Nov 2022

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

istorically, November is known as a time to be thankful and reflect on all we’ve been given. As Editor-in-Chief, I’m thankful for the imaginative staff I had the opportunity to work with on this issue. Since our September issue, we’ve improved as reporters, editors and designers and I’m excited to see us continue to progress.

Our issue is packed full of remarkable students and events, including the inaugural induction of Liberty’s first class of National Art Honor Society members (p. 5). Senior Maegan Ericksen talks about the future of the chapter after being appointed president.

Pumpkin spice is one of the most popular seasonal flavors, but why? Reporter Brody Hutton, who had yet to try this flavor, flexes his taste buds (p. 12).

Sophomore Lacey Peycke speaks on her experience with Liberty Robotics (p. 8) and senior Ethan Burnam discusses juggling track and cross country with debate and early college in this month’s spotlight articles (p. 10).

Controversy has arisen regarding who has the right to be at the front of the football stands during home games since girls were only allowed to during the breast cancer awareness game in October. Students express their feelings about it in the online article.

You’ll find additional stories throughout the issue. Spend some time reading through, taking the “which pie are you” quiz (p. 4), and filling out the poll on our website to let us know what you’re thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving, Jays!

Kaiya

On the Cover: Junior Angeline Stowers takes a walk at Stocksdale Park during a rainy fall afternoon. Stowers is one of many drawn to the aesthetic atmosphere fall brings. “My favorite part of fall is seeing all the leaves change. It reminds me of how people throughout the year start to change, just like the leaves.”

SPOTLIGHT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SPOTLIGHT

10

WEDNESDAY

WALKING

BY BRODEY HUTTON

SPORTS 14 WORLD CUP IS THE GOAL HOW THE FUTURE WORLD CUPS WILL IMPACT THE U.S.

A&E 12 IS PUMPKIN SPICE ACTUALLY NICE?

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SPORTS ONLINE

PINK OUT FALLOUT THE PINK-OUT GAME ALLOWED GIRLS TO BE IN THE FRONT ROW AND RAISED FOR A GOOD CAUSE.

BY MARY BIESEMEYER

INDEPTH 16 OPINION 18

BREAKING THE SKINCARE BARRIER

TOXIC CHEMICALS IN SKINCARE PRODUCTS CAN HARM TEENS WHO DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

OPINION COLUMNS

WHEN GIVING HURTS/ PARENTS ON POWERSCHOOL/ GONEWILDE/THE CHIEFS ARE STILL GOOD

BY JENNA SHORES

BY

KAIYA LYNCH, LUCY BOYLE, VICTORYA WILKINSON & BRODEY HUTTON

Photo by Victorya Wilkinson

ART SMART

Liberty instates first National Art Honor Society chapter in the district.

On October 20, the National Art Honor’s Society made its debut. Art students from all grades see the new approach the society takes on artistic creativity. Many enjoy the club because they get recognized for their work while sponsors believe it is great to have something outside of class for artists. Artists get inducted by getting chosen by their art teacher and nominated for the club.

“I wanted to provide an opportunity for students to have exposure to scholarships and be able to go to a higher level because they can get published in the National Art Honor Society magazine, and they can apply for scholarships that are only available for those students,” Miller said.

Co-Sponsor Julie Miller is a Visual Arts teacher and enjoyed starting NAHS. She started this club to give students a creative outlet and have it beneficial to them to get awards for their artwork. To start this club she had to get enough people to want to join and they had a fantastic turnout on their induction and many from all grades wanted to join when receiving an invitation.

“It’s very collaborative on what we’re going to do for the club and what activities we’re doing.

So that’s always been really fun to pick out,” President Maegan Erickson said. Art isn’t the only opportunity in this club but also being able to get experience planning and coordinating meetings is a skill that will improve their leadership skills early in life.

“It’s really nice to have something that’s not a class where you can be with like minded people that have the same interests as you, and it’s just a fantastic opportunity to be around other kids that genuinely enjoy art and want to make our school beautiful,” junior Piper Lee said.

This club has been instated in high schools throughout the country, but it is the first chapter in the district. In order to join NAHS, students have to be in an art class and keep at least a B average. If those interested in the club have met the requirements, talk to Julie Miller to get involved.

This club is meeting in the band room currently on the second Wednesday of every month to share ideas and learn about upcoming projects they are working. These include painting the crosswalks at our school.

A National Art Honor Society member sits on the floor after the group’s monthly meeting, sketching up new projects to pursue for the group. The National Art Honor Society consists of skilled artists from every visual art pathway LHS provides, such as photography, sculpture, and many more. “I love being more involved in the school and getting to hear and see new art every day,” junior Bella Barber said.

Reported by Chloe Franklin | Designed by Brodey Hutton | Photos by Sam Brusven

The National Art Honor Society Officers stand before the fellowship, speaking to them over matters concerning the society. Despite it being NAHS’s first year as a group, the members are ectatic about the opportunities it brings to the table. “It’s fun and exciting! I love art and now I get to put my ideas into a new honors society and showcase my skills,” sophomore Brinn Wright said.

WEDNESDAY WALKING

How a club is encouraging students to be more active.

Watching the clock tick by, anxiously, finally, the bell rings. Hurrying through the halls to get outside, a cool breeze blows past. It’s not a normal Wednesday, the final 30 minutes of the school day are spent with clubs.

Every Wednesday, special needs teacher Crystal Byrd, hosts a club called Walk and Roll. Which meets every Wednesday during Connect 30 on the track by the football field.

“I think it’s important to be active and get your exercise because you usually can’t throughout the day. It’s also nice to be able to socialize and talk to friends,” sophomore Jadyn Mitchell said.

Byrd hosts the club as an opportunity for kids to get much needed exercise, which is also a great way for kids with disabilities to get out too. Many students lack activity and social time throughout the day, this club gives them that opportunity.

“The Walk and Roll club is an opportunity during Connect 30 for kids to get outside, get some steps in, and just get moving,” Byrd said.

According to the Encyclopedia of Science and Learning, “Social interaction plays an important role in learning. Interacting with other people has proven to be quite effective in assisting the learner to organize their thoughts, reflect on their understanding, and find gaps in their reasoning.”

“It was the most appealing out of the clubs,” sophomore Jadyn Mitchell said.

Socialization and exercise has a big effect of mental health as well as your performance in school, so giving it a try can benefit students in the future

According to The Journal of Psychiatry exercise improves mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, and negative mood and by improving self-esteem as well as releasing serotonin. Exercise has also been found to alleviate symptoms such as low

self-esteem and social withdrawal.

“The walk and roll club is great because I get to do something I enjoy with my friends, and I can have conversations with them. I also get to talk to friends I normally don’t have time to talk to,” freshman Adilyn Conrick said.

Being cooped up in a classroom can have a major effect on people’s lives. That’s what makes the Walk and Roll club a good experience. Especially students with disabilities, they don’t get the same experience as everyday students. So, the Walk and Roll club is a great way for them to include them in something that involves everyday people.

“I think in the school day, you’ll be stuck in a classroom with no windows and not knowing what the weather is like, and I like to get outside and get some sunlight and be active,” Byrd said.

The club originated as a small group of about 10 people, which included teachers and students who all enjoyed the same activity, eventually expanding into what it is now. They felt being cooped up all day without outside time was limiting their work efficiency, keeping that in mind they made the Walk and Roll club, a solution to their common problem.

“We’ve had about 75 kids consecutively sign up which is really cool” Byrd said.

Socialization and exercise has a big effect of mental health as well as your performance in school, so giving it a try can benefit students in the future

According to The Journal of Psychiatry exercise improves mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, and negative mood and by improving self-esteem as well as releasing serotonin. Exercise has also been found to alleviate symptoms such as low self-esteem and social withdrawal.

There are many different benefits to the Walk and Roll club, it’s something that can release

Reported by Brookelyn Jadwin | Designed by Jenna Shores and Kaiya Lynch | Photos by Lizzy Garr

There are many different benefits to the Walk and Roll club, it’s something that can release stress as well as allowing time to catch up with peers. Students don’t always have time to socialize or talk, this club gives them the opportunity to do so.

Byrd’s goal is to get as many students signed up as possible. Anyone and everyone is welcome, don’t be afraid to give the Walk and Roll club a chance, it offers many benefits.

The members of the Walk and Roll club are no strangers to the track, as the members spend their Connect 30’s outside, staying active and getting vitamin D. The Walk and Roll club is one of the many available at LHS since the implementation of Connect 30, and has proved to be an ample opportunity for students to get fresh air during school hours.

SOPHOMORE LACEY PEYCKE

Reported by Bianka Mancia Castillo | Photos by Madison Remley and Lizzy Garr | Designed by Victorya Wilkinson

The sounds of body frames, control systems and sensors. The feeling of putting each part in the correct place in order to make the robot come to life. Creating and building is one of the many activities sophomore Lacey Peycke enjoys doing.

She is in extracurriculars including Scholar Bowl, Blue Jays Skeptical Society, and Health Occupations Students of America.

One of her favorites being robotics, Peycke has been in robotics since middle school.

“Robotics has a really structured season. It’s a really great community, and I wanted to be involved,” Peycke said.

Peycke’s main job in robotics is building the robot itself. “We do a lot of different things, I’m mainly a mechanical member,” Peycke said

Every year the robotics team builds a robot in order to play a game.

“Lacey had her hands on almost every aspect of the robot last year, in one way or another,” Engineering teacher Gary Pierson said. “Her calmness under pressure really shines in the heat of competition [especially] when she had to rebuild the robot’s intake mechanism.”

Only 7% of robotics engineers are women

Student uses her creativity to positively impact her school.

Sophomore Lacey Peycke standsin the robotics room. When she’s not busy with robotics and classes, Peycke looks ahead to her future, “I’m absolutely fascinated with the science of our brain and consciousness. Who doesn’t want to know how their own brain works? It’s the perfect overlap between biology, psychology and philosophy: three of my favorite things,” Peycke said.

Source ivyleagueprep.com 2021

Peycke’s hope is to continue with robotics for the rest of her high school career.

Along with Robotics, Peycke also takes 6 advanced or gifted classes with the exception of her language class such as AP world, AP Physics and Honors Theoretical Chemistry. Peycke would like to take even more next year.

“It does definitely affect my free time. I have so little of it, especially with extracurriculars,” Peycke said. “Personally, I enjoy the challenge.”

Sophomore Alexa Workman is a friend of Peycke. They met during their freshman year and were both in Gifted ELA .

“She’s involved in so much and works hard in every area she’s involved in. It’s a rare talent,” Workman said.

Peyke hopes to also follow a career path involving Neuroscience at the University of Chicago.

“My hope for the future is to go to a good research college and start my career,” Peycke said.

Z-basement

Peycke has been in Robotics

a year, as well as in middle

Peycke enjoys seeing her works come to life and really enjoys the aspect of the club. “Robotics has that really structured season. It’s a really great community and I wanted to be involved. I had done robotics in mid dle school, so I wanted to do it again, since I thought it would be fun,” Peycke said.

Sophomore Lacey Peycke works on her robot for Robotics in the

as she prepares for the competition weekend ahead.

for

school.

I like to challenge myself, and I like to learn. I enjoy learning,”

Sophomore Lacey Peycke said.

I like to challenge myself, and I like to learn, I enjoy learning,” Sophomore Lacey Peycke said.

“It looks good on a college application. “It looks good on a college application.

University of Chicago’s acceptance rate is 5.9%

ETHAN BURNHAM

Reported by Hadley Cotton| Photos by Richard

and courtesy of Ethan Burnham | Desiged by Victorya Wilkinson

This is it. The final lap. It’s a race against the clock. n Glistening sweat falls down from each red forehead to the rocky pavement as the blistering sun pierces down on all the exhausted runners. The finish line is within sight. Runners push themselves to the breaking point, especially senior Ethan Burnham, until one teammate starts to lag behind. Everyone passes the straggler, desperate to finally relax their burning muscles–everyone besides Burnham, who slows down and starts running with an encouraging smile to his teammate.

Burnham is a student who participates in cross-country, debate and German since middle school while recently joining the Early College program. From the start, Burnham expressed an interest in debate through his father’s history with the class. This interest morphed into a passion; a passion which allowed for an outlet for cut thought process.

“I want to display this outward sense of optimism and hope,” Burnham said. “To bring people closer together and to show that there is good that we can do because a lot of what becomes international politics can be pretty divisive.”

Whether running a 5k or crafting a thesis for one of his classes, debate is on Burnham’s mind. Even with this dedication, Burnham is dedicated to his classes and extracurricular activities. From the start, Burnham has been taught and has practiced that trust, commitment and family are key values in a healthy, happy and productive life.

“Commitment to me is pretty much everything. It’s one of the three big principles that we teach for liberty crosscountry,” Burnham said. “One of the principles is that the more you put into something, the more time and effort that you put in, the more that you get out. That kind of applies to everything that I do. The more effort that I put in, the more that I am able to get out of that activity.”

Burnham followed his family’s history when joining debate, but when it came to a foreign language in eighth grade, he decided to stray from the pack and take German. Now in German V, the highest level offered, Burnham has shown remarkable growth with grammar and vocabulary. Last year, he tested his knowledge on the Seal of Biliteracy and passed,

How a student juggles a life of debate, college and track.

Burnes

Senior Ethan Burnham takes two strides, one physical, one metaphorical to his future. Burnham works hard in Debate, Cross country, his school work and much more. “I want to use my skills and abilities and my knowledge to be able to draw people closer together instead of driving them further apart,” Burnham said.

earning him thousands of dollars in college scholars. His innate German fluency allows for him to aid other students.

“He has definitely grown and with that growth came an increase in seeking knowledge,” German teacher Christine Hernandez said. “He has always been a fantastic student right from the start.”

Those with Burnham watched his progression across debate, cross-country and German are his friends seniors Alex Boyd and Thomas Jayroe. Boyd and Jayroe both had varying first impressions of him, but it was soon clear first impressions didn’t matter. When Jayroe and Burnham talked during their runs, or Boyd and Burnham in class, a life-long friendship emerged.

“He is always a good friend and he knows what he’s talking about,” Boyd said. “Whatever he does in life, he’s passionate and he doesn’t really like putting half effort into things. It’s always one or the other.”

will do, I know that he will be very successful,” German teacher

Christine Hernandez said.

will do, I know that he will be very successful,” German teacher Christine Hernandez said.

“Regardless of where he goes or what he “Regardless of where he goes or what he

Senior Ethan Burnham stands loud and powerful while giving his speech for a practice Lincon Douglas round this weekend. Burnham has won countless awards in not just Lincon Douglas (1st place) but also Public forum debate (2nd Place), going to state for LD and semi-finals in the national qualifiers. “My goal is hopefully to be able to carry public speaking, research and argumentation skills in something that will eventually provide for me and allow me to leave my mark on the world,” Burnham said.

Only 3.5% of students in the US are enrolled in German

IS PUMPKIN SPICE ACTUALLY

NICE?

An honest review of fall treats.

Reported by Brodey Hutton | Designed by Lucy Boyle | Photos by Sam Brusven

’m not much of a coffee drinker, which is why I was taken aback, but also intrigued when presented with this review. With this being the first time I’ve had coffee in years, I set out on an adventure with one goal in mind, to answer the question of why many people enjoy pumpkin spice flavored drinks and food during the fall season.

I bought three different items to see the variety in flavors and to see how those flavors were used in different foods or drinks. The first item was the classic Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks. A 2014 report by Starbucks stated they’d sold over 200 million pumpkin spice lattes since the drink’s introduction in 2003. The smallest size latte costs $4 which means it has made at least $800 million. This doesn’t even account for the last eight years of sales or the price markups for larger sizes. I didn’t think it was as good as I might have expected. There’s a certain, indescribable nostalgia I felt when I took a drink. The pumpkin gives it a kick which I appreciate, but what I couldn’t ignore while drinking the latte was the overwhelming bitterness. Overall, I give the Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks a 4.5/10.

The second item I tried was the Falling Leaves White Mocha from Overflow Coffee House. I liked this one more than the pumpkin spice latte. It had more flavor because of the white chocolate and maple spice. Once again, the positives are mostly the same for this drink, strong flavors, that feeling of nostalgia and the presentation is also much nicer for the mocha as well. Instead of a cup, you get a nice mug and the cream or white chocolate(I’m not sure which it was) on top was shaped like a leaf. It still tasted a bit bitter which I imagine is due to my distaste of coffee but was less bitter than the latte although I felt the mocha was missing something when I drank it. I’m not sure what it needed, but I felt like one missing piece was all that kept it from being my favorite out of the bunch. As a whole, I’d give the Falling Leaves White Mocha a solid 7/10. Overflow was a nice experience because they had a very homey study for relaxing, which elevated my overall rating.

The final item I tried was not a drink, but a cookie. More specifically, a pumpkin spice cookie from Eileen’s Colossal Cookies. This was the best item I tried. There’s something about the simplicity of a cookie which can’t be beat. The balance between flavor and cookie crunch was perfect. There was nothing additional it needed and it made for a great treat. I would give the cookie an excellent 9/10.

Overall, I can see why people would want to spend large amounts of money on a seasonal treat, but my expectations for some of these treats may have been a little too high. I would probably enjoy the pumpkin spice latte and the mocha if I liked coffee in the first place.

A full cup of Starbucks Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato slowly cools down to the perfect temperature for a delicious fall beverage. This full cup of flavor is just one of many options for seasonal drinks at Starbucks.

“I’ve heard many good things about the fall drinks at Starbucks, so I’ve been meaning to give one a try lately,” said junior Nya Riak.

Over Flow Coffee house is the only place in Liberty to get a delicious mocha a savory crepe and spend time enjoying them both in the shops public study. With a unique concept comes even more unique seasonal flavors, such as the signature white mocha pictured to the left. “Coffee can paint a canvas of beautiful flavors and it truly takes you to another world, hence the importance of variety,” said senior Emma Murphy.

Eileen’s Colossal Cookies is a name familiar to many residents of Liberty and for a good reason. The notorious standalone cookie shop has a vast variety of delicious flavors, including festive seasonal options such as pumpkin spice. “The icing on their sugar cookies is really good, and they don’t use so much sugar that eating one cookie hurts my stomach,” said senior Julie Rueckert.

WORLD CUP IS THE GOAL

How the future World Cups will impact the U.S.

Reported by Connor Rizek | Designed by Brodey Hutton | Photos by Ethan McMenemy

he World Cup is the biggest soccer tournament in the world and it happens every four years. This year, it is located in Qatar, which makes it the smallest country it’s ever been hosted in, this year’s World Cup started on Nov. 20th. It’s also the first time it’s been in the winter, and the first time it’s been in the Middle East. The 2026 World Cup will be hosted in Mexico, the United States and Canada. One World Cup game will be in Arrowhead stadium, here in Kansas City, which can hold 76,416 occupants. A ticket for a World Cup match can cost up to $1K U.S.D.

“It’s fun to watch with my family and friends, especially seeing all those professional players play against each other and for their own country,” junior Connor Rottjakob said.

The winner of the tournament will have to win a total of seven games in the tournament to receive the FIFA World Cup Trophy and be crowned the soccer/football world champion. The winners of the Qatar World Cup will receive 42 million U.S dollars all from FIFA’s

own money.

“I try to watch as many games as I can, but I definitely want to watch America’s games,” head varsity soccer coach Thomas Rottjakob said.

There are 64 games played in the tournament including 32 teams in World Cup tournaments, in . The tournament is going to last only 28 days which makes it the shortest World Cup since 1978.

“I’m excited about the World Cup and I plan on watching all the U.S games, or any other games that I can,” sophomore Addison Shields said.

An expected five billion people, around the world, will watch at least one match of the World Cup according to FIFA. Since 63% of peoplewill be watching the World Cup, people are expecting entertainment during the matches, the entertainment that will be presented will be musical and choreographed.

“I feel like the World Cup is more fun for the world because it includes more countries than America like the Super Bowl,” C. Rottjakob said.

Every World Cup since the one hosted by South Africa in 2010, has been shown in every single country, including Antarctica, with the World Cup being held in North America in 2026 not being an exception.. The World Cup is the biggest celebration of soccer in the world, which is the most popular sport with approximately five billion fans, played in 200 countries and has over 250 million players worldwide.

“I think the World Cup will help with the spread and popularity of soccer through the United States. Over time, soccer has become less popular here in the States and with the World Cup happening here I think it will really help with making the sport more popular. Which will help us economically with how popular the tournament is and how eager people are to watch it because it only happens every four years, I especially think it will help the Kansas City area because Kansas City is supposed to be holding one of the games in the World Cup,” T. Rottjakob said.

The World Cup is the most-watched sporting event in the world. Hosting one of the matches of the most watched sporting event will promote tourism to the city in the future, and bring people to the city to watch and support their country, which will help local businesses and small businesses around the Kansas City area.

A fan of the Mexican National team sports Mexico national team gear. Mexico has been knocked out of the last seven World Cups in the Round of 16. “I feel like the World Cup is more fun for the world because it includes more countries than America, like the Super Bowl,” junior Connor Rottjakob said.

Flags of an assortment of countries fly at the entrance to Liberty High School. The flags represent the vast diversity of the school. This year’s world cup will feature the best teams from North America, South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. “Players playing for their country and not a club so they can show their country’s pride is the most fun part to see,” coach Thomas Rottjakob said.

Q&A

with senior Sergio Calderon

Q: What will the biggest challenge be for Mexico this World Cup?

A: Scoring the ball. The attck game of Mexico has been very poor especially with the injuries to Lozano and Jimenez

BREAKING THE SKINCARE BARRIER

TOXIC CHEMICALS IN SKINCARE PRODUCTS HARM TEENS.

Reported By Jenna Shores | Designed by Hadley Cotton | Photos by Madison Remley

S

icky cleanser being lathered into your skin. Feeling cold moisturizer touch your freshly washed face. Basking in the scent and cool feel of spraying your skin with facial toner. Some of these things happen in a regular skincare routine.

Retinol, salicylic acid, ceramides, vitamin C, glycerin, chemical and physical exfoliants are all ingredients in a skin cleanser. Only two out of six people asked could recognize those ingredients and the effect they have on the body.

According to ewg.org, when it comes to dangerous chemicals in skincare, beware of the “toxic twelve” some of which include: mercury, which can damage the kidneys and nervous system; Isob utyl and isopropyl parabens, which disrupt hormones and harm the reproductive system and PFAS, which have been linked to cancer.

“I feel like most steroids and anything that’s artificial in a sense could be deemed dangerous just because I think it can be addictive and people can become over-reliant on it,” senior Maxwell Perschon said. “Not saying it’s going to kill you, but it definitely does something to your skin.”

According to fountaingrovemedspa.com, the skin is the body’s largest organ. It can be difficult to protect it from outside pollution and chemicals, but what someone consumes every day has an even greater impact. A high-sugar, processed-food diet can cause inflam mation, acne outbreaks and premature skin aging.

“I just focus on my diet and I try to keep my diet seed oil-free,” Perschon said. “Seed oils are any oil that’s deprived of a seed. They’ve been linked to acne and many other health issues like inflammation which can be seen on the skin.”

According to webmd.com, it’s reasonable to assume the cosmetics someone uses has been thoroughly tested for safety before making their way into the shopping cart. This is not true. Unless it is a color additive, the FDA does not pre-approve cosmetics or ingredients. They do intervene in response to consumer complaints. Before engaging in any form of marketing, cosmetic companies are expected to ensure their products and ingredients are safe. They must also properly label their products, avoid using prohibited ingredients and adhere to the agreed-upon limits on restricted ingredients.

This can create ambiguity for consumers. A study published this year found high levels of fluorine in makeup products such as foundations, mascaras and lip glosses.

“Lots of companies advertise dangerous skincare habits like harmful skin scrubs, or things that clog your pores and the only reason they are doing this is to get money,” freshman Rory Willadsen said. “You want to find healthy products with natural resources to actually be able to clean your skin and clean your pores so that way you’re avoiding every dangerous brand.”

According to eehealth.com, there have been numerous studies on the short-term effects of skin care product ingredients. Most, if not all, products are more likely to cause skin irritation than cancer, but knowing what’s in those products is important.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is investigating the health effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which are found in many of the products people use on a daily basis. Even though there is limited scientific evidence on the

“I

also the

there

hydroquinone, and sodium lauryl sulfate.

“I usually research different companies that don’t test on animals or have chemicals that are bad for your skin that I should avoid,” Willadsen said. “If I am shopping in a store, I’ll remember certain things or certain brands that are good for me.”

According to treehugger.com, what people put on their skin is important, but researching and comprehending what’s in beauty products can be difficult. That’s why the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Skin Deep Database and the Think Dirty app have science-based certification and rating systems to help you identify toxic ingredients in skin care, cosmetics and other personal care products.

The Skin Deep database has been run by the nonprofit Environmen tal Working Group since 2004. The service provides ratings and a certification called EWG Verified for products which earn the best ratings. EWG’s database has a total of more than 79,000 rated products, including over 1,900 that have earned the stamp of EWG Verified.

To research specific brands, enter the name on the database website or on the EWG Healthy Living app. The app also allows people to scan a product’s barcode and search the database this way.

Think Dirty is an independent for-profit company which was given foundational funds by the Canadian government in 2012, some non-profit organizations and “investors who have no affiliations what soever with any beauty industry,” according to the site’s partnership page. The app launched in the summer of 2013 with 68,300 products listed.

In order to be listed in the app, brands have to pay per product re viewed and an ongoing fee to be evaluated under the brand’s criteria. Once a product is submitted to the site for rating, evaluations are performed by the company’s chemistry team and advisory board.

“Skincare is important to me because it’s all over your body so it’s important to keep it clean as much as you can,” Pershon said.

When looking at many individuals’ shower routines, you can see a very major step has become more popular for people of all ages, although a lot of times we forget about the skin on our face it is actually very important to our body’s. “Skincare is important to me because it’s all over your body so it’s important to keep it clean as much as you can.” senior Maxwell Perschon said.

When trying to find the perfect skincare item there are many things to look for. There are walls and walls around local stores full of body and skin products. As the years have gone on, skincare has become more prominent. There is

concern of harmful ingredients. This makes it difficult to find the good from the bad when there are many different brands to pick from.

know

are a lot of brands that use harsh chemicals. I try to stay away from those because of my skin disorders, so I know quite a few good skin products to use,” said senior Shelby Adams.

When Giving Hurts

Global pollution is becoming a standard of holiday traditions.

mall business ownership is a topic I find myself conversing on often. It’s a subject I am passionate about and has become almost an extension of who I am–a personality trait, if you will. I own Cayenne Creations, a business that sells graphic designed pieces, stickers, keychains, earrings, bows and vari ous other creations. From my entrepreneurial perspective, the holiday season is a time for mass marketing, late nights on the job and finally turning a profit.

The dark side to all this–the one rarely talked about–is how all the spending on the accouterments of the season: food, gifts and the wrapping and shipping supplies which go along with them are filling dumpsters and landfills at a massive rate. If we don’t start talking about it and take action, we might not be celebrating at all.

Last year, carbon dioxide pollution hit an all time high according to Climate. gov. Much of this is caused by packaging. This can come from fast food restaurants, large corporations and small businesses. As an owner of the latter, I try to mitigate waste by using less packaging on my orders, but I can’t say the same for all of my counterparts. Businesses often take the phrase “go big or go home” literally and use excessive packaging to give their products added flare, examples of which include glitter and stickers.

While some argue small business’ biggest contributor toward pollution is energy use, many businesses don’t rely on machines or extensive lighting to do their work. And although shipping releases large amounts of carbon offsets, removing one business from the mix won’t curb the trend enough to stop it.

The best we can do–as both business owners and students–is find creative solutions to the pollution crisis. We all have to do our part. What this looks like for you may be different than for me. Start small by adding recycling to your daily habits, carrying reusable bags with you when you shop and asking vendors not to add additional plastic packaging or stickers to orders you place online. Try to find local businesses to fulfill your needs.

These are just a few ideas as we head into the holiday season. To put a stop to pollution, it’s time we go back to the basics.

Parents on PowerSchool

For some parents, their daily routine consists of checking their kids’ grades to see what needs fixing. With this constant pressure to abide by the high expectations of parents, students feel pressured to always have an A in the grade book. How come grade went from looking at it one time a semester to now, where parents have full access to their child’s grades always.

When a bad grade is put into PowerSchool, most parents get an immediate notification. No matter how small or big of an assignment, the parent sees a letter grade with no context. Parents believe being “good” parent is regularly making sure the grade is at an A. They think that they are ‘helping’ but are really a constant pressure.

According to TODAY, “Let students get frustrated, support their efforts to push through the challenge, but don’t rescue.”

Failing isn’t always a bad thing, it’s essential to learning, so sometimes it’s okay to get a bad grade to fully understand the content. One bad grade in the gradebook does not define a student’s future. It does not define the intelligence of an individual.

According to poughkeepsie journal, “Understand that a poor grade early on doesn’t define them. It gives them an opportunity to see how they can improve.”

A continuous reminder to do better is not a healthy way to encourage a student to work hard. Instead, it creates unhealthy habits of students to always check grades and this creates a damaging obsession with a letter, and not learning and growing.

According to The New York Times, “Some parents interpret the school’s in vitation to constantly monitor grades and scores on the portal not as an option, but as an obligation. This obligation adds to the mounting anxiety students and parents feel in these districts.”

This constant pressure of needing a 4.0 in the gradebook is tiring and useless for both students and parents. Instead the best alternative is remind your child that failing is okay and there will always be other opportunities, this will teach them to learn to work through challenges.

Do parents constantly checking grades really motivate students?

Reported by Kaiya Lynch | Photo by Ethan McMenemy | Designed by Jenna Shores

Reported by Lucy Boyle | Photo by Madison Remley

Gone Wilde

Don’t Worry Darling is out and so is all the drama surrounding it.

Reported by Victorya Wilkinson | Photo by Lizzy Garr

Olivia Wilde’s actions over the years have been nothing short of questionable. Regardless of her problematic tendencies being brought up in the media she has yet to be held accountable for any of these decisions nor has she apologized.

Entertainment is a part of everyone’s everyday lives. Some people watch tv, scroll through TikTok, make impulse purchases and some people keep up with Don’t Worry Darling. Actress and director Wilde released her newest film, which she both directed and starred in called Don’t Worry Darling. With music star Harry Styles (Jack) and actress Florence Pugh (Alice).

Before the film was released, headline after headline was talking about the drama surrounding the movie.

For starters, Wilde put out a statement saying she fired actor Shia LaBeouf, the first choice to play Jack, after a lawsuit for sexual battery, assault and infliction of emotional distress. She stated he would not allow for a safe, trusting environment. However, when a video was leaked by LaBeouf she was seen begging for him to come back. Wilde threw shade on Pugh in the video for being uncomfortable in a working environment that included LaBeouf. He was quick to explain Wilde’s reasoning for his absence was incorrect. He stated he was in fact not fired, he quit, therefore proving Wilde did not care about the well being of this cast.

According to Vox, Wilde stated in the video, talking to LaBeouf, “you know, I think this might be a bit of a wake-up call for Miss Flo, and I want to know if you’re open to giving this a shot with me, with us?”

Wilde is a very problematic person and this has not been the first time she has had allegations against her for making poor decisions. Wilde has been seen blackfacing by deeply darkening her skin for a magazine photoshoot, has been slammed for past homophobia, she openly defended Ali G, a character created by English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, after he made a racist remark about Asians. Wilde responded to the backlash Ali G received by stating people should just “lighten up” and don’t think it ends there.

Allowing celebrities to act out in an inhumane way is nothing short of detri mental to younger generations who are easily influenced. Celebrities are just as human as the rest of us.They need to be held acountable for the things they do otherwise it will become plausible for history to repeat itself, and not in a good way.

The Chiefs Are Still Good

The Kansas City Chiefs don’t have Tyreek Hill or Tyrann Mathieu; they lost some starting-quality players in the offseason. But, it doesn’t matter because they are still one of the best teams in the National Football League. Their record this season proves it but so do the stats. Patrick Mahomes is still statistically one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and even after losing a game changer in Hill who averaged over 1200 receiving yards with Mahomes, he is first in passing yards and first in passing touchdowns, surpassing Josh Allen and Joe Burrow.

Travis Kelce was projected to start to slow down his production due to being the focus of defenses without Hill. Kelce is still top ten in receiving yards and tied for first in receiving touchdowns ahead of Mark Andrews and Kyle Pitts. The offense is still putting up incredible numbers, averaging over 400 yards per game.

Offensive consistency is a concern they could very well keep up the pace. The only teams on the Chiefs’ remaining schedule, who have above average defenses are the Broncos, who have the best pass defense in the league and the Rams who are 11th in pass defense.

The defensive rookies like George Karlaftis, Jaylen Watson, and Leo Chenal contribute nicely with Karlaftis registering some of the most pressures among rookies. They complement proven vets like Carlos Dunlap, Justin Reid. Chris Jones is still one of the best interior defenders in football with five sacks and two forced fumbles this season. Aside from Jones, no one else has played exception ally well with the defense ranked at league average in pass defense and near the bottom of the league in run defense.

Most critics will point towards the defense as a weak part of the team, and this could be the reason the team falls short of Super Bowl LVII(57).

I agree; the defense looks very hit or miss at times, and I’m quite worried about how they’ll stack up against other elite offenses. They did a decent job against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills without several key defenders like Rashad Fenton and Bryan Cook, but the Chiefs still allowed over 300 passing yards.

Even with these concerns, my hopes for this team are still extremely high, and I believe they can fulfill those expectations and bring home another Lombardi trophy. The Chiefs will face the Los Angeles Rams next on Nov 27 at Arrowhead stadium.

The Kansas City Chiefs are still Super Bowl contenders.

Reported by Brodey Hutton | Photo by Victorya Wilkinson