Liberty Ledger - Issue 1 - October 22, 2019 by The Ledger Magazine

The Vol. 7 October 22, 2019 Issue 1

LEDGER “I didn’t realize how different this country would be because I was so little, it didn’t really register in my life that it’s a big change.” “I have a problem with being really shy too, I’m self conscious of how I’m speaking, so it took me forever to start talking to people.” “I started making friends and then I realized that it’s okay to make mistakes.” “I’m still learning everyday, especially during class, I’ll say stuff wrong all the time and I keep reminding my students to fix my English.” “I think that’s one of the best ways to learn, just from your students.” “She reaches out throughout the whole school to all the faculty but also creating that Be Kind project with the rocks that she sent out.” “I’ve seen her be able to reach a lot of people more than just in her own classroom.” “I just picked up English around the classroom. At home, I’d read books a little bit, but my parents didn’t teach me that kind of stuff.” “Being bilingual also allows me to connect better with people from my own country.” “I admire where I’m from and what my morals are, all that stuff is from where I’m from originally.” “I think a part of it is that I’m really comfortable being completely myself even though I know I have a lot of flaws.” “I’m proud I’m able to be someone I thought I couldn’t be.” “I have different holidays compared to other people, like most people have Christmas, I don’t usually have that.” “I have things like Ramadan and other holidays where I have to fast and that’s something that other people don’t do.” “I generally think I am a pretty happy person and I believe a part of that comes from my religion; having belief can change your life and make you a better person.” “You celebrate holidays, such as birthdays and Christmas, and I didn’t grow up doing that. When it’s a holiday for other people, it’s just another day for me.” “I do have a lot of opportunities being a minority within the group just to level out the playing field.” “I take engineering classes where I am the only girl in the entire class. I would say that these diversity initiatives are important because its not encouraged to pursue them.”

D I V E R S I T Y

Content

4 News Homecoming

An overview of Homecoming 2019.

The LEDGER Liberty High School 2275 Sommers Road Lake Saint Louis, MO. 63367 636.561.0075 ext: 28039 jonathanhall@wsdr4.org

Volume 7 Issue 1 Editors Alyssa Bailey* Brooke Huffman*

9 Feature Mirror, Mirror

Many teenagers have struggled to love what they see in the mirror.

Depth 10 In Under One Roof

Liberty explores diversity through race, gender, and religion.

12 Feature Jesse: The Tech Guy

Jesse Graf connects with students and impacts their lives.

19 Sports Stanley Cup

Juniors Maliek Merrifield and Anna Decker meet the Stanley Cup.

2 design by: E. Barnett

Content | lhstoday.org

Reacting

Reporters Mollie Banstetter, Emily Barnett, Fiona Flynn, Ashley Haberberger, Elizabeth Hamby, Brandon Hennis, Lizzie Kayser, Ianne Salvosa, Ally Schniepp and Lauren Spakowski *Each editor also serves as a reporter

Intentions

journalistic experience for written expression on a variety of topics. It is a student-led publication class that reports on stories relatable to the school community. Students write, take photos and design the publication and the adviser will supervise the student journalists. The opinions expressed in this magazine may not be those of Liberty, nor the Wentzville R-IV School District, faculty, staff or administration. The main editorial, when included, expresses the opinion of the Liberty editorial staff.

The Ledger is a publication that releases 4 issues (one per quarter) throughout the year, distributing 1,000 free copies to the student body, faculty and administration. The Ledger magazine is a part of the districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s curriculum and is designed to provide a practical

Letters to all editors can be submitted in room 239, emailed or mailed to Liberty. All letters must be signed. Limit letters you wish to be published to 250 words. Letters may be edited for space requirements and libelous material to the discretion of the editors. If you have a news story idea or comment, please contact us in room 239.

Credentials

The Ledger is a member of the Sponsors of Student Publications of Greater St. Louis.

Advertising

To further facilitate the space available for student writing, advertising will not be offered in The Ledger.

Upcoming Events October 24-25: No School 25: Varsity Football at Holt 7 p.m. 28: Late Start 29: FAFSA Frenzy in library 6:30-8 p.m. November 1: PD Day No school 6: Yearbook Club picture day 9: Holiday Bazaar 11: Late Start 14-16: Fall Musical Cinderella 27-29: Thanksgiving Break

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Around the World in One Day Diversity Club teams up with Holt’s CUSA to bring different cultures to Wentzville by Ianne Salvosa Reporter

Before digging into a tasty plate of enchiladas or some delicious curry, its common not to acknowledge where the food comes from. In an effort to bring awareness to the multitude of cultures in the community, Diversity Club held the Taste of Wentzville on Sept. 28 along with Holt’s CUSA (Culturally United Students Association). The event represented three different cultures, such as Southeast Asian, Hispanic, and African American cultures. “Food and understanding that aspect of culture would bring a gate to bigger things and it feels really needed here at Liberty,” senior Aminhan Lobster said. As the co-president of Diversity Club, Lobster sees the potential of the event in advancing the inclusion of minority students. “I feel like teachers and staff are making strides everyday but we do have a lot of minority students and we’re a Caucasian dominated school,” Lobster said. “I feel like we can make steps in everyday life from the classroom to our activities to make things more inclusive and even prepare minority students for higher education and skills beyond high school.” The success of the event, shared by Holt CUSA, brought awareness to diversity in the Wentzville area. The two schools joined together to increase the amount of people they could reach out to. “The point of this event was to bring everything to one spot. There are a lot of people coming into Wentzville, a lot of immigrants, so Wentzville is expanding and a lot of people don’t know what we have to offer,” Holt senior Jahmal Rice said. It’s no secret that the Wentzville School District is growing rapidly. As a result, the growth in population means the growth of different types of people and a need for inclusion for all of them. Correspondingly, CUSA’s goal is to put students out of their comfort zone and meet new people. “We don’t like to see people clique up, staying in one area because that’s who they think they belong to,” Rice said. “We are all friends, we are all family, so we just try to bring people together, let them know we are trying to make everyone feel safe and make everyone feel comfortable.” The caterers of the Taste of Wentzville also see the event as an

photo by Emily Barnett

Sophomore Dori Earle checks out tasting event flyer displayed in the 400 hallway.

opportunity for the community to come together and learn about others’ cultures as well. Deborah Robinson from “Eat Stay Love” loved the idea of bringing different ethnicities in one spot. “When we heard that there was going to be something based on diversity and there [were] different booths with different ethnicities we were totally in,” Robinson said. “We deal with pretty much two different races, so to be a part of something that was way more diverse than what we usually deal with was really exciting for us.” Robinson runs “Eat Stay Love” with her aunt Barbara Robinson, specializing in soul food inspired by Louisiana cuisine. Both CUSA and Diversity Club have the goal of making the Taste of Wentzville an annual event so the students from both schools and the community can have the opportunity every year to meet and interact with new cultures. In addition to Holt and Liberty running the event, there is prospect of including more Wentzville schools in the future. “Hopefully with us coming together, Timberland can have a club like ours, and it can be a Wentzville thing,” Rice said. By opening the doors of the school to the community, the Taste of Wentzville was able to open doors to the inclusion of the myriad of cultures that live under its roof. The town may seem small, but could, one day, provide an aroundthe-world experience for those who wish to seek it.

photo by Ianne Salvosa

The Taste of Wentzville not only featured food, but activities from the represented cultures such as henna.

News | lhstoday.org design by: E. Barnett

Let The Games Begin An overview of homecoming 2019 by Lauren Spakowski Reporter Homecoming 2019 was one to be added to the history books. The theme “Let The Games Begin” was based off of some of the most iconic boardgames from our childhood like Twister, the Game of Life and Guess Who. If you missed anything that happened like the game, dance, parade, or don’t remember the spirit days, here is a recap to get you caught up. Spirit Week: For spirit week this year people got more creative than ever with their outfits. On Monday people showed their graduation year pride in color wars, Tuesday was filled with hilarious memes, Wednesday we had to guess who was who, Thursday we repped our college gear, and on Friday we wore all the red we owned. Pep Assembly: This year’s assembly was nothing shy of entertaining. Led by the emcees’ Aminhan Lobster and Grace Pickering, this dynamic duo kept the crowd roaring. To start off the afternoon, junior Jake Parmentier and sophomore Maddie Ashlock were awarded spirit king and queen for their creative costumes through the week and Ms. Borders was awarded “most spirited teacher” by no surprise. The cheerleader and dancers performed their wonderful routine, Mr. Barker and Aminhan Lobster performed their Lip Sync Battle routine, and a game of family feud was played, students vs. teachers style. To finish off the assembly the annual Belles and Bros dance occurred with some killer dance moves and even the flipping of one of the bros. Homecoming Game: Another homecoming victory has been put into the books for the eagles. Although the game was colder than any other game played so far in the season, the team was able to win the game, finishing with a score of 42-7 against big time rival Fort Zumwalt South. Additionally, homecoming king and queen were announced. Congratulations to Bri Corgan and Logan Wernig. Homecoming Parade: This year the parade had a great turnout. Taking place at Holt High School, all three schools from the district got together to show off their amazing sports programs and clubs. photos by: A. Jordan, H. McCune, L. Spakowski, M. Lewis

News | lhstoday.org design by: L. Spakowski

A Bittersweet End

Creative art students participate in the pit firing for one last time by Alyssa Bailey Co-Editor-in-Chief

photo by A. Bailey

The fire and smoke that burn around the ceramic work is absorbed into the surface of the clay creating beautiful natural designs that are spontaneous and quite unpredictable.

photo by A. Bailey

Megan Foster’s concept for her pit firing piece has been influenced by a vase her sister has. She’s hopeful for how the vase will look with the colors added to it.

Not many students have heard of the pit firing or know what it is. It’s an opportunity for all Ceramics I and II students to create a clay piece at the traditional pit firing at Faust Park during the 50th Annual Heritage Festival on Sept. 28-29. It was led by local ceramic artist, Sandy Schultz, and art teacher, Mr. Tiemann, who has helped organize the event for the past 10 years. This was be Mr. Tiemann’s third year attending. The event is predominantly open to his ceramics students exclusively but students that have previously taken those classes may also participate in the annual pit firing. “The oldest known method of firing pottery, known as pit firing, is a wide spread firing technique among people all over the world. In America, this Native American art form has been perfected and is highly valued among collectors,” Tiemann said. “All of the work is strictly ceramic work. There are no glazes (liquid glass) added to the pieces. The fire and smoke that burn around the ceramic work is absorbed into the surface of the clay creating beautiful natural designs that are spontaneous and quite unpredictable.” Before the firing actually begins, all the students will perform the “Blessing of the Pit,” which originated from the Cheyenne or Blackfoot tradition. “Students, families and friends are encouraged to participate in order to promote cultural awareness and for educational experiences that so many people are unaware of or understand. The “Blessing of the Pit” gives students the opportunity to experience a different culture, their belief systems and traditions that have been passed down for generations,” Tiemann said. While senior Megan Foster has had little experience working with clay, she decided to participate in the event and create a vase with a smiling sun as this will be her first year attending. She’s eager to see how all the colors from the pit firing blend together and make her piece look. “This is my first time at the pit firing, it’s actually my first time working with clay at all but I just hope that it’s a fun experience and I hope the vase has some pinkish colors to it because I feel like it would look really pretty with the sun,” she said. “I don’t want it to get too dark but you don’t really have control over it. I don’t really have expectations just because I don’t know what to expect.” Foster felt inspired to create her clay piece based on a vase her sister had. The vase had a “peaceful-looking Buddha face on it,” which helped Foster come up with the idea. She combined ideas of her own and the objects around her house to put her own spin on it and create something pretty that she could have for a long time. “This is my first clay piece since Art Fundamentals and I haven’t worked with clay in three years, and I was actually shocked at how it turned out because I am proud of it,” Foster said. With incoming students like Foster participating in the firing this year, it’s amazing to see the amount of growth and popularity this event has gained over the past few years. “It’s exciting to see that the turnout of Liberty students has continued to increase the past three years I have been teaching here. The first year we only had four students participate compared to 12 this year,” Tiemann said. Senior Brianna Dierks, who has previously done the pit firing, reflects on her own experience last year. “I had a lot of fun making the piece because I never worked with clay before; it was my first time using it and it turned out really cool. I absolutely would do it again because I really loved it,” Dierks said. “I’m not in Ceramics so I can’t make a piece to go because I don’t have a class with Tiemann but I might show up just because it’s really fun to see it happening. It’s a really cool experience.” Foster didn’t do the pit firing the other years due to the lack of time, as most students can relate to, but she’s grateful to be doing it this year. Unfortunately, this opportunity is not offered outside of school and it’s possible that Faust Park will discontinue the Heritage Festival after this 50th anniversary. However, Tiemann has carried on this tradition since he’s been at Hazelwood Central High School and if that’s the case, he “hopes to find a way to work with the school district and community to continue doing pit firings somewhere locally with the talented students here at Liberty.”

News | lhstoday.org design by: L. Spakowski

The GSA Executive Board distributed rainbow ribbon pins to promote the club.

photo by Alyssa Bailey

A Safe Space for All

The Gender Sexuality Alliance provides love and acceptance for everyone by Brooke Huffman Co-Editor-in-Chief

or incoming and returning students alike, it may be hard to find a place at school where they feel like they can truly be themselves. It’s hard to feel unique when you’re one of 1,300 students spending day after day in the same constant routine. For those still searching for their safe place in Liberty’s halls, the Gender Sexuality Alliance welcomes all with its message of love and acceptance.

un by sponsor Georgean Rustemeyer and its executive board, the club is determined to welcome all students, and provide a group of people that genuinely care. “GSA pretty much means a safe place where you can open up, and not get judged or anything. Whether or not you’re a part of the community, it’s just a safe place for you to talk about your day, and no matter what you’ll be accepted, and welcomed as a part of the community,” GSA advertising chair Theo Riles said. “It’s made me a more open person in general, I feel like I can just be myself and there are people out there who are for it.” Riles isn’t the only one who takes comfort in the club’s community, GSA vice president sophomore Annika Pastrana feels the same way. “It’s a group of people who are so welcoming, and so accepting of you, and it’s just so easy to be comfortable there,” Pastrana said. She joined the club during her freshman year, shortly after she came out as bisexual. Pastrana said the group has helped her during her coming out process, making it easier to tell her friends about her own sexuality. When asked why others should join the club, she knew exactly what to say. “They should join GSA because it’s a family, just knowing that you’ll be accepted there and that you can be comfortable there, and you can just be yourself. There’s no reason to be nervous,” Pastrana said. GSA President junior Eric Welker also has found his family in this community, discovering it soon after moving to Liberty. “I had friends that told me about the club when I first got here. I had moved from South, so we didn’t filter into Liberty normally, but since I moved I got here, and I didn’t really have very many friends, and so I made some and they told me to come to GSA. When I went it was a very nice, welcoming place, and so I stayed,” Welker said. GSA is going through plenty of changes this year, with a new sponsor (Ms. Rustemeyer), a completely new board and a lot of expected growth. “I knew we were changing sponsors this year and I was really afraid that GSA was going to suffer because of that, so I wanted to make sure that I personally could work really hard to fight for this group. GSA is a nice safe space for the LGBT community at our school and allies. I think it’s very welcoming, it means a lot. A lot of my friends from last year, they helped create the group, and they called it their ‘baby,’ so it really does mean a lot to be able to step in and help this group going forward,” Welker said. GSA is open to all sexualities and genders, members of the LGBT community and allies alike. If you would like to join the GSA family, don’t forget to attend the Oct. 31 meeting in room 507. photos by Lizzie Kayser

GSA Executive Board members Brooke Huffman (11), Drew Goodman (12), Theo Riles (11), Janna Stevenson (12), Eric Welker (11) and Annika Pastrana (10) hold up banners to create the pride flag.

Feature | lhstoday.org design by: L. Kayser

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Speech and Debate team participates in its very first mock trial by Brandon Hennis Reporter

What do you want to be? If you answered “lawyer” or “actor” or anything in between, you now have a unique chance to showcase your skills. For the very first time, students will have the opportunity to experience and be a part of a mock trial. Preparations began on Monday, Oct. 14 in room 206. Not only could it be a lot of fun, but it could also look great on students’ resume. The case, sent out by the Missouri Bar Association, is of course not a real nor based off of a real case. And only a limited amount of the case information is currently available. The roles of lawyers, defendants, witnesses & more will be decided on the first meeting. Mrs. Franke, our speech and debate teacher, will be running the team of students who are up to the challenge. They will also receive help with their case from an actual attorney, though it is still unknown if he will be with the students at the tournament. “This is a really unique and new opportunity, and I’m begging

has What

“It’s taught me how to be assertive, passionate, and able to speak in front of other people.” -Jaden Zelidon (10)

students to get involved because of all the great things they’ll learn and experiences they’ll have from being coached by an attorney,” Franke said. The first regional preliminary round will be Jan. 21 and 23, 2020. The actual trial will take place in a real courtroom, giving students a look into how a real case proceeds. No matter how they do in the first round, they will move on to the second round, which is Feb. 18 and 20, 2020. If the team wins there, they will progress on to the St. Louis regional, then state, and of course from there, nationals. Many have begun to express interest in this new endeavor at Liberty. Sophomore Sruthi Ramesh will be participating in the mock trial, as captain of the speech and debate team. “None of this would be possible without Franke, she worked really hard to make this happen,” Ramesh said. “I’m really excited for this unique opportunity. I’m not sure where it’ll take us, but we’ll do it together.”

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photo by Lucy Hunter

Mrs. Franke runs a T-Shirt meeting for speech and debate club in early September. She began sponsoring a mock trial on Oct. 14.

“It has taught me how to confront my fears because I had a really big fear of public speaking when I was younger and just going to speech and debate has taught me how to speak more confidently.” -Sruthi Ramesh (10)

“Speech and debate has taught me that supporting people who are your teammates can go so far and help them go the extra mile. Even if they’re doing better than you in the competition it makes you feel a million times better because they’re your teammate.” -Sanjana Anand (10) News | lhstoday.org design by: L. Kayser

Every Woman For Herself

Young girls take the necessary precautions to feel safe while out in public By Ianne Salvosa Reporter

*Trigger Warning : Mention of Sexual Assault* Don’t walk alone. Lock your car as soon as you get in. Watch out for strangers. These are only a few worries running through the minds of young women, when they find themselves in risky situations. From a young age, the phrase “don’t talk to strangers” seems to come out of adults’ mouths like a broken record. However, the topic becomes more understandable and utilized as kids mature. In the height of Amber Alerts and news apps sending out notifications of shootings, it has become increasingly important to have the knowledge of how to escape from a dangerous situation. Luckily, safety doesn’t always require having a black belt in karate or a vast array of criminal knowledge. For junior Sarvani Kunapareddy and senior Dessa Outman, a self defense class taught them all about ensuring their safety. “I learned different techniques for if you see something suspicious and what you should do in that situation,” Kunapareddy said. “Watching my surroundings, watching for anything I don’t know I’m going to see, and having more control in the moment so you know what’s going on.” The class, taken at Ultimate Defense in St. Peters, teaches anyone 13 years or older about how to take on an attacker. For $45, the one-time class offers a wealth of information on where to target an attacker and how to injure them. Outman also thought the class would provide information she could use in her everyday life. “I thought it would be good to know how to protect myself because now that I can drive I’m by myself in places all the time and I’m easily scared so I felt like it just put my mind at ease,” Outman said. While it is true that a high risk situation doesn’t pop up everyday, it has potential to rear its head when least expected. “I do believe some situations it [self defense] should be used because you don’t know what other people are thinking or what’s going to happen,” Kunapareddy said. In many instances, self defense takes the form of more physical protection. While it is monumentally important, another type of self defense can take the form of a device much, much smaller. Senior Sarah Tate uses a small bottle of pepper spray cleverly disguised as a tube of lipstick. “I carry it around when I’m going to St. Louis, walking around, I like to feel protected,” Tate said. First spotting the inconspicuous tool on an advertisement online, Tate thought it

News | lhstoday.org design by: E. Hamby

would be a necessary purchase. Wary of the crime downtown, the tiny spray provides a sense of reassurance to any wanting defense. “Girls need some type of protection these days,” Tate said. The pepper spray only costs $11.99, a small charge for the priceless amount of defense it brings. In Lake St. Louis and its surrounding areas, it may seem inessential to know how to physically ward off an attacker or carry a weapon. Many students grow up in suburban neighborhoods, not fearing the sounds of gunshots or robberies that are commonly associated with cities. But nevertheless, crime doesn’t cease to exist anywhere where human life stands. Sophomore Madison Pegg takes the necessary precautions when out in public. “I usually stick car keys or house keys in between the fingers of my fist whenever I’m walking through a parking lot or somewhere suspicious,” Pegg said. “I’ve read the stories and I know way too many people who have been sexually assaulted or raped.” In the midst of the #MeToo movement, more attention has been brought up to the struggle of women who stay in silence surrounding their experience with sexual assault. Everyday habits such as jogging puts women in fear of being targeted by men, disrupting their way of life. “I think the way men view women needs to change. I’ve been cat-called since I was 12, my sister and mom have been cat called several times – but my older brother who is 23 has never been cat called,” Pegg said. “Even if things do change, I will always be stuck in the habit and be on edge in certain situations. It doesn’t mean we can’t teach the next generation to not live on edge if things improve in our society.” So what is the next step? There are many facets of the American society that could change to solve the issue of crimes against women but girls having to go out of their way to protect themselves is not one of them. All modes of protection previously mentioned are not a sign for women to hide underneath their covers and never leave their house. It isn’t a warning to teenage girls that boys are out to get them and that they should immediately accumulate an arsenal of pepper spray. Defensive skills are only a precaution to anticipating high risk events – a “what if ” situation. But in the age of mace and misdemeanors, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Safety Tips

photo by Ianne Salvosa

A ROBOCOPP Grenade, pictured above, releases a 120 dB sound when triggered to alert others of an attack.

Want to buy one? Scan this QR code with Snapchat or your camera

photo by Ianne Salvosa

Tate’s lipstick pepper spray is used as a secondary safeguard when downtown.

Want to buy one? Scan this QR code with Snapchat or your camera

Additional Ways to Keep Yourself Protected: Sign up for a Self Defense Class Make sure you aren’t looking down at your phone in the dark *Attackers like to look for the people most distracted, so be careful! Prepare yourself for the possible emergencies you could run into * If you are prepared for the worst it helps to remain calm in the moment Be aware of your surroundings at all times * Make sure you can identify your surroundings so you can notify the police if needed.

*Trigger warning-in-depth discussion and description of eating disorders, especially in “The Mental Impact” section* What controls how you feel about your body? Is it what you eat, how much you exercise, pictures on social media, your old gym teacher? Or is it you? Despite our best efforts to see ourselves differently, the world around us plays a significant role in body image. From a young age, children are bombarded with images of a “perfect, healthy” body, with little variation from the norm. Girls should be slim with no belly fat while maintaining hourglass curves; the ideal boy will grow up to be tall, broadshouldered and muscular. Many students struggle to reconcile the reality of their bodies to an unattainable image. Five of Liberty’s girls have decided to share how this battle has affected their lives. Five athletes, scholars and leaders are embarking on an everyday journey to break past idealism and love themselves.

An Everyday Struggle

photo by Lizzie Kayser

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by Lizzie Kayser Reporter

Read the full stories on lhstoday.org or scan the QR code

Both sophomores Sruthi Ramesh and Maddie Ashlock are picture perfect reflections of involvement in school – they are leaders in Key Club; Ashlock is the 2022 class secretary, a part of HOSA and theatre, while Ramesh is a journalist, Student Council member and the Speech and Debate team captain. Regardless of their successes, however, Ashlock and Ramesh fight to accept what they see in the mirror. “As most girls do, you want to love yourself,” Ashlock said. “It’s just kind of hard to with society’s ‘normal’ stereotype.” Middle school and the changes it brought served as a catalyst for their negative body images. Ashlock has always been smaller than other girls her age, but it didn’t bother her growing up. However, when middle school began, her peers began to took note. “I was bullied by a group of girls. They gave me names that had to do with being

Learning to Love

Sophomore Brynn Bartram is on a journey to see herself in a new light. “Now when I look in the mirror, I think ‘she’s cool, she’s pretty bad, she’s gorgeous, she’s confident’,” Bartram said. “A year ago I would have thought so many bad things about myself that I can’t even think of now.” Bartram, a part of HOSA and advanced science courses, tried to achieve perfection in all areas of her life. She constantly wished she had a body like her favorite celebrities or people walking past her in the hallway. Once she got into high school, Bartram realized how negatively her body image was affecting her. “[My body image] definitely put me in a mindset where I needed to exercise, start eating healthier, change my lifestyle and try to get the perfect body. That was difficult for me, Bartram said. “Eventually I realized there’s no reason to create that image when I’m the person creating an image for myself.” Today, Bartram makes it her goal to view her beauty through what other people love about her, rather than her appearance. She reciprocates this love onto her friends when she hears them giving the same put-downs to themselves that she once said to her reflection. “As people we’re definitely going to have doubts about herself, but [we should] try our best to overcome those doubts and think if they will matter in a few days, a few minutes, a few years,” Bartram said. “Because if we’re happy with ourselves that’s all that matters.”

skinny or having to do with eating disorders even though I didn’t have one,” Aschlock said. “Ever since [my body image] hasn’t been the best.” Ramesh has also felt pressured by society to look a certain way. “Most people first feel [body image] when they come to an age where they’re aware enough to think about what other people think of them,” Ramesh said. Media played a major role in developing Ramesh’s awareness. From the stars shown on kids TV shows to the weight loss surgery commercial playing afterwards, an ideal image for your future body is subconsciously engraved in young minds – even if it’s inaccurate. Thus, an all-consuming obsession with needing to fix your body is slowly born...

The Mental Impact Annalisa Kercher has been pit against society’s standards since childhood. “I’m not the image you would think of when you think of beautiful, stereotypically,” Kercher said. Kercher, now a senior, recalls a time when she fully loved the way she looked, but it was quickly hampered. Kercher was bullied from the time she was 5. Other kids seemed to hate every aspect of her appearance, from her weight to her hair to her fingernails. “It got to the point that when teachers would ask ‘what’s your favorite thing about your appearance,’ I would say my ears,” Kercher said. “That was the only thing you couldn’t really judge me on.” As she grew up, this eventually manifested into an eating disorder. Kercher alternated between eating less than 300 calories a day and binging to a point in which her body couldn’t comprehend how much she was consuming. Her illness took a physical and mental toll; Kercher developed iron and vitamin deficiencies and lost all of her energy, causing her to have fainting spells at the disorder’s peak. Though Kercher is doing better today, the past continues to follow her. “It goes up and down. Literally a week ago I had to cover up my mirrors so I couldn’t see myself,” Kercher said. “Nothing could have me in it because I was so disgusted by what I saw.”

Features | lhstoday.org design by: E. Hamby

Halima Larhdiri

Natalia Gomez Jehovah’s

Michael Gannon Member of the Church

Muslim

Witness

of Jesus Christ of LatterDay Saints

“We have the word of wisdom which means we don’t put in harmful properties in our bodies. And we don’t drink alcohol, we live very much centered around the church and how we can help others and be a light really.”

“I have things like Ramadan and other holidays where I have to fast and that’s something that other people don’t do. Fasting during track was kind of tough but I feel like I’ve gotten used to it because I’ve been fasting for a couple of years now.”

“[I’ve been a witness] all my life. I grew up a Jehovah’s Witness. When it’s a holiday for other people, it’s just another day for me. For my birthday, it’s just like any other day; you’re just a year older. I do this by choice.”

Under One Roof

photos by Lauren Spakowski

As a student body, we tend to be oblivious to how different we all are. It’s important to learn about those with different backgrounds. A variety of religions, languages, and stories can be found all under one roof at Liberty, which senior Natalia Gomez, junior Halima Larhdiri, and sophomore Michael Gannon demonstrate everyday.

Leveling Out the Playing Field

Senior Suzie Altheimer is a female in Robotics but she tackles the gender barrier that appears for women

Opportunities

“Every once in a while I’ll go to demonstrations and committee events and I’ll be like, ‘I’m the lead machinist for the team,’ and someone would be like, ‘Oh, really?’”

“You will hear a lot of people that are like, ‘We don’t need diversity initiatives’ but the reality is probably about 10% of our team is female.”

Be confident “It was difficult at first because there weren’t as many [girls] joining the team, but one of the strongest influences in me sticking with it was the fact that Maya (Angeles), she was one of the heads of the manufacturing department, she was a good role model.”

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Diversity Initiatives “When talking to people in the industry who don’t know me, they tend to not take me seriously. Its kind of tiring just to prove you know what you’re talking about.”

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Reaching Out

Ms. Vo inspires others in her journey of expanding her fluency in English by Ianne Salvosa Reporter

In high school, students are encouraged to partake in a foreign language class. Whether it be Spanish, German or French, students typically embark on a journey of learning a new language their freshman year. Through the humorous struggles of the first “bonjour,”“hola,” or “hallo,” the actual rigorous experience of diving into a new language is often overlooked. In a firsthand experience, art teacher Ms. Vo not only had to jump into a new language, but a new culture entirely. Ms. Vo grew up in Vietnam, leaving the country at the age of 12 with her family to join her grandparents who lived in the United States. Not knowing a word of English prior to her move, Ms. Vo was in for a colossal difference in her surroundings. “I didn’t realize how different this country would be because I was so little, it didn’t really register in my life that it’s a big change,” Ms. Vo said. Upon moving to America, Ms. Vo enrolled in a public middle school, with the same course load of her peers along with an English as a Second Language (ESL) class. To keep up with the new school, language, and culture, Ms. Vo worked hard at her schoolwork and English, staying up late every night to look up directions on how to finish her work. As a matter of fact, Ms. Vo isn’t

the only person in Liberty that has learned English through immersion. Senior Suleyman Alasgarli moved to the United States at the age of 7 from Russia, also not knowing any English. “I just picked up English around the classroom, at home I’d read books a little bit, but my parents didn’t teach me that kind of stuff,” Alasgarli said. Over time, Alasgarli succeeded in becoming fluent in English and is grateful for the benefits that come along with bilinguality, as well as the connection it gives him to Russia. “Being bilingual also allows me to connect better with people from my own country,” Alasgarli said. “I admire where I’m from and what my morals are, all that stuff is from where I’m from originally.” For Ms. Vo and many other bilingual people like her, there is so much to be learned from learning a language besides the knowledge of the language. Confidence, new opportunities, and a cultural edge can stem from learning a new language. It will not only set one apart from others, but bring out so many new strengths. “I think a part of it is that I’m really comfortable being completely myself even though I know I have a lot of flaws,” Ms. Vo said. “I’m proud I’m able to be someone I thought I couldn’t be.”

photo by Lauren Spakowski

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The Man, The Myth, The Tech Guy

Jesse Graf connects with students and made an impact in their lives by Leah Miget Reporter photo by Leah Miget

Mr. Graf has made such a big impact on senior Daniel Rivera, that Rivera decided to stay at Liberty.

esse Graf ’s job title may be “technology technician,” but to students, he is far more than your average I.T. guy. Senior Tyler Hudson describes Graf as, “the number one most chill dude,” and “a Taco Bell connoisseur.” At the beginning of the year, Mr. Graf teaches students in the Chrome lab (located in Mr. Jarrett’s room) how to fix Chromebooks and checks in on them every couple of hours to make sure they aren’t overwhelmed with Chromebook issues. According to Hudson, who helps fix Chromebooks in the lab, the class occasionally gets to listen to some live music. “Jesse has this talent of being able to play the guitar. He and Mr. Jarrett will play the guitar and they’ll play ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ all the time,” Hudson said. Like all the teachers here, Mr. Graf cares about every student here at Liberty. He has had such a strong impact on senior Daniel Rivera that Rivera decided to stay at Liberty. “Originally, I wanted to go to a different school but I decided to stay because Jesse’s a good guy and he’s pretty funny and there’s only one Jesse,” Rivera said. Mr. Graf ’s day-to-day school routine seems pretty run of the mill. He checks emails and voicemails when he gets to school. Then he gets everything he needs set up for the day. Every couple of hours he goes down to the chrome lab to see if the students need help. If there are no students or teachers in need of Mr. Graf ’s help, he’ll go around and check in on classes to make sure everything is working. When Mr. Graf goes into these classrooms to check-in, sometimes they are playing Kahoot and he decides to play along. “With Daniel, I met him through Ms. Ehlers’ class by going in and playing Kahoot and challenging the kids to beat me,” Mr. Graf said. “I’ll go into any class and if they’re playing Kahoot, I stop and I pull it up on my phone and the teacher will usually give extra credit for any kids that can beat me at whatever topic is.” While Mr. Graf has worked here for Liberty the past four years, he hasn’t always worked in education. After graduating from Fort Zumwalt North for high school, he went to college at Linn State Tech (Missouri State Tech) and studied telecommunications. He started as a telecommunications intern working as a traveling technician throughout Illinois and went back to finish college after one year of traveling technician work. After college, he started working for AT&T in home security for one year. When AT&T branch shut down, the job at Liberty came up. “Something that I figured out my senior year is don’t care what anybody else thinks,” Graf said. “My first three years of high school I

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was pretty quiet and kept to myself. But then, out of nowhere I just realized, ‘I don’t really care what anyone else thinks,’ and then it was just like a whole new world where you can do whatever you want. You have to care to some extent, for example, my friends and I got up on stage and did Fortnite dances. A lot of people would be too embarrassed to do that but just don’t be embarrassed about anything if you enjoy it and it’s fun or funny. Then do it if it’ll make you happy.” Mr. Graf followed his own advice, ‘do what you love as long as it makes you happy,’ during Educators Rising’s Lip Sync Battle last year. He bought $300 worth of costumes for himself and two of his friends. He dressed one of them up as a Mountain Dew bottle, the other as a burrito, and the man himself had a Taco Bell uniform to wear and a sign to put on his back. During the performance, he and his friends decided to do a routine of Fortnite dances on stage. Right now, if you were to walk into Mr. Graf ’s office, you would see Mr. Graf ’s trophy behind his desk from winning the Lip Sync Battle. “I decided I was going to do the Lip Sync Battle for my contribution to the school because I never do any of the other events. So I found this rap song from this girl who raps about high school and Taco Bell and I’m like, ‘that is relatable,’” Mr. Graf said. Anyone who knows Mr. Graf well knows that he goes to Taco Bell a lot more than the average person. But some people know better than others how deep his love for Taco Bell goes. “Jesse has probably tried every single order on the Taco Bell menu,” Hudson said. “There was one time where I was going to Taco Bell and I didn’t know what to get and he said pick a number between these two numbers and I chose a number and he could literally tell me what that number was on the menu. I would say he is a Taco Bell connoisseur.” Even though Mr. Graf was not planning on working at a high school, he has found his calling working with the students and staff of LHS, trying to make an impact on them. “When I got the training to work at this school, that’s when I realized that I actually like working with the kids a lot more than I thought I would,” Mr. Graf said. “I like being able to make an impact on them because it’s so fulfilling.” Jesse Graf ’s job title here at Liberty may be “technology technician,” but to students, he is far more than your average I.T. guy. He is a friend and an inspiration to do what you love, no matter what.

A Blessing and A Curse As technology advances, are we spiraling towards a darker time? by Fiona Flynn Reporter As science and technology advances, problems that were once deemed impossible are fixed. People are cured and diseases are exterminated. However, there may be an underlying curse to this blessing. Phones are being dropped into the hands of our youth at younger and younger ages every year. Social media has become an inescapable trap of lies that feed the masses of expectations. Are we spiraling toward a devastating end because of our phones? When the word addiction is spoken, sometimes the first thing the mind runs to is drugs, alcohol and nicotine. An addiction to your phone is probably at the bottom of your list, which makes sense. We as a society have hardly scraped the surface of the technology world. Handheld devices are still very new to our world and we are only just stepping up the stairs of discovery. We have no idea what they may lead to, nor their effects. Most kids receive a phone anywhere from fifth to eighth grade, some even younger. Even without a cellular device, kids are still surrounded by other forms of media. “I got social media shortly after I got my phone so in about sixth grade. Even as a kid I always had an ipod or an ipad so it’s honestly hard for me to remember life without some type of phone,” sophomore Avery Schlattman said. Although it’s an unpopular opinion, constantly having your phone on you throughout the day is a distraction. As a notification goes off, some students feel an irresistible urge to check it, despite an important lesson or the loss of time to work on class assignments. “I am able to admit that it’s hard to focus in class or on homework, or any task because I would rather be on my phone. It is distracting,” Schlattman said. However having a phone isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Technology has allowed for those who may not feel that they fit in to connect with other people who share the same interests. To many students, it’s a way to stay more connected to their friends and more aware of what goes on around them in their community and what happens globally. “It definitely makes me want to do more things,” sophomore Ashley Murray said. “If I want to go hang out with somebody, I text them to see how they’re doing. Any time I have to do anything, my phone revolves around it.” Having a phone opens up opportunities to know exactly what is happening within the minute it happens through social media platforms, but social media has set a new level of anxiety amongst teenagers. Impossible body type standards and romanticized extravagant lifestyles are advertised as normal. “Whenever you first get social media you have to have a perfect life. You go on people’s Instagrams and they’re in California and they’re amazing. You feel like you always have to have a perfect image,” senior Megan Chambers said, commenting on the culture of social media. The ideals of life are constantly broadcasted and thrown in our faces everyday. We can access just about any bit of information at any point in time. The question is, is the anxiety, stress and the distraction worth it in the endgame? photo by Fiona Flynn

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Lookbook Liberty students have got the look by Alyssa Bailey & Brooke Huffman Co-Editor-in-Chiefs

photo by Mollie Banstetter

Anna Wright (9)

For some, clothes are simply clothes, but for freshman Anna Wright they are a method of self expression. Wright uses her style as a way to illustrate things about herself, from her passions to her personality. “I love feminism, and activism, so I like to, if I see something at a store that has a cute quote on it, I express that and show everybody, because you shouldn’t be ashamed of your interests, or what you want to tell people,” Wright said. “I’m also pretty colorful, I feel like that’s more friendly and approachable if you have more color to share with the world.” Wright’s style also captures her emotions, varying day to day based on how she’s feeling. “I would describe my style as very spread out and varied. Like, some days I’ll feel sporty and active, and other days I’ll feel very lazy and laid back. My style kinda depends on my mood,” Wright said. Wright blends feminine aspects with her own sense of self, creating looks that display her identity. Her bright and fun style as well as her bubbly personality radiate a friendly atmosphere, making her sociable and welcoming.

Entertainment | lhstoday.org design by: M.Banstetter

photo by Alyssa Bailey

Anthony Scachitti (10)

On the daily, not many students care or feel the need to think about what they want to wear to school every single day. However, sophomore Anthony Scachitti has been conscientious of his look since he was in middle school. While he doesn’t plan his outfits out everyday, unless it’s the first day of school, he does have his own individual style that he sticks with. “I feel like I wear brighter clothes than a lot of people. I don’t like to wear what everybody else is wearing but I definitely like to stick to that trend just a little bit,” Scachitti said. “I just like to do my own thing.” His individualistic style is distinct and his love for shoes has certainly inspired his overall look. He spends more money on highend brands like Yeezys because of his appreciation of shoes as they are his favorite part about the entire outfit. Scachitti created his own sense of style now that he’s in high school, which developed his overall unique look.

photo by Alyssa Bailey

Andrew Sante (11)

Many attribute bright Hawaiian florals and sandals to a relaxed dad on a beach vacation, but junior Andrew Sante sports them on the daily. Always easy to spot, Sante wears colorful shades of blue and green from head to toe, as well as leafy patterns. However, Sante’s style goes beyond the aesthetic, relying on function and comfort as well. “I wear flip flops, cause I don’t like tennis shoes since they constrict my toes,” Sante said. Sante’s style is consistent, especially his signature flip flops, but it wasn’t always that way. “At the very end of middle school or the beginning of high school is when I really started caring about how my hair looks and that kind of stuff,” Sante said. Sante’s style is very much his own, although it takes inspiration from suburban uncles. His style always brings a bit of brightness to the halls, and to his classmates.

photo by Alyssa Bailey

Aminhan Lobster (12)

From chic to unique, senior Aminhan Lobster has developed her own sense of professionalism in her fashion style. Since middle school, Lobster has grown into her own style and gotten some of her inspiration from past seniors. “Middle school was a tragic time for my fashion, I basically had the same jacket and wore it everyday. I feel like high school is when I started to really care about what I wore,” Lobster said. “There was a senior here that was really inspiring like the first time I saw her, I thought she was a teacher but she wasn’t; she just dressed really nice every single day. My goal was to definitely be like her and ever since then, I’ve been trying to, at least, look cordial at school.” Aside from getting inspiration from past seniors, Lobster looks up to celebrities and gains ideas by going on social media whenever she can. “I love Yara Shahidi, she’s just my personal inspiration but also my style inspiration,” Lobster said. Over the past four years, Lobster has created a style that embodies her very own fashion statement and it shows.

Wise Walter’s Wonderful Advice

Mr. Walterbach answers students questions by Mr. Walterbach & Mollie Banstetter Q: What would you say is the most difficult year of high school? A: “I would say senior year because you’re either really motivated or really lazy and you gotta figure out which side you want to be on.” Q: Do you think that high school relationships will last? A: “Never, they only last for two weeks, so don’t fall in love with anyone. You’re gonna break up when you go to college, it’s just a given.”

Q: How can we help ourselves to ignore judgment, but still feel comfortable to be ourselves? A: “Easy, just raise the roof everyday.” Q: Do I need to pass history? A: “Unless you want to go to summer school, and it gets kinda hot in summer school.” Q: If you could only say one sentence of life advice, what would it be? A: “From my favorite band, 311, be positive, and then from my second favorite band Phish (yes thats with a P) don’t sweat the small things.”

Q: How do I improve my jump shot? A: “Touch a basketball in the off season.” photo by Mollie Banstetter

Where’s Our Staff?

At The Movies

Quiz

The leading role of “Tall Girl,” Ava Michelle was kicked off of what TV show for being too tall? What famous movie starring Robert De Niro was written in two weeks? Approximately how many balloons were featured in Disney movie “Up”? What iconic line from the movie “Jaws” was improvised? While Christian Bale was prepping for his role in “American Psycho” what celebrity interview inspired him? Where does the Matrix code come from? photo by Mollie Banstetter

Find the LHS staff members in the crowded lunch room Luedecke

Wheeler Greminger

McMillen

*If you’re the first to complete the “Wheres Our Staff?” and the “At The Movies Quiz” then claim your prize in room 239.*

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Creating Connections

An in-depth exploration into what teaching styles resonate with students by Brooke Huffman Co-Editor-in-Chief

photos by Lauren Spakowski

As human beings, we strive to build connections, to meet people we genuinely care about and establish long lasting relationships. We love to be cared for, shown that we matter. Teachers do this everyday, acting as a mentor of sorts and finding new ways for our voices to be heard. Every student is so unique, and responds to things differently. For example, one student might be much more visual, being easily satisfied with power points and videos while another will prefer hands-on learning, with various labs and more 3D models. Students have so much diversity when it comes to how they learn, just as teachers vary in how they teach.

Ms. Gehrke Ms. Gehrke focuses more on giving their students a method of self expression, showing students that they can openly be themselves in the classroom. Gehrke, who has been teaching for 11 years, is in charge of the theater program. “[My teaching is about] relationships with students. Making connections with students and I think the beauty of theater is that it’s all about trying to create art where it’s all about being empathetic and getting into other people’s shoes, and so you can’t really create that unless you are trying to create that in real life too, when you can see where other people are coming from,” Gehrke said. “I want them to see that you can follow your passion, that it is much easier to be kind than to spend time creating more drama.”

Mr. Walterbach

Mr. Walterbach is known for his more laid back and fun style of teaching. “[Teaching is] just something that I always wanted to do. I knew I didn’t want an office job and I really wanted to be involved in sports after college ended. I had great teachers in high school and saw/experienced the impact they had. I knew it was the job for me. “When I was coaching basketball one of my first years, my head coach said to me ‘remember they are someone’s kids.’ I don’t know why, but that stuck with me. I want to teach that way also. I hope to give all students respect and a chance. Now that I have three kids of my own, I really teach and coach by that phrase,” Walterbach said.

Mr. Schaper

Mr. Schaper focuses on trying to better his students by teaching them by giving them a voice. “Listen. Try not to talk too much. I think it’s easy to forget how busy students are, you have a lot of classes to worry about and you have a social life that’s really unique and demanding in a way that even people my age didn’t experience. You have kids that you can visually see are way busier than you probably would expect. At the end of the day, I care about due dates, just because it helps me stay sane and up to date in the gradebook, but I care more about the learning than I do the day or the minute it was turned in. Timeliness is great, but learning is better. If you have to pick one, I think the choice is obvious for me,” Schaper said.

Mr. Barker A teacher known for his fun-loving personality and connections with students is Mr. Barker. “I would say my goal for my students is to find happiness, and happiness is a really difficult complex thing and people think it’s simple. It involves working hard, it involves accepting who you are and loving who you are, it involves loving those around you without judgment, it involves, like, so many more things, so if I can leave an impact to give students the confidence that they’re allowed to be who they are and do whatever they want to do, that they only have their own lives to answer for, in that sense,” Barker said. “I hope that that’s my impact, that I leave them understanding that they have something great inside of them and the journey to find it is worth it.” Due to their different goals and inspirations, teachers will teach differently, each accommodating a different sort of student. These various styles and unique connections help make each teacher so special. Teachers are sometimes the unsung heroes, not appreciated for the impact they have on our lives. They’re here, they’re teaching us because they want to help us, because they genuinely want to watch us learn and grow. They may not always show that, we may not always be able to see past a strict exterior to understand that, but in the long run they are the reason we’re educated, they are the reason we can pursue our dreams and achieve our ambitions.

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