Fired up!
The Ledger | Vol. 9 | Issue 1
News
Here Comes The Sun 4 Little Eagles Return To Nest 5 Record Heat Fuels Raging Wildfires 12 Dreaming in Gold 14
Sports
Fall Sports Update 8 Eagles Take Knights By Storm 9 FNL Returns 9 Champions 19
Feature
Unfamiliar Faces 6 Meet Our New Foreign Exchange Students 7 Vazquez Discovers ‘What It Means To Be Determined’ 18
Opinion Be Informed 17
In-Depth
What Gets You Fired Up? 10
Interactive Horoscopes 20
Arts & Entertainment | lhstoday.org Content | lhstoday.org 22Content design by: M. Banstetter design by: M. Banstetter
Breaking Boundaries 13 Diversity in the MCU 16
Letter From The Editors-In-Chief Well... hi! Thanks for picking up a copy of the first magazine of the year. We hope you like it. This issue is the first under our new management, and we feel pretty proud of it! To be honest, being back in the semi-normal rhythm of school feels a bit off. We’ve slogged through months of onand-off in-person schooling, quarantines, and contact tracing. And now we’re here, in the quiet afterthought of it all as we’ve adapted to a new way of life. And what do we do now with this tender return to normalcy as we’ve learned to live differently? If you ask us, now is the time to get excited. This year, ‘homecoming’ has a new meaning: we’ve come back to the homey feeling of the rush of our football games, the elation of our dances, and our animated spirit weeks. Clubs are reuniting, some new ones are forming. We’re meeting friends old and new and look at our sunrises and sunsets with a renewed sense of joy. This year we wanted to change things up a little bit and give the magazine a cohesive theme throughout the issues. As you know, we have a magazine for each quarter, making four amazing issues. We won’t stall you any longer so without further ado: We present to you the ELEMENTS! This first issue is surrounding the theme of fire, as we’re sure you can tell. This issue is all about the fiery passions of students and teachers. Even if all you do is appreciate the layout of the pages, we thank you abundantly for picking up our work. We hope you enjoy this magazine as much as we enjoyed making it, we are going to make this a great year!
Volume 9 Issue 1
The LEDGER Liberty High School 2275 Sommers Road Lake Saint Louis, MO. 63367 636.561.0075 ext: 28039 jonathanhall@wsdr4.org
Editors-In-Chief Paige Bostic Elizabeth Hamby Reporters Mollie Banstetter (Layout Editor), Sruthi Ramesh (Photo Editor), Ally Schniepp (Sports Editor), Avery Schlattman, Elaine Thimyan, Sean Bruce, Gavin Block, Fiona Flynn, Kay Copeland, Sam Knickmeyer and Abbie Luker *Each editor also serves as a reporter
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Content | lhstoday.org Content | lhstoday.org design by: M. Banstetter design by: M. Banstetter
here Comes The Sun
Students celebrate first of many senior traditions by Mollie Banstetter, Layout Editor
Photos by Amanda Yoder Photo submitted by Kaytlee Thompson
| lhstoday.org 4 News design by: F. Flynn
On the morning of Sept. 3, Liberty seniors gathered on the athletic campus to partake in one of the school’s many beloved traditions: Senior Sunrise. As the crowd of seniors buzzed around the section of bleachers displaying donuts, Sarah LePage expressed her excitement. “It’s unbelievable that we even made it this far, and I think it’s a good way to start the year. Soon enough, we will be doing our Senior Sunset.” The seniors eventually made their way to the field to socialize and watch the sunrise over the Eagle Kingdom. The event started at 6:15 a.m. Students dragged themselves out of their cars and started waking up while music filled the air and pictures were being snapped.
Isabelle Grothoff decided at the last minute to join the fun; “I woke up that early, I don’t regret it. It was so much fun!” This event took quite a lot of effort from the senior class officers and their sponsor, Ms. Jacks. Jacks shared the class officers’ process of putting together the first senior event of the year. “The seniors took ideas that they have seen from other schools and decided what pieces they wanted to bring back to Liberty,” said Jacks. “A lot of the communication and planning has been done through Google docs and Gmail since we began this process before returning to school in person.” Many students in attendance placed the crowns that were handed out on their heads, corralled all their friends, and commemorated the moment by capturing the morning on photo. As the sun set in its place and the clock struck 6:40, students made their way off the field and into the building. Seniors resumed the beginning of their last year of high school.
s e l g a E t s e l e iL tt To N n r u t e R The Eagles’ Nest preschool reopens for in-person learning by Avery Schlattmann, Reporter On Sept. 14, Ms. Genenbacher’s Child Development II class opened their doors to begin the 2021 Eagles’ Nest school year. The Eagles’ Nest is a Pre-K class taught by the students in Child Development II. Last year, due to COVID-19, the Eagles’ Nest had to be taught virtually. “Teaching preschool virtually was a unique challenge, so we’re very excited to have little eagles filling our preschool with laughter again,” Ms. Genenbacher shared. While the class is student-led, Genenbacher is there to help with lesson plans and supervise in case of emergencies. She works to prepare the students for teaching, making sure they have all the supplies, resources and support they need to be successful. The little eagles come for two hours on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, while Mondays and Wednesdays are reserved for the teachers to lesson plan. “Each week has a theme; my first week teaching is farm week so I make my lessons around farms and animals,” senior Adrienne Rockette shared. “We have a curriculum
we have to follow, and for our activities, we have textbooks and online resources to get ideas from.” The class prepares students for careers in teaching, giving them responsibility and allowing them to be creative in the process. “You really have to walk in with no expectations, you never know how the kids are going to act that day, and sometimes you can have a super detailed plan and it just doesn’t go the way you want it to,” senior Morgan Brennan discussed. The class takes place during the first two hours of the day, allowing for circle time, three lessons to be taught and snack time. “I love it, it really kicks off my day. If you’re not awake when you come in, those kids will make sure you’re awake by the end of it,” Brennan said. The Eagles’ Nest teachers love getting to work together to create a fun learning environment for their students. “My favorite part is creating lessons that are fun and knowing that the kids are learning something from me makes me so happy,” junior Olivia Marshall said.
photo by A. Yoder
Olivia Marshall and Hailey Buckley prep their activity for the first day of school.
photo by A. Yoder
Amaris Vazquez plays puppets with an Eagles’ Nest student.
Hailey Grenier admires the little eagles’ artwork.
photo by A. Yoder
News | lhstoday.org design by: M. Copeland
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Mr. Datz photo by S. Knick me
n Ms. Reiman Knickmeyer S. by o ot ph
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U nf A m I l I AR FAC E S
New and returning staff take their place amongst the Eagle Famiyl by Sammy Knickmeyer, Reporter
Ms. Bollwerk photo by S. Knickmeyer
6 design by: M. Banstetter Feature | lhstoday.org
Ms. Petit photo by S. Knickmeyer
Mr. Sedlock photo by S. Knickmeyer
Abbie Bollwerk- Special Education
Julia Reimann- Spanish Julia Reimann has been teaching for 12 years and has worked outof-district at three different schools. She will be teaching Spanish 2 at Liberty this year. Other than working at LHS, she will also be teaching at Holt High School. She looks forward to getting to know her students this year. She came to Liberty after moving to Kansas City to be closer to family. She believes the Liberty staff is supportive and willing to help new staff members.
Abbie Bollwerk has been teaching for two years and has spent the last year teaching at Holt. She worked as a Liberty staff member for four years and has officially returned. After working as a Liberty staff member, she took her first teaching opportunity at Holt. She will be teaching Special Education Functional Skills.
David Sedlock- Assistant Band Director
Carter Datz- Vocal Music
This is David Sedlock’s first year teaching. He will be teaching band this year and he looks forward to concerts and performances. He graduated from Timberland in 2015 and is an alumnus of Wentzville School District. He also student taught at Liberty and Frontier in the fall of 2020. He currently works at Frontier and Crossroads in addition to Liberty. In his free time, he loves playing any kind of music and singing.
Carter Datz has been teaching for three years and has been teaching at Jackson High School in Southeast Missouri for the past two years. He came to Liberty for the opportunity to lead his own choral program. He will be teaching Choir and Guitar. He hopes to offer more music classes such as Songwriting and A.P. Music Theory in the future. He looks forward to building relationships with his students. Outside of school, he loves to travel internationally with his wife, cook, play board games, and write music.
Hannah Petit- Math Hannah Petit has been teaching for eight years and has taught in the Wentzville Middle School building in the past. She came to Liberty when she noticed an open position and decided to make the change from middle school teaching to high school. She will be teaching Algebra 1, Algebra Strategies, and Essentials of Math this year. She has noticed the students and staff here at Liberty are respectful and welcoming. Outside of school, she likes to read and spend time with her kids.
Meet Our Forei g n Exchan g e Students Four students from Europe settle in at Liberty by Abbiegail Luker, Reporter
“In general, a lot of things are just different here.” One of the things that surprised her the most was the dynamic between student and teacher; she recalled it being much less strict at home, and that the teachers here have more power.
Radzei claimed that most of all, she misses German bread. “The bread here is much lighter, it’s more like toast.” Mia Radzei, Germany
Amanda Andersen, Denmark
photo by Abbiegail Luker
photo submitted by Amanda Andersen
Metschnabl said that she likes that it’s different here. “In Germany, we have broad subjects like Math and English. It’s cool that here they have classes like Piano and Culinary Arts.” Elisa Metschnabl, Germany photo by Abbiegail Luker
Erne states that one of the first things that surprised her was the look of the school buses. “I just rode the bus for the first time yesterday. I don’t know what I had thought they’d look like, but not how they actually look.”Helen Erne, Germany
photo by Abbiegail Luker
Feature | lhstoday.org design by: M. Banstetter
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FALL SPORTS UPDATE by Ally Schniepp, Sports Editor of the Ledger
The girls cross country team Coach Micheletti finished the season strong by 11-15 competing at McNair park and Some of our season highlights were placing first in the GAC to become surpassing last year’s win total. We also Central conference champions won six straight games. We defeated this season. Senior Ally Kruger the defending state champs, Webster took first place in the meet with Groves, 8-4. We had a player, Kylee a time of 18:57. The girls also Orf, break the single season hit record. placed first at two other meets this We had another player, Ella Evans, earn season. Kruger broke her school 100 career hits which has only been record this season running 17:55 done by 4 others. and senior Adrianne Rockette has Our season went well and we took a lot become the second fastest runner of positive strides forward this year. It in the program, running 19:22. isn’t always about winning and losing, but watching the girls come together and play through some adversity was my favorite part of the season. We finished the season At the GAC meet, the boy’s winning 6 out of our last 7, and that’s because the girls were truly invested in the team took third in conference softball program. and eighth overall. Freshman Cale Eldridge crossed the Coach Campos 10-3 finish line with a time of 17:58, 13-4 Golf had a tremendous season where becoming the first Eagle to fly Second place as a team in the Troy Doubles Tournament, they won their GAC in the North Champions of the Francis Howell Central Doubles Central division. Five out of six golfers over the finish line in 30th place with senior Dylan Carlson on Tournament, 2021 GACS North-Central Champions. placed: Kyndall Stubbelfield placed his heels with a time of 18:02. first overall, Madalyn The season went great as the team accumulated their wins The JV team took sixth place Breckenridge placed sixth, Sophie to position themselves for the North-Central GACS. We Chenot placed ninth, Mollie Banstetter overall with sophomore Nolan medaled both days. Isabella Gamm & Kaylie Brockmann, placed 10th and Layla Bane placed Schlattman placing first overall, Carly & Laney Torbit, Abbi Witzke & Riley Torbit, Lief 11th. Stubblefield also won the honor completing the race with 18:29. & Logan Richter doubles were all 1st place champions, of Player of the Year in their division. and Madeline Dubois & Brooklyn Rudolph doubles At the state tournament, Stubblefield were 2nd place finishers. Day 2, Isabella Gamm, Laney finished 14th, and Chenot placed Torbit, Kaylie Brockmann, Abbi Witzke, Riley Torbit, 22nd. Abbi Kuhn, & #8(Maddy Kuhn) singles were all 1st place 11-6 champions. Carly Torbit singles was 2nd place finisher. “The highlight of our season was winning the Troy Team States we beat Troy 1st round. Lost to Timberland tournament,” junior setter Riley Watson said. 2nd round which ended our season. Watson and junior outside hitter Savannah Meyer Coach Luedecke both have 12 aces so far this season. Meyer also 12-4-2 holds the highest amount of kills on the team, We won the St. Dominic Super Cup and Francis coming in with 92 kills even with an injury this Howell Central Round Robin tournament. We are season. The team has had a rough year with the currently ranked 9th in large schools in St. Louis. health of their teammates. Other than Meyer’s The season is going very well. Our defense and goalie injury, there have also been four other injured have been incredible. We have had 13 different players and one quarantine this year. players score. Goals are to win conference and districts. After that, we’d like to make a run at the state championship.
SOFTBALL
GIRLS XC
GOLF
BOYS XC
GIRLS TENNIS
VOLLEYBALL
BOYS SWIM
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Coach Whitmore 3-7 Highlights 5th place at FZW Invitational (13 teams), 5th place at FZN Invitational (16 teams), currently have achieved 6 cuts for the state meet in November. Season Overview Our guys are consistently dropping time in their individual and relay events, and have been performing well in meets. Our record shows 3 wins and 7 losses, but many of those meets are triangular meets with more than one team where we have achieved second place. Our team has performed very well this season.
BOYS SOCCER
FOOTBALL
3-6 The team has competed hard this season, winning nearly all road games. Sophomore quarterback Noah Kuehner leads the team in touchdowns with six so far this season and junior kicker Charlie Hebden has completed 11 extra points for the Eagles. Junior Ethan Weiler has a total of 466 yards in 74 attempts, leading the team in yards. Senior Alex Fillner leads the team in receiving yards, coming in with 223 for the season. Junior Justin Little leads the defense with 44 total tackles this year while senior Sam Arrington leads the defense in interceptions.
Sports | lhstoday.org
photos by Sruthi Ramesh, Alix Queen, Monica Reyes, Paige Packingham, Jaxon Drezek, Emily Barnett
Eagles Take Knights By Storm
The Eagles have won three of four road games so far this season, one of which being a win against Francis Howell North. The Eagles crushed the Knights 28-6 for their second win of the season. “We bounced back pretty well,” sophomore quarterback Noah Kuehner said. Kuehner threw a touchdown pass to senior Alex Fillner, scored two touchdowns and ran a grand total of 149 yards against the Knights. “I finally got my opportunity and just took the most of it,” Kuehner said. Kuehner didn’t go into the game until the second quarter, but when he did, it was a game changer for the Eagles. The game started off slow with the first quarter going scoreless. Kuehner scored the first touchdown of the game on a 40-yard run to the endzone. The next possession for the Eagles was another touchdown, thrown by Kuehner to Fillner for Fillner’s second touchdown in three offensive games he has played this season. Fillner has a total of 171 yards so far this season, 26 yards on the touchdown against the Knights. From a scoreless first quarter to a 14-0 lead at halftime, the Eagles took over the game in two offensive possessions. Junior Charlie Hebden successfully kicked the extra point on both the touchdowns in the second quarter. On the defensive end, junior linebacker Matt Craig had a fumble recovery at the end of the half and nine total tackles, four of his own and five assisting other teammates. Moving into the next half, sophomore Austin Steenbeke scored his first varsity touchdown on a 38-yard run and the third of the game for the Eagles. Howell North responded to this by scoring their first touchdown of the game. Steenbeke nearly scored his second touchdown of the season, but a flag on the play rendered his run to the endzone invalid. Kuehner then scored a 45-yard run into the endzone. The final score was 28-6, Eagles never losing their reign on the lead.
Liberty defeated the Francis Howell North Knights 28-6 in a great offensive game for the Eagles by Ally Schniepp Sports Editor of the Ledger
Junior Peyton Bartels runs the ball as far as he can on a punt return to give the Eagles offense the best opportunity to score.
FNL Returns
After a long year of only parents in the stands, the student section has come back bigger and better than ever for the beloved Friday Night Lights by Ally Schniepp, Sports Editor of the Ledger The Eagles went over 600 days without a fan section, and they are making the most of it every single game, regardless of the game turnout. The Eagles are currently 3-5, but the students show up every home game without fail. “The white sea of a student section stayed strong the entire game, cheering on the home team, even when the game was 49-0. The students cheered on the Eagles with a megaphone and the spirit stick, screaming louder for the plays seniors made. “I want to send a special thank you out to our student section tonight,” @ LHSFTBALL tweeted after the game.” -Eagles Lose to Troy in Home Opener
Sports | lhstoday.org design by: A. Schniepp
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What gets you
It all started when a young version of Mr. Stoll began his junior year of high school as an exchange student in Hamburg, Germany. Stoll spent a year in the country, and felt a deep connection with the language and culture. Herr (German for “Mr.”) Stoll felt like access to learning German was what the community really needed, so he went on to be a German teacher. He feels the rewards of his choice everyday, being able to engage young students in learning the language. Stoll is the only German teacher at Liberty and has been the only teacher at LHS to ever teach the language. In comparison, Spanish and French have multiple teachers that teach varying levels of difficulty. Stoll begins every morning with walking in from the hallway of his classroom and greeting them with “Moin moin meine lieblingsklasse” which means “good morning my favorite class.” Knowing that students enjoy and love coming to your class is the biggest part of being a teacher. “I love class with Stoll; one of the best teachers I have ever had,” said junior Shane Wolz.
10 design by: A. Luker & S. Ramesh In-Depth | lhstoday.org
As you may expect, teaching exclusively various courses of chemistry at Liberty, Ms. Beierman is in love with science. She has always loved the subject and originally had wanted to put that love towards veterinary. Although once she arrived at high school where many of us, including her, had her first chemistry class she fell in love with the subject that mixed math, science and chemistry. Flash forward, Beierman uses chemistry almost everyday of her life, in an attempt to understand the world around her. She makes decisions about the food that her family eats based on the chemicals used, or even assessing the biochemistry aspects of the COVID-19 vaccine. Before becoming a teacher, Beierman was a research chemist, and she misses it some days, but she’s glad she carried out the teacher lifestyle. She is now investing her love of chemistry into the minds of students and even her children at home. “I wouldn’t say my passion is in chemistry but rather building those relationships with students and helping them when they are struggling academically or emotionally,” Beierman said.
“I have a strong passion for speed development,” said Mr. Tutterrow a history teacher here at Liberty, but also a track and cross country coach for multiple years as a whole. For him, running is more than just a sport, it is a legacy and something you strive for greatness for. “My dad was a phenomenal cross country runner for Holt in the 1970s so I’ve always thought of running as part of the ‘family business,’” said Tutterrow. To a non-athlete, speed may be a simple concept that just looks like a runner running fast and pushing their limits. Yet there are so many aspects that go into speed; to name a few: stride length, stride frequency and believe or not flexibility. Tutterrow says that he has always found the biological processes of speed fascinating, always coming up with new methods to improve. He has committed himself to running distance, of course when his ankle isn’t bothering him, as it is bad right now. “My longest run ever, I began before the sun rose and watched the sunrise while running. I feel it (running) also connects you to what your body has always been meant to do.”
Freshman Noah Block gets “fired up” about art, sketching and being creative. Block specializes in zentangle and abstract act, but hopes to “do more people, animations, cityscapes, landscapes.” He is currently enrolled in Art Fundamentals this semester, and plans to take Drawing 1 afterwards. “I want to get better at drawing. I’ve been doing it since I was young. Over time I’ve grown, and I still am.” Block has his own process when it comes to creating art. He works in a linear fashion, confident that the best work cannot be recreated. “I’ve never believed in doing a rough draft and then a final draft. It’s easier to go off of just one canvas, and I think it makes the final product better.”
Senior Athena Widlacki is the president of Educators Rising. She’s been a part of the club since she was a freshman, and is the president this year. “My job is to run meetings, run events, and to communicate with members.” Widlacki was drawn to this club by their sponsor, Mrs. Genenbacher. “I had her as my Child Development 1 teacher and I heard her talking about her club,” Widlacki says. “I had wanted to be a teacher at the time, so I joined.” Educators Rising focuses on working with our community, especially children. Sometimes they participate in state competitions regarding children’s literature and lesson plans.
Freshman Olivia Crone is a member of the select treble choir, plays piano, and is currently learning the guitar. Crone got into music at a young age due to her family, “My dad was in a local band in college, and most of my dad’s side is pretty involved as well.” She’s been in choir since she was 5, and is currently thinking about joining a church choir. Crone says that she’s been enjoying her first year of select treble choir. “We do a fun activity for about 10 minutes every day, like ‘Move It Monday.’” What Crone loves about music is “how it makes people feel and can bring them together.” She says that it’s a nice stress reliever and that sometimes she’ll just sit in front of a piano and play a few notes.
Senior Patrick O’Day has been playing soccer since the young age of 4 years old. His passion for the sport has brought him all the way through high school and cemented his skill as one of the most talented soccer players at Liberty. “I’ve played it my whole life so it means a lot,” said O’Day. “I hope everybody else can find the same passion and motivation in something they love doing.” Twice this season, the goalkeeper has led his team to victory with three consecutive shutouts. He also helped the Eagles win the St. Dominic Super Cup earlier this season. O’Day’s talent and hard work have garnered him community recognition as well. On Oct. 6, O’Day was named STLtoday’s athlete of the week. The senior is currently one win away from having the all-time highest career wins at Liberty.
Junior AJ Fruehwirth is currently a Drum Major of the Liberty Eagle Regiment. Having been in band since sixth grade and marching band since ninth grade, he has worked his way up from being a player on the field to a leader on a podium. “Being a drum major is a different experience than just being on the field,” he said. Fruehwirth’s job during each performance is to conduct in time for the marchers, pit, and color guard to stay together. If the drum major is off, the entire performance is thrown off. This experience has inspired the junior to pursue marching band in a professional capacity. “I’m looking into joining the (Colts) Cadets this summer or after high school.”
Sophomore Emma Thomas is highly involved in school activities. She’s the social committee chair in Key Club, a youth representative in Friends for Foster, a cabinet member of FCCLA, and is a member of HOSA, Speech and Debate, Mock Trial, band, and tennis. “I try to be involved while keeping up with school work,” Thomas said. She enjoys all subjects but favors math and science. “I don’t hate English and history; my strengths just lie more in math and science.” Thomas strives to keep learning because she wants to continue to be informed about the world and wants to better herself each year. “You can’t do it for your parents; you have to do it for yourself.”
In-Depth | lhstoday.org design by: A. Luker & S. Ramesh
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Record Heat Fuels Raging WI l d f i r e s Climate conditions worsen across the west coast by Paige Bostic, Co-Editor-In-Cheif
As autumn returns to the US, fires across the country continue to blaze. On Aug. 12, a wildfire which now spreads 25,000 acres sparked in Oregon and has yet to be contained. On Sep. 26, The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued an air quality advisory in response to wildfires within the state of California as the skies turned to an ashy gray. On Sep. 27, the Colorado town of Silverthorne received an evacuation notice for its at-risk homeowners. As the country moves into fall, certain states are left to respond to the interspersed sparks left behind by the peak of the wildfire season in the month of August. However, as the Department of Agriculture has claimed, the concept of wildfire season may be retired in favor for wildfire years as seasons continue to lengthen. Why does the ‘fire season’ now extend to winter? As environmental conditions continue to reach new records, from hotter days and longer droughts, conditions for powerful wildfires rise to new peaks. The western regions of the United States specifically have shattered heat records as they sizzled through September. Wildfires have been an increasing worry for years, from the Australian bushfires of 2019 and the devastating 2018 fires of the west coast to the 2020 and 2021 gender reveal disasters in California. The hot-button topic of wildfires have sparked serious debate on who to blame. The Department of Agriculture has stated that “nearly 90% of wildfires are human-caused”, and it is no doubt that the recordbreaking changes in climate have made these disasters all the easier to unintentionally cause.
12 design by: S. Knickmeyer News | lhstoday.org
As of Sep. 27, the National Interagency Fire Center noted that nearly 3.3 million acres of land burned across the nation in a situation report. This has caused vast problems of destroyed forests and droughts, meaning that animals have suffered the loss of their homes and means of survival. This was a rough lesson that was brought about by the infamous Australian wildfires. As the nonprofit ScienceNews. org reports, “49 vertebrates that previously were not endangered now qualify for being listed as threatened under Australia’s guidelines for that designation.” This threat looms in the United States as fires continue to ravage sensitive areas. The National Wildlife Federation warns that populations of salmon, pygmy rabbits, Northern spotted owls and certain species of grouse are facing ever-lowering populations as a result of the damage to their habitats brought on annually by worsening wildfires. As conditions in US forests continue to support longer and more devastating wildfires, the nation will have to face new challenges as the blazes deplete its natural resources. The US Department of the Interior stresses that humans must act responsibly and vigilantly to prevent the disaster from occurring. As previously mentioned, nearly 90% of these disasters are caused by human activity, so the need for responsibility and care remain the top option for prevention. While wildfire activity in Missouri is significantly less than that of the west coast, we must all remain informed of their devastating ecological impacts they have on the country and take on personal responsibility to keep the land and our homes safe. Whenever we ponder on the best idea on how to make sure these disasters don’t occur, we must remember the words of one Smokey the Bear: only you can prevent forest fires.
Breaking B o u n d a r i e s
How today’s generation has sparked their own confidence through the means of fashion
by Fiona Flynn, Reporter
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IndiviDuality can easily be argued as one of the most powerful sources of Confidence and self definition. As we advance as a society into a rapidly changing, and equally as colorful culture, we grow more diverse as people. Such transitions have been represented strongly in the veins of society’s youth, their voices rising beyond the crowds of a systematic patriarchal society, not only as battle cries, music, and the media, but in the clothing that decorates their body. The biggest emphasis is placed on confidence and Comfort in your style, the unspoken motto and agreement that you are dressing for yourself and no one else. You simply appeal to your own eye. “To express yourself through clothing is like a social event now for me and my friends, like thrifting. It doesn’t matter what’s attractive or cute, it’s just what you feel comfortable in, what you think is Appealing to your eye...” said Wright. Though Liberty’s dress code is still ever present, the student body has found their way to express themselves as Individuals in every which way, whether their goal be for social acceptance, friends, or solely for the purpose of self validation and expression.
“I use my style to express myself because I have a very Colorful personality and I have a lot to show to the world, so I have to show it outwardly with my clothes so that people I don’t know can perceive me the way that I want them to perceive me,” stated Wright with a confident grin. Junior Mia Wikoff has used her style for her own purposes. “I changed my style probably half way through my freshman year,” Wikoff said. “I wanted to get away from people that I didn’t enjoy being around. I was trying to dress like them to fit in and I decided that I wasn’t going to be friends with them so I could be my Own Person.” “I like t-shirts with things that I am interested in; music and anime shows,” she said. “It makes me feel more comfortable. I have better days whenever I am wearing something that I am more confident in. It brought confidence.” Fashion doesn’t make the person, the person creates the fashion, a reflection of self introspection and affirmation. Standards stand no chance against those who use the Powerhouse of confidence to break all boundaries.
Arts & Entertainment | lhstoday.org design by: E. Hamby
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photo by Anna Simms
Homecoming Royalty by Emily Barnett, Reporter
photo by Monica Reyes
Battle Of The Birds by Ally Schneipp, Sports Editor of the Ledger
14 design by:|S.lhstoday.org Bruce Content News | lhstoday.org design by:
Students have been voted and chosen to represent the student body for Homecoming court. This year’s nominees included: Freshman Court: Kylee Bobbitt and Cody McMullen Sophomore Court: Grace Edney and CJ Jefferson Junior Court: Alexis Shuster and Ethan Weiler Senior Court: Bella Bahr and Carson Clay, Abby Lovell and KJ Lyles, Amira Khayyat, and Patrick O’Day; were all nominated to be king and queen this year. This year’s Homecoming queen and king are Amira Khayyat and Patrick O’Day. How did you feel about winning homecoming queen? “I think being homecoming queen is fun and just something to remember. I was surprised to be nominated because lots of people were trying to get nominated and I did not try at all so it was shocking. I think it’s important to be involved in high school and this was a good way,” said Homecoming Queen Amira Khayyat.
Spirit king and queens were also determined. Our staff winner was Mr. McFadden. The students who proved they were the most decked out in their spirit wear were Serena Bartels and Colin Doniff. “I love spirit week, I think it’s super fun to get involved and dress up and be a part of homecoming week,” said Bartels. “My favorite spirit day was probably pajama day because it was super comfy, I wore like this huge blanket on me.” “I think it is really fun, it lets students be themselves more because we aren’t able to do stuff like this all the time,” Doniff said. How do you feel about spirit week? “I feel good about spirit week. I think they chose the right winners for this year. I also would like to shout out to the juniors for the junior hallway. I thought the hallway looked really good,” Mr. McFadden said. What was your favorite spirit day? “Definitely jeans day, I got to wear Ms. Pizzo’s jean jacket,” staff winner Mr. McFadden said.
The Eagles fell short in the homecoming game against Washington. The Blue Jays scored the first touchdown of the game with 2:46 left in the first quarter. Landon Boston from Washington ran the ball two yards into the end zone and Devon Deckelman secured the extra point by completing a field goal. The Eagles started off the second quarter strong by scoring a touchdown with on a run by senior Jordan Smith. After the 26-yard touchdown by Smith, junior kicker Charlie Hebden scored the extra point to tie Liberty with Washington 7-7. Defensively, senior Brandon Kertz was locking down the receivers and stopping their offense from gaining momentum. Unfortunately for the Eagles, the Blue Jays then scored their second touchdown of the game on a 17-yard run by Cam Millheiser and a two-point conversion run into the endzone by Devon Deckelman. The half ended with Washington in the lead 15-7. Moving into the third quarter, Washington held possession of the ball for most of the quarter. With possession comes control over the momentum and
play of the game, making it hard for the defense to read the offense. Washington successfully beat the Eagles defense and scored another touchdown. Going into the last quarter of the game, the score was 22-7, Blue Jays coming out on top. A positive for the Eagles in this game was that senior Tye Yeh, one of the stronger defensive players, returned from injury for a few plays and got back on the field. Last season, Yeh led the team in defensive tackles as a junior with 67 total tackles. “It felt great to be back on the field, I really missed playing with the boys,” Yeh said. Washington scored their final touchdown of the game on a 25 yard run by Millheiser and a successful field goal by Deckelman. The Eagles then scored their second touchdown of the game with a 52-yard run by sophomore quarterback Noah Kuehner. The Eagles didn’t give up, but after two completed passes from Kuehner to senior David Richard that were called no good by the refs, the Washington defense picked off a pass by Kuehner and stopped the Eagles momentum to end the game 29-14.
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Dreaming In Gold, While Walking Down The Red Carpet
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by Grayce Page, Reporter
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Spirit Week At Liberty
The dance. The night all of us students have been waiting for, for over a year now. The current juniors and seniors haven’t had a dance since their freshman and sophomore year, while the current sophomores and freshmen have never even had their first homecoming dance. This night was very special. Not only due to the obvious teenage experience, but also because this is one of our first physical representations of our world coming back to “normal.” While this dance and year still wasn’t completely back to where it was, and some parts may never be; our new normal seems to be looking pretty good. Homecoming weekend did take a rough start by losing our homecoming football game against Washington, but we were still able to keep our spirits high. TUESDAY We took another loss for our parade due to the rain. It sadly got canceled, but people were able to get their beauty sleep for the night. The dance was originally planned to be on the football field, with no heels. At 3:01 p.m. (4 hours prior to when the dance was supposed to start), students and parents received a notification that in fact the dance would be moved from the football field to the covered patio in the cafeteria, “due to inclement weather.” This wasn’t shocking though, since rain was predicted for the night from about a week before. Once the dance started, it was time to shine. At about 7:30 p.m. the dance was packed and everyone was dancing. Students got together and created a mosh pit. When talking to junior Kira Radichel about what her favorite part of her Patrick O’Day (12), Ryan Casteel (11) dance was, she responded with “being in the mosh pit with all of my friends, when they played ‘Dancing Queen,’ and we danced in the rain- that was pretty fun.” “I was excited to see all of the people that I knew,” Radichel explained. “It was also nice to see everybody in a different fashion than what we were used to. To see everybody in a different way.” Homecoming is the one night of the year where you see people in a way you’ll Thursday never see them again. Everybody looked stunning; the kind of stunning where you feel you couldn’t ever forget.
MONDAY
Madelyn Sanderson (12)
Wednesday
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ard The sses
Anna Hillgartner (11), Rachel Geisler (12), Allie Quirk (11)
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Grace McIntyre (10)
FRIDAY
photos by Trotter Photos, Emma Carter, Cara Turner, Gabby Ball
Molly Marino (12), Brooklyn Rudolph (11), Lillia Clay (11)
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d I v E R S I t Y I n t he m c U Marvel Cinematic Universe has been slow to tell stories starring minorities by Sruthi Ramesh, Editor-In-Chief of LHStoday
In 2018, “Black Panther” saw the first non-white superhero in the title role of a Marvel movie. “Ant-Man and the Wasp” (2018) saw the first woman in the title of a Marvel movie, though she shared the spotlight with her male counterpart. “Captain Marvel” (2019) was the first woman to star in her own movie. “Loki” (2021) was the first time that a character was explicitly revealed as queer within the MCU. And now, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” (2021) is the first Asian-American superhero to have their own movie. It took the Marvel Cinematic Universe 10 whole years to even fathom the idea of giving a non-white and non-man person a starring role in their own blockbuster comic book movie. And even in 2021, these movies are not being given the respect they deserve. Bob Chapek, the CEO of Disney, referred to Shang-Chi as “an interesting experiment.” Though this comment was in regards to the movie being released only in theaters and not on Disney+ (the first of its kind since the pandemic started), we can’t ignore the undertone of the comment. There was a lot riding on the success of this movie: the future of representation in the MCU, whether other movies scheduled for 2021 will be pushed back, and the focus that Disney as a whole will place on making marginalized voices more prominent.
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American audiences would rather watch a movie with a white man in the title role, than someone else who doesn’t Fit that bill,
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But is it fair to make the entire future of diverse representation based on the success of a singular movie? Is monetary value the only thing that Marvel and Disney feel is important enough to make movies like these? “Black Panther”, “Captain Marvel”, “Loki”, and “Shang-Chi” are just the beginning stages of Marvel’s long-overdue journey into making their franchise more diverse. Many productions such as “Eternals” (with its racially diverse cast) and “Ms. Marvel” (the first South Asian superhero) have audiences from marginalized backgrounds feeling both excited and nervous. They can only hope that these movies and shows do well commercially but also represent these groups of people in positive ways. See— when these movies and shows come out, they don’t get to be just another comic book adaptation. They truly are tests and experiments to see if theater-going audiences care enough about these characters who might not look or sound like them. Their “diversity” is one of the main selling points that can make or break an audience’s interest; because it’s a sad fact that a majority of American audiences would rather watch a movie with a white man in the title role, than someone else who doesn’t fit that bill. In the first MCU movie, “Iron Man”, James Rhodes was the only protagonistic character of color, and he only served as a minor character in the grand scheme of the plot. Though he gains a bigger role by “Iron Man 2, he doesn’t see much heroic screen time until “Avengers: Age of Ultron”. And this pattern of POC and women being cast in side roles continued for almost a whole decade. Not to mention the fact that many LGBTQIA+ characters such as Valkyrie and Captain Marvel have been morphed into characters that are more palatable to American movie-watchers. It’s not as though diversity is lacking in the source material- the producers and directors make conscious decisions to tell stories that fit into the “Marvel Method” of what is profitable. As long as we only tell diverse stories when they are profitable, little girls and boys across the globe will grow up just like previous generations have. They’ll feel as though no one can understand them because to Hollywood, they are an afterthought that isn’t profitable.
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Arts and Entertainment | lhstoday.org
Be Informed !
Staying up to date with the news is tedious, but important, work
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by Elizabeth Hamby Co-Editor-In-Chief of The Ledger News is a complex idea that journalists have been perfecting for ages. As Americans, we have the privilege to be able to inform ourselves about the world around us. Do you know how to be an informed citizen? The first thing you should know, and what journalists should know too is you cannot believe everything you hear. That is rule No. 1. So where do you start? This is a great first step to become an informed citizen, so you have come to the right place. Starting off with a word you have most likely heard from English class will be important here: bias. Bias intentionally or unintentionally comes out in a lot of news, which is part of the reason it can be unreliable. The first step to obtaining reliable information is to find and weed out the bias. Before you spread information around, make sure you know the foundation of the story, with all the facts, regardless of the article’s opinions. With politics, it is especially important to eliminate all political leanings when gathering the cold hard facts to form your opinion.
“It is difficult to te ll if a news source is left leaning or rgi ht-lea ning without consciousyl t rying to identify biases,”
ol ok out below! >
> It seems like nowadays, anything that occurs in the world falls in the category of politics. The looming presence of the decisions of lawmakers (or lack of them) clouds many people’s judgment of current events. It can be hard to decipher the truth from the bias of news sources. Many struggle to find a news source that doesn’t contain bias, which is why it is very important to build the skill of differentiating between facts and facts that biased toward a viewpoint. This act is in no question a valuable skill, and it can be extremely difficult and draining. This leads us to the possible dangers of staying on top of the happenings of the world. It could be damaging to your mental well-being depending on how much your emotions affect you. It is important to keep a healthy boundary between you and the news, only consume what you are capable of. But know, that when you set these boundaries for yourself, you must be aware that you are not getting the full picture. This is ok, but important to keep in mind when forming opinions. There is no rush either, so ease yourself into the growing process. It is crucial to make educated decisions about the leaders of our country; not only politicians but you, yourself. All in all, it is very important to be as informed as you can because the future is in your hands.
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Vazquez Discovers ‘What It Means To Be Determined’ Athlete Amaris Vazquez trains with her dad by her side for the 2024 Paralympics by Kay Copeland, Reporter
The 2020 Tokyo Summer Paralympic Games just recently came to a close on Sept. 5. With more than 28 sports sanctioned between summer and winter, the Paralympics provide multi-sport events for athletes with a range of physical disabilities. Liberty junior Amaris Vazquez has been training to make it to the 2024 Summer Paralympics. At the moment, she’s undecided as to which sport she aims to compete in. The games are set to be held from Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024, to Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Paris, France. Vazquez was born with a case of clubfoot, a birth defect in which the foot is twisted out of shape. Doctors determined that the best option for her was amputation. Despite the circumstance, she continued to remain her bright and ambitious self. Vazquez has been participating in sports since she was a little kid. Currently, she’s on varsity swim and track teams. She’s had the aspiration to go to the Paralympics since she was around 11 or 12 years old. “I started my sports when I was 8,” Vazquez said. “As I got more serious about it, I started thinking about the Paralympics.” Interestingly enough, Vazquez has been training for the Paralympics with her dad by her side. With both of them training alongside one another, she finds more success and ambition within her training. “Training with my dad motivates me,” Vazquez expressed. “He pushes me and shows me what it means to be determined.” Vazquez is also a member of the Disabled Athlete Sports Association (DASA). DASA is an athletic and rehabilitative environment that empowers kids and adults with physical disabilities. They have recreational programs, competitive team sports, and much more to offer. According to Vazquez, DASA does a fantastic job of striking inspiration in the hearts and minds of those with disabilities.
Vazquez competes in a triathlon held in San Diego, Calif.
“DASA has made me a stronger person both mentally and physically,” Vazquez claimed. “They showed me that I can do whatever I put my mind to and that just because I am an amputee does not mean that I can’t do what everyone else can.” Recently, Vazquez was chosen out of over 60 kids to train at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center which is the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic training site in Chula Vista, Calif. Undoubtedly, she expressed that this is a giant honor for her. “When I got the news I think I was in shock. I was at a friend’s house and my mother called me and read the email and all I could say was just ‘o.m.g.’” Vazquez recalled. “I couldn’t believe it.” She finds her motivation through multiple avenues. By looking back at videos of old competitions, Vazquez continues to see her improvements in speed and form every year. She also gains inspiration from being a role model to younger kids at DASA. “At DASA there is a new generation of kids coming in so they’re just learning and I help out when I can,” Vazquez explained. “So knowing that they look up to me and want to be like me really inspires me.” Vazquez admires that her family are her biggest supporters, and she can’t name just one person. Ever since her sports journey began, her entire family has been right by her side with support. “They have helped me fundraise for DASA, have gone to many of my competitions, they have been there for me through the ups and downs,” Vazquez reflected. “My family means the world to me and I owe it all to them that I am where I am today. By the end of this past summer, Vazquez had racked up a plethora of medals.
18 design by: G. Block and A. Schniepp Features | lhstoday.org
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Golf, tennis, cheerleading, and cross country brought home the titles of GAC and regional champs by Ally Schniepp, Sports Editor of The Ledger & Gavin Block, Reporter
The girls’ varsity golf team successfully defended their GAC North/Central Championship title at Wolf Hollow Golf Club. The team completed the regular season with a record of 10-3, along with a 6-1 record in conference play. Kyndall Stubblefield, Madalyn Breckenridge, Sophie Chenot, Mollie Banstetter and Layla Bane were all awarded medals in the GAC Championship. Junior Kyndall Stubblefield, having the best 18-hole score of any player in the tournament, was declared the GAC North/Central Player of the Year. Stubblefield shot just 79 strokes with an exceptional par score of +8. At districts, Stubblefield and Chenot both qualified to play at the state meet. “I’m beyond proud of this group and their efforts,” Coach Jacob Cole said. The Eagles are looking to only progress further next year and potentially win a third consecutive GAC Competition. photo by Alix Queen
Senior Mollie Banstetter tees off against St. Dominic.
photo by Emily Barnett
Liberty’s tennis team took first place in their conference and earned the title of North-Central Division Conference Champions on Sept. 28. The team clinched all No. 1 seeds in the GAC other than two pairs of doubles who were No. 2 seeds. Both days the team medaled. Isabella Gamm and Kaylie Brockmann, Carly and Laney Torbit, Abbi Witzke and Riley Torbit, and Lief and Logan Richter all took first place in doubles. The following day, Isabella Gamm, Kaylie Brockmann, Laney Torbit, Abbi Wiztke, Riley Torbit, Abbi Kuhn, and Maddy Kuhn individually placed first overall. The team finished with a 13-4 record. “Best finish that Coach Eldredge has experienced since Liberty opened,” Coach Teodoro Campos said. Although the team didn’t go to State this year, the younger players are training hard in the offseason to hopefully achieve their goal next season.
Freshman Riley Torbit returns the ball at a home tennis match.
The varsity cheerleading team won their fourth annual regional championship in a row on Oct. 2. After coming off a state championship from the end of last season, they could not have started this year off stronger. Not only did they learn their winning routine in less than a week, but they won their first in person competition in two years. “Being brave and competing in person for the first time in two years, working through so many hurdles thrown our way this week, and remaining a family through it all,” Coach Aly Sansoucie said. The team looks forward to competing for the state title again this year and hope to make Liberty proud this upcoming spring, but for now the team is savoring the sweet taste of four-time regional champs. photo by Monica Reyes
Cheer entertains the crowd during halftime of every football game.
photo by Emily Barnett
Liberty Cross Country athletes compete in the Gans Creek Classic.
The girls’ cross country team triumphed to become conference champions this year at McNair Park. They also took part in the Forest Park Festival, Gans Creek Classic, and Border Wars Championships. Ally Kruger (12) took first place overall with a time of 18:57, 10 seconds ahead of the runner-up. The boys’ team finished eighth place as the meet but wound up third place in conference. Cale Eldredge (9) was the Eagles top finisher. She crossed the finish line in 17:58 and in 30th place. Teammate Dylan Carlson (12) came in next with a time of 18:02. “We’ve got a bunch of good kids that really get along and like each other, and we don’t have any drama on our team,” Coach Toby Glavin said. “They work very hard, and they work awesome together. There’s never a time when they’re not trying to support each other.” The squad is looking to defend their conference championship title in the succeeding year.
Sports| lhstoday.org design by: G. Block & A. Schniepp
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H o r O s c o p e S
F I R
We start November off with a New Moon in Scorpio. Aries, it’s going to be important to keep your insights on the horizon and focus on the bigger picture.
You’re going to be feeling some strains when Mercury enters your solar opposite, Sagittarius. Relax and embrace good fortune. There’s also going to be a total eclipse in Sag. in December, so let your imagination fly and spend time with friends.
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Your confidence will bring you a stable love opportunity. The moon in Scoprio brings dramatic energy and with Venus in Capricorn you’ll be more stable. In December you’ll feel antsy once Mars enters Sagittarius. An adventure is good, but don’t lose your balance!
Mercury enters your 7th house of relationships and business. These are going to be good for projects you’ve been putting on the backburner. There will be a New Moon total eclipse in Sagittarius that will bring some financial gain and unexpected love opportunities.
November 5th marks when Mercury will cross into your 5th house of love and romance. With the new moon also making an appearance in your 5th house, you may feel a little bit more shy, remember to not hide away your feelings!
The new moon in Scorpio will set off new ideas for you. On Dec. 1st when Neptune goes direct, You’ll feel a boost of creativity. You’re going to gain a sense of clarity. Finally, on Dec. 28th Jupiter will enter your sign, you’re going into the new year fresh and lucky!
The planet of love enters Capricorn in the start of November. This will be a good time for family reunions and you’ll feel abundant in love. The total eclipse in Sagittarius wants you to explore a area in life that you haven’t yet and find fun in boring situations.
November is going to be the time for you to take your career or school work to the next level. December 19th Venus will go retrograde so don’t become too proud, remember it’s okay to ask for help.
W A T E R
The New moon in Scorpio urges you to revise some financial situations. Scorpio is intense and the new moon is always a period for retracing your steps. Venus in Capricorn calls focus on your work which can lead to better money opportunities.
E A R T h A
November will be relaxing, but it will gain some traction when Mercury enters Sagittarius on the 24th. This will be a good time for you to dive head first into any creative projects and to go out and socialize.
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Libra, there’s going to be divine energy on Nov. 19th when there’s a partial lunar eclipse in Taurus. Once Venus goes retrograde in December, practice self love. The new year promises a stronger more genuine you.
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On Dec. 24th, Saturn and Neptune will square. Anytime these two planets square, it’s a conflict for letting go of traditions and embracing the new. You’re going to feel aggressive. Stay calm and when Jupiter enters its home sign. Interactive| lhstoday.org design by: E. Thimyan
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