TKC Issue 2 2018

The kirkwood

CALL September 2018

Volume 101 Issue 2

REPRESENT-ASIAN

P. 32

managing editor

features staff Jack Anderson Lilly Bartin Sophie Chappell Zach Deutschmann Amara Harper Molly Higgins Amelia Hurley Jack Matousek Tom Mueller Elliot Notrica Ryleigh Palmer Ethan Peter Paisley Regester

Claire Boysen Emma Lingo Maddie Meyers business editor

news editor Grace Klebe news staff Jonathon Munroe

TJ Kocher business staff

health + wellness editor Annie O’Brien sports editor

editor-in-chief Jack Rintoul Logan Crews Bridget Killian associate editor Maddie Hawes print editor Thomas Birmingham web editor Adler Bowman Izzy Colón

Marc Binder Emily Hovey Harry Loida Nicole Roth pr editor Maisie Bradley Ashley Chiles assistant pr editor Anthony Speech copy editor Liam Jackson Grace Murphy design editor Wolfgang Frick design staff Cate Camenzind Clayton Caringer Sophia Molitor Olivia Silvey opinions editor Megan Cleveland opinions staff Catherine Butler Carter Philipp Kiden Smith parsnip editor Brendan Davidson entertainment editor Malcia Greene entertainment staff Mia Alexander Lilly Anderson web staff Lydia Cohen Grace Fearheiley video editor Audrey Berns features + in-depth editor Charlotte Heinrich Ally Ortmann

Daniel Kim Benji Wilton sports staff Riley Arns Austin Cleveland Keegan Pfeifer social media editor Kylan Lane Naomi Thomson social media staff Louis Garr Elizabeth Miller Daniel Tobias Maddie Bromfman art editor Sarah Nash Lizzie Stobbe artist Celia Bergman Maggie Burton Grace Carroll Grace Ferguson Mary Grace Heartlein Cate McCandless Grace Mennerick Thora Pearson Maddy Rehkop Tatum Shore-Fitzgerald Sophie Smith Bismah Syed photo editor Mary Ralston Kara Rieger Malayna Vines photographer Christian Baker Kelley Cochran Genevieve Francois Morgan Gindler Taylor Jackson Julia Knoll Meg Murphy Ben Rives Will Rives Megan Van Buren

staff

COVER ART BY: MARY GRACE HEARTLEIN staff artist

Contact ads@thekirkwoodcall.com if you would like to support our publication this school year. editor Jake Allen Jennifer Belden Julie Bielicki Jessica Boiron Michael Brofman Dave & Carol Butler Matt & Christina Butler Edith F. Chappell John & Laurie Chappell Kathleen Chappell Hannah Cohen Ira & Ann Cohen Denise Cook Mary Jane Crews Laura L. Curtis Erik & Sarah Dahms The Ewen Family Daryl Fagan The Grabau Family Sally Guignon Tom & Emily Guignon The Herwig Family Lynne & Edward Higgins Mike Hovey Nancy and Gene Iannotti Scarlett Kier Morris Killian Karen Klebe Penny and Bob Klebe The Klien Family Judy Klump Kelly Lane Martha Lane The Le Blue Family Nancy Lee Diann & Thomas Loida Chris & Maura Martin Alex & Jenny McPheeters David & Katie Meyer Joy Wesse Moll Chris & Katie Molitor Lawrence Molitor Terry & Diane Nixon Bob & Carolyn O’Neil

Maurice & Jay Parisien Doug & Kathy Paul Matt & Tanya Perry Tom Perry Sally Pfisterer Nathan Philipp Cindy Philipp Peggy Pierroutsakos Chrstina & Brian Roche Robyn Rosenberger The Runge Family Brian & Lynn Schaezler Ramona & Patrick Shaw Rae Sillver Anne Silvey Garth Silvey Mark & Holly Silver-Glaser Marth & Charlie Smith Rich Stobbe Barbara Tellez Jean Tomlin Evelyn Vetter Lori Villier Shelly & Zach Wagner Nancy Walkenhorst The Whittington Family The Winter Family Phonexay & Debi Xayanchack Anna Yarborough

editor-in-chief Dave Albright Jeanette Alexander Scott Anderson Jack & Janice Bailey Marianne Bartin Dan & Dori Battista Doug & Jo Brockhaus Lisa Brockhaus The Chiles Family Ned & Judy Cleveland Harold & Penny Collines Tom Copeland Heidi Currie

Gay Eining Tracey Ferguson Kimberly Gannon Joe & Marianne Gar Matt & Laurie Gindler Mary Glenn Anne Loida Amy & Chris Lowery Amy Monroe Lauren Morin Mike & Jeannie Murphy Sue Newell John & Cathy Pearson Todd Pearson The Ralston Family Dan & Tina Reising Paul & Rebec Roberts Eleanor & Mackay Salley The Sheridan Family Meghan & Andy Stewart Mary A. Tillman Dauglas & Benji Wilton

publisher John & Kathleen Bartin Robin & Craig Caringer James Carroll Trevor Cleveland Ryan Davidson Butch & Jan Frick Gretchen Gackstatter The Greene Family Jeanie Harper The Klebe Family Amy & Brad Kocher Mike & Tamara Lane Kate & Mike Lichtenberg The Meyers Family Kevin & Diana Miller Lisa Ortmann Dorogthy Pazdernik The Potthoff Family Dena Rehkop The Shore-Fitzgerald Family Jack & Nicole Vines

friends of call

IN THIS ISSUE news-features

Styro-Tromo | 06 Locked down | 07 The Kirkwood wellness dilemma | 08-09

features

Dancing through life | 10

opinions More free with Securly: A new firewall | 11 Call-Ed: Ranked | 12-13 Are we the enemy? | 14-15

06

art spread Best places to study in Kirkwood | 16-17

in-depth (Re) Cycling in change | 19-23

parsnip 5 ways to master your sadness | 24 KHS lunch location review guide | 25

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health + wellness Depression | 26-27 On the line | 28

sports Numbers don’t lie | 29 Fall sports madness | 30

entertainment Falling into fashion| 31 Represent-Asian| 32

photo spread Fall sports captains | 34-35 Issue 2

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FROM THE Editor’s desk

on health + wellness

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his year I, along with the other editors, decided to bring back the health and wellness section which has existed in previous years but ended up dissipating. The decision to do this came in light of a suicide among the KHS student body and a need for education and resources throughout the school for any kind of health issues, physical or mental. This issue, health and wellness is focused on things leaning more toward mental illness, with stories about a suicide lifeline and depression at KHS. The aim is to help both people struggling with these issues and the people around them so they can better understand what their peers are going through. In addition, this helps to supplement our coverage in September, which is National Suicide Prevention Month.

ANNIE O’BRIEN health + wellness editor Issue 2

September 2018

on the cover

T

he cover of this issue of TKC is an amazing piece by one of our many new artists, Mary Grace Heartlein.

It discusses Molly Higgins’ piece, “Represent-Asian,” which considers the representation that the movie “Crazy Rich Asians” brought to Hollywood. Molly is also a new writer this year, which shows that anyone is capable of producing content for TKC, no matter the amount of experience.

Aside from the cover, for the past two weeks, artists have been working nonstop creating content for our magazine, website and social media. Using a mixture of mediums and styles, each artist has created an individual assignment as well as collaborated with a writer to bring their stories to life. We hope that every reader is able to find a piece of art they connect with, whether it be funny, powerful or motivational.

LIZZIE STOBBE art editor

on the free press

O

n Aug. 16, almost 400 papers across the country led by The Boston Globe released editorials in defense of the free press in light of attacks from Preisdent Donald J. Trump on the fourth estate. In this issue, TKC is joining them with an editorial explaining why journalists and the work they do are not the enemy of the people. The fist and pencil, symbols of the free press, were encorporated into the page design, and the art reflects a hypothetical version of TKC that has been shut-down, censored and abandoned. We decided to publish this editorial to remind our readers of the value in news, the value in reporting and the value in telling the truth. We hope that after reading, you will be convinced every story in our magazine, every page on our website and every post on our social media has value, too.

THOMAS BIRMINGHAM print editor

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NEWS STORY BY: JONATHAN MUNROE news writer PHOTO BY: MALAYNA VINES photo editor

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very summer, Tropical Moose opens its windows to Kirkwood residents who flock to the Farmer’s Market and Kirkwood Park for their locally famous snow cones. But there is a downside to all this business: styrofoam usage.

“I hate styrofoam,” Madelyn Pozaric, sophomore, said. “I feel guilty whenever I eat out of it, and it makes me angry to see trash cans full of styrofoam at Tropical Moose.”

Pozaric is a member of the Environmental Society of Kirkwood, an organization that improves the quality of KHS by implementing a composting and recycling system. She believes there are many other materials that Tropical Moose could use to improve their carbon footprint such as compostable cups.

Michael Oldani, Mehlville High School senior, has been working at Tropical Moose for three years. Oldani said styrofoam is bad for the environment, but he has not seen another product that will both benefit sales and be better for the earth.

the dumpster.”

While styrofoam takes millions of years to decompose, it can be recycled. However, there are no recycling centers based in the St. Louis area that take styrofoam from food use. Styrofoam is especially hard to recycle because it has to be properly cleaned, which is one of the main reasons why Kirkwood was possibly going to end curbside recycling. Chinese companies are becoming more picky about how clean recycling is to be processed.

Currently, American trash has 25 percent contamination while recycling plants request to have 0.13 percent contamination according to Williams. For food containers, the paper has to be Grade A, meaning that it has never been printed on. If restaurants Tropical Moose such as On the Run and Chick-fil-A were to recycle their cups, they would all have to be hand washed and dried fully.

“Hopefully the next generation will be able to find a way to use newsprint and recycled

“I would love to be able to use a product that is compostable and recyclable, but it is going to take new material, new recycling techniques and community cooperation.” newspaper to make food containers,” Williams said. “I would love to be able to use a product that is compostable and recyclable, but it is going to take new material, new recycling techniques and community cooperation.” ◀

“I don’t think the styrofoam is a problem [at Tropical Moose] because of the cost factor for business,” Oldani said. “We have done compostable cups [in the past] and, [although] it was better for the environment, the expenses were not realistic.”

Jack Williams, Tropical Moose owner, implemented compostable cups in past seasons but it turned out they were worse for the environment. Not only did the cups cost 400 percent more than styrofoam, the paper used to make them had to be shipped from the United States to China.

There, it was manufactured and shipped back across the ocean to board a truck to the Midwest, making the carbon footprint enormous, according to Williams.

styro-tromo

Local businesses struggle between using styrofoam and organic materials for economic and environmental reasons.

“When we had the paper cups, there were a few recycling bins and people didn’t even recycle the cups,” Williams said. “Most of the time, the cups would be put in a plastic bag and they wouldn’t get picked up, so they would end up in

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page design by Jonathan Munroe

LOCKED DOWN STORY BY: AMARA HARPER features writer ART BY: GRACE FERGUSON staff artist

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s the bell rings, you run up to the door of your next class. You tug at the handle but the door is locked. You frantically knock to no avail. Before you know it, the tardy bell rings, and you are officially late to class.

Recently students have been faced with these situations due to a new policy at KSD. The “locked doors” policy was enacted for the 2018-2019 school year, and states that all the classroom doors, as well as exterior doors, must be locked at all times. According to Dr. Michael Havener, KHS principal, this is to help ensure the safety of all students.

“This is all part of the process of trying to secure our campuses,” Havener said. “This was one of the recommendations that we not only lock the exterior doors, but [lock] the actual classroom doors.”

Students and faculty were made aware of the policy at the beginning of the school year. Some teachers, like, German teacher, Cheryll Bowman, have come up with adjustments to make the new policy easier for students.

Havener said this policy change was not unprompted. With the fear of school shootings becoming an increasing issue, KSD wants to do everything they can not only to ensure safety, but to give both faculty and students a peace of mind as well.

“Mentally, it is a security blanket,” Bowman said.

“If something were to happen, it would be the first protection against a bad person.”

However, students have mixed reactions. Some were frustrated due to getting locked out of class, standing outside for minutes on end waiting for someone to come to the door and unlock it.

According to Devin Corley, sophomore, others seem unaffected by the new policy.

“It doesn’t really affect me as a student except when I see people getting locked out of class,” Corley said. “It doesn’t really come into use until a school shooter is present and then we have to use it.”

KHS was not the first school to enact this new policy. Schools such as Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where a school shooting occurred last February, have similar security-related policies. According to Sun-Sentinel, all of the interior and exterior doors in the building were locked at the time of the shooting. Tragedies like these have caused some schools such as KHS to require trainings for teachers. ◀

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page design by Amara Harper

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NEWS

STORY BY: GRACE KLEBE news editor

THE KIRKWOOD W

ART BY: GRACE CARROLL staff artist

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ifty one percent (180/348) of KHS students think KSD needs a new plan to deal with the mental health of its students and staff.

With no current district-wide plan in place, the school board submitted a Request for Proposals (RFP) in March 2018 asking for help from different organizations to form a new plan focused on the mental health of KSD staff and students. The RFP stated: “The districts desired outcome is for all students and staff to be prepared to live a lifestyle of wellness, which includes being both physically and mentally healthy.”

Two different groups responded to the request, one based in St. Louis and the other in Kansas City. A KSD Wellness Committee reviewed both models and decided that the group from St. Louis, the Anthropedia Foundation, was the better of the two.

“Anthropedia addressed every single thing we put in the [RFP],” Julie Backer, school board secretary and Wellness Committee member, said. “We felt that Anthropedia knew our district already, they are in the area and they addressed all of our concerns very specifically.”

After the decision to continue meeting with Anthropedia, there were several meetings with

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the school board, principals and administration.

Multiple board members reported feeling excited about the potential of a new district-wide wellness plan. However there were also questions about the proposal, as Anthropedia takes a more unconventional approach to well-being.

Anthropedia is an international non-profit organization founded in St. Louis in 2004 with a mission to

educate people about mental and physical health.

In the past, they have worked with the Northwest School District as well as with the homeless in St. Louis.

Julie Geeting, Anthropedia-trained well-being coach, discovered the group while in graduate school for counseling. She liked the foundation because of their unique approach to wellness.

“I realized that everyone was separating the [different factors of health],” Geeting said.

“The people at the doctor’s office were ignoring thoughts and emotions as part of health, and the people in the counseling and therapeutic world were pretending the body didn’t influence thoughts. Anthropedia was the only group I found that realized not only are those two things deeply connected, they are interwoven with existential needs like meaning, purpose and connection.”

Examples of the physical methodology Anthropedia uses are dance, art and coordination exercises. They have also worked with experts in philosophy, neuroscience, massage, music, osteopathy, manual therapy, meditation and more. The model Anthropedia proposed to KSD involved training staff in their methods. All staff would receive some training, but a few would participate in the full training.

“Enthusiastic and eager staff would have been invited to do the 265 hour coach certification training,” Geeting said. “We

D WELLNESS DILEMMA hoped to have 30 staff or community members over two years participate voluntarily in the coach training so they could eventually work with the district in an ongoing commitment to staff and student well-being.”

Anthropedia believes if the role models of the students are better able to manage stress and

“I don’t know anybody, especially [teenagers], that have not been personally affected by the [mental health] epidemic.” grow their well-being, it will trickle down to the students, resulting in stability and a positive community. It was important to them to work with the entire district, ensuring everyone’s well-being. Backer believed it would be easy to get the staff on board with this plan, but some had doubts.

“It’s really hard to do a mindset [and] culture change in which you change how you live in order to [impact] the people around you,” Melissa Sandbothe, KSD executive director of special programs, said. “It’s a huge leap of faith to believe that people are going to go on that journey with you.”

Anthropedia presented again at a school board meeting in May 2018. According to Kevin Cloninger, CEO of the Anthropedia Foundation, they left the meeting feeling confident and ready to start working. After a few months without hearing from the district, Cloninger said they reached out, and it became clear to him through communication with the district that the

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Anthropedia model did not have enough support from the board or principals, and they were looking for a plan that would primarily focus on the students.

“It seems, though, that it wasn’t the right time for a district-wide strategy,” Cloninger said. “District leaders truly care about the issue. We were looking forward to partnering with Kirkwood.”

Once Cloninger was made aware the proposal lacked support, Anthropedia made the decision to focus on other projects.

“An email comes from Kevin to the staff saying ‘Based off the feedback I’m getting from the school district, we are going to remove ourselves from the process,’” Chad Kavanaugh, school board director, said. “I was shocked. How did we get here?”

Kavanaugh thinks there was a communication breakdown. He doesn’t believe there was a lack of support from the school board. “[Anthropedia’s] interpretation of what they were told is that [they weren’t] being supported,” Sandbothe said. “That’s not true. I am not aware of one principal [or] board member who philosophically didn’t believe that what they were trying to achieve was good, that it was needed, that it was right. It completely came down to how [we] take this theory and philosophical structure and implement it in a way that [will make] people want to go on the ride with [us].”

Dr. Michelle Condon, KSD superintendent, declined to comment on the issue because an official contract was never created between Anthropedia and the district.

Although Anthropedia was told there wasn’t enough support from the board or the principals, there was never an official vote.

“That kind of upset me, because I’m thinking to myself, hold on, we never voted. I was never

asked publicly or privately my opinions on Anthropedia,” Kavanaugh said. “I was never in a setting where someone said, ‘Hey Chad, how do you feel about it? What are your concerns? What do you like, what do you not like?’”

Kavanaugh and other board members were surprised by Anthropedia removing their offer.

Since they had spent multiple months working on this, some felt confused as to why it ended so abruptly.

“It’s so emotional for me because we worked on it for a really long time,” Backer said. “I don’t know anybody, especially [teenagers], that have not been personally affected by the [mental health] epidemic.”

Since KSD is no longer working with Anthropedia, the board and administration say they must start fresh when it comes to a wellness plan. Backer and Dr. Michael Havener, KHS principal, doubt there will be a new district wide plan for the 2018-19 school year, but they hope there will be one in the near future.

“We are in the process now of doing exactly what would have been the first step in Anthropedia’s proposal, which is to determine what our needs are,” Sandbothe said. “What are our current resources, what is out there, what are the areas that we don’t have as many resources in.”

As of now, there is not another RFP. KHS is going to continue the no-homework weekends with hope they relieve some of the stress the students are feeling, and Havener says they are becoming district wide.

“Mental health and wellness is such a huge problem right now,” Backer said. “It is going to take a district that is willing to be brave and do something really out of the box. It might scare some people, but if we don’t do anything at all, the alternative is we sit on our hands and do nothing. I don’t think that’s going to get us in any better of a place.”◀

spread design by Grace Klebe

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FEATURES

Dancing Through Life S

extra copy of chromosome 21. Clare said she sometimes struggles because she has Down Syndrome, but has friends who also have Down Syndrome that she can relate to.

“I’m very creative,” Clare said. “I’m very clever with things [and] very unique. There’s no other kid like me.”

“When I first met [my friends who have Down Syndrome] I [understood] them,” Clare said.

“We all have [Down Syndrome], and I can help them with their problems.”

Clare has been dancing for as long as she can remember and dances whenever she has the opportunity, whether that be in school or at home. Clare’s sister, Mary Grace Sullivan, said dancing has always been a big part of Clare’s life.

According to Clare, she is a problem solver and loves helping people. Clare said she lays her problems out, cuts them up, and solves them one piece at a time so she doesn’t get overwhelmed.

“I remember when we were little we would do performances for our family during Christmas and big holidays,” Mary Grace said. “She’s always loved to dance.”

“I want to [make] people feel good,” Clare said.

“I want people to think ‘I’m not alone. She’s always going to be there.’ When there’s a hard time I’m always there to help them.”

Clare also dances to help with the struggles of her everyday life. When life gets difficult or overwhelming, she dances.

Clare said she often finds help and support in her family. She and her sister both say their family is very supportive.

“[Dancing helps me] with [the] stress of school and friends,” Clare said. “I can just put it to the side and dance.”

“My parents have always let her do whatever she wanted to do in terms of dancing or different extracurricular activities,” Mary Grace said.

“My aunts and grandmas are [also] always supporting her and going to her different recitals, congratulating her on the different

he goes outside, puts on her rose gold headphones and starts to dance like nobody’s watching. Clare Sullivan, sophomore, loves to express herself through dance.

Clare has Down Syndrome, a condition that is caused by the presence of a full or partial

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awards she’s gotten in the past as well, just being there throughout her life.”

Clare is a member of Circle of Friends, a club for students with and without disabilities at KHS. Zach Baynham, sophomore, is a member of Circle of Friends and a friend of Clare, who he met through the club. “[When I first met Clare] I thought she was hilarious,” Baynham said. “She’s always dancing and [is] always so nice. She’ll always say hi to you in the hallways and it’s really sweet.”

Claire said her and her sister were very close growing up. Mary Grace said Clare works hard day in and day out, and that she makes her a more confident person.

“I think she has a very wise mindset on the world,” Mary Grace said. “The fact that she continues to [overcome] different obstacles in her life [shows] her true character. People should know that she is really special.”◀

STORY BY: LIAM JACKSON copy editor PHOTO BY: MARY RALSTON photo editor

page design by Liam Jackson

MORE FREE WITH SECURLY: the new f irewall STORY BY: TOM MUELLER features writer ART BY: SOPHIE SMITH staff artist

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t’s 10 p.m. and you’ve just sat down at your desk to start a research assignment requiring you to use multiple citations, due for class tomorrow morning. As you scour the internet for enriching, relevant sources, you’re consistently met with a barrier keeping you from the information you’re looking for: the websites are blocked. After 30 minutes of frustration-fueled searching, you’re able to start writing, hoping that the sources you’ve cited won’t keep you from a good grade.

Over the summer, the KSD announced via email that the district changed its internet filtering provider, moving from Lightspeed Systems to Securly, which occurred because the lease with Lightspeed Systems ended and students had found “workarounds” for the old software. The change is beneficial for students and staff, as it offers more accessibility to online content such as YouTube and Facebook, which were previously barred from district-issued iPads and laptops.

However, 55 percent (192/348) of KHS students didn’t think a change was necessary and 25 percent (88/348) weren’t sure, showing that many students believe more freedom could have been granted. Although much of the content on these sites is based in entertainment, the ability for students to utilize scholarly video and webbased resources is critical as people progressively integrate the internet into their lives.

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Securly also provides more flexible services than Lightspeed Systems, as highlighted by their announcement of Securly 24. Among other things, this service allows, according to Securly’s online description of the service, “a Securly 24-staff member to alert a counselor in real-time via text or, if necessary, a phone call” if a student displays unhealthy online behaviors toward themselves or other people such as contemplating suicide, bullying others, or expressing feelings of depression.

This function is something Lightspeed Systems lacked proficiency in, making Securly’s ability to do so even more beneficial. Based off this and the overall increased security provided

by Securly, it’s reasonable to foresee fewer internet-related suspensions, similar to those that occurred at the end of last year. Some students were suspended for using teacher login information to access the Infinite Campus Gradebook to change their grades, while others were suspended for using remembered login information to access and change information on the server reserved by North Glendale elementary school. The FBI’s investigation of the incident epitomized the issue, characterizing the pervasiveness of poor online security at our school and justifying a distinct change in internet filtering providers.

Before you assume you’ve been given unlimited, largely un-filtered internet access for personal divulgence, remember who is providing it and their expectations. According to KSD Student Handbook Policy EHB, “a user does not have a legal expectation of privacy in the user’s electronic communications or other activities involving the district’s technology resources” and “all users consent to having their electronic communications and all other use monitored by the district.”

The threat of wandering down an internet rabbit-hole is always prevalent. Websites such as Buzzfeed, offering sensationalist headlines and quizzes to attract readers, and Reddit, a forum for various topics, are unblocked on Securly, having been blocked by Lightspeed Systems previously. The unblocking of websites that has occurred as a result of switching to Securly is a substantial step toward the ultimate goal of complete internet freedom. The next step is to unblock websites such as The Today Show, a marginally partisan news show aired on NBC. This will continue the quest for complete internet freedom at school, but would also give students access to more sources from varying perspectives and political affiliations.

The switch to Securly has been relatively fluid, with changes occurring intermittently. For example, a recent change to KHS Wi-Fi has rendered accessing the internet from non-district technology impossible. This decision has created an almost laughable hypocrisy: in a place meant to foster learning, where students are no longer able to use their most readily available tool to do so, their phones. While the laptops can access the internet as effectively as your phone, the decision shows a lack of continuity in how internet freedom is provided on campus. More importantly, the ability to access the internet should not be limited to a specific type of technology. Securly’s function to provide students with less restricted Internet access puts the responsibility on them to utilize accurate and reputable sources and manage their time while on the internet, building skills that will aid them through high school, in college, and in their adult lives. These are skills that should be allowed to develop, rather than limited.

It’s a month later and you’re back at your desk, starting another research assignment at 10 p.m.

This time, though, you feel more confident that you’ll be able to find enriching, unblocked sources because Lightspeed Systems is no longer filtering the internet. After researching, you’re not anxious to begin writing; as you look at the many tabs opened in the background, you feel prepared to start the assignmentt, and confident it’ll get a good grade. ◀

page design by Tom Mueller

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OPINIONS

Call ED: RANKED After a series of discussions regarding academic pressures among the student body, the administration will recommend to the school board discontinuing the KHS class rank system. With the unhealthy extremes students are sacrificing, 77 percent (74/96) of TKC staff believes KHS should eliminate the of ranking students based on GPA.

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s December arrives, counselors and administrators host an annual meeting at Keating Theater for students to discuss their future. A powerpoint illuminates the auditorium as they reiterate college prerequisites, graduation and GPA requirements to the student body. Each slide brings more tension as questions such as, “What AP classes are you taking?” or “What’s your GPA?” consumes the auditorium. With the heightened pressure to have a GPA greater than 4.0, a new, more competitive mentality takes over and maintaining a flawless transcript becomes an unhealthy competition between students.

In order to protect the students’ mental health, Dr. Michael Havener, principal, discussed eliminating the class rank system starting with the Class of 2022. In replacement of class rank, Havener said he hopes to implement a Cum Laude system which will still grant students recognition for their academic achievement.

Unlike class rank, which individually classifies students, the Cum Laude system recognizes academic achievement in three groups: Summa, which requires a 4.0 and above, Magna, which

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requires a 3.5 and above and Cum Laude, which requires a 3.0 and above. The new Cum Laude system would still encourage competition but would also allow students to prioritize other interests.

Although the class rank system stimulates competition and self-motivation, it fails to represent the student as a well-rounded individual, but instead as a number. The class rank system also does not portray the exact ranking of each individual in a class. According to Havener, multiple students can maintain the same class rank if they hold the same GPA which only devalues the significance of being ranked number 17 or 74 in a class.

According to Havener, the class rank system no longer benefits students and is not accurate in regards to the college admission process. With increasing expectations to enroll in rigorous courses, students as young as middle schoolers are sacrificing their interests such as orchestra and band in order to raise their GPA. From a young age, students are developing a mentality of taking classes that they should take instead of what they want to take. No person should enroll in classes

for the purpose of a number. Especially at the age of 12.

Schools nationwide are also recognizing the ills of the class rank system. At Hilliard City School District in Columbus, Ohio, the school board decided to eliminate the district’s class rank system on July 20, 2018. According to John Bandow, director of secondary curriculum and college partnerships, students at Hilliard City School District taking courses in an area of personal interest, even if it is not on the four-point scale, should not negatively affect GPA. At KHS, students fear pursuing classes of interest for the sake of jeopardizing their class rank. If KHS were to eliminate the class system, students could actually enroll in classes based on passion and not obligation.

The usage of the class rank system is also decreasing throughout the nation due to unjust process during college admission. According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), more than half of the nation’s high schools no longer report class rank.

Small private and competitive high schools are eliminating or have already eliminated their

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class rank systems because it penalizes qualified students who were cut from the top 10 percent of their class. Not only are KHS and Lindbergh High School competitive schools, but they are the only remaining two large public high schools in the St. Louis area who have yet to discontinue their class rank system.

Sure, if the system were to still hold significance in today’s college admission process, then high schools should respond by ranking their students in order to meet college prerequisites. However, since colleges no longer require a student to report their class rank, then high school should not encourage such practices.

By eliminating class rank, KHS can lean toward the Cum Laude system that more accurately reflects a student’s achievement throughout their academic career. If KHS were to discontinue the outdated and inaccurate class rank system and adopt a new installation, students could finally prioritize elective classes and paint a true portrait of themselves. Colleges would be able to see a raw and true representation of a student that is not based on a number, but as a person. ◀

“From a young age, students are developing a mentality of taking classes they should take instead of what they want to take.”

STORY BY: TKC STAFF ART BY: SARAH NASH art editor

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OPINIONS

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n 1787, the United States was in a state of self-discovery. As the founding fathers drafted radical new ideas about their young democracy, a need to prevent the government from becoming too powerful remained at the forefront of their minds. It was in January of that year Thomas Jefferson famously wrote to a friend, “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”

informed, which is essential to even the most basic democracy. In the eyes of his supporters, Trump has made it so that he can never tell a lie.

What is so alarming about Trump’s apparent disdain for journalists is that he seems to be the first president in American history without a basic respect for the fourth estate and the rights of the press guaranteed in the First

heedlessly on the memory of so many of the American heroes in this profession.

When he threatened to ban papers like The Washington Post and The New York Times from the White House Press Corp, he failed to honor the work of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein in uncovering the Watergate scandal.

Amendment. At Nine months later, the Bill an event Trump held in of Rights would become law, as would the phrase “Congress shall make no law July, he informed his audience abridging the freedom of the press.” Now, that, “what you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s over 200 years after these words were happening.” Trump has delivered written, journalists and the free press are such lines, lines which many under attack.

In February high of 2017, President Donald Trump school English made the bold claim on Twitter that the students will say could “news media is the enemy of the American have been taken straight people.” This proclamation combined with from the pages of George weaponizing phrases like “fake news” has Orwell’s “1984”, with solidified Trump as the news media’s primary incredible disregard for the antagonist. His rhetoric has earned a large potential future implications following in the public, with 29 percent of of branding a free press as an Americans believing that the news media is, enemy of freedom. in fact, their enemy, according to The Boston Globe. That these American citizens are, Trump’s anti-media somehow, un-American. bombardment has quickly taken root within his own These dangerous messages come party. The Boston Globe amidst major figures in the Trump reported that nearly half of administration attempting to Republicans believe the free convince the country that press is the enemy of the journalists – other than American people, and those in unflinching almost a quarter want to support of give Trump the power to Trump – are shut down news outlets like incapable of CNN and The New York telling the Times. But the free press truth. Trump’s must never be minimized to senior advisor party-lines or partisanship, Kellyanne because a free press, after Conway coined all, is synonymous with the term “alternative the ideals of democracy. facts” less than two Democracy doesn’t work months after Trump’s without free press, and a inauguration, and free press cannot work if Trump’s lawyer Rudy the citizens it is meant Giuliani recently to inform do not trust declared on national its legitimacy.

TV that “truth isn’t truth.” For months, But Trump has not this administration only managed to has attempted to diminish the value of the muddle the media’s institution of journalism ability to keep as a whole, but he has the public also stomped

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When he called

journalists ‘bad people’ at a rally one week after five of them were mercilessly gunned down this year in Annapolis, Maryland, he spits on the legacy of reporters like Ernie Pyle, who was killed while covering American troops during World War II, as well as the brave journalists who are killed across the globe every year in places where simply reporting the news accurately is punishable by death.

pride in being able to provide students with the news of the Kirkwood community, have been unfairly called out. We, who spend hours making sure we check every fact and get every story right, have been attacked by our own president. We, whose only goal is to serve our readers, have been stamped with a label we don’t deserve.

We journalists, who Trump has demanded to just stop publishing any criticism whatsoever, are not publishing this article for Trump. We are publishing this article for you. The people.

To tell you that having the desire to hold the powerful accountable does not make you a liar. To show you that while fake news is a growing problem in this industry, for every made up story there are countless truthful ones. To demonstrate that having a commitment to telling the truth does not make you un-American.

To To convince you that being a journalist, no matter what age, does not make you the enemy of your fellow citizens.

And just as a democracy needs a free press, the press needs the public’s Are these people, these involvement and national heroes, these support. So after reading brave men and women, this, we encourage you really the enemy to step away from the of the American shouting, finger-pointing people? Are they and fear-mongering and really my enemy? Are take a moment to look they yours? at the world around you.

Be curious. Be skeptical.

By implicating in the Question those with entire journalism authority. Be involved. profession in his long Because at the end of list of enemies, he the day, there is really has also directed his only one question you attacks at the over need to ask yourself.

90 staffers of The Kirkwood Call. We, Are we your enemy? ◀ who take

thekirkwoodcall.com For the full story, visit thekirkwoodcall.com

STORY BY: THOMAS BIRMINGHAM print editor ART BY: TATUM SHORE staff artist

ARE WE THE ENEMY? Issue 2

September 2018

spread design by Thomas Birmingham

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ART

BEST PLACES TO STUDY IN KIRKWOOD PHOTO AND ART BY: GRACE FERGUSON, LIZZIE STOBBE, BISMAH SYED staff artists

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thekirkwoodcall.com

Issue 2

September 2018

spread design by Lizzie Stobbe

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Sharing faith with STL

New KHS club, K-Dub, promotes explortation of music and technology

Your athletes owe you nothing

Visit

Dairy protest at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard

www.thekirkwoodcall.com for more daily content.

Kirkwood reverses its decision to suspend curbside recycling

1010 Old Des Peres Rd, Des Peres, MO 63131 18

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(re)cycling in change Pg. 19-23

The City of Kirkwood announced it was reversing its decision to end curbside recycling Sept. 6. The recycling program was in danger of ending in late October due to Resource Management, the city’s recycling processor, hiking up their prices per ton of recyclables. In light of this decision, many have questioned how the city got to this point and how important the environment is to Kirkwood.◀ BY: SOPHIE CHAPPELL, EMMA LINGO, MADDIE MEYERS AND ALLY ORTMANN ART BY: THORA PEARSON staff artist

Issue 2

September 2018

page design by Ally Ortmann

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IN-DEPTH

chinese regulations impact

AMERICAN RECYCLING

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our shirt. Your shoes. Your phone.

Chances are, all of these items were made in China. America even relies on China for its recycling needs. But that is about to change.

According to David Biderman, Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) executive director, America exports about one third of its recycling, and most of that goes to China because America does not have the domestic capacity for it. China also wants the scrap metal and materials to feed its manufacturing systems. Now China is putting stricter restrictions on recycling in place, which may impact the availability and cost of curbside recycling in America, including Kirkwood.

“China was not happy being a dumping ground for foreign waste,” Biderman said. “They want to develop their own domestic recycling system where they generate paper, plastic and metal to feed their needs, and do not rely on the United States or other foreign countries.”

Biderman said at the beginning of this year, China banned the import of mixed paper and plastics from all countries, not just America. He said China is allowing some other items, but they are subject to a very important restriction.

“The material has to be no more contaminated than 0.5 percent,” Biderman said. “What I mean by contaminated is that if there is a bail filled of cardboard …there can’t be a lot of food in the cardboard. There can’t be plastic in the cardboard such that more than 0.5 percent of the weight of that cardboard is something other than cardboard.”

According to Biderman, American tariffs on Chinese exports is the most recent factor affecting stronger restrictions on recycling, which just happened Aug. 23. He said China is retaliating by imposing a 25 percent tariff on items coming out of America, including small scrap and recyclables. These restrictions will affect people living on the coasts more than people

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living in the Midwest because the Midwest has more space for waste and recyclables than the coasts, which will have to ship their recyclables somewhere else.

are going to greatly impact local recycling programs. She said there needs to be an end market for the materials otherwise they will stack up in a landfill.

“The average American should expect the cost of recycling collection to go up,” Biderman said.

“It’s going to go up more on the coast than in the middle of the country, but it’s going to go up in both places.”

“We are really going to have to work with our local and regional processors about what materials [can be recycled] and do a better job on a clean recycling stream,” Gehlert said. “People are going to have to stop the wishful recycling where they may not be sure if an item can be recycled or not. When in doubt, don't put those items in.”

Angela Gehlert, Missouri Recycling Association executive director, believes these new restrictions

Biderman said people need to be more thoughtful when recycling. He said people

recycle hoses and string lights, which are not recyclable in curbside recycling and get tangled up in the recycling facilities. The facilities have to shut down when people recycle plastic bags because the workers have to pull the pieces of plastic off the equipment.

“What we need to do in the United States is invest more in domestic recycling infrastructure so we can handle this material here,” Biderman said. “This creates jobs and reduces the amount of emissions associated with shipping stuff all

over the world.”

Bill Bensing, Kirkwood public services director, hopes people will become more educated on what can actually be recycled. This will decrease the contamination rate and allow recycling back into the international market. “[People] can make recycling better by going back to the basics,” Bensing said. “When they recycle, [they should] make sure things are emptied, clean and dry because that’s where some of the contamination comes from, bottles that still have liquid in them and food containers that still have food in them.”

According to Biderman, if facilities stop processing recyclables, some facilities might have to lay off workers. But he said some other facilities are trying to clean up the recycling in their facility so they are hiring more people.

“They hire people known as pickers because they pick the bad stuff off the conveyor belt,” Biderman said. “So we’ve seen it increase in many facilities where [companies] are hiring more people to try and satisfy China’s stricter standards.”

Biderman and Gehlert both believe it is up to this generation of teenagers to help influence and educate their parents about recycling. Biderman said young people are often more motivated to help the environment and to make a difference.

“We live in a very fast-paced, throw-away society and the millions of water bottles has an environmental impact,” Gehlert said. “This generation, when they decide to do something, they can really get a movement going.”◀

STORY BY: MADDIE MEYERS web managing editor ART BY: THORA PEARSON staff artist

“China was not happy being a dumping ground for foreign waste.”

Issue 2

September 2018

spread design by Maddie Meyers

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T

IN-DEPTH

he City of Kirkwood introduced the possibility of suspending their curbside, single-stream recycling program due to increased contamination of loads being sent to China. However, due to opposition from the community, city officials announced they would continue to fund curbside pick up for the next 6 to 12 months until they can come up with an alternative way to recycle Sept. 6.

In the meantime, Bill Bensing, Kirkwood’s public service director, reassured residents there will be a campaign on re-educating people on how to properly dispose of items. KHS science teacher Mandy Melton said she hopes KSD will help educate students to create a ripple effect throughout the community.

“In order to live a healthier life we need to take care of our environment because it is interdependent,” Melton said. “I do worry because I don’t think people will realize the problem until it’s almost too late to do anything. It concerns me as a parent, as someone who cares about and educates hundreds of young kids, and as a citizen of our world.”

“Each of us have the responsibility as a global citizen to maintain the environment that’s been given to us.”

According to Dr. Michele Condon, superintendent, over the last few years KSD has increased its focus on building a more green school environment. KSD has participated in The Green Schools Competition, a competition awarding schools and students who have successfully created a more environmentally friendly school by improving environmental education and introducing sustainability projects.

“Project IDEA is an all-inclusive space of learning for children and the community,” Jansen said. “No matter what a child’s ability is, they can live and grow and play within that area. Children go and explore and play, and they create their opportunities in learning and their opportunities in play. We continue to look at Project IDEA as a learning campus and classroom.”

Their efforts have not stopped there. According to Jansen, Keysor continues to teach the importance of not only recycling, but of making smarter choices when it comes to the usage and disposal of materials and waste.

“The children are realizing they have a choice to make every time they decide to throw something away,” Jansen said. “There’s a thought [in Keysor’s students] heads now of what their impact going to be, and if it’s going to be for the positive or negative. [My students are] avoiding the landfill as much as possible.

These are 6 and 7-year-olds.”

Mike Romay, KSD chief financial officer, also expressed how KSD must do more than just recycle to properly teach the significance of being green.

Schools need to teach students to use less and be mindful of the materials they are using according to Romay.

“I think we should always be mindful of using less, even though we can continue to recycle,” Romay said. “It’s something we should focus on and teach our kids at a young age.

[Teaching them at school] also helps them at home with their families to think about being as green as they possibly can.”

“I think our continued work with organizations like Green Schools will help to make a difference,” Condon said. “We need to make sure everyone is on board and sending the same message to our kids.”

According to Condon and Jansen, KSD needs to continue efforts to spread knowledge of the environment to all students, regardless of the fate of the green bins. They claim it falls on the shoulders of teachers and parents to model and educate the ways future generations must treat the environment.

Following their efforts to continuously bring attention to the importance of teaching kids to respect the environment, Keysor Elementary was recognized as a 2017 Missouri Green Ribbon School. According to the U.S. Department of Education, in order to be awarded a Green Ribbon title, a school must reduce environmental impacts and costs, improve health and wellness of the school community and educate about effective environmental sustainability.

“The community is concerned of what our future is going to look like,” Jansen said. “ [The children] are the future. As educators across the community, it is our responsibility [to teach them] that [they] have a choice to make every single day, whether it’ll be for the betterment or negative for our world.

Our responsibility as teachers is to help foster the healthiest, most productive and positive environmental impact they can have, because each of us have the responsibility as a global citizen to maintain the environment that’s been given to us.” ◀

Traci Jansen, first grade teacher, claims the Green Ribbon was awarded to Keysor largely due to their program Project IDEA. Project IDEA is fostered through classroom teachers working the acronym’s meaning into their curriculum: Imagination, Discovery, Exploration, Adventure. Keysor created an outdoor learning space for students to immerse themselves in environmental learning that goes far beyond single-stream recycling.

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STORY BY: ALLY ORTMANN AND SOPHIE CHAPPELL features + in-depth editor and features writer

a ripple effect

thekirkwoodcall.com

ART BY: THORA PEARSON staff artist

page design by Ally Ortmann

Curbside recycling in Kirkwood began in 2011.

Prior, people either didn’t recycle, paid for private pick-up or had to separate their recyclables into categories and drive them to the nearest depository. The depository, Francis-Scheidegger, is located in the heart of Kirkwood at 350 South Taylor Avenue, and was one of the first recycling spots in the entire St. Louis area. The depository is open 24/7 and takes paper, certain plastics, glass, tin and more. Scheidegger has users separate their recyclables into labeled bins, and doesn’t accept styrofoam, batteries or hazardous waste.

ART DEPARTMENT

Issue 2

September 2018

THE ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIETY OF KIRKWOOD Mandy Melton, biology teacher, sponsors The Environmental Society of Kirkwood, a club dedicated to educating others on how to help the environment. Members in the past have focused on starting a recycling and composting program at the high school, improving the school’s air quality with gardens and attempting to alter the flow of KHS traffic so cars would spend less time idling in the parking lots. After hearing Kirkwood might soon stop collecting curbside recycling, Melton wants students to understand there are other ways to cut down on their carbon footprints. She said students can buy their own metal straws to reuse, their own reusable grocery bags and their own water bottles to avoid sending plastic to the landfill.

ALTERNATIVE

GROWING

Certain teachers at school are more than happy to take students’ waste and reuse it. Leslie Benben, art teacher, said students are welcome to ask her or other art staff if they will take recyclables for personal projects or classes.

In her class, Benben has used old yogurt cups, ripped sheets, stale Halloween candy, broken furniture, toilet paper tubes and more.

One specific item she would love to receive is styrofoam. Styrofoam isn’t recyclable, but Benben said the material is perfect for reuse when making prints and carvings. If a student doesn’t have the time to drive to the Kirkwood Depository, they should stop by and see if an art teacher could use some new mediums to work with.

RECYCLING EXTRAVAGANZA Forest Park remains a hot spot for festivals such as Loufest and Earth Day, but a lesser known Forest Park festival is the Recycling Extravaganza.

The biannual festival hosts booths that take unusual recyclables. From bikes to makeup, the booths collect many items the city won’t. Each April and September the event is set up in the parking lot of St. Louis Community College, and next year’s first festival will take place April 18.

Bob Byrne and Nanka Castulik, a married couple passionate about the environment, attended the festival for the first time last September. They described the festival as convenient and perfect for people who need to get rid of uncommon recyclables. Byrne and Castulik said they loaded up their car and literally went the extra mile to recycle because they believe everyone needs to dispose of waste responsibly.

“To me [recycling] is an extension of maintaining your home,” Castulik said. “The Earth is our home, it’s home to everyone who lives here, and if we want our larger home to be habitable, we need to be more responsible about what we’re throwing away.”◄

STORY BY: EMMA LINGO web managing editor ART BY: THORA PEARSON staff artist

METHODS

FRANCIS-SCHEIDEGGER RECYCLING DEPOSITORY

“Artists tend to not like throwing things away, so we use everything,” Benben said. “It’s not that hard to set [recyclables] to the side and give it to somebody. It’s helpful. It saves us money. It’s good all around.”

RECYCLING

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very week, families around Kirkwood roll their green recycling bins out to the curb.

Every week those recyclables are loaded onto a plane and flown across the world to China where they’re processed. As China raised its restrictions on the contamination level of recyclables, Kirkwood’s recycling services experienced a major blow. Keeping in mind there may be future issues with single stream recycling, here are four different ways to get rid of your recyclables.

page design by Emma Lingo

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PARSNIP

5 Ways to Master your Sadness *This piece is entirely satirical.

STORY BY: CARTER PHILIPP opinions writer

H

appiness is entirely overrated. It is for people that don’t have any of the stressful responsibilities that you have. So forget happiness. It will be way too hard to achieve. Instead, let’s focus on five ways you can actively maximise your misery.

Nobody knows you better than you. So don’t let anyone else push you outside of your comfort zone. Never try out for a sports team if you don’t know you’re going to make it.

Never ask someone to hang out because they probably won’t say yes. Never raise your hand to ask a question in class because if it’s a dumb question, everyone will think you’re stupid.

Instead, stick to what you know. Stay with the friends you have had since kindergarten. They’re familiar. Sit quietly in class regardless of how much the question you have burns at your mind because public speaking makes you uncomfortable. Always stay comfy.

1) Just don’t move at all

2) Mess with your sleep

Do not, under any circumstances, go to bed when you are tired. You must persist through the purgatory that is fatigue. You have so much work to do, so you will never be able to go to bed at a reasonable hour. It is equally important that you wake up to an alarm as well, never naturally.

Let that buzzing shock you to life and cut your REM cycle short. Finally, when you do have a free day, always stay up way too late and sleep in as close to noon as possible. If you follow these steps you get the added bonus of making Sunday night even more miserable.

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Happiness is like a bird. It is always up in the air, and often out of reach. It will never land with you if you are actively trying to catch it. Instead you would be better suited simply persuading the “happiness bird” to land by building a birdhouse, not paying attention so the bird will eventually feel comfortable enough to land. Basically, don’t do that. Studies show that when actively trying to search for the next high of happiness, you end up disappointed by the actual yield of what you have done.

5) Don’t listen to advice

ART BY: CELIA BERGMAN staff artist

Stay inside as much as possible. Don’t be tempted to take a walk on a beautiful day.

Close the blinds and stay indoors. If possible, do not even leave your room. In an ideal situation, you should wake up in your bedroom, go to school and come right home to your bedroom after school, where you will spend the rest of your night. You want to work, play, eat and sleep in the same room. Try to make it a small room too, with little to no natural light shining in. This way you will be able to save energy to stay up later.

4) Chase happiness

3) Set VAPID goals

Never set Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic and Time-defined goals. These tend to get done, and would take you farther away from misery. In their place, set Vague, Amorphous, Piein-the-sky, Irrelevant and Delayed goals. Instead of deciding you are going to read chapters four and five of “Lord of the Flies” by 6 p.m. tonight, decide that “before it is due” you will most likely read “Lord of the Flies”. This way the definition of your goal can, and will always, be stretched so that you never have to actually do anything, until the last moment.

I am willing to bet that most who read this are actively doing at least one of these aforementioned ways. To that I challenge you, see if you can’t do three or maybe even four things to help you master being sad. It is actually much easier than you would think. So don’t even bother with the perpetual uphill battle that is happiness. You don’t need happiness when misery is much more readily available to you.◀

page design by Carter Philipp

KHS LUNCH LOCATION REVIEW GUIDE STORY BY: BRENDAN DAVIDSON parsnip editor

PHOTO BY: WILL RIVES AND KELLEY COCHRAN staff photographers

H

igh school is often a hellish place, especially in class. To ease the pain, we have our 6-minute passing periods and one life-saving break in the middle of the day: lunch. Lots of people settle for the first spot they can find, but you should enjoy your free time. This is a review of six locations around KHS to find refuge and eat. ◀

thE dreaded cafeteria Atmosphere: 2 Cleanliness: 7 Convenience: 6 Seating: 7 Tables: 8 Temperature: 1 Trash: 8 Bonus: -20

If you’re looking to recreate an unwanted middle school lunch experience, this is the place. A desolate wasteland of scattered chairs and half-empty tables, the cafeteria’s size goes completely to waste. Instead, it is necessary for kitchen space, decent food, and the freshmen who are too scared to sit anywhere else. In simple terms, get your food and go.

thE GLASS CAGE Atmosphere: 8 Cleanliness: 8 Convenience: 6 Seating: 7 Tables: 8 Temperature: 7 Trash: 9 Overall: 8 Easily the most underrated place to eat.

It hides behind the truly life-changing, not at all annoying quiet study area. This enclosed space is great for hoping you’re not being stared at from all sides. Don’t worry, you’re not. Few people come out here, but those select few escape from the frigid, cavernous library and enjoys this neglected yet intriguing “garden” that is the best place to chill out and eat on campus.

THE FRIDGE WITH BOOKS The tables in the commons are some of the most sought-after spaces to eat lunch at KHS. These generic eight-seaters are tightly packed to provide an eating environment that isn’t at all like a cafeteria: freshmen, crowded tables and being too close to that one guy you don’t like. The tables are different shapes too. Amazing!

cafeteria 2.0

Atmosphere: 6 Cleanliness: 8 Convenience: 6 Seating: 9 Tables: 9 Temperature: 1 Trash: 4 Bonus: -15 Nobody sane chooses to eat here. Library lunches are those eaten in quick, secretive moments as you hide your food from the librarians. You came here to get work done, and yet, your lunch tastes bland and you simply cannot understand the homework you’re copying down. Good luck on your test tomorrow.

Atmosphere: 6 Cleanliness: 8 Convenience: 7 Seating: 5 Tables: 8 Temperature: 2 Trash: 7 Bonus: -5 Overall: 5

thE cafeteria MOVED OUTSIDE Atmosphere: 6 Cleanliness: 7 Convenience: 4 Seating: 6 Tables: 7 Temperature: 5 Trash: 8 Overall: 6

Issue 2

ANYWHERE AWAY FROM KHS It’s the commons tables, but outside and spread out.

Great. Next, please.

September 2018

No ratings necessary. Sorry to all freshmen, sophomores and juniors (who aren’t willing to take the small risk that they are caught leaving campus and somebody cares.) Seniors win. ◀

page design by Brendan Davidson

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HEALTH + WELLNESS

Can you pinpoint the moment you first realized you were depressed?

“In fifth grade my sister tried to kill herself and it traumatized me. Of course, I didn’t know exactly what was happening but I started realizing what was [going on]. It all started there.” -Jules Johnston, junior

“When I was surrounded by friends but I still felt alone. I had a wonderful group of friends and I would still lay awake at night and ask myself ‘Why am I sad?

What’s making me sad?’ I just couldn’t figure it out.” -Anonymous 1

“It was the summer going into eighth grade and I was at the Lake of the Ozarks. I remember being outside at the pool, fully clothed in 100 degree weather and I just refused to be seen in my bathing suit or participate in anything. I remember begging my mother to go back to the hotel room. I felt trapped and I didn’t know why. I finally went back to my room alone and I remember YouTubing depression and realizing that I fit into that category.” -Avery Hardin, junior

“I just concentrated on dealing with the symptoms as they came up. You just do what works.” -Michael George, physics teacher

How do you cope?

“Whenever [I’m] feeling floaty, just a feeling that [I’m] not here, I’ll go outside and walk around in my grass barefoot. It grounds me, like, ‘alright, I’m here. I’ll be here tomorrow. I’ll be here the next day.’”

-Charlie Echols, senior

STORY BY: ANNIE O’BRIEN health and wellness editor

“Siri, what does depression feel like?”

“I’m not sure I understand your question. Would you like me to search the web for ‘what does depression feel like?’”

“Just come over and talk. We don’t have to talk about depression. Just talking about your day makes me feel better, like someone is there and interested in what I have to say.”

-Anonymous 2 “Just listen. Sometimes that’s all you can do and that’s all people ask. I’m not always looking for advice or for someone to solve my problems because I know that’s not realistic.

It feels good when someone is there to listen and wants to listen. It makes me feel less alone, like I matter to someone and that my feelings are valid.” -Avery Hardin, junior

What can someone do to help?

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“The best thing anybody could have done was to just keep an eye out for me.

If I had not been taking the actions I had been taking, then I would hope they would intervene. If a person is taking [positive] steps I think it’s best to treat them normally as much as you can.”

-Michael George, physics teacher

“You feel like the whole world is beating you up. Like you’re a punching bag.”

-Jabari Hamilton-Banks, junior “It’s not wanting to leave the house and feeling like nothing is any fun anymore. When you try to do the things you used to enjoy it just doesn’t feel the same.” -Anonymous 2

“It’s feeling trapped within yourself. Stuff can seem to get better but then it gets a whole lot worse before anything good can happen. It’s a cycle of feeling lonely and feeling that nothing you do is right and nothing is ever going to change.” -Avery Hardin, junior

What is depression really like in your experience?

“It’s like everything is flat and gray and boring and stale.” -Michael George, physics teacher

“It boils down to a lack of motivation to do things that you love. I have a trunk full of [my grandmother’s] watercolor stuff in my car.

When I’m in a really bad place I cannot bring myself to go out to my car and get the trunk so I can find artistic release. There’s a sense of worthlessness and hopelessness. It feels like you’re trying to swim with cinder block boots.”

-Charlie Echols, senior

ART BY: LIZZIE STOBBE art editor

The internet is great for lots of things, but when it comes to mental illness it can be more helpful to ask people who deal with it firsthand. TKC gathered questions students wanted to ask someone with depression, and then went to get some answers. ◀

“Sometimes I need to be with friends and be around people to do something to get my mind off of it. But sometimes you need to turn on the ‘in my feels’ playlist and just chill.”

-Anonymous 1

Do you want to be alone? Or do you want some company?

“I’m normally a very isolated person. When I’m at a low point I’m constantly thinking of the negatives. I want to be surrounded by close friends and family but I feel like a burden to them.”

-Charlie Echols, senior

Issue 1

August 2018

“It depends on the reason I’m upset.

Sometimes I want both or sometimes I just need to know that there is someone there if I want them.” -Jules Johnston, junior

spread design by Annie O’Brien

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HEALTH + WELLNESS STORY BY: LOGAN CREWS editor-in-chief ART BY: BRIDGET KILLIAN editor-in-chief

A

man stood on the side of the road, watching cars and buses and trucks go by.

He thought of his kids. And he thought of the custody problems.

He thought of his life. And he thought of running through traffic to end it.

Standing on the side of the road, he picked up his phone.

Melanie Roberts, then an intern at Provident Life Crisis Services, answered his call to their crisis line. She talked him down from his escalated state, going through each of his problems to sort out his thoughts and ease some weight off his shoulders. Eighty hours of training, according to Elizabeth Mtoushek, crisis intervention team lead at Provident, was what prepared Roberts to save a life through a phone.

“I’m not going to lie, when you get intense calls like that, your adrenaline definitely starts going,” Roberts said. “You’ve got to be thinking on your toes about how to de-escalate this because you don’t really have a second to sit back and think about it. The best way to help these people [is] to just picture yourself in their shoes. Think about the hardships they’ve been through.”

While there’s a life hanging onto one end of the phone, there’s another human operating the line on the other. Roberts said she got used to wiping her mind clean before a call, that a blank, neutral slate was the best way to help a suicidal caller.

According to her and Mtoushek, being a part of a crisis line and helping people out of their darkest states are moments that they can apply to the rest of their lives. That is, as long as people call them in the first place.

Twenty-five percent (86/348) of KHS students would consider calling a suicide hotline if they felt actively suicidal. Ceci Bodet, educational support counselor, believes students often either minimize their struggles or think asking for help will cause more problems, making them less likely to reach out to crisis lines.

“Sometimes kids are so worried about talking to their parents that a hotline can help with that,” Bodet said. “Kids often underestimate what they are going through. I think a lot of times, kids don’t want adults involved, [or] want parents involved at all, but [they’re] kids and minors and [they] need the help sometimes. If that’s what we have to do and if [they] get pissed off, I’d much rather [them] be pissed off than dead. And

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ON THE LINE

Provident Crisis Hotline: 314-647-4357

that’s the reality, unfortunately, for a lot of kids.”

Bodet said she thinks suicide hotlines are underutilized by students. By Provident being transparent with what goes on on the other end of the phone, Mtoushek said people, minors especially, may be less hesitant to call.

“Everybody has their own stuff, and I think that if one simple phone call can help someone feel better, why not?” Bodet said. “There are always people available to help, no matter what time of day, no matter what time of week.”

After the phone call with the man questioning his life, Roberts said she took time to process and see that those intense calls were some of the most rewarding experiences she’s had. For anyone in crisis living in the St. Louis area, help is available and Provident is just one phone call away.

“When we’re in crisis, our brains just don’t work right and we forget things that would normally be very apparent,” Mtoushek said. “So we help them find the hope that’s already inside themselves. It’s not that it’s gone. It’s just that they’re struggling to notice it right now, and we try to guide people toward that.”◀

page design by Logan Crews

Player profile With a frame of 6 foot 4 inches, Massey is an aerial threat who can burn opposing defenses with his speed. A transfer from Francis Howell North and first time wearing red and white this August, he is familiar with getting to the end zone with 29 career touchdowns. The Mizzou commit has accumulated 3,196 total yards* over his first three seasons, equivalent of running more than seven laps on a track. *Including passing, rushing, receiving, and returning yards.

Height: 6’ 4” Weight: 185 lbs

Height: 6’ 2” Weight: 180 lbs

Wise is a dual-threat quarterback capable of Season stats through three games: penetrating the defense with his passes that thread the needle. Processing a high football IQ, excellent footwork and extraordinary athleticism, Wise is a menace in and out of the pocket. Wise also showcased his athletic prowess on track, as he holds the KHS record for high jump. In his first season as starting quarterback, he proved his quarterback abilities with eight touchdowns and zero interceptions in three games. Wise has offers from the Air Force Academy, Butler University and University of Dayton.

Season stats through three games:

366 Recieving yds 74% completion rate 3 touchdowns 8 touchdowns 16 avg yd per catch 692 passing yds 44.5 return yd per 192 rushing yds

attempt

maurice Massey

Player profile

#1 wr

Cooper wise

#16 qb

Numbers don’t lie...

- opinions -

The Pioneer football team is off to a great start, fueled by performances from four seniors: Cooper Wise, Arvell Ferguson Jr., Maurice Massey and Martez Jones. Starting the season undefeated, KHS is number four in STLToday’s Top High School Football Teams Ranking. Numbers don’t lie. statistics that these seniors’ produced shows the pioneers deserves a place in a State Championship.◀

Arvell Ferguson Jr.

#15 DE

STORY BY: DANIEL KIM sports editor PHOTO BY: MALAYNA VINES photo editor

Martez jones

#15 DE

*All Stats According to STLTODAY*

Player profile

Height: 6’ 5” Weight: 215 lbs

With the frame of a wide receiver and the Season stats through three games: strength of an offensive lineman, Ferguson has the agility to beat the opposing linemen and strength to power through them. According to ESPN.com, Ferguson has the fastest 20-yard shuttle out of all the defensive ends in the nation with 4.00 seconds. Three-star athlete and number 29 on 247Sports list of top football recruits of senior class, Ferguson looks forward to furthering his career in University of Missouri.

Issue 2

September 2018

Height: 5’ 10” Weight: 205 lbs Season stats through three games:

Player profile Don’t let his built physique fool you, Jones’s powerful rushes can and will burn linebackers to dust. With 7.6 yards per carry this season, Jones is a reliable ball carrier who promises a solid gain for the Pioneers. His best attributes are finding an opening between the linemen and powering through the defensive line. It’s going to be a big year for Jones, who already contributed 244 rushing yards and three touchdowns in three games.

244 rushing yds 15 tackles 4 touchdowns 5 tackles per game 6 tackles for loss 7.6 yds per carry 0 fumbles page design by Daniel Kim 29 3 sacks

SPORTS

STORY BY: KEEGAN PFEIFER sports writer PHOTO BY: BEN RIVES staff photographer ART BY: MAGGIE BURTON staff artist *This piece is entirely satrical.

A

s the weather gets cooler and Macklemore’s ‘Glorious’ is being played at full volume in every high school stadium you walk by, it’s apparent that the fall sport season has officially begun. There are a variety of sports people like to play or support this time of year.

Whether it’s football, soccer, cross country, field hockey or swim and dive, everyone has a favorite.

Fall brings the most popular sports at KHS. Knowing this, I decided to check up on the teams and see how they’re doing.

“A good half of the team doesn’t even want to be there.

They just do it for the good Instagram pictures.”

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FALL SPORTS MADNESS

First, I went to the football team. As I walked down to the turf, I wondered why the team wasn’t practicing. Turns out they were all posing for their Snapchat stories, showing off their dope jerseys and captioning the pictures “#DUBSZN.” This didn’t discourage me as I walked up to the team and asked for an interview, but this ended up being a terrible idea when everyone started to scream “GRIND SEASON” and “WHO’S READY TO WIN A FOOTBALL GAME?” I had to get out of there before I was eaten alive by a hyped up moshpit. After all this, I’m confident to say that the football team is on their way to a winning season.

Next, I went to see what was up with the soccer team. Sadly, I couldn’t get an interview with anyone on the team as half were on the bus asking everyone on their contact list to pop out at their next away game. The other half was too busy finding the perfect headband to hold back their luscious locks during practice. Fortunately, I got to talk with an anonymous disgruntled student who didn’t make the team with strong feelings about some players' motivation, saying, “A good half of the team doesn’t even want to be there. They just do it for the good Instagram pictures.” According to all this

information I think we should all be looking out for the upcoming soccer season.

Speaking of soccer, I decided to check up on the sport where (almost) all of the cut soccer players head to, cross country. Again, this was tough for me to get an interview. Some runners were already going to sleep so they could prepare for their next race. Others were heading out to run shirtless in their short shorts making as many people uncomfortable as possible. I decided to interview someone on the girls' team. While this was much easier to find someone to talk to, getting them to talk was the hard part. Every five seconds they would take a sip of water, making it impossible to comprehend. As you can tell, all these runners are ready for an amazing season.

After I had amazing talks with these teams I decided to talk with a self proclaimed “Fall Sports Superfan." To summarize my whole talk with the superfan, you can say he didn’t show any favoritism to say the least. When asked about what sport he favors the most, the superfan replied, “Yeah, our football team is looking really good this year, I definitely couldn’t pick a favorite team. But yeah, that football team is gonna be great this year.” ◀

page design by Keegan Pfeifer

falling into

FASHION

Some people can be a little disheartened when they wake up to the cool chill in the air and realize the time of mini dresses and tank tops is coming to a close. Dress codes and bleak weather discourages many from wearing a staple summer piece, the crop top. But fear not, there are many solutions to keep this warm weather favorite available even as the temperature drops and the stacks of homework pile up.

1 5

6 3

8 7

2 4

9

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ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

A pair of baggy overalls with a crop top can instantly turn a summer top into a more unexpected fall look. They are comfortable, and allow for a break from a standard jeans and a tee-shirt look. Additionally, they provide an extra layer on a crisp fall day.

Put a crop top under a mini dress for a more comfortable, dressed-down look. This is the perfect outfit for working on homework at a coffee shop or meeting some friends for lunch.

High-waisted jeans are a great choice when transitioning to a fall wardrobe. Pair them with a patterned statement jacket and a tube top for an eye-catching look.

On a warmer fall day, a pair of denim shorts partnered with a crop top and an open flannel is perfect for a football game. If it’s still too warm, the flannel can be tied around the waist to cool down. ◀

You can find the clothing marked in the images (find the little orange circles) at the following stores:

1 Crop top, Plato’s Closet ($5) 2 Overalls, Saver’s ($7) 3 Ribbed crop top, Forever 21 ($8) 4 Mini dress, Plato’s Closet ($12) 5 Jacket, Target ($30)

6 Tube top, PacSun ($22) 7 Jeans, Target ($25) 8 Flannel, Plato’s Closet ($7) 9 Crop top, Goodwill ($3) 10 Shorts, Plato’s Closet ($5)

STORY BY: RYLEIGH PALMER features writer PHOTOS BY: MEGAN VAN BUREN staff photographer MODELED BY: QUINN MAHONEY

Issue 2

September 2018

page design by Ryleigh Palmer

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ENTERTAINMENT

REPRESENT-ASIAN STORY BY: MOLLY HIGGINS features writer ART BY: MAGGIE BURTON staff artist

- opinions -

U

ntil now, representation for Asian people in the media has been minimal, to put it lightly. Typically, a featured Asian character is nerdy and likely good at math or piano. Every once in awhile they’re blessed with a hidden talent (which is, surprisingly, often some form of martial arts).

Stereotypes like these have been rejected with the release of recent movies like “Crazy Rich Asians,” the first large-scale Hollywood production in 25 years to feature an entirely Asian-American or Pacific Islander (AAPI) cast. According to the LA Times, the movie is a box office success, making over $100 million since its release in mid-August.

“Crazy Rich Asians,” directed by Jon M. Chu, tackles several common misconceptions about Asian culture. It addresses issues from controlling

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“tiger moms” to the cultural differences between Asian Americans and those in other countries.

The movie also features several strong Asian women, an important shift from the customary reserved nature of Asian girls, both in the media coverage they do have and in some households.

Particularly, the main character’s best friend is loud, expressive and individualistic, regardless of her family’s disapproval.

The trend of representation continues with the new Netflix movie “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before,” which was released just two days after “Crazy Rich Asians.” The movie, starring three Korean sisters, is based on the novel of the same name by Asian-American author Jenny Han. According to People magazine, Han had to turn down several initial film offers from studios who wanted the leading role to be a Caucasian actress.

“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” was a very important step in the right direction, but casting directors need to continue to include Asian actors in American movies, not just those set in Asia. When viewers see an Asian character in a role that could be played by any ethnicity, they witness Asian people in situations they can relate to, maybe even for the first time.

AAPI representation affects media and performances all over the country, including in St. Louis. This summer, the Muny performed a collection of songs from Broadway choreographer Jerome Robbins. One was from “The King and I,” a musical set in present day Thailand which features a predominantly Asian cast.

While the ensemble and featured roles were mostly Asian, the leading role was played by a white actress. This casting would normally be acceptable in the dance-focused context of the show, but when the song from “The King and I” began, the lead actress started using a broken English ‘Asian accent.’ The use of this accent, as well as the event as a whole, left people extremely frustrated. In 2018, it’s ridiculous that the Muny could make such an easily avoided error.

Situations like these are still common, but the awareness and outcry are on the rise. With the commercial success of “Crazy Rich Asians” and “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” as well as upcoming movies like “Searching” or Disney’s live-action “Mulan” (2020), the future for Asian representation is bright, and hopefully kung-fu free. ◀

page design by Molly Higgins

Kirkwood Deli and Grocery 500 W Essex Ave. Kirkwood, MO 63122

Phone: (314) - 966 - 6699 Open 6am - 9pm on weekdays Now open on Sundays from 8am - 6pm Issue 2

September 2018

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PHOTO

CHEERLEADING

Lexi Boring Morgan Dubose

Terricka Cain

Photo Spread

FALL SPORTS CAPTAINS PHOTOS BY: KELLEY COCHRAN, MORGAN GINDLER, MEG MURPHY, MARY RALSTON, KARA RIEGER, BEN RIVES, WILL RIVES

BOYS’ CROSS COUNTRY

Ethan Lobdell

Jacob Ewen

Lee Leuker

“[My hopes for the team are] to make it back to state [as a team] and do as well as we can,” Ethan Lobdell, senior, said. “[My personal goal] is to make it to Arkansas, to run at Chili Pepper and set a new PR, hopefully sub-18:00.”

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GIRLS’ TENNIS

Grace Klebe

Grace Runge

“This season, I hope that our team has a really fun season,” Grace Runge, junior, said. “There are a lot of freshman and newer players on the team, so it has been really fun to bond with them, grow closer and keep winning.”

Not pictured: Katie Paul

Hannah Pennington Meredith Lang

Anna Stumpf

Aaron Autry

Mary Ralston

Brett Rog

Alex Baynham

Abby Ludbrook

GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL

GIRLS’ CROSS COUNTRY Maria Ginocchio

BOYS’ SWIM AND DIVE

Malayna Vines

Lauren Fischer Cate Camenzind

Franky Landers

Megan Rice

Brad Lay

Sawyer Hardy

BOYS’ SOCCER

POMMIES

FIELD HOCKEY Kate Hastings

Devin Tomlin Lindsay McCarthy

Kasey Ginder

SOFTBALL Issue 2

September 2018

spread design by Kara Rieger

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“...the future for Asian representation is bright, and hopefully kung-fu free.�