19-20 Marquette Messenger: Issue 3 by Marquette Messenger

the

MESSENGER

n. III

VOLUME XXVII, ISSUE III | MO 63017 | MARQUETTEMESSENGER.COM | NOVEMBER 2019

1995

1 10 2019

Football gets deeper into the playoffs than ever before and is the first team in MHS history to reach 10 total wins. Football travels to Joplin tonight after advancing from the game against Lindbergh last Friday.

SEE pg 14

INSIDE

ROLL CALL Editors in Chief Kavya Jain Marta Mieze Associate Editor Sarah Harris Copy Editor Mansi Mamidi Online Editor in Chief Kailin Zhang Executive Producer Jackson Estwanick News Editor Waha Siddiqui Features Editor Jessica Li Arts&Entertainment Editor Caroline Cudney Sports Editors Jeff Swift Connor Del Carmen Opinions Editor Will Roach Managing Editor Jennifer Bosche In-Depth Editor Sabrina Lacy Production Editor Tanner Rojewski Events Editor Austin Richard Data Journalist Zara Tola Illustrators Jilian Bunderson Mason Kellerman Advertising Manager Akhila Swarna Staff Reporters Michael Schmitz Molly Sillitto Arpitha Sistla Lauren Pickett Alayna Higdon Emily Kaysinger Sydney Goldsmith Shrija Maganti Staff Adviser Emily Jorgensen

Varsity soccer finishes their season at District Semifinals with a season record of 8-10-1.

Cheer wins Regionals and prepares for future competitions.

Administration discusses current safety procedures with the community.

safety

Gotcha Day

15cheer Madison Fischer, senior, shares her adoption story in honor of National Adoption Month.

ONLINE Visit our website to view more stories and MHSNews: marquettemessenger.com

In a new podcast, the editors of the Messenger and MHSNews discuss leadership skills. The fourth annual Casual For a Cause surpassed previous fundraising efforts.

12 musical

MHS Theatre Company prepares for their performances of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”

Mustangs 4 Mental Health continue suicide prevention efforts.

Students with different backgrounds share the role food plays in their cultures and traditions.

8-9

cultural food

OUR POLICY The Messenger is published eight times a year by students enrolled in the Newspaper Production class at Marquette High School, Chesterfield, MO, 63017. The publication office is located in Room 226, (636) 891-6000 ext. 26228 Opinions of Messenger columnists or the Editorial Board are not representative of the opinions of the entire Messenger staff, the newspaper or the administration. The Messenger

SNAPCHAT @MHS MESSENGER

takes responses for any issue. Send these in at mhsmessenger@rsdmo. org. The Messenger reserves the right to edit submitted material and to refuse to print material because of space limitations, repetitive subject matter, libelous content or any other reason the editor in chief and adviser deems appropriate, including advertisements and letters to the editor.

INSTAGRAM @YOURMHSNEWS

FACEBOOK @MARQUETTEMESSENGER

YOUTUBE @MHSNEWSPRODUCTIONS

TWITTER @YOURMHSNEWS

LETTER TO THE EDITOR ECO-FADS I completely agree about Eco-fads failing to enact climate change. Eliminating the consumption of meat and dairy are the most beneficial things to do about climate change. Yet, why do we continue to focus on little things such as not using plastic utensils and water bottles. Yes, they symbolize the first step to changing this current issue, but they simply lack the impact. Greenhouse gas emissions are still at a high. Although, making these small changes is undoubtedly helpful, there could be far more important decisions

CONFERENCE CHANGE mankind can make to ensure that the world is shielded from this infection that we’re letting run rampant. Although getting rid of plastic straws and cups is the first step, there is still a long way to go. Sincerely, Sushant Marella freshman

I think changing Conferences for high schools is a great idea because it will allow for more competition and better games while having kids wanting to try out for sports. This will have athletes try harder to get faster, score more points and push them physically more so that they can perform better than they would’ve if MHS stayed in the same Conference. I only see one problem and that is if a high school goes up a Conference and not all of its teams can handle the increase in competition. As a student-athlete, I

really like that MHS is moving into a higher Conference. Sincerely, Alex Cochran freshman

NEWS

issue III

GOING UP IN SMOKE: Francis Howell School District sues JUUL for intentional harm as a result of illegal marketing.

FRANCIS HOWELL School District (FHSD) filed a lawsuit Oct. 7 against JUUL Labs Inc. (JUUL) for intentional harm out of the district’s control, joining many other school districts throughout the country. This situation isn’t a class-action lawsuit, but rather a multi-district lawsuit, in which each school district files an almost identical lawsuit at the same time across the country and each district is still its own plaintiff. Some school systems within Olathe, Kan., Long Island, N.Y. and La Conner, Wash have filed lawsuits.

FHSD PERSPECTIVE Cindy Ormsby, legal counsel for Francis Howell School District, said the issue of juuling in school became especially prominent this year, prompting the district to take action. “There have been reports of students in the fifth grade vaping in between classes,” Ormsby said. “Even as students are disciplined for violating school rules, the fact is they’ve become addicted to nicotine, so they can’t just quit.” As a result, Ormsby said Francis Howell had to look into cessation and rehabilitation programs to help students. She said a growing effort is being put towards disciplinary consequences and helping students kick the nicotine habit, resulting in a spike in the cost of dealing with these issues. The district decided to file the lawsuit under the premise that JUUL Labs Inc. had created a public nuisance by illegally marketing to an underage audience, making the school district, through no fault of its own, have to deal with the consequences of student addiction, rehabilitation and distraction from the school environment. Ormsby said the prospects for the suit are decent. “There’s really nothing the school district could have done to prevent this from happening beyond the already existing rules against tobacco products and other drugs in schools, but they’re still having to deal with the fallout,” Ormsby said. “It’s difficult to say with any certainty how any lawsuit will go, but I think Francis Howell will be compensated for some of the past, present and future damages that have come due to JUUL’s marketing.” Ultimately, Ormsby said the district hopes to receive financial compensation from JUUL in order to help rehabilitate addicted students and

mansi MAMIDI • waha SIDDIQUI

• Francis Howell’s lawsuit is one among many other individual suits across the nation against JUUL • The district hopes to be compensated with funds for rehabilitation and disciplinary consequences • RSD does not plan on joining Francis Howell’s fight against JUUL but plans are not definitive right now Photo Illustration by Jackson Estwanick

prevent the costs from coming out of taxpayer dollars. Jennifer Patterson, director of student services at FHSD, said any money coming from recompensation will go towards the medical and rehabilitation programs other school districts, such as those that have filed lawsuits as well, have been implementing. “Francis Howell hasn’t gotten any of those technological or program materials to check for vape smoke in the hallways and such, because we believe prevention and education against vaping need our efforts right now,” Patterson said. “I’ve looked into some anti-vaping campaigns that we might partner with if we’re compensated, though.” More than anything, Patterson said she’s worried about the health and safety of kids, and hopes to be able to provide all the materials necessary to help teachers and students get back to their normal school routine as a result of the lawsuit. “Kids are dying,” Patterson said. “We just care about our students that much. We want to do everything in our power to help them out.”

RSD PERSPECTIVE Superintendent Dr. Mark Miles said, although Rockwood isn’t officially

associated with the suit, the district administration is keeping a close eye on the proceedings. “I always want to make sure that our district is using our resources wisely, so Rockwood, as of right now, will not be filing a lawsuit against JUUL,” Dr. Miles said. “However, we recognize that the electronic cigarette industry has had quite an impact on our young people, especially with the juuling epidemic.” Dr. Miles said the Board of Education (BOE) didn’t specifically discuss whether to be a part of the multidistrict suit but rather had a general conversation about the topic. “I haven’t said a definite no,” Dr. Miles said. “If it ever comes to a point where it would be to our advantage to file a suit, we’re in a position where we would then consider that. But, at this time, we’ve chosen not to engage, but to closely monitor.” Lili Schliesser, project coordinator of the Rockwood Drug-Free Coalition, is in charge of the management and implementation of all activities taken towards issues related to drugs and alcohol. Francis Howell’s action of filing a lawsuit against JUUL is a strategy Schliesser and the coalition has not yet considered. “That’s not saying that this isn’t a

good step for Francis Howell. It’s just something we haven’t made plans on doing,” Schliesser said. “We are very particular in the strategies we use to target substance abuse and this just hasn’t come up.” Schliesser also said a lawsuit has more significance than just the definitive ruling of the case and it raises awareness all around. “We all have missions that we are living out on a daily basis as a school district and as a coalition,” Schliesser said. “Our mission is to keep students safe and to make sure that their futures are bright and sometimes you have to do unorthodox things to achieve that.” Laurie Dolson, school store manager and member of the PTO, said she sees both sides of the situation. “If you are looking at it from a parent’s perspective, I would say all the power to Francis Howell,” Dolson said. “If you are looking at your individual kid, you don’t want JUUL to succeed in targeting them.” Dolson said the resources and money being used for this lawsuit shouldn’t go as far as to affect students’ education and their access to resources and she sees why RSD has yet to join the campaign against JUUL. Hannah Chun, junior, is the vice president of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and she organizes events to educate and inform students. She said she agrees with Dolson’s reasoning but sees the good in the lawsuit. “I think it is very unlikely that they will win, but I’m glad that they are taking a stand against JUUL,” Chun said. “Fighting against JUUL is entirely up to a school district and the effect of vaping varies.” Chun also said preventative measures should be taken on Francis Howell’s part, besides suing JUUL. “I also think they should focus on educating students about the harm of juuling rather than trying to prevent things that are nearly impossible to prevent,” Chun said.

JUUL RESPONSE JUUL is legally obligated to file a response to each of the school district lawsuits in order to ensure the company isn’t given an immediate ruling against their favor. As of right now, JUUL hasn’t filed a response to Francis Howell’s suit or to any of the other schools’ suits.

NEWS

Amanda Swallow, FACS teacher, asks a question to Pedro Bernabe, senior, regarding safety concerns at MHS compared to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where Bernabe attended prior to moving to St. Louis. She attended the presentation as part of the Safety and Security Committee. Photograph by Marta Mieze

nov. 2019 Pedro Bernabe, senior, speaks to the Safety and Security Committee, hall monitors and counselors on Nov. 5. Bernabe said even with all preparation there is still an element of unpreparedness. “This isn’t something that someone can always be 100 percent ready for,” Bernabe said. “Until it actually happens, you don’t really know what you’re going to do.” He suggested ways the committee could assess the safety present at the school. Photograph by Marta Mieze

RSD searches for ways to improve safety New model addresses trauma and stress alayna HIGDON DR. TERRY HARRIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF student services, wants to help teachers and administrators be cognizant of trauma and stress in students. “School is to help kids process learning, so if kids are experiencing a high level of trauma, they can’t learn,” Dr. Harris said. Dr. Harris therefore helped create the Missouri Model for Trauma-Informed Schools, which outlines guidelines to help schools deal with trauma and mental illness. This includes counseling, resources for teachers and students and a mental health education program for teachers. If students and teachers have a poor mental state at school, education is not possible, Dr. Harris said. For schools to be considered “trauma-informed,” educators must go through a program with Alive and Well St. Louis that works with the community and the St. Louis Health Commission to teach people to be trauma-informed and understanding of mental illness. Jeff Marx, guidance counselor, said the new model will give administrators a framework of the best ways to respond to trauma and students’ mental health needs. “Feeling safe and cared for in your environment are key to having the mental focus to be able to learn,” Marx said. Dr. Terry Harris, executive Mustangs for Mental director of Student Services, Health (M4MH) works to presents on the safety of students and staff at a safety end the stigma surrounding mental health through community event Nov. 6. Photograph by Marta Mieze advocacy and education. “Your state of mind will affect every aspect of your everyday life,” senior Annie Getts, communications officer, said. Getts said the emphasis on mental health and current education within the curriculum is insufficient. “Mental illnesses deserve the same attention and care that physical illnesses receive,” Getts said.

Administration weighs current safety measures marta MIEZE

and willingness to share his experiences to give insight on how MHS can improve. TO GAIN INSIGHT TO AND EDUCATE OTHERS ON “I think really listening to what he is saying and possible situations that could affect safety, Sophotaking it in is helpful for anybody, whether it’s this more Principal Carl Hudson, head of the Safety and school or another school,” Hatz said. Security Committee, reached out to Pedro Bernabe, However, she also shares the same mindset as senior, to share his experience as a Marjory Stoneman Bernabe on preparing for any similar situation. Douglas High School student during the Parkland “I think you can’t really know it and know how to shooting. prepare unless you’ve gone through it and even then, Bernabe spoke to the committee, hall moniGod Bless, hopefully you would never go through tors and counselors Nov. 5 after school, something like that twice or more than once,” talking through the events of Feb. 14, Hatz said. 2018, changes made afterwards and Although it might be hard to pre“I don’t really procedural flaws. pare for a situation similar to Bern“We told the teacher what abe’s, Hudson said their main focus think you can say we were hearing but at first he is preventing it from happening. something in specific didn’t believe us. He was kind Following Bernabe’s presentato somebody that of skeptical. He was saying tion, Hudson said the Safety and ‘That wouldn’t happen here’,” Security Committee will meet will prepare them for Bernabe said. in December to discuss what something like this He spent two hours hiding they learned and how to use that happening,” in a music closet with about information to better improve 150 other students, watching current procedures. the news live and texting loved “We have a person who told us PEDRO BERNABE how they felt. There are things now ones. The school reopened one and a that the counselors know that perhaps SENIOR half weeks after the event, and while we should do or shouldn’t do based on Bernabe said he just wanted everything what [Bernabe] was sharing,” Hudson said. to go back to normal, it was far from it. He also said, to test safety training, he has At school, new doors and gates were installed, done “safety checks,” where a person known only to anyone in the halls was questioned and therapy dogs Hudson would come and “test” students and staff by and therapists filled classrooms. trying to use the wrong doors, not displaying a badge However, Bernabe said security was also heightand so forth. Hudson said last year, everything went ened at school, with more police officers stationed as planned and students and teachers alike followed across the campus. While meant to bring safety to the the procedures. community, Bernabe said their presence and their On a larger scale, the district held a safety comdrawn weapons made it only more uncomfortable. munity event Nov. 6 for parents and staff to inform “If it wasn’t that, it was the news reporters outside them of procedures and the current training of staff of the school at all times trying to either get a camand students alike. Hudson attended the event where era inside the school or waiting for you to leave the multiple law enforcement officials discussed their school so they could interview you,” Bernabe said. plans of action in an emergency and explained the When reflecting on current safety procedures at 4Es: Educate, Evade, Escape and Engage. MHS, Bernabe said everything in place works and he Though Hudson said the presentation was importcouldn’t think of many improvements. ant and informed the community on the safety pre“I don’t really think you can say something specif- cautions taken by the district and schools, he wished ic to somebody that will prepare them for something more staff had attended. like this happening,” Bernabe said. “Until it actually “The 4E training is what we’ve been trained happens, you don’t really know what you’re going to on, but we have a number of staff members in our do.” building that’ve been hired in the last five years who Lisa Hatz, special education support counselor, haven’t been trained,” Hudson said. “I have gone was among those in the audience during Bernabe’s through the training but it’s been six years. I need to presentation and said she admires Bernabe’s strength be retrained.”

OPINIONS

issue III

SPEAK OUT

With the recent popularity of the “OK Boomer” meme, which has created tension between generations, The Messenger went out and asked:

DO YOU THINK GENERATIONAL DISCORD IS ESPECIALLY PREVALENT NOW? WHY?

“I would say yes. Personally I don’t deal with it but I know a lot of friends that fight with their parents a lot because they don’t have the same opinions.” BROOKE LAWSON,

freshman

Of the 1,225 Playoff shirts ordered, 126 remain and can be purchased in the Activities Office and Junior Office. Funds from the t-shirts will go to Jennifer Shipp, language arts teacher, as she battles cancer for the fourth time. Photograph by Kavya Jain

editorialBOARD COMMUNITY WITH MORE THAN 2,327 STUDENTS, WE are one of the largest high schools in the St. Louis area and some may claim because of this, one of the most disconnected. Yet, these past two weeks have shown when it comes to supporting one another, our strength in numbers only amplifies our unity as Mustangs. For the past two weeks, the football and cheerleading teams have been selling Playoff shirts to raise money for Jennifer Shipp, language arts teacher, as she battles cancer for the fourth time. As of Nov. 11, we raised more than $6,000 through t-shirt sales and football game donations. Additional money is being collected through multiple online fundraising sites and cards are being sent to Shipp with best wishes. Students and staff are continuing to plan fundraisers for the future. For more than 2,327 people to come together for one individual in need is a testament to the community we have cultivated at MHS. With a large student body like ours it is likely many haven’t met Shipp but the fact that so many contributed for yet another school spirit shirt in return shows how our $5 bills can add up to something meaningful when put together. But more than that, they show that compassion has become synonymous with school spirit. Aside from supporting Shipp and our football team, the Playoff shirts are also helping students in need. Teachers had the option to donate money, essentially purchasing shirts that will be given to students who could otherwise

not afford them. This initiative has three separate positive impacts and is an incredible example of MHS’ interconnectedness. We applaud student groups that remind us that true Mustang spirit isn’t about limiting the possibilities and energy to the walls of our school, but involving ourselves in the community. One such group is Student Council joining forces with Lindbergh High School’s Student Council, where Shipp’s husband works, to plan a restaurant night competition. These efforts along with those regular ones of Breakfast Club and Krafts 4 Kids show us the value of finding a small home within our large school containing 69 student activities and clubs. Together with our peers we can make an impact outside of MHS. Even when we are not united as one collective, the works of our smaller communities add up to a much larger social impact. Community is about bettering one another and bettering the world around us together and that is exactly what we’ve done this year. Being a Mustang is more than going to school and playing sports on a team. It is about being a part of the collective spirit of our community and showing how our large size only means our impact is that much stronger. Without a doubt, we all have our differences. But being a part of a community means coming together to contribute, not in spite of our divisions, but because of them. Because whatever we are trying to achieve means more than that.

COLBY COLLINS,

“There’s just a lot of rivalry between them for no reason. The whole ‘Ok Boomer’ thing, and you always see the comics of younger people looking at their phones. There’s a lot of unnecessary hate between them and unnecessary tension.”

sophomore

SARAH ABBAS,

junior

BEN BECKER,

senior

DR. STEVE HANKINS,

principal

“I feel like a lot of our generation is grouped into a certain category because we made a name for ourselves with social media, but I think it’s unfair for older generations to categorize us, especially because most of the time it’s demeaning.” “There’s a lot of aggression, but I don’t think it’s as much aggression as there was say around the Vietnam War, where there was a lot of aggression between older generations and younger generations. The baby boomers are a little sore about the ‘Ok Boomer’ meme, but it’s honestly just a joke.” “No, Think back to the 1950s and 60s. We had a huge divide between our generations. It’s just now we have a generation that is used to expressing themselves on social media, where we can see it more greatly. We’ve always had a divide between our generations though.”

nov. 2019

OPINIONS

Regulate ‘pay to win” one of the main targets of Hawley’s bill, offers SEN. JOSH HAWLEY a microtransaction for (R-MO) is focused on $149.99. Considering passing legislation that the game raked in about will ban “pay to win” $930 million from July games and mobile apps of 2017 to July of 2018, targeted toward children it’s hard to say players 13 years old and youngaren’t indulging in hefty er in an attempt to curb microtransactions. addiction. Hawley hopes to Although I disagree decrease the number with Hawley’s conserof children addicted to vative values, I do agree games, an admirable children should reach goal for any lawmaker, adolescence before being but, despite how great it enticed by cheap ploys might sound, the logistics that make games and of carrying out such a technology more addicgoal seem unrealistic. tive. Children are taught As described by to be wary of strangers Shainna Ali in a Psyon the internet because chology Today article, they can masquerade as becoming addicted to an individual technology is of any age or 97 percent of background, surprisingly easy due to teen boys and and just like how integrata stranger, 83 percent ed it is into children can of girls play our social, lie about their school, work games on some age when kind and home they sign up of device lives, and to play games it can be or can simply especially use a parent’s PEW addictive to account. RESEARCH children who If HawCENTER experience it ley’s bill is for the first actually going time. to work, it will require It only gets worse parents to comply and when children are asked to pay attention to how to spend money on intheir children interact game microtransactions, with technology. like little boosts giving a Until more inforplayer more lives, time to mation about the bill play or in-game currency. releases, I urge readers to Candy Crush Saga, a call Hawley’s office and mobile puzzle game and express support for his

Schools should be agents of social change

will ROACH

lauren PICKETT WHEN 248 FRANCIS Howell students violated nicotine-related policy last year, the school district filed a lawsuit against e-cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc. However, the issue expands beyond a single school district. One in five middle and high school students report using e-cigarettes, according to the 2018 Missouri Student Survey. As breakthroughs in vaping illnesses investigations begin to surface, school districts are struggling to determine where their obligation lies in protecting students. Although some are opposed to expanding the role of school beyond education, schools are responsible for assisting students within the school and the community to produce socially aware citizens. School districts are unfamiliar with speaking about issues outside their doors such as gun violence and mental health, but these issues are now crossing onto school grounds. Francis Howell’s lawsuit is setting a precedent: school districts must refuse to turn a blind eye to student suffering. Schools should be

POWER TO THE STUDENTS ACTION NOW

AELA MANSMANN, sophomore at Cape Elizabeth High School in Maine, left a sticky note in the bathroom of her school that read: “There’s a rapist in our school and you know who it is.” Mansmann posted the note in protest after numerous girls came forward about sexual abuse and nothing was being done by the school administration. This act of protest created a huge debate over the role freedom of speech plays in students’

lives at school. Mansmann was originally suspended from school under the grounds that her note was “bullying and defamation,” both of which are not covered under the First Amendment. However, Mansmann took her case to court and it was ruled that her suspension was unconstitutional by U.S. District Judge Lance Walker. It was proven the note was indeed protected by the First Amendment. It was further restated that students “don’t shed their constitutional

rights at the schoolhouse gate,” a precedent set by Tinker v. Des Moines in 1969. The school ultimately suppressed Mansmann’s freedom of speech and made it even more difficult for victims of sexual violence to come forward. If victims of sexual violence fear repercussions like the ones Cape Elizabeth tried to place against Mansmann, they are going to be even more silenced than they already are. Students should be allowed to express their

!!! Illustration by Marta Mieze

empowered to protect students as they have many historical examples. Leaders of social change movements such as Martin Luther King Jr. or Susan B. Anthony faced backlash for their ground-breaking work and are now held in high regard for shaping the future of American society. The idea of schools overstepping their boundaries by spending outside of school for social change shouldn’t be controversial as issues like vape-related illnesses and deaths are threats to students and public health. In another light, escalating statistics about teen gun violence and the threat of it have stained the beginning of the school year and multiple events in St. Louis County and City high schools. Eighteen

Student First Amendment rights should be protected jen BOSCHE

NO MORE

beliefs and even protest wrongdoing as long as it does not do harm to the school environment. When it comes to sexual violence, students should be allowed to come forward and speak up in whatever means they feel most comfortable. They should be allowed to protest and demand action when it is needed. To stand up and speak out is their First Amendment right and the school has no right to take that away just because they are the one being criticized.

children have been killed by gun violence in St. Louis since May. Instead of the communities being quieted with fear, many local gun violence prevention programs have sparked and will require school backing to expand their efforts toward social change. Offering more than “thoughts and prayers” will need to be seen in community-wide, yearround approaches to extend prevention efforts and involve parents or guardians. On a larger scale, representatives from local school districts should regularly host forums about social topics unique to their community. By including students in professional meetings, workshops, presentations or open panels, it will help them

express and discuss concerns about the unknown. Students need to see that their districts are taking responsibility and displaying compassion for the student body, and action by the district could reduce student retaliation and outrage in the form of walk-outs and demonstrations during school hours. A single entity alone cannot save the children of society. Schools are producing the children of the future, and they easily garner support from their local communities because of this. K-12 education needs to prepare students for the challenges associated with their generation by using their influence and power to address social issues. Start uneasy yet important conversations and take action.

The Knight Foundation, a non-profit aiming to create engaged and informed communities, surveyed 10,000 students and 500 teachers on certain topics regarding the First Amendment. In the survey...

73 60

percent of students agree that athletes could protest during the national anthem

percent of students don’t think the First Amendment should protect flag-burning protests

percent of students say people should have the right to express unpopular opinions

issue III

FEATURES

EATING GREEN

Environmental concerns cause community to alter eating habits kavya JAIN AFTER WATCHING ANIMAL cruelty videos in third grade, Olivia Kalemis, sophomore, decided to become vegetarian. “We treat it as such a normal thing to eat animals, but in reality it’s this huge process that’s negative for them, negative for the environment and negative for our bodies,” Kalemis said. Kalemis said being vegetarian was easy for her because she felt strongly about protecting the environment, and this ease prompted her to consider making another dietary switch in 2017: veganism. “After reading into the cruelties in the dairy and egg industry, I realized how inhumane they treat their animals and I realized that being vegetarian isn’t the best; I could be better,” Kalemis said. Kalemis said the change hasn’t been difficult aside from the constant ingredient checking. She said her diet mostly consists of pasta, bread, sandwiches and frozen meals. While she wouldn’t ever push anyone to change their diet, Kalemis said it’s important that everyone is knowledgeable of the environmental impacts of their food consumption because the little things can make a difference. However, if they are looking to make a lifestyle change, Kalemis said an overnight change, like the one she made, can be challenging. Kalemis said visiting grocery stores like Whole Foods or watching vegan youtubers can be helpful but it’s most important

LOCAL RESTAURANT

Smokee Mo’s St. Louis BBQ offers multiple vegetarian and vegan options on their vegan menu. They are located at 110 Old Meramec Station Rd, Manchester, MO 63021.

to remind oneself of their motivations. For Kalemis, one such motivator is that the meat industry is a contributor to carbon emissions and carbon emissions are especially relevant to youth. “Our future is relying on the world,” Kalemis said. “We have to strive to protect it.” Kalemis said that while she acknowledges big corporations cause environmental problems, it’s hypocritical to expect change from companies without making individual changes. “Obviously one person being vegan isn’t a big step but it’s helping,” Kalemis said. “I’d rather help and talk about big corporations rather than not do anything and blame it on them.”

MEAT PRODUCTION Kevin Koch, AP Environmental Science teacher, said meat production can cause environmental degradation when considering feedlots, giant farms where a lot of cattle are raised in one small area. “It’s an area that has a domino effect,” Koch said. “Not only do you have a lot of cattle that belch a lot of methane and produce a lot of waste that can degrade the landscape, but you also have a lot of corn that has to be grown in order to feed them because they are corn fed.” Koch said cows are unable to process the corn and in return belch methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide that leads to climate change, soil degradation, water pollution, and a higher carbon footprint. “It is a personal choice whether you eat meat or not, and it’s also a personal choice how you eat meat,” Koch said. Koch said better options such as grass fed, organic and pasteurized have been gaining popularity. “If one person decided not to eat meat at all, that means that throughout your life that one steak you did not eat is one cow that has not been slaughtered, one cow that has not been transported, one cow that has not been corn fed and one cow that has not been producing waste,” Koch said. Shruti Punnachalil, senior, said she has considered going vegetarian or vegan. Punnachalil said after taking a quiz in her AP Environmental Science class to see how many Earths are needed to sustain her way of life, she realized her meat consumption was higher than she wanted it. As someone who doesn’t eat red meat, Punnachalil was shocked she still needed a couple hundred more Earths than her vegetarian peers to sustain her meat consumption. Punnachalil said because her family eats a lot of meat, cutting down on

in 2018 Missouri had 2,086,000 beef cows and 84,000 milk cows

beef production accounts for 3.3% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions compared to the 56% accounted for by transportation and electricity generation in 2016

Information from the United States Department of Agriculture

meat consumption would be difficult while still in high school. However, she said her argument of ease is a justification for something she knows is harmful. “I think the biggest thing is that as a really privileged person living in a detached area from people who are actually affected by environmental problems and climate change, part of me doesn’t see that it’s a really pressing issue and that’s why I don’t want to give up meat consumption,” Punnachalil said. Punnachalil stressed the need for a whole movement dedicated to eating less meat in order for progress, rather than a few individuals. “Meat is a big part of our culture and because of that American society in general is contributing greatly to the problems in our environment right now especially in the ways that we eat and consume,” Punnachalil said.

CAPITALISM Punnachalil said in a capitalistic economy, the impact of the individual is minimal and lifestyle changes aren’t impactful unless a large group of people are making them. “A lot of our impacts are grounded in greedy massive corporations,” Punnachalil said. “It’s really unfortunate to think of it like that, but that should motivate people to collectively come up with a mass movement because it can’t just be a few people in West County choosing to go vegan.” She said individuals shouldn’t feel the pressure to make changes to the way they live because in the long run their individual efforts won’t cause change. However Punnachalil said recognition is important because it can be easy to support unethical and unsustainable business practices when leading a privileged and isolated life. “What we need right now is to acknowledge that our meat consumption is a really big contributor to environmental degradation,” Punnachalil said. “Collectively we have the ability to control these companies with our dollar.”

IN CONVERSATION WITH

ASHLEY RITZO

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Certified Health & Wellness Coach

DIFFERENT PLANT-BASED DIETS

“A vegan diet is an eating style that avoids all animal-based products including animal flesh like poultry, meat, fish as well as foods that come from animals like eggs and dairy products. A pescatarian diet avoids meat and poultry, but does include fish and may include eggs and dairy products. A vegetarian diet is a broader term that can mean slightly different things, but all vegetarian diets avoid meat and poultry.”

HEALTH IMPACTS

“A well-planned vegetarian diet can be very healthy. Research continues to show the more plant-based foods we eat the healthier we are. However, there are many healthy eating styles that do include animal-based foods such as the Mediterranean diet or the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH diet). The takehome message is eating more fruits, vegetables, whole/unrefined grains and starches, beans/legumes, nuts/seeds has numerous health benefits. The focus should be on increasing intake of those foods to promote overall health rather than simply decreasing animalbased foods.”

TIPS TO STAY HEALTHY ON A PLANT-BASED DIET

“It is important to include a variety of foods. For example, vegetarian and especially vegan diets are at a higher risk of deficiencies in nutrients like calcium, Vitamin D and Vitamin B12. Individuals who choose to follow a vegan vegetarian diet should take special care to consume fortified foods or supplements containing at-risk nutrients.”

IN-DEPTH

nov. 2019

IN-DEPTH

III

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

As Thanksgiving approaches, students and staff from diverse backgrounds reflect on their personal relationships to cultural food traditions.

AND

lauren PICKETT

Krishnendu Ray Professor of Nutrition and Food Studies at New York University

1 | HOW HAS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN FOOD AND CULTURE DEVELOPED INTO ITS CURRENT MEANING IN THE UNITED STATES?

DAMIRA KULZHANBEKOVA,

junior

Damira Kulzhanbekova, junior, identifies as Kazakh. She, along with her immediate family, moved from Russia two years ago where she was raised in a communal setting in Moscow. Her mother is from Kazakhstan and her father’s nationality is Russian and Tatar. Kulzhanbekova said she eats a variety of traditional Russian food and Kazakh meals like beef pilaf. “Whenever we celebrate a holiday with family and friends, we will make a huge dish called Beshbarmak. It’s made of meat, pasta and flour. I remember we would all make it with our own hands. We would all sit together and we would all talk and eat. It could be hundreds of us. This was very nice and comforting. You’re all together and can hear each other’s opinions about your culture too. Our Kazakh food, I feel like it’s not more of a Muslim type of food; I think it’s more traditional. Before, Kazakh people were nomads and would make their food with their own hands with only what they had. I think that represents our culture and that’s what we do right now. Rice is really common in Asian countries, but it’s very different in my culture compared to other cultures.”

KRISTEN HOLNESS,

EUNICE HEO,

junior

Kristen Holness, junior, said she identifies as Black and Jamacian American because her parents are immigrants from Jamaica, who also identify as Black. In the comfort of her own home, there is a lot of Caribbean influence. Her parents speak Patois, which Holness said is primarily a dialect rather than a language. She also said there is a lot of Indian influence in her food and a heavy use of spices in food preparation.

Eunice Heo, junior, said she identifies as Asian, and her parents are from South Korea. Some of her family still lives there, including her aunt and uncle, cousins and grandparents. Heo was born in New York, shortly lived in South Korea and moved back to the United States. For her, traditional family meals involve an individual bowl of rice for each person served with an assortment of side dishes such as kimchi, meat or noodles.

“Jamaican food is the food I grew up with. It feels like home, if you have it made right. It’s like if someone were to have soul-food as an African or Black American that’s so rooted in their identity, and it’s what you grew up with and what’s always around you. Jamaican food is like my comfort food. I feel sad every day because I don’t know how to make a bunch of things that my grandmother does. It takes a long time to prepare these things, so it’s about being there and being observant. It’s not just the fact the she’s cooking; it’s a story in itself. She learned how to cook from someone else, and that person learned how to cook from someone else. It’s the history of this, and I’m afraid of losing it because I don’t know how to cook our food. I feel like it’s important to learn and pass that on. It’s really important to keep that connection with your culture. We’re loving people. I like to say the food is made with love.”

“Something traditional we make is kimchi. Every November, we go to Chicago and buy a box of cabbage. We come back and have buckets of water and salt and start working with the cabbage. It’s really fun; it’s almost a two-day process, and it really brings the family together. It also shows my little brothers how Koreans can prepare traditional food. My dad emphasized food as a really good way to bring people together, and that’s why family dinner is important. I don’t think I’ll be okay eating without my family in the future. There’s the stereotype of the whole rice thing and using chopsticks. I want people to see beyond the rice and look into the side dishes because they are probably more important than the rice. The side dishes actually bring flavor to the meal and provide the color and smell.”

MONICA BREMER,

Spanish teacher

Monica Bremer, spanish teacher, she grew up in Panama until she was about 17 years old. About this age, she became a vegetarian due to health issues; however, meat and fish are often incorporated in Panamanian meals. Later, she moved to Cuba and lived there for four years to obtain her bachelor’s degree to become a teacher. Bremer also received a degree in Indian Classical Dance, so she lived in India for an additional four years. She said there are many differences from her culture to those of Americans. “The culture of frozen foods is very foreign to me. Here, I go to the supermarket and you see four aisles of frozen food, but in my country there is maybe one, like ice cream. We don’t buy frozen food. There is no taste or flavor in a frozen vegetables, where in the real, fresh vegetables you get all the flavors, and tastes and the colors. The flavor is ingrained in music, in the kind of music we listen to and the personality of people. They are very friendly and happy even if things can be wrong, or perhaps they don’t have everything that other people in developed countries do. And it’s how the color of the food, the flavors and the taste also add to the personality to the people and the way they enjoy life. Eating is a part of the joy of life like listening to music and dancing. And eating good food. Not just eating because I have to eat and rush to work but to eat something and it feels good in your body. They are very vibrant, extroverted and social.”

“Culture is something that continuously changes. I argue that American food culture changes about every 40 years because new groups of people are incorporated into the culture. Americans learn to eat new things. From the Italians, we learned to eat olive oil, wine, broccoli and various kinds of greens. From the Germans who came before that, we learned to eat hot dogs, hamburgers, lager beers and cheeses, basically what most people say is standard American food. Right now, since 1965, we are going to the next phase of big transformation of American food. This is mostly Asian people and Latin American people: Mexican, Guatemalan, Chinese, Indian and Vietnamese. We are learning to eat avocados, guacamole, tacos, curry.”

2 | ARE FOOD CULTURES IN AMERICA BECOMING MORE LOCALIZED, OR MORE GLOBALIZED? “American culture has always had a local dimension and a global dimension, which I think makes American food culture a lot more interesting than a lot of the cultures in which we don’t see as much transformation.”

3 | WHAT CAN FOOD IN ONE’S CULTURE SYMBOLIZE FOR SOMEONE IN TODAY’S AGE? ”Food is cultural and physical nourishment, and it’s how we share our world with other people and their experiences. In some ways, food has become an important tool in building bridges with others in other communities.”

4 | DOES FOOD PROVIDE A GREATER CULTURAL CONNECTION FOR PEOPLE THAN OTHER ASPECTS OF THEIR CULTURE? ”Food is the most intimate form of culture, it’s something we easily share, but you don’t usually share a shirt. In some ways there is deeper resonance to it than almost any other thing we do as a gift. Food is the only object that completely enters our bodies, hence, it has a lot of power and capacity to change use emotionally. Everyday food does have an intimate relationship to us and our culture. ”

IN-DEPTH

nov. 2019

IN-DEPTH

III

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

As Thanksgiving approaches, students and staff from diverse backgrounds reflect on their personal relationships to cultural food traditions.

AND

lauren PICKETT

Krishnendu Ray Professor of Nutrition and Food Studies at New York University

1 | HOW HAS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN FOOD AND CULTURE DEVELOPED INTO ITS CURRENT MEANING IN THE UNITED STATES?

DAMIRA KULZHANBEKOVA,

junior

KRISTEN HOLNESS,

EUNICE HEO,

junior

MONICA BREMER,

Spanish teacher

FEATURES

BOLTON'S BRICKS jackson ESTWANICK ED BOLTON, CHEMISTRY TEACHER, SPENDS each day exploring the basic building blocks of matter with his students. But outside of school, he has a passion for a different type of building blocks: Lego bricks. Jan Bolton, Ed’s mother, said he got his first set of Duplo blocks, The Lego Group’s line of brick toys for preschoolers, when he was three because that was the recommended age. “When it’s your first child, you’re very strict about all those things,” Jan said. In his early building years, Jan said Ed was more interested in Superman than Legos, but they continued to buy new sets because they were fun to do together. The more they built, the more his interest in the small plastic bricks grew. After Ed’s younger brother, Michael, became interested in the toys, they became a staple of family life for the Boltons. “Pretty much after that, Legos were an every occasion toy,” Jan said. Jan said the boys’ Lego collection continued to grow each year, their favorite builds being from the Pirates line of sets. “By the time he got into late high school and early college, I realized I was still buying Legos for him,” Jan said. “About that time, I realized he’s probably always going to like Legos.” As an adult, Legos built their way into Ed’s marriage to his wife, Traci, whom he met in college. They graduated and Ed later became a teacher at MHS, three years after Traci started teaching at Lafayette High School. Traci said they frequently walk through the toy aisles while shopping to see what is on the shelves. “We had gone down the Lego aisle and he talked about how he had played with them when he was younger,” Traci said “I had never played with them. I didn’t have Legos.” So about 10 years ago when Traci took her students to band camp for a week, she decided to buy Ed a Lego City police station set to keep him busy. He completed the set and bought another set for them to do together upon her return. “The rest is crazy history,” Traci said. The couple started with smaller sets, then moved to larger sets and are now “out of space” in their house. Traci said they now mostly focus on larger Lego City sets. “And Star Wars,” Traci said. “You can’t go wrong with Star Wars.”

nov. 2019 Teacher shares lifetime love of Legos through Instagram

Ed said the collaborative aspect of Legos allows him and his wife to work together to create something. Traci does all the odd number instructions, while Ed does the evens. “We’re both really competitive,” Ed said. “If we go play tennis, there has to be a winner and a loser, and that can end up in a fight. Legos are something we can do together that aren’t competitive, so that’s really cool.” Ed said in the beginning they made the sets specifically following the instructions. But now the couple also likes to challenge themselves to build their own creations like a museum or Lamborghini. “Sometimes it’s the aspect of ‘I just want to build this to the instructions for therapeutic relaxation’,” Ed said. “Other times it’s a challenge of ‘Can I make this work?’” Legos are also a way for Ed to spend time with his niece and nephews. When his mother was moving, he picked up boxes that contained items from his childhood, including many older Lego sets. He then rebuilt the sets so that a second generation of Bolton kids could play together, along with their Uncle Ed and Aunt Traci. “Boy kids can do it, girl kids can do it, anyone can do it,” Ed said. Through sharing his love of Legos, he also shares another passion of his: counting. In May of 2015, Ed created an Instagram account to post selfies of himself with students at graduation, a tradition he has continued each year since. The social implications of social media became “fascinating” to Ed. He said people are too serious about their image on social media, so he decided to counter this by sharing photos of him Check out Ed’s Lego photos counting things. Throughout the years, Ed has counton his Instagram: ed the days of the football turf being re@boltonchemistry surfaced, the STEM-wing construction, states he visited during summer vacation, his Converse collection, all the books he read in 2018 and his collection of Lego minifigures. As of Nov. 12, Ed has posted pictures of 256 unique Lego minifigures. Most of the photos are Ed Bolton, chemistry taken within MHS, but some have been taken on teacher, created this figure hikes, at baseball games, at Disney World or even in a in his own image. He combined parts from two particle accelerator at Cornell University. “It seems to be how I mark my movement through different figures. “It’s cool that you built it, but now history,” Ed said. “I’m not making any political or you can take it apart and build something else,” Bolton social commentary. It’s lighthearted and fun.” said. Photographs by Jackson Estwanick.

issue III

FEATURES

Families celebrate Gotcha Day sarah HARRIS MADDIE FISCHER, SENIOR, WAS adopted when she was 10 months old. Originally, she was left in a box at a government center in China and it was there that she was found and taken to an orphanage. When Fischer’s family adopted her, they were handed a note with her birthday on it: April 5. Yet, every year, her family celebrates

on Feb. 10, the anniversary of the day she was adopted. Fischer said her family combines her “Gotcha Day” with her birthday because they are close in proximity. Gotcha Day is the anniversary of the day in which a person is adopted. It is also called “Homecoming Day,” “Family Day” or “Adoption Day.” The date may be different from the date on which the legal adoption becomes final.

Maddie Fischer, senior, stands with her family as they all wear red in support of the St. Louis Cardinals. “Being adopted has given me more perspective on being a foreigner and a minority in America and how lucky I am compared to many immigrants that never get a chance to come to America legally,” Fischer said. Debbie Fischer, Maddie’s mom, holds Maddie on the day of her adoption. Photographs used with permission by Madison Fischer

Although Fischer said she has enjoyed all Gotcha Days, her favorite was the most recent one. “My family had started the discussion about going back to China,” Fischer said. “I took a DNA test to find out more about my heritage.” The DNA test revealed she is 99.7 percent Chinese and she is from the Jiangxi Province. She was unable to locate any family members. Fischer said being adopted has given her a valuable and different perspective on life. “Being adopted has made me even more thankful for the opportunities that I’ve had in America and the second chance I’ve been given by my birth parents by making the ultimate sacrifice of giving me up,” Fischer said. Debbie Fischer, Madison’s mom, said they will never forget Madison’s adoption day. “We are the lucky ones to have her as a daughter,” Debbie said. Noreen Bigelow, director of Adoption Learning Partners, said there are

11 November is National Adoption Month many benefits to adoption for all involved: the birth parents, the adoptive parents and the adoptee. “For the birth parents, making an adoption plan may give them an opportunity to achieve goals such as going to college or taking care of children already in their home,” Bigelow said. “People who make an adoption plan are doing it to provide the best for their child. For adoptive parents, the gains are immense – they have a child to love and take care of. For the child, the benefits are a loving home, the feeling of being wanted and a sense of permanence.” Bigelow said the term Gotcha Day has a negative connotation to some. “At best, it seems focused on the parent – when they got you – like you are a possession,” Bigelow said. “At worst, it connotes kidnapping, like ‘I caught you.’ There’s an uncomfortable history of coerced adoptions, indigenous families torn apart, etc. that play into this.” Despite the negative connotation behind the term, Bigelow said it is still important to celebrate Gotcha Day.

Miss St. Louis Pageant offers scholarships mansi MAMIDI LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! This year, the Miss St. Louis Pageant will be held Saturday, Dec. 21, in the MHS Theatre. Paula Ake, guidance counselor and former pageant girl, is the chair for the St. Louis chapter of the Miss Missouri pageant committee and will be residing over the pageant. Ake said she decided to hold the pageant at MHS to allow more girls to have the opportunity to compete. “There just aren’t enough pageants around,” Ake said. “We wanted to make sure more girls were able to compete if they wanted to and potentially qualify for Miss Missouri and then Miss America.” The crowned winner in the Miss St. Louis pageant will then compete in the Miss Missouri program, with about 30 to 40 contestants, and the crowned winner will then compete in the Miss America program. Winners will receive cash scholarships that can be put towards student loans or current schooling tuition. Ake said the amount depends on where the pageant is held and how many contributors there are for the funding, but both Miss Missouri and Miss America have a $250 minimum awarded scholarship. Ake said she hopes to award about $1,000 to titleholders within the Miss St. Louis pageant. “Of course, every bit of money counts when it comes to paying for school,” Ake said. “But the pageant will also give you public speaking opportunities, interview experience, the ability to perform and really gives them a

platform to speak to their community on whatever they think is an important issue.” Ultimately, Ake said the pageant is a great way for girls to get outside their comfort zones and it can result in a lot of different opportunities to come their way. Jason Winter, choir teacher, said the pageant is a cool opportunity. Winter used to do private lessons to help coach girls in pageants for the talent portion. One of his students, Katelyn Lewis, 2014 graduate of Wentzville Holt High School and 2018 graduate of Missouri Baptist University, was crowned Miss Missouri in 2018. “I had a really cool opportunity to work with somebody that had a really good voice and an opportunity to help her develop in the direction she wanted to go,” Winter said. Winter worked with her primarily when she was in her junior and senior years of high school, but he said most of the prep for the Miss Missouri pageant happened when she was in college. “She would come back from college and we would do prep lessons where we work on staging and vocal qualities,” Winter said. “It’s more interactive types of lessons than me teaching her the basics, so it was a really cool experience.” For girls looking to compete in this year’s pageant and sing as their talent, Winter said it really comes down to stage presence. “You want to be expressive, and in the process of being expressive, you can change how you sing,” Winter said. “So trying to figure out how to balance

the expressive qualities with the vocal qualities can make your performance really solid.” Activities Director Shane Matzen said Ake came to him about the potential to have the pageant held in the theatre. “Any time someone wants to have an event within the school, we try to help them out,” Matzen said. Often, Matzen said the Theatre can’t be booked because there will be different sets on the stage or the theatre department would be practicing or putting on a production. But, he said there was an opening on the date the pageant would be held. Sign ups for the Miss St. Louis pageant end Wednesday, Dec. 11. See Ake in the Guidance Office for more information. Paula Ake, guidance counselor, performs the National Anthem at the Miss Maryvile Pageant in 2005. She went on to compete at Miss Missouri. Photograph used with permission by Paula Ake

Q&A with Paula Ake, guidance counselor How did you start doing pageants? When I was in sixth grade, I got a letter from school that I was selected based on some standardized test that I had completed at the time. At the age of 12, I tried out and continued through the County Fair Queen pageants and got into the Miss America system in college.

What was your experience? I had a really good and positive experience, which is why I’m so passionate about continuing the program. I haven’t interviewed for anything that I haven’t been offered a position for, and I tie all of that back to the experience I had with personal interviews and on-stage interviews throughout pageants.

nov. 2019

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Behind the Scenes caroline CUDNEY • sarah HARRIS

MTC has been working since October to prepare for the annual fall musical with the help of their many crews including stage management, props, lights, set and publicity. Here is a look into a few:

Adriano Robins, freshman, plays Bud Frump, the lazy and arrogant nephew in the musical. In “The Company Way (Reprise),” the role of the head of mail room gets passed down to him after another character is promoted to the shipping department. “Bud Frump is such a fun role because I get to be a brat and super annoying, and this song really portrays him well,” Robins said. “I wish it was longer because it is one of my favorites.” Photograph by Caroline Cudney

CAST

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP AS OPENING NIGHT APPROACHES, THE costume crew, consisting of seven people, has been finishing up all the costumes. The crew first measured the actors and actresses and after they finished the measurements, they went to the clothes closet to figure out if they had what they needed. If they needed any extra costumes, they contacted The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. Ella Tolbert, sophomore, joined costumes in high school because she enjoyed it in middle school. “In high school, there are more deadlines and it’s more stressful,” Tolbert said. “But I still have a lot of fun.” Anna Culver, senior, participated in costume crew her junior year and joined again this year. Culver said this year’s costumes aren’t comparable to last year’s. “The costumes are drastically different,” Culver said. “This year, the show has a more subtle design because it’s set in the mid 60s. It’s more professional and therefore duller in color.” At practices, the make-up crew researched 60s looks and practiced the hairdos they wanted to execute on wigs. Lauren Secoy, freshman, joined make-up crew this year. “I love make-up and getting to practice on my friends is so fun,” Secoy said. “The show is in such a different time period and their hairdos are very sophisticated.” Secoy also has worked on props, sets and costumes during practices. “I am most excited to see it all come together,” Secoy said. “My favorite part of the show has been getting to know the entire MTC community. They have all been incredible.”

THE 31 ACTORS AND ACTRESSES HAVE BEEN staying after school until about 6:30 p.m. the weeks before the show and until 10 p.m. the week of the show to prepare, not to mention the preparation for auditions. Sully Anselmo, junior, plays Twimble, a supporting role in the musical, and has been a part of MTC since his freshman year. “I am extremely excited to perform this show in front of those who come and see it,” Anselmo said. “For me, the adrenaline high that you come off of after you finish your first performance is unlike any other, and I’m always super proud of all of our hard work and dedication being shown in front of the audience.” The preparation is difficult and long, but Anselmo spent time outside of practice working on his lines, vocals and dances. “The most difficult part for me has been learning each of the numbers that I’m in because of the choreography,” Anselmo said. “It has taken a lot of repetition to memorize it.” Sarah Henderson, sophomore, plays Rosemary Pilkington, the female lead, and played Little Red Riding Hood in last year’s production of “Into the Woods.” “Being in the musical is the most fun part of my semester because I love every single person in the cast,” Henderson said. “We all have grown so close, it feels like family.” Henderson and Anselmo have both been doing theater since middle school and know the work inside and outside of practice is worth it. “The hardest part of being in the show is definitely remembering to stay focused on who your character is and really acting and reacting during scenes, but I get to do what I love: dancing, singing, acting,” Henderson said.

PROPS

Photographs by Sarah Harris

Tracing the outline for one of the backdrops, Danielle Laurie, junior, works to finish up some of the different sets and props before opening night. The different crews also had to stay after school most days to help build, paint and craft the different parts of the show. “We are adding all of our last touches in prep for the show, and I am so excited to see how it all turns out,” Laurie said.

The musical "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" has performances 7 p.m. tonight and tomorrow night and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17. Tickets are $10 for students and $12 for adults.

SOUND

Morgan Ranchel, senior, works on setting up the sound for the show. This musical requires a “Book Voice” to play throughout the show. “This show has been a little more difficult with the sound, but I love being a part of the crew and have a lot of fun preparing,” Ranchel said.

THE SOUND CREW HAS FACED SOME difficulties preparing for the show. Tavian Kerber, freshman, said a few practices were dedicated to transferring all of the sound equipment from the booth up top to the stage down below. The transfer was due to a malfunction with the new sound system. Prior to the malfunction, the crew had training and received new snakes, part of the sound system. They then had to hook them up through the theatre walls. Kerber originally got into sound crew because he participated in it during middle school. “I definitely wanted to try it again in high school and it has given me the opportunity to meet many people,” Kerber said. Erik Hanson, sophomore, also participated in sound crew during middle school. “We have all been working really hard, and I have had a blast,” Hanson said. “I am excited to finally show everyone what we have been working on.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

issue III

TIKT

jessica LI WALK AROUND THE SCHOOL hallways and you’ll hear students discussing the newest TikTok trends from “Why you so obsessed with me?” to Danielle Cohn’s point of view. Arjun Hiren, senior, downloaded TikTok this past summer after hearing about the hate surrounding it. He uses it whenever he has a few minutes of free time and finds it doesn’t interrupt his academics. “TikTok feels like Vine but it’s much easier to make stuff, which is probably why more people are using it,” Hiren said. One of Hiren’s TikToks, which sees him making fun of downloading TikTok as a joke first, has amassed more than 1.2 million views and 80k likes. Sydney Rehling, sophomore, first started using TikTok after hearing about how dumb it was. However, she soon found the content on there entertaining. Rehling finds herself spending up to two hours a day after school scrolling through TikTok. Ellie Binsbacher, sophomore, said many people use TikTok to find fame.

TikTok is the world’s fastest-growing social media platform, available in 155 countries, where users can create short entertaining videos.

MUSTANGS ON TIKTOK

ARJUN HIREN,

senior

Views: 1.2 million For her, TikTok is a stress reliever. “It gives me time to step away from my studies and have fun learning dances,” Binsbacher said. Dr. Andrew Selepak, director of the Masters program with specialization in social media at the University of Florida, said TikTok’s popularity can be contributed to being a replacement for Vine and the convenience of discovering content. “You open up the app and you don’t

ANGELINA CAMERON,

sophomore

Views: 1 million know what the first thing you’re going to see is,” Dr. Selepak said. “Whereas with YouTube, you search for what you’re going to find.” Along with that, TikTok differs from other social media platforms by having a smaller focus. “With Instagram, for example, there’s photos, Instagram stories, IGTV and a timeline of pictures rather than just the stream of videos you see on TikTok,” he said.

EVOLUTION OF SHORT-FORM VIDEO IN SOCIAL MEDIA

Vine

Launched: April 2014

200 million

TikTok

active users

Launched: January 2013

200 million

Length: 15 seconds

active users

Length: 6.5 seconds

Musical.ly

Launched: September 2016

500 million active users

Length: 3-15 seconds Infographic by Marta Mieze

7 = 1 2 09 3

Paul J. Pontillo

stlouisacademic.com paul@stlouisacademic.com 314-532-5185 Tutoring • Algebra 1, 2 • Honors Algebra 2 • Geometry • Pre-Calculus

• Calculus • Statistics • ACT

13 7 EXPERT CONCERNS TIME As with any social media platform, there are concerns of addiction regarding TikTok. Rather than spending time doing school or extracurricular activities, users can waste time scrolling through a seemingly endless stream of 15-second long videos. “If they’re spending the same amount of time practicing a craft whether it was a musical instrument or sport, there’s going to be more value to it than spending the same amount of time on their phone flipping from 15second video to 15-second video,” Dr. Andrew Selepak, director of Masters program with specialization in social media, said.

PRIVACY He said there’s also some concerns over privacy and security stemming from the fact that TikTok was originally founded by a Chinese company, ByteDance, making it unique amongst all the other popular social media platforms that are primarily founded by U.S. companies. TikTok also collects a large amount of information, the consent for which can be found in the Terms and Services. Dr. Selepak said recent events, such as the Hong Kong protests, prove there is a possibility of TikTok using information to steal identifies and spread false information. “If we already know the Chinese government is creating false accounts on platforms for companies outside of China to influence public opinion, then you can guarantee they’re going to do the exact same thing when it comes to an app that is from China,” he said. Since TikTok’s audience is primarily made up of underage children, Dr. Selepak stresses the importance of parents knowing what their children are doing online. “Thirteen and 14 years olds can’t understand everything when it comes to your data security, your data privacy, your data and how it could be used against you by a foreign country that might be trying to manipulate your beliefs on lots of different things,” Dr. Selepak said.

14 CONNOR’S CONNIPTIONS

SPORTS

nov. 2019 7

As seen on pg. 1

Private schools have unfair

advantage

connor DEL CARMEN CLASS FIVE BASEBALL STATE champions: DeSmet. Class six football State champions: Christian Brothers College (CBC). Class five soccer State champions: CBC. All private schools that competed primarily against public schools. Private school athletics are so dominant that even ESPN aired a nationally televised high school football game in September featuring DeSmet and CBC. Every year fans see private schools dominate public schools in the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA). The successful athletic culture in many private schools is nothing to discredit; however, much of that success has come largely because of a distinct funding advantage. According to the RSD website, for the 2019-2020 school year, the budget for student activities across the whole district is $4,860,000, which includes gear costs, coach salaries and other large expenses. Budgets for private schools are largely kept secret because they aren’t forced to make them public. Private schools likely have a surplus of funds from tuition fees and private donations. Private schools sport superior stadiums, weight rooms and recovery facilities, many of which rival what is offered at some smaller universities. Many of these advantages seem small, but in competition it all adds up. Superior facilities also make it easier to attract top athletes to play at private schools. Even though recruiting students for athletics is illegal under MSHSAA rules, you would be aloof to think it never happens. The optics of private school athletics have appeared even more blurred since Cardinal Ritter was recently busted on a charge of playing an athlete even though he was ineligible. I propose private schools participate in a separate State championship. MSHSAA has attempted to keep athletics fair but still competitive as possible. MSHSAA doesn’t allow small Class one schools to compete against larger Class five schools who have a massive resource advantage, so it doesn’t make sense to allow private schools with a resource advantage to compete against public schools. There is no issue in scheduling regular season games and tournaments with both public and private schools playing against each other because these games often have little effect on playoff competition. However, when the postseason begins, separate State competitions should occur. My one exception to this would be if public school coaches of a particular sport voted to allow private schools to compete with them in Playoff games.

NEXT STOP:

JOPLIN jeff SWIFT

1. Dorius Smith, sophomore, returns a kick against Kirkwood Sept. 13. Smith has the most return yards on the team with 224. 2. Mac Cook, senior, catches a pass in the end zone in a game against Parkway Central Sept 6. Cook has scored three receiving touchdowns this season, the second most on the team. 3. Stang Gang watches the game against Parkway Central. The Mustangs won this game 41-0. 4. Jackson Edwards, junior, tackles Logan Kopp, junior, of Lindbergh during round two of the State Playoffs Nov. 8. The Mustangs won 31-21 and guaranteed themselves a spot in the District Championship game tonight against Joplin. 5. Sophomores Steven Nava and Cole Kampschroeder show three fingers to symbolize the third quarter. This was in the team’s first game against Lindbergh Sept. 27. Photographs by Jeff Swift and Kavya Jain

THROUGHOUT THE GAME AGAINST touchdowns on the season, but Cohen the Lindbergh Flyers, momentum said the success of the team is much swung and tensions flew high. more important. By halftime, the heavily favored “I’m really just doing what I can for Mustangs, who had blown out the the team,” Cohen said. “We all are, and Flyers 37-14 just two months prior, that’s why we are where we are right were tied 14-14. now.” But the cold start and the cold The team, now with only one loss, weather, which had been in the low which came in a defensive bout against 30s to the 20s throughout the game, the Eureka Wildcats 28-13, is going to did nothing to stop the Mustangs from head to Joplin, home to the District’s storming back in the second half and top ranked team, for the championship taking their game 7 p.m. tenth win of tonight. the season. Michael This win Stewart, who is in meant more his first season as to the team head coach, has his than most sole focus on the Class 6 Rank: 3 Class 6 Rank: 9 others, as it National Rank: 781 National Rank: 175 next game. was the first “The fact 10-1 time the team that it’s a 11-0 had won 10 championship, (Suburban West (Central Ozarks games ever. and what that Conference) Conference) “We’re means, is second doing in our minds.” 11 51.5 something Stewart said. “We Average points Average points really are only geared allowed per game scored per game for one thing, and special,” senior Ben that’s just to play Cohen, Won their district the best game we First 10-win receiver, said. last season before can and win at all team in school being moved to “It’s really cost.” history. District 4. an honor to Stewart said he play with this Infographic by Jeff Swift wants the team’s team we have discipline from right now.” throughout the season to carry on to Cohen led the team in receiving this game, and he is confident they’ll yards in their tenth victory with two do it. receptions for 43 yards. He also leads “They did it against Lafayette, the team with 300 such yards with 4 in Kirkwood and in this last game,”

Stewart said. “I’m confident we’ll do it, and that it will be a difference maker for us once again.” Stewart is confident the team’s abilities on defense will be able to quell Joplin’s rushing attack, which put up 311 yards and six touchdowns against Kirkwood last Friday. “They have a very strong offense, especially on the ground,” Stewart said. “But we have a very solid ground defense, that should make this game interesting right there.” Senior Matt Kadlec, the team’s leading tackler, is confident in his team’s ability to compete and win in this game. “We’re a good team. They’re a good team as well, but I know we have what it takes to win,” Kadlec said. Even though the Joplin Eagles are undefeated and have been rated the third best team in Missouri, Kadlec is confident they can pull through and shock some people. “We can only think of beating them right now, that’s all we’ll think about when we’re lined up against them,” Kadlec said. Featured on front: Class of ‘96 senior football players pose for a team picture in 1995 at their last game against Lafayette. Printed with permission by Joe Rao. George Williams, senior, prepares to throw in a game against Kirkwood. Jackson Edwards, junior, tackles Lindbergh’s Logan Kopp in their game against the Flyers last Friday, Nov. 8. Mustangs won 31-21 advancing them to District finals this Friday against Joplin. Photographs by Jeff Swift

issue III

SPORTS

Cheer earns 11 consecutive District titles kailin ZHANG THE CROWD ERUPTS IN CHEERS AS varsity cheerleading places first and the j.v. team place third at Regionals Oct. 25. As the Senior Sophie Sanchez, one of the three captains of the varsity cheerleading team, said she was satisfied with how they ended the routine. “It’s definitely one of the highest difficulty routines that we’ve put out there for Regionals, so hearing our names called out for first place after working so hard was such a nice feeling,” Sanchez said. Sanchez said one of the main goals for the captains is to make sure the team is always reaching its full potential, especially towards the goal of Nationals at the end of the year. Sanchez said she wants to end her senior year taking pride in being a part of the team, as well as making sure she puts effort into every practice and competition. “It’s going to be hard to leave,” Sanchez said. “All of it has shaped me into such a strong person and inspired me to try to motivate others to do the same.” Abby Kaber, junior, said she was surprised and proud after hearing the team had won first because of how hard the journey was to get there. “At dress rehearsals a week before regionals, nothing was coming together,” Kaber said.

Kaber said most of the routine is staying the same for State, but they are changing a couple of parts. “We want to keep the consistency,” Kaber said. “The next step in preparing for State is lots and lots of repetition.” Kaber said cheerleading has given her the opportunity to be more involved with the school. “It’s like a family, anytime we see each other in the hallways we’re always smiling,” Kaber said. Abbey Gradle, varsity cheer coach, said leading into The cheer team Regionals, the is selling Pura Vida teams pracbracelets for Nationals. ticed five days One bracelet costs a week. In $7 and two bracelets addition, they cost $13, available for trained off site purchase in Room 204 at a gymnastics and Room 271. gym to work on their tumbling skills. “It’s really nice now that the Commons are completely flat, so we can pull out our entire competition floor to have more meaningful and effective practices,” Gradle said. “We use the same skills while performing at games so we can reinforce and get practice in front of a crowd.” Gradle said the teams change each year, so despite winning Regionals

Juniors Abby Kaber and Rachel Sanders perform in their half time cheer routine during a football game against Parkway Central. Photograph by Jeff Swift

for 11 years in a row, the challenge is always present to train for the competition each year. “What motivates us is that we want to put out a routine that makes us proud at the end of it,” Gradle said. “If we only sought after being number one, that’s really a narrow mindset, so we try to teach our athletes that we

want to be as successful doing difficult skill sets.” Gradle said the next step for the team is the State competition Nov. 16 to 17 at Lindenwood University. “These beginning competitions are setting the tone for what our team is going to be capable of doing,” Gradle said.

SPORTS

nov. 2019

Cross Country considers team requirements austin RICHARD AS THEIR SEASON COMES TO A close, cross country coaches have begun to plan changes for next season to decrease injuries. “One of our big concerns is making sure that when kids start the season, they are ready to be running five days a week,” Michael Ebert, cross country coach, said. Out of members of cross country, Ebert said many of the injuries came from returning runners. He said these injuries usually happen due to a lack of preparation for the upcoming season. “We have some kids that run 50 miles a week to get ready for the season and some that run 10 or 15 miles a week,” Ebert said. “All of those are okay, but we’re trying to get away from kids not having any running coming into the season, especially for vets.” Senior Vicky Penney, who has been on varsity cross country since her freshman year, said she understands the need for changes. “I see a lot of people who say they are injured during the middle part of the cross country season,” Penney said. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to try a new method of training.” Penney said she wants the coaches to avoid changing summer training as it plays an important role for her and many others in preparing for the season. “Cross country summer training is really just about you preparing yourself and taking that responsibility as a high schooler should do in training for the season,” Penney said. “It’s kind of something that honestly shouldn’t be changed because it makes students gain more responsibility and maturity in

Juniors Stone Burke and Ethan Koop finished in the top 25 earning All-State status.

The boys team finished ninth of 16 teams.

Individual qualifiers Vicky Penney and Katie Quade finished 44th and 129th respectively.

Katie Quade, junior, battles through the second mile of her State 5k. She finished with a time of 20:44.7. Photograph by Jeff Swift Stone Burke, junior, approaches the finish line along side seniors Martin Strong and AJ Wallach from Kirkwood. Burke finished 23rd and earned All-State honors. Photograph by Jeff Swift

themselves.” Audrey Tanzola, sophomore, is one of many runners who could benefit from potentially required preseason training since she developed a season-ending stress fracture in her foot. Tanzola is currently in a program to return to running, but she said the requirements could have helped spot

the injury earlier. Beckett Laupan, freshman, joined cross country partially because of wanting something to do, but also to join his brother Jacob Laupan, senior. Beckett said he never felt at risk of getting injured. “I didn’t really think about that much,” Laupan said. “I did everything

that the coaches said. Stretch before you run, do the warm up. For me, I felt fine.” However, Laupan said he did know many runners from j.v. and varsity who did get injured this season. He also said, regardless of the changes made, he will stay just as motivated for next season.

American Cricket Academy teaches Personal Fitness and Wellness shrija MAGANTI TO FAMILIARIZE STUDENTS WITH cricket, the American Cricket Academy (ACA) introduced the sport to Personal Fitness and Wellness (PFW) classes Monday. The ACA, a nonprofit that promotes cricket and leadership skills among kids, started in 2015 with only a few kids, but it has now grown to more than 200 athletes. Ganesh Krishnamurthy, ACA coach, said people don’t realize the United States actually has a rich history of cricket. “Our first president, George Washington, and our founding fathers actually played cricket,” Krishnamurthy said. “We have a big tradition of cricket in this country, but it got lost somewhere, so we are trying to rekindle that interest.” People have been known to play cricket since the late 16th century, when it originated in England. Although cricket is a popular sport

around the world, it’s not well known among most people in the United States. Many cricket organizations, including ACA, have risen in the United States in order to raise more awareness about this sport. “All the kids loved playing cricket because many of them are trying the sport for the first time,” Krishanmurthy said. “There was a fair amount of enthusiasm, and everyone tried to participate and play the game.” Anna Marren, sophomore, said learning cricket wasn’t difficult because it is similar to baseball or softball. “It’s fun and it was a good learning experience for all of us,” Marren said. “It’s important for kids at Marquette to learn other sports that aren’t generally in the culture, especially more international sports.” Marren also said the experience was more interesting and engaging because they were actually being taught by a cricket player. “It was cool to see the coach come

in because he is an experienced player instead of some random guy,” Marren said. The idea of incorporating cricket into PFW came from a student of Felicia Durst, PFW teacher, who wanted to play in class. “I have never done cricket before, and I don’t know any of the rules,” Durst said. “I drive down Hwy DD, and see people playing cricket all the time, so I was interested in learning more about it.” Durst said teaching cricket might be something she would consider continuing, if the ACA would be willing to come again. “It’s important to expose kids to something different that they might like, but they didn’t know beforehand,” Durst said. “We want kids to be able to be active through their life. There may be some kids that found this activity to be fun and they might continue playing after high school and into their adulthood.”

Zach Ernstrom, junior, swings the bat, attempting to improve at cricket. Derek McCall, freshman, was the wicket keeper trying to catch the ball. “It was a lot of fun, and it was cool to get actual guidance and coaching,” Ernstrom said. Photograph by Shrija Maganti