the messenger SENIOR ISSUE
waha SIDDIQUI editor in chief
connor DEL CARMEN associate editor
THE MESSENGER
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seniors
CONTRIBUTORS
contents
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Connor Del Carmen Marin Ellington Ben Hughes Annie McGinnis Taryn Moore Lauren Pickett Rutaiba Siddiqui Waha Siddiqui Akhila Swarna Grace Taylor Zara Tola PHOTOGRAPHS ON FRONT BY: Sully Anselmo Shanti Boneipally Ella Hoene Meagan Jette Rachel MacMurray Gabby McDowell Charlotte Moore Waha Siddiqui David Westheus
zara TOLA copy editor
pg. 8-9 ACTIVISM
pg. 16 ALUMNI ADVICE
pg. 18 ATHLETIC COMMITMENT
pg. 20 TIKTOK
pg. 22-23 PROM
pg. 26-27 LETTERS
lauren PICKETT in-depth editor
a conversation with
DAN RAMSEY• SENIOR PRINCIPAL
taryn MOORE
How would you describe the Class of 2021? They are a very resilient class. The class has seen a great deal of adversity in the past two years that I have been their principal. For the most part, they have responded positively and made the best of the situation.
Favorite sporting event you’ve attended? My favorite game I ever went to was on Nov. 24, 2007. Mizzou played [their] biggest rival, Kansas, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Mizzou won and was ranked Number 1 in College Football the next week.
Favorite place you’ve traveled? Six years ago, I loaded my family and my grandmother (who was 89 at the time) into the family minivan and did a two-and-a-half-week trip to several places on her bucket list such as the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, Jamestown, National Park, Washington D.C. and the University of Notre Dame.
Favorite place in St. Louis? Last summer, with the help of some of my friends, I built a cabin about an hour south of St. Louis on a small lake. I love going down there with friends. We swim, fish and paddle board. It’s a lot of fun.
Favorite band/ artist & favorite song? If you look at my top plays on my phone, it’s a lot of AC/DC, Grateful Dead, Beastie Boys, Zac Brown, Garth Brooks, Nathaniel Rateliff, Nelly, AJR and Benny Goodman. If I had to pick a favorite, I’d pick “Toes” by Zac Brown.
Any words of advice for the future? Serving others in your community throughout life is crucial to bettering society. Be a good person and give others the benefit of the doubt. If you reach a point where you’re not sure what to do, seek guidance from others—your parents, a mentor, a former teacher or principal. Everyone will want to help you succeed.
Photograph by Ben Hughes
3
THIS
statistics from a Messenger surv
favorite year of high school? 8.4% 9th
worst year of high school?
24%
28.6%
39%
25.3%
10th
11th
12th
9th
64.5% had or know someone that has been diagnosed with COVID-19
33.1% 10th
22.1%
19.5
11th
12t
political affiliation? 52%
27.3%
20.7%
75.5%
33.8% 9.1% Black or African American
on
4
lf
e es
ry
co
t un
confidence in future plans
ic n h et
b
66 Wh
n k?
y
e have you
58% yes
dru
43.3% no
o
er be v e u e
n
th
56.7% yes
vaped?
5%
or
v
mo er s k e d
have
vey of 155 seniors as of May 20
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IS US
42% no
%
55.8% believe in God
4.5% Hispanic or Latino
y
o
1.3% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
exually s a u 35.8% yes
ve? c ti
6.3% hite
n
18.8% Asian
w
79.4% want to get married someday
are
breakdo
64.2% no
5
Blast From the Past: D lauren PICKETT
• First Women’s March held in Washington, D.C. • The inception of #MeToo Movement • Hurricanes Harvey, Irma & Maria 2017 • Former President Donald Trump sworn into office • Total solar eclipse
20 17
• U.S. wins FIFA W Cup France • First black hole • Greta Thurberg’ gains global par • Amazon rainfore • Notre Dame cath
20 18 • Althetes compete in the South Korea Winter Olympics • March For Our Lives protest begins • British Royal wedding takes place • Black Panther movie is released • Beyoncé becomes first Black woman to headline Coachella
6
Photograph by Jackson Estwanick
2 1 2018
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Defining News Moments
Women’s Soccer World
image is created ’s Strike for Climate ricipation est burns hedral fire
20 19
• COVID-19 pandemic begins
• Australian bush, West Coast fires
• Black Lives Matter protests resurge
2020 • Kobe Bryant, Ruth Bader Ginsberg,
Chadwick Boseman, Alex Trebek die
• TikTok gains popularity
20 20
Photograph by Jen Del Carmen
20 21
• First Black, South Asian vice president Kamala Harris takes office • Riots at U.S. Capitol Building • #StopAsianHate movement takes off • Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna vaccines administered • Former President Trump impeached for second time
2021
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Voices of t
Individuals from the Senior and social media to adv waha SIDDIQUI WHEN SNEHA CHANDRA, SENIOR, posted a TikTok video showing how her stomach looks throughout the day to spread body neutrality, she didn’t expect to see it reach more than 5 thousand views. “Keep in mind, I’m actually super self conscious about this but hopefully this helps some people,” said Chandra in the video. Chandra got into social activism after the stay-at-home order last year, as she watched protests and riots on social media over the summer. “After seeing all the injustices, I couldn’t be OK with not doing anything,” she said. Since then, Chandra has grown her platform online, using both her personal and activist accounts on Instagram as well as her TikTok account to discuss her political and social views. Most recently, Chandra posted about Yadhira Romero Martinez’s murder on her Instagram feed, garnering more than 1,500 likes. After noticing that many people weren’t talking about Martinez’s murder, Chandra took to the
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Allesandra Hahn, senior, attended the annual March For Life in Washington D.C. in 2018 with her youth group. Photograph by Allesandra Hahn
Internet to research and post infographics on her social media. “I felt I could make an impact online and there are a lot of informational people on social media that post accessible articles,” Chandra said. The senior activist cites the pandemic and the stay-at-home order as the driving factors of increased political engagement in the Senior Class. Youth engagement has been higher in the past year than it was in 2016 and 2018, according to a CIRCLE survey conducted by Tufts University. The survey also states 83 percent of youth believe young people have the power to change the country. Movements such as Black Lives Matter, #StopAsianHate have arisen over the past few years. As the Senior Class has used social media to be connected, injustices around the world affect them all, Chandra said. Allesandra Hahn, senior, supports the idea that youth can make a difference. Her activism lies in protesting and being part of the Pro-Life movement, opposing abortions for both moral and religious reasons. “When I was younger, I was always
Sully Anselmo, senior, waves a rainbow flag at PrideFest St. Louis in 2019, the first rally he attended. Photographs by Emma Ford and Sully Anselmo
the Future
r Class take to the streets vocate for their beliefs involved in church and didn’t really understand what it [Pro-Life] meant,” Hahn said. “As I got older and we began talking about it more, it was the main thing that stuck with me.” Hahn attended March for Life, the annual rally in Washington D.C. for ProLife activism in January of 2018. After the pandemic hit, Hahn said she hasn’t participated in marches or rallies as much as she would like to. Like Hahn, Sully Anselmo, senior, found his avenue of activism through himself and his beliefs. Anselmo said he found an interest in social justice his freshman year, when seniors organized walkouts after the Parkland shooting. His interest only deepened when he came out late in his sophomore year, and his goals centered around activism for LGBTQ+ rights. As his first form of activism, Anselmo attended the PrideFest in 2019. After seeing the amount of people who were like him, he said he felt like he had a community. “Growing up in a conservative state such as Missouri, some people didn’t agree with a part of who I am,” Anselmo said.
Now, Anselmo mainly uses Instagram as a channel of education and reposting infographics, on which he first researches and educates himself. While his activism, like many others, has been based around social media over the past few years, Anselmo said he is looking forward to going to college and getting involved in grassroots movements and protests on campus. “I want to join student government and meet people with opposing views because it is so easy to make assumptions about the other side without talking to them,” Anselmo said. Anselmo said what sets the Class of 2021 apart from others in terms of activism and vocality is the environment they grew up with, as well as how the pandemic affected them, all coupled with the increased usage of technology and social media that has connected the class. “We’ve been exposed to content from all areas and places that has allowed us to see different viewpoints and perspectives that we can form opinions on,” Anselmo said.
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Athletes commit to play at next level
grace TAYLOR
D1 vs. D2
Photograph by Samarth Samal
Median enrollment at a D1 school is 8,960 undergraduates opposed to 2,428 at a D2.
Stone Burke TCU Cross Country & Track STONE BURKE, SENIOR, HAS BEEN running track competitively since seventh grade and has been on MHS’ varsity cross country and track teams. Burke has been talking to college coaches since his sophomore year, and this past April, he officially committed to run Division 1 cross country and track at Texas Christian University (TCU). TCU wasn’t on Burke’s list of potential schools in the beginning, but their coach contacted him. Burke is from Texas so he decided to tour the campus, and he immediately loved the campus, the academically inclined environment and the coach’s vision for the team. “I'm definitely looking forward to being in a Power Five conference and being able to compete against some of the best runners in the country,” Burke said. “I'm also excited to meet new people, get a new perspective on things.”
D1s generally provide more money in athletic scholarships.
• Other
committed athletes
10
D1s usually involve a greater time commitment because scholarships are often tied to athletic performance.
Zack Bowman - Central Methodist Football Grace Brzyski - Mercyhurst Water Polo Ian Greenblatt - Missouri Baptist Baseball Hailey Hume - Valparaiso Swimming Mark Anthony Jones - Iowa Western Football Chris Kreh - Missouri Football Kate Krogen - Centre Swimming Jackson Landewe - Missouri Baptist Volleyball Blake Mazzola - Drury Golf Olivia Meier - Harding Volleyball
Photograph by Burton Brandt
Megan Jette Quincy Soccer MEGAN JETTE, SENIOR, HAS BEEN playing soccer since she was 6 years old, and has played competitively for a variety of club teams and also has been a member of the soccer program at MHS. Now, Jette has taken the next step in her soccer career by committing to play Division 2 soccer at Quincy University. Jette said recruitment was difficult because she tore her ACL and COVID-19 restrictions were put in place. The plan was to play Division 1 soccer, but their dead period, which is a time period where coaches aren’t allowed to have communication with recruits, didn’t line up with her schedule, so she started talking to Division 2 schools. When the time came to make a decision, she chose Quincy University. “It's like a whole new competitive level so I'm excited to see what that brings,” Jette said.
Reece Merrifield - Lindenwood Soccer Abby Messina - St. Ambrose Soccer Neil Milczarek - Lindenwood Rugby Samantha Pruitt - Missouri Western State Lacrosse Katie Quade - Drury Triathlons Connor Throneberry - Penn State Baseball Kennedi Watkins - Southeast Missouri State Basketball Grace Williams - Missouri Western State Lacrosse
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Memory Lane
FAVORITE TEACHER
time capsule FAVORITE CLASS
FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY THREE OF MY CLOSEST FRIENDS SOMETHING I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT THREE ITEMS ON MY BUCKET LIST
SOMETHING I LEARNED DURING THE PANDEMIC MY FAVORITE SONG, MOVIE & FOOD
Draw your life
Message to my future self
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ALABAMA Auburn University Hailey Benting Chance Woley
University of Alabama Lily Nixon Paige Stricker Justin Tognozzi University of Alabama at Birmingham Pranav Nagila
ARIZONA
Arizona State University Malorie Bowerman Jaydin Fleming University of Arizona Sam King Blake Silverman
ARKANSAS
Burton Brandt Drew Cramsey Charlie DiMaria Kate Edelen Meagan Harre Robert Helmbacher Caroline Kilo Jenna Lensmeyer Haley Miller Nicole Miller Anna Miriani Leah Ozersky Devon Sajben Katie Schmitt Tai Tran Morgan Trotta Elise Windmueller
University of Colorado-Boulder Emma Garavaglia
CALIFORNIA
University of Tampa Janet Kargbo
University of California San Diego Scott Schnieders
Bradley University Elizabeth Bugalski Paige Mathys
Flagler College Chloe Cunningham Florida State University Grant Hays Sean Ward University of Florida Meg Morrow University of Miami Manuela Biselli
Concordia University of Irvine Andrew Kim
Harding University Olivia Meier
University of San Francisco Rachel Steurer
University of Arkansas Anthony Amato William Bantel
Colorado State University Sam Hyken
COLORADO
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FLORIDA
ILLINOIS
Columbia College Chicago Madison Phillips Illinois State Paige Hanson
So... What’s Next? *accurate as of 5/18/21 According to the College Center
Lake Forest College Tabitha Andrews
Iowa State University Annika Haas
Loyola University Chicago Bryden Behrens Aarushi Boinepally Lindsey Haas Waha Siddiqui
St. Ambrose University Abigail Messina
Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville Claire Hoffman Abigail Kaber University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Elizabeth Case Sneha Chandra Kieran Thomas Quincy University Megan Jette
INDIANA Butler University Andrew Cromer Kyle Ross
Earlham College Connor Del Carmen Indiana University Bloomington Sophia Coletti Jade Garton Nicholas Giordanella Owen Marsh Gabby McCray James Norman Alex Radovilsky Purdue University Hannah Chun Julie Comeau Jake Embleton Gabrielle McDowell Carly Sprenger Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Mia Kreissler Valparaiso University Haley Hume
IOWA
Drake University Elise Ambler
University of Iowa Marissa Ambler Derek Durst Jenna Howard Wartburg College Adria Martin
KANSAS
University of Kansas Michael Anselmo Malea Baldwin Claire Buchheit David Grimes Juliet MacMurray Brenna Olfe Nathan Perini Julia Powell Claire Riegelsberger Katie Schowe Zach Tanksley Teddy Tran Quentin Williams
KENTUCKY
Bellarmine University Jaena Lee Centre College Kate Krogen Eastern Kentucky University Lauren Meyer
LOUISIANA Tulane University Braeden King
MASSACHUSETTS Berklee College of Music Grant Anders
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Janvi Huria University of MassachusettsAmherst Noah Freeman
MICHIGAN
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Will Millsaps Zack Bowman
MINNESOTA
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Rishita Palle
MISSISSIPPI
University of Mississippi Gabby Bergin Patrick Kirwan
MISSOURI
Central Methodist University Zack Bowman Drury University Katie Quade Lindenwood University Blake Johnson Isabela Magalhães Reece Merrifield Neil Milczarek Nickolas Pinkstaff Adam Withinton Maryville University Joshua Cudney Courtney Dippel Marco Fernandez Lucie Herzon Micah Ingram Lucy Lopez Lauren Pickett Missouri Baptist University Jackson Landewe Ryan Ware Missouri State University Josh Cochran Chloe Cook Austin Durst Lexi Glaser Natalie Kowalski Jared Lakamp Haile Marquard Macy Peters Natalie Wilhelm Missouri S&T Evan Aragon Phoebe Calabrese Josh Caruso
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Lindsey Chan Scott Gutierrez Sam Heath Chris Hunt Thomas Kelley Sebastian Laurentius Danielle Laurie Giovanna Lenza Logan Markley Colin Mathers Zachary Maxwell Emily Ohlendorf Andrew Oitker Joshua Perkins Rohit Ramamoorthy Kyle Ruscitti Alex Santucci Rebekah Thompson Aidan Tow Nithin Vijay Travis Young Missouri Western State University Sam Pruitt Grace Williams Northwest Misssouri State University Faith Woytus Southeast Missouri State Winnie Arnold Cassidy Barger Abigail Cook Taylor Crocker Marshall Grahn-Howard Maggy McDonald Spencer Schatz Kennedi Watkins STLCC Gabrielle Anzer Elijah Biener Cecilia Carapella Vianca Castaneda Emma Conley Grace Curtis Alyssa Dienstbach Kali Dolson Teresa Dorhauer Zach Fischer Trinity Flaton Allesandra Hahn Marian Ide Ann Kempf Mirandy Moore Kyle Nicholas
14
Michelle Nightingale Josh Venegoni David Westhues Bergin Wheeler St. Louis University Sujaska Dhungana Hoda Elbeshbeshy Valerie Galiano-Rouge Tamima Hasan Julie Hofer Riley Luebbers Taylor Schaller Sai Tokekar University of Missouri Alex Akin Aaron Alter Maya Anand Luke Arens Ben Bertolucci Lucas Bier Ellie Chamberlin Jocelyn Chambers Juleeana Chattelle Jaclyn Cochran Lindsey Colona Jaden Correnti Sophie Cross Danny DeHart Tyler Dodd Jackson Edwards Morgan Estes Jack Ferry Kayla Fisk Collin Fisk Kathryn Franz Charlie Getts Kjerstin Gould Jenna Gruender Connor Hall Abigail Hoene Ella Hoene Anna Holt Megan Hopwood Hamza Khan Caroline Kirby Ethan Koop Chris Kreh Parker Krudop Christie Legate Marysa Leopando Bridget Lorson TJ Main Zoë Malik Jake Mangan Caroline Martin Sam Miano Emma Morrow Carter Myers
COLL MA
Karsyn Newberry Alex Nicozisin Josephine Nishimura Annelise Pagel Mirra Ramakrishnan Emily Reynolds Alyssa Robinson Luke Roder Jack Roder Charles Rovin Aidan Rudman Alexa Rush Rachel Sander John Schaefer Liliana Sparks Lindsey Stelzer Braden Thoele Zara Tola Sydney Usselman Maanasa Vollu Marjorie Ware Kate Whalen Abram Wilder Dylan Zamler Brett Zimmer
LEGE AP
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Shae Hendrikse
NEW YORK Hamilton College Kristen Holness
OHIO
Miami University Cole Bowser Megan Eshelman Ryan Grigg Hunter Hacala Ohio State University Susan George Jordyn Lange Cole Petch Jessica Zhang
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OKLAHOMA Langston University Aliyah Edwards
PENNSYLVANIA Mercyhurst University Grace Brzyski
Pennsylvania State University Connor Throneberry University of Missouri - Kansas City Lasya Daggumati Sarah George Praneet Khanna Shaily Laad Jaeni Lee Tejas Saravanan University of Missouri - St. Louis Adam James Washington University - St. Louis Sydney Jennings Reese Kayira Jian Zhang Webster University Ella Musial
NEBRASKA
Creighton University Catherine Beering Larson Hill Ivy Williams
SOUTH CAROLINA
TEXAS
Baylor University Emily Callis Amanda Eshelman Southern Methodist Univeristy Thomas Powitzky Texas A&M Andrew Cobb Texas Christian University Stone Burke Rice University Joseph Liu
UTAH
Brigham Young University Mekenzie Ballard Zach Ernstrom
VIRGINIA Virginia Tech Aneka Busam
WASHINGTON University of Washington Finn Griskauskas
WISCONSIN Marquette University Radhika Prakash
Clemson University Sarah Bergantz
University of Wisconsin-Madison Matthew McClain
Coastal Carolina University Riley Goring
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Courtney Barger
TENNESSEE
ARMED FORCES
Union University Kaylee Hicker
Marine Corps Andrew Withinton
University of Memphis Brooke Branstetter
National Guard Sofia Shulga
University of Tennessee Julia Devlin
Navy Destiny Anderson
Vanderbilt University Rincon Jagarlamudi
West Point Nadia Bazile
Belmont University Kyle Cybulski Jonathan Saltmiras
Army Aliyah Edwards Mayce McEvoy
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ALUMNI ADVICE
ZARA ABBASSI '19
ROBERT GARY '18
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
MISSOURI VALLEY COLLEGE
"Always remember what fuels your passion and never be afraid to ask for help."
“Embrace the moment in the next chapter of your life because it flies by. Be confident in the decisions you make after graduation because you won’t have anyone telling you what to do or where to be anymore. Also, do what makes you happy because at the end of the day you are the only one living your life, so live it!"
LUCAS MARTINS '19 UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
"If you're going to pursue a college education, that's great. It's an opportunity to grow as a person and experience things you otherwise wouldn't. Just be careful not to let all those distractions pull you away from why you're actually there and who you really want to be."
OPE SANGOSENI '19 SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY
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"Keep an open mind; your plans won’t all work out the way you wanted them to, and more often than not, that’s for the better."
WRECK THIS PAGE
BRAIN DUMP HERE:
VENT HER E:
In the past few years, “Wreck This Journal” notebooks have increased in popularity. The novel trend has various prompts that stimulate the audience to use creativity to destroy the notebook. Use this page as such.
BIGGEST REGRET ?
TE YOUR A R T S U ILL STATUS P I H S N O RELATI (ARGH) SUMMER 2021 BUCKET LIST:
DRAW YO UR FEELIN GS:
LONG-TERM BUCKET LIST:
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Immigrants compare education experiences connor DEL CARMEN
Mila Bosaia Moldova
18
MILA BOSAIA ATTENDED SCHOOL IN Moldova, a small country bordering Ukraine, from first to fifth grade. Bosaia said the school system in Moldova was incredibly strict even in elementary school, which created a slight culture shock when she first attended school in the U.S. “I thought everyone was a lot more welcoming in the U.S.,” Bosaia said. “School felt a lot more casual because in Moldova we have to wear uniforms every day and you could be graded based on behavior and following rules which can be weighted the same as the actual academics.” She also said there’s little room for flexibility in Moldova because students have classes chosen for them until twelfth grade with exams every week. These exams can place a lot of pressure on students because of the way in which the grades are released. “Although it’s just weekly tests, it was always scary because your grades were announced to the entire class with no privacy,” she said. Bosaia said the educational systems in the US and Moldova have advantages and disadvantages. In the U.S. students learn to be creative but often lack time management skills, while students in Moldova learn to be self-reliant but often feel unmotivated due to the structure of school.
Christine Kim South Korea CHRISTINE KIM ATTENDED ELEMENTARY school in South Korea before moving to the U.S. Although she said English was difficult at first, she said math and science weren't too hard to pick up on because the concepts being taught are universal. Kim also said there’s a difference between the two cultures in regards to where they focus the most. “Korea is really competitive studying wise, and in the States it’s more extracurricular focused with a big focus in sports,” Kim said. Because elementary schools in South Korea have the same class with the same students for every subject, classmates bond throughout the year. On the other hand, friends are made more through clubs and sports in the U.S., Kim said. Like students in the U.S., Korean students also face pressure from standardized tests. “Here you can take the ACT and SAT as many times whenever you want, but in Korea there’s one test you take one time your senior year, which basically determines your college and future,” Kim said. “You can only take it one time unless you choose to take a gap year to take it again.”
Students plan to go on trips abroad akhila SWARNA
ALTHOUGH CAT BEERING, SENIOR, WAS NOT EXPECTING TO GAIN ACCEPTANCE to the Creighton University Global Scholars Program, she said she was ecstatic when she found out that she got in. Cat Beering “It just seemed like such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that it was hard to Italy not do it,” Beering said. “Because so many people don’t choose to study abroad in college and end up regretting it, I didn’t want to do that.” Beering chose to pursue biology or pre-dental as her major. “If I’m going to be a dentist, then studying abroad and learning how to be a better person and have a greater awareness of myself has AFTER HEARING STORIES ABOUT HIS FATto help in my everyday life and my future profession, whatever it is,” her’s and grandfather’s mission trips from the age Beering said. As a part of the program, Beering will spend her first semesof 12, Zach Ernstrom, senior, said he was eager to ter in Italy. embark on his own journey for his church. She said she hopes to better understand herself Ernstrom will travel to an area in the world and and other cultures through her semesters abroad and teach the local population about the church and his religion. is thankful for the opportunity to do so. The process to become a missionary includes filing the necessary paperwork for the trip in January of 2022 and then an assignment from the Church depending on his personality, where he is “best fit” and the “spiritual prompting,” Ernstrom said. “What we are really called to do is serve our fellow man or woman,” Zach Ernstrom Ernstrom said. “It’s to go and help people, not necessarily baptize, baptize, Puerto Rico baptize. We live by example and want to better humankind.”
Senior women enlist in US Defense Forces zara TOLA THREE GRADUATING SENIOR WOMen have decided to join the approximately 16.5 percent of women in active duty and 20 percent of women in the reserve and guard, according to data from a 2018 Department of Defense report. Aliyah Edwards, senior, plans on joining the Army after high school. To get ready, Edwards has been working out, going to drill practice and mentally preparing for separation from civilian life. “Only 1 percent of the United States join the Armed Forces, and I wanted to be part of that 1 percent,” Edwards said. Although the amount of women in the military is still significantly lower than the amount of men, the amount of women meeting the upper ranks as officers in the military has steadily risen over time. While 5 percent of women met the rank as officers in the military in 1975, 18 percent were officers in 2017, according to Pew Research Center. The same research shows the amount of women enlisted in the military has grown as well, from 5 percent in 1975 to 16 percent in 2017. “It’s just a really big stereotype that
women go into more quieter jobs, like desk jobs and stuff like that, or [that] they can’t lift as much as the bigger, heavier guys can,” senior Sophia Shulga, who plans to join the National Guard after high school, said. Specifically in the National Guard, Shulga said there is more prejudice against women as many of the combat engineers are of the six foot, 200 pound male prototype that people associate with the military. However, Shulga does not doubt her ability to complete the same requirements for her job as the men she’ll work with. Shulga has known she wanted to join the National Guard since she was 17. In addition to reaping the financial benefits of enlisting for college, Shulga wanted to follow in the footsteps of her relatives, most of whom also served in the army. “I asked my parents about how many of them served in the military, and stuff like that, and they said, almost all of them,” Shulga said. “I was like, ‘Yeah, that sounds like a good idea for me, then. I’ll join in on that bloodline’.” Destiny Anderson, senior, decided to join the Navy after high school because of family tradition. “Just seeing them go and seeing how they’re doing, it just gave me the poten-
tial to actually go in and do it,” Anderson said. “I just feel like they can teach me new things and bring new things to my life and I feel like it’ll put me on a better track.”
Aliyah Edwards, senior, has commited to joining the Army post-graduation after being a member of AFJROTC during high school. Photograph by Fort Sill, Okla.
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Seniors hit the For You page rutaiba SIDDIQUI
Owen Marsh Follower Count: 2476 OWEN MARSH, SENIOR, POSTED a video with his friends last May mimicking a popular video on TikTok. The original video featured popular family band SM6 dancing to a trending song and received 9.9 million views and nearly 665,000 likes. Marsh’s parody video now stands at about 463,000 views and 74,000 likes. “I gained about 3,000 followers, my phone was blowing up with likes and our friends even made us a cake,” Marsh said. Though Marsh hasn’t had a viral video since, he still enjoys TikTok as a way to have fun. “You gotta do something very different to go viral,” he said. “If you do something very out of the blue, and almost stupid, that’s what the people want to see.”
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Alex Radovilsky Follower Count: 5749
Karsyn Newberry Follower Count: 2635
THE SAME DAY AS MARSH’S post, Alex Radovilsky, senior, posted a video of Marsh and his friends making their TikTok. The meta-concept video has collected about 3.4 million views and 571,000 likes. Radovilsky said initially the plan was for Marsh and his two friends to make the parody video. However, once Radovilsky noticed how funny the group looked, he decided to make one as well. “My first reaction was to call Owen, and I yelled at him, ‘oh crap we’re famous!’,” Radovilsky said. Radovilsky jokingly mentioned how he was contemplating quitting his summer job to pursue TikTok as a career. “We’re definitely thinking of getting back in the studio and trying to cook up something to keep our loyal fans happy,” Radovilsky said.
KARSYN NEWBERRY, SENIOR, posted a video of a photoshoot in downtown St. Louis last November, and the video has garnered about 30,000 views and seven thousand likes since. “Me and my friends were just really surprised that the video was getting attention from random people,” Newberry said. “It was cool because it’s always the videos that you would never expect to go viral that do.” Newberry said she loves the video variety on TikTok; however, she doesn’t enjoy the amount of hate comments she’s received. “I don’t like how judgmental people can be on the app,” Newberry said. “But, TikTok as a platform and trend is really fun because it gives you a social media platform to just have fun and make funny videos with your friends.”
MHS REPLAY High School Playlists
taryn MOORE
Television / So Far So Good by Rex Orange County THIS SONG REMINDS ME of the summer going into sophomore year. I had my first job as a lifeguard, and I was really tan. I had a really big friend group, and we would hang out everyday. I also made a lot of friends that summer. This song is Andrew Messina upbeat and always puts me in a good mood. Every time Juliet MacMurray I listen to it, it brings me nostalgic vibes.
Andrew
Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl) by Looking Glass I LIKE THIS SONG because it is not only catchy, but because of the story behind it. It’s lyrics are very unique, and they tell a story. Unlike most love songs it has a beginning, a middle and an end like a book. It isn’t one continuous feeling. It Messina is many jam packed in one song.
Andrew Messina
High Enough by Damn Yankees
Andrew Marshall Grahn-Howard
THIS IS MY PERSONAL favorite song of all time. It’s the kind of song that I can listen to no matter what mood I’m in. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I really realized how beautiful this song really was. I was on Messina vacation with my best friend and we heard it all the time and it just spoke to the both of us and now it’s one of his favorites too.
Love Scars 3 by Trippie Redd THIS SONG REMINDS ME of my whole sophomore year. I started to relate to it more and more and listened to Trippie Redd heavily. I had a really good friend group at this time, and just listening to it now takes me back to that time. It’s like I can smell that era, if that makes sense. I also got airpods around this time, so I would listen to this album nonstop during school.
Taped Up Heart (feat. Clara Mae) [Joe Mason Remix] by KREAM THIS SONG REMINDS me of COVID summer. I was trying to make a new workout playlist for my last season on Mystique because tryouts were coming up in June. It gives me such happy vibes because I played it at our first practice. It also makes me want to workout. It reminds me of a fun summer day with the windows down.
Too Young by Nat “King” Cole
Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls
I ABSOLUTELY ADORE this song frankly just because of the 50s vibe. This beautiful song from 1952 represents the idea of being in love at a young age. It also shows, however, that even in the 50s where people were getting married young, there was an age where love was “too young.” It is quite ironic to think about.
I LOVE THIS SONG because the way the strings are tuned is not your standard tuning for a guitar. The lyrics are also just as beautiful as the guitar tuning because it gives an insight into the mind of the person in love. This love song doesn’t really describe love, but it more describes how someone is afraid to love, but in the same respect is not. It is a beautiful song.
Driving Rain by Slash
Running on Empty by Jackson Browne
DRIVING RAIN IS ONE of those songs that never gets old. I’ve listened to this song so many times, I should probably be sick of it by now, but I’m not. It has the ability to make me excited out of nowhere, and I feel like I can do anything. The vocal energy and the instrumentation is almost electrifying.
RUNNING ON EMPTY IS A song that really makes me reflect. During quarantine and everything else over the past year, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on life. It reminds me that I’m not the only one struggling to get through the day sometimes. As the song says, “I look to my friends I used to turn to to pull me through, and I can see they’re running too.”
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A NIGHT TO REMEMBER: MH annie MCGINNIS • waha SIDDIQUI • grace TAYLOR WHILE MOST SENIORS LOOKED forward to attending their last school dance, Mason Sadler, senior looked forward to attending his first. After hesitation, Sadler said his friends persuaded him to go alongside Cat Beering, senior. Both Sadler and Beering ended up crowned Prom king and queen. Sadler said during the days leading up to Prom, he and his friends imagined he would become Prom king. A dream that became a reality. Prom was Saturday, May 1, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the upper athletic fields. The theme for this year’s Prom was “Moonlight Magic,” an elegant rustic theme. The event was outside with Edison lights, lanterns, a boxwood chandelier in the middle of the tent and chiffon drapes. With the event taking place outside on the upper football field, Sadler said he enjoyed the warm weather and the ability for the crowd to spread out. “I will always remember the way it turned out, and I am glad I was able to at least go to one dance before I graduated,” Sadler said. To her surprise, Prom queen Beering won after only attending MHS for a year and a half. “It feels like the high school movies,” Beering said. Beering said she liked the more casual approach to the event where more people could feel more welcomed. For the dinner selection, she said the food trucks were a great idea. Spending the evening with her close friends, she said she appreciated being able to let loose and enjoy the dance and witness other students enjoying their time. “When everyone actually started dancing, you could tell people were really enjoying themselves,” Beering said. However, she was disappointed she could not have the traditional Prom she
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Prateek Gautam, senior, crowd surfs at the MHS Prom. An hour into the event, attendees became more comfortable interacting on the dance floor, with many others crowd surfing in addition to Gautam. Photograph by Ashish Dhanalakota
envisioned. “I know it may not be what we all expected or wanted, but I thought it was thoughtful,” Beering said. Janet Koch, business teacher, sponsors the Junior Cass and worked with Lisa Nieder, activities secretary, and the administration team to plan Prom. Nieder said they also calculated the time of the sunset, which was set during the middle of the Prom. “I honestly believe that this year’s Prom is probably the best Prom we’ve put together,” Nieder said. “I don’t think it was anything short of spectacular.” Nieder said they planned to give the students a space to spend time with
their friends and classmates, while still abiding by the St. Louis County COVID-19 guidelines. “It’s something that’ll be more memorable,” Nieder said. “I think the kids are gonna remember their COVID prom. It’s going to be this experience that they [seniors] will treasure always,” Nieder said. Principal Dr. Steve Hankins worked with Assistant Superintendent of Supervision of Schools Dr. Lisa Counts to get St. Louis County to approve the holding of a Senior Prom, which was approved with a maximum capacity of 450 students. After tickets were put on sale for se-
HS PROM
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niors, they sold at an average level, but there were still some available spots, which is why Dr. Hankins decided to open it up to juniors. Another issue that played a role in that decision was the cost of holding the event. After calculation, the costs MHS had to cover were large, and Dr. Hankins said he didn’t want to risk it for the seniors who had already bought tickets. “I made a commitment that I was going to do everything in my power so this event happens for the seniors who have had a rough year and a half,” Dr. Hankins said. Courtney Barger, senior, took the responsibility of being the first on the dance floor and making one of her favorite memories of the night. After the first 30 minutes of the two-hour dance, Barger said the dance floor remained empty, so she took the floor with her best friend, senior Ellie Garrett. “We were the first ones to get people going, and people don’t really know who we are, so it’s kind of even funnier,” Barger said. Barger said she was pleasantly surprised by the setup of the dance, and she felt the COVID-19 masking protocol didn’t limit the enjoyment of the evening. In addition to connecting with other students through dancing, Barger said she enjoyed everyone coming together by collectively singing the lyrics to the songs. “Prom is really nice for connecting with people that you don’t normally connect with inside school,” Barger said. As a senior, Barger appreciated the final memorable event to close out the year with her classmates, those who she knew well and those that she didn’t. “I really enjoyed Prom this year because the past year and a half I feel like the high school experience was really stripped away from us,” Barger said. “I’m glad I got to have my Senior Prom.”
SNAP A SELFIE
Seniors sent in selfies they took at Prom. Here are a few: Gabby McCray
Cat Beering Bergin Wheeler
Lindsey Haas
Christine Kim
Matt McClain
Josh Yn
Photographs by Cat Beering, Matt McClain and Josh Yn
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Different paths, same goal: ben HUGHES
Maya Anand THE GRADUATION SPEAKERS FOR THE CLASS of 2021 couldn’t be more different. Maya Anand describes herself as having a reserved personality. Prateek Guatam on the other hand said he is outgoing and comfortable talking in front of crowds. But they both want the same thing: to give the Class of 2021 a sendoff as unique as their senior year. The audition process required participants to deliver the 5-minute long speech that they would give at Graduation in front of a panel of judges made up of principals, counselors and the Senior Class officers. Participants were graded on the content of their address. “I wasn’t sure if I would do it,” Anand said. “I went into it thinking I wasn’t going to be selected.” But after encouragement from her mother, Anand got to writing. Six drafts and several late nights later, Anand delivered her speech to the panel of judges not expecting a call back. But when she did get the call from Dr. Steve Hankins with the news that she was chosen to give the commencement address at graduation, Anand declined it. “I didn’t recognize the number,” she said. “Then I opened the voicemail and freaked out.”
When you think of your time at MHS, what do you think of? Responses collected from an anonymous survey of 155 seniors
Stress It was worth it, well spent, irreplaceable.
Lots of useless Exciting classes that teach the same thing year A rollercoaster ride of ups and down after year. that helped make me who I am.
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Fun
Seniors share story of their journey to commencement speakers Prateek Gautam PRATEEK GAUTAM WAS MORE CONFIDENT in his audition to give the closing address. He has been a part of speech and debate since his freshman year and was inspired to get involved after his older sister told him to join. “I wasn’t too worried about the delivery part of the audition,” Gautam said. “I was nervous about getting good content into it though.” Gautam said he reached out to friends who had delivered graduation addresses in past years to help him get ideas of what to include in his closing address to make it memorable for the Class of 2021. “They want to listen to something that is a little entertaining but is not going to bore them to death,” Gautam said. “Hopefully I can deliver something they will actually want to listen to.” Graduation represents the culmination of all the time and effort that students have put into their education since they started their journey as kindergarteners, Gautam said. “Now our paths are diverging, but at the same time we are all the Marquette Class of 2021, that is always going to bind us together,” he said.
Photographs by Ben Hughes
The place that made me do the things I doubted I could.
Hell, Dante’s Inferno, Purgatory
Anxiety and panic attacks My friends that I’ve made during my time in high school.
Chaos
I think of the ability to finally figure things out for myself, by myself. Trivia Thursday
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Don’t overload yourself with hard classes
Study more
Don’t care about what others think
Relax and don’t be so uptight
Take harder classes
Sleep deprevation Yes, it does get better
marin ELLINGTON
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Dear self: seniors write lette
It counts in the end, so vouch for yourself because no one else will
Mind your business
You can’t do this alone
Don’t listen to the noise, just focus on developing yourself
Learn
Open
We made it! Try harder your freshman year and have clear goals. You’re going to change
Do your homework Be kind to yourself, accept who you are and don’t let people tell you who you should be.
Enjoy and appreciate every moment Be more open to trying new things within the school Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, seize opportunities and balance priorities
Be more confident Cherish the opportunities you receive and the people you meet
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PERSERVERANCE
GROWTH
kieran THOMAS
ella WOODS
HOW THE YEARS GO BY! IT SEEMS LIKE only a couple of weeks ago I was walking into my physics class or into the threshold of Marquette High School for the first time. Unfortunately, the time when I (we?) walk through those doors for the last time is now rapidly approaching. Life is a continuous lesson. You either keep building yourself up, keep learning or you fail. How you adapt and how you respond to such events often is one of the main things that defines one as a person and separates one among others. Some lessons I learned too late in high school: do not be afraid to fail, and please, please, for the sake of your well-being, establish some form of discipline early on and don’t procrastinate. Focus on your goals, and think about what matters in the long run. However, don’t take this as a justification to not be productive. Have fun and balance immediate priorities with long-term goals. You’ll meet some great people in these next four years, and you should take every opportunity to hang out with them too.
I’M GOING TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. I can’t tell you high school is going to be great because a lot of the time it’s not even going to be good. I can’t tell you to cherish every moment of it because there will be a lot of moments you’ll wish you could forget. It won’t go by too fast like people say it will. High school will go by slowly. And this will give you plenty of time to make mistakes. You’ll still have plenty of time to make bigger mistakes than these, though. You will change who you are to please the people around you and spend too much time being someone you’re not. You won’t stand up for yourself when you should. You’ll think hurtful people are your friends. And at one point, you’ll get too caught up in hating yourself to care about high school at all. So I know you’re disappointed that I can’t tell you high school will be the best time of your life. All I can tell you is that you will make many mistakes, and you will eventually learn from them. And, I can tell you that no matter how you feel, in the end, everything is OK. And for that, I’m leaving high school grateful.
isn’t worth it
Live in the moment You won’t peak in high school but that’s okay It’s ok to be yourself
You’re going to get into your dream school
Focus on school
Enjoy it while it lasts
Chill out
ers to their freshman selves coping mechanisms now, it only gets more stressful
up to people
Don’t worry so much
You will find your passion
You will survive this, don’t worry
Take your studies more seriously There are extremely rough roads ahead, but know that you have support, and you will make it through Never stop fighting for what you deserve You ended up cooler than you ever thought you would
You got this!
EXTRAVERSION
STRENGTH
vaishnavi VANTERU
natalie ANDERSON
TAKE THESE NEXT FEW YEARS OF YOUR life to make yourself better, and get more involved. I know you — there is nothing you hate more than being in social and group settings, but you will deeply regret the lonely alternative. Stop looking at the floor when you walk through the halls — maintain eye contact with people when you talk to them. High school is the time in your life where you change as a person the most and get better for the most part. Savor every single experience and learn from them, especially the bad ones. Know your strengths and weaknesses, and don’t sign up for an honors class in a subject that you know you have not done well in in the past. You will get a fresh start, a chance to reinvent yourself in a new place, so don’t resort to your old ways of self-pity and sulking. You have a lot of potential. Now is the time where you stretch your wings when it comes to writing and acting, so don’t waste these years. Be happy being your own best friend because there will be times when you only have yourself to rely on. You can achieve way more than you think you can, but you just don’t try hard enough. Believe in your abilities, both in social settings and academic ones, and you will succeed.
HEY THERE, HOW ARE YOU? GOSH, I haven’t thought about you in a while! How’s high school? You were pretty darn excited for it initially. While I wouldn’t change the journey you’re about to go on, there is wisdom you’re going to pick up along the way. Be unapologetic in who you are, but never forget to be kind and humble. Choose wisely when to speak and listen because silence is often more powerful. Your grades do not define you, remember that, please. I know you’re going to do it but stick with band because you’re going to meet some of the best people in your life. You’ll find some of the worst ones there too, but they’re going to teach you some very important lessons so act with gratitude and kindness toward them. Love unconditionally and wildly because you never know what tomorrow brings. Pay no mind to those who will tear you down as their actions are merely a reflection of their own insecurities and flaws. Have a grateful heart and don’t hold grudges from the past — forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. I am so excited for the strong young woman you’re going to turn into and the amazing things she has on the horizon. I can’t wait for you to meet her.
You will have fun in the future years and meet great people
Don’t be so set in your ways Everything worked out, and I am still happy Stop trying to be someone you’re not Life isn’t all about school
Don’t let people tell you who you should be
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the senior class on their future... a few responses based on an anonymous survey of 155 seniors
Visit all 32 NFL stadiums
Own business franchise Travel the world
Join the Air Force
Get rich Live in Hawaii
Freelance art Get married Run a marathon
Live in London
Become a psychiatrist Join the FBI Have kids Adopt kids
Fall in love
Go to a protest
Become a forensic scientist Own a restaurant
Become a director
Go to the Olympics Get a girlfriend
Road trip to national parks Work as a travel nurse
Skydive
Make movies Open a bakery