March 16, 2007

Inside This Edition In 1907, Hershey’s produced their first milk chocolate Kiss. A hundred years and several new additions later, they are celebrating with postage stamps, Maggie Moo’s cakes and a contest.

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see page 8

image the

Friday, March 16, 2007 Vol. 38 • Issue 8

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

Through The Looking Glass:

Welcome Center construction comes to close

photo • Brett Hamlin

•New Addition. Construction workers labored to complete the newly-finished Welcome Center. Following Spring Break, on March 27, the Welcome Center will be unveiled and opened for the first time.

Sydney Miller • Reporter After weeks of distractions and curiosity, the new Welcome Center has finally been unveiled.

The Welcome Center is the home of the new, larger Nurse’s Office, storage rooms and reception desks.

The design of the new entrance is modern and “translucent,” architect Arthur Floyd said.

The translucency of the Welcome Center, due to a series of windows along the front, serves as an aesthetic as well as a functional purpose.

“There’s a lot of glass, so there’s a direct connection to the exterior so that activities outside of school can be supervised for security purposes,” Floyd said.

He added the moder-

nity of the new area serves to create a “very open, loving place.”

A side entrance to the Welcome Center leads visitors to the reception area.

Walking to the left, students and visitors find the Welcome Center, Activities Director Steve Miller’s office, as well as the enlarged Nurse’s Office.

However, Nurse Sue Brennan said there are potential problems with the new location.

“Our new office won’t be on the main student hallway and is further away from those areas where we are most often called for injuries,” Brennan said.

Continued on page 5

Principal announces plans to retire Class of 2007 grows by one as Schmidt steps down Britt Peters • News Editor Thirty-five years ago, Principal Larry Schmidt was working in Southern California on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Apollo mission.

Now, Schmidt will retire from what eventually became his career as he has announced his retirement as Principal at the end of this school year.

“There are mixed emotions in this. I was just excited about coming to school today to do the things I have to do even though I have already announced that I’m retiring,” Schmidt said.

Before Schmidt became Principal, he taught social studies for 18 years.

He was also the Senior Class Principal for 13 years and eventually moved up to Principal for the last four years.

Schmidt took the chance

to become a principal because it gave him an opportunity to challenge himself.

Although Schmidt has had many opportunities to leave LHS and pursue other opportunities, he never considered leaving.

“There is something special about this building that becomes more evident to a person that has worked somewhere else. I guess it has always been ‘‘where can you go that’s better than here?’”

Schmidt said.

“If I had to pick out what was the most memorable moment about [being a principal], it’s the daily interactions with teachers and staff members,” he said.

When asked why he was retiring, Schmidt said, “Little by little you realize how its really had a tremendous impact on my family.”

He said, “I think I’m financially able to leave here and spend a lot of time with my wife and start doing those things we’ve never done.”

Social Studies Department Chair Susan Glenn has worked with Schmidt since he started as a Lancer.

She said his greatest contribution is “his ability to listen. He listens to all sides of things and has an ability to connect with teachers, parents and students.”

After his last day as principal, Schmidt plans on possibly renting out a lake home in Minnesota for a month to just relax and get away from the pressure.

“I still get excited about coming to school everyday. So part of it’s going to be trying to find that other piece of my life that’s going to excite me as much as this does,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt’s last day is June 30.

He said he is going to miss “the daily energy and excitement in the building” the most.

There will be a two-week posting period to hire a new principal. A new principal will be announced at the end of April or the beginning of May.

photo • Brett Hamlin

•Schmidt Out. Principal Larry Schmidt discusses issues, one of his many duties during the school day. This year, Schmidt has decided to retire after 35 years in education.

page 2 • editorial

march 16, 2007

& Stars To:

Discrimination remains universal Last month, University of Illinois mascot Chief Illiniwek went out on the court for the last time. After years of protest from Native Americans, the school finally decided to put away what some people found to be a very offensive mascot.

One of the major problems for those opposing Chief Illiniwek was the stereotype that the character represented. Unfortunately, this stereotyping does not just exist for Native Americans. It’s nearly impossible to walk through the halls of school without some slur relating to race, gender or religion.

It’s not as if this is a new trend, either.

Discrimination has been around forever, and we’ve all been guilty of it at one time or another. Most of us don’t really mean anything by it, but slurs still slip out. And the gray areas of what is and is not acceptable are what land people in trouble.

Different situations and people tend to change the meaning of what is derogatory and what is not. A Jewish person or an

holla back Every month the Image will conduct a lunch time poll based on a current event. When you see us coming with our clip boards, stand up and be counted!

image info

Editor in Chief • Kevin Pinney News Editor • Britt Peters Asst. News Editor • Brooke Thibodaux Campus Editor • Matt Hibbard Opinion Editor • Mary Belzer Feature Editor • Jen Apoian Entertainment Editor • Nicole Castellano Sports Editors • Ryan Bueckendorf, Josh Handler Photographers • Alex Erdman, Alexis Myers Ad Manager • Brian Ruyle Artists • Ankit Bhargava, Ryan Maddox, Kate Webb Adviser • Nancy Y. Smith MJE Staff: Kendall Brewer, Mike Bujnak, Aaron Casias, Alex Davis, Brett Hamlin, Sydney Miller, Sara Randolph, Brad Schlemmer, Brooke Thibodaux and Nina Walters

African-American may feel comfortable joking about their ethnicity, but as soon as someone from the outside steps in, they’re crossing the line. This gap lies not only between blacks and whites but also between men, women and people of different economic status.

Despite the controversy, the school has made efforts to solve the problem. The Black Student Union was founded to fight racism, but for some it has caused just as many problems as it has solved. The Freethinker’s Association makes efforts to educate students about different religions in hopes that those boundaries will disappear. Unfortunately, the only members are students who are willing to break these barriers, so the message isn’t exactly reaching the right students.

We may be on our way to solving this discrimination problem, but it can’t be solved by adding a club here and there.

No matter how virtuous or educated we may be, we’re all guilty of racism and we

For the past five years, much of the country has followed the contestants of American Idol from week to week, hoping that their favorite singer might come out on top. Some of us pay attention to hear outstanding voices and some of us just like to watch the horrible and hilarious auditions.

This season has been no different.

We’ve seen dozens of outrageous auditions and we’ve heard the judges crack joke after joke about them.

Do you think American Idol has gone too far to get viewers?

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.

all need to adjust in order to improve society.

Obviously, it’s impossible to write down rules as to what is socially acceptable and what is not. We can’t tell everyone exactly how to speak and we can’t solve a problem like this very easily. If everyone just exercises their common sense a bit more, it’s not hard to be polite and keep in mind that what is acceptable to you may not be acceptable to the person sitting behind you in class.

Yes 66% No 34% 200 students polled

play these on your iPod

•After years of being defeated, Martin Scorsese finally won the Academy Awards for Best Director, and his movie, The Departed, won Best Picture.

Come on Marty, make another great one for next year.

•Krispy Kreme is coming out with a whole wheat donut. This will at least give us the illusion that we’re not inhaling straight fat.

•The new Welcome Center is looking good. After months of waiting for construction to start, we’re finally starting to see some progress. Now how about the Theatre?

•Spring Break is finally here. Time for vacations, swimsuits and a week away from this lovely establishment. Be careful this break, and seniors, just remember: only one quarter to go.

•The Academic Pep Assembly and its Saturday Night Live theme. There’s nothing like missing a few hours of school to honor those who don’t normally see the spotlight while remembering some of our favorite television moments.

•Dick Cheney’s former Chief of Staff Lewis Libby was found guilty of his charges involving the 2003 identity leak of CIA agent Valerie Plame. Let’s hear it for not-so-trustworthy government officials.

Gripes To:

•Al Gore fooled us at the Academy Awards. He played up an announcement that some hoped would be his running for President– but no such luck.

•Some sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have been renamed as sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It doesn’t matter what we call them. They’re icky and contagious. Be safe!

•Now we’ll go back to sounding like a regular high school. We’ve lost the British class of Ms. Gillian Gonzalez.

She’s moved from being our Welcome Center secretary to working for Human Resources for Rockwood.

•By the time second and third lunch roll around, tables are rarely clean enough to eat on. There isn’t much time between shifts for the staff to clean up the Commons so be big boys and girls and pick up your trash.

•The Blues seem to have completely given up on this season. They had a slight chance of making the playoffs, but trading away two of their best players destroyed that opportunity.

•A junior won Mr. LHS this year.

Nothing against Carl Dick, we’re sure he’s a great guy. But what happened to letting the seniors win everything?

They deserve a little favoritism after being here for so long.

•In the latest issue of the comic book “Captain America,” the famous superhero was killed off. If we’ve got no more Captain America, whomever shall we turn to in our times of peril?

Publication Information

The Image is published 10 times a year by the Newspaper Production class. Subscriptions cost $25 per year. Free issues are distributed on campus.

The 2005-2006 Image received a rating of All-American with five marks of distinction from the National Scholastic Press Association, is a Gold Medalist by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, an International First Place winner by Quill And Scroll and received a ranking of Superior by the Sponsors of School Publications of Greater St. Louis.

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 Please visit us on the web at www.lafayettepublications.com

op-ed • page 3

the image

Saving Nate: teen criminals face tough charges letters to the editor Dear Editor, Ms. Belzer’s columns are often the only pieces I read simply because I don’t usually care much for the content presented in the other sections of the newspaper. That said, I usually don’t care for what Ms. Belzer has to say.

However, I must mention I mean no disrespect to Mary Belzer because I think she is a decent writer and a fairly smart person.

In her recent article describing fat, ignorant and rude Americans, she brings up contentions that any person who has stopped to look around at America could easily identify. Her mention of these ‘ignorant Americans’ would probably be the same people who don’t stop to look around at America.

“Why is this?” is the question that should be focused on in the Image, not “What is this?” To partially answer the question I have brought up, I’ll start off with our media. What are we supposed to believe these days?

It’s not necessarily our generation’s fault for the cloud of apathy that surrounds us when it comes to worldly matters —think about it. What are we supposed to believe? I can tell you one thing, the answer doesn’t lie in Democratic or Republican, that’s for sure.

Ms. Belzer doesn’t give clear solutions to the problems she brings up. She said reading up on what’s happening in the world will make huge differences. Possibly. However, I can offer some solutions, or at least steps to take in the right direction for free-thought and conscious thought.

Talk amongst yourselves about your opinions on the world and our government or lack thereof. When you’re of age, don’t limit yourself necessarily to the Democratic or Republican candidates. Don’t force your opinions on anyone; rather, accept other people’s views and be open to them.

Realize that even if you couldn’t care less about the world, you might care about Social Security, which will very likely be non-existent by the time people reading this will retire. Realize this conflict with Middle-East is going to affect us, and it is not an enemy we can necessarily defeat with armies.

On the topic of rudeness, especially in West County, I agree with the “what” aspect Ms. Belzer brought up, however I don’t agree with the “why” aspect she failed to ask.

In my opinion, the reason why we act this way is because of two main reasons. We fall into this certain drone state during the average day. Human beings put so much distance between each other for no reason.

I think this is because it’s easy to do. It seems like all of our lives are just a series of saying ‘no’ to things which might increase the value of our relationships.

In my opinion, if anyone wants to change the things Ms. Belzer has brought up in her article, it will take some saying ‘yes’ to, whether that means breaking away from what your parents taught you, from what your church taught you, from what this school has taught you ­—even what I’m telling you. Just don’t stand around while all of this goes down in our generation.

Sincerely, Stephen Johnson, 10

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 Room 213, or to any Image staff member, or via e-mail to smithnancy@rockwood. k12.mo.us

When Nate Ybanez was in high school, he was just like most of us. He played in a band, spent time with his friends and hated his parents. Unlike most of us, however, he had good reason to hate them.

For the first 16 years of his life, both Nate’s mother and father physically and sexually abused him. On a few occasions, the abuse was nearly fatal.

Trying to escape his broken home, Nate went to friends and their families for help, but he was repeatedly turned away. He even went to the Department of Human Services, who told him he could take care of himself since he was a boy. They had girls to worry about. After dozens of these failed attempts to get help, Nate snapped and brutally murdered his mother.

And so, the question arises: should it cost him everything?

Each year kids are put on trial for their various crimes, from stealing a jacket to ending a life. The unlucky ones, like Nate, are tried as adults and put in jail for life without any opportunity for parole. Minors cannot receive the death penalty, but some would argue that life in prison is even worse.

But I’m not here to argue about prison conditions. I’m simply saying that those criminals under 18 should not be tried or punished as adults, under any circumstances.

If minors are treated as minors under every other aspect of the law, it should be no different here. There needs to be a cutoff. In my opinion, if you can’t even buy cigarettes, you should not receive the same punishment as a 40-year-old sex offender.

For the money-grubbing businessmen out there, I understand that reform programs are pricey, but I’d also like to point out the outrageous costs of jailing a kid for life: $2 million.

So have we completely given up on reform and rehabilitation? We should be educating these criminals rather

Quite

Contrary

by Mary Belzer, Opinions Editor than continuing to tell them that they’re worthless. Most kids become violent because of their past. We need to put them in programs to get to the root of the problems, hopefully solving their case and preventing this psychological damage from happening to kids in the future.

And let’s not forget about the number of unjust trials in this fine country. In Nate’s case, his father, who harshly abused him for a number of years paid for Nate’s defense lawyer. The sentence was heard within a matter of days.

If that doesn’t define a corrupt trial, I don’t know what does.

Most of you probably aren’t directly affected by this issue, but if you’re ever in the wrong place at the wrong time, the law may land you somewhere that you don’t belong. Nate’s best friend was also sentenced to life without parole as an accomplice, but no one has hard evidence that he took part in the murder at all.

There are ways to help Nate and others who have been in this unfortunate position. If you feel that Nate Ybanez was treated unfairly, you can visit www.friendsofnathanybanez.com and sign a petition to put him on trial again, this time the right way. If this case gets turned around, who knows where the idea could spread.

It’s time to stop ignoring this problem just because we’re not facing jail time. We need to take part in our justice system before it takes more of our youth unfairly.

Celebrities and suicides catastrophic for culture Almost any American has had a celebrity idol. From Tom Cruise in Top Gun to Britney Spears in “Oops!...I A Pinney For Your Did it Again,” kids look up to movie and pop stars.

The truth is, many of these celebrities are not worthy Thoughts of being idols.

Look at Ms. Britney “55-hour marriage” Spears. The once sweet and innocent schoolgirl of years past has been replaced by some crazy skank.

Back in November, photos snatched by paparazzi emerged of her sans panties while hanging out with Paris Hilton. Don’t even get me started on her. Britney’s behavior is inappropriate and nobody should look up to her as a role model.

The fun doesn’t stop there, unfortunately. While in “celebrity rehab”, Ms. Spears shaved her head. It has already been done by someone sane called Natalie Portman and she was actually hot when it happened. So, as an attempt to be original, Spears wrote “666” on her dome and proclaimed that she is the anti-Christ. After that, she attempted to hang herself and failed. Lovely.

I don’t have any problem with crazy people. Sometimes we can’t help it. But when you go to kill yourself and can’t get the job done, you’re even more pathetic than before.

But a huge thing to remember is that Britney isn’t just a celebrity, she’s a mom. She has two kids. I wonder how they’ll feel thinking that their pseudo-mom did these things without regard to their futures. It’s all about her.

That’s why celebrities are useless as role models.

With Tom Cruise, he used to be the actor. Now Paramount Pictures won’t even renew its production contract with him. That means he gets to cameo in Bratz: The Movie (release in 2007) but that doesn’t matter because he has his wife, Katie Holmes, whom is 16 years his younger. That’s sick. He was in high school before she was even born.

by Kevin Pinney, Editor in Chief

His decline from fame to infamy started before the release of War of the Worlds. He jumped on the couch on Oprah and proceeded to profess his love for Holmes.

I think it was just publicity so the movie would make more money.

Given that Cruise made a deal to take 20 percent of the gross profit instead of an up-front salary, it makes sense that he would want the movie to rake in the clams.

But the stunt didn’t end. It kept going with his strong views against psychology and even down to Holmes’ silent birth for their daughter, Suri. It’s faux Hebrew for “princess”.

I know it’s okay to be an individual and I can’t bash celebrities for doing that. It’s just the fact that they wield so much influence, not only over young people, but how the world community views the United States’ citizens.

Kids see Britney Spears not wearing underwear, going through rehab and trying to kill herself and they’ll think it’s okay to do those things. They see Tom Cruise acting like a freak in public and having a shotgun wedding and they’ll think that’s okay.

It’s not. Our future deserves better role models. These people are adults. It’s time they start acting like them.

Just asking... photo opinion

This month the Image asks “If you could meet one person from history, who would it be, and why?”

Photo opinion compiled by Kevin Pinney and Sara Randolph

Brian McDonald, 9 “Bob Marley, because his songs inspire people.”

Carlicia Williams, 10 “Rosa Parks, because she stood up for her rights.”

Tony Scimone, 11 “����������������������� Blackbeard the Pirate, because he was a pirate.

Duh.”�

Megan Renner, 12 “������������������������ Audrey Hepburn, because she turned her life around to be what she wanted.”�

Hall Monitor Benjamin Davis Smith “���������������������� John Wilkes Boothe to ask why he shot Lincoln.

What was he thinking?�”

page 4 • campus

bits& pieces

news at a glance

•compiled by Nina Walters

Students team up with sister school Pass Christian to build seven homes This Spring Break, seniors from all four Rockwood High Schools will be going to Mississippi to build seven homes for those who are still displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Senior Chris Clayman said, “I want to get a new perspective out of life versus their lives which have no solid house or a place to live.”

All of the students chose to be mixed up with different schools to build relationships.

Each of the seven teams will be responsible for building one house in a week with specific tasks to complete.

While in Mississippi, students are planning on having recreational activities at the camp site with students from Pass Christian High School.

There are 25 LHS students going to Mississippi. Besides meals on the way and on the way back to Mississippi, the trip is free for students. Expenses like the motor coach bus will be defrayed by funds collected throughout this year.

DVD staff up for Pacemaker

In its first year of publication, DVD Yearbook was nominated as a National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) Interactive Yearbook Pacemaker finalist. There are only five other schools remaining. The winners will be announced at the National Scholastic Press Association Conference, April 12-15.

Junior Nathan Loseke, Editor, said, “It is pretty cool that our first year coming into this that we could win an actual award.”

It took the staff the whole year to make the DVD. The staff had some major issues to deal with, but they pulled through in the end.

While making the DVD, everyone put in the different levels of experience they had to help get the job done right. For those who have had experience it came very easy, but for those on staff who did not it was a bit harder.

Chrysler concerns unfounded

Daimler-Chrysler plans to eliminate a shift at the van plant, which should only have a minimal financial impact on Rockwood School District.

Rockwood is less dependent on Chrysler than it once was.

Eleven years ago, Chrysler included 15 percent of funds to the district. Today the assessed value is down to 5.3 percent. This percent is expected to decline every year.

In the 2008-2009 fiscal year, Chesterfield will fully repay an estimated $160 million and new assessed values will be added to the District’s income, which is more than Chrysler’s $150 million.

National Merit Finalists In the Rockwood School District, there are 19 students that advanced to finalists in the National Merit Scholarship program.

Nine of these students come from LHS. The finalists include seniors Max Beushausen, Ankit Bhargava, John Buttram, Pat Collins, Amanda Dwyer, Hilary Kirwan, Ethan Moore, Kate Webb and Jona Xiao.

These students were picked based on their abilities, skills and accomplishments without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin or religious preference.

“I hope to get money for college and just knowing that I academically accomplished something not many kids accomplish,” senior Pat Collins said.

fyi

activities at a glance

This award recognizes students that best represent the 14 qualities found upon the ceiling of the State Capitol.

The winners include seniors Alyssa Auld, Education; Mary Belzer, Liberty; Ankit Bhargava, Honor; Tori Burwell, Equality; John Buttram, Virtue; Pat Collins, Temperance; Lauren Edens, Truth; Brian Holthouse, Progress; Jamie Huang, Knowledge; Joey Meyer, Fraternity; Kevin Pinney, Justice; Ryan Senciboy, Law; Jona Xiao, Charity; and Kate Webb, Enterprise.

Staff members nominated students for each of the characteristics and qualities.

Make A Wish Foundation

Not far from Destin and Daytona, 17-year-old Devon Jones will be going to Disney World for Spring Break. “He was nominated for the Make a Wish Foundation,” counselor Jennifer Clark said.

Jones struggled with prune belly syndrome, an unusual disease that caused several complications and left him without muscles in his abdomen.

The Pulp

The club’s main purpose is to get together and have some fun bowling.

“It’s an organized way to focus efforts towards fulfilling part of man’s history,” junior Nick Elwood said.

The Bowling Club will return in the fall.

Bowling Club

FBLA

Bowlers are coming together for the Bowling Club at West County Lanes every Monday for practice and Sunday for games.

FREE PRACTICE TEST & ANALYSIS! ©2006 Sylvan Learning, Inc.

photo courtesy of Dave Myers

•Crown Jewel. Celebrating his Mr. LHS win, Mr. C520 junior Carl Dick waves to the audience of screaming girls. Mr. LHS was held March 1 in the Auditorium. Senior Tyler Filmore, Mr. Choir, was the first runner-up and senior Trent Marsh, Mr. Football, were also a huge hit.

The Pulp is accepting music submissions from musicians and poets.

The music must be completed and ready to sell by the first week of May and turn into Room 155.

The student body has been incredibly responsive with music from a wide range of artists including junior Nick Elwood, Tree Heart Orchestra, Jake Ferree & Company and senior Mary Belzer, among many others.

Pulp sponsor Angela Koons said “[the music] inspires written words.”

The CD will accompany this year’s revamped edition of the Pulp. All written submissions are due by April 5.

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If you are not convinced that Sylvan’s ACT Prep is the best program for you, then notify us within 4 8 hours of your first session and return your materials for a full refund. At participating centers only.

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And I improved my ACTTM score.

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march 16, 2007

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Thespians

The One Acts, Lafayette’s student directed theater productions, will debut May 3.

Directors include seniors Mary Belzer, Kate Dianora, Jake Ferree, Jess Kollar and Ryan Jaccard. Callbacks were on March 1 and casting for the shows was completed on March 6.

The club recently attended the Business Leadership Competition at ITT Tech in Arnold, MO on March 6 to learn more about

business management roles.

The winners include junior Jourdan Fenster, fourth place in job interview; senior Brad Schweizer, third place in business procedures; junior Amanda Strickland, first place in marketing; sophomore Wendy You, first place in public speaking.

They will be traveling to Columbia, MO from April 15 to the 17, where they intend to increase their knowledge of commerce’s secrets.

Large Ensemble

Both Choir and Band competed at Large Ensemble March 7.

Chamber, Concert and Chorale choirs all received a superior one rating, while Treble Choir got an excellent rating of two.

Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band also received a superior one rating.

the image

‘Spare change’ for the better

news • page 5

Increase in minimum wage improves student cash flow Matt Hibbard • Campus Editor While many students head to exotic beaches and luxurious spas for spring break, several stay home to get much more than an irritating sunburn and an empty wallet.

They have decided to take advantage of the newly passed minimum wage increase from $5.15 an hour to $6.50.

Minimum wage has not been adjusted for nearly nine years and was passed due to Proposition B. According to the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (MDOLIR), all businesses are required to fulfill the new increase except for those businesses whose annual sales

are less than $500,000.

In effect since Jan. 1 of this year, the increase has had mixed reactions from students.

Senior Meredith Purcell works at Build-A-Bear Workshop at West County Mall and has found benefits to the new increase.

“It’s still the same job, I just make more money now. There is now more money to spend,” Purcell said.

Even though students are making more money now, they are still aware of their expenditures.

“I can’t buy everything I want—I still have to keep a budget,” Purcell said.

Also aware of her spending, senior Elizabeth McIntyre finds events such as going to the movies simple, but when being paid minimum wage, it’s a trial.

“It definitely is much less than many think. $6.50 an hour sounds like a lot, especially if you haven’t had a job before,” McIntyre said.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 2.6 percent, or 42,000, of all Americans earn at or below the minimum wage.

Of those people, teenagers account for 29 percent of the minimum wage workforce.

Even though the minimum wage increase has given some more money to spend, it has also

had an adverse effect as well.

Both Purcell and McIntyre agree that they would not be able to sustain a profitable lifestyle with a minimum wage job as their primary income.

“My mom pays for my car and gas; I hardly have enough money because I work weekends right now to pay for normal stuff,” McIntyre said. “It would be impossible to pay for a car or college.”

“I just can’t see how anyone could possibly pay bills, food, and clothes on $6.50 an hour,” McIntyre said.

Most minimum wage earners are employees that receive tips, such as waiters.

According to the new law, if the employee is paid by tips alone, the employer must make up the difference between tips received and $6.50 per hour.

“I still make the same amount of money after the minimum wage increase,” senior Kristen Leone said.

She receives $4 as her daily wage and between $5-6.00, generally in tips.

“It was more embarrassing to say that I worked at a concession stand than to work for minimum wage,” McIntyre said The additional $2,808 of income assists low-income Missouri families meeting their basic needs.

Construction continued from page 1

School gets facelift, nears completion

photo • Sydney Miller

•Sneak Peak. The reception area of the room is aligned with a series of windows, creating an open atmosphere. Architect Arthur Floyd said this is to ensure a connection to the exterior for security purposes.

To the right of the foyer, there are the classroom areas. Floyd said the need for a side entrance as opposed to a front entrance was strictly because of access.

“If [the entrance] were to be on the center axis of the school, there is no easy way to walk there. The thought is, if I put [the entrance] on the side, it would be easier to get across from the parking lot to the Welcome Centre,” Floyd said.

Principal Larry Schmidt insists the Welcome Center needed to be re-located due to the Theater construction expected to take place during Spring Break.

Floyd said it is logical to move the Welcome Center to the front of the school, where visitors expect to find it.

Schmidt thinks a new Welcome Center was necessary because of the work being done on the Theatre.

Schmidt said preliminary

work will begin March 8 for the Theatre.

This work includes removing the seats, the curtain on the stage and the lights in preparation for the “real” construction.

“I like it but I don’t like the fact that it took them so long to start on [the project],” junior Cami Bird said.

“When you return from Spring Break, there will be a wall running from the Freshman Hallway to the present Nurse’s Office which will eliminate traffic flow through that area and then the real construction work will begin inside the Theatre,” Schmidt said.

Students will have to find a way around the construction which will continue for 14 months.

During this time, Schmidt said the current Nurse’s Office will be transformed into a school store, concession stand and tick-

et booth for the Theater.

During summer school, the Fine Arts Hallway will also be under construction, expected to be finished by the start of the 2007-2008 school year.

“There is going to be a new entrance or foyer to the FACS area and the present dressing rooms are going to be enlarged, updated [and] there will be some more storage units available for the Drama Room,” Schmidt said.

Parking will be changed slightly depending on the weather and when the new spaces can be marked.

The new Welcome Center was completed March 16 and Floyd said any minor complications were due to the freezing temperatures in January and February.

The Welcome Center will officially open March 27, when students return from Spring Break.

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page 6 • news

march 16, 2007

Under the Radar

Diversity club raises awareness of different cultures Brooke Thibidoux • Reporter “Why is it that as a society we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns rather than hands?” senior Jona Xiao said.

Of the 2,041 students who attend Lafayette, there is a mixture of different ages, genders, races and even sexual orientation.

Among the student body, some are not aware that “people who are different are discouraged,” junior Wakkita Gibbs said.

Due to stereotypes and small exposure to other groups, some students contribute to oppression other students may face.

In fact, students may not even that realize, “what we do ourselves contributes to the oppression…to other people,” Xiao said.

But the Diversity Alliance aims to change that by raising “awareness of different cultures and religions and all the diversity that exists in our building to promote the tolerance of somebody different than you,” family and consumer sciences teacher Ms. Lori Sanders said.

As for the goals of the alliance, “We’re still in the process of deciding what that’s going

to be,” language arts teacher Ms. Jean Peters said.

However, the two founders and leaders, senior Jona Xiao and junior Wakkita Gibbs, have several ideas as to what the goals should be.

One of the basic goals is “to bring everybody together as one to make them feel comfortable about talking about themselves,” Gibbs said.

Xiao also said, “it’s just to promote acceptance and tolerance of different identities in our society.”

Gibbs and Xiao came up with the idea of the alliance after attending the summer camp, Anytown.

The camp offered an emotional experience that changed both the girls. This influence from the camp motivated them to create the alliance.

“You really didn’t understand what was going on out in the world, so they [the camp] were opening your eyes to different things. So when you came back into the real world from the camp, you notice more things than you would have,” Gibbs said.

Xiao came up with the idea of the alliance at LHS as a way to make a difference.

The girls approached Peters and Sanders with the idea of the alliance.

“First, the name of our club was the Gay-Straight Alliance Club, and it was named that because that’s how it was put at Anytown,” Gibbs said.

However, Peters pointed the girls in the direction of Diversity Alliance because it allowed the Alliance, “to have more of an umbrella. I mean I think that’s better anyway,” Xiao said.

“It’s a little bit of an honor of the Gay-Straight Alliance, you can kind of hear that word choice there, but we submitted our constitution or bylaws, and definitely the incorporation of sexual orientation became a little bit of red flag,” Peters said.

Sanders said the name, Diversity Alliance, is, “not so controversial of a label, to make it more acceptable.”

“I felt like Gay-Straight Alliance was really looking at only one segment of diversity. What we were hoping to strive for was a broader celebration of diversity,” Peters said.

“I think that’s unique in this.

As far as Rockwood goes, it’s going to be a first. So I think we tried to make sure everybody

knew that there were going to be feathers ruffled. We might ruffle a few feathers…because at this point maybe we’re still under the radar screen.”

The Alliance’s first meeting was Jan. 21 and it ran smoothly.

“We ran out of seats; we had a very large turn out, a nice mix of ethnic backgrounds, economic backgrounds…and a few people comfortable talking about their sexual orientation. For me, that was pretty amazing,” Peters said.

Gibbs was unable to attend the meeting due to a conflict, so Xiao was the main facilitator of the meeting.

With an attendance of about 28 students, the meeting went better than expected but, “because I know more juniors and seniors, unfortunately, I didn’t get to talk to as many sophomores and freshmen so I don’t think there were any…I hope to change that somehow,” Xiao said.

Some of the topics that arose dealt with stereotypes, discrimination against race, disabilities and religion, along with homophobia.

“We kind of introduced ourselves, we talked about each person, and why he or she came… most of the discussion was a free

Classes

for all. It was very tender but also very open,” Peters said.

Senior Barb Simpson was one of the students to attend the first meeting.

“Just discussing what the club was going to be was a great start,” Simpson said.

“The topics were very controversial but people were definitely very liberal-minded. It’s hard to argue with someone who shares your same beliefs. We’re hoping to bring more people into it who have more diverse beliefs.”

Senior Marcell Jackson also attended the meeting. When asked if he felt the Alliance reached it’s goals at the first meeting he said, “I would say so because everybody was participating, everybody enjoyed it, nobody was there just to come.”

The alliance is in the process of, “trying to get everything organized to see what’s actually going to happen and from there we’re just going to go along with it,” Gibbs said.

Peters said, “We’re not to the point yet were we can openly celebrate who we are and what we are. I wish the world were that way. We know that the world isn’t and neither is Lafayette.”

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news • page 7

the image

It’s a good cause after all

Dream Team walk April 15 grants Disney vacation Sara Randolph • Reporter Dream factory is an organization founded in memory of Bobby Orf (1984-2003).

The mission of the Dream Team is to turn the dreams into a reality and to create memories that last a lifetime for seriously ill children and their families.

Fundraising is the method the Dream Team uses to raise money to help make the dreams come true.

One fundraising idea came to LHS in hopes to raise $1000 named “Stop the Bop”.

The same fundraising technique has -senior Katie been used at other schools around the area, including Rockwood Summit, with no problems.

The song “MMMBop”, by the band Hanson, was repeatedly played during lunch hours to encourage students to donate money for the Dream Factory.

Senior Kaiti Moore said, “I thought it was a fun way to collect money for the kids we are granting wishes to.”

“Stop the Bop” received complaints of some students and parents who claimed the method to be “extortion”, forcing the fundraiser to temporarily end.

Although “Stop the Bop” was controversial, the Dream Team was able to raise $700 to apply towards the wishes.

Dream Team Sponsor Ms. Brittany Bowers, Social Studies

teacher encourages everyone to get involved in the next fundraiser held April 15.

There will be 5K run/walk at the LHS track starting at 2 p.m.

Each person involved in the walk will receive a Dream Factory t-shirt.

“This year we will have some

“

...the Dream Factory is one of the main organizations that works to put smiles on the faces and hope in the hearts of sick children.

Vollmayer

”

special guests including Louie the Lancer and Fredbird from the St. Louis Cardinals...we are also working on having special attendance and registering prizes,” senior Katie Vollmayer said.

Dream Team hopes that many take part in the walk itself or make a tax-deductible donation that will help grant a child’s dream.

Money raised during the event goes directly to Dream Factory and is then used to help make dreams come true for the affected children in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Bowers said, “By making a donation, you’re helping someone who may never be able to go and do what they want to do in life because of their situation”.

•Dream Big. Dream Team sponsor Ms. Brittany Bowers helps advise senior Katie Vollmayer on the Dream Team poster design. The Dream Team helps raise money for seriously-ill children’s last wishes. The Dream Team walk takes place on Sunday, April 15 at 2 p.m.

The donations will be given to the families of three students in the Rockwood area.

Crestview, Lafayette and St. Alban Roe are the schools with students approved to be a part of the Dream Factory donation. Each of the students will be granted a trip to Disney World.

Moore said, “Last year, Dream Factory granted a wish to a girl with cancer. A large portion of my family deals with cancer as well so I know the effects it can have on the people you love. I want to be able to not only help

the child but give support to the family as well.”

This year, sophomore Devon Jones was nominated to receive a wish to be granted from the Dream Factory.

Jones is a person who has spent a lot of time in hospitals and who always puts others before himself.

“My mom and teacher nominated me as a surprise...they didn’t want to get my hopes up about getting a wish and that’s how I got a trip to Disney World,” Jones said.

“I have missed a lot of things over the years and have been in the hospital a lot without ever complaining,” Jones said.

“The kids have gone through so much and their families have spent so much money on all of the hospital bills for their treatments. They really deserve something special,” Bowers said.

Vollmayer said, “I would want everyone to know that the Dream Factory is one of the main organizations that works to put smiles on the faces and hope in the hearts of sick children.”

page 8 • features

Kiss

Say it with a

Brad Schlemmer • Reporter For 100 years, the Hershey’s Kisses brand has been making a statement. Whether the message is love, patriotism or just to shout about the wonderful taste, it’s just too sweet to ignore.

The whole nation is embracing the Kisses’ centennial celebration.

Maggiemoo’s International began the “So Many Kisses™…So Little Time” sweepstakes contest. Winners won an all-expenses paid trip to Hershey Park in Hershey, PA. Entrants used text messages, the web and local Maggie Moo’s stores to register.

Maggie Moo’s served cool cakes and cupcakes with heartwarming favorites. It featured Dream Cakes and ice cream cupcakes with Kissable candies. One Truffle cake came loaded with Kisses, strawberry ice cream and chocolate ganache icing.

Another inspired treat was the Twizzler’s Tree House Fresh Escape. This came with Twizzler’s ice cream, Kissable candy, brownies and marshmallow cream.

They’re not the only ones celebrating.

The U.S. Postal Service released the new LOVE series “With Love and Kisses” postage stamps to commemorate this special event.

To appreciate Hershey’s Kisses achievements, one should start at the beginning.

In 1907, these delectable drops of deviance acquired the name “Kiss” by the noise and motion the

march 16, 2007

Hershey’s sweets celebrate their onehundredth birthday with contests, cakes and stamps

machines made while making them. Although another Kiss flavor didn’t hit the market until 1990, many changes occurred.

Between 1909 and 1931 several different chocolate formulas were created. While the inside was under transformation, the flag was kept and trademarked in 1924.

World War II caused Hershey’s to discontinue Kiss production between 1942 and 1949. The mixing units were temporarily used to mix military ration bar chocolate paste, approximately three billion units were distributed during that time.

The 60s added more hues to the silvery foil. Pastel blues, pinks, greens and other assorted colors bedecked the treats to accommodate various holidays. Only until 1976, however, did Hershey’s move to copyright the foil wrap.

In the 90s, mouths marveled at the new flavors Hershey’s Kisses produced. Milk Chocolate with Almonds, Special Dark and Hugs were among them.

Limited Edition Kisses were released in 2002: toffee, extra creamy chocolate, double fudge and strawberry crème were only a few. And most recently chocolate lovers can enjoy the caramel and peanut butter flavors.

At about 80 million Kisses produced daily, Hershey’s Kisses is a monumental institution with its head held high for its 100 year anniversary.

Sweet Yet Satisfying

A timeline of major Hershey creations

2004: Peanut Butter 1990: Almonds

1907: Milk Chocolate

2003: Dark Chocolate 1993: Hugs 2004: Caramel

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features • page 9

the image

The Seven Deadly Signs

Body Language reveals people’s everyday mood, personality 1. Deception:

4. Submission:

false smile, minor twitches, hesitation

head down, wide eyes, slumping

5. Sadness: 2. Aggression: flushed face, baring of teeth, clenched fist

trembling lip, drooping body, flat speech tone

1.

4.

5.

6. Fear: 2.

3. Boredom:

repetition in movements, blank face, distant gaze

7. Shame:

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3.

Kendall Brewer • Reporter The saying goes, “think before you speak.” Honestly, what someone says doesn’t matter as much as what his body says.

Non-verbal body language makes up approximately 55 percent of the message a person sends about themselves. This doesn’t even include the tone of his voice, which makes up another 38 percent.

As a result, only seven percent of a person’s image comes from what they actually say. Someone can say he is “fine,” but his posture and voice tone say the opposite. Body language is a part of daily communication, and tells its own story about a person.

Social Studies Department Chair Ms. Susan Glenn said, “Body language is super important because what I say can sound different based on what I do and how I say it. Body language is the best cue about sincerity. People can try to hide their emotions, but their body gives them away.”

If people look close enough, there are

pale face, dry mouth, sweating

many cues the body unintentionally gives away. According to bbc.com, a person’s pupil size increases when he is attracted to someone.

Thankfully, there are more obvious ways to notice desire so people don’t have to start staring at each other’s pupils. The main way the body shows an attraction is by staring. Staring at someone’s mouth usually means he is imaging a kiss. The eyes can either stare up and down a person’s body or into his eyes for a long period of time to show her feelings.

“A major way to notice flirting is when people lean into one another, because it means they are trying to draw attention,” junior Kim Dickinson said.

One’s body language also shows his honesty, and there are many ways to detect a lie. A person who is lying is anxious, and sends signals of tension. Someone who is lying will not make eye contact.

Also, a liar may hesitate or pause as he speaks in order to think of a story.

looking away, blushing cheeks, covering face

6.

“I can read my students’ body language. Their eyes shift around when they are lying to me. I am not very good at hiding my own body language. My Escadrille girls can immediately tell how I liked their dance during practice,” Glenn said.

An easy cue to notice when a person is lying is whether he tries to change the subject. A liar is ready to change the conversation quickly and an honest person will want to discuss the issue.

“Body language can send all types of things: positive and negative vibes, deceit, desire, anger, sadness, etc. It’s all natural.

I can tell how a person is feeling by talking to them and seeing their reactions,” senior Chad Stanton said.

Although one may claim he is happy or feel good, his body easily gives them away. People who are slouched over or look downward are often upset. The look in someone’s eye is also a cue to his mood.

There is no formula to tell whether a person is upset, but the signs exist.

7.

Sophomore Robby Campbell said, “You can definitely tell the mood people are in based off of their body language. I don’t judge them, but I can tell how they feel, like whether they are happy or mad.”

Body language does not only tell one’s emotions, but it also gives insight to his personality. Stanton said, “You can tell whether someone is outgoing or not easily.

Let’s say you are in a group with people you don’t know. You could slouch away and stand at a distance or you could be outgoing like me and talk to random people.”

Sitting up straight and smiling may not seem like a huge deal, but it makes all the difference. High school students are the first to make judgments, and body language gives them a reason to.

“It shows whether someone is friendly and easy to get along with. You don’t feel like talking to someone who is slouching over. Body language conveys a lot about a person whether it is intentional or not,” Campbell said.

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page 10 • photo essay

march 16, 2007

•Stand Out. Receiving the Most Improved Student Award for the Junior Class, Dania Rainey gets a hug from her mother.

•Wrong, Mr. Willard. Sophomores Patricia Yang, Jordan Fullmer and Matt Voigt present the McLaughlin Report during their class performance.

•ACTin’ Up. Principal Larry Schmidt announces that the ACT Corporation selected Lafayette as the Missouri school with the best ACT program.

Live From Lafayette . . .

The Academic Pep Assembly featured a “Saturday Night Live” theme and a student-written script. Students and staff received awards and relived all their favorite SNL memories. The event on March 13 also included performances by each class and video commercials promoting the Renaissance progam.

•Cover Girls. Freshman Ellen Terry applies bright make up to fellow freshmen Mika Parajon. They danced to a Go Go’s song.

•Hosting Duty. From the Weekend Update desk, seniors John and Alexis Kinney. Their banter and antics kept the show moving smoothly.

•House Band. The LHS Jazz Ensemble fills the gym with their version of “Sing, Sing, Sing.” photos • Jen Apoian, Alex Erdman, Julie Ronzio

•Spartan Spirit. Seniors Alli Van Lue and Brian Sammons cheer on the chess team during the Class of 2007 performance.

•OK Go, Goes. Recreating the music video, senior Daniel Flavin and junior Aaron Casias open the Academic Pep Assembly.

features • page 11

the image

One Fish, Two Fish, Raw Fish, Blue Fish Despite the stigma attached with the consumption of raw fish, sushi remains a popular alternative for students Jen Apoian • Features Editor “We haven’t had a customer who’s been upset after trying sushi,” said Chef Rey Saekhow, who works at Oishi Steak House and Sushi Bar. Before him is a long counter of polished wood with small, neat plates for every chair. Slabs of fish, squid tentacles and containers of wasabi and roe—fish eggs—decorate the area behind the glass, which stretches the length of the counter.

The atmosphere inside Oishi Steak House and Sushi Bar is relaxed and inviting. Although the sushi chef worked at a fervent pace making an order, he leaned in and said, “I like new customers and the ones who come here often. A lot of the customers who come back are a lot of fun.”

Sushi consumption originally began in China, but became a conventional part of Japanese cuisine. The most basic sushi combines rice, pressed algae or seaweed and various ingredients that range from eggs to eel. It’s served alongside pickled ginger—to cleanse the palate—and wasabi, which can be added for extra spiciness.

“Traditional Japanese sushi

is very basic—like the tuna roll,” Saekhow said. The tuna roll isn’t a mystery. It includes rice, seaweed and raw tuna. He notes that “something you definitely need for every roll is seaweed to keep it together.”

Sushi is either served rolled and usually cut into five or six pieces or as a piece of fish laid out on rice. Low in fat, high in protein and packed with vitamins and minerals, sushi is a healthful alternative to American cuisine.

“I’d have to say that my first time at a sushi bar was an interesting experience,” senior Colin Guthrie said. “I was rather unenthusiastic about it before I went, as the idea of eating raw food was unappealing. After I went I was glad because it was a new experience, and I actually enjoyed it.”

Sophomore Shelby Fenster said, “It’s a little scary because I had never had sushi before but I liked all of the food.” She was, “still in a little shock about eating the whole soft shell crab instead of just taking the meat out like you do with other types of crab.”

Saekhow said, “People tend to

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be hesitant; people have stigmas about sushi.”

Server Angelo Ramos said, “Out here, you get a pretty good spectrum [of customers]. We get corporate people to people who look like they live in the middle of nowhere.”

“The first time that I had sushi it bothered me a little bit that I was eating raw fish. Once one gets used to it then it’s fine,” Guthrie said. He said he normally doesn’t enjoy seafood, but liked the taste of sushi. “It’s hard to describe the taste. It’s one of those things that someone should try in his or her lifetime. What I like most is that the texture is appropriate. In saying that, I mean that it is crunchy when it should be and soft and chewy likewise.”

To some, it’s easy to enjoy sushi. The only problem is getting it into the mouth.

Fenster said she can use chopsticks but she “still finds it easier to just use your fingers.”

Guthrie found he was relaxed using the Japanese utensils. “Using chopsticks wasn’t that difficult because I eat Chinese food so often; it actually felt natural,” he said. “But I believe a couple

minutes of practice makes anyone a pro.”

Saekhow said, “A lot of people can’t use chopsticks. We have chopstick helpers who can help teach you how to use chopsticks.”

Even better, sushi bar etiquette forgives those who wish to avoid humiliation.

“It’s the polite thing to use chopsticks, but if you’re around friends or family, it’s perfectly okay to use your hands,” Saekhow said.

He recommends either the salmon or tuna roll to first-timers. For those used to fried foods, Saekhow suggests trying “the fried rolls so technically you’re eating fried fish. For example, the Philadelphia roll.”

“The number one roll is the California roll,” Ramos said. It’s created inside out and includes the basics plus avocado, cucumber and crab (sometimes imitation).

“I enjoy the ever classic California roll. It looks appealing, and the texture and taste are just right,” Guth-

rie said. “I believe you can even buy California rolls at Schnucks and grocery stores like that. The California is a good first choice because it’s not too exotic, and it tastes good.”

Although he got over eating raw fish and can get said raw fish into his mouth, Guthrie has one problem with sushi: the price.

“The worst part would have to be the price. I find that sushi is way overpriced,” he said. “As students tend to already be strapped for cash, they should avoid sushi.

It’s somewhere I’d go with my parents because they pay.”

Fenster disagreed. “A student can afford a sushi dinner as long as they are careful about what rolls they get,” she said.

tos

pho

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poia

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page 12 • features

march 16, 2007

Jobs offer students the daily balance between work and socializing

Restaurants Cook Up a Perfect Combo

k r o W

Mike Bujnak • Reporter Under most circumstances, the work day starts out with preparing for the day.

The amount of work tends to depend on the type of restaurant.

For example, a restaurant that opens for lunch and closes before midnight, like Big Bear Grill, would use its first opening hours to make and prepare the necessary food for the day.

On the other hand, a 24 hour restaurant like Steak n’ Shake has to prepare on the go and usually does at

the beginning or end of an employee’s shift.

The type of restaurant also dictates how the food is made.

In a restaurant that’s open all day, there is no spare time to make everything from scratch.

Junior Dan Strike, a former Steak n’ Shake employee said, “We buy all the food, but we have to know how to make it from there.”

In contrast, Big Bear Grill has the opportunity during its opening hours to make the food from

scratch.

Senior Brian Hertz, a Big Bear employee, said, “We make most of the food ourselves, but some things would be too hard to make in the restaurant.

Generally we open two and a half hours early and use every minute of it to prepare the necessary food for the day.”

With the amount of diseases being discovered in food, restaurants have been forced into putting more effort into cleaning.

“I try to clean off my station every hour or so

and then at the end of the night I scrub it down for about an hour,” said Hertz.

Senior Jana Binkley, a Big Bear employee, said, “It takes me 15 minutes to setup the back and another 15 to 20 to break it down at the end of the night. Vacuuming takes around an hour.”

Junior Chad Tullock, also a Steak n’ Shake employee, said, “We’re supposed to clean pretty much the whole time.”

Strike said, “But really we clean for maybe an hour.”

Socializing. It’s every workers want and dream; most employees don’t realize they’re already participating in it.

The easiest way to have fun is to open up. There’s no sense in secluding yourself from the rest of your co-workers.

Hertz said, “We all have our days where it might be tense, but for the most part we all get along pretty good,” junior Jenn Schott, a Big Bear employee, said.

“We all get along great. We joke around and laugh a lot.”

Teamwork also helps

to lead a more upbeat atmosphere. “Normally everyone gets along but every now and then there’s a conflict between servers and production,” Strike said. “We all help each other out when someone is in need,” Hertz said.

“If someone’s busy, a host will help bus. We’re a pretty laid back staff and we’re really a good group of people,” Binkley said.

Some restaurants also offer company sponsored events to raise morale.

Steak n’ Shake offers an annual Geo-rally.

“Basically, Geo-rally is

rewards for customer appreciation. If customers come in and like us, they can go online and rate us.

If we get a high enough rating, we get to wear tshirts instead of a uniform, and we get free stuff too,” Tullock said.

Big Bear Grill holds golf tournaments and offers a softball team for anyone to participate in.

During breaks, workers get the chance to know each other.

“We get breaks after rushes. We go in the break room and chill. We eat back there too,” Strike said.

The end of the night offers both production workers and servers to take a seat for a bit and have some fun every now and then.

“After work when no one’s there, we have cherry wars. We take the milkshake cherries and chuck them at each other,” Tullock said.

A restaurant job gives the opportunity for fun and the experience of being a part of a workforce.

While looked down upon by today’s society, a job in a restaurant can be beneficial.

•Backstage Pass. Employees at Big Bear Grill take orders.

Because the restaurant isn’t open all day, employees are required to make the food from scratch.

Play •Belly of the Beast. Patrons dine at Big Bear Grill. Typical entrees include chicken, beef and fish selections, soups and salads.

photos • Mike Bujnak

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features • page 13

the image

things you didn’t know about...

Anime Club

1.

2.

3.

No Pokemon from WB11—they watch films in Japanese with English subtitles.

The anime movies they watch are Oscar-winning.

Club members get really involved in what they’re watching: some films have even moved them to tears.

They have culture days to learn about Japanese culture, which helps them understand the situations in the films.

4.

5.

After WWII, English became an official language of Japan, requiring citizens to learn it. Because of this, music in anime movies sometimes features random English verses or choruses that make no sense.

The 16 Year-Old Virgin A Students discuss sex, relationships in wake of purity balls, health class Nancy Stiles • Reporter

At the annual Father-Daughter Dance, senior women attend a dance at the Doubletree Hotel with their fathers for a night of dinner and dancing.

But what if these dances included the girls pledging their virginities to their fathers until marriage?

These kinds of “purity balls” are taking place throughout the country, although mainly in the South and Midwest.

Started by Pastor Randy Wilson in Colorado Springs, CO, in 1998, the balls resemble a wedding: fathers and daughters in tuxedos and white dresses, wedding cake for dessert, and even the exchanging of rings.

However, the fathers take the pledge to “cover [their] daughter as her authority and protection in the area of purity”, as goes the actual pledge, while the daughters “silently commit to live pure lives before God”.

“Religious tradition and social custom have long recognized the disorienting power of sexual desire in the lives of the young,” Commonwealth, a biweekly Catholic magazine wrote, “by upholding the ideal of faithful, lifelong marriage, and providing boundaries for courtship”.

“I believe that I’m going to save [sex] until marriage because it is an essential part of marriage and it’s part of the Christian religion to remain abstinent,” senior Jim Stites said.

Other Christian groups like True Love Waits say that you will “experience great freedom” while remaining abstinent and “enjoy several benefits” like not getting pregnant.

“I do believe that abstinence is the only 100 percent effective way to prevent pregnancy; it’s the only 100 percent effective way to prevent STIs,” Physical education teacher Denise Meyer said. STI stands for “sexually transmitted infection”, formerly called “sexually transmitted disease”, or STD. In the past, Rockwood School District has offered an abstinenceonly sex education elective health class for high school students.

Implemented this year starting with freshmen, all students must now take and pass a comprehensive—meaning that the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of contraceptives must be covered—health course.

“That’s why we had to create a [new] comprehensive health curriculum,” Meyer said. “Every community has individuals engaging in unprotected sex.”

According to the Congressional committee on Government Reform (CCGR), eighty-eight percent of young people who sign a virginity pledge go on to have premarital sex anyway and are less likely to use condoms, substantially increasing their risk of contracting STIs than non-pledgers because of the lack of contraceptive education.

“It’s an issue in every community, not just our community.

I think it’s important that people not be afraid of talking about [this issue],” Meyer said.

“I do think it’s something that needs to be reckoned with,” she said of unprotected sex.

Abstinence-only advocates don’t address the fact that despite which type of sex education

teens receive, some are still sexually active.

Last year, a junior, “Jan”, started having sex.

“I know a lot of girls who get really attached afterwards. If they wouldn’t have [had sex] they’d be able to move on. But it’s like they couldn’t deal with it,” Jan said. “[My boyfriend and I] were already attached. I think it brought us closer, but at the same time it brought up a lot of worries. I was worried it would make [a break up] harder, but it would have been hard anyway.”

Educational web site Sexetc. org, run by Rutgers University, advises, “You’re young and have plenty of time. Wait until it’s really right for you. You’ll be happiest if you follow your own path.”

Said advice aside, 76 percent of Seventeen readers—13 to 19 year old girls—said a hook up harms a girl’s reputation. A hook up is a purposely ambiguous term used to describe almost any sexual action from making out to sex.

“It’s like a secretive kind of thing. Everyone talks about it, but they try and hide it. They don’t want people to think they’re sluts,” Jan said.

“Each class does have it’s own slutty girls,” Stites said.

Jan wasn’t surprised when her boyfriend told all his friends they had sex, even though they were in a long-term relationship as opposed to a one time hook up.

“Guys want to talk about it.

It’s inevitable. If you have sex with a guy, he’s going to tell everyone,” she said.

“I don’t feel like I’m ready,

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personally,” Stites said. “It’s something I consider part of marriage.”

Stites has resolved to remain a virgin until marriage, partly due to his Christian faith and personal morals.

“Sex is an important part of a relationship for many guys and girls in high school,” said Stites, “and people should be able to do it if they want to.”

Nevertheless, how far is too far?

“Going into a relationship, a girl should have a clue whether the guy only wants sex or not.

That’s a huge portion of a relationship—to know where those boundaries are,” Stites said.

“We talked about it, and he said he’d have sex with me if I wanted to, but I didn’t want to, so we didn’t,” an anonymous senior revealed.

“People need to be careful and actually think through what the ramifications will be, both emotionally and physically,” Stites concluded.

A senior, “Marsha,” says she didn’t think it through and regrets a purely sexual relationship she had.

“The relationship was pretty much about sex and at the time, I didn’t regret it,” Marsha said, but added that now that she’s experienced a truly healthy relationship, she regrets her “mistake.”

“I think having sex with just

“

anyone is a juvenile mistake that a lot of people make, but when you mature, you see the wrong in sleeping around,” Marsha said.

“I don’t know if I’ve matured or just had new experiences, but sex is something meant to show your love to someone,” she said.

“It is so much better when you have sex with someone who means something to you.”

A l though the poss i b l e physical and psychological consequences of sex, especially unprotected sex, are very real, experts agree that the most important thing is to be educated.

The CCGR asserted that comprehensive sex education “that both encourages abstinence and teaches about effective contraceptive use has been shown in many studies to delay sex, reduce the frequency of sex and increase the use of condoms and other contraceptives”.

Meyer concluded the success of the new health program really depends on the students, saying that “how much interest our students have in the subject [and] how much support we get from the community on the subject” will determine the program’s effectiveness.

“Hopefully it’s something that can continue as time goes on,” Meyer said.

It is so much better when you have sex with someone who means something to you. ­—Marsha

”

page 14 • features

march 16, 2007

PC vs. Mac is Back Windows’ compatibility entices students while Mac systems are popular with design world Ryan Maddox • Reporter One question has divided families, torn apart friendships and fueled intense debates across the world.

Mac or PC? Approximately 22 million computer users worldwide have chosen Mac as of March 2007, whereas over an estimated 400 million copies of Windows XP were in use by the beginning of 2006.

Although they’re in the minority, Mac users are proud to have chosen Apple, the manufacturer of the Mac. “Mac OS X is cleaner and more user friendly than Windows XP,” junior Alex Erdman said.

OS X is the current operating system used on Apple’s computers, and is the main rival to Microsoft Windows.

But the two don’t just compete for personal use; they also vie for the attention of businesses.

“I think because Macs and Apples have been industry standards in the art world and the design world, they’ve catered their hardware and applications to that,” art teacher Mr. Bill Senti said.

“So I think they optimized things like graphics just as a part of regular practice when they’re designing their software,” Senti said.

Mac is widely regarded as far ahead of PCs in terms of a graphical user interface,

or GUIs. GUIs are what is seen onscreen such as: How the programs appear, the start-up menu and how the web browser looks.

“Mac does things like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator better,” Senti said.

However, Windows users are in the majority, even at the high school level.

“Probably for a high school student, it’s kind of a Windows world. Your biggest concerns would be compatibility,” Senti said.

Another concern for teenagers is a lack of computer games. Most major retailers carry very few games designed specifically for the Mac. “People who are really into video games rarely buy Macs. That’s a big deterrent,” Erdman said.

Most computer experts strongly recommend testing both a Mac and a PC before making a purchasing decision. This is because there is a wide range of what people are looking for in a computer.

Even school districts have trouble deciding.

“I guess it depends on what you’re doing. Parkway is switching from Macs to PCs,” Senti said.

“The district’s art teachers are all debating, ‘Do we want to do this, or do we not?’” he said.

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PC vs. Mac

sports • page 15

the image

You Better Watch Your Bracket

Rockwood rules make NCAA pools at school a gamble Brett Hamlin • Reporter It’s that time of year again. The cold, dreary weather gives way to optimistic, sunny warmth. Spring break takes second fiddle to only one thing during this one, wild month.

March Madness is finally upon us.

The storyline has not disappointed. The defending national champion Florida Gators, who returned all five of last year’s starting lineup, were ranked as the number one team in the preseason and have earned a top seed in this year’s bracket.

Young gunners Kansas, Ohio State and North Carolina nudged their way to top spots throughout the year with young talent in OSU’s Greg Oden, and UNC’s Tyler Hansbrough, a Poplar Bluff, MO native.

The veteran Wisconsin squad has hovered within the Top Ten all season, and has turned that success into a number two seed with All-American forward Alando Tucker holding the reigns.

UCLA, a national Finalist last season, has also remained in the Top Ten all year with All-American guard Arron Afflalo keeping the Bruins in sight of their twelfth National Championship, the most by any school.

Perennial powerhouses like Indiana and Illinois fell short this season. Duke, arguably the most storied basketball school in the country, fell to 8-8 in ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) play for the first time in 10 years.

Local Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) favorites Southern Illinois, Creighton, and Missouri State bubbled in and out of the tournament spotlight, and while SIU finished ranked 14th in the nation, Wichita State climbed as high as 8th after wins at LSU and Syracuse.

But upsets and mid-major magic seem to be the common theme of 2006 as SIU, Butler and Winthrop look to become the new Gonzaga, a mid-major school in the national spotlight.

After conference tournaments finished, Selection Sunday came.

On Selection Sunday, 65 teams consisting of conference tourney champions and at large teams deemed wor-

thy of being in the NCAA tournament were selected by the committee.

After the committee released its bracket on March 11, the magic began.

People raced to websites to print off copies of the bracket, filling out their teams, plotting their upsets, entering their pools.

A pool is a group of people who bring their brackets together to predict the outcome of the tournaments. A pool usually requires an entry fee, with the person who guesses the most games correct winning the money.

To some, a pool represents simply another form of gambling, which is illegal while on campus. Others see it differently.

“I’m not sure it’s gambling— it’s more of a raffle,” Social Studies teacher Scott Allen said. “As long as it’s not disrupting class, I don’t have a problem with it.”

Rockwood policy states that any student found to be gambling in school is subject to up to 10 days of out of school suspension.

“There is a policy we have to adhere to,” Associate Principal John Shaugnessey said. “If it’s blatant and brought to my attention, I’m obligated to deal with it.”

“We can’t just raise the policy and make gambling okay for a month because it’s March Madness,” he added.

In 2003, former University of Washington head coach Rick Neuhiesel was fired by Washington for participating in a neighborhood NCAA Tournament pool after receiving an internal memo authorizing this type of gambling.

Neuhiesel filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and university on claims that the pool was an auction-style pool; the courts settled the lawsuit for $4.5 million.

Regardless of popularity and social acceptance, bracket pools boil down to what some consider to be actions in violation of the Rockwood policy.

The only words of advice one can give, besides to not pick a 16th seed upset, is just to watch your wallet and your bracket, especially when they’re in the same pocket.

photo used with permission of KRT Campus

•Risk Vs. Upside. SIU’s Randal Falker leaps over a defender.

Students will use brackets on Falker’s fourth-seeded Salukis, but will do so in the face of strict Rockwood District Policy.

Sports Staff Picks for the NCAA Basketball Tournament I’m going with Georgetown, Ohio State, Florida and UCLA in the Final Four. G-Town will edge OSU in a battle of raw talent vs. potent experience. The pressure to repeat proves too much for Joakim Noah’s Gators against UCLA. In the Finals, the airtight D of guard Aaron Afflalo his Bruins comrades proves too much for Jeff Green and the Princeton-based Hoyas.

Ryan’s Pick: UCLA

Texas A&M, Georgetown, Kansas and Wisconsin will reach the Final Four. Wisconsin, Florida aside, is lucky to play in the easiest of all the brackets. Georgetown will have a tough time getting past UNC, Texas, USC, Boston College and Vanderbilt.

The Hoyas are, however, the only team in the bracket that can do it. My picks for the finals are Kansas and Georgetown, with Georgetown taking it.

Brett’s Pick: Georgetown

Ryan Bueckendorf, Sports Editor

Brett Hamlin, Sports Reporter Georgetown, Texas A&M, Florida and Kansas are my picks.

Georgetown is going to come out of the East region solely because UNC won’t make it past second round. Either Michigan State or Marquette could feasibly beat them. And the only problem I have with Florida is that they won last year. Allaround, Georgetown doesn’t have any one dominant player, but the team is fundamentally sound.

Alex’s Pick: Georgetown

My picks for the Final Four are UNC, Wisconsin, Duke and Memphis. The Texas Longhorns will be unstoppable in the tournament as long as Kevin Durant doesn’t take a day off. Even so, I think that the former LHS nemesis, Tyler Hansbrough, will close out his college career with a national title before making the jump to the NBA, defeating Texas in the Elite Eight.

Josh’s Pick: UNC

Josh Handler, Sports Editor

Alex Davis, Sports Reporter

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page 16 • sports

Nothing they can’t manage

march 16, 2007

Team managers do more than clean, keep records Alex Davis • Reporter

Everyone sees managers on the sideline before and after games cleaning. They’re part of LHS sports culture. But, does anyone really know what a manager does?

Some wonder what jobs they do, or why they chose managing over playing.

Some see exciting opportunities in what others consider tiresome chores.

Mr. Matt Landwher, Class of 2001, saw all that and more. Landwher is currently working with SportsTech, a company that sells digital video analysis software.

“I am the Midwest account manager. [I cover] 17 states total, all in the Midwest,” Landwher said. SportsTech has over 200 Division 1 basketball customers, two NBA teams (Miami Heat and Seattle Supersonics) and over 1,000 customers in all.

When Landwher graduated from Lafayette, he went on and worked as an assistant coach for the University of MissouriColumbia (Mizzou) basketball team.

Senior John Cox, manager of the boys basketball team, is hoping to follow in Landwher’s footsteps.

“This summer I am working at [Mizzou’s] camps and getting familiar with the surroundings,” Cox said. “I don’t know what my responsibility is— this summer is going to be key.”

Cox will be honing his managerial skills at Mizzou, which he thinks “will be much harder.”

Managers may see opportunities after high school, but what is their job while they’re still there? “[Managers] are kind of like your right hand. It’s peace of mind that they

are there, and they are definitely needed,” Athletic Director Steve Miller said. “[A coach] could not survive without them.”

This upcoming baseball season, Shannon Hinkle, Alisha Iovino and Zach Westfall will be the team’s managers.

“Any odds and ends I need, [managers] do. They run errands for me, keep score, manage equipment,” Miller said.

Cox is required to do similar tasks for Coach Dave Porter and the basketball team.

“My main responsibility is to record games, and I am in charge of scouting videos,” Cox said. This was Cox’s second year working with the new video editing software which the team employs to film games.

Cox is not the only basketball manager; senior Matt Marquart has been a manager since his freshman year. Cox, however, did not start until his sophomore year.

“Freshman year I played and it was a really fun year. I am glad I played. It was such a cool experience to be on a high school team. In middle school that’s what you work for. That’s what you play for and what your coaches try to get you ready for,” Cox said. “Sophomore year I would have rather played, but I would have missed out on this awesome opportunity.”

What many don’t realize is how much responsibility a manager actually has.

“The player’s responsibility is to show up to practice and play in games. I stay after with Porter for hours at a time. I spend a lot of time, but you can’t compare it to the dedication and time the players put

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in,” Cox said.

“During games I have to make sure water coolers are full [and that] there are towels. I got the video equipment. At half-time I have to clean floors and backboards,” Cox said.

“The experience over the past three years is something I will never forget,” Cox said.

Landwher agreed. “It definitely exposed me to the game of basketball. It gave me a lot of knowledge for where I am now,” he said.

Both Landwher and Cox have had the opportunity to learn from Porter.

“Porter had to teach me everything: sweeping the floor, keeping the equipment organized, make sure records are correct, keep practice uniforms in order,” Cox said.

“I was kind of an apprentice to Porter, it allowed me to be a part of the coaching staff. I still talk to Porter all the time,” Landwher said. “I have to indebt myself to Porter. If it wasn’t for Porter, I wouldn’t have gotten a job at Mizzou.”

While at Mizzou, Landwher was a student Assistant Coach. He handled all of the video scouting and helped in drills during practices.

“I allowed coaches to be ready for opponents. I also helped coordinate all of the summer camps. I traveled with the team to every away game,” Landwher said.

Managing at Lafayette has really helped people like Landwher, Carson Shipley, (Class of 2003) who managed at University of Illinois and Matt Nosko (Class of

S T. L O

U I S

CO

2004) who managed at Mizzou.

“I have networked with so many people around the country,” Landwher said.

“I have been able to meet [Duke] Coach K [Krzyzewski], [Arizona Coach] Lute Olson— some of the greatest coaches of all time.”

When one looks at the business aspect, however, personal relationships with head coaches are not really commonplace.

“Normally I build relationships with assistant coaches. I have talked with Doc Sadler [University of Nebraska Basketball coach] personally on numerous occasions,” Landwher said.

Cox is hoping to follow in Landwher’s footsteps by managing at Mizzou.

“I’m going on to manage in business.

My dream job is to be the director of operations for a pro team,” Cox said.

Cox and Landwher feel saw managing as a worthwhile opportunity. Others, Miller said, aren’t cut out for the rigors of the job.

“I look for someone who is reliable, and committed. They have to like the sport, of course. Otherwise, it is not a good position for them,” Miller said.

“I take pride in doing it,” Cox said. “I don’t mind doing the work at all. You can’t compare the amount of work a manager puts in to the amount of work a player puts in. A manager does a lot behind the scenes.”

“I would not be where I am now if I wasn’t [a manager],” Landwher said, “I wouldn’t work at SportsTech, and I wouldn’t have gone to Mizzou.”

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E X PA N D I N G M I N D S • C H A N G I N G L I V E S

the image

Hitting them where it hurts

sports • page 17

Experts concerned over rising injury levels among teenage athletes Ryan Bueckendorf • Sports Editor

The shock reverberates around the locker room like a gong as the team’s collective mouth drops in disbelief.

Its star tailback’s torn ACL has momentarily dashed its hopes for the title, and his knee might have serious, permanent damage.

The real shocker to this story?

That athlete, far from being a physically developed professional running back, is actually a 17year old teen in over his head.

Sports injuries such as this are common, if unfortunate, among adults. A trend has shown, however, that sports-related injuries among teenagers is on the rise.

In 2001, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reported 2.6 million visits to emergency rooms for sports-related conditions, or more than twothirds of the overall total.

For an adult, these injuries present a setback which could spell trouble for their athletic career. For teenagers at a crucial stage in their physical development, injuries could mean severe and lasting health effects.

Those were the implications junior Caleb Welchans faced when he injured his shoulder earlier this year.

Welchans, a varsity right tackle, tore the labrum in his

right shoulder.

“It tore the connection to my biceps,” Welchans said. “I had to have surgery to reattach it.”

Welchans’ injur y cou ld have had lifelong effects on his strength, range of motion and overall use of the arm if not handled correctly.

Mr. Brian Graff, a physical therapist with ProRehab in Chesterfield Valley, has run the gambit when it comes to the injuries sustained by teenagers. He said there are areas of the body which are more vulnerable to injury than others, as well as sports which require motions more susceptible to injury.

“As far as body parts, knees and shoulders are probably the most prominent areas of injury,” he said.

Graff mentioned sports such as baseball, football, basketball, and even gymnastics as having especially high risks of injury NCHS reported basketball and cycling as the leading cause for teen injury, accounting for 34 percent of all sports- related clinic visits. Football, baseball and softball accounted for 10 percent each. Gymnastics, cheer and extreme sports generated around 6 percent.

In terms of severity, anything requiring surgery poses a serious

problem for successful rehab.

Graff lists the tearing of the ACL or rotator cuff as injuries which can mean serious damage.

“That’s a tough road to come back from,” Graff said. “You’re looking at a rehab of four months if not longer.”

No matter what the magnitude of the injury, pressure emanating from multiple fronts to return to the playing field can compound the risk for serious damage.

“I don’t know many athletes who won’t try to come back,” Graff said. “Whether its pressure from coaches, parents or teammates, if you’re competitive you don’t want to sit on the bench.”

Welchans, rehabbing with a ProRehab clinic, has regained his range of motion. He has to wait six months, however, before he can resume strenuous activities such as football.

While the stakes of flirting with injury couldn’t be any higher, there are many measures which high school athletes can take to prevent them.

Athletes who have come to specialize in one or two sports are at an especially high risk for injuries of the areas they use most. The key, Graff said, is to maintain entire body fitness, especially in-season.

“A lot of people will quit work-

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•Injury Report. Junior Caleb Welchans talks with Mr. Chad Wheatley, trainer, about an earlier knee injury. Welchans tore his shoulder labrum during the offseason, requiring surgery and a six-month rehab.

ing out during the season, because they’re practicing. If you keep doing that, the fatigue factor will make you more vulnerable to injury later in the season, when it’s the most important to be healthy,” he said.

Out of season, it is equally important to condition and crosstrain in order to maintain fitness for an upcoming season.

“For a young athlete, you have to do preseason and off season training,” Graff said. “You can’t just show up the first day of practice and go full speed. [Athletes]

who do that will probably end up with an injury of some sort.”

Once injured, it is paramount to report the injury as soon as it is noticed.

“When you first notice signs [of discomfort] you have to tell someone,” Welchans said. “I waited.”

Risk of injuries such as Welchans’ exist with any sport. They can be prevented, however, with proper care and common sense.

Athletes everywhere agree that is a small price to pay in exchange for their health and their game.

page 18 • sports

March 16, 2007

Fans plus competition does not equal a sport There are a number of ways to participate in a sport.

You could play baseball, basketball or even, according to some, cheer.

Unfortunately the word gets severely overused sometimes, so lets make it clear right off the bat.

NASCAR is not a sport.

You NASCAR fans may consider driving really fast in a big circle for three hours a sport, but I know some people at LHS that do it. It’s called being lost.

Let’s analyze.

A fan would say that a competition constitutes a sport. Does a grandma playing bingo in a nursing home count as a sport?

You might say that it involves skills. In response to that I would say that so does crossing a street without getting hit.

It is not hard to comprehend. It is a competition, with fans and that involves skills.

It is still not a sport.

I know that it is on ESPN, but ESPN

stands for the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network.

So yes, it is on ESPN, but not until the hot dog eating contest and Scrabble world title are over.

Athletes need to be in shape. Race car drivers do not.

Since racing started, over 3,000 drivers, fans and pit crew members have been killed racing. Good luck finding a sport with that kind of history.

Athletes learn to play on a field. Drivers learn to race in Drivers Ed. Only something like NASCAR would sell the name rights for their title.

It’s the Lombardi trophy and the World Series trophy, not the Sprint Nextel Cup trophy and the Viagra trophy.

Teammates work together to win as a team, not to see one person jump out of their car and celebrate alone.

The competitors claim to be teammates but they double cross each other, spinning their cars out and causing thousands of dollars worth of damage every

time a tire touches the pavement.

Even drivers admit that they aren’t athletes.

According to insiderracingnews.com, driver Kyle Petty once said, “Why did I take up racing? I was too lazy to work and too chicken to steal.”

An athlete can’t be chicken or lazy.

An athlete has to be willing to take a hit from a 300-pound lineman or try to hit a ball coming at them at 100 miles per hour.

When anyone well-known dies it is sad, but how many people have fans that fly flags with their number on their car for six years after they die?

Dale Earnhardt fans, it’s probably time to move on or just find a less hoosiery way to honor him.

In a sport, competitors actually gets a workout.

Drivers sweating like pigs doesn’t make NASCAR a sport. You are sweating because you are in a hot car on pavement in a hot suit.

Pers onally, I would fall asleep watching a race (imagine that).

In the summer, construction workers Josh Handler Sports Editor sweat outside. I don’t hear anyone calling construction a sport.

I encourage people to be passionate about something and if you choose NASCAR, that’s great, but please don’t call it a sport.

Now go put your trucker hat back on, put that piece of straw back in your mouth, cover up your beer belly and stop insulting the world of sports with your crazy claims.

Off the bench

The Scoreboard

Boys Basketball

Final Record: 19-9 Final leaders: Points- Tyler Griffey (425 pts.), AssistsKevin Peifer (155 assists), Field goal percentage- Will Kirksey (61.34 percent) Last Game: Feb. 28 54-46 loss to eventual State champion McCluer North in Sectionals Key Stat: Sophomore Tyler Griffey was selected as Suburban West Conference Player of the Year.

Player’s Take: “I was pretty bummed out [about the loss to McCluer North]. The last five games, we really played our hearts out” - guard Anthony Robbins, 12

Girls Swimming

The State champion Lady Lancer swim team was well represented on the All-Metro team.

Senior Marisa Rodriguez led the ten Lancers selected as the only First Team All Metro swimmer.

Second Team All-Metro included senior Kari Peglar and freshmen Ashleigh Grammer, Jessi Holz and Shannon McCoy. Seniors Emily Buss, Kristin Grott, Claire Myers, junior Livi Jarboe and freshmen Sam Wright made Honorable Mention.

Girls Basketball

Final Record: 18-9 Final leaders: Points- Sami Dunger (315 points) Assists- Sami Dunger (73 assists) Field goal percentage- Cindel Harris (43.84 percent) Rebounds- Jessica Steinmetz (179 Rebounds) Last game: Feb. 23 52-33 loss to Howell Central in Districts Player’s Take: “We wanted that one. People could tell we wanted that one. I don’t think we’ve ever played that hard in our lives.” - guard Meg O’Connell, 11, on loss to Howell Central

Corrections

In February’s front page article on girls swimming’s State Championship, Freshman Emily Glaser was omitted from the list of State Participants. Glaser swam the 500 freestyle for the Lady Lancers.

Also in last month’s Image, a quote in the article entitled “Young Guns” was attributed to sophomore Lauren Hall. The quote and the statistics that followed should have been attributed to sophomore Lamonte Hill.

Baseball Class 4 preseason rankings The following are the Class 4 preseason baseball rankings according to the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association.

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4. Francis Howell 5. Jefferson City 6. Parkway West 7. DeSmet 8. Cape Girardeau Central 9. Lafayette 10. CBC and Springfield Glendale (tie)

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•High Altitudes. Stretching his 6’6” frame to its limit, sophomore Will Kirksey goes for a jumpball in a game earlier this season. Kirksey and the Lancers were eliminated by State champion McCluer North.

Sports Signings The following Seniors signed with colleges since Feb. 6 and will be playing for the schools next year.

Football Matt Messer- Yale Matt Lewis- Truman State Univer sity Mike Swider- Benedictine College

Girls Soccer Kathleen Hunter- William Jewell Water Polo Morgan Dodge- Lindenwood Uni versity

entertainment • page 19

the image

Where have all the venues gone?

Cost of a tank of gas to get you downtown: $20 Cost to get in to Hipp Nights at the Hard Rock: $5.50 Getting your band promoted for free & supporting a great cause: PRICELESS

Nicole Castellano • Entertainment Editor Left and right, St. Louis’ music scene has been decimated due to the recent closing of venues like Mississippi Nights and the Hi-Pointe.

Upcoming local bands and even old local veterans are now forced to play at the Creepy Crawl-- but bands can only play at the Creepy Crawl so many times. But fear not, local musicians: Joe Hipperson has made plans to keep the local music scene alive.

Local talk radio jockey Joe Hipperson of KTRS 550 has his own show from 9 p.m. to midnight when there isn’t a hockey game. He calls it Hipp Nights. His forte is entertainment and reviews on video games and movies.

However, he recently thought of putting together a place for local bands to

play. Thus, Hipp Nights at the Hard Rock was born.

“It’s a chance to raise money for a great cause and give bands the chance to play at a decent club. Too many venues have died and now a days, younger bands don’t realize how big this city used to be,” Hipperson said.

The success and continuation of the inaugural Hipp Nights at the Hard Rock on March 31 will determine future scheduling for events such as this.

Driven to help a family member with autism, Hipperson will donate 100 percent of ticket sales to the Judevine Center for Autism.

Hipp Nights at the Hard Rock is open to “bands who are hungry and who haven’t had the exposure they need and

want,” Hipperson said.

Each night three bands will perform and in the audience recording representatives will be present.

This will give the bands an opportunity to get a 30 minute live taping that will be shown on Charter/CCIN’s weekly series “The Set.” Also, STL Sound Magazine will hook the bands up with a spread of photos and a professional write-up that will be helpful for booking at other venues in the future.

“I was in the local scene for seven years playing in a punk rock band. Back then we had so many great clubs to play at such as The Galaxy, Kennedy’s, The Side Door and The Rocket Bar, just to name a few. All of those venues are now gone. So where should local bands go? Why not

The Hard Rock Cafe? It’s got a name you can see all around the world and we’ve got one in our own backyard,” Hipperson said.

Hipperson is thinking of continuing the concerts every other month, but that is being decided. Concerts will be moved outside as soon as the weather warms up.

“There also has been talk of a reunion with St. Louis’ own the Urge some time this summer, but that idea is still up in the air,” Hipperson said.

All bands interested in participating must have 25 minutes of original material.

If there are bands that are in dire need of a fan base, or just love being in the spotlight, contact Joe Hipperson by March 26 on his myspace page Hipp Nights at the Hard Rock.

Relient K “Must have done something right” with Five Score Aaron Casias • Reporter Relient K has always been a band that refused to grow up. Sure, they were fun in a “cute”, goofy sort of way, but there wasn’t much else going for them. If, in fact, front man Matt Thiessen and the gang were attempting to shed their “immature high school pop” label with their latest Five Score and Seven Years Ago, they succeeded admirably.

With Five Score, Relient K makes an effort to create a more mature, moving album. Several songs go about this by simply implementing piano melodies to assist Thiessen’s vocals, which are at their best on this album. In fact, some of the best songs on the record are the ones where the band takes a new approach to scrap the power chords and let the mu-

sicality and vocal melodies compensate.

Songs such as “Come Right Out and Say It”, “Give” and “Up and Up” all prove that Relient K has grown up a bit and clearly evolved as musicians.

Of course, this is not to say that all the fun and antics of a usual Relient K album have disappeared completely. The first single, “Must Have Done Something Right” is packed with the usual cheesy clichés and wordplay.

Take the phrase “We should get jerseys/ ‘cause we make a good team.” This time around Thiessen recognizes the flaws saying “I know that it’s so cliché/ to tell you that everyday I spend with you is the new best day of my life.” The single feels out of place on the album with all its “fluff ” to be

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a stand-out, and it may be the only place that band went wrong on Five Score. The jokes continue with “Crayons Can Melt On Us For All I Care” which consists of a piano melody and Thiessen singing “I just wasted 10 seconds of your life.”

If you can imagine this in your head, you’ve already heard one track from the record.

The album ends with an eleven minute closer “Deathbed”. This is arguably one of the best songs the band has composed. Bands today think that making a closer with minute counts in the double digits means three minutes of music and another eight of looping melodies.

This is not the case with “Deathbed”, which manages to keep the listener inter-

ested and entertained through its entirety with its constantly shifting verse progressions and dramatic musical breakdowns.

Most of their subject matter deals with their faith and God. Relient K has proved to be one of the most successful Christian bands in the industry.

If their previous release Mmhmm gained them a large fan base and MTV play, this album may make them superstars. They hope they can communicate their faith to non-believers through the music they make.

Relient K’s Five Score and Seven Years Ago is now available in stores. It most likely will not be a contender for your “album of the year,” but it’s worth a listen, and for some, a trip to their local record store.

in•out•about page 20 • entertainment

h e t p l ! ace o g h l O s you wil

Compiled by Nicole Castellano and Aaron Casias

For all the people not going out of town this Spring Break, fear not. There are plenty of things to do around town that won’t burn a hole in your pocket.

St. Louis Art Museum

Museum of Transportation Admission: $4 - adults, $2 - kids and senior citizens Hours: Mondays: closed Tuesday - Saturday: 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Sunday: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The Smithsonian Institute: Rated it “one of the largest and best collections of transportation vehicles in the world.”

Includes: One of the first manmade railroad tunnels.

Do you believe in magic?

Expansion brings new, exciting wonders to Magic House extra 32,000 square feet.

The Magic House has been able to receive eight out of the $12 million needed to complete the project.

“The Magic House was fortunate to receive a million dollar challenge grant from Emerson. They designated $100,000 of their gift to encourage the Magic House’s member families to contribute to this campaign,” Beth Fitzgerald, president of the Magic House, said.

“The first 250 families who make a donation will be invited to a special event prior to the Grand Opening Celebration,”

March 24 at 8 p.m.

Relient K w/ Mae $17

April 4 at 7 p.m.

The Hard Lessons $10-12

Admission: Free Hours: Everyday: 8 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Art Fair: May 11 - 13 This is a great chance to get outdoors and fill your mind with art. With the many unique sculptures throughout the park, the world is your playground.

Brent Folan • Guest Reporter The Magic House was selected by the Zagat Survey as the number one national attraction for children.

It surpassed Sea World and Disney’s Magical Kingdom for the top spot even though it is one of the smallest children’s museums.

The Magic House needed to add on additional space for the expansion. The original Magic House was only 5,500 square feet.

The previous expansion, in 1997, left the house at a total of 26,00 square feet. The new $12 million expansion will add on an

March 22 at 8 p.m.

The Roots $25

Creepy Crawl

Laumeier Sculpture Park

Admission: Free Hours: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Located: Metropolis, Illinois Collectables: Over 20,000 items ranging from movie props to Superman memorabilia.

Piece of History: Contains the original phone booth used by Kirk Alyn.

The Pageant

April 14 at 8 p.m.

The Decemberists w/ My Brightest Diamond $20-22

Admission: Free Hours: Monday: closed Tuesday - Sunday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Fridays open until 9 p.m.

Current Exhibitions: “Waking Dreams: The Art of the Pre- Raphaelites” from the Delaware Art Museum which is open until April 29.

Film Night: Friday at 7 p.m.

Admission to films is $5.

The Superman Museum

Upcoming Events

Fitzgerald said.

The expansion is known as “So Much More- Right Next Door.”

There is the Star-Spangled Center, where children learn about citizenship education in three sections. In the Presidential Rotunda, children will learn about different presidents and their major accomplishments.

The Oval Office allows children to feel how it is to be President.

The Legislative Chamber will allow children to simulate democratic practices such as passing a bill.

The addition includes the Play-

Play Music center will also be added. Children will have the opportunity use a collection of participatory musical instruments.

The last expansion is the Forensic Laboratory. Children will be able to find the crook that stole the paintings from the museum. To get to the laboratory, the children have to go through a secret bookcase door.

“The public portion of the ‘So Much More-Right Next Door’ Capital Campaign begins today.

People can make donations or purchase an engraved brick,” Bill Canifield, board of director, said.

April 11 at 7 p.m.

Men Women & Children w/ We Are the Fury $10-12

Pop’s

March 26 at 7 p.m.

Chevelle w/ Finger Eleven $20 April 2 at 6:30 The Early November w/ The Rocket Summer $10

CD Releases

March 20 Good Charlotte Good Morning Revial March 27 Timbaland Shock Value April 10 Bright Eyes Cassadaga April 17 Nine Inch Nails Year Zero

Coming Soon to DVD March 20 Blood Diamond Eragon Letters From Iwo Jima March 27 Children of Men Happy Feet The Pursuit of Happyness Turistas