Nov 10, 2017 by Lafayette High School

Nov. 10, 2017 | Vol. 49, No. 3

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Social Media: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

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As social media becomes more of a way of life, parents and schools have had to deal with the implications of its usage â&#x20AC;&#x201D; both positive and negative. Check out pages 8-9 to see the different restrictions, consequences and effects of using social media platforms.

Cover by Marlo May

|OPINIONS|

Nov. 10, 2017

Part-time employment key to financial independence later

Staff Editorial

Dear Amazon HQ committee: You missed out. St. Louis would have been The staff editorial the perfect place for your next headquarters. St. Louis may not be the first city to come to represents a majority mind when considering a new HQ location for a opinion of the multinational e-commerce company. After all, what can a city surrounded for miles and miles Image Editorial Board. by corn stalks and grass plains do for the largest online retailer in the world? Turns out, it had quite a bit to offer. St. Louis is overlooked and underestimated in almost every aspect. Too often labelled as a “fly-over city” St. Louis is consistently given a bad reputation for being in the boring Midwest. But the diversity, culture, history, atmosphere and economic opportunity that a growing city like ours offers would have made it the perfect location for Amazon. The various cultural groups that have settled in the city since the 1900s have created an overwhelmingly diverse environment. From the restaurants and businesses on Cherokee Street to The Hill, each of St. Louis’s 79 neighborhoods represents a different corner of the globe. This diversity cannot be beat by any other city. St. Louis’s diversity extends to its several arts districts, the biggest of which is Grand Center. The Fox Theater is one of only two in the entire nation and the Muny is America’s largest outdoor musical theater. Forest Park, which is 50 percent larger than NYC’s Central Park, houses some of the best attractions in the area including the Science Center, History Museum, Art Museum and the St. Louis Zoo. All of them are free. These institutions add to the rich culture of the city, and undoubtedly offer some of the best value. And, of course, we can’t forget the great sports teams and the overall homey feel of St. Louis. Our prime location in the middle of the nation was perfect for an online company to settle down in. Since Amazon’s other headquarters is located way west in Seattle, our centralized location would have provided many advantages that its other location can’t offer. St. Louis’s diverse population and central location make it the perfect breeding ground for entrepreneurial opportunity. In 2014, St. Louis was the metro area with the second fastest rate of new startups in the nation. But it’s not just about what St. Louis could have done for Amazon. Amazon would have done much for St. Louis as well. St. Louis didn’t always fall in the shadow of Chicago — we used to be the most influential city in the Midwest region. As the US’s leading aircraft manufacturer until the 1950s, the St. Louis Aircraft Corporation brought prosperity and status to St. Louis city. However, in the past few decades, St. Louis has experienced a sharp decline in entrepreneurship. As much as St. Louis thrives culturally, many issues such as housing, unemployment and high crime rates plague the city. Having Amazon establish its Headquarters in St. Louis would have created jobs, occupied some of the unused buildings downtown, and helped St. Louis thrive economically as well. Amazon would have helped revive our city from its decades-long slump. St. Louis offers many of the same advantages to Amazon that some of the biggest cities in the U.S. offer, but on a smaller and much more personal level. It’s a perfectly small big city. But, St. Louis, after years of decline, is on the rebound and has a bright future in store, with or without Amazon Headquarters.

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Being a teenager is undeniably an awkward, transitional period of one’s life. For the first time in ever, we find ourselves with an overwhelming need for freedom and independence from our parents, yet financial crises have us reluctantly going back to our mommies and daddies for one thing: money. Having to ask your parents for money every Friday night is easily avoidable though. The solution may not sound so appealing for those of us who already feel overwhelmed with our school work loads and extracurricular activities, but finding part-time employment can play a pivotal role in your independent monetary activity. The process of actually finding yourself employment seems daunting, but applying for part-time position as a 16-year-old in no way elicits the same amount of stress, dedication and prior experience that many jobs after college require. Most of the time, part-time positions at fast food businesses, sit-down restaurants and retail stores require no previous employment, just certain skills and characteristics that are necessary for the job in question. Generally, working a part-time job means working three to five shifts a week, although your employer could assign more or less based on your availability. Working a few hours for a couple days a week

Gratitude looks better on you this season Natalie Karlsson | Reporter It’s almost Turkey Day, which for a lot of us, means massive portions of food and family festivities. But a lot of us are forgetting the real reason for Thanksgiving: to give thanks. There are plenty of us who want the new iPhone X and those expensive Adidas sneakers everyone needs to have. We pout and complain about how much our lives suck because we can’t see our friends over the weekend because it seems all of our teachers decide to have tests on the same day. But shouldn’t we also be grateful for what we do have? While many of us see the petty problems of our lives agonizing, there are children around the world with limited access to food and water, and would do anything for any pair of shoes, Adidas Superstars or not. It’s easy for us to forget how fortunate we really are. With the stresses of day-to-day student life, we’re forgetting to realize that we have quite a bit to be thankful for. Is it really that hard to realize we’re lucky? Compared to those who have to spend time to find fresh water instead of receiving an education, we’re doing fine. There aren’t many of us who’d rather be working in a hot field in Africa instead of being in an air conditioned building, with or without extra homework. It’s a challenge, but once we realize how lucky we are, it’s also easier to realize how fortunate we are. This year, try to see the positive side of conversing with your family you haven’t seen in years instead of scrolling through Instagram. Be grateful you have food at the table, be grateful for the people spending time with you and be grateful you don’t have to worry about what your next meal is because there’s always leftovers after Thanksgiving.

General Information

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The newspaper’s primary obligation is to inform its readers about events in the school and community and of issues of national or international importance which directly or indirectly affect the school population. The newspaper, while serving as a training ground for future journalists as part of the school curriculum, recognizes all rights and responsibilities under the First Amendment. Operating as a public forum, student editors will apply professional standards and ethics for decision making as they take on the responsibility for content and production of the newspaper. The Rockwood School District Policies and Regulations concerning official student publications and the specific policies and procedures used by student publications can be found at lancerfeed.press under the About Us tab.

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can be time consuming, especially with the workload of Travis Bodell multiple high Opinions Editor school courses. But, the result is rewarding, and not just in terms of extra spending money in your wallet. Holding a part-time position allows you to develop skills vital to your future in the work force. Learning to work efficiently with your co-workers, even if you don’t always see eye-to-eye, is a skill that will come in handy with almost any job you hold in the future. Working part-time as a high school student is not for everyone. Some students are already overwhelmed with their workload from school, and the last thing they need in their lives is an additional causation of stress. Others just have no need for additional pocket change, or pay their day-to-day expenses by other means. Balancing the time commitment and potential stress of work with the homework and projects assigned to you at school can be challenging, but fruitful in the long run.

theTea

STARS & GRIPES Stars: • Google Maps is removing that cupcake calorie counter after user backlash. Now we can put on that winter weight in peace. • Stranger Things 2 saved us from homework over the long weekend. • Winter is here. Toss the pumpkin spice and bring on the peppermint. •The end to Daylight Savings Time. Just a week in and it still feels like we are getting an hour more of sleep. • President Donald Trump was elected just over one year ago. Hang in there America. Only three to go.

Gripes: • Zombie frappucinos. Enough said. • We have Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Small Business Wednesday. How about We Want Cash For The Holidays Wednesday. • Clocks in the halls don’t match. Still. • What’s with summer to winter. Did we completely skip fall?

Image Staff

Digital Media Staff

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

|OPINIONS|

Nov. 10, 2017

American Horror Story takes distracting political stance for this season

The Monthly Strawman by Charlotte Komrosky-Licata

Abby Karandjeff | Reporter

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The American Horror Story (AHS) franchise has recently started airing their latest season: AHS Cult. This is their seventh season, and it features many returning actors, such as Evan Peters and Sarah Paulson. The season begins with the 2016 Presidential Election, showing Donald Trump as the winner. A lesbian couple, starring Paulson as Ally and Alison Pill as her wife Ivy, are petrified for their rights and future as gay women and for their son, Oz, under the Trump administration. In contrast, Kai Anderson, portrayed by Peters, is in support of Trump and, in celebration, maniacally makes his face orange to replicate Trump’s fake tan. As the show progresses after the election, Ally’s pre-existing phobias intensify, causing tension in her home. Kai proceeds to develop a violent cult of underprivileged people dressed as clowns. Kai was excited to see Trump win, appearing psychotic as he yells and jumps around and tries to look like Trump. So basically, AHS hinted at demonizing Trump supporters. This generalization is dangerous, especially coming from a show with a large fan base. No matter what your opinion is, the facts stand that Trump won and is held to the same laws as any citizen is, so demonizing him serves no real purpose other than to brew controversy. To completely bash people who were in support of Trump is a blatant and superficial blanket stereotype. This season is more politically active than previous installments. From Murder House to Roanoke, the show slyly hints at a liberal preference, casually including samesex couples, abortions, etc. in its plot. Cult outright bashes conservatives and Republicans from the second the show begins. The political stereotypes the main characters embody may serve as a reference to actual popculture responses to the 2016 election and its outcome, but they take away from the creepiness and genuineness the show possessed in its earlier

seasons. Similar to past seasons, the cinematography and acting remain high-quality and realistic, giving the audience an ominous aura and leaving viewers wanting more. The plot continues its pattern of being intriguingly complex, thickening yet also becoming clearer the season reaches its end. AHS tends to be a mix of psychological horror and jump scares. This season, the directors continue to up the shock factor and bring a new environment to their fans. The show plays on Ally’s anxiety and over-exaggerations, giving the viewer a glimpse into her mind. Periodically, as tension increases, there are jump scares. The show is well produced and intriguing but makes a definite political stand which may offend some viewers. These politicallycharged references serve as a source for dry humor and shallow entertainment and allures viewers with a commonly known topic. Ultimately, they distract from the unsettling and disturbing themes that the show has been known to impose.

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Opinion by Travis Bodell Opinions Editor

What are your favorite leftovers to have cold?

| Marian Hassan, 9 | “Chicken is my favorite food, no matter how hot or cold. The temperature doesn’t matter to me.”

| Elizabeth McElhannon, 10 | | Maurya Akula, 11 | “Sweet and Sour chicken tastes great cold and hot, but having it cold is just a different taste...it’s swell.”

“Pizza is good hot, but when it’s cold, it’s in your fridge, and you have food for the next day.”

| Steve Fuller, 12 | “Pizza has an entirely different flavor when cold and is still good. I prefer it warm, but I’ll eat it either way.”

| Ashley Lewis, Physical Education |

“I actually don’t like leftovers, but if had to pick, it’d be some type of pasta, like lasagna.”

|NEWS |

Early college partnership opens doors for education

photo by Jessica Cargill

Nov. 10, 2017

Jasmin Kim | Reporter On April 30, 2017, the Rockwood Board of Education finalized its decision to approve of an Early College Partnership program between the Rockwood School District and St. Louis Community College Wildwood. “Dr. Eric Knost learned of the partnership between the Forest Park campus and St. Louis Public Schools and decided to pursue it for Rockwood,” Associate Provost for STLCC-Wildwood Michael Dreith said. According to the Rockwood website, students who successfully complete this program will earn both an Associate of Arts degree as well as a high school diploma at the time of their graduation. The enrolled students can immerse in a college environment with mutual financial support between Rockwood and the St. Louis Community College Foundation. Students who wish to be enrolled in the program must have a GPA of 2.5 or higher and must complete an entrance essay. Then, their applications are reviewed by the committee which oversees the program. As a senior, Franki Petrosino wanted to find a new way to finish out her high school career. When she was searching for dual enrollment options, she found the Early College Partnership program. “I got to participate in the program because I wanted to do dual enrollment and my counselor asked me if I wanted to be in this program where I take all of my classes at Wildwood [Community College],” Petrosino said. Coordinator of K-12 School Counseling Todd Minichiello is the Rockwood supervisor for this program and looks forward to what it can offer to the students. “Each course taken [at STLCC-Wildwood] is transferred back to [the student’s] high school transcript. So, students can graduate with their Rockwood diploma and an associate’s degree. The college credits can then directly transfer to a four-year college,” Minichiello said. “For example, the University of Missouri system will accept every one of the 64 credits in the associate’s degree, saving our families lots of tuition.” Currently, there are seven juniors and two seniors from Lafayette enrolled in this program. All of their classes are taught by STLCC-Wildwood professors on campus. So far, Petrosino is satisfied with the program. “I’m taking the general education classes, and I like them all. All the teachers are willing to help, but it’s me going to ask for help. I like how they don’t baby you like teachers sometimes do in high school,” Petrosino said. Junior Kylee Tenny also talked about the positive experiences she has had through the early college partnership program. “I’m really liking my classes. They are interesting, but also there is more responsibility. You have to really ask questions. The teachers are not going to seek you

16447 Village Plaza View Dr. Wildwood, MO 63011

(636) 458-9000

All the teachers are willing to help. I like how they don’t baby you like teachers sometimes do in high school. | Franki Petrosino, 12 | Franki Petrosino throughout if you are struggling. You have to actually ask for help. I have more freedom, though, and a lot more time to study since I’m at school 16 hours a week. It’s an interesting experience,” Tenny said. The enrollees are expected to uphold higher responsibility than their counterparts as official college students. Petrosino needed a time of adjustment for the discipline required by the program. “At first, it was difficult to manage everything, but once I found out how to manage my time better and get a good homework schedule, it is a lot easier, and I’m only in school for nine hours a week,” Petrosino said. With these privileges came some concerns. Tenny had problems regarding her lunch schedule at Lafayette. “At first, I was really loving the program. Then I wanted to visit for lunch. I had some trouble because they wouldn’t let me come onto campus, but I was able to work it out with (Principal Karen) Dr. Calcaterra so I can come for lunch. I just wanted to make sure that I still have time to come here and hang out,” Tenny said. Even though the enrollees spend their days on the STLCC-Wildwood campus, they are registered as Lafayette students. They are entitled to the same things as other students, such as having access to their college counselor, the Library, Resource Center and computer labs. Additionally, many still return to Lafayette for clubs, sports and school events. “I’m not in any clubs currently, but I try to go to games and stuff like that, just trying to be active,” Tenny said. As a member of the girls varsity swim, Petrosino plans on returning for swim season. Any interested students should complete and submit their application by February 1 to the Student Resources Center on 111 East North Street Eureka, MO 63025. The online applications were released on Nov. 1 through the Rockwood website. The committee will review the applications during the month of February and will notify the status of acceptance on March. For more information, please make an appointment with the guidance counselors.

|NEWS |

Nov. 10, 2017

Avenues of assistance aid achievement

Various in-school resources cultivate academic excellence and support students’ mental health Clare Mulherin | Reporter Lafayette is often regarded as one of the best public schools in Missouri, ranking at number four. One thing that may make that possible is the many different resources available to students who need a little help both academically and with emotional-social issues.

School Social Worker Cindy Laudel, a social worker at Lafayette, is available for both academic and emotional support in the Lafayette community. “I kind of describe myself as an extra support person in the building and at the same Cindy Laudel time an extension of a counselor. Bottom line, as a school social worker, I should be helping students to be successful in school, so whatever it is that interferes with that success, I add support,” she said. Laudel works by talking to students and, if the student is comfortable, talking with parents to isolate the issue present. She also interacts with those involved in the student’s life. “I say I’m like an extension of a counselor because counselors all have a caseload of students, but I don’t see everybody in the building,” Laudel said. She provides help for students who are referred to her mainly through discussion.

Homework Help/ After School Tutoring Students who are struggling solely in academics can also seek help through other methods in the school. Homework help and after school tutoring are programs in the library where students have a safe environment to think, study, resolve questions and complete their homework. At least three staff are members available as well as tutors from either the A+ program or National Honor Society (NHS). Spanish teacher John Becker stays in the Library after school to supervise the tutoring.

“I really like seeing kids go from not feeling capable or comfortable with a concept to feeling like they’re on their way to mastering it. It’s one of the coolest things I get to do with kids on a daily basis,” Becker said.

Lancers Helping Lancers Another resource in our school is Lancers Helping Lancers (LHL), another club aimed at supporting the student body, but in terms of mental health and mindfulness. It is sponsored by social studies teacher Steve Klawiter and physical education teacher Denise Meyer. LHL discusses mental illness and the different types. The members educate themselves and have guest speakers come in to speak about personal experiences. Some become Communities Healing Adolescent Depression and Anxiety (CHADS) ambassadors which means they are certified to assist peers who struggle with mental illness. To promote positivity and mindfulness LHL organizes de-stress days, LHS Compliments and hands out lifesavers. For their de-stress days, LHL has yoga, crafts and therapy dogs. The group teams up with other clubs in the school to spread awareness and help support students. “I know many people with mental illness and I originally joined LHL so I could learn how to help them. It has opened my eyes to how I can take better care of myself and promote mental health,” Alyssa Hahn, senior, said.

Youth in Need Even outside of school, there are many organizations with the purpose of aiding students through the struggles of high school. Youth In Need’s (YIN) primary focus is to provide support, help students maintain Samuel Bethel their mental health and provide care for struggling students. YIN is a program set up in St. Louis and has spread across many other counties within Missouri. YIN offers help through therapy, runaway programs, transitional youth housing, teen parent programs, foster care case management

photo by Natalie Karlsson

Madison MacRae, senior, receives help with her math homework for Finite Math from FACS teacher Leah Obenhaus in the Library after school. The Homework Help sessions are open everyday from 3:154:30 p.m. for students who want to do their homework at school with teachers from various subject areas available to help. and the head-start program manages grant funding and supports lower-incomes families. At Lafayette, YIN social worker Samuel Bethel provides an extra avenue of support. Bethel is a trained therapist and acts alongside the counseling staff. “Students these days have a high likelihood of mental distress. There are more and more pressures put on high schoolers,” Bethel said.

With all the pressures put upon students, Bethel provides his support through discussion and goal-oriented support plans. Bethel hopes to treat if not resolve client’s issues. For any students who needs assistance with academics or social-emotional issues, many resources exist. The guidance counselors or assistant principals are a good first resource to find specific assistance programs.

@thelancerfeed “You are always a student, never a master. You have to keep moving forward.”

|NEWS |

Nov. 10, 2017

Lafayette’s Dirtiest Secrets

Some of most germ-bearing places in the school are not what you would think Amisha Paul | Assistant Editor-in-Chief With flu and cold season just around the corner, it’s pretty important to know which places in the school are the most susceptible to holding germs. According to Time Magazine, phones have far surpassed even the dirtiest of surfaces — think toilet seats — in terms of their ability to spread germs. Since everyone uses their phone on a daily basis, and given the fact that they come with us everywhere, it makes sense that

Day 1 cellphone screen

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computer keyboard

toilet handle

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phones would be the dirtiest germ-carriers. We put the magazine’s claim to the test. We swabbed six phones — two of which were cleaned with hand sanitizer prior to swabbing — and other places around the school such as the front door, a keyboard, a stairwell, a toilet handle, a locker and a vending machine. We monitored the growth of the bacteria over the course of a week, as the petri dishes were incubated in a science lab. Our results differed quite a bit with those of Time’s. We found that although the uncleaned phone showed quite a

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bit of bacterial growth, it was not nearly as much as the growth found on keyboards and toilet handles. We also found the phone that was cleaned with hand sanitizer did not have any substantial bacterial growth, which speaks to the effectiveness of hand sanitizer in keeping phones and other surfaces clean. Below are a few of the petri dishes that were used in swabbing some phones and other places in the school. To check out pictures of some of the other places in the school, visit lancerfeed.press.

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Nov. 10, 2017

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Nov. 10, 2017

|COVER STORY|

Life Online: Adults, teens have different views on acceptable use Do Parents Ruin Social Media?

Students, parents reveal philosophies usage Natalie Karlsson | Reporter

ith the many platforms available to access the outside worlds, some parents believe establishing some guidelines for their teens and their use of social media will keep their kids safer. Others, however, may overrestrict their teens, at least according to those impacted by parental control of their online lives. Sophomore Caleb Brunk knows most of these restrictions. His parents restrict him by setting limits on his screen time, making him use Safe Search instead of the usual search engines and hiding certain apps. “I pretty much can’t use anything. After 10:30 p.m., it’s literally impossible to do anything I, as a curious teenager, would want to do. I have to use Safe Search for going online,” Brunk said. Safe Search, a software that filters all “unsafe” and “inappropriate” websites and images, was discovered by Brunk’s parents as a replacement for Google. However, some of these ‘safe’ search engines block what teens may actually need for school-related purposes. “It even blocked the Rockwood site a few times, which made the point of Safe Search seem dumb. The App Store is blocked, Safari is blocked. Everything is pretty much blocked,” Brunk said. “It’s unfair because I want to do things that teens normally do.” Brunk is not alone. The reality of restrictions is true for many. “I can’t remember what could’ve caused it. The restrictions kind of just happened. It sucks, honestly,” Brunk said. When Brunk thinks about being completely free from these restrictions, it doesn’t change his views. Brunk still thinks these restrictions are reasonable to a certain extent. “If I didn’t have restrictions, I’d have more freedom when it comes to social media and stuff, but I’d probably restrict myself from certain things,” Brunk said. “Not having any restrictions at all doesn’t make sense in raising teens these days, but it backfires when you’re at this point.” Brunk has slowly learned to accept his restrictions. “I understand it. I deal with it. I also know it won’t change for a while,” Brunk said. “It’s just my parents saying ‘this is how it is, and it’s for the best.’” Robyn Burton, a sophomore parent, limits her daughter only to what she believes is necessary, and she has her reasons for it. “It’s fair for parents to limit screen time. They should also be able to see what their teens are up to on their numerous social media accounts,” Burton said. “I think each parent has their own set of rules when it comes to social media access.” Burton doesn’t see the need for her daughter having every

How closely do your parents monitor your social media access?

possible social media app, as she believes using those apps in moderation is important for the future. “It’s good for teens to experience the world in bits and pieces, not all at once. Online access is still very new and doesn’t have many laws or guidelines yet,” Burton said. “To me this means the parents should be involved, but not completely restricting. Punishment for technology-related faults should fit the crime.” Even though trust needs to be gained before they head off to college where they will be out of their parents’ watchful eyes, some teens have already gained their parents’s trust and gradually earn more when it comes to social media. “It didn’t seem fair back in middle school that I wasn’t completely trusted, but it made me realize I needed to focus more on school than anything because whatever happens now pretty much determines my future,” freshman Hope Ware said. For Ware, the transition from middle school to high school meant more freedom. “This year my parents let me get Instagram and Twitter. Back in middle school they didn’t let me have it because of the weird things that could show up that they couldn’t control. They realized Twitter can actually help me in a way,” Ware said. Twitter is more regularly used by teachers and sports coaches for an easy way to contact students and athletes. “I can see what extra things teachers post, and I can also get a lot of updates for sports teams,” Ware said. “That was the main reason I was allowed to have it.” Senior London Smith has trust from her parents, but still has restrictions that can be frustrating at times. “I have to put my phone in my parents’ room at 10:30 p.m. on the charger. They don’t let me use it after that,” Smith said. “It’s sometimes upsetting because I’ll be there trying to figure out something in a group chat and I can’t because my parents say it’s too late.” However, Smith also understands where her parents are coming from. “Yeah, I get it. They’re my parents and they have the right to restrict me from what they think I need restricting from, which isn’t too much,” Smith said. “It’s also beneficial because I don’t see a need to be awake without my phone, and I can also get extra studying in during that time.” Realizing there could be a lot more rules than there are now helps Smith realize what she is restricted from isn’t too extreme. “I’m just happy I don’t have crazy restrictions where I can’t even have any apps at all. I can’t imagine that,” Smith said. “My parents still check up on my texts and sometimes social media, but I know I’m trusted enough to be independent and know what comes first, and that’s school.”

photo by Natalie Karlsson

During 3rd Lunch, sophomore Gavin O’Neill checks his Instagram while Principal Karen Calcaterra observes his activity. Calcaterra started the #connectedlancer in an effort to advocate social media use. While she believes social media should be embraced, she still believes it should be used responsibly.

Living in the era of technological advancements, social media has become prevalent at all levels of society. This includes children who are growing up in these changing times, and who have access to communicating through technology at a younger and younger age. Christine Angelo is a family therapist with Clarkson Counseling who works with teens and their parents. She understands the problems they face with technology. “Issues that come up with families are how much time the teen spends on their phone, what social media avenues they’re allowed to have and fake accounts that parents don’t know about,” Angelo said. Parents are often ignorant of the extent of their kids’ activity online. “Before I advise parents, they unfortunately don’t get involved a lot in their child’s social media use. They think they’re doing a good thing by restricting them, but there’s apps like Kik [a messaging app] that they secretly use,” Angelo said. She acknowledges the effects of social media on mental health. “Think about it. We have Snapchat where it’s easy to take and share pictures, and others judge those pictures. It also can affect adults,” Angelo said. While there is the concern for bodily harm, social media also targets mental stability and the approval of their peers. “Parents need to educate themselves and find out how all of these apps work. There are all of these secret apps that people have that can hide things. Use a co-worker or a sister or a brother and play around with it and see what works,” Angelo said. The age difference between parents and their children creates a barrier when it comes to technology use.

And, the prevalence of social media not only impacts the home environment, but it impacts schools, too. Terry Harris, Rockwood’s Director of Student Services, said, “We as schools need to embrace social media. I think of it like talking to your parents or grandparents about rock n’ roll. People were so against big stars and their movement, but it’s here and we live with it.” He believes acceptance of these new platforms is necessary for learning to use it effectively, especially in this era of rapid development with electronics and medias. With all of this taken into account, students and parents need to know how schools can get involved with their social media use. Rockwood is a public school district, and is therefore not allowed much control over students’ social medias as private schools would have. That can create a challenge for the schools. But, Harris said parents and students should report posts that are threats or other harmful content that disturbs the school environment. Harris said in Rockwood, the media in question needs to have a nexus, or connection, to the school. If the post or the reason behind it originated in school, then Rockwood has the right to discipline the student who published it. On a more personal level, administrators at Lafayette have been getting more involved with student’s social media. Principal Karen Calcaterra said, “Students say, ‘Oh, they posted this about me last night,’ and that becomes, ‘Oh, they hate me.’ And we know that’s mean, but from a school perspective, it’s hard for us to suspend a student because we can’t discipline them for using their freedom of speech in their own time.”

A controversial case involving students and their social media content occurred last August at the Mary Institute-Saint Louis County Day School (MICDS). Here’s what happened:

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Abby Karandjeff | Reporter

Private schools implement stricter control over social media

Out of 58 students surveyed on Twitter,

52% said “parents don’t monitor” 45% said “parents follow my account(s)” 3% said “parents have my password” 0% said “parents don’t allow social media”

Experts weigh in on social media use

• The incident involved four freshmen girls who exchanged racial and sexual slurs on social media, and a fifth student who referenced submitting an application to the Ku Klux Klan. • The school sent a letter to all parents indicating the students had been asked to leave the school. • Students in question exchanged their comments using Snapchat. • MICDS officials became aware of the issue when an senior tweeted out a screenshot of the original messages. His tweet and graphic attachments were re-tweeted nearly 350 times with 600 likes. • 34 percent of MICDS’ 1,200 students identify as “people of color.” • The school draws students from more than 60 ZIP codes in the St. Louis area. • Following the school’s action, administrators received several threats online resulting in an investigation by the Ladue police. • MICDS said the content of the threats contained “a lot of hate speech,” including quotes from the excessively violent film Fight Club framed as a threat to upper school administrators.

How does this relate to Lafayette?

The school can discipline students for speech over social media when a threat is involved or there is a connection to the school. Lafayette controls students’ internet access to certain websites and apps like Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook, and it can block them while on the school’s internet.

She emphasized that there’s a difference between content that is rude and content that is threatening. Although the school cannot discipline students for purely ‘mean’ content, they prioritize solving the issue at hand and keeping the peace. “If it ever involves into something egregious or involves student safety, then we look at that from a very serious lens. Inappropriate use of social media complicates student relationships, so they need administrative help sometimes, “ Calcaterra said. Lafayette acts to mediate relationships and strains caused by social media, as they cannot always punish students. It is also the responsibility of the school as well as the state to get involved when it comes to teens and social media. Harris said, “The state of Missouri has a law saying schools have to teach internet safety, which has now spread to social media. All districts by state statute have to create some type of program where they’re talking about internet safety.” Missouri has made advancements in their prioritization of teen’s safety on the internet. By pushing for education and awareness of students and teachers about social media platforms, the state is progressively helping adolescents make positive decisions. While Missouri is advancing their actions about social media, so are schools. “We are involved on both a state and local level. School counselors are talking about it, social workers are talking about it. You take a look at some of the classes that we are offering, and teachers are embracing social media, but they’re also talking about the impact of social media,“ Harris said. Most educational officials and experts agree that incorporation of social media into students’ daily lives is a way of normalizing technological advancements.

App Policies Because various social media apps have specific guidelines about access, The Guardian reports “over 80 percent of kids aged 11-15 lie about their age to create social media accounts.” • Snapchat Policy: not intended for kids under 13, no personal information collected from people under 13 • Instagram Policy: does not collect info for kids under 13, links with Facebook • Twitter Policy: must be at least 13, reports anything automatically that seems harmful (spam, self-harm, graphic content, abusive behavior, impersonation, multiple account misuse, threats...etc.) • Facebook Policy: 13 and older, allowed to use any IP content (photos and videos) that you post

|FEATURES |

Nov. 10, 2017

Bringing the unseen to light

Students share daily struggles with hidden conditions Shwetha Sundarrajan| Reporter

atie Greenstein, sophomore, wanted to bring awareness to conditions that impact her and many others during Invisible Disabilities Week, a week establisheds to bring awareness that some people suffer from serious conditions that are not immediately obvious to others. "I was searching for a way to bring awareness to represent the hidden diseases that we all have. I discovered the Smiley Face Project through Instagram and thought it was a great way to bring awareness in a way that isn’t depressing,” Greenstein said. The Smiley Face Project asks participants to draw colored smiley faces on their body, with each color corresponding to the hidden illness the participant has. “I have smileys for depression, mental illness, chronic illnesses, autoimmune diseases, one that it is in support of people with hidden illnesses and allergies. The bottom teal one is for anxiety, the pink one is for eosinophilic esophagitis which is an allergic condition in the esophagus,” she said. Greenstein wants talking about tough topics like anxiety, depression, and other struggles that come with having an illness to become the norm. “I wanted to let other people know that it was okay to have these conditions., It’s okay to be open about them, and it’s okay for other people to talk about them. As a kid, I was ashamed of having allergies. When I went to someone’s birthday party, I couldn’t have their cake and had to bring my own. So I wanted to stand as this living statue of all these conditions and say that it’s okay,” Greenstein said.

sh Dozier, junior, was diagnosed with an unidentifiable autoimmune disease three years ago. “There’s different kinds of autoimmune diseases and there isn’t a certain type of test you can take to exactly determine what type of disease you have,” Dozier said. Testing for an autoimmune disease can involve auto-antibody tests, inflammation and organ function tests and blood tests. Although there is no single test that can confirm a diagnosis of an autoimmune disorder, there are tests that can suggest or rule out the presence of a suspected autoimmune disorder. “I took an allergy test in middle school and I tested positive for a lot of the allergies. My doctors thought that my symptoms were caused because I was lactose intolerant, but then we figured out that my symptoms were caused by an autoimmune disease,” she said. Since there are 80 types of known autoimmune diseases, it’s hard for doctors to figure out what exactly is causing Dozier’s symptoms. “I start feeling sick to my stomach, but it happens in an instant. For me, it’s incredible abdominal pain, my organs feel like they’re shifting, and my immune system is weakened,” Dozier said. photo by Shwetha Sundarrajan

Katie Greenstein, sophomore, drew different colored smiley faces on her legs for Invisible Disabilities Week. The teal one is for anxiety and the pink one is for eosinophilic esophagitis.

Invisible Disabilities Week was sponsored by the Invisible Disabilities Association (IDA) on Oct. 15-21 to increase awareness.

ashelle Johnson, senior, has a condition called Vasovagal syncope, characterized by a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure leading to fainting, often in reaction to stress. “I’ve been struggling with this for around three years, being in and out of the hospital, and it’s hard for me to stay in school full-time because I tend to faint a lot,” Johnson said. Symptoms include light-headedness, dizziness, hot flashes and headaches. Fainting can occur at any time of day, and it usually occurs more frequently when there’s underlying anxiety. “If I have some type of stressor or anxiety, I definitely faint more often. A lot of my treatment and medications are directed to reducing my stress and anxiety levels so I don’t faint suddenly,” she said. Usually, Vasovagal syncope isn’t dangerous, except in certain situations. “There’s always a fear as to when I’m going to faint, especially while driving. There have been some times when I had to pull over because I was really close to fainting and was swerving a lot,” Johnson said. Due to her condition, Johnson said her multiple absences have impacted her schooling. “My grades have gone down due to my absences, and it’s definitely hard to adjust. I’ve had to start taking online classes and really lean on (Assistant Principal) Fields and (Principal Karen) Calcaterra. Missing school caused some anxiety, which definitely did not help my disorder,” Johnson said. Although having Vasovagal syncope certainly puts dampeners on Johnson’s school and social life, her perspective on her disorder has certainly changed throughout the years. “I kind of just got used to it. At this point, a lot of my friends and family know about my condition so it doesn’t make me feel super conscious about it anymore. Although it’s embarrassing to faint during class in front of everyone, I’ve gotten over it,” Johnson said.

onathan Ebenezer, junior, was diagnosed with dyslexia in elementary school. “I don’t remember exactly when I was diagnosed, but my mom says she knew when I started reading. When I started reading books, I’d say that the words moved. I also had difficulty spelling, even now,” Ebenezer said. He was diagnosed in India, where he said school officials are discriminatory to students with learning disabilities. "When we moved here, my parents didn’t want to tell school officials because they feared that I would be discriminated against,” Ebenezer said. Dyslexia involves difficulty in reading, writing and spelling. Although it can manifest itself in varying degrees of severity, some people like Ebenezer can figure out unique ways to overcome the problems dyslexia presents. “The severity of my dyslexia hasn’t really decreased, but I’ve learned how to control it. Even though I have dyslexia, I’m in all AP classes and still manage to get A’s in them. Rather than succumbing to my learning disability, I overcame it,” he said. Because the severity of the dyslexia varies from person to person, writing poses the most difficulty for Ebenezer. “Now, I struggle more with writing. I’m a fast reader now, but my writing skills-especially my spelling wasn’t up to par. Until last year, I couldn’t spell ‘witch’,” Ebenezer said. Despite the struggles Ebenezer went through, he persevered and did not let dyslexia hold him back. “When I was in elementary school, I felt really dumb because I had to go to a different classroom to improve my reading skills. As I grew up, I learned to overcome dyslexia and I persevered to get into ALARP even though I didn’t make it initially,” Ebenezer said.

|FEATURES |

Nov. 10, 2017

Veterans Day honorees close to home

Staff reminisces about days of service in military Chloe Baker | Reporter Math teacher Jim Carel has taught at Lafayette for 14 years, but before, he was in the Air Force. “I grew up very poor, so the reason I went to the military is to go to the Air Force Academy because I got a free education that I never could have afforded. That gave me a job in the Air Force,” Carel said. Carel served at the Military Airlift Command headquarters. He said the people you meet and interact with are the best part of the service. After leaving the service, Carel worked in the business world before teaching. He didn’t find the transition to be difficult, but the experiences were different. Carel applies the lessons he learned in character in the Air Force to his students now. He tries his best to be a positive role model for them and show them discipline and how goals are important. “I try to be honest, and use the character that you develop in the military,” Carel said. Since leaving the Army, Vincent DeBlasi has taught social studies at Lafayette for 12 years. The first job DeBlasi had was in the intelligence field with a security clearance. He originally worked with Morse code and would listen to people send it. He learned different words in German, Bulgarian, Russian and Czech to better understand what was being said. He also worked for the National Security Agency. “I can’t really talk too much about what I did with my job, but I loved it. I basically just spied on people and then told other people what they were saying,” he said. DeBlasi also lived in Japan, Italy, and Maryland, but Germany impacted him the most. “That was a major advantage that the military gave me: the travel, the experience of meeting people, and yeah, I loved my job too. I keep in touch with some of the German people I met, ” DeBlasi said. The only real reason why he chose to join the military is because he struggled academically. “I didn’t do very well out of high school. I passed, but I was getting Cs and I thought ‘okay this isn’t cool’ and I realized that early on that I wasn’t ready for college. I knew my only

photo courtesy of Jim Smith

The week of his retirement, Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Jim Smith stands in front of Silver Dolphin Bistro on the Pearl Harbor Side of Hawaii.

photo courtesy of Todd Decker

Todd Decker stands next to an A-10 at King Fahad Air Force Base in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm. other option was to join the military instead of doing some job I didn’t like,” DeBlasi said. Chemistry teacher Todd Decker is a veteran of the Air Force and has taught at Lafayette for 12 years. Right after college, Decker underwent flight training in Oklahoma. He later flew several aircrafts in England. From England, he was deployed to Operation Desert Storm for six weeks during the Gulf War. After coming back, he lived in San Antonio for a few years as a flight instructor. “The best moments were just going to the range practicing shooting the gun, dropping the bomb. Worse moments would have been flying in the weather at night in formation, and trying to battle spatial disorientation in those situations,” Decker said. Decker grew up in Dexter, Missouri and aspired to be a pilot. He decided he wanted to join the Air Force late in his college career. “My dad was a crop duster and I grew up around airplanes. I also had my private pilot license, so that’s my main reason for joining the military,” Decker said. Student Resource Officer Jim McDonald served in the Marine Corps for four years. He was a heavy machine-gunner in the infantry. He went to boot camp right after college. “Boot camp is something totally different than anything you have ever done. I grew up about a 100 times as a 21-year-old out of college. I went

Undefined Come to Lafayette’s Improv Show December 8, 2017 3:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $3 at 3:30, $5 at 7:00

into the military to try to get my head out of my back side and the military will do that for you,” McDonald said. Aside from the tough work, McDonald missed his family when far from home. “It can be kinda lonely when you are out there by yourself in California or Japan. If you want to call your mom or dad it is 3:00 a.m. there and 8:00 p.m. here, so there is the whole time difference,” he said Both of McDonald's grandfathers served in World War II. His paternal grandfather fought in the Battle of the Bulge. As a kid, the military interested McDonald. After four years with the Marine Corps, McDonald came back to St. Louis to be with his family and to pursue a career. “It's a totally different lifestyle. In the Marine Corps, 5:30 a.m. you get up every day. Three days a week you go run with your platoon then come back and get a uniform inspection, and then you go do whatever you are going to do for training that day or you are getting ready to go to another location for something,” McDonald said. “When you get home, there is no schedule, you do whatever you want.” While he served for only a short time, he still found the experience to be very beneficial. “I was a scared, quiet little kid when I was in school. I was very timid, very introverted. You can’t be like that in the Marine Corps, they won’t let you. You learn to overcome a lot of your fear,” McDonald said.

Prior military experience builds character, work ethic for teachers Chloe Baker | Reporter Air Force and Marine Corps veteran and Lafayette alum Jim Smith returned to teach Air Force Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (AFJROTC) after his service. Smith signed on to the Marines during his junior year of high school. In 1986, just months after his graduation, he went to boot camp. He spent the next four years stationed at the Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station. After separating from the Marines, Smith came back home for college and then joined the Air Force. He was commissioned May of 1995 and arrived at his first station in Oklahoma City just after the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was bombed on July 4. Smith moved every two to three years and earned a master’s degree in aeronautical science. When he completed his service, he held the Air Force rank of Lt. Colonel. “I wouldn’t have the opportunity to go to college if it wasn’t for the military,” he said. Growing up, Smith looked up to his father who served in South Korea and had several siblings that joined the military. “I felt the military reinforced what I was raised with. The Air Force talks about integrity, service before self and excellence in all you do.” ROTC teacher David Cugier served active duty for 20 years in the Air Force. Cugier enlisted in 1973. For the first 10 years he was in logistics and supply while the last 10 years he was in the computers and communication fields. “Financially, college was not really going to happen. I had a large family, and the military was an excellent option for a young man coming out of high school that couldn’t go to college and didn’t want to go right into the work world,” he said. Throughout his 20 years, he never saw combat or served on a battlefield. He either worked behind a desk or in a warehouse. Despite being able to see other parts of the world, Cugier was often homesick. “The best was the camaraderie, and the travel for a young man at the time that was the best part. The worst part was being away from my family. I was a young man in Germany for three years and I’ve never left home before, never flew in an airplane before,” Cugier said. Cugier applies his military background to his job as an ROTC instructor. “This has truly been the most fulfilling thing connected with the military that I possibly could have imagined, and it’s an honor to be a teacher. Lafayette is an amazing institution with an amazing staff and amazing students,” Cugier said.

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2018 Yearbook Grad Ad Deadline Is Monday, Nov. 13! Remind your parents to turn them in and order your Legend. Info available at lancerfeed.press/yearbook

|FEATURES |

Nov. 10, 2017

Unconventional Fears Return From the Past Events trigger fears that may last just during youth, or throughout entire life Ally Hartman | Reporter

Marlo May | Graphic Designer

Some only last for a few years, others follow us for a lifetime. Either way, early frights have profound effects on people’s lives and change as people age. According to Anxiety Care UK, children ages 2-4 tend to fear things related to family instinct and imagination. They also fear loud noises, toilet training and bedtime. These change two years later. From ages 4-6 kids fear monsters and the dark, and they develop a fear of strangers. Around 9 years old, fears become more rational and involve things like injury, school or death. Their study reports that most fears will cease to be a problem without any

need for treatment. If not, exposing kids to fears as they age can desensitize them. Yet time and exposure sometimes aren’t enough. In those cases a more regulated approach is needed. The goal, especially with children, is to increase feelings of confidence and to give them a sense of skill and power over their fear. Small steps are best. To start with distanced encounters with their fear, rewarding them for closer contacts over time. After repeated safe and gradual exposures kids can directly contact their phobias, leading to abandonment of the fear. Other treatment options for those struggling with long-term,

Malayka Walton, 10 Afraid of Bubbles

uncomfortable fears and phobias include ‘fantasy exposure’, a technique where therapists use a child’s imagination to ‘encounter’ the fear without beginning actually exposing the kids to the fear. ‘Modeling’ can be used in which a parent exposes themselves to their child’s fear in a safe context to show the child that the fear is nothing to worry about. Luckily, childhood fears rarely last a lifetime. The New York Times reported that only 4 percent of adults with a fear of public places had the fear originate before age 10. A few students share their childhood fears and how they got over them — or didn’t!

Top Ten Most Common Fears 1. Public Speaking 6. Small Rooms 2. Heights

7. Flying

3. Bugs/Snakes

8. Strangers

4. Drowning

9. Zombies

5. Blood/Needles

10. Darkness

Jordan Cizek, 11 Afraid of the Dark

From The Washington Post

Justus Carlile, 10 Afraid of Feet

“The first time my mom got some bubbles and blew some I started screaming and crying. Once I went to Europe with a leadership group and I saw bubbles so I ran away and got lost in the middle of France.”

“I think it was watching horror movies as a child and always being afraid of something being in my closet or under my bed. I realized I was too old for a night light and overcame it by practice!”

“As long as I can remember I just didn’t like feet. You can get tickled on the bottom and then the socks keep all the sweat in and at the end of the day they’re just nasty! You walk around and then — oh, they’re nasty!!”

Anne Marie Covert, 10 Afraid of Crows

Kashish Gupta, 11 Afraid of Escalators

Abby Wadlington, 11 Afraid of Deer

“When I was little I would watch Bambi. There’s a scene where they’re in the field and you see the birds coming over, and I started having nightmares about it. Now I just think [crows] are ugly.”

“I saw someone fall down either an escalator or stairs but I was too young to distinguish the two. At about 10, I was in a city where you had to use escalators since there weren’t any elevators so I just had to get over it.”

“My fear started at 5 when my dad and I hit a buck. Then this summer, my mom and I found fawns in our yard. My mom said they looked hurt so she had me pick one up. It signaled the mom. A week later it was still outside my house, waiting.”

Nov. 10, 2017

|FEATURES |

THANKSGIVING “I like fruit-flavored stuff, so cranberry sauce is the perfect treat for Thanksgiving.” EILEEN KOSOLA, 12

“My family is southern so it (green bean casserole) is a staple with our family. When it is done really well, I like it, but if it’s done wrong, then I tend to not like it.” SARA MCCAULEY, 12

“I like stuffing because It has different ingredients and flavors inside of it which makes it taste so different than all the other Thanksgiving foods.”

VIOLET BOOKER, 12

“I like mashed potatoes because they are the best part of Thanksgiving. I wait every year for the day to come around just to have them.” ANDREW BLY, 9

“I don’t like turkey because I lived in Haiti and I didn’t even know what turkey was until I got here. It just tastes bitter and sour. It doesn’t look like it’s been cooked enough.”

JOSETTE PARTNEY, 9

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“Pie is delicious and having it special for Thanksgiving makes it even better.” VICTORIA LIN, 11

Marlo May | Graphic Designer

|SPORT S |

Nov. 10, 2017

Still Getting It Done on The Court, The Field and The Circle Since 1970, Lafayette has won 42 total State Championships across 12 different sports. Eleven of those 42 titles were earned in the past five years. Much of that athletic success can be attributed to the loads of talent that have come through Lafayette. Many of these talented athletes have gone on to athletic careers at the collegiate level and they have not forgotten their Lancer roots.

Kayla Carpenter | Sports Editor Lily Johnson graduated in 2014 as one of the most decorated athletes to come out of LHS. Johnson graduated as a three-time volleyball State champion, two-time High School All-American, member of the USA Today All-USA Third Team, State record holder for most kills in a State Championship match and the 2013 Missouri Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year. Johnson also helped to lay the foundation for the powerhouse girls volleyball teams to come by winning the program’s first of six State Championships in 2011. “Being part of the Lafayette volleyball dynasty was one of the best things that could’ve happened for me,” Johnson said. Johnson’s abundant accolades and recognitions did not stop in high school. She continued her academic and athletic career at Missouri State where she has been the two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year and a three-time selection for the American Volleyball Coaches Association First-Team All-Region. There’s no doubt Johnson has garnered a multitude of recognition, but these awards have not been her favorite part of her college experience. “While the accolades, championships, and hard-fought wins are all high up there, my favorite part of playing college volleyball is getting to put in exorbitant amounts of my time and effort every single day into something that I’ve had a passion for since I was 8 years old,” Johnson said. Although Johnson has had immense success at the college level, she had to learn a few lessons about playing at the next level. “You’re playing with and against all of the girls that were the ‘best player’ on their high school teams, just like you. You have to work extra hard to develop your skills and bring your game up to a whole new level,” Johnson said. While the college level has required Johnson to work harder and push the limits of her game, she thinks the hard work is the best part of her journey. “Only you know the work you put in behind the scenes, but everybody around you gets to see it all pay off. That’s my favorite part — the process,” Johnson said.

Logan Panchot graduated in 2017, but unlike many other outstanding Lancer grads, he did not participate in the high school varsity soccer program. Instead, Panchot was highly involved with the U.S. Soccer Development Academy program and the St. Louis Scott Gallagher Soccer Club, his club team. Panchot was ranked the eighth best soccer player in the Class of 2017 by College Soccer News. He has also been a part of the U.S Soccer system since 2011 where he participated in multiple under-14 and under-15 camps in which he got the opportunity to travel to Scotland and England. In 2013, Panchot was the captain of the under-17 National Team for a match against Panama. Although Panchot was not a member of the boys soccer team, Lafayette had a great impact on him. “My best friends came from Lafayette, I’ve found that the relationships you make are far more important than anything else you can take away from school,” Panchot said. After much success while in high school, Panchot chose to join the defending NCAA National Champions at Stanford. “It boasts elite academics with elite athletics. If you want to excel at both, it takes a lot of commitment and a good attitude,” Panchot said. At the beginning of the season, Panchot was named to the Top Drawer Soccer Preseason Best XI Freshman Team, and on Sept. 17, he scored his first collegiate goals against Yale. The Cardinal midfielder and defender’s favorite part are the new friends he has made. “The people I see in the locker room day in and day out are going to be my brothers for life,” Panchot said. He does not want to rush his time at Stanford, but he already has high aspirations.“Ideally, I want to play professionally, but I am happy to be in a place where I can enjoy my four years, get a education, and get better at my sport at the same time,” he said.

Class of 2015 grad Maddie Seifert is in her junior season of pitching for Penn State’s softball team. While at LHS, Seifert was recognized with All-Conference and All-District honors for all four of her high school seasons. In her senior season, Seifert was recognized as the Suburban West Pitcher of the Year and named to Second Team All-State. Seifert holds the LHS softball record for innings pitched (530.0), wins (62), RBIs (91), hits (128) and singles (94). She also ranks second in LHS history with 451 strikeouts and a career batting average of .536. She attributes much of her high school success to the support she received from LHS coaches. “Lafayette was like a family. Everyone is extremely supportive and willing to do anything to help,” Seifert said. In addition to pitching for all four of her high school seasons, she was also a member of the girls basketball team. In her senior season, she scored 91 points for the Lady Lancers. Because Seifert was a multi-sport athlete herself, she thinks it’s important for athletes to play more than one sport in high school. “Don’t rush through the high school experience. Try to play more than one sport and be well rounded,” she said. As many senior athletes at LHS look for a school where they can continue their athletic career, Seifert advises them to be ambitious and pick the school that is perfect for them. “Constantly send emails to the coaches at the schools you want to go to. You never know what will happen. Try to visit as many schools as possible and get a feel for what you really want. And most importantly, chose a school you can see yourself going to even if you weren’t an athlete. You should love your university for more than the athletic part,” Seifert advised. photos courtesy of Missouri State, Stanford and Penn State

Representing their Division I colleges, Johnson, Panchot and Seifert compete in their area of expertise. Each of these former alumni have had much success at next level of their sport.

Nov. 10, 2017

|SPORTS |

Coaches make run for gold together to tackle marathons Addie Watson | Reporter As the cross country season comes to a close, head coaches, Steve Stallis and Sean O’Connor, continue to train for their own races and maintain a close friendship. They have known each other for 10 years now. For three of those ten years, Stallis was O’Connor’s assistant coach. Stallis’ is a graduate of Lafayette and is O’Connor’s former student. Stallis says O’Connor is a great friend and mentor. O’Connor, who teaches math, and Stallis, who teaches at Selvidge Middle School, both cross country coaches at LHS, are planning to run all 6 world major marathons in Chicago, Boston, Berlin, Tokyo, London and New York. Not only do the coaches train with their teams sometimes, but they also train individually on their own time. Stallis just started running marathons this year. His first marathon was the GO! St. Louis in April of 2017. He finished third. Stallis said O’Connor was a little reluctant to start training for marathons, but he eventually talked him into it. “It’s a lot different when you get older. You can’t quite do as much and you don’t recover quite as fast,” O’Connor said. Both coaches ran a marathon in Chicago on Oct. 8. O’Connor said, “He [Stallis] is much faster than I am, so technically we were only together for the first few minutes of the race.” Unfortunately, they both had some injuries this summer that caused their training to not go as planned. “We both survived though, and had a good

photo courtesy of Colton Henning

The cross country teams celebrate their success after the first race in the Fleet Feet Cross Country Kickoff at Parkway Central. Both teams trained hard during the beginning of the season, and cut back on mileage to allow their bodies to perform well in the bigger races at the end of the season. photo courtesy of Steven Stallis

Cross country coaches Steven Stallis and Sean O’Connor, wear their medals proudly after they finished the Chicago Marathon. Their friendship still going strong as they plan to continue racing together in future marathons. experience,” Stallis said. O’Connor has already run the Boston Marathon on April 17, 2017, and Stallis will run it this April. O’Connor said,“We run, coach and hangout all the time.” O’Connor even officiated Stallis’ wedding. “My wife and I were looking for someone to marry us and it made more sense for us to have a good friend marry us than some random person that we found online,” Stallis said. O’Connor said, “It was an interesting experience. It was the first and only wedding ceremony I plan on performing.” Both coaches enjoy watching their teams progress throughout the season and achieve their goals. They always look forward to seeing their teams’ hard work pay off.

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Teamwork, training lead to season success and boys team, Rogan compete at State Clare Mulherin | Reporter The cross country team is at the end of the season and both the boys and the girls coaches agree their team improved throughout the fall. “The season went well. We have been showing improvements gradually throughout the season with a lot of girls running really fast times at the Patriot Classic at Castlewood State Park,” Head Girls Coach Steven Stallis said. They finished in ninth place at Districts and senior Mollie Rogan advanced to Sectionals and then State. “After ending the season earlier than desired, I expect us to come back next year with big goals to extend our post season. I hope they are motivated by not having an ideal ending, and I hope that we can get a lot of work in over the summer to get ready for cross country

season,” Stallis said. The boys season was also very strong. The team took second place at Sectionals allowing them all to go to State. Senior standout David Golder said, “As a team, we’ve been trying different ways of racing during the season to figure out what works best for us, in order to get ready for the state series.” He strained his back 10 days prior to Sectionals. With stretching and ice the strain went away just in time for him to compete. “I was worried about it, but I felt good going into Sectionals so I felt confident I wouldn’t reinjure it,” he said.

State took place Nov. 4 in Jefferson City. Check out lancerfeed.press for all the results.

Nov. 10, 2017 | Page 16

| E N C O R E | THE

Travis Bodell | Opinions Editor

Walking through Lafayette’s halls without seeing at least one student holding a Starbucks drink is virtually impossible. But how obsessed are students with the drinks from the infamous coffee chain? Which drink do LHS students prefer? 35 30

5 0

Other

Coffee/Mocha

Starbucks Refreshers

Caramel Macchiato

Frappucino

Students

STARBUCKS

CRAZE

Jack Weaver | Digital Media Editor

Wiedt makes Starbucks visits a regular routine Junior Mary Grace Wiedt typically goes to Starbucks around five times per week. Visiting so frequently, she is no stranger to the employees there. “They actually know me so well that they’ll make my drink first when they see my name,” Wiedt said. Wiedt orders different drinks depending on the day of the week. “On the weekdays I usually get a vanilla latte and on the weekends I get a chai latte,” Wiedt said. “That’s my treat to myself.”

47%

of students visit Starbucks on the weekends, with 33% visiting before school and 20% going after school

6.4% of those polled spend $3 or less. 48.6% of those polled spend $3-5. 40.7% of those polled spend $5-10. 3.6% of those polled spend $10-20. 0.7% of those polled spend $20 or more.

140 people polled on @thelancerfeed Twitter and Instagram

Fast-paced barista work well-suited for Gilbride Senior Molly Gilbride loves the heavy workload of being a Starbucks employee. “I’m someone who always has to be doing something, so that’s just what I do. I’m never not doing something,” Gilbride said. She prefers to be busy, so she needed a job that keeps her on her feet. She found just the perfect fit when she started working at Starbucks this past May. “It’s weird because you don’t think about anything, you just make the drinks as fast as you can. It’s stressful, but once you’re done, you feel like you accomplished something,” Gilbride said. Gilbride finds her job very accommodating on how she enjoys always being busy, and sees the fast pace as the best perk, along with the free food and drinks.