November issuu

focus central { } francis howell central high school | volume seventeen | issue four | 11.15.2013

T h i s w eek on follow @FHCpublications

Season of success Take a look back at football team’s most successful season since 2006. Check it out in Sweat a week after the season ends.

HELPING OUT

Otis Woodard helps feed and clothe the homeless in downtown St. Louis. Find out more on page 3 and on FHCtoday.com

delve 3-8 | sweat 9-13 | in focus 14-19 | the scene 21-26 | be heard 27-30 | interact 31 | aperture 32

SIX {no more sweets} Students react to the Department of Secondary and Elementary Education’s decision to turn off some vending machines and stop sales at the snack table, DECA cookies.

THIRTEEN {super supplements} Learn which supplements can help athletes take their game to the next level.

TWENTY-FOUR {vegan diets}

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team dinners

Vegan and vegetarian lifestyles can be a bit difficult to live while at school, due to limited choices in the cafe. Find out how two students make their diet work for them.

TWENTY-SEVEN {choice} Junior Tori Cooper details her struggle with making healthy food choices and choosing to work out, so she could live a healthier life.

TWENTY-NINE {no thanks} food drives

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iron chefs

opening shots | november 15, 2013

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Black Friday has begun to seep into the celebration of Thanksgiving and Madelyn Newton believes this creeping capitalism needs to stop.

{delve} Hot items

Otis Woodard stands in front of his Peace Park.

Woodard serves more than 200 families every day, providing them with food and other necessities.

Otis’s most needed items aren’t what most people expect

Diapers, especially bigger sizes

A lifetime of giving

Local volunteer Otis Woodard spends every day serving the hungry and homeless

R

Hot meals that can be pre-cooked and wrapped in foil.

Deodorant for both genders.

By Erin Rowland delve editor

ain or shine, through biting cold or sweltering heat, every day, Otis Woodard wakes up and leaves his home to serve those in the city around him. His Peace Park in the heart of St. Louis provides food, clothing, and other necessities to more than 200 families a day.

A variety of people, from homeless children to women with newborn children, come to Woodard.

“When I started, I thought if I just fed one or two people, I’d be doing good. But to this day, I’ve helped thousands of people,” Woodard said.

Visit FHCtoday.com to learn more about Woodard.

photos by erin rowland

Cans of food that can be eaten without heating, preferably with a pull-tab opening.

The Peace Park is located on Grand Street in St. Louis.

The shelter in the park stores food, clothes, and personal care items that Woodard distributes.

For the rest of the story, scan this code or visit fhctoday.com fhctoday.com | delve

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Providing at the pantry

By Katelyn Viola staff reporter

F

ood pantries are known for helping people in need that cannot consistently provide for themselves or their families. But they wouldn’t be as effective and efficient if it weren’t for the volunteers who give their time and effort. Get to know some of your fellow classmates in a different light: as volunteers at the OASIS food pantry.

Volunteers give their reasons for helping out

Devon Smith Junior Devon Smith volunteers at the OASIS food pantry through Grace Community Chapel.

“I help out with my mom’s small group. It’s more of an annual thing around fall time. We try to go at least once a year,” Smith said.

There are about 12 people who go in the small group. There is also a time when volunteering opens up to the whole church and anyone is welcome to go.

“During that time, there’s about 60 people who go. From people in high school all the way up to the elderly,” Smith said.

Smith has been involved with the OASIS food pantry for the last two years.

Peyton Steiner Junior Payton Steiner volunteers through Calvary Church at the OASIS food pantry. She agrees there are all sorts of jobs to do when volunteering.

“Some people grill; some people serve; some go to the nearby thrift store which gives profits to the food pantry to get more food,” Steiner said.

“The boys will do landscaping. The girls will sometimes work in Loretta’s thrift shop.”

Steiner’s primary purpose for volunteering is to serve in hopes that people will see she’s working through God. “These people in need don’t have the other stuff we have, and I believe God calls me to do bigger things,” Steiner said. “Sometimes people seem ungrateful. Then there’s people who are extremely grateful and cry, and that’s the best part. You get to learn about other people’s lives.”

Steiner has been volunteering through Calvary Church since her freshman year. She also has a busy schedule and works at Chick-fil-A. “I go every time unless work gets in the way, or my brother has a game and wants me to support him,” Steiner said.

Sydney Wilson Senior Sydney Wilson also volunteers at the OASIS food pantry through Calvary Church. She goes on the third Saturday of each month.

“It’s a good way to show my love for the community. It helps other people out a lot, and it’s a nice way to serve others,” Wilson said.

Wilson enjoys knowing the effect her church’s help can make on a family or person in need.

“We get a list of that person’s needs and package food for them in their cars. That’s how we leave our impact of the church on them,” Wilson said.

Wilson says that 15 to 20 people usually go in her group.

“The church has been going since I was in junior high, so I’ve been going on and off since then,” Wilson said.

Wilson tries to go whenever she is available. She has a busy schedule and is involved in many extracurricular activities. She also works at Chick-fil-A. Wilson’s sisters, Riley and Reagan, also volunteer at the OASIS food pantry and have been going for as long as she has.

Ashley Large Ashley Large is a freshman who volunteers at the OASIS food pantry. She helps through Calvary Church on Mid Rivers. Her group is scheduled to go on every third Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

“It’s just something good to do. It feels good to help other people,” Large said.

There are usually about 10 to 15 people that go with Large’s group.

“The age group varies from freshmen all the way up to seniors and then some adults,” Large said.

Large has been volunteering at the OASIS food pantry for about four months. She also goes with her sister, junior Rachel Large, to help out at the pantry. They tackle all sorts of tasks to help the people in need.

“We separate the different foods, put them in carts, and bring the carts out to put in their cars,” Large said. “We also have snacks and barbecue.”

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“

Dinner has turned from a meal to just a break from doing homework and I’m realizing that now I use it to indulge myself instead of nourish myself.

Time is of the essence

Nutrition is often sacrificed in the name of good taste and quick preparation for students who are pressed for time due to heavy course loads or a full work schedule.

Students with busy lives have limited time to make good nutrition decisions

By Joey Silver staff reporter

Taking honors and AP classes is difficult enough, but throw in a three-hour practice everyday after school or 10 hours of work per week, and it gets even harder to manage and to find time to eat healthy.

Senior Brenden Terrell is taking five AP classes: AP Computer Science, AP Calculus AB, AP World History, AP Physics and AP English Literature. He stays after school for band everyday for three hours and also has three to four hours of homework each night.

“After band, I go home and try to eat a nutritious meal,” Terrell said. “But it is definitely easier to eat fast food.”

The recommended amount of calories per day for male teens aged 14-18 is 3,000 calories and for female teens aged 14-18 is 2,200 calories, and the suggested amount of sodium intake is 2,400 mg per day, according to a study done by the University of Minnesota

School of Public Health.

A Big Mac is 550 calories with 970 mg of sodium. Large french fries are 500 calories with 350 mg of sodium, and a medium sized cup of soda is about 182 calories, according to McDonald’s USA Nutrition Facts for Popular Menu Items, adding up to 1,232 calories and 1,320 mg of sodium for one meal.

Similarly, Taco Bell’s cheese quesadilla has 470 calories with 990 mg of sodium, and the cinnamon twists are 170 calories with 200 mg of sodium, according to the Taco Bell Nutrition Information. Wendy’s Dave’s Hot ‘N Juicy 1/4 lb. single burger is 580 calories with 1220 mg of sodium, and the Broccoli Cheese Potato is 440 calories with 510 mg of sodium, according to Wendy’s Nutrition Information.

Arby’s Medium Roast Beef Sandwich is 540 calories with 1,420 mg of sodium, and the Medium Curly Fries are 540 calories with 1,200 mg of sodium, according to Arby’s

Nutrition and Allergen Information.

Junior Royce Ingram, who works about 10 hours a week at McDonald’s and is taking five honors and AP classes, AP Calculus BC, AP Government, AP Economics, AP Language & Composition and honors Chemistry, finds it easier to to eat fast food on hectic nights.

“I try my best to eat as healthy as possible, but on work nights, it’s so much easier to just eat at work,” Ingram said. “Plus, it’s free.”

Ingram has three to four hours of homework each night along with an hour or two of free time.

“I usually have an hour or two of free time, but I only get six hours of sleep,” Ingram said.

Even Sodexo, the food provider for the Francis Howell School District, has high calorie numbers. The chicken patty is 392 calories with 572 mg of sodium, while one slice of pepperoni pizza is 668 calories with 1781 mg of sodium according to Sodexo

photo by Kortney Sheahan

Katie Crank {junior

Education Nutritional Information.

Junior Katie Crank is taking five honors and AP classes: honors Chemistry, honors Spanish, AP Calculus AB, AP English Literature, and AP Government. Crank usually has about six hours of homework a night, but only because she falls asleep while trying to finish it.

“Homework that takes kids two hours takes me six hours,” Crank said. “I just fall asleep in the middle of it.”

Crank says eating healthy can be easy for her, but she usually turns down healthy foods for more satisfying foods. It’s becoming more of a problem healthwise for her because homework has taken up so much of her time.

Crank had to quit taekwondo, her only sport.

“Dinner has turned from a meal to just a break from doing homework,” Crank said.

“I’m realizing that now I use it to indulge myself instead of nourish myself.”

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photo by Kortney Sheahan

Vending machines are utilized before they are removed.

The state's decision of the machines' possibleelimination caused dispute among students and staff.

The snack thieves

Possible elimination of vending machines, DECA cookies, snacks causes controversy

By Emily Herd staff reporter

Warning: the pleasant sound of your soda cap being unscrewed or the enticing smell of DECA cookies flooding the halls may soon come to an end.

On Oct. 30, the Department of Secondary and Elementary Education monitored our school’s food program and decided our school’s vending machines, DECA cookies, and parent snack tables had little nutritional value and were competing with the school breakfasts and lunches.

Assistant Principal Luke Lammers said the new lunch policies have to follow the federal guidelines and that the vending machines might be eliminated.

“After they observed, they decided that we had some things out of compliance, like carbonated sodas or foods of low nutritional value, like gummies, and also the parent club snack tables,” Lammers said.

“One of the rules is that we can’t compete with the school lunches.”

Every day, students spend money on the school’s vending machines, DECA cookies and snacks. Without the daily income of snack sales, DECA and parent clubs will have trouble fundraising, and the school won’t receive money from the profits that are put towards school activities.

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DECA sponsor Steve Cross isn’t too concerned about DECA cookies being banned for now, but currently cookies are still in business.

“Right now we are allowed to sell DECA cookies because they contain whole grain, but if they get elimatinated, we will have to fund DECA by doing something else or by having the students in DECA pay more,” Cross said.

Junior Kayla Barnett buys DECA cookies often, spending about $5 per week. She disagrees with the state’s accusations in concern for students during lunch and after school.

“What if you are staying after [school] for a club or sport and want a snack or something to drink? Those students won’t be able to buy anything,” Barnett said.

Sophomore Mary Halloran buys food from the vending machines once or twice a week, but she agrees with the state’s opinion against our school’s programs. She wants schools to implement healthier choices but also is concerned students might not eat due to the closing of snack sales and vending machines.

“There are few healthy choices, but kids don’t tend to go for those. Kids have been living off of chips, cookies, soda and candy. I just hope that if they do implement these changes that kids just don’t stop eating lunch,”

Halloran said.

Even though vending machines and DECA cookies don’t meet state guidelines, our school lunches do meet those standards, causing Barnett to disagree with the state’s policies.

“Our school should get rid of all non-nutritional foods, but if they’re going to get rid of just vending machines, they might as well get rid of the school lunches, too, because I’m sure that burgers and fries are not any healthier,” Barnett said.

With many opposing viewpoints of the state’s decision, Halloran suggests the school and state should make a compromise to keep the vending machines and snack sales but to also sell more nutritional items that follow the state standards.

“I would start putting healthier choices into the vending machines and, instead of selling candy in the morning, I’d sell something a bit healthier,” Halloran said.

Although the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) may not agree with our food sales, Mr. Lammers asserts that changes will not be made soon and that snack sales will continue until the state makes a decision.

“Changes from the state don’t happen fast,” Lammers said. “We are not changing our policy until the central office tells us how we are responding.”

Diabetics must monitor food intake regularly Over the course of the last decade, the presence of diabetes within our society has become a normality, with one out of 12 Americans afflicted with the disease.

However, most people may not fully realize the causes of diabetes and the implications diabetes has on a person’s life, especially a student.

“To maintain my blood sugar levels, I usually take four insulin shots per day: one shot for every meal I eat and one before I go to sleep,” sophomore Connor Brown, a type I diabetic, said. “I also try to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle to keep my sugars level. I try eat healthy foods, stay away from junk-food and stay active.”

If blood sugar is not closely regulated, it could drastically increase, known as hyperglycemia, having various adverse behavioral, mental, and physical effects.

However, if too much insulin is taken or a diabetic is not taking in enough sugar, their

blood sugar levels could also become too low, which is called hypoglycemia.

People afflicted with diabetes have to constantly check and regulate their blood sugar levels. Diabetics must keep their blood sugar at a specific target level. This is done by gathering a blood sample through the pricking of a finger.

The blood sample is then smeared onto a pocket-sized device that will quantify the sugar level. If the sugar level is too high, they have to inject insulin to break down some of the sugar. People with diabetes also have to maintain a nutritional and healthy diet to help maintain their blood sugar levels.

“If my blood sugar level was to get too high, I would experience fatigue, anxiety, and even seizures,” type I diabetic senior Brandon King said. “To lower my blood sugar, I use insulin. If my blood sugar was to get too low, I would experience symptoms similar to the symptoms I experience when my blood sugar gets too high. In case of low blood sugar, some diabetics own a

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glucagon kit which, if used, would restore their blood sugar level.”

The two most commonly recognized forms of diabetes are type I and type II. While the way through which the disease is obtained various among the various types of diabetes, the effect is always the same; increased blood sugar levels.

“There are multiple ways that diabetes is caused. A person can be born with a defective gene that inhibits their body from making insulin, which is a protein that is directly responsible for the breakdown of sugar in the body,” Mr. Scott Dauve, Anatomy and Biology teacher, said. “This genetic form of diabetes is known as type I diabetes.

Another cause of diabetes is obesity. A person who has gained a lot of weight will consume a great amount of sugar.

Because their body will continue to produce the same amount of insulin that it produced before they gained the weight, they will have high blood sugar.

This is known as type II diabetes.”

Despite the developments in its treatment, diabetes is a disease which requires consistent maintenance in order for those afflicted with it to remain healthy. For diabetics, especially those who are students, each day is a constant struggle to keep their blood sugar levels in their target range while maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle.

million Americans have diabetes

215,000

staff reporter

Americans under the age of 20 suffer from diabetes, or one in every 400 children.

$245

billion dollars is the total cost of treating diagnosed diabetes in 2012. $176 billion for direct medical costs and $69 billion for lost productivity in the workplace.

65,700

Number of lowerlimb amputations were performed in people with diabetes in 2006.

BLINDNESS Source: American Diabetes Association

By Brayden Densmore

Diabetes Fact Sheet

Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among those over age 20.

6 billion

number of glucose-testing strips used by Americans each year. fhctoday.com | delve

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Driving forces for canning hunger

By Rachel Large staff reporter

Every fall, food drives hit the school with the intention of giving back to the community and giving to those who don’t have what they need to survive. FBLA, NHS, teachers, and other clubs take the time to organize different food drives, sometimes offering a reward for the class that collects the most cans.

The latest food drive, run by Mrs. Kay Neal and FBLA, is a yearly effort to help collect cans. This year, the food drive took place in early October in order to dodge the rush of all the other food drives scheduled for November.

“Usually [FBLA] waits until early November to collect cans, but this year we wanted to beat the rush of other food drives,” Mrs. Neal said.

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Because the food drive took place early this year, Mrs. Neal said there may not have been enough time to advertise the drive and to give a chance for the kids to collect cans to donate.

“Our food drives have been really successful over the last couple of years, but this year it seems that doing the food drive early was a setback,” Mrs. Neal said.

The 931 cans that were collected this year are going to O.A.S.I.S. food pantry to help with their supply of food. “[The food drive] is for a good cause, so even if we didn’t collect as much cans as years past, we are still doing a good thing,” Mrs. Neal said.

Mrs. Margo Hoffman is collecting cans for the St. Louis USO in the

beginning of December and is hoping for good results.

“It is important to support our troops, and it is a good way to encourage the students to do so also,” Mrs. Hoffman said. “That is why I have done this for 10 years now.”

Last year, Mrs. Hoffman collected 52 boxes of food, and this year she is hoping to beat that number.

“My first year, I collected nine boxes, so it has really caught on throughout the years,” Mrs. Hoffman said.

Unlike FBLA, Mrs. Hoffman isn’t offering a reward; rather, she believes that the reward for charity comes from within.

“The reward is in the giving,” Mrs. Hoffman said. “So, giving from your heart is a great reward in itself.”

Food from school food drives usually winds up at the OASIS Food Pantry in downtown St. Charles. Thus far this school year, FBLA collected 931 cans for O.A.S.I.S., while Ms. Margo Hoffman’s classes will be collecting for the St. Louis USO in December.

photo by kortney sheahan

As the holidays arrive, school clubs collect food for pantries around St. Charles, St. Louis

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By Tyler Tran

A chemical edge

photo by Darby Copeland

Athletes use supplements to run faster, jump higher

Whey protein is a popular supplement among athletes. Athletes use this product to help enhance their ability to recover and rebuild muscle.

such as senior varsity quarterback Faster, higher, stronger. That is Brody Allen.

“I’ve taken whey protein before, the mantra that lies at the heart of every athlete’s motivation and and I just don’t think it helps that drive, pushing them to work harder much workout-wise,” Allen said.

Although he doesn’t use it, he and longer so that perhaps they does endorse whey protein in can achieve greatness.

Today, through advances in comparison to the use of other chemistry and biology, science has supplements.

“I think that protein supplements given birth to chemical concoctions that some athletes see as greatness are a good thing for athletes in a bottle. Protein shakes, protein because it’s a natural thing, but I bars, creatine, pre-workout are all don’t agree with supplements such popular products athletes believe as creatine; it’s just too unnatural to will give them an edge over their me,” Allen said.

Allen adds supplement usage is opponents.

The supplement industry has common among his teammates as recently tapped into the high school well. But on the other side of the market and become popular among spectrum, supplement usage is much less common in female athletes. younger athletes.

“I don’t know any girls that use Senior Jack Webb is a frequent user of these products. Webb uses supplements; I think girls think a pre-workout stimulant to get fired supplements are more for boys,” sophomore up for a workout basketball player and whey Emma Raup protein to rebuild “I don’t get all the right said. muscle. He sees nutrients that I need Raup however, supplements as does believe because I don’t have a tool to fill the in the positive nutritional gap in the healthiest diet, effects of diet that many and this helps me get supplements teenagers have. the nutrients I need to such as protein.

“I don’t get perform” “I think they all the right help to an extent. nutrients that I { Jack Webb } senior Like in basketball, need because I I’d be more don't have the healthiest diet, and this helps me toned, so when I drive in, I wouldn't get the nutrients I need to perform,” get pushed around as much,” Raup said.

Webb said.

The rise of supplement usage One of the supplements Webb uses is whey protein, which is a has also had a great effect on the high quality protein found in dairy world of high school athletics. products. Studies conducted by Teacher and basketball coach Mr. the American Dairy Association Scott Dauve, a former high school and Dairy Council have shown that athlete, believes that it has changed taking whey protein before and after since his days in high school.

“Kids are definitely bigger, stronger a resistance workout can increase muscle protein synthesis and lead and faster. The workout routine has to increased muscle size and obviously gotten a little bit better; strength, size being a very attractive we’ve learned more about muscle physiology, but it comes down to effect for many athletes.

Junior Zach McKinley, a football the supplements that have made player and cross country runner, them bigger, stronger and faster, states this as one of the main and unfortunately not all of them are legal or healthy,” Mr. Dauve said. reasons he uses supplements.

Mr. Dauve is also the resident “I use supplements mainly to improve my physique,” McKinley said. anatomy teacher here at FHC, and However, even with numerous while these supplements can be studies done, some athletes are still please read more: EDGE, PAGE 11 skeptical about supplement usage, staff reporter

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Eat, play, win

Team dinners help bring teams together with off-field meals, camaraderie By: Devin Chen staff reporter

Whether it’s before a big game or after practice or perhaps both, team dinners allow athletes to get together and enjoy some fine company, delicious food, all with a helping of team-building.

The ambiance may be wanting, and the service may not be top-notch. The wine pairings might be off. Parking might be a challenge, and the location might not be ideal, but for many athletes, there’s no better place to get some pre-game/postpractice chow than a teammate’s house.

Senior Scott Halbert, a goalie on the varsity soccer team, enjoys the team dinners the team holds before every home game. According to Halbert, the dinners are usually held at a senior’s house, and the team heads there directly from practice.

“We go there straight from practice, so we’re usually muddy and dirty, but it’s a great way to get the team together,” Halbert said. “It’s usually difficult to arrange weekend meetings for the whole team, so the dinners make it easy to organize

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everyone.”

The dinners also provide a valuable opportunity for the players to bond off the field, according to soccer coach Derek Phillips.

“We started the team dinners four years ago to help promote team unity off the field,” Coach Phillips said. “It provides our players with a chance to create relationships and memories that they will remember for a lifetime, and they help to maintain a focus on what we want to accomplish in the season.”

The football team also participates in team dinners to amp them up before game day.

“The team dinners hold a lot of significance for the football team,” senior Kendall Morris said. “It provides a good way for us to come together as a family.”

According to Morris, the football team dinners are usually held on the Thursday before game day. The team gets together at First Baptist Church of Harvester and spends some time talking about things they are thankful for. After that, the team usually plays a game of some sort.

“We usually find something to do; sometimes it’s organized, and sometimes it isn’t,” Morris said. “Sometimes we’ll see who can juggle the most eggs, or sometimes we play Monopoly. Sometimes we’ll just toss a ball around. Then we talk and eat.”

Cross country also has a team-oriented dinner for its runners.

“It’s great for team bonding, of course,” cross country coach Michelle Breuer said. “The dinners also allow us to get together and talk about the upcoming course and set goals for our runners.”

According to Coach Breuer, the team dinners have been a part of the cross country team for at least a decade now, starting about two years after the school was built.

However, team dynamics and goal setting aren’t the only thing that happen at the team dinners, of course.

“Pasta. Pasta’s the thing to eat,” Halbert said. “There’s other food, but pasta definitely makes up the main part of the meal.”

The cross country team also makes

pasta a priority, according to junior Walter Lembeck.

“We usually have pasta at the team dinners,” Lembeck said. “However, people bring other food as well, like desserts and drinks.”

The football team, according to Morris, has a spread usually offering mac and cheese, potatoes, nachos, pulled pork, green beans, and alfredo.

One dish that all three of the teams have in common is some form of pasta.

As the teams are aware, pasta is choice pre-game chow because of its high carbohydrate content, according to Mr. Scott Dauve. Carb-loading, as it is commonly called, is popular for athletes participating in endurance events, because it helps maximize glycogen storage which serves as a form of energy.

According to athletes and coaches of all three sports, team dinners provide not only a positive atmosphere for athletes, but they also provide a valuable opportunity to plan for upcoming events and set goals and allow teams to make sure their athletes eat right before the big game.

photo illustration by dohen gallagher

LEFT: Shane Gallagher, to make weight for wrestling, watchEs his weight by eating a healthy snack of clementines. RIGHT: Without a need to worry, Gallagher eats Doritos while zoning out and watching TV.

Fueling for performance In Season

Do athletes eat for the sport instead of the health?

Off Season

By Morgan Brader staff reporter

Some athletes play year-round or eat healthy all the time. Others eat healthy only during their season and prefer to take a break from their inseason diets when their season comes to a close.

Cooper tends to eat foods with more protein after the season is over than he does during the season.

“I wanna try to bulk up for next season,” Cooper said.

Tredway, even though still conscious about what he eats, has a much different diet after wrestling

season is over.

“After wrestling’s ended, I eat about 2,500-3,500 calories a day, because I’m focusing more on getting bigger and stronger for the next season,” Tredway said. “My diet turns from carbs and water to fewer carbs and lots of protein.”

Sophomore softball player Morgan Cabral doesn’t hold back on the junk food after her season is over. She would rather save the healthy eating for in-season.

“I don’t usually like to eat healthy things. My friends say I eat whatever’s in front of my face,” Cabral said.

a useful tool for athletes, he warns of the possible risks of taking some of them. Mr. Dauve recounts stories of college athletes who have gotten burned on performance enhancing drugs that they thought were legal based on the label, but what was in the supplements wasn’t the same as jump from page 9: EDGE what was advertised.

vs

A lot is expected of athletes. They are required to have the attitude, the skill, the work ethic, and the energy to play the game. Plenty of work goes into meeting these requirements, but even if an athlete is at the gym every day, even if they run mile after mile, they’re not going to get very far if they do not have the right diet.

Athletes, such as football players, need to eat the right foods to have all the energy and motivation needed for hard practices every day. Sophomore Jordon Cooper, a JV football player, has to watch what he eats and make sure it’s healthy, but still enough food to fill him up before a game or practice.

“I make sure I don’t eat any junk food or anything that’ll make my stomach hurt when I start running,” Cooper said.

“I’m not a big fan of taking supplements from GNC and Supplement Superstores, because they’re governed by the FDA, so you really don’t know what’s in them, which scares me,” Mr. Dauve said.

As for regular protein shakes, and even creatine, Mr. Dauve is confident

Cross country runners and wrestlers also have specific diets during their season.

“Before a meet, I usually eat a lot of bread,” senior Madison Grumich said. “It gives us more energy for the meet.”

Wrestlers tend to want to pinpoint a certain weight and keep a close watch on how much they gain and lose to stay in a certain weight class. Sophomore wrestler Jared Tredway makes sure he eats around 1,000-1,200 calories a day during the season.

“Usually, I just drink water and maybe eat a salad and a carb, like some pasta,” Tredway said. “And before a meet, I drink tons of water and don’t usually eat anything except some sort of fruit. But only after weigh-ins.”

on their safety, which is backed up by many studies that show no ill side effects. Even with these studies, however, Mr. Dauve still recommends they be taken under the direction of a doctor.

But despite all benefits that these supplements provide, by no means is it a magic bullet. Even with

steroids, some work must be put in to get the desired outcome.

“Performance enhancing drugs don’t work unless you do. People get the misnomer that if you take anabolic steroids, you’ll get big muscles. But you won’t unless you eat right and workout,” Mr. Dauve said.

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DROPPING the myth

Wrestlers’ Choice Below are some healthy foods which wrestlers enjoy while dieting throughout their season.

Despite myths, wrestlers drop weight healthfully rather than harmfully sweat reporter

The wrestling match is approaching. The weight must be lost, so eating is out of the question. Starving when you arrive to the meet, you finally weigh in and get placed into a lower bracket and then prepare to begin your upcoming match.

This is the common scenario imagined among non-wrestlers when they hear about wrestling and losing weight for it.

Despite the myths, however, wrestlers aren’t faced with having to starve themselves for days on end to lose pounds to achieve their desired weight. They go about their weight loss in a safe, steady way which allows for them to still eat, just healthier foods and in smaller portions.

Among the varsity wrestlers is junior Jacob Gajewski, who explained what he does to get in shape for his sport.

“I usually try to stay pretty close to the weight I want to wrestle,” said Gajewski. “I don’t starve myself, but I’ll eat healthy foods and in smaller amounts.”

Comparing the eating habits of your everyday student to the average wrestler, wrestling meals prove to be significantly tinier. To describe the healthy yet smaller diet he follows, Gajewski gave an example of his typical eating habits during wrestling season.

“For breakfast I’ll eat a cutie orange, for lunch I’ll usually have an apple, and for dinner I’ll eat a chicken breast,” said Gajewski. “So I’ll eat really small meals.”

Each year when wrestling season approaches, wrestlers who haven’t already been maintaining a proper diet begin watching their weight and what they eat.

“I usually start watching what I eat when we start practicing,” said Gajewski. “So [at] the beginning of November.”

Monitoring their weight and following this diet serves multiple

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sweat | november 15, 2013

goals that the wrestlers strive to achieve, one of them being in shape.

Head Coach Steve Cross explained that the principle behind losing weight isn’t just to drop pounds, but to stay fit and healthy.

“The goal is to get to your optimal body fat. The goal is not to cut weight, it’s to get in great shape,” said Coach Cross. “If you’re getting in great shape and working out everyday and working hard, your body fat is going to go down and you’ll gain muscle.”

Along with getting into the most healthy state possible, dieting in wrestling also adds an advantage within the team’s matches. Amid the team of past wrestlers is junior Jake Baumgartner, who wrestled both during his sophomore and freshman year.

Baumgartner described the advantage dieting gives the team while wrestling.

“If we drop a whole bunch of weight, like drop a weight class, and then we eat like right before the match, we’re usually wrestling guys smaller than us,” said Baumgartner.

“So it gives us an advantage there.”

Gajewski explained how the advantage of the healthy diet then comes into play during a match.

“I get in great shape, and because I watch what I eat, I weigh less, but I don’t lose muscle,” said Gajewski.

“So I’m bigger and stronger than who I’m wrestling.”

A prime example of someone who gained an advantage due to their diet is junior wrestler Tate Bennett. Bennett noticed how his diet had given him the upper hand during his matches.

“When I dropped weight, I was bigger than everybody that I wrestled. It gave me more strength, and I was able to move quicker,” said Bennett. “I’d overpower them, and I’d win the match.”

Following the first few weeks of practice, wrestlers are given a typical two to three days between each wrestling meet and have to continue to monitor their diet to

Bananas

Granola Bars

Grapes

Apples

Junior Jacob Gajewski uses the electronic scale in the boys locker room to check his weight.

Wrestlers constantly monitor their weight to meet the weight class they wish to wrestle in during meets.

this aspect, they are setup with a set of guidelines that help guide them through their weight loss.

“We have this thing called weight certification. Basically, we weigh [in], they check our body fat content and hydration levels, and [they] determine the lowest weight we can go and how long, healthfully, it will take to get down to that weight by losing fat,” said Gajewski. “It’s not exact, [but] it tells you how much you should be losing by eating healthy and exercising.”

Sticking to that plan and the set of guidelines, though, is solely up to the athlete. Gajewski explained

how each ultimately has to take the responsibility of keeping themselves healthy.

“It’s up to you. They don’t tell you what weight to go, you decide that,” said Gajewski. “They’ll support you, but it’s your job to monitor it.”

The myth that wrestlers have to starve themselves comes from the few wrestlers that do lose sight of maintaining a healthy diet to lose body fat. One of the wrestling team’s former wrestlers, senior Jack Webb, described his poor eating habits when he was involved in wrestling.

“There were a couple times where

photo by taylor stone

By Alex Buhse

Cutie oranges

I’d go a few days without eating just to get [my weight] down,” said Webb. “I skipped school lunches, had a couple grapes a day, [and] that would be it.”

To be clear, however, he described the inaccuracies of the rumors about losing weight for the sport and explained how the team promoted healthy dieting over starvation.

“It was encouraged more in a healthy way. Improve your diet, eat healthier, eat veggies, and naturally get your body weight down and kind of lean up for it,” said Webb. “Not necessarily cut weight, just lose weight.”

Striving for achievement

Using food and supplements to help gain the most out of a workout

By Tori Cooper staff reporter

Whether it’s looking to perform better in a game or just to lose weight, everyone wants to gain the most of their workout.

Listed below are a few products designed to help do just that.

Clif Bar

Spark

Protein

Vi-Shape

What it is: The AdvoCare Spark Energy Drink Mix is a substance which is mixed into any drink throughout the day to gain an energy boost. It’s packed with nutrients such as vitamin A, B-6, B-12, C, D, and E. It also contains Riboflavin, which aids body growth, and Thiamine, which helps in converting carbohydrates to energy.

What it is: These are the well-known supplements which provide extra protein for athletes looking to enhance their gains at the gym.

Some of the proteins supplements come in jars of powder which are then mixed into a drink, and some come already mixed and packaged into a drink for convenience.

What it is: The Vi-Shape Nutritional Shake mix is another powder which is stirred into any drink, such as water or milk, to help aid people in keeping a steady intake of vitamins and nutrients.

It also serves as weight management supplement, helping people drop weight faster.

What it is: A Clif Bar is a small organic snack bar made of a mix of whole grains, protein and fiber, designed to give active people an increase in energy. Clif bars are normally used as energy bars, and can also be used as meal replacements for those unable to enjoy a full meal.

What it does: As the name suggests, it serves as an energy booster for its user and helps its user feel a wave of energy for hours after they drink it.

It helps fight drowsiness and provides focus for people using it, and also provides over 21 vitamins, minerals and nutrients to help keep people using it in a healthy state as well.

What it does: These supplements provide the recommended amount of protein and more for the person taking it to help them build more muscle.

Protein also helps rebuild injured muscle that has been torn or damaged during workouts, helping create a smoother, better recovery after a day of weightlifting the gym.

What it does: As mentioned above, it helps keeps people filled with nutrients. It has nutrients such as vitamin A, C, D, E, and K. It also contains Calcium, which builds stronger bones, and Iron, which helps make proteins that allow red blood cells to carry oxygen through the body. It’s also mixed with different proteins to help people slim down easier.

What it does: As with most energy bars, Clif bars are filled with whole grains, which are a good source of antioxidants, and nutrients such as vitamins B and E, iron and fiber, all of which keep the body in a healthy state. Whole grains also contain magnesium, which helps contract muscles and relax muscles, and also helps in the production of protein.

Who it’s for: • People who feel consistent drowsiness or tiredness throughout their day.

• Athletes looking to find an easy way to make sure they’re getting the vitamins and nutrients they need to stay healthy.

Who it’s for: • Athletes looking to build muscle who require a higher protein intake.

• Athletes recovering from an intense workout also use this to help rebuild broken down muscle.

Who it’s for: • People in need of a supplement to help them slim down and lose a few pounds.

• People searching for an easy way of keeping their body filled with the nutrients they need for a healthy body.

Who it’s for: • People that are looking for a way to lose unneeded weight.

• Any person in need of a boost of energy for completing a run, bike ride or weight training session.

Where it’s found: On their website, www.advocare.com

Where it’s found: Most grocery stores, and on the web.

Where it’s found: On their website, www.visalus.com

Where it’s found: It’s sold at most grocery stores.

Energy Drink Mix Powder & Shakes Nutritional Shake Mix

Energy Bars

fhctoday.com | sweat

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Filling

more than just plates Local food pantry serves families of the community by providing food, faith and helping hands

T

By Erica Swanson staff reporter

he aisles are stocked with various foods, from juices to meats, canned foods to desserts. The smell of the pile of bread fills the cool room, with refrigerators furnished with bags of salad. There is a row of shopping carts at the opening of the room.

This place appears to be a grocery store. It has all the food; it has the “employees;” it has the aisles. But the food in this place is mostly donated; the “employees” are volunteers, with not one person in the building getting

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in focus | october 25, 2013

paid, and the food is not sold, but given out to families in need in our community. This place is the OASIS food pantry in St. Charles, which served 7,369 families in 2012.

As a retired aerospace chief

TOP LEFT: Volunteers Ron and Caroline Bull fill a shopping cart during their time helping at the O.A.S.I.S Food Pantry in St. Charles on Nov. 2.

TOP RIGHT: Kent Erhardt stretches for canned vegetables to place in his shopping cart. RIGHT: Bags filled with birthday goods sit on a shelf at the food pantry.

BELOW RIGHT: Lee Sides keeps track of what he’s gathered before customers arrive at the food pantry.

LEFT: Terry Rodewald, executive director of the food pantry, speaks with a volunteer. “My favorite part is giving back to the community, associating with a lot of people that think the same way I do, that see a need and are willing to give their time towards that need,” Mr. Rodewald said.

engineer for the F-18 plane for McDonnell Douglas, Executive Director Terry Rodewald was in charge of sales for other countries.

He managed the people in his area, organized ideas and worked with people from all over the world.

Fast forward 13 years since he has had this job, and now he does many of the same things but for no pay. Mr. Rodewald guides people’s activities, organizes events, writes grants, and helps plan the logistics of fundraising activities.

Some of this planning includes how to collect the cans from the Boy Scouts in November to the annual golf tournament that raises more than $65,000 per year.

Families entering the doors of the OASIS food pantry are described as

“people like you and I with bad luck,” according to Mr. Rodewald. “They are just as good as everybody else, but they basically probably never worked never more than a minimum wage job with $10 or $15 an hour.

For a family, this adds up to less than $20,000 a year which is below poverty wage for a family of four.”

On the other hand, not all families entering the food pantry were always poor, but simply hit a patch of bad luck which may have never been foreseen.

“I’ve known people that had a family total income of a couple hundred thousand [dollars] and they were living like that, living in Lake St. Louis with a nice big house,” Rodewald said. “He had a Hummer; she had a Mercedes. They had credit card bills

“

They could be our neighbors, someone at your school or church whose dad or mom just lost their job. They may come to O.A.S.I.S for help for a month or a year.

that just ran up, because they figured they were making so much money.

Well then, they lose that job. And it is hard to find a job that pays more than $200,000 a year within a day, a week, a month, or even a year. So, as a result, they couldn’t cope with why they were in the situation they were in. One of the biggest problems is that people are spending right up to or over the limit and forget to save for rainy days. When crises hit, they can’t handle with the expenses.”

To Mrs. Sharon Rauschenbach, a weekly volunteer at the OASIS food pantry, the people entering the doors are people from all around our community.

“They could be our neighbors, someone at your school or church whose dad or mom just lost their job,” Mrs. Rausenbach said. “They may come to OASIS for help for a month or a year.”

Upon entering the food pantry, the families are immediately greeted by the sight of loaves of bread sitting on a shelf. A family member moves to the front, where they sign in, and two volunteers are sitting behind a sliding glass window, similar to when someone signs into the dentist office.

The volunteers then look at the list and use their new computer system to print a pick list of foods from which they are given based upon the size of the family, if they have a referral or not, and if they qualify for USDA food (This must be 120% below the poverty line. For a family of four this is earning a household income of $28,260 or less per year).

A referral is a simple note given from a social service, counselors, church, or anybody else that can help vouch for the family seeking food.

“Anybody can really write a referral,” Rodewald said. “ If you came across a person in need of help, you could write a referral for them, and we would accept it.”

Taking anybody’s referrals can raise questions on the validity of the need of the families and receiving food from more than one pantry.

This concern is legitimate to Mr. Rodewald, but he sees it as minor.

“A lot of the pantries concern themselves with what if people are going to more than one pantry,

and more than likely, they are.” Mr. Rodewald said. “If you are making $20,000 for a family of four, that isn’t even enough for someone to pay a reasonable rent of a place for $500 a month, for a car, for repairs, and you need a car to get to and from work, and then you have medical bills, food, electric, gas.

“People just do not have enough money. If you do not have enough money, it is a matter of what to use the limited money for. We want to take care of the food. We don’t have any problem with them going anywhere else. We just hope they really need it and not taking advantage of the system. I can say there is probably three percent who probably take advantage of it, but this is so miniscule that it is not even worth mentioning.”

The list of food is similar to a grocery list that people use for shopping. On it are the number of items that the family will be granted.

Every family is given some of the same types of food and personal care items, but referrals are given specials, items which are donated, but not on the pick-list. Some of these items include: lemonade, hot chocolate, no-bake cheesecake, and frozen shrimp.

Families are then called by one of the 400 volunteers of the OASIS food pantry and taken for a short interview, which is “less about finances and more about specials, what they eat, if anybody in the family has a food allergy, and then go through the USDA process if they qualify,” according to Rodewald.

From there, the volunteers make their way to the warehouse, pick up a cart, and go through the grocery list that was discussed and picked by the families.

One by one, they place the items into the cart, checking them off, giving the families’ meals for the week to come. Once the food is placed in the cart, it is bagged, and a small piece of paper is placed in the bag. Written on it is a scripture.

“We do not promote a religion,” Rodewald said. “The Scripture is there for them [the families] if they want, and maybe they will filled inspired, but we are about helping and serving these people, not putting

a religion onto them.”

And the families are sent off with a good day. The coming week, they will not have to be in search of food.

They are one person of the 40 million people who visit a food pantry a year in the United States.

The day does not end for the volunteers, though.

The OASIS food pantry has no paid personnel; everyone there gives their time for free. This contributes to the fact that approximately 92 cents of every dollar donated to the food pantry goes directly to the purpose of the food pantry-- providing needy families in the community food. The pantry runs on fundraisers such as the annual golf tournament, a Pub Crawl around St. Charles, and donations from individuals and businesses.

According to Mr. Rodewald, the best part of working in the food pantry is helping the community and building new relationships with people.

“My favorite part is giving back to the community, associating with a lot of people that think the same way I do, that see a need and are willing to give their time towards that need,” Mr. Rodewald said. “Wonderful friendships come out of it. It is good to see how grateful the people are for the help. A lot of people do not want to be in that position.”

Mrs. Rauschenbach, who first came to OASIS food pantry when she lost her job in 2009 and was looking for something she could do for the community, feels that volunteering at the food pantry is part of her weekly routine.

“The time I spend at the pantry is part of my weekly life,” Mrs. Rauschenbach said. “I look forward to going and helping. On days I’m not able to go, I miss being there.

There is always something to do.

OASIS is stress free. However, it is incredible the amount of food that comes in and out of the pantry, I would have never had a clue before working there. OASIS has been a blessing to me.”

What Mr. Rodewald has been pleasantly surprised by is the amount of people who are so giving and willing to help others in need. One example of this is the housing to

the food that becomes the meals of many in the community.The building itself was designed by La Pique and Orne for free. The work done by the owner, Mr. Dennis Orne, is worth approximately $5,000-6,000, and now with the planning for the new building, Mr. Orne has already committed to doing the designs for the new structure with no charge again, work that is worth at least $10,000.

“We are very grateful of Mr. Orne’s work,” said Mr. Rodewald.

Another instance lies in the donations the food pantry receives.

“When I first came here, we had a lease for the building for three years.”

Mr. Rodewald said. “One day, this woman and her husband came in, and we just sat down and talked. I am really good at doing that. We talked for more than four hours, and they said that they would like to donate money, and then they left.

“That night, she called and said, ‘You didn’t even ask how much we were going to donate?’ They ended up donating $77,000 (the lease). The woman and her husband visit once in a while, and just the other day they committed another $112,500 for the new building. We were really happy to hear that.”

In response to the community, Mr. Rodewald is very happy with the current community help and sees volunteering as a way to open people’s eyes to the world around us.

“We really appreciate the support from the community,” said Mr. Rodewald. “Without it, we could not do what we do. I encourage students to engage in volunteer work so that they are able to be more aware of just how fortunate they really are.”

It is for these reasons that Mrs. Rauschenbach chooses to devote her time to the OASIS food pantry.

“OASIS is a family of people that enjoy sharing their time to make a difference,” Mrs. Rausenbach said.

“I choose to be there because I like what OASIS stands for, Helping Others in Our Community; I love the people who work there, volunteering is emotionally fulfilling; I benefit more than I give, and I am blessed to be a part of OASIS.”

fhctoday.com | in focus

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Hunger around the

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Families, students find relief in lunch program 16 }

in focus | november 15, 2013

WORLD

] [

St. Charles County had 11,702 students enrolled in free/reduced lunch in 2011.

There were 1,699 infants born with low birthweight from 2007 to 2011.

In 2000, St. Charles County had 4.9 percent of children in poverty. In 2010, this number jumped to 6.2 percent.

As of 2011, 14.6 percent of children were enrolled in MO HealthNet for Kids, a healthcare service for low income Missourians.

• •

By Emily Herd staff reporter

Life is a constant struggle that can cause simple tasks and responsibilities to become problematic.

Something as simple as working at your job or providing food for yourself or your family can be arduous. Families constantly have to make sacrifices for each other in order to survive.

Senior Emileigh Wiegert is one of many students who makes sacrifices for her family on a daily basis. In order to help pay for her own food and possessions, she works double shifts at Olive Garden on the weekends. Her family of seven endures daily hardship on a tight budget and long hours of work. When desperate times call for desperate measures, the Francis Howell School District provides students who are eligible for free or reduced lunches a healthy breakfast and lunch every day.

Since Wiegert has to pay for most of her nonnecessities, activities, and food, the district’s free/

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]

1 in 8 people in the St. Louis area are hungry.

172,660 children in the bi-state region struggle with hunger.

In the 26 counties served by the St. Louis Area Foodbank, nearly one-fourth of children are struggling with food insecurity.

In St. Louis City, 85.8 percent of students were enrolled in the free/reduced lunch program in 2011, the highest rate in the state.

reduced lunch program helps her family significantly.

“We pay for our food, phones, cars and practically everything. My mom has five kids, so two dollars a meal everyday for all of us can really can add up, not even including the bills and other necessities,” Wiegert said. “If we didn’t have free or reduced lunches, then I would probably have to pay for my food, so it helps a ton.”

Junior Luta Young was in the free/reduced lunch program her freshman and sophomore year, but this year it is not necessary for her to be enrolled in it. She says there is no difference between students on the food program or not.

“Other than the amount that you pay for lunch every day, there is no real difference between the students at lunch,” Young said.

The number of students eligible and enrolled in the program continues to climb each year. According to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Missouri has 46.8 percent

870 millio the world undernour 852 million countries.

16 millio developed Poor nutr year.

More than in Asia, 26 America a

stlfoodbank.org, oseda.missouri.edu

STC

•

•

] [ STL

[ •

•

oseda.missouri.edu

USA

• • •

14.5 percent, 17.6 million households were food insecure in the year 2012 (had difficulty at some time during the year providing enough food for all members of a household).

One in six Americans of every age are food insecure.

Nearly one in four children are food insecure in America.

10 percent, 3.9 million households with children were food insecure in 2012 (unable to provide adequate, nutritious food for children at times).

Food insecurity is more common in large cities and rural areas than in suburban areas.

Of households with the same size and composition, a food-secure household typically spends 26 percent more for food than a food-insecure household.

www.ers.usda.gov, stlfoodbank.org

[ •

of kids that are curr lunches. At FHC, 318 eligible for the program continues to ascend. affected in our scho 3.6 percent within thr Young is one of th by the increasing am our school’s program everyday lives.

“When I found ou our school, I was a parents have a lot on might need to resort help,” Young said.

Senior Javonda W from Normandy on fre how Francis Howell options of food fo lunches compared t

e world

Good eating habits develop most during high school

By Emily Klohr

]

staff reporter

MO

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]

Feeding America in Missouri provides emergency food for an estimated 728,400 different people annually.

47.7 percent of Missouri students, or 414,360 kids, were enrolled in the free/ reduced lunch program in 2011.

139,300 Missourians receive emergency food assistance in any given week.

In 2009, Missouri had an average of 367,000 food-insecure households.

rently enrolled in free/reduced 8 (or 16.9 percent) students are m this year, but the percentage . In 2010, 257 students were ool, increasing the percentage ree years. he many people not surprised mount of students enrolled in m, due to the strife of family’s

ut that the number is rising in little shocked, but nowadays n their plate right now, and they t to the school’s program for

Whittier, a transfer student ee/reduced lunches, explained provides healthy and plentiful or students on free/reduced to the meals at her previous

oseda.missouri.edu, feedingmissouri.org

[ •

school.

According to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, this year, Normandy High has 82.5 percent of students eligible for free/reduced lunches. Due to the rising number of students affected, Normandy High would have to provide food to around 734 students.

“At Normandy, we didn’t have a variety of healthy options,” said Whittier. “We basically had donated food, and we got the leftovers practically.”

The Francis Howell School District requires students to have a full meal with one vegetable, one fruit, and a drink. Without these items, the student can not get their lunch under the free/reduced food program. Whittier also admires that the district forces this on her, causing her to eat a full lunch that is also healthy.

“It gives me the choice to eat a healthy lunch or not eat at all, which helps me to continue to stay healthy,” Whittier said.

graphic by jessica mugler

n 70 percent of malnourished children live 6 percent in Africa and 4 percent in Latin and the Caribbean.

worldhunger.org

on people of the 7.1 billion people in d, or one in eight, suffered from chronic rishment in 2010-2012. n of all the hungry people live in developing . on undernourished people live in d countries. rition causes five million child deaths each

Between heavy course loads and extracurricular activities, high school students have a lot on their plates. For many of them, the last thing on their mind is eating a healthy meal.

Depending on the eating habits you have, food can heal, or it can make you very sick.

The nutrition habits students develop while in high school are extremely important, because they impact health, physical performance, ability to handle stress, and ability to focus in the years to come.

Dr. Olivia Joseph has been a clinical nutritionist for 10 years at the Chiropractic Wellness Connections.

“Habits are formed very early. We blame a lot of things on genetics, but really it’s the habits our family teaches us, not our genes. The habits and choices you make now, and over the next four years in college, will stay with you later. Your teens and early twenties can be very forgiving, but your late 20’s, 30’s and 40’s are not,” Dr. Joseph said.

Eating healthy is difficult for students, because they have limited lunch choices available at school. Schools usually use refined grains and flours, artificial coloring and sweeteners, and high fructose corn syrup in their meal choices according to Dr. Joseph.

“Ingredients like these have been linked to problems with attention, focus and blood sugar,” Dr. Joseph said.

Another issue is the lack of knowledge students have about healthy eating. A way to increase student knowledge is to have classes on grocery shopping, meal preparation/cooking, and meal planning.

“More education is the first step to improving the nutrition of students. You have to improve your ‘real’ food consumption, not your consumption of diet, low fat, sugar free, low calorie garbage foods,” Dr. Joseph said.

Although many students don’t take advantage of it, FHC does offer Foods and Nutrition courses in order to increase student education on healthy eating. Mrs. Kathryn McGuire is one of the teachers for these courses.

“In Foods and Nutrition, we discuss basic nutrition principles and work on preparing items that provide application of those principles. We also cover the nutrition unit as a whole and then continue covering nutrition as it pertains to the items that we are preparing,” Mrs. McGuire said.

Foods and Nutrition covers many aspects of nutrition, but there isn’t enough time in the course to cover everything.

“It is really hard to hone in on the complexity of nutrition and dietetics, because it is so dense and should be a class in itself. I do the best with the time allotted,” Mrs. McGuire said.

Students will only perform as well as they feed their bodies according to Mrs. McGuire.

“Think of your body like a car. How well is your car going to run if you never maintain it or put the necessary fuel, oil, and fluids into it? When students eat healthy, they will perform better,” Mrs. McGuire said.

Sophomore Brielle Humphrey has taken both Foods and Nutrition classes and is currently enrolled in Culinary Arts.

“I learned a lot in Foods and Nutrition, especially about the vitamins and minerals found in foods and which foods are healthier than others. I also learned how to make easy, healthy recipes by replacing certain ingredients to increase the food’s nutritional content,” Humphrey said.

Changing your nutrition habits while in high school will increase your focus, energy levels and decrease the amount of days you are absent from school with illness. Schools can get involved in improving nutrition by increasing the amount of healthy food items available.

“Schools need to allow kids to drink water and eat every four hours. Biologically, blood sugar can not stay stable longer than that, so if you expect students to perform, you better give them the raw ingredients to do so,” Dr. Joseph said.

Mrs. Lana Lechner, a certified health coach, helps people improve their overall health. She works with individuals and groups to attain their nutritional and health goals and teaches classes at SCC about these topics.

“Learning how to eat healthfully and what physical activity we need, as well as how to work these things into our lifestyle, can be overwhelming for many people, so I help them make small changes that over time become a part of their improved lifestyle,” Mrs. Lechner said.

Some people avoid eating healthy because they don’t believe nutritional food will satisfy their taste buds, but this is not necessarily true.

“Eating healthfully really can be delicious and easy! In addition, eating well the majority of the time allows us to have our splurges on more decadent choices when we want to,” Mrs. Lechner said.

The demands of high school students, from both school courses and their home lives, are fairly high. In order for high school students to have the energy, brain power, and stamina they need to perform well, they need to feed their bodies with the right nutrients by making healthy eating choices.

fhctoday.com | in focus

}17

A taste of another

For three days, two of our editors consumed only what

By Claire Richardson the scene editor

Greek yogurt - $1.00 Chicken Ramen - $.50 2 Easy Mac single serving - $2.00 Pre-packaged apples and grapes - $1.00

Total cost: $4.82 Calories: 895

Greek yogurt - $1.00 Instant Lunch Ramen Noodles - $.50 Easy Mac single serving - $1.00 Pre-packaged apples and grapes - $1.00 Snack-sized carrots - $1.00

Total cost: $4.82 Calories: 780

Greek yogurt - $1.00 Chicken Ramen - $.50 Easy Mac single serving - $1.00 Ritz crackers - $1.89

Total cost: $4.39 Calories: 730

1 8}

in focus | november 15, 2013

DAY ONE: Cost of nutrition As I walked into the grocery store with my mother, I was unsure of what exactly I could buy with five dollars, but as my mom is a seasoned grocery store pro, I trusted that she would lead I usually don’t pay much me in the right direction. Her first suggestion was to buy something from the dairy aisle that I attention to the cost could eat for breakfast. I quickly realized milk was out of the question, so she showed of the food that I’m me to a cooler which housed a 10 for $10 dollar deal on greek yogurt. Deals like this are offered consuming on a daily on a variety of foods, so I figured this was my best bet at purchasing the nutrition that I could basis, so I was shocked by afford with only $5. Unfamiliar with the rules of the supermarket, what I soon found out, much how little I could actually purchase on a five dollar to my dismay, was that you actually had to buy more than one item to get the discount, instead of each item actually being only a dollar each. So would I have been able to afford the budget. You are limited apples or yogurt (or anything nutritious, for that matter) if I walked into a grocery store with a to either nutrition or $5 dollar bill in my hand? Sadly, no. This brought another matter to my attention: could I even enough food to satisfy afford the bare minimum nutrition with only five dollars a day? (keeping in mind that my your hunger; both is simply not possible. previous diet included a number of fruits and veggies and some kind of protein daily.)

Today’s takeaway

DAY TWO: Coming up short After two days of eating with five dollars per day, I have to say that the problem is not with finding food that is cheap enough to eat on a budget, but to find food that fulfills your I could have never even daily nutritional needs on said budget. While I am used to eating the average 2,000 imagined how difficult it calorie diet, I realized that I was only eating about 800 calories a day, less than half of what I would be to live on such should be eating as an always-growing teenager. This was made even more difficult by a tight daily budget. To me, it seems crazy that a the fact that I had a two-hour dance practice after school. By the end of practice, I teenager could survive on felt more tired than usual, and I had to admit, I was starving. Coming home to an impossibly small container of mac and cheese did not help much at all, and with only five dollars, it was the little amount of food and nutrition that five difficult to afford any type of meat or protein. With almost no protein in my diet, I felt dollars affords. hungry all day, even when I had just eaten. As unrealistic as it is for the average Joe to meet their needs on five dollars per day, I have come to see that it is nearly impossible for a student, athlete or young person to sustain themselves on five dollars.

Today’s takeaway

DAY THREE: Sad realizations Today’s takeaway Next time I’m complaining because of the mayonnaise on a sandwhich or the tomatoes on a salad, I’ll think twice. Living on five dollars a day made me realize how much I take advantage of; some people probably wish they had these ‘problems.’

As terrible as this sounds, I can not wait to eat real food tomorrow. When this thought popped into my head today, after a sparse lunch of Ramen Noodle Soup and crackers, I immediately reprimanded myself. For some people, and I may never realize exactly how many people that is, this is their daily reality. I have tomorrow to look forward to; I can go back to eating healthy, fulfilling food, but it seems heartbreaking to me that many don’t have tomorrow to look forward to. This experience has made me realize how little value I, and most people for that matter, place on food. Up until now, I was provided for, I have never had to worry about having enough nutrition to keep myself going, caring more about quality than quantity, so this experience has been truly eye opening. So today when I come home from practice tired, hungry and wanting nothing more than a piece of chicken, I’m going to

remember those for whom even that isn’t a possibility.

reality hits home

they could purchase with a limit of five dollars per day

By Erin Schroeder print executive editor

DAY ONE: Quality vs. quantity Today’s takeaway In my day-to-day life, I rarely ever reflect on what, how much, and the cost of the food I consume. I so often take for granted the fact that I don’t have to choose between having enough food for a day and eating food that is nutritious.

I pulled into the Schnucks parking lot around 6:45 a.m. I have no more experience than the average teenager when it comes to grocery shopping, and I wasn’t quite sure what five dollars could buy. My only goal at this point was to purchase as much food as possible. I made a beeline to the aisle that contained microwavable meals and purchased a can of Chef Boyardee Beefaroni, some Instant Ramen, and Betty Crocker Garlic Parmesan Pasta. My purchase seemed to be plenty enough for lunch and dinner. However, as I peered into the plastic bag that would contain my total consumption for the next 24 hours, I realized I couldn’t quantify how much I ate in an average day. Almost immediately upon my arrival at school, with my appetite on the forefront of my mind, I noticed that I had neglected to purchase any breakfast. I decided that it would be most prudent to get something light; an apple from the cafeteria would have to suffice. The $.80 pricetag was a surprise, since it cost about the same as my pasta dishes. This was my first glimpse into the compromises between quality and

Apple: $.80 Beefaroni: $1.00 Beef Instant Ramen: $.40 Garlic Parmesan Noodles: $1.39

Total cost: $3.78 Calories: 936

quantity that those eating on a low budget have to make everyday.

DAY TWO: Stomach rumblings Today’s takeaway Less is not always more.

Although our culture promotes continually “cutting back,” on a limited budget, thinking that way isn’t practical.

In those situations, it’s necessary to maximize your resources in order to get as many nutrients, and in some cases calories, as possible.

With the feeling of a day’s worth of microwavable meals left fresh in my mind, I was determined to eat relatively healthily, even if it meant eating considerably less. On my morning trip to Schnucks, being short on time, I focused primarily on breakfast and lunch.

Initially, I was satisfied with my decision to get a Yoplait Light Yogurt. According to the logic that Americans generally use, less calories, fat, and sugar is preferred. However, for someone

who’s struggling to meet their daily dietary needs, a light yogurt isn’t very helpful in getting through the day. By the time I got home from school, while I felt good about what I

Total cost: $4.28 Calories: 772

had eaten so far that day, I questioned how satisfied I would feel later that night with only two dollars left in my budget. I picked sunflower seeds for both their high levels of protein, which I hoped would keep me full, and simply because they’re one of my all-time favorite snacks. Despite this, my total caloric intake of 752 was not nearly enough to silence

the rumblies in my tummy.

DAY THREE: An appreciation Today’s takeaway

Strawberry Yoplait Light Yogurt: $.70 Healthy Choice Lunch Express: Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta: $1.99 Sunflower Seeds: $.59 BelVita Breakfast Honey and Oats: $1.00

The end was in sight. Granted, one could hardly say that three days of eating on a five dollar per day budget even counts as walking a mile in the shoes of someone who has to Going through days overcome those challenges every day. Even so, I had already learned some things about without a full stomach permeates every aspect of how to get the most food and nutrition out of that amount of money. Foods with high levels of one’s life. For a teenager protein and carbohydrates, rather than salty and sugary ones, made it easier to feel more in particular, focusing full and retain energy throughout the day. In addition, I needed to be wise about when I on responsibilities like ate and when in my day I would need energy the most. It’s very easy to underestimate how school and work are a evident an empty stomach is in the middle of a shift at a fast food restaurant or when struggle. With only five you are trying to focus on an important test. Although my attempt to live a few days in the kind dollars per day, it makes of life that millions of Americans lead didn’t actually stop anyone from going to bed hungry, I it a near impossibility can appreciate much more the significance of having the food need at my disposal. to eat both hardily and healthily.

Strawberry Yoplait Yogurt: $1.00 Healthy Choice Lunch Express Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta: $1.99 Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup: $1.29

Total cost: $4.28 Calories: 540

fhctoday.com | in focus

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TODAY!

Senior photos must be shot by Nov. 15 - today - through Prestige Portraits.

Call 636.428.0829 to set up your appointment today! If you don’t have Prestige shoot your photo, it will not be in the yearbook!

Check out iFocus this week to see profiles on student artists and this year’s crop of new teachers.

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advertisements | november 15, 2013

{the scene}

Going for gold Iron Chef contestants share how they prepared for Monday’s culinary competition

By Simran Kooner staff reporter

O

n Monday, a select group of students enrolled in Culinary Arts once again took part in the district’s Iron Chef Competition. The sixth annual competition, in which students from all three FHSD schools competed, took place in FHC’s cafeteria from 2 to 5 p.m.

The annual competition, sponsored by Sodexo, measures the ability of participants to create a menu to go along with their interpretation of the corresponding year’s theme. This year, the food created was based on the theme Pioneer Days.

Teams of five student chefs were expected to use the theme to plan, prepare, and serve an appropriate three-course meal for 30 individuals.

By participating in the competition, students received the chance to display their culinary talents and potentially earn recognition for their creations. Family and Consumer Science teacher Ms. Grace Clifford is FHC’s coach for the Iron Chef Competition. She believes the competition allowed students to apply the skills they have been using throughout the year.

“Contestants prepared a meal for 30 based on the theme,” Ms. Clifford said. “[Students] were provided with an opportunity to demonstrate the culinary techniques they learned in class.”

FHC was represented in the competition by sophomore Brielle Humphrey, junior Emma Campbell and seniors Megan Kloepper and Maiya Jackson.

Campbell decided to take part in the Iron Chef Competition because she enjoys culinary arts. Practicing for the competition also gave her an additional activity to do after marching band.

Campbell has attended the required practice sessions which have consisted of trying various recipes in order to find the best options for the competition.

“For the past few weeks, we have been meeting after school and making different dishes to see which ones work out the best,” said Campbell.

Contestants who planned on participating began their preparations for the big day in advance. By regularly meeting during the weeks leading up to the contest, students hoped to be adequately prepared for what to expect in the competition.

please read more: GOLD, PAGE 23

Senior Megan Kloepper prepares for the Iron Chef Competition by chopping bacon. On the day of the competition, each team was given two hours to prepare a meal for 3o people, which was judged based on various criteria.

A contestant slices an apple to prepare for one of the dishes that will be made in the competition.

Competitors were allowed a total of 12 hours to prepare.

fhctoday.com | the scene

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playlist “Chill tunes for chill weather” Thanksgiving is creeping up on us and with all this talk about food, there’s nothing like a foodthemed song to stir up the appetite.

by Madison Viola

“Hungry like the Wolf”

by Duran Duran

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I’ve been listening to this song since I was a toddler and I still find myself dancing and singing along to it. It’s a catchy classic that expresses just how hungry many of us can be sometimes.

“Chicken Fried”

by Zac Brown Band

It doesn’t matter if you’re a country fan or not, this is a feel-good hit that everyone should love. This song is just as good as fried chicken itself.

A Pinterest Thanksgiving With Thanksgiving just around the corner, Pinterest offers some delicious Thanksgiving recipes to make your holiday more satisfying Texas Potatoes Though mashed potatoes is a traditional Thanksgiving side dish, try something new like cheese covered hash browns with some corn flakes on top. It may sound bizarre, but it’s actually surprisingly good according to Pinterest users.

Ingredients: 1 bag of Ore Ida hash brown potatoes 1 stick of butter 2 cans (or 1 large can) of cream of chicken 1 cup of sour cream corn flakes Shredded cheese (if desired)

“Pork n’ Beans”

by Weezer

Caramel Apple Shake

I don’t think I have ever tried pork and beans together, but Weezer makes it sound good with this song which is all about being yourself and turning your backside to the haters. Werk it like Weezer.

This is a perfect Thanksgiving dessert with its great taste. It’s super easy to make, and anyone can enjoy it.

“Diet Mountain Dew”

by Lana del Rey

Ingredients: 8 oz. apple cider 3 scoops vanilla ice cream 1-2 tbsp. caramel topping whipped cream

The only diet ‘anything’ I prefer is “Diet Mountain Dew,” by everyone’s girl crush. Lana Del Rey has grown so popular in the past couple of years. If you don’t listen to her, you should start.

“Lollipop”

by MIKA

Instructions: 1. Blend apple cider, vanilla ice

cream and caramel topping

together.

2. Serve with whipped cream on top.

Drizzle with caramel if desired.

Sorry Lil’ Wayne, MIKA’s “Lollipop” is better. This is one song that never fails to brighten my day.

However, every song by MIKA puts me in a cheery mood.

“We Are In Love”

by Cider Sky

Whether you’re in a relationship or not, this song is electrifying and so powerful. It’s absolutely rejuvenating. If you listen to the lyrics, then you’ll really learn how to appreciate the people in your life.

“Gimme Twice”

by The Concept

I’ve laid in bed all day with this song on repeat. I’m in love with this song, it’s incredibly good. “Gimme Twice” is a pretty laid back song. The Concept is a great band overall.

“Shake Me Down”

by Cage the Elephant

One of my favorite songs of all time. I’ve heard this song live, and I believe it made me develop an even greater infatuation with the song and the band.

“Marilyn”

by G-Eazy

I love, love, love G-Eazy. I have nothing but good things to say about his music. Marilyn is one of his more serious and compelling songs. If you enjoy this song, then I’d go check out the rest of his music.

“Round and Round”

by Imagine Dragons The first time I listened to this, I fell head over heels.

The song has such a deep meaning, as do all of Imagine Dragons’ songs, but this song is one of my favorites.

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the scene | november 15, 2013

Instructions: 1. Let hash browns thaw while preheating oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix cream of chicken and 1 cup of sour cream.

3. After it’s mixed, add bag of potatoes and coat

them with mixture.

4. Use the end of the stick of butter to grease casserole dish.

5. Pour mixture into casserole dish and spread evenly.

6. Cover mixture with cheese and corn flakes.

7. Cook for 45 minutes.

Pumpkin-Kissed Brownie Bites Though many of us have made brownies before, the pumpkin flavored chocolate kiss on top of the brownie just adds a little seasonal touch.

Green Bean Casserole Instead of settling for plain and ordinary green beans, add some cheese and onion flavor to give the beans an even more delicious taste.

Ingredients: 1 box of brownie mix + ingredients on back of the box cupcake liners 1 bag of Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses

Ingredients: ¼ cup butter ¼ cup flour 2 cups milk salt and pepper, to taste 5 cups green beans, cooked and drained 2 cups shredded cheddar, divided 1 cup fried onion pieces, divided

Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix brownie batter according to directions on the box.

3. place cupcake liners into cupcake tin.

4. pour brownie batter into cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 of the way.

5. Bake brownies for 20-25 minutes.

6. Cool brownies for 5 minutes, then press a Hershey Kiss in the center of each brownie.

Instructions: 1. Melt butter over medium heat and whisk in flour. Cook for two minutes.

2. Whisk in milk, cook until it becomes bubbly and starts to thicken.

3. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Stir in the beans, ½ of the cheese and ½ of the onion pieces.

5. Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

6. Add the remaining cheese and onion pieces and cook for ten more minutes.

Favorite types of pies

Favorite fast food restaurants

What are FHC’s favorite foods?

Olivia Biondo surveyed 100 students to find out what the favorite treats of the school are

jump from page 21: GOLD

Humphrey took part in the annual competition for the first time. Humphrey was motivated to participate in the competition by her

love for cooking. By taking part in the contest, she had hoped to learn new recipes and showcase her culinary skills.

“There weren’t very many people originally participating in the competition, so I decided to do it,” Humphrey said. “I love cooking, and I think it would be nice to possibly win this year.”

A few hours prior to the competition, all three teams taking part came together in order to go

Favorite candy

Favorite dessert

over expectations and meet the guest chef who served as both a mentor and also an additional judge in the event of a tie. This year, the guest chef was Chris Rayburn, owner of the Blue Duck restaurant in Washington, Mo. Once instructed to begin, student chefs were expected to create unique dishes according to the theme of “Pioneer Days” using the ingredients provided.

“On the day of the competition, each team was given two hours to

prepare the meal,” said Humphrey.

“We also received a secret ingredient that had to be put into all of the dishes.”

All teams were given a secret ingredient that remained a mystery until the start of the competition.

Once the ingredient was revealed, contestants were required to incorporate the ingredient into all of their dishes in some form.

Judges made their decisions immediately after the competition.

Each dish was evaluated by the judges based on presentation, taste, originality and a variety of other criteria.

Gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded to the teams accordingly. This year’s judges included administrators, members of the FHSD board and guest chef Rayburn, in the case of a tie.

All family members, students and staff who came to cheer on the teams were given the opportunity to sample the dishes.

fhctoday.com | the scene

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Hold the meat, please Vegetarians explain why they chose a meat-free diet Hannah Beckmann staff reporter

Amanda Harfmann decided to consume a meat-free diet after learning about how meat companies process their product. Harfmann supplements her diet using non-meat substitutes.

“I don’t only eat vegetables,” Harfmann said. “I don’t think it’s hard being a vegetarian, because almost anything you want to eat you can find a non-meat substitute for. It works the same exact way the real meat does.

You use it in recipes the same way. Everything you want can be found or made without meat.”

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the scene | november 15, 2013

Thanksgiving dinner often varies from student to student.

Some may have stuffing, while others opt for lasagna.

Some may have mashed potatoes, while others opt for fondue. Some may have turkey, while others opt for a non-meat main course. Meat-free eating is becoming a more popular choice among high school students, due to a higher percentage of students choosing to become vegetarians.

Students choose a meat-free diet for a number of reasons, from family influence to more ethical issues. Sophomore Amanda Harfmann made the decision to be a vegetarian after she discovered how meat was processed.

“I was completely disgusted by the slaughter process,” Harfmann said. “After I learned what happened to them, I couldn’t eat meat for days, and I just decided to continue and become a vegetarian.”

According to a survey done by PETA, about five percent of the population currently identifies as a vegetarian, a n

increase from years past. While more and more students are choosing to become vegetarians, there has not been an increase in vegetarian options in the school’s cafeteria.

Students like senior Chloe Udell are faced with the unique challenge of finding what to eat in a meat-based world.

“There’s not really anything vegetarian at school, so I have to bring my lunch,” Udell said. “I usually bring a sandwich with some kind of soy meat, fruit, something to drink and a snack throughout the day.”

Bringing a lunch is commonplace for student vegetarians.

Between tacos and chicken wraps, there is not much of an option for the students who choose to not eat meat.

However, outside of school, society is starting to adjust itself to suit the rising vegetarian population. Grocery stores are stocking shelves full of meat-free products, allowing more variety in the diets of vegetarians. Despite this, several challenges can still arise.

“Going out to eat can be a challenge,” Udell said.

“Sometimes there’s places my family wants to go, but there’s nothing for me to eat there.”

Even with the challenges, Harfmann believes that a vegetarian lifestyle is one of the healthiest. According to a study done by Brown University, vegetarians are known to be at a lower risk of heart disease and cancer.

“Vegetarianism is actually very healthy if you do it right,” Harfmann said. “If you’re going to cut out meat, you need to make sure you’re still getting all the nutrients you need. To be a healthy vegetarian, you have to make sure your body is still getting everything it needs, and you’re not just eating junk food.”

This is where Udell believes meat-eaters tend to harbor misconceptions about the diet, as they do not know the right way to be a vegetarian.

“Most people think that you need to eat meat to survive, but that’s not true,” Udell said. “You can always get vitamins from other sources.”

Other sources of these vitamins, namely protein, can come from beans, nuts, and whole grains. The vegetarian diet is not as restricted as myths like to say.

Difference in diet “For Thanksgiving my family tends to eat out at Lulu’s, or my mom makes seafood instead of making turkey.”

“If the turkey isn’t dry then I’ll eat turkey, otherwise I prefer a full Vietnamese meal for Thanksgiving.”

“I do prefer Vietnamese food. I enjoy eating American food but I like Vietnamese food

With Thanksgiving around the corner, food is the topic of the hour. Students like junior Mercy Pham plan to consume slightly different foods than most of the students at FHC.

more because I grew up eating it.”

“Some food my mom makes is kimchi, but my favorite thing my mom makes is pho.

Pho is a broth soup, it has rice noodles and a variety of meat. There’s mint and other Vietnamese vegetables in it. I like mine with lime and sriracha sauce.”

“I always tend to eat with chopsticks; I even eat some American food with them, like I use chopsticks when I eat bacon sometimes.”

We’re lovin’ it Each month, members of the Spartan community will share what they are loving this month. From happenings at school to cool new tech to the best concerts, we’ll find the best things going on now.

Kortney Sheahan

Erika Paar

COFFEE: Some say the heart grows fonder with time apart, which is exactly what happened when Starbucks on Mid Rivers closed down for two weeks.

On a bad morning, a delicious grande mocha makes everything seem just a little better. The new interior looks great, but it could be falling apart and I’d still love to have coffee.

BASKETBALL: With the start of colder weather means winter sports are in the air. I am anxiously awaiting the start of basketball season, not because I am a player, but because the energy that is in the stands on friday nights is incredible and I love to be apart of the crowd.

oversized sweatpants: I love oversized sweatpants, because they are the most comfy things in the world. I can be in the worst mood and just by putting on my favorite sweatpants I instantly feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE: Fall is my favorite time of year, mostly because I get to drink pumpkin spice latte’s.

Starbucks probably takes the majority of mine, and my parents money during fall because I am so obsessed with the pumpkin spice latte. They are just warm happiness in a cup, and if they didn’t exist in my life I have no idea what I would do.

Rachel Large SKETCHING APPS: I’m the type of person that doodles on everyone of my assignments and is on my phone constantly, so the apps Sketchbook Mobile and Sketchbook Pro are perfect fix for my phone and doodle craze. They aren’t free, but they are worth every penny STRAWBERRY SHAKES: The strawberry shake from Lion’s Choice is heaven in a straw. It’s the perfect consistency and the flavor is to die for. I get it every chance I get.

fhctoday.com | the scene

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Will cook for smiles Young chefs share what inspires them, what they love to make when in kitchen

By Morgan Brader staff reporter

With Thanksgiving coming up, there’s no better time to spread the joy of cooking. Those who love to cook and bake take advantage of this food-filled holiday.

Sophomore Larissa Kite has loved cooking since she was little. Using it as a form of stress relief, Kite cooks and bakes nonstop.

New recipes and types of food are what keep Kite cooking.

“I’m always trying out new recipes, and I like to try to make new foods that I’ve never made before, like Thai food,” Kite said.

She cooks dishes varying from cakes to breakfast foods, but her favorite food to cook

is pasta because of its elaborate steps.

“Pasta-type foods are very intricate dishes, and that’s what I love about them. I always love a good challenge,” Kite said.

Even though she is not in any cooking classes now, Kite wishes to someday practice the culinary arts. Rather than preparing food for herself, Kite prefers to cook for others.

“If I make food for a friend, it’s most rewarding to see a smile on their face from what I cooked.

I just want to make people happy with the food I cook,” Kite said. “Cooking gives me a sense of personal achievement.”

Sophomore Elizabeth Beecher wishes to someday open her own bakery. She has been cooking and baking since about three

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the scene | november 15, 2013

years ago when her mom and grandmother introduced her to the joys of cooking.

“I only got interested in it because of my family,” Beecher said. “They’re the ones who teach me all the new recipes.”

Beecher prefers to cook few, select dishes.

Her favorite is beef stroganoff because of its numerous, complicated steps.

“I find beef stroganoff the most fun to make.

There’s something about all the hard work you put into the dish that makes it worth it in the end,” Beecher said.

Instead of cooking to please her friends with her dishes, Beecher cooks mainly for her family and herself. Her family is what helps her become a better cook with their constructive

criticism.

Junior Dylan Cochran is in his first year of Foods and Nutrition this year. What brought him to enroll in this class?

“I like food,” Cochran said. “It’s what got me to take the class. I like eating what I make.”

Cochran will cook just about anything that tastes good, though his favorite types of foods to make are sweets, cookies in particular.

“The most rewarding thing about finishing a batch of cookies is eating them of course!”

Cochran said.

Though he mainly bakes for himself, Cochran doesn’t mind sharing his cookies with family or friends. He finds it rewarding when people like the food he makes.

Self pity is poison Struggle to cut down on food, constant batlle with weight loss not easy to overcome

T

By Tori Cooper staff reporter

he thought of cutting back can really scare a person. I am that person. I have dealt with the roller coaster that is weight loss. This has been my worst enemy since I was little. Being picked on for being the overweight kid. My mother always tried to tell me that I was only big boned, but let’s be real here, it was more than bones.

That saying got me through to middle school. I then realized being big boned was not an actual thing. I found myself slowly becoming more and more self conscious about my body. The constant nagging from friends and family about my eating habits finally got into my head. I could only think of one thing, no more eating. And that was what I did. This “solution” I had did not last long.

I mean come on, I love food! Soon I was back to my normal plump self.

High school soon hit. That’s when I noticed all of the skinny girls and I thought to myself “that’s what I should look like.” I honestly didn’t know how to start. I wanted to do it in a healthy way. Not the way I had done it in eighth grade. I found myself getting more nervous than ever. I talked to my parents about it, they of course agreed. My step-dad and I soon found ourselves in the hands of Rocky Vercher, the owner of Victory Training.

This man taught me that weight loss can be a fun thing; I just had to keep a strong and open mind to

everything he would put me through. One of those obstacles was cutting back on food. I could not stand thinking about not being able to eat what I wanted. I had to completely cut out the junk food that I had loved since I was a kid. No more ice cream, no more candy bars, and no more of my grandma’s home cooking.

I lasted on the crazy diet for about three weeks when I finally caved. I ate as much as I could that day. I thought it wouldn’t matter. Oh, but it did. I found myself eating more and more each day. I found myself gaining my weight back day by day. It wasn’t a slow process by any means. No matter how hard I pushed myself in the gym I couldn’t drop any weight. I got so upset about my weight gain that I didn’t want to go back to Victory Training.

So, I stopped for a few months. It had to be the worst decision of my life. I began to eat my feelings everyday, not sleeping through the night, and becoming very cranky towards people. I gained more weight than I had lost. I began to notice this gain. The depression came soon after.

My parents soon noticed my change in attitude. They began to suggest it was an issue I needed to really think about. At first I pushed it off, thinking I was right and there was nothing wrong. Soon, I found that there was a lot wrong. I couldn’t fit into my favorite clothes

photo by kortney sheahan

{be heard}

anymore, I was stuck in this weird state of mind, and there was no way I would ever think about leaving the house to hang out with any friends. I made up every excuse in the book not to. I grew more and more tired of this change I had let happen. I missed everything I had worked hard for. I decided that enough was enough. That no matter the amount of pain I had to go through I would do it. Not just for myself, but for my friends and family as well.

I found myself back at the gym and cutting back on my food intake, and so far I have been seeing only positive results. I have become much better at my sport, and I find myself being able to keep up with some of the guys that go to the gym. I have no desire for all of the fatty foods that are in my house. I have been eating smaller portions at dinner. I have tried to not go back for seconds. I was told that one bad day cancels out three good days I had in the gym. I know now that I don’t need to eat everything to be happy.

Cutting back on food has helped me. Starving myself did not. It has been a hard journey, and it’s not even over yet. I have made a pact with myself and I plan on sticking to it. Food doesn’t have to be one’s life. The term eat to live, not live to eat holds more truth than one would think. I hope more people will realize the hard work one has to go through to get into this state of

fhctoday.com | be heard

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Artificial enhance-

Use of perfomance enhancers has been vital part of sports for years now

By Brayden Densmore Staff Reporter

Over the course of the past few years, performance enhancing drugs (also called PEDs) have been increasingly ridiculed.

When most people

By Brayden think of synthetic Densmore p e r f o r m a n c e Staff repoter enhancement, they imagine a Hulk look-a-like shooting steroids and guzzling human growth hormones between sets. This is a common misconception. In truth, performance enhancing drugs come in many different forms and effects and continue to enrich nearly every area of athletics.

Performance enhancing drugs are defined as any substance that a person takes to increase their performance.

With this vague definition, a wide variety of substances can be classified as PEDs, including lean mass builders, stimulants, painkillers, sedatives, depressants and diuretics.

Throughout the years, athletes have found use for each of these drugs

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to amplify their abilities. Archers use sedatives and depressants to relax and steady their aim; body-builders use anabolic steroids and human growth hormone (HGH) to increase their size; wrestlers use diuretics to decrease their weight before a weigh in, and cyclists use blood booster to increase their endurance. The list goes on and on.

Another in-depth example of an uncommon PED is the use of amphetamine and methamphetamine, two extremely potent psychostimulants in sports, especially boxing.

On Sept. 21, 2008, boxer Joey Gilbert tested positive for anabolic steroids, methamphetamine, amphetamine and three other banned substances before and after his crushing knockout victory over Charles Howe at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada.

Anabolic steroids lended to a dramatic increase in lean muscle mass, yielding strength without sacrificing speed and agility, while methamphetamine provided an incredible increase in cognition and aggression that allowed Gilbert to overpower Howe.

This artificial augmentation of athletic

ability, whether it’s mental or physical, is not necessarily a bad thing.

Performance enhancers allow athletes to perform beyond their normal capabilities yielding a better, enhanced athlete, not to mention a much more entertaining game.

Without an injection of the painkilling drug Toradol, it would have been impossible for Carlos Beltran of the St. Louis Cardinals to return to Game 2 of the World Series against the Boston Red Sox. The analgesic drug increased his pain tolerance and allowed him to overcome his bruised ribs and finish the postseason out on the field. Without the painkiller, Beltran would have hardly been able to move, let alone play out the rest of the World Series.

The majority of the criticisms PEDs face are associated with the health risks that accompany their use. It cannot be denied that the use of some PEDs, especially anabolic steroids and HGH, pose great risks to the user’s health.

Anabolic steroids and prohormones can cause an extreme array of endocrinal complications and disorders and, if used at a young enough age, halt puberty completely.

HGH can cause endocrinal issues

and physical deformation.

Stimulants and depressants can cause physical dependence and addiction. PEDs are powerful substances, not toys.

However, the decision on whether or not these risks outweigh the vast rewards should fall on the athlete, not on the government or any other organization. With the proper information and a physician’s guidance, these risks can be assessed, and a decision can be made. Regardless of health risks, it should be the athlete’s decision.

Although the average athlete sticks with the humble protein shake to increase gains, those who do take advantage of the numerous performance enhancing drugs on the shelves of our local supplement stores stand as a testament to their powerful results, for better or for worse.

Whether it be creatine monohydrate, BCAA amino acid supplements, prohormones such as Methyl V Test, or one of the many other PEDs, athletes everywhere are accomplishing feats they had once thought to be impossible.

Performance enhancing drugs are simply another chapter in the evolution of sports and athletics.

Giving thanks, not breaking banks While Thanksgiving was meant literally for giving thanks, it has recently been overwhelmed by gluttony. Not only have Americans been gorging themselves with food, but they have resorted to a new and improved feast: Black Friday shopping.

This popular trend has become less

By Maddie about spending time with family and Newton friends and realizing our blessings and multimedia executive more about how much we can eat editor or spend. Thanksgiving originated in humility, giving thanks for the positive things in life, and has developed into a holiday of glut and overindulgence.

Black Friday has begun pushing Americans to ignore the original intent of Thanksgiving and encouraging them to focus on shopping. This completely contradicts

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the founders of this country’s ideas of thankfulness and gratitude.

At what point exactly did it become acceptable to disregard the one day this country has used as a reminder to give thanks? The obsession with Black Friday shopping has demoralized Thanksgiving, transforming the holiday into an obsession with spending. This new trend has encouraged many to sacrifice time with friends and family to buy a TV that is $20 cheaper than normal. Since when is $20 more important than a day filled with family and friends?

This ridiculous amount of shopping is teaching Americans that it is acceptable to ignore giving thanks on the one day out of the year that it is encouraged and instead resort to purchasing useless items for hardly any less money.

Is it not alarming to anyone else that our holiday to remind us of virtues and morals is being corrupted by nearly the opposite? The amount of time wasted at a local Wal-Mart on Thanksgiving Day is absurd compared to the time spent sitting and enjoying family. Before we know it,

the box

no hunger holiday sweater weather

stores will begin opening at noon and serving us food as we wait in lines, allowing these greedy vultures a chance to forego their holiday completely.

Thanksgiving is not the only thing being tainted by this obsession with shopping, but Christmas is as well. It is scary that society has been able to turn two of the most virtuous and noble holidays into symbols of wealth and greed.

Beginning in the middle of November, ads begin coming out with new bargains and fancy bells and whistles available that holiday season. This encourages families to forget the true meaning of the holidays and focus on what new and improved gadgets they can get their hands on this year.

As stores open earlier and earlier for Black Friday shopping, it is crucial for Americans to remember to give thanks for their true blessings and resist the temptation from the media to blow excessive amounts of money on unnecessary accessories for their already extravagant lives.

bye bye bradford

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Class wars without all the drama and destruction are appreciated. The turkey drive encourages friendly competition and a chance to see Dr. Arnel in a turkey costume.

Tis the season to bring those sweaters back out that were buried deep inside of your closet during the summer. It’s cool to be warm.

As the starting quarterback for the Rams, Sam Bradford, was injured, it seems that they have returned to their typical losing season.

postseason

catching fire

demanding deadlines

The movie sequel to the Hunger Games, “Catching Fire,” will be released in theatres Nov. 22. As this phenomenon grows, theaters expect a packed house.

On top of regular schoolwork, college application deadlines are approaching. Add to that the technical difficulties that are occuring on the Common App and other applications, and you have one stressful situation.

LOVE LIKE LEAVE Evidently, FHC’s sports teams have caught the Cardinals’ momentum and have begun winning when it really counts. The boys soccer team, boys swim team and football team continue through the postseason with high hopes.

fhctoday.com | be heard

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staffeditorial

Boxes of food sit empty at the O.A.S.I.S. Food Pantry in St. Charles on Saturday, Nov. 2. Food pantries throughout the St. Charles area have seen donations decline as Missouri’s problem with families has increased over the past 10 years, leaving the state as one of the worst in the country in terms of hungry people. Young people are the area most affected, according to the Missouri Kids Count report.

Hunger hits home W

hen we think of hunger, our minds tend to jump to starving children in Africa and India. Children that aren’t really our problem. It’s not often we think about hunger on the home front.

The recent data shows that hunger isn’t really that far from home. In fact, it isn’t even too far from our school, given that 16.9 percent of the student body qualifies for free or reduced lunches.

The attitude of apathy that has become common in our society is part of the reason poverty and hunger are so prevalent. If we all looked around and reacted with more compassion, then we could all do our part to help those in need.

47 million Americans are on food stamps. That’s almost 15 percent of the country. As a country, we have become so dependant on governmental aid that we have become less and less giving. Volunteering is now

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viewed as a chore by most people, and food pantries are receiving fewer and fewer donations, as evidenced by the O’Fallon Food Pantry actually running out of food earlier this year. We as a culture have become selfish.

But why is any human life less valuable than another?

Why do we value our personal wealth more than the survival of our fellow man? And how can we break out of this self-absorbed trend?

It all starts with finding a reason to care. Whether that reason is a young mother with starving children or an adorable homeless kitten set to be euthanized, no one can truly give without true motivation.

While many people do volunteer for required service hours, they ignore the true spirit of giving. If anything is expected to change, it has to come from a place of sincerity and an honest desire to make things better for other people.

The next step is getting involved and regularly helping

out. Find a food bank to volunteer with once a month.

Go through your old clothes and donate to a homeless shelter every few months. Spend some time with the animals at a local pet shelter. Our community is full of charitable organizations that are always in desperate need of help, both in donations and in volunteers. No matter what your interests are, there are plenty of ways to get involved.

Finally, the most important way to help is getting the word out. There are so many people struggling in silence without the publicity to get the help they need.

Once you find a cause you care about, spread the word.

The more help you can get for your cause, the better off they will be. And when you become truly passionate about something, you want to share that passion.

People around us are suffering. The attitude of apathy that we as a nation has needs to change before anything will get better. So step up and find a reason to care.

A season to remember

Check out FHCtoday.com’s first large-scale infographic for a look back at the football season.

Look for it online next week!

patrons of FHC Publications Those listed below help support the publishing endeavors of FHC Publications through their time, money and past service.

Editor-in-chief level Ted Noelker Lindsay Schallon Lisa Cunningham Editor level Jeff & Sonja Mugler Staff reporter level Billy & April Rowland Paul & Bonnie Buhse The staff members of each publication would like to thank those listed above for their continued support of scholastic journalism.

To become a patron of FHC Publications, please contact Mr. Matthew Schott at matthew. schott@fhsdschools.org

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Erin Schroeder - Print Executive Editor Madelyn Newton - Multimedia Executive Editor Claire Richardson- The Scene Editor Ben Morrison - Be Heard Editor Jessica Mugler - Copy Editor Kortney Sheahan - Photo Editor Ashley Marlo - Photo Editor Hannah Beckmann - Reporter Olivia Biondo - Reporter Morgan Brader - Reporter Alexander Buhse - Reporter Devin Chen - Reporter Tori Cooper - Reporter Brayden Densmore - Reporter

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the central focus, along with fhctoday.com, are student-run publications which look to serve the francis howell central community through relevant, reliable journalism. the newsmagazine is meant to have an analytical outlook on topics and stories which matter to our readers. we are always looking to improve, and feedback is always appreciated. fhctoday.com | interact

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Mouth-watering moments at FCA Juniors Emily Herd and Dani Robbins enjoy a slice of pizza as they wait for FCA to begin. Everyone brought a food dish to share with the group.

On Nov. 5, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes met at Claire and Shelby Maupin’s house for their bi-weekly meeting, where they met with Darrill Martin, the St. Charles area FCA director. Photos by Kortney Sheahan

Junior Daniel Tedder holds the board as St. Charles FCA director Darrill Martin draws the diagram of faith. Tedder has been an active member of FCA since his freshman year.

Juniors Elise Thomas and Dylan Cochran share a laugh after Darrill Martin concluded his lesson.

Thomas and Cochran have participated in FCA since their freshman year.

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aperture | november 15, 2013

ABOVE: Senior Taylor Stone reads John 3:16 to the rest of his group.

Stone was a leader last year for FCA. "John 3:16 is one of the most important verses in the Bible, if not the most important, because it sums up the entire message of the Christian faith in a few sentences," Stone said.

ABOVE RIGHT: Seniors Kim Kirkman and Shelby Maupin share a laugh while discussing how they pray. This particular week's meeting revolved around the gospel message. BELOW RIGHT: Freshman Jared Stone and sophomore Clark Hepler share a seat as they await the group discussion to begin. The FCA leaders led the entire club in an overview of the meeting after the groups split up for discussion.