image “All great change in America begins at the dinner table.” — Ronald Reagan
“If you knew what I know about the power of giving, you would not let a single meal pass without sharing it in some way.” — Buddha
November 13, 2015 • Vol. 47, No. 3
“The gentle art of gastronomy is a friendly one. It hurdles the language barrier, makes friends among civilized people, and warms the heart.” — Samuel Chamberlain
“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” — James Beard
Sharing a meal with someone is a unique experience and a great way to get to know them. With the holiday season coming up, who would you have dinner with? Read pages 6-7 to find out some of our favorite picks. Lafayette High School • 17050 Clayton Rd. • Wildwood, MO 63011 • lhsimage.com • @LHSimage
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page two • opinions
Nov. 13, 2015
State titles make Lancer Nation proud staff editorial Opinions expressed on the editorial pages do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints or official policies of the school administration. All editorials (unsigned) represent a majority opinion of the Editorial Board. Signed columns, blogs, editorial cartoons and reviews reflect the views of the author and not necessarily those of the Image Editorial Board.
Staff • Policies
Editors
Seth Boester • Editor in Chief Anna James • News Editor Jessica Collins • Lifestyles Editor Ben Rachell• Opinion Editor Kayley Allen • Sports Editor Kaitlyn Wylie • Feed Editor Suzy Blalock • Webmaster Garrett McBay • Asst. Webmaster Nancy Y. Smith, MJE • Adviser
Staff Members Image:
Tyler Burnett, Erin Coogan, Arpan Das, Jack Deubner, Brinlee Frazier, Elly Levy, Alex Kessler, Dominic Scaglione, Josh Waitsman
Digital Media:
Logan Jordan • Editor in Chief Julianne Beffa • Editor in Chief Malcolm Beattie-Hauser, Jimmy Bowman, Kevin Chang, Nathan Hinton, Olivia Jaeger, Ben Laves, Karina Patel, Shelby Robbe, Mason Smith, Laura Stewart, Cameron Wolk
Information
Image is published nine times a year by the News Production class. Subscriptions are $30. Free issues are distributed on campus. The 2014-2015 Image received an All-American rating with five marks of distinction from the National Scholastic Press Association. The 2013-2014 website received a rating of All-American with five marks of distinction. The 2013-2014 Image was awarded the George H. Gallup Award from Quill and Scroll.
Philosophy Statement
The newspaper’s primary obligation is to inform its readers about events in the school and community and of issues of national or international importance which directly or indirectly affect the school population. The newspaper, while serving as a training ground for future journalists as part of the school curriculum, recognizes all rights and responsibilities under the First Amendment. Operating as a public forum, student editors will apply professional standards and ethics for decision making as they take on the responsibility for content and production of the newspaper.
Contact Us
Located in Room 137A at Lafayette High School, 17050 Clayton Rd., Wildwood, MO 63011. Our phone number is (636) 7334118 and our e-mail address is lhsimage@gmail.com or visit on the web at: www.lhsimage.com
Policies
A complete explanation of the Rockwood School District Policies and Regulations concerning official student publications and the policies and procedures used by the Image staff can be found on the website www.lhsimage.com under the About Us tab.
It takes even more than blood, sweat and tears. Imagine regularly feeling of your muscles collapsing due to overexertion and exhaustion. The next day it hurts to get out of bed. It hurts even more to take the smallest step. But you push on and go about your day. You go to your classes and complete your work and then practice into the evening before heading home to do homework and participate in other activities. And every day you wake up and do it all over again because you love the game. This is a day in the life of a student-athlete. Lancer athletes are strong both physically and mental. They have learned to handle constructive criticism and use it as a tool to get better and to excel above everyone else. They have become the teams and individuals that opponents envy, yet love to face because of the level of competition they bring. The varsity girls volleyball team knows this feeling all too well. It was their determination and confidence that led them to their title 5th consecutive State title. A repeat as the 1-meter diving champion is senior Matt McCool. Followed not far behind in his footsteps was his brother, freshman Connor McCool, who made his mark the first year as a high school diver, earning 4th in State. The unfortunate reality is that diving isn’t a sport that attracts a large student section, but regardless of their fan base, these divers work extra hard to achieve perfection and to represent Lafayette. Another individual who received a State Championship title for the second year in a row was junior Caroline Pozo. Tennis is another sport that doesn’t get the credit it deserves.
After their victory over St. Teresa on Oct. 31 at the Show-Me Center, this win officially made Lafayette’s girls volleyball team State champions. The players and coaches hold up five fingers to represent their 5 consecutive titles. (photo courtesy of Tim Jones) The long hours spent year round on the court perfecting small details to remain the best is something Pozo did consistently and it is paying off. The cross country teams also both placed first in State last weekend. The girls brought home their first title since 1988 and the boys repeated as State Champs. They were led by seniors Devin Meyrer and Anna West who finished first. Also, junior Austin Hindman and senior Sarah Nicholson took second. It’s safe to say every one of these athletes are amazing at what they do. Because almost all of these victories are repeated titles, their consistency over the past years led many to
believe that it’s easy to be the best and remain that way; but it’s the complete opposite. When you’re the best, your competitors will want to change that. They keep you in the back of their mind when training, and they target you specifically throughout the entire season. When you’re the best, you put a lot of pressure on yourself to make sure you do not let down your team, fans, parents and coaches. But even with the expectations set higher than ever for these athletes, they continued to rise above and be the best they could be, which happened to be the best in State. So for that, we are proud of you. Thank you for making all of us proud to be a Lancer.
CCE program educates students in more ways than one Lafayette’s work program allows for students to get experience in a real work environment is a good thing, but it has its flaws. Rockwood students have the opportunity to utilize the work program by taking a class called Business Internship/CCE. This class allows students to learn about current business trends and “prepares students to meet the demands of the business world.” It’s a single class that allows students to earn class credits for maintaining their employment and get paid while doing it. This program can be very helpful, but it also has its cons that need to be taken into consideration. First of all, this class allows students to leave school early, as early as 4th Hour. The purpose of this early exit, to my understanding, is to grant students time go to their part time jobs. This, in my opinion, is a great incentive for doing the program. For seniors who nearly have all the required credits to graduate, this class is a great option for students looking to earn money to use toward their college education. Furthermore, in my experience, the best thing about this program is having the opportunity to interact with people that you simply wouldn’t be able to on a daily basis. For some students, their co-workers work the job because it’s their way of providing income for themselves and their families. For these people, this job is their livelihood—not just a class. But prospective students need to understand that trying to fit in a part time job with an already busy schedule can be a challenge. Being released from school early can help deal with these scheduling issues, but in a
class where a student has to work a certain amount of hours to get a passing grade, this can be tough balancing time and dealing with the uncertainty of the hours provided by your employer. Interfering with full time working adults who are professionals creates some rifts that can cause a lot of issues in regards to scheduling, but can also provide learning experiences for many students. For example, one of my friend’s (who isn’t a part of the program) took a part time job at a clothing store. After working hard for several week, receiving routine compliments from his boss, and never being disciplined at all by the company’s management, they just cut ties and stopped scheduling him without officially terminating his employment. When he asked the store manager if he was fired, the manager had no knowledge of what was going on and couldn’t give him an answer on why he was no longer being scheduled. The store was so disorganized that my friend just decided to walk out and seek employment somewhere else. If he was a part of the CCE program, according to the course policies, his grade would be severely damaged and he potentially could have been kicked out of the program because he was technically fired. The program however does make exceptions. For example, if co-workers are harassing or bullying you, then you can find a new job. That safety net is certainly a good implementation. Another gripe is a student isn’t allowed to change jobs during the semester. I understand that it’s just part time employment, but if a student is working a job making minimum wage
Ben There, Done That
ben rachell opinions editor
where he or she isn’t happy with hours being kicked their way, their co-workers or any other issues, why would someone not take a job that pays more and enables them to enjoy their work life more? If one of the program’s function is to give students the tools to be the smartest businessman, finding the right position is crucial. That leads me into one of the biggest drawbacks. Student’s can’t switch jobs and their manager knows that. When a large portion of the grade in the class comes from a managerial review (around half of the grade excluding the final exam), guess who will be working that Sunday you requested off when somebody else calls in? Still, this notion of being trapped in a job can also serve an educational purpose. If a student truly wants an A, then he or she has to do it by being the best employee they possibly can. Sometimes this means going above and beyond, and maybe that’s for the best.
Things We’d Be Thankful For this Season . . . 1) A day that all the hallway-huggers took off and gave students the PDA-free route they deserve! 2) People actually parking in their space and not over the lines. 3) If the cookie stand revitalized it’s beloved vintage formula. 4) Consistent room temperatures. 5) Teachers not scheduling all our tests on the same day. 6) The return of half days.
Nov. 13, 2015
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page three • opinions
Technology makes our society more connected than ever before There’s a phrase that seems to get thrown around by the older generation anytime a young person pulls out his/her phone in public. “Oh, you kids do nothing but look at your phones. Why don’t you try talking to each other.” This was a real sentence somebody actually said to me when I was in a restaurant. No, she wasn’t being funny about it. She actually took time out of her day to look over at my direction and tell me how to go about my business. Excuse my stereotypical “free spirit” teenage attitude, but not only is this something rude to say to somebody you’ve never even met, but frankly, it’s just plain uninformed. Maybe it’s just because I’m from a newer generation and I’m around technology all day, but the fact that she had no clue what I could even do with a smartphone beyond staring at it blankly shocked me. No one blows $200 on an iPhone so they can actively withdraw themselves from social contact. In fact, not only has society progressed socially from the recent abundance of smartphones, but we’ve become more connected than ever before. Picture a 1950s business man going about his day. He wakes up, takes a shower, dresses up in his suit and hat, leaves his apartment, walks down the street towards his local newsstand, buys the weekday paper and reads it on the train ride to work. That sounds like an ordeal, right? And for
what, to read a handful of interesting articles, or maybe check the stocks that will be outdated by the end of the day anyway? In 2015, I can wake up, lie in my bed without changing out of my Pjs and do an exponentially large amount of things with my phone. I can check the continuously updating stock market, read news stories as soon as they are published. Heck, if I don’t want to actually read the article, I’ll just watch a live feed of the situation as new information develops. And, the best part is that I can take this thing anywhere I go. Sure, checking my phone at a cafe means that I’m sacrificing my ability to small-talk with the mom sitting next to me about her kid who plays soccer as well as the rain we’ve been getting, but I think it’s a good trade-off. We as a society are now able to become more informed about the world than ever before thanks to our smartphones. Did you know that it takes 95 percent less energy to recycle aluminum than it does to make it from raw materials? Thanks to the power of my phone’s web browser, you are now more environmentally conscious, and all it took was a little bit of thumb tapping. Forget the informative benefits of smartphones for a second. These things have helped entertain us more than anything else in our lives. Why awkwardly look at the guy sitting across from me on the bus when I can watch
Real Talk
stars & gripes
Stars: - Congratulations to the Kansas City Royals for winning the World Series. Our little brothers from across the state haven’t been relevant for about 30 years, so let’s give credit where credit is due. - The varsity girls volleyball team recently won its fifth consecutive State championship. We’re pretty sure they could conquer a city at this point. - Thanksgiving is just around the corner. If you’re worried about eating too much turkey, Amazon is bound to have a sale on treadmills for the holidays.
Gripes:
seth boester editor in chief funny cat videos on Youtube. Tired of checking the NFL scores on Sundays? Just livestream the actual game on your phone. Maybe my inner defensiveness is showing, but I can’t stress enough how important these pieces of technology have become in our lives. The fact that I can study for a test, talk to a person across the US and order a package from Japan, all within an hour, astounds me. So the next time someone tells you to not look at your phone, inform them about all of the wonderful things you can do with it, and because of that, you’re better off looking at it than talking to them in the first place.
- With Thanksgiving comes the dreaded Black Friday. We’ve been told the local zoo is having a sale on laptops, and you may have to fight the animals to get one. Oh wait, it’s actually a Walmart and those are people. - Microsoft recently dropped unlimited storage from their OneDrive cloud service after too many customers were using said option. If only this idea were implemented for people who take too many food pics on Instagram. - Why are some of the lanes blocked in the parking lot after school? If there’s one thing that can stop a moving car, it’s a traffic cone with some chains on it.
Madlib brings the soul back to hip-hop ben rachell • opinions editor The antiqueesque samples of funk, disco and soul music can be spotted all over the new project created by California producer Otis Jackson Jr., known in hip hop as Madlib. Jackson Jr. teamed up with fellow California natives, rappers MED and Blu on this new EP titled Bad Neighbors. I’ve heard of Madlib since I got into popular music several years back. I listened to several albums he produced, such as Madvillany and Jaylib and I found some pretty unique music in that process. But nothing grabbed my ear like one of his most recent releases, which was an album called Piñata he co-released with rapper Freddie Gibbs in 2014. This is a record I liked so much I actually purchased it
on vinyl and play it regularly at my house or play the digital version in my car. So when I heard about this new project, I was excited to see what this trio had going on. The opening track “Greetings”, illustrates a conversation between what sounds like a DJ hyping a crowd, which transitions into this bass-injected 40-second drum pattern with a ringing horn that sort of sounds like a time bomb ticking down. This instrumental’s boom bap sound sets the tone for the record and brings a grimy energy similar to that on Piñata. The following track “Serving” gives us our first look at MED and Blu. Unfortunately, the poor audio quality on the vocals and muddy bass leaves me wondering what this song could have been. Fellow California rapper Hodgy Beats delivers the best verse on the song however it and sort of saves the record a bit at the end. It does shift into a positive direction with the third track “Peroxide”, which is extremely funky. This song sounds like someone told Madlib to imitate Kanye West’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”, while simultaneously
making sure everyone knows it’s still a Madlib production. After that, the next pair of tracks I considered relatively repetitive, forgettable and boring. But then we eventually come to a song called “The Stroll”, which features an artist named AMG. This song is definitely one of the best on the tape. It’s so clear yet still grainy and features what sounds like an old western song chopped up and drowned in reverb while a violin violently plays in the background on the instrumental side of the track. The verses, although they sound decent, match the song thematically. It reminds me a lot of “Deeper” off of Piñata. The next track is the pinnacle of the whole release though. “Knock Knock”, which features Madlib’s Madvilliany counterpart MF Doom on the mic, is incredible. There is so much replay value in this song and it gets better the more and more you listen to it. It samples the song “I’ll Be With You” by Parliament-Funkadelic’s keyboardist Bernie Worrell and it’s just one of those songs that sound like it’s supposed to be sampled by
Madlib. It’s such a perfect track that this song may have just enough soul to figure it out. After those two songs, the tape mellows out a bit but comes up with a couple of solid late night driving songs like “The Strip”, “Finer Things” and “Burgundy Whip”. All of these songs have interesting and relatively catchy beats, but they get repetitive after the first minute and I began to lose interest. Aloe Blacc, who has had several very commercially successful songs in the past couple of years, is featured on one of the last tracks, in a song called “Drive In”. Even though this song experiences a beat change mid-song, the song once again reminds me of Kanye and sounds like something that may have landed on The College Dropout. This music isn’t going to sell well or land on the Top 40, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good; it just means it’s a little different and something new to experience. These songs are not something you’d play at a party or dance, but they will keep you entertained and get you through study hall.
Bandcamp leads the way for independent musicians to spread their music jack deubner • reporter In the current thriving age of the internet, online musicians have been able to take advantage of sharing and making revenue through their music websites like Bandcamp. With Bandcamp, musicians can upload whatever they want to the website and even select the option to have potential fans pay whatever price they think fits with the corresponding album or song. With any song labeled with the name your price tag on it, buyers can choose to pay absolutely nothing or any price they’d like. So basically, you can get a song for free, or if you really like a song or album and have money to waste, spend $500 on it. With Bandcamp, artists do not
require a label contract to upload content to the website; it’s open to anyone with some creativity to share. It’s free to create an account on Bandcamp, and with every purchase made on a song or album, only 15 percent of the sale goes towards Bandcamp. This is a major perk of the website as opposed to having a record deal for starting and less popular artists, though overtime fame can be reached through Bandcamp. Alex G and Car Seat Headrest are two examples of artists who have reached some underground stardom through sharing their music through Bandcamp. Earlier this year Alex G was signed to Domino Records, who are the record label to some acts such as Arctic Monkeys and Franz
Ferdinand, and released his newest album Beach Music after gaining some attention after releasing music through Bandcamp over the years. Car Seat Headrest also has a similar story. The Seattle based band originally started off with the then 17 year old Will Toledo recording guitar melodies in his bedroom, vocals in his parent’s car (hence the name Car Seat Headrest) and releasing it all on Bandcamp. After releasing music for about five years under the Car Seat Headrest moniker, Toledo eventually gained some attention through his album Twin Fantasy and continued to release his signature low-fi music, eventually grabbing the attention of Matador Records (label for some bands like Queens of the Stone Age
and Pavement.) Now a three piece band, they’ve released Teens of Style, an album comprised of reworkings of older songs under Matador and have another album (cleverly titled Teens of Denial) scheduled for a release in early 2016. Even some major label artists like Sufjan Stevens have put their music on Bandcamp to give their fans a way to buy their music and also provide a sense of security knowing that their money is going directly towards them, and Bandcamp of course. From benefitting the low-
budget bedroom musicians to the professional musicians, Bandcamp is a major perk to any artist and even supporting fans. Browsing through Bandcamp could either be a complete bore to some or a great new experience to discover some new music, it just depends on the dedication of the listener. Starting in 2007 and hopefully continuing for as long as independent musicians will, Bandcamp can land a special place in any musician looking to spread their music in an expanding and innovative way.
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page four • news
Nov. 13, 2015
Administration considers adding homeroom Faculty, students examining goals, parameters of creating stronger relationships anna james • news editor Stress is a factor that often invades a student’s high school career. USA Today reported that 27 percent of students say they experience “extreme stress” during the school year, versus 13 percent who report being stressed out in the summer. And, 34 percent of students polled expect stress to increase in the coming year. After a special health summit which LHS students, faculty and parents attended, administrators came to the conclusion that a different environment aside from school work was needed to help students build stronger relationships with other students and more trust with teachers outside of a traditional classroom setting. Students were asked their opinion about how they believed that could be accomplished at school and the main response was that they wished they we had more connections with teachers at school. Another ongoing theme between the teachers who participated in the health summit was they wanted time to connect with their students and have more than just a curriculum connection. Therefore, the administration and staff have been brainstorming for new ideas to help address these issues. “We are just now exploring the idea of how we could get this to work. Thinking of things like what kind of training or supports would be necessary and is this a viable way to meet student needs,” Associate Principal Karen Calcaterra said. The idea of adding a homeroom class was proposed, where students would be assigned a
teacher at random meet once every other week for about 20 minutes in their homeroom class. The goal would be to have the students stay with the same homeroom teacher for their four years in high school. But, Calcaterra said homeroom is a work in progress and there is no solid date to when it will be implemented nor when it will even be a solid, fully developed idea. Physical Education teacher Denise Meyer is one of the teachers who was involved in the health summit and is working on the idea of adding a homeroom. “The main problem that we have discussed is can we fit it into the school day and where will we adjust the schedule to have a time for this homeroom,” Meyer said. Meyer said the talk about scheduling has mirrored the Late Start schedule. Every week that the school doesn’t have late start, it would have homeroom for a set amount of time. This idea has not been approved, but is currently under discussion. “I want my students to trust me and know I can be not only a teacher of my curriculum but I can be a support system for them when they are in a time of need,” Meyer said. Focus Youth Leadership St. Louis (YLSL) has also been very involved in the planning and communication between students and faculty to address what exactly is desired to transpire from the idea of a homeroom class. “One of our goals is to create almost a ‘safe haven’ for students. The homeroom would give another place for students to be comfortable,” YLSL member Kate Golder, junior, said. “One of the main reasons we want to implement this would be to provide the student body with one more teacher that they are able to trust and be aware that they care about them. For
some students we know this could be the only teacher they build a relationship with.” Although this was an idea generated from a group of students, other students feel differently about the idea of taking time out of the school day for a homeroom class period. “I think it would become redundant after being with the same teacher for four years. We have some teachers year-round that we get help from with school work and our own lives,” junior Amanda Shaw said. She added, “Twenty minutes in my opinion isn’t enough time to bond with a teacher. So many students take AP classes and participate in extra curricular activities. That simple 20 minutes could be used for something better.” But, the idea that Meyer said sparked her interest was the concept that a group of students would stay with the same staff member for four years. She believes it would create a different environment with students from different “cliques” in the school. “We’re taking our time with this so we can get it all figured out. Administration and staff wants to give students our full support and we want to make sure we are all doing something right in the lives of these kids,” Calcaterra said. Junior Sarah Schupp came to Lafayette from a different school that had homeroom. “Homeroom at my old school gave me time to study and just have free time. I made friends in there I never would have known if I wasn’t placed in a class with them,” Schupp said. Students and staff are continuing their discussions and examining the pros and cons of a homeroom. While nothing will be changed for next semester, the 2016-2017 school year could see some changes to the schedule to accommodate this option.
a classroom in which a group of students assembles daily with the same teacher before dispersing to other classes United States During homeroom, teachers take attendance registers, may collect lunch orders, and carry out other administrative activities. It may be used for a period of reading, or finishing homework. In some schools, students are permitted to socialize, do group activities, watch television news or read.
South America Homeroom is a concept that does not exist in Argentinian schools. Students usually stay in groups of 20 to 40 kids for 2 years without being reshuffled and often maintain the same grouping throughout both primary and secondary education
Asia Homeroom in Japanese schools forms a greater part of students' lives, with home room teachers acting as a substitute parent in many ways. Students are expected to take on tasks for their home room, including cleaning.
Australia Homeroom in Australia is similar to the US concept, however it varies from school to school. Some schools do not have home room at all, and attendance and announcements are made during the first period of the school day in a "student bulletin"
Nov. 13, 2015
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page f ive • news
Theft continues despite declining national rate
Prescription misuse is drug abuse.
seth boester • editor in chief
In a high school environment, there are a lot of precautions taken when it comes to things such as student safety, as well as prevention against acts of bullying and harassment between students. But have enough measures been taken to prevent theft in public schools? The general statistics appear to point to a decline in stolen items. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that from 1992-2013, the rate of theft in schools has gone down drastically, declining from a rate of 114 students per 1,000 to a mere 16. Types of theft includes purse-snatching, pickpocketing, and all attempted and completed thefts, with the exception of motor vehicle thefts. Although the data shows public schools have become less susceptible to theft, Lafayette appears to be an outlier. While he has seen no concrete graphs showing charts/ graphs that show the exact rate of theft at the school, School Resource Officer Bernie Widdis gave some insight regarding the cases he has seen this year. “On average, I get about two serious cases per month,” he said. In terms of what specifically gets stolen, Widdis cites phones and cash as being the two most common items, due to the fact most people have those two things on them throughout most of the day. Lockers are the most likely spots for theft. Widdis said the reasoning behind this is simply students not being pro-active and cautious. “Most kids forget to lock their lockers,” he said. While both types of school lockers can be vulnerable to theft, stealing of valuable items is primarily a problem in the PE locker rooms due to the lack of traffic and cameras. “I’ve gotten about six reports of stolen items in the girls locker room this year,” Physical Education teacher Denise Meyer said. The theft also stems from the fact that some students believe keeping their gym lockers secured is less of a priority than their regular lockers, which carry most of their textbooks, backpacks, food, etc. One piece of data that can be specifically noted is the fluctuation in the rate of locker room theft throughout the year. “The most common time we get thefts are during breaks in the school day, as well as during big school gatherings like dances, pep assemblies and games,” Meyer said. In terms of gender, the boys locker room has considerably more thefts on average. “It’s due to the fact that we have a lot more boys in our PE classes versus girls,” Meyer said. The Image staff reached out to several male coaches in
Is your name on this bottle?
A locker sits open in the Senior Hallway. “Rigging” is a method used to open lockers without the need to unlock them. (photo by Seth Boester) regards to the exact statistics behind boys locker room thefts, but they declined to comment. While items tend to be stolen more frequently in gym lockers, hallway lockers are vulnerable to a specific type of technique that can provoke theft. “Rigging” is a system used by students that involves adjusting the handle on a locker door to make it accessible to open without needing to unlock it first. If an individual is aware that a locker is rigged, they can easily steal items from it. It is as simple as going down a row in a hallway and trying all the handles to find the ones that are unlocked. In addition, items are sometimes stolen in restrooms or from tables in the Commons or library when they are left unattended. Fortunately, a majority of the thefts are eventually solved and students get their property back. “Out of the five phones that have been stolen this year, we ended up finding three of them,” Widdis said. This success is due to the GPS built into cell phones. “We can track almost all of them now, even if they’re turned off,” he said.
Widdis also spoke about the potential legal ramifications of a theft. “If the person files a report with the police department, then that theft becomes a felony, and the thief can be arrested,” he said. While the school’s efforts in finding lost items appears to work most of the time, some students believe that more action needs to be taken in order for the school to become a safer environment. “I think it would be great if we had more cops walking around,” senior Connor Stuart said. Teachers are also concerned with ways to lower the theft rate. Steve Klawiter, social studies teacher, believes changes could be made. “I don’t know about the budget restrictions for it, but I think that the more support that we put into security, the better,” he said. He also gave some personal advice for students traveling with important items. “Just keep your materials secured and close to you at all times,” Klawiter said.
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Don’t become a drug abuser. Protect yourself and others. Monitor your medications and safely dispose of unused drugs.
Only take medication as prescribed to you.
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Prescription and over-the-counter medications are safe and effective when used correctly. If misused, or taken with alcohol and other drugs, you can become addicted, experience medical complications or die from overdose. Don’t become a drug abuser. Protect yourself and others.
Prescription and over-the-counter medications are safe and effective when used correctly. If misused, or taken with alcohol and other drugs, you can become addicted, experience medical complications or die from overdose.
Monitor your medications and safely dispose of unused drugs.
Don’t become a drug abuser. Protect yourself and others. Monitor your medications and safely dispose of unused drugs.
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pages six and seven • cover story
Nov. 13, 2015
Breaking Bread
If you could eat dinner with anyone, who would it be?
In the past 20 years, the frequency of family dinners has declined by 33 percent.
Grade 12
Meghana Sai Allu Bharadwaj Grade 11
Kate Mullen If I could eat dinner with one person it would be: The person that owns and runs the Cats of Instagram page I would go to: the Cat Cafe I would talk about: “I want to know more about how he runs an account with millions of followers.” I would eat: “I would probably eat some type of fish. Maybe salmon because cats like fish too, right?”
“I’ve been following that page ever since I got my Instagram, so it’s been years. I love the cute cats on there and I think we would have a good bonding experience over how amazing cats are and get along very well.”
Grade 11
If I could eat dinner with one person it would be: Alexander McQueen I would go to: a loft home in NYC I would talk about: “I would talk to McQueen about what inspires all his clothing lines.” I would eat: “I could see myself eating a nice filet mignon.” “Alexander McQueen is by far one of the most influential fashion designers in the past century. He is very fearless in his unique design of the outfits. Alexander McQueen was the best at what he did, and he had amazing visions of fashion that were way ahead of his time.”
If I could eat dinner with one person it would be: Sigmund Freud I would go to: The Loop I would talk about: “I would love to learn more about his psychological ideas and his various theories.” I would eat: “I would eat a veggie burger, that way the food does not distract too much from the focus on the discussion of psychology.”
Grade 12
Caleigh Glazer “Sigmund Freud is an overall enticing person. I find all of his theories incredibly interesting. He is extraordinarily interesting and I would be honored to have the opportunity to pick his brain, and ask him how these theories were developed.”
Information provided by: Jessica Collins, Kaitlyn Wylie, Suzy Blalock, Anna James, Dominic Scaglione
“More frequent family dinners are related to fewer emotional and behavioral problems, greater emotional well-being, more trusting and helpful behaviors towards others and higher life satisfaction.” – Journal of Adolescent Health, April 2012
If I could eat dinner with one person it would be: Benjamin Franklin I would go to: Mimi’s Cafe I would talk about: “I would spend a time questioning him on the happenings of the Continental Congress and the formation of the Constitution.” I would eat: “Some of Benji’s favorite foods are allegedly Parmesan cheese and apples and cranberries, so I would definitely order a salad.”
Studies have shown that teenagers who regularly eat dinner with their families are less likely to engage in illicit behavior involving drugs and alcohol and more likely to get better grades and be mentally and physically healthy.
“As a government lover and aspiring public servant, Ben Franklin is my favorite Founding Father, favorite Framer, and he’s just all around my hero and role model.”
Americans spend more than 40 percent of their food budget on meals outside of the home. Eating out can be convenient but it’s also caloric — portion sizes in restaurants just keep growing! The average restaurant meal has as much as 60 percent more calories than a homemade meal.
Grade 10
Elizabeth Burton
Studies show kids who eat with their families frequently are less likely to get depressed, consider suicide and develop an eating disorder. They are also more likely to delay sex and to report that their parents are proud of them. When a child is feeling down or depressed, family dinner can act as an intervention.
If I could eat dinner with one person it would be: John Lennon I would go to: Olive Garden I would talk about: “I would discuss what was going on in his life at the time when he passed away. I would also like to know about his personal life and what motivated him to make music with the Beatles.” I would eat: “The best thing you can order at Olive Garden is pasta.”
“He’s a great inspiration to music and he’s a wonderful and talented man. It would be a great opportunity to sit down with him and really see where his musical inspiration came from. It would be interesting to say the least. I think his music will live on forever.”
Dinner’s On The Table Who’s Home?
Sources:
For more student stories, visit lhsimage.com
cnn.com/2011/10/25/living/family-dinner-h/ psychologytoday.com/blog/the-intelligent-divorce/201306/thefamily-dinner thescramble.com/family-dinner-challenge-statistics/#sthash. gVM0WDEJ.dpuf
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page eight • lifestyles
Nov. 13, 2015
Meet The Press
The newspaper, yearbook, digital media and lhsimage.com staffs meet during the day and outside of school to meet their deadlines. Here are a few stats about those publications: *Rockwood Student Publications are public forums. That means student editors are responsible for all contest decisions. StuPub operates without prior review from any district employee.
elly levy • reporter
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Legend
$1,400
Cost to print 1,500 color copies of each month’s newspaper
Staff Make-up: 2 Boys & 25 Girls
When the staff meets so they can interview students during lunch
deadlines between January and June to complete the book
6
4th Hour
Ad Sales Required:
$200 in sales per staff member per semester Those funds for the printing of the newspaper and leaves extra money for awards, organization memberships and contests, equipment and an end-of-the-year banquet.
STUDY SKILLS
M AT H
Advertisements: pages of ads throughout the entire yearbook
80
$80,000-$85,000
S AT / AC T P R E P
Cost to print the yearbook
WRITING
READING
HOMEWORK HELP
Mika M. AGE 16
Thanks to Sylvan, I was ready for the big test. And I reached my goal.
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Digital Media:
14 Staffers
They create all video content that goes on lhsimage.com
3 weeks
How long editors train the staff on the equipment and video editing software
2 days
Amount of class time student have to edit a video from an event and get it posted
lhsimage.com Went live in
2010
Contest in news, features, opinion and video updated everyday New in 2015: Podcasts
3
Podcasters
Josh Waitsman, Arpan Das and Tyler Burnett comment on various sports
@LHSimage
Live games are tweeted and other important information
Nov. 13, 2015
page nine • news
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Vape God
Electronic cigarette popularity on the rise among adolescents jessica collins • lifestyles editor An electronic cigarette is a device containing a nicotinebased liquid which stimulates the feeling of smoking when being vaporized or inhaled. Over 250 different e-cigarette brands are currently on the market to be sold in various stores. While e-cigarettes are often promoted as safer alternatives to traditional cigarettes, little is actually known about the health risks of using these devices. The cigarettes consist of three elements: a cartridge, vaporizer and battery. The cartridge holds the liquid solution usually containing nicotine, flavoring and other various chemicals. The vaporizer heats up the device while the battery acts as a power source. The number of teens and tweens using these products tripled between 2013 and 2014 according to the date published by the Centers for Tobacco Products. Research into the effects of e-cigarettes lags behind their popularity. E-cigs are devised to simulate the act of smoking tobacco by constructing a flavored aerosol designed to give the same feeling as smoking an actual cigarette. The only difference is it gives off fewer of the toxic chemicals produced by burning tobacco leaves. Because they deliver nicotine without burning tobacco, e-cigarettes appear as a safer, less toxic alternative to conventional cigarettes. While their popularity is dramatically increasing, little is known about the actual product. Current e-cigarette use among high school students increased from 4.5 percent in 2013 to 13.4 percent in 2014. rising from approximately 660,000 to 2 million students. “Nobody knows the long term effects yet, because electronic cigarettes are relatively new. Some say e-cigarettes may help people trying to wean off of cigarettes in order to quit smoking. Some, however, say they may actually introduce people to smoking, especially young people, and may give such people as pregnant women an excuse to smoke rather than stop
altogether,” Dr. Jeffrey Hallazgo, internal medicine specialist said. Evidence suggests e-cigarettes might be safer than regular cigarettes. The biggest hazard from tobacco is the smoke, and e-cigs don’t burn. Also, some tests show the levels of dangerous chemicals e-cigs give off are a fraction of what comes from a real cigarette. While e-cigs may be less harmful than cigarettes, they are still not without risks. “At this point, because it is vapor rather than actual smoke, second hand exposure from electronic cigarettes appears to be much safer than that from actual cigarettes. There are, however, still some nicotine and hydrocarbon elements in electronic cigarette vapor, so it’s not completely benign, although again much safer than tobacco smoke,” Hallazgo said. The New England Journal of Medicine recently posted a letter from researchers that caused a big uproar. They reported that some e-cigarettes release formaldehyde, a cancer-causing substance, when heated with batteries set at high voltages. While e-cigs appear to be a safer alternative, they could still be giving off many dangerous chemicals that are harmful to the human body. Some of the chemicals used in electronic cigarettes can also cause inflammation and blood vessel damage responses. Experts are not yet sure of the dangers that may come from the flavor cartridges used in e-cigs. One problem is that no federal agency is directly responsible for overseeing the e-cigarette industry. That means no standards exist. Labels may inaccurately describe ingredients, and what consumers find in one brand may be very different from another brand. Not much is known about the electronic cigarettes today because the invention is fairly new. They were just introduced to the U.S market in 2007. But, they are certainly growing in popularity. Currently, there are 54 e-cig stores listed in St. Louis County.
Some vandalism in a bathroom stall near the senior hallway validates that at least one Lafayette student takes the opportunity to vape in the restroom during the school day. Rockwood has prohibited the use of electronic cigarettes because they fall into the tobacco category. (photo by Jessica Collins)
E-cigs pose addiction risk, health concerns for teens despite belief they offer safer alternative to smoking jessica collins • lifestyle editor John Doe is a Lafayette senior. He has been using an e-cig for several years. “I first started using an e-cig for the smoke tricks I could do. Now, it has turned into a full blown addiction from the nicotine buzz,” he said. He said he does not want to be identified because of the stereotypes that accompany it. While cigarette use among teens in on the decline nationwide, Doe represents the increasing number of teens using electronic cigarettes. The first actual product manufactured was by Hon Lik, a Chinese pharmacist and smoker. He decided to develop electronic cigarettes after his father passed away from lung cancer. Seeing a way to transform tragedy into a positive, he created a method that enabled smokers to have nicotine through inhalation, without smoke and the many thousands of chemicals that are part of the production of cigarettes. However, experts warn that this increased use among teens is dangerous for many reasons. “One of my friends introduced me to it [e-cig smoking] and I got started a couple months later,” he said. Most young people find e-cigs appealing for the various flavors. But, Doe said it was the nicotine that gave him a reason to continue and start vaping. “I knew I was addicted when I spent money on my own. It’s really expensive,” he said. At many times, what begins as recreational use turns into a full blown addiction due to the nicotine. West County internal medicine specialist Dr. Jeffrey Hallazgo said, “Whether it’s an e-cigarette, hookah, cigarette or cigar, nicotine affects brain development. Adolescence is a critical time for the brain. Nicotine exposure at a young age may cause lasting harm to brain development, promote addiction, and lead to sustained
tobacco use.” Over 70 percent of teens have reported to have smoked a cigarette at least once. At the adolescent stage the brain has not completed its maturation. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is the area in the brain responsible for executive functions and attention performance. The PFC is one of the last brain areas to mature and is still developing during adolescence. Studies have also shown nicotine exposure during adolescence increases the risk of developing psychiatric disorders and cognitive impairment in later life. “I’m doing it now because I can’t stop. But, I do know that it is a safer alternative,” Doe said. But, because e-cigs are so new, research has not been completed to determine long-term effects of the various chemicals that are used. “The debate is ongoing. Some say electronic cigarettes are safer because there is no smoke involved, only vapor. Some say it is no different because you are still delivering an addictive chemical, which is nicotine,” Hallazgo said. With the rise of popularity in electronic cigarettes, many worry that with huge advertising budgets and celebrity endorsements, smoking could become a popular trend again. That would roll back decades of progress in getting people to quit or never start smoking. Electronic cigarettes were first created as a healthier alternative to smoking regular cigarettes. Most adults who vape were once smoking cigarettes, and have switched e-cigs to terminate their smoking habit. But, for many teens, their first exposure to smoking is in an e-cig so rather than moving to e-cigs to quit smoking, a brand new habit is beginning. “I’ve never smoked a cigarette before. My first exposure to nicotine was through vaping,” Doe said. “I do it everyday and sometimes have to make arrangements to do it at school. If not, I get really agitated,” he said.
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Call Dr. Jack Arnold 314-805-4561 Appointments Tuesday/Thursday Evenings Saturday/Sunday afternoons www.JackArnold.org
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page ten • sports
Nov. 13, 2015
Defending Her Title
Pozo rolls through regular season singles; wins State Championship for second time
O
arpan das • sports reporter josh waitsman • sports reporter
nce again there is a familiar face at the tennis courts, and to no one’s surprise, junior Caroline Pozo dominated the State girls tennis competition. For the second consecutive season, Pozo was undefeated in singles. This season, she was 11-0 in singles matches, good enough for the most wins in the state. Pozo started strong with a 6-1, 6-0 win in the opening round. However, unlike many competitions where the competition gets closer as the rounds go by, Pozo continued to dominate, beating her next two opponents 6-1, 6-0 as well. In the finals, she won her game 6-1, 6-1. She only lost five games the entire tournament and dominated the strongest competition. To put it simply, no one was even close defeating her in a full match. Pozo said different matches provide different kinds of challenges for her. “It kind of depends on how I’m playing, how they’re playing, if I can figure it out or if they can figure me out. There are definitely a couple of people who challenged me, but I figured it out,” she said. She attributes her success to the mental side of the game. “I just tried to figure out their games and get into their heads.” Despite her consistent success,
Pozo feels no real pressure in defending her title. She said, “I go out and do my best; I don’t really think about if I lose or win.” Her favorite part of tennis is to compete. “I like to compete. I just like to play the other person,” Pozo said. Coach Donna Stauffer has high praise for her star player. Stauffer said there are several things that make Pozo stand out as a great player. “Caroline not only has the physical skills. She has great mental toughness and focus throughout her matches. Her mental skills enable her to figure out her opponents’ weaknesses very quickly. Caroline uses her physical skills to dominate her opponents by mixing up her shots and keeping her opponents from getting into a rhythm. Her focus on every point doesn’t allow her opponents to ever establish themselves in the match,” she said. Stauffer does many things coaching-wise to prepare players before their matches. “I want them to be mentally and physically ready and also relaxed. I talk to them about playing their game and to have fun.” Pozo has several methods of staying successful. “Keep practicing, challenge
myself and try to make myself work harder so I’ll stay on top,” she said. Pozo’s success is no surprise to her coach. Stauffer said, “We knew she was a great player before she ever played high school tennis. Caroline had already established herself through tournament play locally and nationally. She finished second in singles at Individual State her freshman year. We knew she would keep getting better. She has 47 wins and no losses in singles since she joined the team.” There is, however, so much more to Pozo than being one of the best tennis players ever to have played in Missouri, including the things that people might not know about her. Her down to earth, humble attitude has won over both her teammates. Coming from her coach and her teammates, words to describe her include, “easy going, humble,” and that she has, “a great sense of humor.” Stauffer added, “She also cares deeply about the success of the team instead of getting caught up in her own. She is a joy to coach.” Teammate Kendall Goedeke said, “Caroline is really good about encouraging the rest of the team and giving tips about how to improve our playing. She is a really experienced player, and because of that we all take her feedback seriously” Pozo looks to remain undefeated, and defend her title as state champion nest season.
Caroline Pozo stands atop the podium after her first place finish at State in Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield, MO. This victory was her second consecutive win at State in singles play. (photo courtesy of Caroline Pozo)
November Lit Link Crossword *Paid for by Lafayette Renaissance
Bring your finished puzzle to the stage at lunch for a prize!
Word Bank: -paucity -perfidy -peerless -piety -peripheral -peruse -placate -placid -prodigious -prolific -propensity -pugnacious -querulous -redundant -resilient -reticent -sagacious -scrupulous -soporific -spurious
Across: 2. without equal; better than the rest 4. outwardly calm 6. ready to fight 8. to soothe; to calm 9. scarcity; lack of; dearth 11. natural leaning or tendency; bent 13. devotion; especially to God 14. to read; to study 16. drowsy; sleep-inducing 17. abundant; producing much 18. springing back into shape or spirits quickly
Down: 1. treachery 3. wordy; verbose 5. false; lacking authenticity 6. external; incidental 7. wise 10. faultfinding; peevish; expressing complaint 11. enormous; extraordinary 12. extremely honest; careful about details 15. not saying much
Nov. 13, 2015
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page eleven • sports
Common injuries plague high school athletes tyler burnett • sports reporter
At some point in an athlete’s career, injuries will occur. Whether it be a minor sprain in your ankle or a broken bone, athletes have to deal with injuries all the time. To keep them in the game, athletic trainers are constantly telling athletes the key things to do so they can keep competing. “The number one factor in preventing injuries and also increasing recovery time is physical body preparedness,” Dean Bryan, athletic trainer, said. By lifting and conditioning the body, injuries are less likely to occur and it will also decrease the severity of an injury if an injury happens. If an athlete fails to prepare their muscles before exercise, the muscles will have a harder time working properly and are susceptible to injury. Stretching your body’s muscles before and after games, as well as practice, helps someone’s muscles perform at a high level. Resting and applying ice to an injury can keep an athlete in the game and reduce the risk of injury.
1
Concussions: these occur when the brain shakes or moves inside the skull and can cause lack of coordination, memory loss, confusion and headaches. Concussions are most likely to occur in hockey and football because there is constant hitting that puts the head in danger of being damaged. Recovery time can take around two to four weeks depending on how severe the concussion is and if the athlete has any setbacks.
2 3 4 5
Shoulder tendonitis and torn rotator cuff: this injury occurs because pitchers are putting their arm under constant stress by repeatedly throwing at high speed and velocity. This injury can keep an athlete out for as much as six months for rehabilitation. After that time, the shoulder should have full range of motion, strength and function. Elbow tendonitis (tennis elbow): hence the name “tennis elbow”, tennis players often run into this injury due to overusing the elbow. The estimated time of recovery for tennis elbow can range from 1-12 months depending on how the athlete treats it. Pulled or torn muscles: this injury can occur in almost every sport, but it is the most common among baseball players. If the muscle is pulled it can take a few weeks to recover, but if the muscle is torn then it can take months to fully recover.
Torn ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) and knee sprains: the torn ACL is one of the most feared injuries in sports. The ACL helps stabilize the knee and is one of the most commonly injured knee ligaments. This injury usually occurs when the knee is hyperextended and a pivot happens at the same time. The ACL tear often happens in football or basketball because of the constant stopping, starting, jumping and cutting from side to side. The recovery time is estimated around seven to nine months. Knee sprains are also caused by sharp pivoting and jumping. Basketball players will usually end up having this injury because of the stress their knees have to deal with every day at practice and games. This injury takes about 10 days or up to a couple months to heal depending on the grade of the sprain.
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Shin splints and stress fractures: track and cross country athletes are the best candidates for shin splints and stress fractures to occur. These injuries happen because of the constant pounding of force that the shin bone bears while an athlete is running. Eventually the shin bone will become inflamed and shin splints and stress fractures are bound to happen. Six to eight weeks is an average recovery time for this injury, assuming the athlete doesn’t start exercising too early.
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Ankle sprains: quite similar to knee sprains, ankle sprains are most common in basketball due to constant running and then stopping, as well as cutting from side to side and pivoting. The recovery time can be anywhere from 10 days to a few months depending on the grade of the sprain.
Turf toe: is a condition that occurs due to repetitive hyperextension of the big toe. If it’s not treated it can lead to a fracture, but if ice is used and the athlete rests the foot, then the risk of a fracture dramatically decreases. It usually takes two or three weeks for the pain to subside, then the athlete should be able to compete at full capability.
Come on in for gift cards for the holidays, spiritwear and required reading books for Language Arts. It’s getting cold out there . . . we have coffee, tea, hot chocolate and hopefully chai latte soon!
the feed kaitlyn wylie • feed editor
Swing Top
Classroom Couture In a sea of sweatpants and Uggs, a few people retain their sense of style even at school
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I like wearing fall colors and swing tops. Leggings are also a fall essential, paired with riding boots to dress up the look a bit. Statement necklaces can make any look more fashionable and adds diversity.” Heather Akkerman • 9
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Pixie Cut
“
Some of my favorite fall trends are ripped jeans and short hair, especially pixies. Pixies are cute and trendy right now. They are also very easy to style, all I have to is put a little mousse in my hair.” Emma Abernathy • 10
Army Green
“
In the autumn, I really enjoy wearing infinity scarfs, and more neutral colors. One of these colors is army green. Army green jackets and dresses are both in right now.” Georgia Miranda • 10
Formal
The way I dress directly reflects the way I want to present myself, and I think it’s very important to present yourself the way you want to be seen. That’s a very conscience decision. So rather than slipping into what is comfortable, it’s important to at least have a certain amount of formality.” Paul Stricklin • 12
Nov. 13, 2015 • page twelve
Small Acts Do Big Things
Nov. 13 is World Kindness Day. Here’s a look at what kindness means, how it’s celebrated and examples of small acts of kindness that take place every day Kindness Day is practiced around the world, and although it is not as prominent in America as in other countries, its idea of promoting kindness is one Americans can not forget. This holiday was introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement. Others countries have gone great lengths to unite people in the common goal of creating a happier and friendlier environment. Widely celebrated in the United Kingdom, citizens have participated by handing out 10,000 free candy bars at bus stations and
encouraging people to text good morning and good night to loved ones and remind those people how much they are appreciated. Other global celebrations include 30,000 flowers being given out at the Singapore Kindness Movement. Kindness can be spread with small acts such as holding the door open for someone or giving them a compliment. Giving blood, money or your time to those less fortunate all help to grow communities into happier places to live. One small act of kindness can change someone’s day or week.
How does LHS show kindness?
“I volunteer at my church’s fish fry to help feed the community. I also helped run the Christmas display where the kids play.” - Brayden Haight, 9
“Through Key Club, I was given the opportunity to help with a TASK social night. We did Halloween activities with special needs kids, and built relationships.” - Katherine Murphy, 12
“For the past several years I have grown and organized the canned food drive from something that only collected 3,000 cans to now collecting 30,000. At Lafayette I am also able to help kids with small acts of kindness such as paying for kid’s lunches who don’t have money in their account or giving hugs to those who need them.” - Kirti Mehrotra, Assistant Principal
“I give $5 gifts to my teachers to show them I appreciate all their hard work helping me achieve my goals.” - Brian Reid, 10
“I volunteer at Equine Assisted Therapy. It helps kids with disabilities while they have fun riding horses.” -Sydney Tillman, 11