Jan. 27, 2006 Image

Inside This Edition

•What does it take for LTC to put on a show.

see page 5

•Miss the Variety Show?

We’ve got pictures.

see page 8 •Grossed out by feet?

see page 9

•Griffey stands tall on varsity basketball.

see page 12

image the

Friday, Jan. 27, 2006 Vol. 37 • Issue 5

Lafayette High School • 17050 Clayton Road • Wildwood, Missouri • 63011

Junking Junk Food Schools nationwide, including LHS, work to add healthier choices; others banning certain foods Ashley Edlund • Reporter

The concept seems simple; fight childhood obesity by banning junk food in schools.

But deciding what to do is tricky, as money made from popular junk food snacks funds school activities.

“Just banning junk food has no value,” school nurse Ms. Lynn Weaver said.

“What they need to do is look at what they’re serving and provide better tasting and better nutritious choices for students.”

Principal Larry Schmidt said that is exactly what several groups in Rockwood are trying to do.

The Lancer Parent Organization (LPO) and the District Wellness Committee continue to focus on providing healthier choices for students.

“It’s not just taking something away and hoping that will solve the problem,” grade level director Cathy Samons said.

“We have to change the thought process on what is healthy.”

Some of those efforts have already taken place at Lafayette, such as the addition of the salad bar in the Cafeteria.

To continue the trend, the LPO has been working with the Wellness Committee to come up with health-

ier, better tasting choices.

“You can offer a lot of products, but if no one buys them we obviously didn’t make a good choice,” Schmidt said.

Lafayette parent Ms. Carol Holthouse agreed that just taking away fatty foods wouldn’t solve the problem.

“I don’t think it’s realistic,” she said. “Kids are making there own choices.”

Even some students don’t believe eliminating high fatty foods will make any difference.

“People want food that’s going to give them energy, not [food] that’s healthy,” sophomore Chip Pavlack said. “It won’t work.”

Despite similar comments, the push for healthier foods in schools has become a trend around the world.

So far, the United States, Ireland and the United Kingdom are continuously working to pass bills that they hope will eliminate the junk food craze within schools.

In California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a ban on junk food in schools last year.

In addition to banning fatty foods, the bill has set a new nutritional standard for vending machine

photo illustration • Ashley Edlund & Lauren Graham

snacks and has called for more fruits and vegetables in meal planning.

Similar cases have evolved in Illinois and Arizona, while Kentucky, New Mexico and Nebraska hope to follow in their footsteps.

Some parents feel that selling foods that are high in fat, and then promoting a healthy active lifestyle in gym classes, sends the wrong message.

“If healthy active living is a requirement, we should be enforcing it across the board,” said Lafayette parent Ms. Karen ScheibleMargherita.

Whether or not those bills should be passed has become a controversial issue.

According to the Associated Press, some high schools throughout the country clear more than $50,000 a year through soda and snack sales.

Companies like Pepsi and Coca-Cola love to advertise in schools, mostly because it’s the only place they can target kids without parents interfering.

“I think when people are buying food, they aren’t looking for healthy food,” Pavlack said. “They are looking for stuff that tastes good.”

Sophomore Class candy sale coordinator Karen

McDonald said the Class of 2008 grossed $4,000-5,000 just from last year’s candy sales.

The cookie stand, which opens before 3rd Hour and remains open for sales throughout each lunch period, also grosses a large amount of money through their sales.

The stand is often bombarded before 3rd Hour with students anxiously trying to buy cookies, a bagel or a drink.

In fact, many students are turned away during that particular passing period because the six minutes tin between classes isn’t enough time to get to the large number of students who want a snack.

“It [getting rid of cookie sales] would have a big effect,” junior CEO student Andrew Simmons. “A lot of people like the cookies.”

Without those large profits, many fear that schools might have a hard time funding activities.

page 2 • editorial

Jan. 27, 2006

&

in place of lost snow days

Stars To:

Teens don’t need junk food ban, just better personal choices It creeps up behind you and attacks your body at an alarming rate. It closes in on teenagers from all directions, and it has become all too familiar. Junk food has taken over our lives.

Lately there has been talk around the country about a ban on junk food in schools. Some schools have already started to adopt new programs by banning soda or candy.

Junk food is everywhere, and people, teenagers in particular, have learned to depend on it. Probably 90 percent of the school’s population has eaten nothing but a bag of cookies for lunch at one point or another.

This ban would eliminate the majority of the food sold during lunch. It would mean no more cookies, chips, or ice cream.

If these foods were no longer available, what would replace them? Currently, the school cafeteria offers a small selection of salads and wraps, and some old fruit can be found occasionally.

Based on the healthy foods available right now, it’s hard to believe that future junk food replacements could be much better.

One would think that high school students are able to control themselves in the school lunch line. Apparently, that’s not the case, and America is only becoming more obese because of it.

No matter how fat Americans have gotten, it’s still not the district’s nor the

image info Staff Members

Editor in Chief • Kevin Pinney News Editor • Lauren Graham Opinion Editor • Mary Belzer Feature Editor • Sabina Saakova Lifestyle Editor • Niky Norton Entertainment Editor • Britt Peters Sports Editor • Bobby Mortimer Asst. Sports Editor • Josh Handler Ad Manager • Nick Kelly Artist • Ankit Bhargava Adviser • Nancy Y. Smith MJE Photographer • Mike Kurlowski Reporters: Allyson Angle, Jen Apoian, Ryan Bueckendorf, John Cox, Jasmine Cross, Alex Davis, Ashley Edlund, Jeanne Francois and Brad Schlemmer

government’s responsibility to monitor our every move.

As overweight high school students grow up into overweight adults, there will be no one to ban junk food from them.

We need to learn to watch our diet now in order to be healthy later.

Of course, the food that’s terrible for us tastes the best. Most teenagers would much rather eat chocolate ice cream than steamed spinach. It’s okay to eat junk food, it just needs to be balanced out to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

For the first 16 years of our lives, we’re taught to eat an apple instead of a candy bar. We have the knowledge. Why not exercise it? Don’t eat the foods that you’re told will give you a heart attack. And if you’re not going to use your brain, use your legs and go for a run. You can even bring your fancy new iPod. For elementary schools, it’s understandable to put a ban on unhealthy food.

Forcing kids to make healthy choices from a young age will help them make healthy choices in the future as well.

By high school, however, you should know what’s good for you and what’s not.

And anyone who wants this junk food bad enough doesn’t have to rely on school.

It’s accessible at home or drugstores anywhere.

Banning junk food from schools will only fuel the image sent by the media. This image that says everyone has to be thin and beautiful in order to succeed. Which

editorial Opinions 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 editorials, columns, editorial cartoons and reviews reflect the views of the author and not necessarily those of the Image Editorial Board.

would also go against nearly everything we’ve been taught up to this point.

Candy is one of the biggest fundraisers for school clubs. Grade levels and ROTC sell candy during lunch, and the Thespians depend on After School Refuel. Even if we can’t control ourselves, someone is benefiting from it.

It seems that we should be able to know when to stop. After you gain 60 pounds and you’re up to eight candy bars a day, you should probably cut back.

But a ban on the foods we know and love is completely unnecessary.

Obesity and junk food abuse should never become such a problem that they have to ban it at school. Make an effort to exercise your knowledge of living a healthy lifestyle. Otherwise the Surgeon General will have to put a warning on chips and you’ll have to be 18 to buy a bag of Doritos.

• The start of award show season means fancy dresses and lots of commercials. Winners? Losers?

Who cares? What did they wear?

• Second semester started. Seniors are almost done and for the rest of us, it means four months until summer and seven until another year of high school.

• Blow-up lawn decorations getting slashed. It’s a wonder they’re just now getting destroyed. They’ve been tacky and annoying for the past three years.

• Adidas donating to the basketball team. Glad to know our hard working athletes are finally being recognized by getting free stuff. Now what about soccer?

• The Winter Olympics. Maybe because of Bode Miller’s interview on 60 Minutes, drinking should be added as an event.

• New food options at lunch. We love fruit bowls.

• Another bond issue. Failing the first time was just practice. You know the saying: “Second time’s a charm,” or something like that.

• After School Refuel. The only thing that beats Taco Bell Tuesdays is White Castle Wednesdays.

Gripes To:

• Motivational words in the announcements don’t motivate us to do anything but throw a brick at the speaker box.

• Infinite Campus. It’s bad enough getting report cards once every nine weeks, but now grades are available online and are easier to access. Especially for parents.

• Early bird enrollment. It’s a great idea but we’d like to have counselors available for counseling.

• Countdown to Valentine’s Day. It’s just a depressing way to make us hate greeting card companies, florists and boys.

• The Blues playing like they’ve never seen a hockey puck in their lives. Thank you, St. Louis sports.

• Cold rainy days are making trailer classes miserable. You can run as fast as you want, you’ll still get wet.

• Osama’s at it again. Just when we think we’re making things work, a video tape from a cave puts us in our place.

• School chairs. They are in short demand and are cracking. Ouch, that smarts.

Publication Information

The Image is published nine times a year by Lafayette’s Newspaper Production Class. Subscriptions are $25 per year. Free issues are distributed on campus.

The 2004-2005 Image was named an International First Place winner from Quill And Scroll, Superior by the Sponsors of School Publications of Greater St. Louis and received an All-American rating with four marks of distinction from the National Scholastic Press Association. It is also a 2004-2005 NSPA Pacemaker finalist.

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. While the student staff encourages constructive criticism of any part of the newspaper, authority for content rests in the hands of the student members of the newspaper staff. Students will not publish material considered to be legally unprotected speech, or libel, obscenity, material disruption of the educational process, copyright infringement, or unwarranted invasion of privacy.

How To Reach Us:

We are located in Room 213 at Lafayette High School, 17050 Clayton Rd., Wildwood, MO 63011. Our phone number is (636) 458-7200 ext. 2338 and our e-mail address is smithnancy@rockwood.k12.mo.us

op-ed • page 3

the image

letters to the editor Dear Editor, Maybe I’ve taken the wrong path during high school. I’m not the perfect student, who is extremely involved, nor am I a star athlete.

However, I enjoy watching Lafayette sports.

I’ve many friends who are athletes and will probably continue to the next level. You may comment that I could be jealous I’m not as blessed, but it doesn’t stop me from giving my support.

Being surrounded by sports and athletes I’ve noticed a bias. Certain students and even certain sports get privileges.

Those who posess some valuable attributes to the school such as athletics or outstanding academics and leadership are treated like property.

I understand the concept of protecting your valuables, but isn’t this a little extreme?

It’s not just the athletes, but because of sufficient knowledge I’ve chosen just to focus on athletics. It’s obvious when one student is valued over another because of the school’s athletics and image.

Problems may be played down as administrators turn their cheek. I’ve even heard rumors of reduced punishment so an athlete could play.

Our administration does a great job of disciplining overall regardless of bias. It’s just a small game of favorites.

I’m not trying to take away from sports or athletes. I don’t blame administration, as I’d probably act the same way.

No blame should be put on the participants. You may not agree, but I don’t want people to read this and formulate the idea that I’m against those involved in school activities and athletics.

Maybe I’m sour because I’m monitored closely and on probation at games due to prior actions, which, in my opinion don’t differ from others, including athletes.

I’m probably at fault for writing, even out of character, but my intentions aren’t to insult.

From an average Joe’s perspective it gets rather annoying to be discriminated against.

Sincerely, Ashkon Farmand, 12

Letters to the Editor Policy

Participation through letters to the editor by students, faculty and the community is encouraged. Letters must be signed but names will be withheld upon request and with the concurrence of the Editorial Board. Letters should be limited to 300 words. The Image reserves the right to reject, edit or shorten letters. Deadlines will be announced in the school bulletin and in each issue of the paper. Letters may be submitted in writing to Mrs. Nancy Smith in Room 213, or to any Image staff member, or via e-mail to smithnancy@ rockwood.k12.mo.us

There’s the line, don’t cross it I have the right to remain silent. I have the right to speak out in whatever way I want. I have the right to protest. I have the right to practice whatever religion I believe in. I also have the right to privacy.

According to the U.S. Constitution, all Americans have the right to privacy of beliefs, privacy against unreasonable searches and the privilege against self-incrimination, or, the protection for privacy of personal information. So why all this talk about wiretapping?

President George W. Bush has declared himself the right to listen to or view any phone calls or e-mails of suspected terrorists without a warrant. Bush claims he has probable cause, but probable cause for him could be anyone who doesn’t own a Ford or a cowboy hat.

We all know that in the end, the feds can do whatever they want. However, the line should probably be drawn sometime before anyone with an ethnic-sounding last name finds themselves surrounded by the FBI. Since Sept. 11, the search for terrorists has become far too intense. The media has us convinced that anyone with dark skin is going to put a bomb in our cars and it’s only getting worse. Now it doesn’t seem so bad to see your closest Arabian friend being dragged out of his house in handcuffs because he mentioned a deadly water gun in a phone call.

If we’re all granted this right to privacy, then we should all see it, despite skin color or heritage. Such discrimination goes right back to the civil rights movement. If African-Americans were guaranteed their rights, how can Arab-Americans be denied of those same rights today?

Bush has claimed that the searches have only to do with people who have ties to al-Qaeda. How does a Tex-

Quite

Contrary

by Mary Belzer

as farm boy know who is and is not associated with a terrorist organization? Perhaps the evidence is where or to whom the e-mails or phone calls are sent to, or where or whom they are sent from. If so, Bush has left it unclear exactly where these terrorist areas are.

Of course, part of the President’s job is to protect the country. But it reaches a point of unnecessary paranoia when our rights to privacy are compromised.

Terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda attack countries like ours to weaken us. By changing our lifestyle by invading privacy and being on constant watch for signs of danger, it’s only giving in to what they wanted in the first place: to scare us to the point of changing the way we live.

Disregarding such a basic right to privacy is dividing America in yet another area. Some citizens agree that drastic measures need to be taken in order to stop terrorism. Others support the right to privacy, only causing Bush’s approval ratings to plummet even more.

It’s bad enough we have to worry about hackers looking at our e-mails, we shouldn’t have to worry about the government. What would Big Brother say if he read your e-mails?

Forget honesty, try stealing

Five-finger discounts: the new American way A few weeks ago, I read that people in New York were being singled out for mugging on subways because of their iPod headphones. And that just got me thinking if it happens at Lafayette. It turns out, that it does… in a way. People aren’t exactly jumped for their iPods in West County; they’re just careless and leave them somewhere.

Two of them have been stolen this year at school. But you know how things pretty much go in real life: Finders keepers, losers weepers.

Hey, if you aren’t responsible enough to watch a $300 piece of musical goodness while you’re not using it, your loss. I mean, who doesn’t want an iPod? I’m not saying that stealing is good, by all means it’s terrible; I can just see why it happens.

All this stealing (And if you think thievery is not out of control here at school, I want to invite you to stand in the lunch line.) got me thinking what else students do that’s not honest. Let’s try cheating.

With four and one half by semesters of high school under my belt, I’ve seen my fair share of it. How do you think masters of mediocrity pass classes where the majority of the points aren’t from essays? Teamwork my friends.

“Have you ever thrown a smoke bomb through

someone’s window?”

“No and neither have you.”

Lying isn’t cool. Since when did telling a story involve epic knife fights and speedy getaways in a stolen cement truck? Okay, I’m exaggerating a little bit. It’s entertaining to watch a liar get called for it, and then watch the denial begin. Don’t get caught lying is all I’m trying to say. It makes everybody feel better.

Now here comes my favorite part.

As I walk through the hallways, I see and hear numerous things. I once saw a so-called “cool” freshman picking on “loser” one. Let me set things straight. No freshmen are cool. It’s just a fact. Upperclassmen are in charge. If any freshmen disagree, you can tell me about it while you’re waiting for your mom to pick you up in her minivan after the 7 p.m. show at the Galaxy. Oh yes, I just said that.

I also hear numerous bad words thrown around like they’re nothing.

How bad are those four letter words? If you like sounding uneducated and inarticulate, they’re not bad at all. Here’s a fun fact. The F word was considered Kevin Pinney an acceptable use of language until sometime in the 1600s. It meant “to penetrate with an arrow”. What I find funny is although it is no longer acceptable to use that word; its meaning remains roughly the same. So put that in your mouth. Chew it. It’s delicious.

A Pinney For Your Thoughts

Just asking... photo opinion

This month the Image asks “If you could be stuck in an elevator with anyone, who would it be?”

-compiled by Mary Belzer

Rahat William, 12 “Jude Law because we could do lots of fun things and no one would know.”

Amy Nethero, 10 “Nick Lachey to ask why he left Jessica.”

Stephanie Sheets, 11 “Tonya Harding so I can ask why she hit Nancy Kerrigan.”

Alex Mace, 9 “Willy Wonka, because he could make it fly out of the building.”

Mrs. Sheila Albers, Associate Principal “Katie Couric. I’ve always wanted to be her.”

page 4 • campus

Jan. 27, 2006

fyi

(compiled by students in Writing & Reporting)

activities at a glance

New Club: Klub Kupfer photo • Ashley Edlund

•New Voters. Registering to vote in the upcoming April 4 election, students take advantage of the quick process offered to them during their lunch shift. Assistant Principal Matt Dieckhaus said that so far nearly 140 seniors have registered to vote.

bits& pieces

news at a glance

• compiled by Lauren Graham, Niky Norton and Kevin Pinney

Students may register to vote

With the April 4 election coming up, eligible students are encouraged to register to vote. Those who are 17 and a half are eligible to register. In order to participate in the election, a participant must reach the age of 18 by the day of the election.

Students can register at lunch and before or after school with Principal Larry Schmidt’s secretary Ms. Betsy Zieseniss in Room 217 or with Activities Secretary Ms. Nancy Saylor in the Welcome Center.

“I think it makes it so convenient for students to be able to sign up at lunch. It doesn’t take long at all,” Zieseniss said.

Zieseniss believes it is important for students to take advantage of this registration because of civic duty. She said, “Why not have a voice in the government?”

Surveillance cameras installed

Over the holiday break, 16 new cameras were installed in and outside of the building. “Some areas of the building were not covered as strongly as we wanted to,” Principal Larry Schmidt said.

These “dead areas” weren’t necessarily places of trouble, but having them covered provides a security blanket for the school.

The cameras were included in last year’s budget, but the equipment didn’t arrive until later. In order to avoid inconvenience to students, installation of cameras in the hallways was postponed to the holiday break.

Graduation credits change

Underclassmen are currently in the process of registering for classes for the 2006-2007 year, which will utilize the current class schedule.

Early bird registration took place earlier this week. Associate Principal Sheila Albers said, “Early bird registration is important because it allows us to get schedules in the computer sooner which allows me to plan for staffing earlier.”

If students did not turn in an early bird registration form, counselors will be registering students in February.

Although some are still pending approval by the Board of Education, some new courses include: AP Computer Science, Multicultural Lit, Global Studies, Geographic Information Systems, Historical Inquiry, Authentic Science Research I and II, Organic Chemistry, AP Music Theory, and Sports and Entertainment Management.

This new club is a pop-culture club that is open to all students. This club is intended to get people together to talk about movies, books, music and other various things and the effect they have on teen life.

Meetings have not begun; however, look for postings about the first meeting around school.

National Honor Society (NHS)

NHS has certain projects they are simultaneously focusing on this month.

Operation Back Pack is a project in which pack backs are collected for a specific age and gender. Operations Back Pack supports a Foster Care System.

Another project NHS is working on is a book drive. Feb. 10 is the deadline for donations to the collection. Any contributions can be dropped off in Room 281 to sponsor Ms. Ann Gilman. This project will go to the Children’s Hospital Library.

Scholar Shop is yet another project in the works. Members volunteer their time at a store in St. Louis that sells second hand school supplies, clothes and other fun items. Scholar Shop provides support for high-achieving, low-income students.

Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)

On March 7, members of FBLA will attend the District 9 Academic Competition in Arnold.

“Last year, we had 12 students place in the top of their categories,” FBLA sponsor Ms. Marylynn Spisak, said.

This year, seniors Elise Bailey, Erica Cooperwood, John Copple, Mike Elchuck, Ashkon Farmand, Tina Henning, Venu Raghavan and Alex Witt; juniors Gordon Loy, Andy Parson, and Ananth Raghavan; and sophomore Amanda Strickland are going to attend the competition.

Earth Club

The Earth Club is setting up plastic recycle bins in each hallway and by every soda machine. They hope to have a big container in the parking lot too.

Members of the Earth Club ask that the plastic bottles have no lids and be emptied.

Applications Still Open

The three student publications staffs are looking for some new members. The Image newspaper, Legend yearbook and DVD staffs are recruiting members. Prerequisites are required for most applicants, but information is available from adviser Ms. Nancy Smith in Room 213. “I am especially interested in finding students for the new DVD staff. I really need people who like video editing and have some experience,” she said.

Key Club

Key Club is taking some students to Crestview Middle School for a Outdoor Education event where high school students talk to middle school students about what high school is like and what to expect.

They are also going to Rainbow Village to meet children who suffer from Downs Syndrome and also will be hosting “Kidsmart Collections.”

Robotics Club

The Robotics Team is in the process building a robot for the National Robotics Competition which will be held March 9-11. About 50 students from the Rockwood high schools and a few professional engineers are preparing for the competition.

The robots will compete in a game and have to recognize certain tasks against other robots around the nation.

Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC)

During the first week in March, JROTC will go to Joplin, MO and compete in a drill competition.

Also, Feb. 13- March 3, JROTC is hosting “Pasta for Pennies” for the Leukemia Society.

This is their ninth year hosting “Pasta for Pennies.” Everyone can donate and take their contribution to the JROTC office where the money is being collected.

“I encourage everyone to donate to this great cause,” Col. Michael Berenc said.

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news • page 5

the image

Behind The Scenes: When Things Go Wrong Actors, crews hope they are the only ones who notice errors Jen Apoian • Reporter Even Cinderella couldn’t make it through the night without forgetting her glass slipper.

Every good Thespian, including junior Meghan Heard, knows “no theater company can pull of a flawless production.”

Sometimes props fall apart, actors forget lines and sound crews take breaks. But, these problems are fixable and add quirks to the production.

Heard, an initiated Thespian and assistant director backstage, has seen her share of mishaps.

“Once we had the house lights come up in the middle of a performance,” Heard said. “At “Crazy for You,” two of the set pieces got stuck together when one was being moved on stage. In the heat of the moment, the stage crew worked quickly to separate the interlocked set pieces.”

Luckily, in many cases, the audience rarely notices.

“Overall, this minor mistake didn’t affect the play. The way we have to see it is, ‘they haven’t seen our production before, so how are they going to know if we messed up?’” Heard said.

“We hope the audience doesn’t notice,” Ms. Stacey McMackin, drama teacher, said. “We try to cover our mistakes.”

McMackin also said creating a musical adaptation, as has been done for the upcoming show “Cinderella”, is a little trickier than producing standard stage play “Musicals take longer,” she said, stressing there is more music to choreograph, dance routines to perfect, more script and more people involved, especially for the dance numbers.

A stage play takes around six to eight weeks before it’s ready, while musicals take an additional two weeks.

McMackin said, “[There’s] a lot more to communicate to the staff. Stage building and technology is more complicated.”

In contrast to stage plays, which may generally be less complicated, McMackin said, “Directing a musical is like directing a Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. You’re the person pulling the strings.”

“In doing a production, a company takes great risks with every performance,” Heard said. “During a show, who is to say that the carriage won’t break or that the set won’t slowly start to fall apart?”

Missy Clay, sophomore, said her biggest fear for ‘Cinderella’ is “for the actors, especially the leads, because the sets are wooden and can be very dangerous.”

As for the props, they could be broken or things could fly into the audience or pit as they have in the past. I really don’t think the orchestra would enjoy being hit

photo • Jen Apoian

•Play Practice. Senior Cassie Blevins, Cinderella, and junior David Sajewich, Prince Charming, rehearse a scene in preparation for the spring musical “Cinderella.” The Lafayette Theater Company will present the musical on Feb. 10-11. It will be performed at 7 p.m. on both nights.

Tickets cost $8 in advance and $10 at the door.

on the head with ribbon wands or plastic fruit.”

No one knows whether or not these types of mishaps will occur when “Cinderella” opens, but there have been several—mostly funny—problems with past productions.

“On stage during ‘Dracula’, we had every special effect known to man. We had bats that’d fly down and get stuck. You’d see them jerking around and we always got a laugh,” McMackin said.

‘Arsenic and Old Lace’, from Fall 2005, was about homicidal elderly women and took place inside the home, more specifically the living room. But just because the old women knew how to murder doesn’t mean they knew how to fix furniture, too.

“The couch broke,” senior Naji Pitts said, “and when I say broke, I mean collapsed. The legs fell off.”

Pitts and junior Jake Feree, a Thespian veteran, played villains spending the night on the couch.

However, when Feree went to sit down, “it just completely gave out,” Pitts said.

“He covered it so well, it became a running joke through the play.”

He also confessed during the musical that year “the door fell off the hinges.”

In “Meet Me in St. Louis”, Pitts said, “his [the lead’s] fly was down for an entire scene, and the scene involved him

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climbing over chairs to get to this girl. So it was like a gaping, cavernous hole in his pants.” “‘Crazy for You’ was a very difficult production,” Heard said.

“The music score was difficult, there were a lot of props to gather for the production, the set moved frequently and there were a lot of special lighting effects,” she added.

Clay said she thought they had more problems during this year’s production of “The Miracle Worker.”

She said it was difficult “because of the sheer amount of props. There were more than 200 props that had to be taken care of in addition to extra plates and cups.”

They also worked with real food.

But, to Clay, the biggest problem was a missing set piece, which “resulted in a two minute blackout with recycled noise.

Then the stage crew forgot to close the curtain so the backstage was exposed to the audience.”

When asked about what goes through her mind when something like this happens, McMackin said, “Arrrg!” But she also knows there’s little she can do as a director.

“The stage manager has to deal with all the mess ups. As stage manager, you make a list in your head of what you have to do,” she said.

Currently, the stage manager is Chris

Billo. He is responsible for the cast—making sure everyone’s accounted for and getting them on stage in time for the spotlight. He is also responsible for helping McMackin make decisions about the set, props, etc.

McMackin admitted even she wouldn’t make a good one.

“I’m a creative person, not a detail person. I’d make a horrible stage manager.

I’m too right-brained, too. You have to be organized.”

So, is it more noticeable to mess up onstage or behind the curtain?

“The most important feature backstage will be the stage crew,” Heard said. “For Cinderella, there are about six to eight set pieces that have to be maneuvered around the stage and in the wings. The most difficult positions backstage are any of the crew chairs. When you are in charge of all the props or all the sound or all the scenery, your job is pretty hard.”

Heard said there have been “tons” of cases dealing with broken, stuck and tough-to-move props.

Actors are not excused from mistakes, either. It’s easy to forget entire monologues when the crowd is staring at you.

“During ‘The Miracle Worker’, there was a scene where Annie was locked in the room by Helen. No one knew where she was except my character,” Pitts said.

“The actress playing Helen’s mother was supposed to come in and ask everyone where Annie was because it was dinnertime. But the actress forgot her entrance…so here I am with the actor playing Annie’s father. We had to do something.”

And, like with any good actors, they did. “We continued with the dinner as usual. We made it work; it was perfect.”

If you work onstage, it’s also a very, very good idea to stay on your toes.

“Both jobs [onstage and offstage] require concentration and teamwork. If you mess up, you’ll affect the whole show. Theater’s a collaboration,” McMackin said.

When asked why she wanted to direct ‘Cinderella’, she said, “We didn’t choose the musical based on ‘let’s do a fairy tale.’

There are three reasons we pick the shows: What we like, shows we haven’t done recently, and what singers we’ve got.”

McMackin added, “We have a great cast. It really makes a difference.”

Despite the quirks and possible accidents, “you just can’t beat the feeling of knowing you helped create something so wonderful,” Heard said.

After all, where would Cinderella be if she had actually left the shoe on?

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+ page 6 • news

A Bloody Good Cause

Jan. 27, 2006

STUCO will host a blood drive for students, teachers, community members Lauren Graham • News Editor

Imagine being responsible for saving the lives of two tiny infants. All someone would have to do is donate blood.

This was the case for senior Tiffany Tocco.

Two years ago, Tocco became aware she was a blood match for two babies who desperately needed blood.

“I’m an O positive blood type which means I can give to anyone who is positive,” Tocco said.

If the story ended there, it would be a happy one.

However, it was an even happier story because the two babies happened to be her relatives.

“My cousins needed blood because they were premature. Everyone in my family was tested to see if they could give blood and I matched,” she said.

The babies, being premature, couldn’t wait long for the blood. Tocco had the heart and unhesitatingly gave her blood for the infants.

“They day after they were born they received my blood,” Tocco said.

On Feb. 3, Student Council (STUCO) will be hosting

a blood drive. Last year there were 117 participants in and STUCO sponsor Mr. David Choate is hopeful the turnout for this year’s blood drive will be even higher.

While sign-ups will be held at lunch until Feb 2, any members from the community are welcome to participate as well.

Any student who is 17 or older can participate under certain terms.

Each blood donor must be healthy, meaning the donor feels well and can perform normal activities. Also, the minimum weight of a blood donor is 110 lbs.

Also, having tattoos and piercings is acceptable as long as the donor is not experiencing any infections.

STUCO also wants to let possible participants know that those who are taking particular prescription drugs cannot participate.

Girls need to have a good level of iron in their blood in order to be a donor. It is recommended that girls who plan on donating eat foods high in iron a few days prior to the blood drive.

Tocco plans to be a donor in this year’s blood drive.

“I encourage it because it’s just knowing that you helped someone live another day… even if you don’t know them. It’s just really rewarding knowing you helped saved someone’s life,” Tocco said.

Assistant Principle Sheila Albers believes it is a good idea for students to give blood, even at such a young age.

“It helps students understand that we should do things that help the community,” Albers said.

Junior Amanda Dwyer plans to be a first time blood donor during next month’s blood drive.

“I know it’s possible that someday I’ll need blood and so I’d like to think that there are other people out there who will help me, also,” she said.

Giving blood for the first time can be a scary thing, but overcoming that fright is well worth it.

“I hate needles. I hate them more than anything in the world. So I’m going to close my eyes and pretend I’m anywhere else,” Dwyer said.

New method developed in school protection

Rockwood creates “Yellow Alert” in response to a shooting in Wildwood Jasmine Cross • Reporter Lafayette officials are responding to questions from students and parents about its intruder policy after a woman was shot to death by Wildwood police a few miles from school during classes on Dec. 16.

That incident has caused the district to develop a new kind of security procedure.

The woman was in close proximity to the school with a knife and gun.

When the school initiates a regular intruder alert, the normal procedures call for an intercom announcement.

Teachers then shut and lock their classroom doors and cover the window to the door. During intruder alerts, students in each classroom all stand against the back wall as well.

However, Associate Principal Sheila Albers said this did not occur in the Dec. 16 situation. The administrators decided to take another approach because the incident occurred while many students were at lunch and also, it was tough to get confirmation from police.

Principal Larry Schmidt said while administrators tried to confirm events, he posted administrators and hall monitors

at the entrances to the school.

They also had a police officer in the parking lot. The actions of the administration that day were not specific to a certain procedure.

“We [teachers] were not aware of what was happening,” social studies teacher Ms. Brittany Bowers said.

The Dec. 16 situation led to the creation of a new method of protecting the school from danger.

“We re-examined our security procedures because of the Clayton Road incident,” Albers said.

The new procedure is called the Yellow Alert. Principals and hall monitors were recently given special keys to the entrances to the school to use in an emergency.

“The Yellow Alert is a heightened security measure that allows students to continue a normal day,” Albers said.

“We wanted a security measure that is a step between a normal school day and full lock down. And with extra security, if safe, students will be able to leave and go to the trailers and return to the main building safely.”

In case of a Yellow Alert, “all the out-

side doors will be locked and administrators will monitor who can enter and exit the building,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt believes it is always better to improve on security and this will definitely help secure the school.

During a Yellow Alert, teachers will be aware of the situation, however, students will not be.

“Classes will go on as normal,” Bowers said. “The kids will not know what is going on.”

Some students believe they have the right to know when there is an intruder threat.

“I would want to know because I want to know what’s going on in the school,” sophomore Jordan Fowlkes said.

Some students also believe is important to know when there is a threat. “I would want to know if there was an intruder so I can be prepared in case something bad happens,” freshman Konna Kandea said.

Albers said the reason they don’t tell students is because “everything stays calm and the students are not panicking.”

Still some students are not satisfied.

“The intruder drill is ineffective be-

cause if someone really wants to come in and kill someone they will find a way,” sophomore Sarah Passer said.

Many students recognize the flaws in the system.

“What’s wrong with the intruder drill is if a student is in the hallway or in the bathroom or something like that, they get locked out because teachers lock the doors and cover the window. That happened to me once during a drill,” Kandea said.

Other students simply believe the procedures we take to protect ourselves are inadequate.

“What I don’t like about the intruder drills is that the intruder already knows that we are in here, there’s no point in hiding. It’s just a waste of time,” junior Jacki Ryan said.

However, the Yellow Alert method is an important step in order to “ensure the safety of students and staff,” Schmidt said.

There have been no problems with the new Yellow Alert method, so far. “When we ran the drill the other day we had the whole school locked and secure in under two minutes,” Schmidt said.

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page 8 • features

Jan. 27, 2006

Talent Takes The Stage

Annual Variety Show includes acts ranging from belly dancing to bands •Sitcom Special. Students from the Chamber Choir look through squares as they sing the theme song to “The Brady Bunch.” The group performed several other familiar sitcom intros.

•Piano Man. Sending chilling vibrations into the crowd, senior Jon Davis performs a medley of Billy Joel songs.

Davis received a loud round of applause after his act.

•Showing Skin. Beautiful outfits and dancing took the stage as junior Tatiana Xenos and her dance partner Jessica Kollar (not pictured) took the stage to belly dance.

•Dance Fever. Showing off some hot dance moves, senior Latoya Hollins put on a great show. Hollins’ group was called nicknamed “S.T.L’s Finest.” (Top •Band Stand. Saving the best for last, seniors David Beeks, Jeff Buck, Jon Davis, Chris Mozingo and junior Rick Petty (pictured at left) teamed up to give a great performance. The band covered a song from the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. photos • Mike Kurlowski

Putting your best foot

features • page 9

the image

For some the thought of feet is absolutely disgusting, but others can’t help but brag about their adorable feet.

forward

Teachers standing all day may be causing problems to their feet; plus a scary salon secret Sabina Saakova • Features Editor Feet. They come in all different shapes, sizes, colors, and even smells!

There are over 50 different types of foot problems that result when people forget to take care of their precious feet.

Located way down on the importance factor for many, our feet are often last in line to be pampered.

But imagine what life would be like without being able to use our ten little toes below.

Today is the day to start with better foot care and the Image is here to help!

For teachers, feet problems are often a burden.

Having to stand on their feet all day a common foot condition that develops among teachers is Planter’s Fasciitis.

“I don’t really have a problem with my feet right now, but I used to have Planter’s Fasciitis.

I’m not sure if this problem was from standing on my feet all day, but I didn’t develop the problem until two years of working at Lafayette,” hall monitor Mr. Joseph Belfiore said.

Belfiore says that he doesn’t blame the Fasciitis from standing all day on the hard concrete at Lafayette, but didn’t develop the problem until after standing on the job. “Now that everything with my feet is fixed, I can dance,” Belfiore said.

While Belfiore has happily recovered from his foot problems, French teacher, Ms. Gina Luerding suffers from arthritis.

“I have arthritis in both feet and in one ankle so I have to be very careful with the shoes I wear. If I buy a new pair of shoes, I have to be careful to wear them

to school for the first time, not because I’m worried about getting blisters, but because my feet might cramp,” Luerding said.

Luerding’s condition has forced her to stay away from pointy stilettos and instead go for the comfortable shoe.

Hall monitor, Mr. Michael Schraier said, “I see all the girls wearing those pointy shoes and they start taking them off in the halls.

When you ask them why they wear those shoes they say it’s because they are in style.”

Schraier agreed with Luerding that wearing comfortable shoes to work is always better, especially because the staff stands for most of their workday.

Schraier himself said he did not have any foot problems.

“I try to take breaks from standing throughout the day to give my feet a rest,” Schraier said.

When asked if they found feet disgusting, several students surprisingly replied no.

Senior Rahat William said, “I don’t see why they are such a big deal. Feet are just another part of the body.” Junior Brian Hertz agreed and said, “Everybody has them and besides they are covered up by shoes.”

Sophomore Rachel Gornet finds feet very helpful. She said, “Feet are feet. They get you places.”

During the winter, foot care is often neglected because everyone is trying to bundle up for the weather, but as the spring and summer months creep near, pedicures and nail salons are packed.

The smell of nail polish, the sound of the nail filer and a

Freaky Fun Foot Facts

Information from Allreflexology.com

warm foot bath are not the only thing that may await those who sit down for a relaxing time at the nail salon.

In fact, tiny little beasts could be found roaming, waiting to attack inside that warm footbath that clients prepare to step into.

Recent studies and reports are showing that these “tiny beasts” are really what are known today as Mycobacterium, a strain from the Tuberculosis family.

This bacterium harvests itself in the dirty filters found inside of unclean whirlpool baths. This bacteria along with other dangerous bacteria can also be found on utensils that have not been properly sterilized. The bacteria may enter through small cuts on the skin.

Salons have special chairs that each come with foot baths with individual filtering systems.

Neglecting to clean these filters may cause what seemed like a relaxing trip for a pedicure to turn to a terrible nightmare in the hospital.

Reports show that those infected with the Mycobacterium find themselves developing soars and boils on their legs.

A strong antibiotic may be prescribed to kill the bacteria but unfortunately, victims have been found to have disfiguring scars left on their legs.

For those of us who enjoy a long, relaxing pedicure this message is not meant to scare. Instead, take this as a warning.

Don’t be afraid to ask the salon employees if they clean their utensils. Ask to see the filters in the whirlpool baths and demand that technicians wash their hands.

• The soles of your feet cannot tan.

•About a gallon of sweat is produced in one week from feet.

• Feet bear the average of about 1,000 tons a day • Both of your feet together have 52 bones. That is about a quarter of all the bones in your body.

• The average person walks 115,000 miles in a lifetime.

The Doctor Says...

Podiatrist gives advice on better foot health We spend a lot of time on our feet, but do we actually know how to make sure are daily actions are not harming one of our most valuable body parts? Dr. Louis Aquino from the Foot and Ankle Center answers a few important questions on proper foot care.

Q: What are some helpful tips for foot care?

A: “I would first recommend going to a qualified, trained individual who can determine the problems associated with the foot. Second I would always recommend proper nail trimming and third properly supportive shoe gear is important. Along with shoe gear, I suggest getting orthotics, which are just custom soles worn in shoes.”

Q: What problems form from standing on your feet all day?

A: “Actually standing on your feet is worse than running or walking because the pressure is constantly on the foot. The average individual takes about 10,000 steps a day so that pressure on your feet is always there. With teacher’s standing all day the stress may render some problems, such as Planter’s Fasciitis and soar heels. A way to combat this of course, are the orthotics.”

Q: How often do you see teens in your office?

A: “The majority of the people we see are around 35 years old, now that is not to say that we don’t see teens. These adults, however, come as a result of the shoe gear the teens are wearing today. Cramming their foot into those uncomfortable shoes is causing chronic problems to develop over the years.”

Q: How does shoes effect foot problems and safety?

A: “Well the purpose of a shoe is to provide support. The arch portion of a shoe should always be sturdy and stiff to provide support. The heel counter should be rigid. There should always be bend ability in the area of toe joints and of cours e the shoe should be comfortable.

page 10 • feature

Jan. 27, 2006

With gas prices on the rise and mother nature’s whims, it’s vital to have a safe, reliable vehicle. Drive wisely with our guide to smart car shopping.

The Sedan The Pros.

% 13

The Cons.

The SUV

Do you prefer to drive an SUV or a Sedan? er ith Ne

• Parallel parking is easier with sedans • For those who fear heights, sedans are closer to the ground • Better gas mileage • Cheaper sticker price • Lower insurance costs • Low center of gravity

vs.

Coffee - 29%

Sedans 24% SUV’sDrinks 64% - 28% Energy

359 students polled

Why do you prefer to drive a sedan instead of and SUV ?

“I would prefer to drive a sedan rather than an SUV because on Sedan’s fatty 24’s look bigger.

Sedans also get better gas mileage.”

• Sean McGuire, 10 Sabina Saakova • Features Editor

• SUV’s are safer in a car accident • They are oomier and more spacious to carry friends and other large items • SUV’s have greater towing capacity • SUV’s can handle hard mud and rocks on the road

The Cons.

Neither - 43%

• Small, not a lot of room • Not so good for snow and rain • Dangerous in bad weather • Dangerous in a bad accident • Less reliable when driving on hard gravel

The Pros.

• More dangerous to take sharp turns because the car could tip over • Auto companies get thousands of more dollars when you buy and SUV rather than a regular car • Emit four percent more pollutants than cars • Increase dangers to passengers of other cars • SUV’s use more gas

Why do you prefer to drive an SUV instead of a sedan?

Sean McGuire

Claire Wood

“SUV’s are help for all sorts of things.

They are four wheel drive and are great in bad weather. Also SUV’s are more fun because they are higher off the ground and are good for off roading.”

• Claire Wood, 11

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sports • page 11

the image

XXth Olympics: Winter Game Facts

Games steeped in rich traditions Jeanne Francois • Reporter

The first Olympic games were held in Olympia, Greece, in 776 B.C. According to the legend, Hercules, one of the sons of Zeus, created them.

The very first Olympic champion was a cook from Elis named Coroebus. The event he won was the 192-meter dash (210 yards). This represents the very first Olympic event that modern man has records of and it took place in 776 B.C. The Olympics were held every fouryears for 1,000 years. These Olympic games were held to honor the Gods and Goddesses of ancient Greece.

The Olympic games included music, speaking and theatre performance. It was less competitive than the modern Olympic games and the games were only for the men.

Many royal people were competing and were honored like the Gods. So, the Roman Emperor, Theodosius, abolished the games in 393 because of their pagan influence.

Then, 1,500 years later, Pierre de Coubertin created a group of sports and philosophy leaders from around the world.

He formed the International Athletic Congress that decided to hold the Olympic games again. In 1896, the first modern Olympic games were held in their country, Greece.

In 1904, the Olympic games were held in St. Louis and the boxing and freestyle wrestling were added as new events.

One of the most wonderful athletes was the American gymnast, Georges Eyser who had a wood leg and won six medals.

It is during this Olympic games that the gold, the silver and the bronze medals were awarded to the first, the second and the third place.

The first winter sport was held in 1908, it only consist of figure skating.

• Games open Feb. 10 and end on Feb. 26.

• 84 medals will be given over 17 days.

• 2,500 athletes and 2,500 officials will be housed in 3 Olympic Villages: Torino, Bardonecchia and Sestriere.

• Eight competition sites: Bardonecchia, Pinerolo, Pragelato, Cesana-Pariol, Cesana-San Sicario, Sauze d’Oulx, Sestriere, Torino, joined by 2 training centres at: Claviere and Torre Pellice.

• 650 judges and referees will participate in the Games.

• 10,000 journalists and media operators are expected to cover the Games.

-source www.olympic.org

A Closer Look At The Events

Biathlon is a demanding combination of exertion and precision, the biathlon combines cross-country skiing and riflery.

Bobsled is composed of teams of four men who first, push the sled together to achieve

a maximum speed. During the last Olympic games the American team won two gold medals in this event.

Cross country skiing discipline comprises 12 different cross-country skiing events.

Two techniques of skiing are used for this event, the classic technique and freestyle technique.

Curling is a team sport which is composed of four players. The game is playing on a frozen pitch. The goal consists of sliding a block of rock, which has a handle, as close as possible to the centre of a target drowned on the ground.

Figure skating consists of four different events; individual skating, pair’s figure skating and ice dancing. The figure skating is between art and sport. This year, the U.S. figure ice skating championship was held in St. Louis.

Freestyle skiing is originally a mix of alpine skiing and acrobatics. This discipline consists to go downhill quickly at the same time than performing aerial maneuvers and acrobatic jumps with very short skis.

Hockey the object is to shoot a puck into the opposing team’s goal and preventing the opposing team from scoring. The St. Louis Blues forwards Keith Tkachuk and Doug Weight are included on the U.S. team for Turin 2006.

Luge is an event that consists to a descend along an ice track. To go fast the athlete in the luge has to have a good position. There are both double luge and single luge.

Speed skating is the sport in which man is able to achieve the fastest speed, on a flat surface, without the use of mechanical means. In each event, skaters race in pair against the clock in a standard 400 m oval.

Snowboarding the Olympic snowboard events are, for men and women, parallel giant slalom, half pipe and snowboard cross.

HEY YOU!

These events are held during the Winter Olympics.

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page 12 • sports

Freshman ‘phenom’ makes huge impact

Griffey averages 11.3 ppg, good for second on the team.

“Griffey is just outstanding,” Parker said. “He really is a ‘super freshman’.”

Griffey maintains that playing basketball at the high school level isn’t too different than any other level he’s competed at.

“It’s been fun. I’ve been playing basketball my whole life. These are nothing more than one of the hundreds of games I’ve played in,” he said.

Wiss, who stands in an inch taller than Griffey at 6’9’’, holds the promise to be just as dominant a force on the court.

“He’s a good player,” Parker said. “He

plays very well in practice and helps Griffey out a lot.”

Wiss has been playing in a limited role off the bench this season for varsity, and has been seeing most of his playing time at the junior varsity level.

It is hard to ignore his height and talent, though, it figures to be an integral part of Lancer basketball for years to come.

The toughest part for both players has been the adjustment to the physical play of high school basketball.

“I’m matching up against guys that are three, four years older, stronger, and more mature than me,” Griffey said, “and sometimes I can’t match up against that well.”

Parker agreed, saying that it was difficult to get the freshmen accustomed to the physical play of high school.

Another issue is simply getting mentally adjusted. Griffey, who leads the team in fouls, is looking for himself and the team to get better as the season moves into its final third.

The Lancers have been making good progress in the standings, racking up several big wins against Suburban West rivals Kirkwood and Lindbergh, and winning a close 46-44 game over Marquette.

Since hitting 4-3 after a tough loss to Poplar Bluff, the Lancers have gone 9-3 and are currently second to Lindbergh in standings.

Griffey and Parker believe the team is just beginning to hit its stride, and they are looking forward to a strong finish leading into Districts.

Both acknowledge that it will take hard work to get ready, but as Griffey said, “We’ll only get better.”

“I think we’re finally starting to get the meaning of being a family,” Parker said.

“I think we’re finally getting what it means to be a team.”

Today, the Lancers will take on the 8-7 Mustangs for the second time this year at 7 p.m at Marquette High School.

tion approved. This helped both the girls and boys basketball teams acquire equipment including shoes, sweatbands, warmups and gym bags.

Both teams will receive an equal value of merchandise.

“Coach Miller is the best there is,” boys basketball Coach Dave Porter said citing Miller’s ability to make sure the donation was okay with MSHSAA and the Rockwood School Board.

Over the past few years Lafayette’s presence in basketball has been obvious, with both the boys and girls teams having successful runs.

Though the donation is acceptable by MSHSAA guidelines, if the players want to keep the merchandise they receive they are required to pay for half of it.

If a player does not wish to keep the item, it is property of the school and therefore can be free.

MSHSAA guidelines also state the donation must be made to a school and not just one player.

While Griffey’s arrival at Lafayette may have made the team more visible to Adidas because he plays on a summer league which they sponsor, Porter said Adidas never directly mentioned him, though

Porter acknowledges “It possibly came about because of Tyler.”

“It happens all the time throughout the St. Louis area,” Miller said of similar donations.

Porter said in the past few years under star forward Tyler Hansbrough, now playing at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Poplar Bluff High School received a donation from Nike.

Miller looks at the deal as “a fringe benefit right now.” He added, “If they don’t do it next year, that’s okay too. Our program’s not going to stop because Adidas doesn’t donate equipment.”

Ryan Bueckendorf • Reporter The challenge of replacing that which was lost from last season in a basketball team’s graduating class is an issue faced by every high school basketball program across the country.

How well a team can replace both the talent and the leadership lost to graduation can mean the difference between a winning and a losing season.

Teams have to count on returning players to step up and hope the incoming class can bring some capable players to the court.

This year’s varsity boys basketball team certainly has no shortage of either, and the talented squad now is the owner of a 12-6 record, good for second in the Suburban West.

The Lancers certainly lack no talent from their upperclassmen; the seniors and juniors on the team provide a backbone and solid base for the whole team.

What is fast becoming one of the team’s key strengths, however, isn’t their upperclassmen, but their freshmen.

Tyler Griffey and Gavin Wiss, together totaling a height of 13’ 5’’, would make any high school coach salivate just by looking at them. They bring to the team not only height, though, but significant talent as well.

Griffey, whom high school basketball circles have been eyeing for some time, is quickly developing into one of the top high school players in the area.

Only in his first season, he ranks at or near the top of the Suburban West in nearly every major category.

In rebounds and blocked shots, two areas critical for a center, Griffey paces the league with room to spare, and he also is putting up top-notch scoring and assist stats.

Senior Cartez Parker remains the team’s top scoring threat, at 15.7 ppg, but

Jan. 27, 2006

photo • Mike Kurlowski

•Hang Time. Putting two points on the board, freshman Tyler Griffey dunks against Seckman in the second half. Griffey led the Lancers to a 62-54 victory, scoring 22 points.

Boys, girls basketball teams receive donation from Adidas Josh Handler • Asst. Sports Editor “Adidas gave us the deal because the Lafayette basketball team is going to be pretty good the next couple years including this year,” freshman center Tyler Griffey said.

Clearly the team is already good enough to catch the eye of a major corporation.

To receive a donation from a major corporation such as Adidas, high schools must be approved by the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA).

This job fell upon Activities Director Steve Miller, who quickly got the dona-

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sports • page 13

the image

Girls win a buzzer beater

Senior starters look to make most of their last chance at State John Cox • Reporter

photo •Mike Kurlowski

•Pulling the ‘J’. Putting up a shot over a Seckman player, senior Danielle Boraz helps the Lancers to a 59-29 win. Boraz scored six points in the

Entering their final stretch of games, the Lady Lancers will look to close out the season on a strong note so they can head into the District Tournament to try and repeat as District Champs and make a run at a State Championship.

As of Jan. 23, the team is 22 in Conference play, with an overall record of 9-7.

In a crucial Conference match-up with the Kirkwood Pioneers last week, the girls trailed by seven after the first quarter.

The deficit was cut to five at halftime, and the girls were down six entering the fourth quarter.

With less than 30 seconds to go, sophomore Sami Dunger’s three-pointer cut the Kirkwood lead to one.

After a foul to stop the clock, Kirkwood made one of two free throws for a two point lead.

Senior Michelle Moody, averaging four points per game, hit the game winning three-pointer to put the girls ahead by one with just seconds left.

Kirkwood’s desperation shot at the buzzer rattled out, giving the girls a much-needed Conference win.

“Moody’s three-point play was incredible,” senior teammate Danielle Boraz said. “She had an

open look, set her feet, and made the shot.”

Senior Tori Hartin’s double double (11 points, 12 rebounds), and senior Amy Vickroy’s 12 points were key in the win.

In the Suburban West Conference, the team has defeated Kirkwood and Fox, while losing to rivals Marquette and Oakville.

The powerhouse in the Conference is Mehlville (17-1). The fourth-ranked Panthers are 6-0 against Conference opponents and face off with the Lady Lancers on Feb. 10.

Boraz leads the team in free throw percentage, shooting 77 percent from the line. Her goal for the year is to finish above 80 percent from the charity stripe.

Boraz also leads the team in rebounds with 150 rebounds, 9.4 a game.

Vickroy leads the team and the Suburban West Conference in blocked shots, with 45.

Hartin and Vickroy are tied for the team lead in scoring, both averaging 12 points a game.

Over the course of the season, senior Sheena Connely and Moody have stepped up their play.

“Sheena has been stepping it up on defense,” said Boraz. “She

hustles her butt off and wants the ball.”

Boraz believes Moody is starting to feel her role as a senior leader and the team point guard.

A difference from this season from previous seasons is the team’s focus on their own strengths, rather than worrying about how they can change their game to defeat their opponents.

In previous years, the girls have spent time watching scouting film on teams to prepare, while the mindset this season is not try and force things.

Rather, the girls are looking to focus on their strengths to make the opposing team play their game.

The girls have a tough stretch of games ahead. Their opponents in the next three games have a combined record of 37-14.

These opponents feature Fort Zumwalt West (10-6), eighthranked Francis Howell Central (16-1) and Fort Zumwalt South (11-7).

Boraz said the next three games will be, “a test to see how far we’ve come and what we need to improve on.” She said they need to play hard, use their strengths and learn from their mistakes.

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page 14 • sports

Gaming- the next generation of sports Alex Davis • Reporter

Video games have become extremely popular over the past five years. Since the release of the Xbox in 2001, Sony and Microsoft have been competing with each other to become the ‘monopoly’ of the gaming universe.

Sony and Microsoft are both very successful and for them to get people interested in their product, they need to have a certain characteristic that makes them standout… Microsoft then came out with Online Gaming.

Online gaming brought competition.

Competition brought tournaments. Tournaments bring more competition.

With games like Counter-Strike, Madden, and Halo 2; many gamers have participated in tournaments around the country.

Be it an online tournament, or a local tournament, people love competition, which is why gaming has become so popular. For freshman Thys Lourens, his favorite part about playing Halo 2 online is “talkin’ smack!”

Aside ‘talking smack’, the online experience brings a lot of competition. Competition is what makes gaming popular, the competition that is at tournaments and the intensity that bring the interest components to the gaming community.

One community that is very well known, Major League Gaming (MLG), travels around the country and hosts tournaments in various cities.

MLG just had its Central Conference Championship in Chicago on Dec. 16-18.

Approximately 550 competitors attended.

MLG will be hosting their 2005 Na-

tional Championship, which will be held in New York, but the dates are undetermined as of now. The two games that will be played are Halo 2 for the Xbox and Super Smash Brothers Melee for the Gamecube.

As popular as the 2005 season of MLG was, the 2006 season is expected to bring in more gamers and more tournaments.

Plus, Halo 3 releasing in Quarter 2 of this year, more and more gamers will be coming out to test their ability.

Another organization that has brought in a high amount of interest is the World Cyber Games (WCG).

WCG hosts all types of tournaments, but their most popular is Counter-Strike.

“I do go to some tournaments around here sometimes with my CS (CounterStrike) team. There’s about 150 dollars if you win but we have never gotten first,” freshman Kyle Lindner said.

Counter-Strike is one of the most popular and most played games. It is a PC game, but there is a version out for the Xbox, and it brings in a ton of money for WCG. Counter-Strike: Condition Zero and Counter-Strike: Source, have proven to be affective stimulants for money making.

WCG hosts tournaments all over the world. This brings the best of the best gamers out against each other.

One team, Team 3D for the US, won the Counter-Strike Grand Final in 2005.

Team 3D also took the Halo 2 Grand Final championship as the best Halo 2 team in the world.

Gaming has grown very popular over the past half-decade, and now that the Xbox 360 is released, the PS3 releasing in Spring 06, and the Nintendo Revolution set for a November release, you can probably expect many, many more people getting interested in the gaming community.

Language Arts teacher Mr. Nathan Willard has been playing video games since he was 10-years-old and into Atari. Nowadays, he’s more of a PS2 and a PSP guy.

“I mostly just get into Strategy games, Role-Playing Games (RPG), and FirstPerson Shooters (FPS). I also like playing the Grand Theft Auto series,” Willard explained. “The only online gaming I do is just games like the Diablo series and Warcraft III.” MLG and WCG are just two of many gaming leagues out there. A few others are Cyber Athletes League (CAL) and Video Gamers League (VGL). Who knows, with gaming escalating the way it is, maybe someday it will become so popular it will become an Olympic sport, who knows?

Hockey hopes for bragging rights tonight versus Mustangs Josh Handler • Asst. Sports Editor With only three games remaining in the season the LHS hockey team hope to end the year on a high note.

Seniors Matt Barrientos, Matt Gentile, Kyle Moore, Adam Saeger, and Jacob Silverman are all finishing their careers next Friday February 3 when the Lancers take on Francis Howell at Wentzville.

Junior Goalie Matt Germer is on the Suburban West leader board with 72 saves.

Unfortunately, with only 37 goals for LHS as of Jan. 17, the team was 3-7-5.

Tonight, the team takes on arch rival Marquette, who as of Jan. 19, were 5-1-1 in league play.

Silverman said Marquette games are the most exciting. The game will be televised by Charter. It is at 7:20 p.m. at the Summit Center in the Chesterfield Valley.

On a high note, the Lancers tied Parkway Central 2-2 thanks to goals from sophomore Cameron Chinnery and junior Shawn Finney on Jan. 16. They also

beat Summit 5-4 on Jan. 13.

Senior Kyle Moore has seven goals, and leads team. Freshman Alex Corno and junior Mitchell Hayes are tied for second with five goals each.

Coach Ryan Kane said everyone is crucial to the team’s success, “This team continues to rely on every player in our line-up” Silverman echoes that sentiment “Honestly, I’d say everybody has contributed a great amount to the team.”

Jan. 27, 2006

Boys swimming ready to defend Conference title Allyson Angle • Reporter With only a couple weeks to go, the boys swim team stands undefeated.

This comes after a very close win over Lindbergh on Jan. 23 when they boys won by just seven points.

“Having an undefeated season would just sum up how good we can really be,” senior Zach Levko said.

Against Lindbergh, the Lancers pulled out a 96-89 victory over the Flyers as the meet came down to the last relay, the 400-yard freestyle. On the anchor leg, junior Sean Mathews pulled ahead and won. The team improved its season time by 10 seconds in that race.

On Jan. 24 they swam Parkway South and on Jan. 26, the team faced West in the last dual meet of the season.

“Everyone needs to keep their eye on the prize and just keep working hard,” senior Marc Phillips said.

Lafayette will host the Suburban West Conference Meet on Feb. 2-3. The Lancers have won the last 22 years Head Coach Todd Gabel is confident in his team and said, “They should win Conference.”

However, because of Lindbergh’s depth, the Lancers will have to really work. But, since the relays are worth double points, it will help the Lancers outscore the Flyers if they win them.

Mathews said, “Basically everyone needs to step up and race the person next to them and not get touched out because every point matters.”

The team’s final meet will be State at the St. Peter’s Rec Plex for prelims on Feb. 10 and finals on Feb. 11.

“They seem strong enough to get third at State,” Gabel predicted.

The Lancers will undoubtedly be the top team in the St. Louis area, but teams on the Kansas City side should be the teams to beat at State.

Help name St. Louis Community College’s new campus in West County!

Submit your ballot online at www.stlcc.edu.

sports • page 15

the image

Hudson breaking barriers by dominating competition

photo •Josh Handler

•Mat Time. During wrestling practice junior Ashley Hudson teams up with Mike Margherita to go over some basic moves. Practice paid off for her when she won the finals of her weight class 5-0 last weekend at the Lafayette Invitational. She is continuing on her quest to place at State.

Alex Davis • Reporter Wrestling at Lafayette has always been a pretty strong program. But, over the past three years, something different has been happening on the mats.

It’s not that the Lancers had a 9-1 record, or that they tied for second in our District last year.

Or that two wrestlers place in State last year. The thing is, one of the wrestlers is a girl.

Third year starter junior Ashley Hudson is that girl. Hudson doesn’t get shy about revealing her weight like many teens her age. She proudly wrestles in the 103-pound weight class and is the only girl to ever win a match at State.

In fact, she was two points away from being the first girl to ever place at State.

“I definitely think so (about qualifying for State). It’s not a matter of qualifying, it’s about what place I’m going to get.”

Hudson said.

At this point in her career, the

question of her just being good for a girl is gone by now.

“The anomaly her being a female is gone, it’s now whether or not she can compete for State,” Coach Paul Lapinski said.

But, being a female can have its disadvantages at this level.

Strength-wise, guys at this age can be a lot bigger and stronger. But, since she is in the 103 weight class, she shouldn’t be faced with many issues.

“She can outwrestle all the lower-classmen and shows a ton of drive and heart to do better than most. She is not that much different to coach than other wrestlers though,” Lapinski said.

He added, “There are some wrestlers that have not that much talent but have incredible drive, and some that have a lot of talent but don’t have as much drive to do better.”

Hudson said her best wrestling career moment so far has been her trip to the Hearnes

Center in Columbia for State..

She surprised a lot of people by placing in State. She kept on winning matches and most spectators were shocked.

Hudson’s latest challenge was the Lafayette 36th Annual Invitational.

She and four other Lancer wrestlers won their weight class.

The other three winners of the tournament were Matt Brewer, Scott Chida and Dondrell Harris.

The real story though was Harris who took down Reid Garcia, the State runner-up last year, and is currently ranked number two in state. He beat him 8-7 in a close match.

Hudson’s final match was a breeze. She routed her opponent 5-0 and eased her way into a win that earned her a championship.

With wins like these, maybe her dream of reaching the Olympics one day will actually come true.

Roethlisberger completed 21-29 passes for a total of 275 yards with two touchdowns Roethlisberger in his second year has stepped up tremendously from last year’s playoff play.

The whole talk buzzing around Denver was that this was Jake Plummer’s year. Through out the entire season, he has only thrown seven interceptions which tied a season low for his career.

Plummer was nothing but decent during the game against the Steelers. He completed 18/30 for 223 yards with one TD and two interceptions.

At the beginning of the game the Steelers had a few plays that were almost costly.

For instance when the ball was fumbled and Denver recovered, but the challenge later revealed that the ball was knocked out after contact was made with

the ground.

Also Roethlisberger had a few passes that were just thrown behind that hit off some of the defenders hands.

All in all, the Steelers marched into Denver for one reason which was to come out as AFC Champs.

On the NFC side of the field the Seattle Seahawks took it all day long and embarrassed the Carolina Panthers 34-14.

I believe if Carolina actually made some good plays on offense it would have been a closer game.

They threw three interceptions, which allowed the Seahawks to capitalize and increase the lead.

When Feb. 5, comes around I know that it will be hard fought battles were Big Ben and the Steelers will come out as Champions.

I mean don’t get me wrong, the Seahawks have a great offense and defense but I believe they will have an off day.

Running back Shaun Alexander, after he received a concussion in the first game against the Washington Redskins, put up decent numbers against the Carolina Panthers.

I think Alexander will have a good day of running but QB Matt Hasselbeck will also have to be throwing for at least 250 yards.

If the Steelers can stop the run and the passing game and keep their offense on the field the game is already won.

I believe when the clock ticks down to zero in the 4th Quarter the score will be somewhat close at 27-20 in favor of the Steelers.

At the very end, we’ll hear MVP Roethlisberger say, “I’m going to Disney World!”

The Side Liner: The ‘Bus’ finally rolls into Detroit for Super Bowl XL I am happy to say when I hear the words Super Bowl the New England Patriots are no Bobby Mortimer part of it this •Sports Editor year.

It will definitely be refreshing to see some other names grabbing the glory.

The last game of the season is the game every player dreams to play in.

This year, the two teams that had the greatest chance to win the Super Bowl XL got knocked out in the first round.

I was definitely hoping for Payton Manning and the Colts to win Super Bowl XL, but the Colts had nothing but lousy plays and cold players who have sat out for almost two weeks.

The Colts were off to a great start this year until the last two

weeks of regular season. I don’t understand a coaching decision that involves resting your entire team.

I know it was done to keep the players healthy, but why stop a winning team?

The Colts horrible play allowed the Steelers to actually have a chance to win, and they took full advantage.

Manning, considered the new Dan Marino in football, is never going to win a Super Bowl.

Going into the big game we got the AFCs Pittsburgh Steelers versus the NFCs Seattle Seahawks.

Both teams were dominating on the offensive side of the ball putting up 34 points each, and holding their opponents to a score less than 20!

The Steelers dominated the Denver Broncos with a final score of 34-17. Quarterback Ben

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in•out•about page 16 • entertainment

Off the beaten path

The Moolah Theatre provides a place for local teenagers to recline, relax Britt Peters • Entertainment Editor Imagine lounging in a leather couch watching a newly released movie.

In 1912, a Moorish building was designed for the Moolah Shriners.

In the 80s they moved to a new location, leaving the building empty for nearly 20 years.

In 2002, Restoration St. Louis used historic tax credits to maintain the integrity of the historic building.

The Moolah Movie Theater and Lounge opened in the winter of 2004, featuring a movie theater and bowling alley.

Their motto is, “‘treat others as you would like to be treated,’” Manager of the Moolah Theater and Lounge Ms. Julia Moseley, said. “We think about ways that we can improve upon the United States standards of watching movies,” she added.

The historic building’s integrity was kept so, “the large auditorium had to be restored to its original state and luster; hence, the single auditorium stayed constant and now have a onescreen movie theater,” Moseley said.

The single screen measuring 20’ X 45’ is one of the biggest screens in St. Louis.

Each movie is run from two- four weeks, before being replaced with a newer movie.

“Transamerica” is now currently showing on the single screen.

It has been re-released by film companies because of its awards at the Golden Globes Award Show and nominations at the Oscars. It will run until Feb. 10.

The Moolah Theater was not equipped with a slanted floor, because previously it was a historical building.

A balcony is now used for seating.

The idea to bring in a home style setting into a public movie theater area, was then formed.

“Couches were the perfect fit in the large auditorium and it gave a home style feel when watching the movies” Moseley

•Show Me The Moolah. ‘Treat others like you would like to be treated’ is the motto for the Moolah Theater.

Concerts

Savvis Center •Rolling Stones-Jan.27 @ 7 p.m.

•Nickleback-Feb. 7 @ 7:30 p.m.

•George Strait-Feb. 17 @ 7:30 p.m.

Mississippi Nights •Less than Jake w/ Wilhelm Scream, RockNRoll Soliders & Damone-Feb. 11 @ 8 p.m.

CD Releases-Feb. 7

•FeFe Dobson “Sunday Love” •Tim McGraw “Greatest Hits, Vol. 2” •My Chemical Romance “Life on the Murder Scene”

Coming Attractions

•When a Stranger Calls-Feb. 3 (PG-13) •Final Destination 3-Feb. 10 (R) •The Pink Pather-Feb. 10 (PG) •Firewall-Feb. 10 (PG -13) •Date Movie-Feb. 17 (PG -13)

Tivoli

•Bubble-Jan. 27 (R) •Go For Zucker-Feb. 10 ( NR)

New DVD Releases

photos • Britt Peters

•Spare Ball. (Left) The bowling alley is covered in murals that provide an inside look to the St. Louis area. The alley also includes an area for people to play pool and relax.

•Daring Duo. (Right) Restoration St. Louis came up with the idea that featured a theater along with a bowling alley. The theater is provided with 15 leather couches, 15 loveseats and 15 chairs.

said.

There are a total of 15 couches, 15 loveseats and 15 leather chairs in the theater.

On the weekends Moseley said it is recommended to arrive an hour early to the show, but on the weekdays only 15-20 minutes is needed.

Underneath the theater, Moolah Lanes, with murals of St. Louis, is available for bowling and playing pool.

“The Moolah is an evening event, you can come bowl a few frames at the Moolah Lanes, or-

der food from Vito’s or Joe Boccardi’s and then watch a great movie on comfortable leather couches” Moseley said.

Tickets for the Moolah Theater are $8 for adults and $5 children.

“I think it’s a cool place for teenagers to go when they want to see a movie or hang out in a different setting,” sophomore Cassie Michel said.

Compared to www.wehrenberg.com ticket prices at Wehrenberg theaters are $8 for adults on the weekends, and $5

for children, which is the same price for a ticket at the Moolah Theater.

“We try to listen to our costumers and provide them with things that they want and comment on” Moseley said.

The Moolah Theater is located at 3821 Lindell Ave. “It’s not somewhere I would drive every weekend, but definitely once in a while it’s worth it. There just isn’t a place like that around here,” Michel said.

Date idea of the month

The Hill restauraunts serve up a relaxing dating atmosphere Britt Peters • Entertainment Editor Just south of Forest Park and west of Kingshighway an Italian neighborhood sprouted in the early 1900s.

The Hill is a traditional Italian neighborhood, famous in the St. Louis area for its classic cuisine.

Many nationally-acclaimed restaurants line the 50 square block area in South St. Louis.

Zia’s and Dominic’s are two of those restaurants.

“The Hill has the best authentic Italian food in St. Louis with a really romantic Italian

Upcoming Events

atmosphere,” sophomore Megan Drissel said.

Zia’s main courses range from $9.25 for most pasta to $16.95 for filets and steaks.

It is located on the corner of Wilson Avenue and Edwards at 5256 Wilson Ave. Zia’s is open from MondaySaturday for lunch and dinner.

“Everything’s good. The foods good and the service is good.

Though, it’s really hard to get into, if you’re going to go early because it’s always crowded,” ju-

nior Meghan Judge said.

Zia’s has many Italian selections for prices that are less expensive than other restaurants on the Hill.

Dominic’s on the Hill, is frequently visited by celebrities when they are visiting St. Louis.

In the Nations Restaurants News, Dominic’s was named to the 2001 Restaurant Hall Of Fame.

Although it is slightly more expensive then Zia’s on the Hill.

Pasta ranges anywhere from

$8.75-$10 and meats and sea food range from $22-$62.

Dominic’s is located at the corner of Hereford and Wilson at 5101 Wilson Ave. Dominic’s is only open for dinner Monday-Saturday at 5 p.m.

“I would love to go on a date to a restaurant on the Hill, because the mood is relaxed and romantic. Also, the food is by far the best in St. Louis!” senior Lauren Duenow said.

•In Her Shoes- Jan.31 (PG - 13) •Just Like Heaven -Feb. 7 (PG13) •Elizabethtown-Feb. 7 (PG-13) •Proof -Feb. 14 (PG-13) •Rent-Feb. 21 (PG-13) •North Country-Feb. 21 (R)

Tours

•Blue Collar Tour-Savvis Center on Feb. 9 @ 7:30 p.m.

Fox Theatre

•Blast-Jan.27-29 •Little Women-Feb. 21 - March 5

Around Town

•Gunsmoke Audience Participation Comedy-Lemp Mansion Jan.20 – July. 1 @ 7 p.m.

•St. Louis Auto Show- America’s Center on Jan.25 – Jan. 29

Science Center

•Friday Nights Live- Science Center info at www.slsc.org •Ghosts of the Abyss- Omnimax on Jan.24-29

Around School

•Rockwood Real World is held on Feb. 18, from 12:30-6 p.m.

Seminars, interactive activities and demonstrative activites will take place from 12:30-4 p.m.

Following the activities students will be able to listen to one band each from the four high schools.

The winner of the, ‘Showcase of the Bands’, will cut a demo and have studio time with SmithLee Productions worth $2,000.

Door prizes will be given away to attendees throughout the day, but students must attend seminars to be included in the drawing.