’t go to college or drive a car, she

photo courtesy of Vasishta family

Junior Pranav Vasishta and his older sister Pooja pose for a photo in front of their home. The family has become very involved with some local organizations that provide eduction and opportunities for other families impacted by Down syndrome.

still has those high-set aspirations she wants to achieve,” Pranav said.

He hopes others have the opportunity to learn the important lessons he has learned from his sister.

“The golden rule is to realize everyone’s the same and deserves to be treated equally,” Pranav said. These people who we consider our friends and our family who have all these special needs are so much more than their diagnosis.”

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|FEATURES|

Jan. 26, 2017

11

F A M I L Y Parents’ deafness doesn’t change normal life for Lieberman girls Natalie Karlsson| Asst. Web Editor Callie and Carissa Lieberman, a junior and a sophomore, are sisters who live the average teenage life. They go to friends’ houses, go out to dinners and celebrate holidays. However, they do have a not-so-average part of their lives: their parents are deaf.

The girls have known sign language since they were very young, and for them, it was easy to learn. They use sign language as well as lipreading to communicate with their parents.

“From what I can remember, I’ve always known sign language because my parents taught it to us. Also, our pre-school was a private school and everyone learned sign language,” Callie said.

On the other hand, parents Jack and Staci Lieberman didn’t have such an easy time learning sign language. Both are profoundly deaf, meaning they were born deaf, making sign language much harder to learn.

“It wasn’t easy growing up deaf because [my wife and I] both had to work hard through therapy to read lips,” Jack said. “Even now, my wife corrects me when I sign wrong. I’m not too good at sign language.”

Jack and Staci met in high school at a teen club party in 1991. They contacted each other through a texting device called a TTY, and have been together ever since.

Currently, Jack works as an accountant and Staci works as a teacher’s assistant.

“They both like their job,” Carissa said. “My mom helps teach deaf kids, and she loves the children. They’re all really nice to her. My dad’s job is easier because he has a hearing aid to help him out a little bit.”

Although there are many hearing assistance devices possible like cochlear implants and hearing aids, only Jack found interest in them.

“My wife does not wear hearing aids and prefers to sign and communicate with other people who know sign language,” Jack said.

“Unlike her, I like to hear, so I enjoy wearing hearing aids.”

The sisters don’t think having deaf parents makes life challenging in most ways. One of the few difficult parts is getting their parents’ attention and keeping it.

“It’s not that much different. You just have to make sure you make eye contact all the time, and it’s harder to get their attention,” Carissa said. “If they weren’t deaf, that’d be a little different because I could actually talk to them from across the room. But, I don’t even realize that they’re different anymore.”

Both sisters agree their life is still normal.

The girls sometimes have to help their parents out in public, or when something unusual happens in the house, but they believe it is a responsibility to help out.

“We can’t really go through a drive-through because it’s hard for other people to understand them, and sometimes I have to tell them what others are telling them,” Callie said.

Neither Callie, Carissa nor Caden, the girls’ younger brother, inherited deafness. However,

the girls’ father has another family member with a hearing impairment.

“I have a younger brother who is deaf,” Jack said. “That’s about it. Some of my friends have kids who are deaf, but some of them used cochlear implants on them at an early age, so they can hear better as they grow up. I was impressed how much those kids can hear and understand using the implants.”

About two or three out of 1,000 children are born with detectable hearing loss in one or both ears. The cause of deafness is from the mutations of one in over 120 genes.

The recessive mutations at a single part of a chromosome, GJB2 or Connexin 26, account for more than half of all genetic cases of deafness.

Both girls likely have the recessive gene.

Even though America’s deaf population is very small, the outside world treats them well generally.

One problem the Liebermans deal with is people who don’t understand that being simply having a hearing impairment does not change who someone is as a person. Carissa especially sees the outside world as polite and genuine towards her parents.

“There are just some people who are kind of nervous to talk to [my parents] because they obviously have a different speech because they can’t hear themselves talking,” Carissa said. “I kind of help them out with that, and try to help interpret for them. Some people ask if they can talk, and I say ‘yes, they can talk.’”

Callie agrees most people treat her parents respectfully.

“People treat them well. I’m sure they’d want to hear their kids’ voices and stuff, but from what I see, they’re fine,” Callie said.

On the contrary, the parents have their opinion on the outside world.

“Sometimes people say things they shouldn’t have, or we can’t understand them because they were either talking too fast or walking away as they were talking,” Jack said. “We read lips and tell the kids to make sure that they talk slower and face us. Sometimes they sign and it helps my wife understand them better.”

Jack believes he and his wife have done a fine job raising their children. “[My wife and I] thought communication was the key to developing a relationship with our daughters,” Jack said. “We talk to them about everything — religion, drugs, alcohol, sex, etc.”

Although they are content with their lifestyle, Jack and Staci still wish others would treat them equally.

“Some people are afraid of deaf people and don’t want to get involved with us. We are human beings, just like anyone else, except for the fact that we’re deaf,” Jack said. “I wish people would talk to us slowly and not be afraid of us.”

Although the family doesn’t live a perfectly average American life, they still see their lives as everyday ones.

“If you first saw my parents, you would think

Other than the fact my parents are deaf, I see our lives as normal. It’s hard to go out in public sometimes, but it’s kind of our responsibility to help them. | Callie Lieberman, 11 |

photo courtesy of Jack Lieberman

Staci, Callie, Carissa, Jack and Caden Lieberman gather for a family photo this past Christmas.

photo by Natalie Karlsson

American Sign Language teacher Sarah Keathley explains how to tell directions during her 4th Hour ASL 2 class. There are two levels of ASL, 1 and 2. Currently, there are 102 students enrolled.

they’re just like any other people, but once they start talking you can tell they’re deaf,” Callie said.

Both girls believe having deaf parents is a benefit of growing up, too.

“It’s fun. I like having deaf parents. I like signing, and I think it’s cool to know sign language,” Carissa said. “It’s a different language than what other people know.”

The Lieberman’s 10-year-old son, Caden, also finds that his parent’s deafness is what makes them special.

“My brother grew up the same as us. He knows sign language and speaks to my parents all the time,” Carissa said. “He likes to stay right next to my mom to help her because he feels like he needs to help her interpret what people say. He wants to be next to her and make sure people get what she’s trying to tell them. It’s cute.”

American Sign Language (ASL) is the fourth most used language in the United States. It uses a variety of hand gestures, body movements and facial expressions.

ASL at Lafayette is offered at two levels, ASL one and two. Currently, there are 102 Lafayette students taking sign language as an elective.

“I’ve taught ASL for 14 years,” ASL teacher

Sarah Keathley said. “Some of my students had deaf parents as well. Some of the teachers were deaf themselves. That meant some of my good friends were, too.”

Switching between English and ASL can be difficult, especially if it’s done multiple times per day.

“It’s hard to teach high school kids to switch from thinking in English and not speak when they sign. It compromises the ASL,” Keathley said.

Keathley became interested in ASL because of its background.

“I find its grammar very fascinating, and as someone with a linguistic background, I enjoy comparing it with all the other languages I’m fluent in,” Keathley said.

Teaching ASL also means having to recreate class work. Instead of having speaking counted as class participation, Keathley uses other techniques.

“Presentations, partner tests, partner work, watching signed stories and answering questions about them all contribute to class work,” Keathley said.

Keathley also has her own view on how deaf people are treated. The Americans with Disabilities Act has been in place since 1990, so this helps give those with disabilities more opportunities for equality.

“For the hearing population to not be viewed as a group of people with a handicap, but rather as a group of people with their own sets of beliefs and culture makes things easier.”

American Sign Language isn’t easy. With its over 10,000 signs for various words and phrases, ASL is challenging to learn.

“It’s not as easy as you think it is because of the grammar being rather complex. But, [ASL] is still a beautiful and picturesque language,” Keathley said.

12

|FEATURE S |

Jan. 26, 2018

The family that cooks together stays together Growing up as part of restaurant industry gives Fogarty family appreciation for school, work Chloe Baker | Reporter

photo courtesy of Marilyn Fogarty

Jon, Marilyn, Laura and Katie Fogarty at the Corner Pub and Grill for the 10 year anniversary of the OG (Original) Hospitality Group. Jon and his old friend and business partner Brat Baldanza have a small investment group of old high school friends that helped them with the first restaurant and are still part of the ownership group that invests in the company.

Sophomore Marilyn Fogarty has grown up with a family involved in the restaurant business. In 2007, her dad opened his first restaurant, The Corner Pub and Grill. Over the past 10 years the Fogarty family has been able to open up six more restaurants.

Marilyn’s dad, Jon Fogarty, and his childhood best friend, Brant Baldanza, started the OG (Original) Hospitality Group that manages The Corner Pub and Grill, The Shack and The Tavern Kitchen and Bar. Jon worked in restaurants his whole life and wanted to pursue a career in the restaurant industry.

“I started working in restaurants right after high school at Frailey’s in Ellisville as a busboy. I loved it so I decided on a career in managing restaurants. I worked for several over the years. In the beginning I was a busser, dishwasher, server, cook, janitor, you name it,” Jon said.

Marilyn works at two of the seven restaurants her dad owns — The Corner Pub and Grill and Shack. She only works on weekends so she has time for school work during the week.

As a hostess, Marilyn said she has learned many important lessons.

“It puts things in perspective, like how using things from math is actually really helpful, and since my job is so based on guest interaction, I feel that it’s made me more social and outgoing than before,” Marilyn said.

Her dad doesn’t have set work hours, which can make scheduling hard. But, the business has been a very eyeopening experience for Fogarty.

“It has taught me responsibility and to pay attention to what’s going on around me,” Marilyn said. “Being a hostess, you have to tell people the wait times, take into account how many people have checks, how many people are still eating and how long you think the wait will be.

It’s always a challenge, but it’s a good first job.”

Marilyn’s involvement with the restaurants did

not start recently. She has been a common face in the restaurants throughout the past 10 years that they have been open.

“When I was little, me and my friends would get all dressed up in dresses and high heels and walk around the restaurants and go for dinner Friday nights while my dad would be working. It was just so ridiculous and it’s so embarrassing to look back on,” Marilyn said.

The company works to support hundreds of local charities, schools and churches. They believe that being a local business means being a prominent part of the community.

“We got involved in 2008 with The Backstoppers charity after a major shooting involving several police officers being killed. We met one of the widows of a fallen officer and decided we wanted to do everything we could to help. We are currently on pace this year to pass the million dollar mark donated to Backstoppers over the last 9 years,” Jon said.

Because of Jon’s work schedule it was hard for him to make it to school events. He often had unexpected meetings and had to cover for people if they got sick.

“He may have missed things between me and all my siblings, but he is very family oriented and he figures it out to be there for us,” Marilyn said.

Marilyn said her dad has worked hard over 10 years to get his company going.

“My dad is one of my biggest influences in life. He went from nothing to now owning all these restaurants. He just wanted to open a bar and grill but now expanded, and I am very inspired by him,” Marilyn said.

Jon tries to teach his chilodren lessons from his experience at the restaurant. All three of his children work at the restaurant when they can.

“I’d like my kids to learn the lesson that life typically gives what it gets. My wife has always preached karma and I believe it. If you work hard, try and do the right thing and truly care about what you are doing everything else will usually fall into place,” Jon said.

Limons integrate life lessons and traditions through difficulties learned while operating El Maguey Chloe Baker | Reporter The popular dining location El Maguey was started in 1995, by sophomore Cassandra Limon’s great uncle Martin Leon.

Because of the restaurant’s success, he has been able to expand to three locations, all owned by a different family member of Limon. Limon’s dad owns the location of El Maguey in the Wildwood Town Center.

Leon came to St. Louis looking for a place to open a restaurant that could reflect the cooking style of his home in Jalisco, Mexico.

Leon asked Limon’s father, Francisco Limon, to be his business partner and 10 years later, in 2005, they expanded to Wildwood.

Cassandra grew up in the

restaurant. Although her mom is not involved with the business, the rest of her family plays a big role in the operations.

“When I was younger and my parents didn’t want to cook, we would go up to El Maguey.

I have been there basically my whole life, not only at that location. My dad also worked at a location on Baxter, but I am closer to the people at the Wildwood location,” Cassandra said.

Cassandra works on weekends. She plans on continuing to work at the restaurant through high school and potentially in college.

“School comes first, so I don’t want my work life to interfere with school, but I definitely take work as a top priority as well,” Cassandra said.

However, she isn’t interested in

It has taught me that if you really dedicate yourself to achieve something, you can make it happen. | Francisco Limon |

continuing on with the restaurant business and doesn’t want to own her own location of El Maguey.

Limon has younger siblings who will work at the restaurant when they are older.

Since she has grown up at and around the restaurant, she thinks of it as a second home.

“It isn’t just a family business because we have other employees, but you get close to all of them. Some of them already know your orders, so it’s like home,” Cassandra said.

She feels like she has learned a lot of valuable lessons from working at a family business and is glad to have the support system with her.

“Since we see each other, we are closer. Some people work at their jobs and they feel uncomfortable, but since it is a family business and I know all the servers, I feel really comfortable there. If something ever happens at the restaurant I know that I am backed up,” Cassandra said.

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El Maguey is not only the name of the restaurant, it is the name of an agave plant that only grows in Jalisco and is used in the production of Tequila.

Francisco hopes to teach his kids lessons through the business.

“It has taught me that if you really dedicate yourself to achieve something, you can make it happen,” Francisco said. “The restaurant

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business is full of struggles, but I overcome these conflicts with lots of patience and dedication. I hope to teach my kids through my personal example: to work hard and that nothing comes easy.”

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14

|SPORT S |

Jan. 26, 2018

King hopes to build on last year’s face off success Jasmin Kim | Reporter All freshman athletes enter high school with high aspirations for success. But there are series of hurdles they must jump over to reach their goals.

Senior Braden King was one of these freshmen with a big goal when he joined the junior varsity boys lacrosse team four years ago.

Before playing lacrosse, King was involved in soccer, baseball, football and basketball.

His friend, senior Jacob Hewlett, introduced lacrosse to him when he was a 7th grader.

“I had a buddy, Jacob Hewlett, who played [lacrosse] in 6th grade, and he played for St. Alban’s. He recommended me to come and play, so I just tried it,” King said.

When he first gave it a try, the game of lacrosse was different from anything King had played in the past, yet it quickly caught his interest.

“At first, I didn’t really understand it because those guys are running around with big metal lacrosse sticks hitting you. It’s got the strategic nature of basketball and hockey mixed with hitting a football, and I fell in love with it,” King said.

The beginning of sophomore year brought a change in his route with sports. His love of lacrosse grew, and during the spring, he quit baseball to devote his time fully to lacrosse.

“When high school came around, I decided I should only do one spring sport and went with lacrosse, and then sophomore year, I was just playing lacrosse and football. I just really began to love the game of lacrosse and decided to specialize just on that,” King said.

There was a gap between King’s standing as a relatively new sophomore lacrosse player and his aspirations to get more time to play on the field. He decided to dedicate himself to this goal by forming and putting himself through a rigorous training program.

photo courtesy of the Legend

Braden King, left, faces off against a Lindbergh lacrosse player. King won total of 187 face-offs, leading his team to a record of 16-4 last season.

“Sophomore year, I wanted to play varsity, but I was playing offense, or attack,” King said.

“I asked my coach how I can get on the field as a sophomore for varsity, and he said learn to take face-offs, so I watched YouTube videos and taught myself in the basement.”

A face-off is the action that begins and restarts the game between one player from each team.

His dedication won him a solid position as a face off player his sophomore season.

“I am a FOGO, which stands for face-off and get-off, so basically at the start of the game and quarters, I go on and take the face offs, trying to win the possession [of the ball]. Then, [I] get off the field for my teammates to go on,” King said.

Bryce Horstman, Class of 2017 grad and former captain of the Lancer lacrosse team, recalls how King put the team as a priority over

his own personal athletic success.

“I noticed how much Braden cared about the sport and how much he wanted team success before his own. With his position there really isn’t much glory, but it’s a very important part to the team’s success,” Horstman siad.

King’s teammate, senior Nathan Lowary also noticed the significant transformation King went through as he saw him on the field.

“He is passionate about lacrosse and has had an incredible experience. He came from being an average player to one of the best in Missouri just by finding his niche and working at it until he became one of the best,” Lowary said.

His passion for lacrosse and success also brought a lot of pride to his family.

His mother, Lisa Trask, was one of the proudest of all. In the midst of huge dedication to lacrosse, King never put aside his role in his

family.

“I was really excited that Braden made the lacrosse team and loved watching him play.

Seeing how dedicated he was to this sport was really amazing. Braden was surprisingly able to balance his sport along with schoolwork, family, friends and a part-time job,” Trask said.

By the end of sophomore year, King had become one of the most crucial players of the team.

Lacrosse Head Coach Ren Pettinelli observed King’s improval on face-off.

“Braden is a very good player, especially as a face-off specialist. He is one of the best in the state,” Pettinelli said.

As a result, King was named a First Team All-Conference player in both May 2016 and 2017.

“Beginning sophomore season, I was getting put on the field more and started seeing successes as season went on. I thought I was average, but after my sophomore season, I was named First Team All-Conference. It was a huge moment,” King said.

Along with this honor, his successful career in lacrosse also opened the doors for him to be noticed by college scouts.

“Playing select club lacrosse on the East Coast, my team was exposed to lots of different scouts and good competition. It was a lot of talking with my parents and my coaches about what was best for me. I decided I’m going to Elmhurst College because it was one of the top business schools in Illinois with a good lacrosse program,” King said.

As King looks back before his senior season and then going off to college, he emphasized his success was rooted in hard work.

“It doesn’t matter [your] size, weight, how fast you are [or] how athletic you are. If you work, it sounds cliché, [but] anything is possible. If you want something, you gotta get it,” King said.

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15

|SPORTS|

Trainers helps Lancer athletes return from injuries Kayla Carpenter | Sports Editor It’s 3:05 p.m. on a Monday afternoon. The final bell echoes through the halls and students race out of their seventh hour. Some dash to their cars to escape the hectic parking lot while others rush to the locker room to prepare for practice.

Before practice, several athletes also race to LHS athletic trainer Cindy Rajkovich’s crowded office to get her professional help with their injuries and pains from their sport.

“If someone is injured when they are at practice or a game at school, it is best to find the trainer and get evaluated then,” Rajkovich said. “This provides the best opportunity to determine how severe the injury actually is.”

According to a report from the University of Colorado in Denver, there were 1,196,479 high school athletes nationally injured while playing their sport in the 2014-2015 school year. These injuries significantly ranged in type, severity and the sport in which they transpired.

Boys football, girls and boys soccer and girls basketball caused the most injuries. The most common were head/face, ankle and knee injuries.

This data only includes injuries that led to one day of missed participation; however, many minor injuries take place that result in less than a day of missed activity.

In fact, some athletes have experienced very minor injuries that have caused them to miss only a few days of their sport. Other athletes have experienced profound injuries that have gone as far as put their athletic careers on either temporary or permanent hold.

Various Lafayette athletes regularly visit Rajkovich before and after activities to prevent, maintain or check on previous injuries.

She also helps athletes determine whether or not they are ready to return to their sport after an injury.

“Athletic trainers are skilled in determining appropriate treatment, rehabilitation and reconditioning strategies. We set long and short-term goals which the patient can realistically be expected to achieve,” Rajkovich said. “We call this progression and it is a good way to transition an injured athlete, both physically and mentally, back to their full sport.”

Sophomore Belle Tenny is just one of the many athletes she has assisted.

Tenny experienced several injuries which ultimately led to the end of her athletic career.

While attempting a dangerous stunt during cheer practice in September 2016, Tenny suffered a concussion. After recovering from her first concussion, Tenny returned to cheer but suffered another concussion in January 2017.

Her head injuries did not end then.

“I got two more concussions on top of [those]. They just built because I passed out again and again; I just kept hitting my head and restarting it and making it worse,” she said.

On top of her four concussions, Tenny also suffered a half-torn lateral knee ligament, a

shattered finger and two broken feet. All of these injuries came from cheerleading.

After Tenny’s last concussion, she learned she would not be able to return to sports. This meant an end to her cheer and diving career. It was very difficult news to hear.

“I cried a lot,” Tenny said. “I yelled at the doctor, and my mom yelled at me after we left, so I was very frustrated. It didn’t seem right.”

Not only was Tenny’s athletic career disrupted, but her academic and personal life were also impacted.

Concussions are a type of brain injury caused by a strong hit to the head or body which induces the head and brain to move quickly.

This movement makes the brain bounce around in the skull and causes a chemical change that can damage brain cells. Because of this, concussions can cause dizziness, headaches, vision impairments, nausea, disorientation and sensitivity to light.

Due to these symptoms, Tenny could only be at school for half the day during first semester.

“I couldn’t read, I couldn’t do homework, I couldn’t go to a lot of places. I really couldn’t do anything. I could barely even sit in the car because of the motion,” she said.

While attempting to recover from her first concussions, Tenny was a regular visitor to Rajkovich’s office. Rajkovich helped Tenny with both the physical and mental aspects of her injuries and she also supported Tenny after she learned of her career ending injury.

“Cindy was great. Everyday I did therapy in her room, and she would always motivate me and tell me to keep going, I can’t quit and even though I can’t go back to sports doesn’t mean I’m not gonna be able to be good at life anymore,” Tenny said.

Although Tenny cannot cheer or dive anymore, she has discovered new activities and interests that she can now devote her time to.

Tenny now attends her youth group every week and got a new job.

“You can’t give up,” she said. “There might not be a sport you can do anymore and that might seem like your life, but there’s other things you can do.”

Junior Jimmie Kirtley also had a severe injury, but unlike Tenny’s career ending injuries, Kirtley only lost out on one season.

After coming off of a successful cross country and track season sophomore year, Kirtley suffered from a stress fracture at the beginning of the 2017 season from running too many miles in a short amount of time.

“At first, we thought the pain was coming from a muscle injury. I sat out the first race but tried the second one,” he said. “It was terrible; I couldn’t walk without extreme pain the rest of the day. I went to the doctor and had to be in a boot for several weeks.”

After that second race, Kirtley was done for the season. This meant he could not see his hard work from the offseason pay off in races.

“I was very disappointed. I ran a ton over the summer, even during vacation. It was terrible

photo courtesy of Belle Tenny

During a freshman girls basketball game, Belle Tenny (right) cheers alongside sophomore Riley Allen in spite of her shattered finger. Tenny’s hand injury was just one of many that she suffered during her freshman year of cheer. to find out my season was over and all the work that I put in over the summer would go to waste,” Kirtley said.

Kirtley did not have a good experience with some of his doctors. When he first got hurt, he visited his doctor and was given a recovery plan to follow. Kirtley followed the plan, and when it was time to start running again, his foot began to become re-injured.

This prompted him to visit a physical therapist to help guide him to a better recovery, but he was unhappy with the recovery plan he developed for returning to his sport, so he left.

Now Kirtley is working with Rajkovich to develop his own recovery plan and slowly return to running. “[The physical therapist] suggested I should stop running for eight weeks. I thought that was ridiculous” Kirtley said. “I left that therapist after two weeks, and now [Rajkovich] is helping me get back into running and is very helpful. I am very slowly adding miles and speed, trying to get back to where I was.”

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Although Kirtley is just beginning to return to running, he already knows how difficult the process of getting back to the shape he was in is going to be.

“When I got the boot off my right calf had almost no muscle left. My cardiovascular shape also went down dramatically even though I swam and biked nearly every day, ” Kirtley said.

In spite of his injury and difficulties during his recovery, Kirtley is on pace to return to racing in the spring. His goals for the upcoming track season are to break two minutes in the 800-meter run and break 51 seconds in the 400-meter dash.

“They are lofty goals especially coming off of an injury, but I am motivated now more than ever to achieve them,” Kirtley said.

Everyday after school, the numerous athletes that pack into Rajkovich’s office are not just there to get weak ligaments taped or sore body parts iced; they are there for Rajkovich’s caring aid and support, so they can sufficiently make both physical and mental recoveries.

Jan. 26, 2018 | Page 16

| E N C O R E |

CHICKEN FIGHT

Travis Bodell | Opinions Editor Shelby Darnell | Reporter Natalie Karlsson | Asst. Web Editor

IN YOUR OPINION:

CON PRO “When I bite into a piece of chicken, I don’t want the fried crust on the outside to fall off.”

% Lee’s-7

| Tom Quatmann, hall monitor | “Fried chicken needs to be extra crispy with seasonings. It can’t be undercooked.”

% -3 2 ’s ne

e op

eed le po lled on @thelancerf

k-fil-A-46% Chic

Which fast food restaurant has the best fried chicken?

7 p 1

“I just don’t like the taste of their chicken. It’s bland.” - Jenna Pearce, 11

POPEYES The first Popeyes franchise restaurant was opened in Louisiana in 1976, named after Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle from The French Connection. Popeyes features spicy New Orleans-style fried chicken, and is well-known for its biscuits.

“The combination of the biscuits and chicken is amazing.” - Aiden Murphy, 10 “Popeyes chicken is dry and it makes my stomach hurt.” - Tamerah Brown, 11

RAISING CANE’S Originally to be named “Sockeye’s Chicken Fingers” after the salmon he fished to raise money for his restaurant, founder Todd Graves eventually named the chain after his dog. Cane’s features chicken fingers, fries, coleslaw and Texas toast.

CON PRO

5%

Pope yes -

1

“It needs to be crispy, and not too greasy.

Having too much grease is bad.”

“I love Chick-fil-A. It’s like fast food, but with better standards.” - Nathan Reed, 12

| Amber Fontan, 11 |

“Cane’s chicken tenders are a perfect golden brown.” - Sam Michael, 10 “There’s nothing but tasteless chicken to eat there.” - Mikayla Buneta, 9

LEE’S FAMOUS RECIPE Despite multiple changes in ownership, Lee’s Famous Recipe has been serving up the same fried chicken recipe that Lee Cummings and Harold Omer used to start their business in 1966. There are currently 142 Lee’s locations across the U.S.

CON PRO

| Aiden Barnes, 10 |

CHICK-FIL-A

Known for the cows that urge consumers to “Eat Mor Chikin,” Chick-fil-A opened its first store in 1967 in Atlanta, GA, and is known for creating the chicken sandwich. Now with over 2,000 locations, the chain’s sandwiches are hand-breaded in-store.

CON PRO

What makes a good piece of fried chicken?

E

veryone likes their fried chicken prepared in a different way. Some like it seasoned, some like it with sauce and some like it as crispy as can be. This issue, we investigated the age-old question of which fast-food establishment sells the best fried chicken.

“Their famous recipe has a nice Cajun kick to it.” - Michael Lady, 11 “I’ve never heard of Lee’s, but it doesn’t sound good.” - Derek Schreiner, 10

R

a isin g

Ca