2014 Senior Issue by tracy silvagnoli

Parkway North High School

Senior Issue!

N rsestar 12860 Fee Fee Rd. St. Louis, MO 63146

Volume 52, Issue 6, May 3, 2014

Letters

Photo by Molly Thal

Dear Students and Parents of the Class of 2014: Seniors, May 13th will be here before you know it, and you will be moving into the next phase of your life. I am excited about the possibilities that lie ahead and look forward to hearing how well you respond and perform. I realize your last days on campus are quickly approaching, so please take the time to celebrate, laugh, and enjoy our school community. As you plan and attend your graduation celebrations, gatherings and events, remember there is still more work to be done: final lessons to be learned, projects to be completed, books to be read, papers to be written, and assessments to be taken. Remain calm and focused as you complete your final days as Parkway North High students. I hope you are looking forward to some exciting times over the next few weeks. I can’t stress enough how critical it is to make safe, smart decisions. Events like the Senior Farewell Ceremony and Prom are coming up, and I want you to have fun and enjoy yourself. However, continuing to stay healthy and making good choices are extremely important for your safety and well-being. In addition, if you are a 2nd generation North High graduate, please let Ms. Judy Reynolds know, as there is a special designation in the Graduation program. The Senior Calendar and directions to Queeny Park and the Senior Bash at the Bridgeton Community Center can also be found on the North High Website. Finally, I would like to thank all of the parents, guardians, and students of the Class of 2014. I have truly enjoyed the opportunity to be your grade level principal this year, work with your families, and witness your involvement in the Parkway North High community. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your lives. Please contact me if there is anything that I can do to assist you or your family as you prepare to finish your high school career and make plans for the future. Have a great final week!

May 5, 2014 Parkway North High School

Cain shares a resource on her phone with counselor Paul Arthur. She worked in Kansas City before coming to Parkway in St. Louis.

Sincerely, Tori Cain, Ed.D.

Seniors, Reflecting on the last four years, I am proud to say that I have taken advantage of almost every activity thrown at me. At times, this has been extremely overwhelming, but looking back, I do not regret anything. Sleepless nights spent planning and doing homework are replaced with memories of successful events. I can honestly say that I am proud of the person that I have become. Being your president has been one of the things I am most proud of. I would not be the person that I am today if I had not made the decision to go to Parkway North and work with our class. We have a number of outstanding students; everyone brings something special to the table. Every single one of us is valuable. Expressing my love for the Parkway North community is difficult because it is so incredibly strong. We are fortunate to have a group of students who are involved, hardworking and persistent, but it is the passion that I admire most about our students and staff who truly invest themselves in their environment with everything they have. I have learned almost everything I know from the community of students and teachers. We are a society of go-getters,;our students put everything on the line to ensure success. The Class of 2014 has not been successful every time; it’s our resilience that matters. Our class has been able to bounce back from every disappointment that has presented itself. I will never forget the many memories together and have had a lot of fun doing it. When things have been cancelled or things weren’t planned right, my class has taken it upon themselves to plan in spite of the failures of others. We have worked to make things happen. At the beginning of the year, I challenged each one of us to “be the best you that you can be,” and throughout the year, I have seen people step up and take on new extracurricular responsibilities, be there for peers through tough times, strive for academic success, become comfortable with ourselves, and create goals for the people that we wish to become. I cannot wait to see the success that our grade will achieve in the years to come. Sincerely, Mudd has been a part of Student Government since her freshman year. She was grade level president in 9th and 10th grade, and was student body vice president her junior year. Mary-Kate Mudd

MAy 5, 2014 Parkway North High School

Senior Issue

Seniors Leave Their Mark During Brief Time at North Can you match the senior’s freshman picture to their six word memoir?

Aurora Wrancher Editor In Chief

1. “Goes by fast, live it up” 2. “Only as strong as North’s wifi” E.

3. “Take advantage of every opportunity possible” 4. “Always remember to check your answers” 5. “Everything is going to be alright” 6. “So much work, so little time”

7. “Work hard, sleep little, have fun” 8. “Life goes on after high school” 9. “Times get tough, power through them”

10. “Don’t ever give up on yourself” 11. “Dreams of future, time seems slow” 12. “Enjoyed my time, left my mark”

Norsestar Staff Aurora Wrancher ...Editor in Chief

Molly Thal

...Editor in Chief

Zack Becker

...Online Editor

Nadia Ahmed

...News Editor

Kori Clay

...Community Editor

Gianna Sparks

...Centerspread Editor

Jamie Powell ...Features Editor

Chaney Cooper ...Sports Editor Emma Mitchell ...Opinions Editor Ryan Lutker ...Entertainment Editor Brianne Lewis ...Ad Manager Staff Writers and Photographers ...Monyelle Asher ...Lauren Sparks Tracy Silvagnoli...Sponsor

Answers: 1.L Clare McAuley, 2.A Erin Gaubatz, 3.B Nick Danneger, 4.G Jacob Rewerts 5.C Sarena Krojanker, 6.E Amy Shih, 7.D Gabe Sander, 8.F.Chelsea Thomas, 9.H.Raechel Simon, 10.K.Courtney Norris, 11.I. Toryn Water, 12,J,Ben Campbell

Norsestar Policy Norsestar encourages students, teachers, parents, administrators and other readers to publish their opinion in the form of a letter to the editor. However, due to space limitations,not all letters can be published. Any student or faculty member may submit an article or photo to the Norsestar by placing the item in the mailbox in the library or by giving to a staff member. Letters must be signed; no anonymous articles will appear in the newspaper. Norsestar will accept any letter submitted regardless of whether or not the staff agrees with its opinion, unless the material presented is libelous, promotes illegal activities, or is deemed in poor taste by the editorial board. The staff reserves the right to edit letters for length or clarification.

MAy 5, 2014 Parkway North High School

Senior Issue

Doors Open When Other Close: School Changes While 2010 doesn’t seem like that long ago, a lot of school policies, staff, and day to day workings of Parkway North High School have changed. From bringing several new administrators aboard, to changing start times and rezoning the district, North has undergone restructuring since the class of 2014 first entered high school. Principals Since 2011, Parkway North has welcomed three new staff members to the administrative team. “From an administrative point of view, adding the new principals brought some fresh perspectives to the team. [Many of them] had experience from other places so they could see things differently than we were able to see them,” said assistant principal Dr. Rhonda Page. In 2012, then junior principal Keith Sanders left Parkway North and was replaced by then English teacher Greg Wagener. Then in 2013, Dr. Karen Calcaterra and Robert Gaugh both left. They were replaced by Mark Rizzo, principal of the freshman class, and Dr. Tori Cain, the senior principal. Academic Lab Changes Probably the change that has affected seniors the most is the series of changes made to Academic Lab procedures. In 2010/11, travel was very open, but the current lab is more structured. Starting in the 2011/12 school year, struggling students were sent to the commons during academic lab where they could work with teachers and tutors to help them improve. Gradually, this shifted to directed travel to teachers for students who needed extra help. “Professional Learning Community teams are now directing students travel, and they [students] are coming to them to get help,” said Page. This year, directed travel has been less prevalent, but help for students who are struggling has been shifted to larger groups

of teachers. These teachers are grouped by what they teach and are referred to as professional learning communities or PLCs. Additionally, restrictions on travel have been increased as well. Starting in 2012/2013, students were only allowed to travel to three places during Academic Lab. This school year, this number has been reduced to two during two different travel periods. Students then must remain with that teacher for the entire priority period. “I like the changes because teachers aren’t distracted by students. Before you couldn’t do anything because different students were always butting in,” said senior Philip Oravec. While reactions to the changes in travel procedures have been mixed, in the end, many students and teachers have found them to be helpful. Rezoning In 2011, the rezoning of the district moved some students from the North area to ones the Central area of the district. “There was a lot of overcrowding at all levels; at the same time, there was underused space in the Central area. It just didn’t make sense for the North area staff to be constantly almost claustrophobic when we could just shift attendance area and make things more balanced more immediately and long term,” said Page. While this change was immediately felt in the elementary and middle schools, students in high school who lived in affected areas were allowed to opt out of the changes and stay at North High until they graduated. Start Times Another change that affected the senior is the change in start times from 8:00 to 7:45 and finally to 7:35 a.m. “I liked [the new start times] better because I get out of school earlier,” said senior Gretchen Gregory. Although some students did enjoy the earlier release time, others did not get enough sleep due to the earlier start times. However, the changes were all made for logistical reasons: The start times

Photo by: Aurora Wrancher

Gianna Sparks Centerspread Editor

The fine arts department underwent construction in the summer of 2013. Although construction lasted longer than expected, the finished product gave increased storage to the department. Administration hopes that this project will guide future endeavors.

were changed “so it was more efficient for transportation, so they could use fewer buses, less fuel, and hire less drivers,” said Page. “The start times of the different schools were [organized] in the order that they did for age issues. For example, middle school students sometimes don’t have the supervision that they would need when they get home early and their parents are still at work. Whereas with high schoolers, they typically don’t need that support.” Delayed start A change that has been welcomed by many students is the addition of monthly late arrival days, which began this school year. “We did that so the professional learning communities, the PLC’s, would have time to meet and to look at student data and figure out how to adjust practices to meet student needs,” said Page. While the delayed starts allow teachers to focus their attention on helping students

succeed, they also give students a chance to get extra work done, sleep in, or spend time with friends. “[Delayed starts] just give me more time to sleep and be well-rested for the school day,” said senior Aditya Mudelgaker. Fine Arts Construction Finally, the addition to the fine arts department last summer began what administrators hope will be renovation of the school. “What was built was part of the footprint of future anticipated construction. It helped us with the fine arts department, providing them with storage, but also long term helped to serve as foundation for next piece,” said Page. Although the construction project took longer than expected, the expansion of the fine arts department provided a needed addition to provide more classroom and storage space.

Time Flies By Fast; Important

Nadia Ahmed News Editor

Death of Osama Bin Laden

Earthquake/Tsunami in Tokyo March 11, 2011, Friday, a deadly earthquake and tsunami destroyed Japan. It had a magnitude of 8.9 Thirty feet high waves rushed to shore. .

The Royal Wedding

2011 On April 29, 2011 Prince William and Kate Middelton got married. Around two billion people tuned in to watch the wedding, that happened at Westminster Abbey.

Joplin Tornado May 22, 2011, the city of Joplin, Missouri was stuck by a EF-5 tornado. Over 158 people died. 7,000 homes were demolished. Weather officials said it was the deadliest tornado since 1947.

On May 2, 2011, Al Qaeda Leader, Osama Bin Laden was killed. Bin Laden was shot by a Navy SEAL in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Bin Laden was then later buried at sea.

Obama Re-election

London Summer Olympics The London 2012 Summer Olympics began on Friday, July 27, 2012 and ended Sunday, August 12, 212. It was held at the

2012 Sandy Hook Shooting

Gangnam Style “Gangnam Style”, the single by South Korean musician Psy, was released in July 2012. It became the first YouTube video to reach over billion views: 1.734 billion views.

Photo courtesy of ClipArtBest.Com

On Dec. 14, 2012, the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton,Connecticut was attacked by a 20-year old gunman named Adam Lanza. Twenty-six people were killed. Twenty of them were children. In the photo, people in the White House took a moment of silence.

On Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, President Barack Obama was re-elected for his second term. Obama was overjoyed, so he tweeted out to all his supporters, “This happened because of you. Thank you.”

MAy 5, 2014 Parkway North High School

Senior Issue

Seniors Put in Spotlight: Senior One Acts A life and death gamble with the lives of two young geniuses. A man returns from war to find his wife with another man. Nurses struggle with tense businessmen in a chaotic hospital. A father and daughter play a trick on her new boyfriend. It must be Senior-Directed One Act season. The One Acts directed by four seniorsNicole Hunt, who directed The Game; Joe Warth, who directed Red Carnations Erin Gaubatz, who directed The Camberly Triangle; and Danny Cohen, who directed 30 Minutes to Charlie were performed on the weekend of April 26. “Between the four of us, we designated different aspects of the theater production

Senior Violet Ottenburg plays a nurse struggling to make the character played by sophomore Elizabeth Berson understand that her minor injury is not priority; Berson’s character is trying to get attention from a nurse for a small head injury on Sept. 11, 2001.

process- different things within the technical side, acting, costumes, everything that we need,” said Gaubatz. “It is hard to put a show on by yourself, so having the other three [directors] there helps because we can bounce ideas off each other, help each other find things we need for our shows, and see what our show would be capable of with the things that we have in our department.” The seniors are in charge or every aspect, starting with choosing the show to put on. The directors were required to read 30 one acts over the summer, then 15 more in the fall. Though short, one acts tend to be difficult to read. “One acts are not really great scripts to be honest,” said drama teacher Chad Little. “Now this group has been interesting because they found more historical pieces… The story lines are more developed.” To become a director, students must be enrolled in the Directing Class. The prerequisite is to have taken every drama class besides Improv. “I would love for [freshmen interested in theatre] to be in the Directing Class. There are basic theatre classes that you’ve got to take, but besides that, they have to start getting involved in the program. They have to start coming after school to work on the set. They need to come after school and learn how to set lights. They need to figure out what our costume room looks like and what kind of costumes we have,” said Little. “So it’s just about being around and being part of the group so when it does come time for them to direct, they understand what’s going on.” This year’s directors have been involved in both theater classes and the after school drama program. “The most important thing is to get involved in the after school program. That is what has helped me the most in the past. I know working from experience with previous directors, their experience in the after school program is what helped them the most,” said Hunt. “Not only do you see the technical side, but you’ll also get to see the acting side and

Photos by Molly Thal

Molly Thal Co-Editor-in-Chief

Freshman Carlos Barbery and junior Mark Cunningham play characters who both expect to meet a girl at the same spot. They later find that they were planning to meet the same girl.

watch rehearsals or being a stage manager. You get to see how Little runs things when he’s directing. That has been the biggest help knowing how Little does things.” One Acts combined all of the student directors learning during their four years of school in one entertaining night. One Acts allow more people to become involved because of the shorter script. Even though the directors are seniors, students don’t have to be seniors to try out. It is less pressure to audition because there are more speaking parts available than a full production. “We have them [audition] in pairs, then act out the scene selected that we thought would showcase whatever we wanted to showcase,” said Hunt. “We asked them to change things to see how they could adapt to

our show... Basically, it came down to who we thought fit the role best or who was most versatile to fit them.” The directors wanted to see a variety of emotions on the stage since the four one acts varied in tone, content, and meaning. Actors of different genres were free to show their abilities and find a good fit. “We had a comedic script and a dramatic script, so it was a variety of other acting materials. We really just wanted to see what their capabilities were as an actor. That way when we call them back, we can see how they fit into our shows specifically,” said Gaubatz. Anyone who wants to become more involved can audition for next year’s fall play on May 13 and 14. The show that will be put on is yet to be announced.

Events From Years 2011 - 2014 The U.S. Government Shutdown

Death of Nelson Mandela Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa, died at the age of 95, on Dec. 5, 2013 in Houghton Estate, South Africa.

2013 Boston Bombing

On April 15, 2013, two bombs were let off near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

T20 World Cup

Sochi Winter Olympics

The Sochi On April 8, 2013, Winter Olympic Baroness Margaret Games were held Thatcher died at the age of 87. Thatcher was Friday, Feb. 7, Britain’s first female 2014 through prime minister and Sunday, Feb. 23, served for three terms. 2014. The United Her policy of Thatcher- States came won ism continues to influ- the fourth most ence people all around gold medals. the world.

Malaysia Airlines: Flight 370 Missing

On Saturday, March 8, 2014, at about 1:30 p.m., air traffic controllers lost contact with Flight 370 from the Malaysia Airlines. There were 227 passengers on board and 12 crew members.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

During October of 2013, the United States Government shutdown. This was the second longest shutdown since 1980. Left: Letter from Obama concerning the shutdown.

Death of Margaret Thatcher

From March 16 to April 6, 2014, Bangladesh held the 2014 ICC (International Cricket Council) World T20 competition. From Group One, Sri Lanka won the competition.

2014

Frozen

In 2014, the Disney Animated movie, Frozen became the highest grossing animated film ever. Internationally, it made $398.4 million, and domestically it made $674 million.

Senior Issue

May 5, 2014 Parkway North High School

College Safety Tips For Seniors of 2014 T

News Editor

he class of 2014 is graduating this year from Parkway North High School, and many students from this class will be attending college next fall. College is a very important and exciting time in a person’s life, but it is important for students to be safe and aware of the dangers that are on a college campus. “People can be naïve and think that it cannot happen to them. Be safe,” said English teacher David Beck. When students are on campus, they should always be aware of where they are and at all times travel with one or more people. “Always be aware of your surroundings, and have people with you that you trust,” said college and career counselor Christy Wills. Walking with a friend whom you trust is a good way to stay safe on campus because when you are with another person, it makes you less of a target. “I am staying safe be following one rule: I always have someone to walk with. [People should] know who their real friends are; not everyone has your best interest at hear,” said Saint Louis University freshman Maariya Ahmed. “Make friends with people in your

hallway,” said Beck. According to a National Institute of Justice at the U.S. Department of Justice report, in December of 2000 “college with 10,000 students could experience around 350 rapes per year.” According to the Centers for Disease Control, 19 percent of female undergraduates experienced attempted or accomplished sexual assaults since starting college. “Unfortunately, you see assaults, people getting drugged or putting stuff in drinks. Be aware of everything,” said Beck. When a student enters the college campus, they should orientate themselves and know where the blue light phones are on campus and know the campus escort number. “One of the colleges I am considering is NYU, but one thing I am concerned [about] is that the campus is really big and really spread out. I know colleges have really good safety rules and regulations,” said senior Amy Shih. Several college campuses such as Saint Louis University provide campus escort services. If you are traveling at night, students or visitors can call up one of the escorts. Even if it looks embarrassing, it best to be safe. “If you ever feel unsafe for any reason, you can always call campus police for escort. That’s why they exist,” said Wills. “At Saint Louis University, we also

have bias incident reports where we get emails about when something happens like racial discrimination or sexual assault,” said Ahmed. It is especially important to be safe and aware of what is going on at parties in general, but especially parties with alcohol. Parties, especially with alcohol, can complicate any situation; therefore, students should be conscious at parties. “Whenever partying is involved, it complicates situations. Look out for yourself,” said Beck. “Do not go to parties alone. Wherever you are on campus never be alone, the buddy system applies,” said Ahmed. Nowadays, cell phones are a huge part of our lives, but it is important to be off your phone while walking around campus. Your cell phone is a huge distraction, and you become unaware of your surroundings. “Especially in the evening, be aware of your surroundings. This is especially important for students today who seem to have more of an interest in their phones that where they’re walking,” said Wills. “I didn’t have a cell phone in college. I made sure I knew I was traveling with someone at all times, and people knew where I was,” said Beck. “It’s important to use good sense when living on a college campus,” said Wills.

Photo by Nadia Ahmed

Nadia Ahmed

At Saint Louis University, these polls are placed around the campus so that students will be able to call for police escorts whenever they do not feel safe on the campus.

“The Freshman 15”: Avoiding Misconceptions midnight snack is all that you wanted; a bag of chips, a soda, a cookie. At 18, you can burn those calories easily, so there is no need not to give in to whatever snack is on your mind. But the Freshman 15 is approaching fast and in the shape of all those sugary treats you once loved. Studies now show that first time college students are gaining double the weight that any group of freshmen has in the past. “Alcohol consumption, late night eating, cafeteria eating, no home cooked meals, [and not to mention] metabolism starts to slow around those ages,” said Health teacher Jody Chambers. Those are the main causes of the weight gain that incoming freshmen experience. However, there are some other factors that students may not be aware of that contribute significantly to weight gain. “Believe it or not, the better student you are, the more you are going to be in the library sitting and inactive studying,” said Jewish Community Center Personal Trainer John Slay A common misconception is that the freshman 15 won’t happen to you, but the reality is that it can happen to anyone who’s repeatedly inactive during their first year of college. With the amount of free time that incoming college students have, a good portion of it is spent in the dorm room or studying. “The general average for a student is about 2 hours out of class for every hour in. So if you’re doing something in the 1418 hour category as a full time student. You think about that and you take 14 hours and you add in 28 hours, that’s 42 hours—that’s

a full time job. But a lot of time that you’re inactive,” said Slay. Although all students can succumb to the common weight gain associated with freshman year, many North High students have other plans in mind to avoid such excessive calorie intake. Senior Sydney Denlow plans to remain active. “I frequently plan to run the trails and campus around Mizzou or work out in the rec center. I also plan to join some intramural sports like soccer or join a running club to stay in shape.” If running and playing sports isn’t for you, then weight lifting may be. Senior Andy Guerrero plans to “workout 6 days a week and have Sundays as a recovery day.” Working out by lifting weights is common to see in most gyms, as students want to add on to their strength and shed their once frail high school bodies. However, not every college has a gym, therefore Slay suggests “Squats. Push-ups. Sit ups. Lunges. Jumping jacks. They don’t require any equipment, so you can do them in your dorm room; you can do them anywhere. And then you can also use YouTube. YouTube is loaded with exercises.” Along with exercising and proper eating, keeping track of calorie intake can aid students in the direction of how much they should consume in a meal or provide an overview as to how much they consumed in a day. For some keeping the temptation out of reach, helps them to not over snack. “I’m going to keep eating healthy and avoid junk food as much as possible,” said Guerrero. Eating at the dining hall is a major problem as a variety of unhealthy foods are offered to students, and they don’t know how

Photo by Kori Clay

Kori Clay Community Editor

Steeping on a scale occasionally is a good way to check your weight and avoid the freshman 15. “Mostly in high school you eat once inside school and then you eat homemade food. When you move to college, imagine the people who eat lunch every day now they can eat french fries three times a day,” said Guerrero on the shift of weight gain in college.

to react except to indulge themselves in all of the junk food provided. “I think students are overwhelmed by the ice cream machines and large arrays of food in front of them,” said Denlow. Chambers suggests while at the dining hall that you have “three or more different colors on your plate per meal per day.” This

helps to ensure that a well-balanced meal from the different food groups. Slay said, “It’s usually not very realistic to tell college kids not to eat pizza and hamburgers. It sounds good to say don’t do [it], but the practicality isn’t very good. Do the hamburger but try not to do the fries. Or maybe only eat half of them.”

May 5, 2014 Parkway North High School

Senior Issue

Step by Step Guide to College Roommates Chaney Cooper

Sports Editor

efore going off to college, most people have spent the majority, if not all of their previous 18 years living with the same people: their family. This allows them to get to know them and understand their tendencies, annoyances, and quirks. This consistency is a huge part of what makes the addition of a roommate into college freshman’s lives such an adjustment. But adjustments can go smoothly. By carefully considering your options and following some simple steps, roommate bliss can be achieved.

Step 1: Knowing your options

When acquiring a roommate, there are two basic options: either do random assignment or choose a roommate yourself. There are different things to consider for each. For some, random assignment is the way to go. “I think it would be cool to go in and have a random person; it helps with meeting new people and expanding your social circle,” said senior Brian Bals. Most schools make students fill out a rooming compatibility survey in order to assist housing departments when they make the pairings. If you’re leaning towards random assignment but are a little nervous, it’s important to remember that the schools have been picking roommates for people for quite some time; they know what they’re doing. However, as with any situation, it can go either way. “My first roommate didn’t speak to me for the first couple months because he was very introverted and shy, so that was awkward. He just didn’t talk to me or anyone,” said Latin teacher Matt Pikaard. For those who don’t like the uncertainty that comes from random assignment, personally selecting a roommate is the way to go. Many schools have their own sites for this, like University of Missouri- Columbia’s

YouMizzou.com. If the school doesn’t offer a site of that sort, websites like roomsurf.com are there solely to help find a roommate. Both allow students to fill out profiles about themselves and browse the profiles of others that they match. “I went onto You@Mizzou and I was looking for a roommate. I found a girl, read her profile, and we had a lot in common. We talked for one night, and I knew I wanted to be her roommate so I asked her,” said senior Anna Burch.

Step 2: Picking your roommate

Those choosing random assignment can skip this step, since the job of picking a roommate is done for them, but for those not relying on the school to choose their roommate, the next step picking one. The number one warning often given to freshmen not doing random assignment is do not live with your best friend “Don’t try and be roommates with you friends. A lot of times that causes friction in your friendships because if you have a random roommate at least you can leave. You’re not in the totally same social circle,” said Pikaard. Of course, this depends on each friendship; some find that they’re fine and able to work through any problems that arise, but for others, living with someone you’re so close to can lead to some definite rubbing of elbows. While people obviously try to find a roommate they get along with personality wise, it’s very important to consider the compatibility of lifestyles too. The schools don’t have the compatibility surveys for nothing. “You’re trying to find someone

compatible that you could have fun with,” said Burch. However, you also want to pick someone who has similar sleeping and cleaning habits as you. Some people are very organized and neat, while others are extremely messy. Some people will take early morning classes because they function better in the morning, while others will stay up late. Some people need to workout or listen to music while studying, while others need it quiet and have other ways to stay in shape and relieve stress. “[My roommate and I] did cross country together, so we had similarities: we needed to work out, we thought school was important, she studied math, I studied science,” said chemistry teacher Jessie Michael about her freshman roommate. During this process no matter what medium is used to find a roommate, talking with or meeting with them before is very important. These meetings help to decide if perspective roommates actually get along and well. “The process is like dating because you’re trying to get to know them, but you don’t want to be too forward and you want them to like you, but you don’t want to commit too quickly…[My future roommate and I] equated it to J-Date,” said senior Emily Scholten.

“Be mindful of each other. Know their personality and be respectful of their space. My roommate was very organized, so I tried not to leave my stuff everywhere.” -North graduate Steven Chaffin

Step 3: Living harmoniously

No matter what the living situation, there’s one key goal that all have in common: keeping the peace between roommates. Possibly the most important part of this is communication. Communication is important in helping roommates understand each other. This means being open, setting ground rules, and verbalizing feelings. Roommates should be honest with each other

about their tendencies and preferences or it’ll cause problems later. Make agreements on specifics of living together early on to avoid conflict. And if something a roommate does something that bothers you, don’t be passive aggressive about it, let them know. Roommates can’t read minds. Roommates should respect each other. This falls into two major categories: showing them general respect and respecting their stuff. While many roommates are fine with sharing certain things, always ask before borrowing anything. Make sure to keep belongings on respective sides of the room. This is very important if roommates have varying levels of neatness. “Be mindful of each other. Know their personality and be respectful of their space. My roommate was a very organized, so I tried not to leave my stuff everywhere,” said Pikaard. The rule that’s been around since kindergarten applies here too: treat others the way you want to be treated. No one wants to live with someone nasty. Have somewhere else to go just in case. Most everyone goes to college after having a room to themselves at home, so they’re not used to living with another person in such close quarters, and at times it’ll get annoying. Be prepared to go to the library, a coffee house, or a friend’s room to get away from your roommate for a little while if needed. “My advice: Don’t spend all of your time studying in your dorm room. Go to the library, find a café, anything to get away. It frees you up from distractions and prevents you from spending too much time overanalyzing your roommate,” said North graduate Steven Chaffin, a freshman at Mizzou. Perhaps the most important piece of advice is to go into the situation open-minded. If you’re not ready to make the best of things, chances are they won’t be either. “There will always be something about your roommate that irks you. Be openminded, regardless of who you’re rooming with and where you’re living. The fact is that you’re going to have to make some adjustments to how you live,” said Chaffin.

Students Not Going to College Pursue Careers in Military Entertainment Editor

any of the students who are a part of this year’s graduating class will be concerned with avoiding the Freshman 15, coping with difficult roommates, paying for college, finding a major, and balancing a social life with academics next year. But for a few graduating students, next year will consist of strenuous physical and mental training, drills, and, eventually, deployment. “College isn’t for everyone,” said college and careers counselor Christy Wills, “I think the military is an option [for some students] because it provides training that students can really use in the military and later on. It’s a ready-made career.” There are several reasons why the military appeals to certain students. For some, it’s the discipline or the physical and cognitive challenge. For others, it’s the patriotism, camaraderie, and opportunity of a free education.

Senior Michael Willis plans to study to become a hospital corpsman in the Navy. He said, “A few reasons why the Navy is appealing to me and why it became my post high-school decision is because as soon as I step foot into basic training I’m getting paid…A chance to seriously grow up and experience the real world a lot faster than most people. [I also will enjoy] a tremendous amount of respect for myself and from everyone else around me, [and] the chance to have a great amount of stability throughout all aspects of my life,” said Willis. Senior Jackie Harris is entering Basic Military Training (BMT) at Lackland Air Force Base (AFB) in San Antonio, Texas. Harris said that she enlisted in the Air Force because “I’ve always wanted to help others, and this way I can help my entire country in one way or another-it makes you feel really important.” Not all students who would like to pursue a military career can enlist; students must qualify first. “You have to score above a certain level [on the ASVAB] to enter into the military”

said Willis. The ASVAB, or Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, measures cognitive ability in ten different areas applicable to military service. The ASVAB also determines what jobs in the military a student can do. Most of the students who have chosen to enlist and have qualified will enter into Basic Military Training (BMT) next year. BMT is the physical training and instruction for new military personnel. All military personnel must complete BMT before moving onto further training that focuses on skills relevant to their specific job. School Resource Officer Ezra White, a veteran of the Marine Corps, said that his advice to graduating students entering the military is “to work on your physical conditioning, along with getting military knowledge - knowing what’s to be expected.” Reasons for enlisting in one of the military’s branches vary from person to person, but there is one common theme: the desire to bravely serve the United States and better themselves.

Photo by Ryan Lutker

Ryan Lutker

Military recruiters visit and discuss military options with students. Every branch of the military recruits at Parkway North at some point during the year.

Senior Issue

May 5, 2014 Parkway North High School

Seniors Enjoy Much Anticipated Senior Picnic

On April 23, seniors gathered at Creve Coeur Park for their end of the year Senior Picnic. The day was filled with things from sports to kayaking. There was even a snow cone stand giving out free snow cones to all of the seniors. “It was just cool to be with all of your classmates and have one last experience with everybody,” said senior Jacob Harland. “I thought it was a good time. Our whole class was together, so it was nice to have a last day together before we graduate. It was a nice day so we had fun,” said senior Connor Miles. Throughout the day, there was one massive game of volleyball going on in the sand court. Seniors had a lot of fun hitting the ball around and having to occasionally dive for the ball when someone spiked it. Some of the varsity Men’s Volleyball players took part and had fun crushing the ball on other players. Seniors Jacob Harland and Connor Miles both played volleyball all day. “I had a good time. I played sand volley-

ball most of the time. We had a pretty good group of people playing that,” said Harland, who plays outside for the Parkway North Men’s Volleyball team. There were many other activities going on at the park. There were at least four Frisbees out at any given moment. There were some seniors playing catch with the football, and the varsity baseball team played against non-baseball players in a game of whiffle ball. “It started off with the varsity team talking trash, and then I said, ‘go ahead and take all of the baseball team. We will take everybody else that is not on varsity’. We were beating them at first, and then they just came back and crushed us,” said senior Trey Richards, captain of the non-varsity whiffle ball team. One senior even brought out his kayak for people to play around with. “I knew it was a nice day and I had it. I wanted to enjoy the day and make a little bit of an interesting entrance,” said senior Phillip Oravec. The Senior Picnic is one of the very last opportunities for seniors to hang out and enjoy their last days together. Other than the

Photo By Zack Becker

Zack Becker Online Editor

Seniors play volleyball at their Senior Picnic on the sand court at Creve Coeur Park. The volleyball game lasted all day and picked up in size at the end of the day.

Senior Bash after graduation, the Senior Picnic is the last major event. “[To improve the picnic] maybe have more activities, have a class picture, and get the teachers more involved,” said Miles. “[Creve Coeur] was the perfect place because they had the volleyball court.”

Some seniors, however, thought that the picnic was great and didn’t need to be improved at all. “I really don’t see any improvements that they could make. I had a good time, the food was good and it seemed alright to me,” said Harland. Photo by Zack Becker

The Senior Picnic was held at Creve Coeur Park. Seniors participated in many activities ranging from ultimate frisbee to whiffle ball and ate hot dogs and hamburgers served by the administration.

Senior Women Weekend Continues Despite Miscommunication Jamie Powell

Features Editor The Powder Puff game, lock in, and jay walk was the planned weekend for the senior women, but unfortunately plans fell through for the seniors for many reasons. The senior woman lock-in that was supposed to be held shortly after the Powder Puff game at Parkway North was canceled due to miscommunication. “We were supposed to sign up in the book store and pay two dollars, but a lot Photo By Jamie Powell The Powder Puff game changed to a co-ed game due to the small turn out of senior women and junior girls. The purple team won.

people heard that you could pay at the door on Friday to get in so a lot of people planned to do that. Since we only had ten or fourteen girls sign up, they cancelled it,” said senior Sarina Felton. Due to many juniors and seniors participating in the blood drive that’s held at Parkway North twice a year, the traditional Powder Puff game that was originally scheduled for Friday night on April 4, 2014 was rescheduled to April 5, 2014 at 8 a.m. “Okay, so the Powder Puff was scheduled on the same day as the blood drive because there was no other Friday to schedule it on, and a lot of the junior and senior girls thought that they could give blood in the morning and then be okay to play at 6:30 in the evening,” said senior woman president Chelsea Odonkor. Although many participants of Powder Puff gave blood, there was much confusion throughout the day regarding whether it was okay or not to give blood. “A lot of people were saying that it was okay to give blood around 8 a.m., because that gives you more than eight hours to recover. They said all we had to do was continue to drink lots of water,” said senior Leah Wayne. On top of the amount of players who were giving blood, there was one more reason as to why they thought about cancelling the game. “Another reason why it was kind of cancelled is because there was just a lot of competition, and it was kind of getting to the point of dangerous because there were speculations of fighting being planned at the

game and stuff. It just seemed like the best idea to reschedule it to the next morning,” said Odonkor. Due to the amount of junior and senior women donors, the head principal Dr. Jenny Marquart had a meeting with the juniors and seniors on why they were not going to be able to play April 4, 2014. “Throughout the day, we became aware that many kids that were going to participate in Powder Puff had given blood even though we had advised them not to,” said Principal Jenny Marquart. Although Marquart made the decision to reschedule the Powder Puff game, many of the juniors and seniors were not in favor of that choice. Text messages and tweets went out immediately after school to inform everyone that the game was still on. “[My friend] Kait, was calling me and telling me to hurry up because the game was still on, and she made me check twitter and it was just everyone saying it’s still on, meet at Millennium,” said senior Emily Mueller. Unfortunately for the juniors and seniors, Marquart caught on to their planned and greeted them at the gates of the football field with a stern warning. “If they knew that we couldn’t play because of the blood drive, then they shouldn’t have scheduled Powder Puff and the blood drive on the same day; and then when we tried to have our own, they told us we couldn’t have it at the school for whatever reason, and then we tried to have it somewhere else (Millennium Park). There were rumors saying that if the senior girls participated in it then we couldn’t walk and we would get suspend-

ed, so it just wasn’t fun,” said senior Tatyana Gates. Although many would say that the attempt for a Friday night Powder Puff game was an epic fail, others would say that the rescheduled game was a success. The Powder Puff game of only junior and senior women, turned into a friendly co-ed game of flag football. “Although there was a low turnout, Powder Puff was awesome. We ended up having a blast. We actually took random people. There were some freshmen playing soccer further down the field, there were some sophomore boys who came out to support... we grabbed them and made a pickup game; but it ended up being an absolute blast. We had beautiful weather that Saturday morning and even though no juniors showed up, that’s okay, because seniors won,” said senior Joy Garcia. Shortly after playing a game of co-ed flag football, the senior woman helped set up the annual jay walk. The jay walk held at Parkway North, is a walk to remember a miracle story that’s shared between Parkway North and Parkway South High schools. “The walk is an organ donor registry drive. It’s a fun walk, but the whole object of the walk is to get people to become organ donors. The story [behind the walk] is Justin Hughes, a graduate from Parkway North in 2004, and Dana Spencer, a student at Parkway South when she was sixteen and was in a car accident and she passed...Justin received Dana’s heart when he was eleven years old; she lost her life,” said Vanessa Hughes, executive director of the Jay Walk.

MAY 5, 2014 Parkway North High School

Senior Issue

Pathway to Success: Former Vikings Give Advice to Seniors Kori Clay Community Editor Extra Time Since college provides you with so much free time and a variety of ways to spend it (school activities, sleep, new friends, Netflix, etc.,) it is easy to put things off and say that you will do them later, and put it off again and say you’ll do it later, which then finds you in the awful situation of having to throw something together at the last moment. —Anthony Henderson

Extracurricular Getting involved in things, either school sponsored or not, will look good in your future resume, build great memories, and help you form that essential network of connections. –Dana Powell Wherever you go to school and whatever you major in, I would highly suggest finding an organization you’re passionate about and volunteer there. –Emily Thal Get involved, but don’t try to get too involved in a lot of clubs and activities; you’ll overwhelm yourself.—Sophie Fisher

Academics Keep a calendar or to-do list in order to keep track of homework and due dates—James Irwin Academically, give it your absolute best effort, but don’t stress yourself out too much over grades. Employers are more concerned with your charisma and experience.—Dana Powell I would say to take some sort of summer course at the university of your choice the summer before your freshman year so you get an idea of what it takes to do well in a college level course at the university of your choice.—Sheena Mohammed The main advice I received was from former athletes and it was to get my degree first before (if the chance came) considering going pro.—Jason Hursey

Money College is expensive. Use Friendships Be accepting of everything. You’ll meet some strange people in college, so just try to be your money wisely because you’re nice. Also, get out there. Don’t seclude yourself to one group of friends. They will get annoying going to be broke—James Irwin Looking back in retrospect, after a while.—Heather Lundstrom I realize that for many, making friends isn’t the easiest task, but you must constantly re- my advice to myself would’ve been Majors to go somewhere affordable. Colmind yourself that you have nothing to lose. At least you tried!—Anthony Henderson It’s nice to follow your passion, but you also have to Don’t worry about being “cool”. College is the best time to try new things that would nor- lege is expensive, but it’s not worth think long-term. If the one thing that makes your heart your wallet.—Justin Carson mally be considered “outside of the box.’’ Looking back, no one was really cool in college-the sing is a liberal arts degree, great, a lot of people have same goes for high school too. Just be yourself, and you’ll attract like-minded people.—Dana been successful that way. But do plan to have internships Powell Family Life College Downfalls and/or minor in something with a more concrete career Staying up late to study because I had procrastinated and gotten be- path or save money to attend graduate school.—Emily Being sick at college – not the same as when you are at home with someone to care for you like hind. All-nighters before 8 a.m. tests.—Sophie Fisher Thal When I was late to my chemistry lab and was told I could not perform your mom.—Mari Porath Think about what environment you like to work in; Family life has changed only because I’m that lab because I was more than 5 minutes late—Sheena Mohammed with lots of people or alone, working with data and numDrinking too much and doing something really stupid – I was so em- bers, working with people and caring for them. Do some not at home to see my little sister grow up anybarrassed afterwards and did not like myself.—Mari Porath more. I’m missing some of the moments you research at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/ This is the OccuDon’t fall into the hype or hoopla of college. Meaning, don’t get pational Outlook Handbook put out by the Department cherish because I’m gone.—Jason Hursey caught up in the party life, and social scene of college. Have your fun (of of Labor Statics. It is a great site to look up careers and Relationships course) but remember, work hard play hard!—Julisa Powell get an idea of what it is and the outlook.—Mari Porath Relationships take time and effort but Clothing in the End never let it consume your whole life. At least Having to walk across campus in beThose embarrassing moments turned into fun memories once the emnot right now. We’re all still young, have fun low zero weather at 7:30 a.m. and then back barrassment passed. Overall, I won’t worry about creating bad memories and be safe but most of all focus on school. The again. Bring warm clothing!!—Mari Porath while in college, if anything you would just learn from them.—Dana Powell girls will always be around.—Jason Hursey

Norsestar

May 5, 2014

Senior Issue

Parkway North High School

Allan Khariton: Academic MVP Danny McGinnist: Fine Arts MVP Ben Campbell: Athletic MVP

environment more than we should and I want to sustain it as best as possible so we don’t irreparably damage it,” said Khariton Khariton’s post high school plans include attending Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh to major in engineering. Khariton chose Carnegie Melon because “it’s the best school I got into, and it has a really good engineering record. It was also recommended to me by counselors and several family friends who know what they’re talking about.” “[Khariton] goes above and beyond as a student,” said Nilsen.

Smrithi Chidambaram: MVP Academics Molly Thal Co-Editor-in-Chief

involved in our program. She’s involved in school choirs as well as extracurricular groups, gospel choir, jazz groups, and everything else. She’s been not only heavily involved, but she’s been a driving force in what has made a lot of these groups successful,” said choir teacher Brian Reeves. Although she has accomplished a lot over the course of the years, she stays humble. “As far as accomplishments in the arts go, I’ve gotten a lot of awards; however, I see them as benchmarks rather than achievements and use them to set new and higher goals,” said Jacobson. Singing isn’t her only talent. She makes jewelry, and she plays five instruments: the guitar, piano, ukulele, clarinet, and mandolin. She is also a lyricist, arranger, and composer of music “I got involved in these activities very naturally. I liked these things, so I did them. Being involved in choir and music in general is my entire life. I don’t really do much besides choir and jewelry, but I’m happy this way, so it all works out,” said Jacobson. She has played a large part in the choir program over the course of her four years. She is considered a leader in the program. “Kara is a strong musician, and she is unafraid. She’s very uninhibited musically. It drives the people around her. So other students go right along with her. She leads in that way. She leads

within her section,” said Reeves. She spends a lot of her time volunteering to help others who need it. “She’s someone who has volunteered to help set up and tear down. She offers to take kids home after practice and bring them here before school for rehearsal. She helps in a variety of ways, musically and non-musically,” said Reeves. Her willingness to help and her giving personality has earned her many friends in and outside of the choir program. “She can really help you when it comes to your craft in the music area. I had her in choir class and she would always come help us. She would just give good advice on what to do to better ourselves,” said senior Chelsea Thomas. Jacobson has found a way to balance of the work she does in choir with her social life. Her generous personality and involvement outside of school has helped her make friends. “My favorite thing about her is her personality. She’s really a great person inside and out. She has the biggest heart. She’s very diverse, and she can do anything,” said senior Chelsea Thomas. When Jacobson graduates, she will be attending Millikin University in Decatur, IL. She will be studying to become a Music Education major. “My plan is to teach choir after I get my bachelors degree, then continue with higher education and hopefully teach at some more advanced level in the future.

Aurora Wrancher Co-Editor-in-Chief

McGinnist works on a new painting in AP Studio. McGinnist hopes to get a degree and pursue a career in fine arts.

Kara Jacobson: Fine Arts MVP

Aurora Wrancher Co-Editor-in-Chief Senior Kara Jacobson has been involved in the choir program for her entire four years at North. She has been on the Missouri All-State Choir twice, and she was in the All-State Vocal Jazz Ensemble last year. She is also involved in Powder Room. “She has demonstrated over four years not only prodigious ability but prodigious effort in terms of being

Photo by Mary Mosley Ney

Chidambaram, along with being commended by her school, was chosen by her peers as a one of the most valuable academic seniors at North.

“She pretty much is on her own planning the monthly meetings,” said Mu Alpha Theta sponsor Julie Parks. “We meet once a month, and she organizes each of those meetings and what we do from beginning to end. She also is in charge if we need anything special. If we needed materials, she has to let me know, and I will go out and get those materials.” “We have four solid officers. The sponsor is there to assist and facilitate. I think they [the student leaders] are the true leaders of the group. I always say that what we do in Mu Alpha Theta is up to our officers, so at the induction ceremony, juniors and even sophomores will run for office,” said Parks. “We always tell the group that we need to select officers carefully. It’s not a popularity contest. It’s more about what they will bring to the table.” Despite her tight schedule, Chidambaram continues to get her work for Mu Alpha Theta completed on time. “Sometimes in the past, we will have an officer miss something and they normally help each other. If there’s something that one person has to miss the other one will make sure that everyone has their stuff, that they can cover it. But I don’t recall Smrithi ever missing a single meeting. If she did, she’s always had everything ready to go,” said Parks. Chidambaram was also commended in the National Merit Scholarship, because, like Khariton, she scored in the top five percent of the 1.5 million who took the PSAT.

crowd and not needing money or fame to enjoy performing his music. This summer, McGinnist is also performing in a Boston carnival to showcase his music. Although music is not a big part of the art career that McGinnist wants, it is a hobby that he enjoys. McGinnist recently entered another painting, Drew, into the Parkway District-Wide art show on April 27. McGinnist enjoyed taking pictures and talking to attendees at the show.

Jacobson sings at Pattonville High School with the choir, which she has been involved with for four years.

Ben Campbell has been involved in sports for all four years of high school while also maintaining a high GPA. He’s a part of Captain’s Council, and he has been since his sophomore year of high school. “My parents have really pushed me to be the best I can in school and sports. They were always supportive and were at every game they could be,” said senior Ben Campbell. In addition to keeping his grades up and participating in extracurricular activities, he also has a job. “I’ve carried a 3.78 GPA throughout my high school career. I also work at Spiro’s Greek restaurant as a busser on the weekends,” said Campbell. He was 2nd in state his sophomore year for baseball. In his junior year, he was 2nd team all-conference for baseball. This year, he was 2nd team all-conference and 2nd team all-district as well for basketball. He was also part of the St. Dominic all-tournament team and the Fort Zumwalt North alltournament team. “Baseball obviously isn’t finished yet, so I’m not sure where I will end up this year in terms of honors and awards; however, my goal is to be 1st team all conference and win a conference, district and state title,” said Campbell. Campbell is the St. Louis Post Dispatch Scholar Athlete for Parkway North for 2014. St. Louis Post Dispatch

Senior Ben Campbell pitches during a baseball game. He hopes to get a job with the Cardinals or Rams after college.

honors one senior from every school in their immediate coverage area. The winners are chosen by administrators from their school. “He’s a two sport athlete; he’s a great role model for our younger kids. He’s a talented athlete. He was part of our state baseball team two years ago. He’s been a starting first baseman for three years. He started on the basketball team for two years. [He’s a very] talented kid and just very dependable. He bleeds purple; he’s all about Parkway North,

and he’s an outstanding athlete,” said baseball coach Brett Katz. Since he participates in extracurricular activities both in school and out of school, he was chosen to be a part of the game managing team for Special Olympics in the concessions stand. He was in charge of all things concession stand related during that event. This allowed Campbell to work on his management skills. Additionally, he is a member of his church’s youth group. “Outside of school, I’m part of my church’s youth group. We go on mission trips and attend camps during the summer. My faith in a God is a huge aspect of my life. I wouldn’t be where I am today without Him. He’s blessed me not only in athletics but also in my work ethic and ability to do well in school,” said Campbell. Another huge influence on Campbell was his summer baseball coach. Every summer, Campbell plays on a club team to keep his skills sharp and practice new skills. “I learned a lot about the game of baseball from him and he pushed our entire team to work hard and do what it took to win,” said Campbell. Campbell plans to attend Maryville University, where he will study Sports Business Management and also where he hopes to play baseball, or Westminster College where he will study business and play baseball. “After college, I’d like to get a job working with a professional sports team, such as the Cardinals or Rams,” said Campbell.

Diarra Newson: Athletic MVP Zack Becker Online Editor This year, senior Diarra Newson was selected be one of Parkway North’s most valuable athletes. She was selected by her fellow classmates in the senior survey that went out to all senior labs. Newson has been on the Women’s Varsity Basketball team ever since she was a sophomore. She played the position of guard and always took her job seriously. She also is a decorated track member. She has run on varsity for all four of her high school career and placed at state each year too. “Diarra was one of the hardest working players that we had. In her time here, she was a very good defender. She practiced hard every day, and she was always willing to do whatever it took. She was always willing to do things that are more difficult like defending really well,” said basketball coach Will Young. Young has been Newson’s basketball coach ever since she was a sophomore. Newson was seen as an important leader for the basketball team. She always never gave up and encouraged other to do the same. “She got more and more comfortable with her teammates, and her teammates saw her more and more as a leader,” said Young. “Whenever

we’ve needed somebody to defend or stop another team’s quickest player or offensive guard, it was always her job [to stop them]. She was always a very dedicated kid.” Newson also helped lead the track team to win many sprint races. She runs in the 100M, 400M, 4x100M, 4x200M, and the 4x400M. “My favorite race from track was from this year, running in the 4x400 with my teammates Imani Walker, Morgan Faust, and Jasmyne Suber. It was our first meet this year at Parkway West. Imani started us off us nicely, but during our second leg (Morgan), we got passed up by another team. They had a nice lead, but on the last straight, our third leg (Jasmyne), we closed down the gap, and we were now in a close second place. When she handed the baton off to me, I stayed right behind my opponent for most of my lap. Then on my last 100 meters, I passed her up, and my team ended up winning the race,” said Newson. Newson plans to participate in sports next year in college too. “I signed to Culver-Stockton College to run track there. My major will be Graphic Design with a minor of business,” said Newson. Newson has done a lot for Parkway North’s Athletics. She is always performing to her highest potential and

doing her best to help her team. “My favorite part of being a high school athlete is staying in shape for sure and meeting a lot of new people at school and from other schools,” said Newson.

Photo by Tammie Williams

When senior year comes around, students may take the easy classes, may take fewer classes, or even may take unauthorized absences to make senior year easy. However, some seniors do not lighten their schedule for senior year. Smrithi Chidambaram is one of those people. Chidambaram’s schedule includes four AP classes to prepare her for her post-high school plans, and that is

one of the reasons she will graduate second in her class. “After high school, I will be attending a 4 year university,” said Chidambaram. “I want to double major in college (Anthropology and Biology). I’m interested in medicine, and I would like to become a physician.” Her life outside of school includes working at a Kumon Math and Reading center, volunteering at Barnes Jewish West County Hospital, playing lacrosse, and being a member of a number of school groups. To be successful both in class and outside of school, she is selfdriven. “I have always been pretty focused, and I wasn’t really taught or instructed to be that way. However, my parents, teachers, and friends seem to believe that I’m capable of getting good grades and achieving academically. They are supportive and encouraging,” said Chidambaram. She has found a balance between school and extracurricular activities despite her heavy workload. “Even though I believe school is a priority, I wouldn’t say that it is my top priority,” said Chidambaram. “I try to stay as balanced as possible between school, extracurricular, family, and friends.” Mu Alpha Theta is among one of the extracurricular activities in which Chidambaram participates. She was elected president last spring and has taken on that responsibility while still doing well in school.

With camera in hand, senior Danny McGinnist focuses on his photography, taking pictures and learning how to edit them. McGinnist has been involved with art since he was young and is considered by his peers as one of the best students in the arts at Parkway North. McGinnist’s interest in the fine arts started at a young age. “I was young. My father sat at the table with me, and we drew pictures together or colored,” said McGinnist, “I wasn’t interested in coloring inside the lines or coloring other people’s pictures.” Instead, McGinnist “took it upon [himself] to start drawing [his] favorite cartoon characters.” Now, he is involved in the visual arts and music. McGinnist took Sculpture last semester and is now taking both AP Studio and Photography I. McGinnist “is enthusiastic about taking and learning about photography,” said Christa Ollinger. He is “a very personable student.” In the photography class, McGinnist “is developing and refining his creative thinking skills and technical artistic skills,” said Ollinger. “I love expressing feeling or giving someone a vision and for the most part, being creative,” said McGinnist. He also enjoys seeing himself get better and better with practice in not only photography, but also other visual arts, such as painting, drawing and sculpting.

On Jan. 13, 2014, McGinnist won Best of Show in the St. Louis Community College High School Art Show, which is one of his favorite achievements in high school. This was also McGinnist’s first time entering a piece into an art show. McGinnist created his piece in AP Studio. The piece was titled “Burning Me Down” and was a self-portrait and began as a piece of wood. McGinnist burned and sanded down the piece until the finished product was made. His teacher, Clint Johnson, is also the teacher who has had the most influence on McGinnist in his high school years. Next year, McGinnist will be attending St. Louis Community College to study Fine Arts. McGinnist chose St. Louis Community College because of its affordability. Some advice offered by McGinnist for students who have an interest in the visual arts is “being the best artist is impossible, but expressing yourself the best way you can is what makes your work powerful,” said McGinnist. Besides expressing himself through painting and photography, McGinnist shows his creativity through music as well. “I write and produce music for other artists,” said McGinnist, who also raps on the side. Although he does not receive compensation for his work, McGinnist still enjoys working with music. One of his songs, Imaginary Crowds, features Parkway North senior Kara Jacobson. The song is about performing for an imaginary

Photo Courtesy of Andy Susuki

Khariton is takes notes during AP U.S. History, taught by Scott Nilsen. Khariton takes several AP classes and still manages to be in the top ten of his class academically.

Lauren Sparks Staff Writer

Photo by Lauren Sparks

Among the over 300 students who will be graduating this spring, senior Allan Khariton stands out to his peers based on his academic success. “He does his work at a consistently high level. His work is [of] good quality. He’s a good student,” said history teacher Scott Nilsen. One mark of an exemplary student is the quality and consistency of work that he presents. Khariton’s high quality of work has not only gained him respect from his teachers, but it has also promoted him to the top of his class, where he ranks one of the top ten students based on GPA. “The default assumptions from his peers is that he’s going to do the best,” said Nilsen. Khariton not only has succeeded in academics at school, but has also been recognized nationally for his score on the PSAT. Khariton was named a commended student by the National Merit Scholarship Foundation, which means he had a score in the top five percent of all students taking the exam. Of the 1.5 million students who take the PSAT every year, only about 50,000 are named as high scorers. At Parkway North, Khariton was one of only two students to receive this honor. Not only does Khariton perform well in academics, taking on a heavy

course load consisting of almost all honors and Advanced Placement classes, he also finds time to be involved in extracurricular activities that give back to the community. “I participate in mock trial, tennis, Mu Alpha Theta, National Honor Society, and Rho Kappa,”said Khariton. In mock trial, which Khariton has been involved in since sophomore year, Khariton helped the team win its first state championship as a lawyer. He has also worked as a student coach to new members of the mock trial team. Along with taking part in Parkway North’s math and social studies honor societies, Khariton has donated his time through National Honor Society, helping to tutor students and donating his time to community service. While a variety of extracurricular activities can take a lot of time away from academics, Khariton balances both. “I figure out how much I have to do. I can pretty much know how long it will take me to do my work and I work that out so I have enough time to get sleep and hang out with friends,” said Khariton. Khariton expresses an interest in math and science and hopes to merge these interests and become an engineer after college. “I want to become an engineerpreferably environmental or chemical. [I want to] try to improve the world and sustain it so we can live on the world a long time. I think we’re degrading the

Photo by Gianna Sparks

Gianna Sparks Centerspread Editor

Diarra Newson signed to run track at Culver-Stockton college. She will also be majoring in graphic design.

Senior Issue

May 5, 2014 Parkway North High School

This 1 Is 4 the numbers Features Editor Parkway North’s class of 2014 has gone through a lot. They’ve survived four years of high school, three years of middle school and six years of the innocent days of elementary school. Within these remarkable 13 years of being in school, the 2014 seniors have racked up quite a record.

20.5

This past year especially, the snow days have been adding up. The total amount of snow days from the past four years were twenty and a half days. These snow days were filled with sledding, hot cocoa, sleeping, and watching seasonal movies.

Students line up to buy their lunch on April 29. Photo by Alex Cohen

Photo by Brianne Lewis The snow days caused by this winter’s storms led to at least five days off of school.

702,900

Throwing it back to freshman year, the dance “Bernie” came out and the class of 2014 got into some trouble. Many classmates participated in making a music video to this new hit during academic lab. After the administration said that they weren’t using their time wisely during academic lab, their travel was prohibited for a day. “Teachers were doing [the “Bernie”], students were doing it, and Marquart was the only one not feeling it,” said senior Jerrod Allen. Despite the punishment, the video went onto YouTube to get 1,926 views.

A group of then-freshman boys line up to “Bernie” in front of the school for the video.

416

Pencils. We buy so many of them, but they seem to disappear right before our eyes. The number of pencils that a student has bought by their senior year of high school is about 416.

Photo by Jamie Powell

1,926

Jamie Powell

The amount of money spent on lunches from freshmen to senior year of high school for one individual is approximately $1,980 (and that’s not even including Viking line or snack line). If we were to multiply that by more than 300 students in the senior class, the total would come to about $702,900 spent on lunch. “That’s crazy...We spent that much money on it for four years,” said senior Raven Jackson.

2,340

Since North’s senior class is almost finished with school, it’s only right to add up the total number of days that they’ve been in school. From kindergarten to grade 12, the senior class has completed 2,340 days of school.

4,320

Through this senior class’ four years, so many new gadgets and cell phones came out, and a lot of the students have had a problem with keeping their phones in their pockets. The estimated amount of times one teacher has told a student to put away their phone in the past four years totaled up to about 4,320 times. “[I tell students to put their phones away] probably ten times a day at least,” said Latin teacher Matt Pikaard.

119

It seems like we went through notebooks as if we were going through boxes of tissue. The approximate number of notebooks used for all thirteen years of school is 119.

May 5, 2014 Parkway North High School Gianna Sparks

Senior Issue

Centerspread Editor

Seniors Share Influential Books, Movies During High School Photos from Wikepedia

“Tuesdays With Morrie - the book gave me a different outlook on life,” said senior Danny Lukatsevich

“Miracle -Kurt Russell’s speech was really inspiring,” said senior Josh Lay

“Meditations by Marcus Ariellius - it helped me learn a lot about right and wrong,” said senior Luke Matthews

“Black Like Me - it showed the struggles of black people,” said senior Vincent Pitts

“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - It was just a different perspective,”said senior Lynn Socha

“Rocky II - the overall message was good,” said senior Jon Israel

“Remember the Titans - I learned a lot of life lessons,” said senior Samantha Irwin

“Frozen - I related to the characters,” said senior Cynthia Bliss

Seniors Celebrate With Each Other Before Graduation Monyelle Asher Staff Writer

are there, it’s relaxed, and it’s the last time before graduation that they’ll be together. The ceremony is similar to graduation, but less formal. Seniors will wear their cap and gown; parents and friends will be there; a candle lighting ceremony and a slide show will feature pictures of seniors; and Dr. Marquart as well as elected speakers will give speeches. AP EXAMS: Students will also celebrate their academic success and show the country what they know by taking AP tests in an effort Photo by Monyelle Asher

As the 2013-2014 school year draws to a close, many seniors, who are anxiously counting down to their last day of high school, look forward to the last events of their high school career. PROM: On Saturday, May 10 at The Columns in St. Charles, juniors and seniors will celebrate with the theme: The Great Gatsby. According to librarian Chris Johnston, who also helps arrange prom, it is important for seniors because “they get to dress up and be beautiful, and it’s one of the last times they’ll see each other. We want it to be a special memory.” A couple changes have been made to prom this year. Tickets will be purchased electronically when the students scan their student IDs; this change is being stressed because in order to purchase tickets, students need to have their ID’s, which some students don’t carry around. Also, the band has been changed. “We know they haven’t really liked the band [in the past], so we’ve gotten them a new one,” said Johnston. “We do listen to them, and we want to ensure that this is the very best prom that they can have.” Although other grade levels also attend prom, it is an especially memorable event for the seniors since it is their last dance

together. “I like dressing up for prom and taking pictures,” said senior Kara Clay. “It also makes you look back at your style. I hated my prom dress from last year, but I loved it then.” FAREWELL CEREMONY: The Senior Farewell Ceremony, which used to be called Baccalaureate, will be held on Monday, May 12 at 7 p.m. in Parkway North’s gym. “I think it’s a great way round off senior year,” said secretary Karen Wood. “Parents

Every year the seniors make a countdown for their final days and place the poster in the commons. As of April 25, the seniors had ten days left until they were done with high school.

to gain college credit before even entering college. At North, testing starts on Monday, May 5 and ends on Thursday, May 22. Testing will include multiple subjects, from Calculus AB to Japanese Language and Culture. Senior Katelyn Williams, who will be taking the AP Psychology exam, said that the hardest part of exam will be “studying and being prepared. You have to study everything from the whole school year.” The hard work, however, will pay off. Earning college credit during high school not only prepares students for college-level work, but also reduces the amount of money spent on taking college classes. BASH/GRADUATION: From 11 p.m. on May 13 to 5 a.m. on May 14, Parkway North seniors will participate in the annual Senior Bash. The bash is a drugand alcohol-free lock-in sponsored by parents and takes place after graduation, which will be at Queeny Park at 7 p.m. on May 13. While graduation is officially the end of high school, the bash allows seniors a chance to celebrate after everything is officially finished. Money for the bash was raised last semester during Bling for the Bash, an annual fundraiser that sells slightly worn jewelry, purses, and accessories to people who attend the event. “It’s important for seniors to all be together to celebrate graduating high school, and this is a safe way to do it,” said account secretary Donna Dulin.

Senior Issue

May 5, 2014 Parkway North High School

Sports Moments Seniors Will Always Remember A good portion of the student body at North is involved in athletic extracurriculars. They set the bar high for success and promise entertaining games. This also means that North has seen some pretty spectacular and memorable sports moments in the past four years. Seniors and coaches chimed in and told the Norsestar what their most memorable North sports moments from the past four years were.

Win Against Webster

Lundstrom Olympic Trials

In spring of 2012, North swimmer, Heather Lundstrom, a senior at the time, competed in the Olympic trials for a spot on the U.S Olympic swim team. Lundstrom swam on North’s swim team for all four years of her high school career. Lundstrom was supported by her friends and family, and as the trials were airing, and many teachers stopped class to cheer her on. “Heather is like an idol. I am so happy that someone like us got a chance to be a part of the Olympics,” said senior Megan Commerford, who knows the Lundstrom family. Even though Lundstrom was disqualified for an error she made in the pool, her success inspired other North students, and swimmers, to try their hardest. Lundstrom is a prime example to other athletes that if one works hard at what one loves, the opportunities are endless.

Softball Goes to State

With much hard work and effort, Parkway North’s girls softball team went to state this past year. They placed fourth in the competition, took home a nice trophy and much pride. The only senior on the team, Courtney

Norris, was a leader in taking her team to state. “She was a strong influence on keeping us focused,” said junior Sara Stevens. Even though the team is only losing one senior this year, they will be losing a valuable one. “Going to state is only something you dream of, and knowing that we were one of the four best teams in the state was awesome,” said Stevens. With so many talented athletes and invigorating games in North athletics, it’s easy to see why the students are so supportive of their teams. Many accomplishments have been made in the past four years, and with the support of other students and the dedication put in by the athletes and coaches, there will be many more to come.

The girls pose with their plaque on Oct. 13 after taking 4th place in state. Photo by Nick Orf

Football has been a pride and joy of Parkway North for many years. The sportsmanship and dedication shown by the team is an example to others. Many people remember the heart pounding game against Webster Groves in the fall of 2013. At the time, Webster was ranked #3 in the St. Louis area for football. At halftime, North was losing 7 to 13. In the second half, they worked their way back and with two minutes left in the game, Quran Williams, a current senior, intercepted the ball and North scored on an interception return. Four seconds before the game was to end, North missed a 20 yard field goal, but the game went into overtime. In overtime, Roosevelt Abram, a current junior, caught the ball in the end zone on a tipped pass play, making the score 19-13 North. On the fourth down, with Webster in possession of the ball, North intercepted it and went on to win 1913. Students and parents alike were scream-

ing from the stands. “It was a great game,” said varsity football coach Bob Bunton. This was the first time North beat Webster in the past four years. “Running on the field after having just beaten one of the best teams in the state was awesome. It’s a memory I’ll share with my teammates for the rest of my life,” said senior Jacob Rewerts.

Photo by Peggy Stevens

Emma Mitchell Opinions Editor

e gam bster en e W . v s e orth v rdest to a he N ring t rk their h u d up wo heat ates Plays th teamm r as No re. Lundstrom gathers her concentration co the s before the trials.

Seniors Continue Sport Careers in College Photo by Abby Kintz

Brianne Lewis Business Manager Many of this year’s graduating seniors will continue on to play sports at the collegiate level. Often this opens new doors for seniors, whose involvement in sports gives them the opportunity to go to the school of their dreams because of the sport that they love. “I guess it came down to the money, but Missouri Baptist University was always my dream school,” said senior Melanie Laurence. Some students are going out of state for college which can be very expensive. Often, students choose which school that they go to on account of the scholarship money that perspective schools offer them. “The coach of [Minnesota StateMankato] offered me a good scholarship, so I decided to go to the college that gave me the most money,” said senior Brianna Holt, who’s running track in college. Although some students are not scouted by the college of their choice, they still talk to other colleges that are intersted in them. “The process of being scouted was cool. I was recited by four or five [schools] that contacted me. I was originally picked by Missouri Valley College, but I went to Maryville instead. I was a post play which is center and forward,” said science teacher Will Young. Students who choose to play a sport in college have been participating in the sport for a long time. Senior Danielle Waedekin who has been playing volleyball all four years

Senior Danielle Waedekin is joined by her parents Dan and Debbie Waedekin and Coach Frankenfield on Feb. 6 as she signs to Indiana State University where she will play Division One volleyball in the fall.

of high school, will be continuing her career at Indiana State University. “On Parkway North High School’s volleyball team, I play outside hitter. For club, I have the libero position. I have played for varsity team at Parkway North since freshman year,” said Waedekin. Ademics is a huge aspect for why althetes go to the particular college that they play a sport at. “I am going to Indiana State not just because of them picking me to play, but I was

looking at academics, the coaches, and the sport. During sophomore or junior year, we had to pick out schools and Indiana State was one of my top choices, though I felt even if I didn’t play volleyball I would still go,” said Waedekin. Students who have been scouted usually have many options. So they pick a college that where they feel comfortable. “[I choose Lindenwood Belleville for football] because of all the schools I visited, that is the one I felt most comfortable,” said

senior Rodney King. Students who are going to college are always excited for the new adventure that is coming up. Playing the respected sport in college is usually a main aspect. “I always wanted to play a college sport since I was a kid,” said senior Edin Bracic, who will be playing basketball in college. Being scouted by colleges is the process in which a player is being watched by various colleges to see if their performance is worthy of recruitment by that college. “When I got my financial award letter back, I was really thanking God, and I was grateful for the money that I was able to receive. Also, I felt I belonged at Missouri Baptist; the faith aspect was important to me,” said Laurence. Athletes who are choosing to go to colleges to play sports typically have a dream school in mind because of the beliefs that the college have and also because of the location of the school in relationship to family. “[I choose] Lindenwood Belleville [because it] offers a lot of scholarship money and is a good school. The college in Staten Island, New York is where I want to live in the future and [is where] a lot of family is from. [Where I go to school] depends on where my family is or where there is a school with good education and lots of scholarship money,” said Bracic. Playing a sport in college is going to be a great experince for althetes. Parkway North has a lot of talented seniors playing sports in college next school year, and wishes them all the best.

May 5, 2014 Parkway North High School

Destinations

Near... Zack Becker Anna Burch Nicholas Burke Kara Clay Kori Clay Brianna Curland Sydney Denlow Kaitlyn Dorgan Lisa Guberman Victoria Hanson Royce Jackson Carleigh Jones Abigail Kintz Ellen Lundstrom Maxwell Mans Kelli Martin Kate McAfee Connor Miles Jacob Rewerts Kevin Sagakhaneh Kaycie Shrine Kiana Simmons Geoffrey Smith Jordan Stack Abby Wiliams

Lindenwood

Austin Asberry Katharine Doering Lamarrick Jackson Amber Jansson Paulina Kofman Taylor Thomason

Duncan Lewis

Missouri

Jamie Bailey

Jamehl Wilson

Culver-Stockton College Joey Hope

St. Louis College of Pharmacy

Diarra Newson Courtney Norris

Moataz Said

Southeast Missouri State

Meramec

Alyssa Paul Emily Robinson Brianna Daggs Kristina Minard Jazzmine Davis Julia Snow

St. Louis Community College Webster Danny Cohen Raechel Simon

Courtney Moore Alantis Sutton Tatyana Hill Denis Rikic Laura Rojas Karissa Serra Carly Vogel Joe Warth Sam Williams

Paul Steiner Trey Richards Melanie Laurence

Central Missouri Jennifer Brockes Univ. Trevon Smith

Grant Dachroeden Andrew Kwan Cody Mayse Brad Muller Haley Neeter Matthew Simpson Missouri Science Thomas Smith Lindsay Ward and Technology Kevin Wilking

Luke Matthews Emily McConnell Danny McGinnist Jamie Roper Kayla Scherr Duncan Wheeler

Christian Barnes Niraja Bolagani Adam Faires Erin Gaubatz Kristina Kaiser Russell Susuki

Gretchen Gregory Nicole Hunt Ashley Hutti Samantha Irwin Brian Pulver Sydney Rosenthal Missouri Western Leonard Beard Jada Smith Kasey Green Garrett Taylor Nicholas Warmbold

Noura Abdelghafoor Reed Armistead Emmanuel Baeza Chaney Bloodworth Rebecca Brown Taylor Coffey Alexander Cohen Joshua Collins Nick Dannegger Jordan Gladney Samantha Hass Connor Huskey Reem Kiflemariam Ashley Mayuga Vincent Pitts Matthew Rizzo Michael Schrick Paige Theby Chelsea Thomas Collin Weber Jacob Wolff

Leigh-Ann Calotes Rebecca Chen Smirthi Chidambaram Kyle Toser-Aldaz

Xavier Mitchell

Nakia Brandon Garrett Fuchs Jamie Powell

Martin Valkov

Truman State Brian Bals Chaney Cooper Jacob Harland Alyssa LaFever Devin Gant Sage Elfanbaum Rebecca MacMillan Mary-Kate Mudd Emily Mueller Madeline Thomas Daniel Ngo Swati Patel Adam Potts Amir Sagakhaneh Gabe Sanaev Gabriel Sander Ian Robler Kimberly Williams Madeline Thomas Abbey St. Valliere

May 5, 2014 Parkway North High School

Destinations

Far...

Indiana

Colorado State University

Iowa Kelley Bell

Toryn Walton

Colorado

Indiana State University Danielle Waedekin

Illinois

Nebraska

Ben Packman

Alexa Roux

Ca ia

n or lif

Jordan Harter Elissa Leise Megan Ghassemi

y k c u t n Ke Kelly Alford

Lindenwood-Belleville

Ariana Baker

Rachel Monsey David Cheng

Kara Jacobson Aurora Wrancner

DePaul Univ.

University of Santa Monica

Clare McAuley

Kansas

Matthew Ney

Rodney King

Jonathan Pai Daniel Lukasevitch Raven Jackson

University of Kansas Emily Scholten Elizabeth Tran Sarina Felton

May 5, 2014 Parkway North High School

Destinations

Tennessee

College of Staten Island

Lipscomb University McCall Mannel

Edin Bracic

Destiny Burston

New York University Amy Shih

Pennsylvania

Georgia

Bryn Mawr College Katelyn Williams

Sabrina Nelson

New York

Wherever You Are....

Rochester Institute Trent Thomas

Alabama Tatyana Gates

Taryn King

Georgia Tech

Kevin Baker

Oklahoma

Alabama A+M Daesha Madison

Cassidy Munie

Fl id or

Louisiana

K'Myah Carson

Tulane University Alicia Carr

Michael McWard

Washington, D.C.

Vermont

University of Vermont Kantima Thanavaro

Chelsea Odonkor

Senior Issue

May 5, 2014 Parkway North High School

Life Lessons Learned

Aurora Wrancher Co-Editor-in-Chief Since joining the newspaper sophomore year, I have been reading these goodbye articles and working on the senior issue. Some have been great, but the majority has been extremely cheesy. Now that I am faced with the task of writing my own. I know that I have to make this the perfect amount of cheesy while making sure that it still means something to me. These past four years have been both long and short. Long because of all the drama and bad homework, the boring readings and late nights finishing projects that I had weeks to finish, and all the other unfortunate events

that hit me in high school. Short because of the lifelong friendships, the lasting memories, and the truly interesting and amazing things I learned between the boring lessons and long papers. When thinking about what exactly high school has taught me other than how to accurately use Google to help me finish my homework, a quote from Steve Jobs stands out the most to me, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” I used to do a lot of things just to make others happy. When I first started as a freshman, I wasn’t very happy in my own skin. I didn’t have a very good sense of self. But since then, I’ve learned that friends and boyfriends come and go, but if they’re really worth something, they’ll stay in your life. You shouldn’t have to change anything about yourself in order to make anyone stay. If they want to, they will. Another extremely important thing that I learned these four years of high school was to not be bitter over life’s disappointments. Learn to let go of the past, and realize that not every day will be great. Learn from your mistakes and disappointments, and don’t take for granted the days that are great. Good or bad, long or short, I will always remember Parkway North as a place where I did a lot of my growing as a person. I will always remember it as a place where I had some friendships fall out apart, but also as a place where I built a lot of new ones. I will remember it as a place where I made mistakes… lots of mistakes, and learned from them.

experience! Experience!

Kori Clay Community Editor I thought I was prepared for high school, like most middle schoolers. The summer before entering, I binge watched hundreds of movies ranging from The Breakfast Club to rewatching Mean Girls. I read books involving high school thinking that I could grasp the end goal of what high school should be. I even danced around my room to Taylor Swift’s song Fifteen, although I’m pretty sure I was 14 when I entered high school. By the end of the first semester of freshman year, I realized that I wasn’t prepared. I set myself up for high expectations that my

work habit was not prepared to keep up with. I wasn’t prepared to end my nights stressed at 3 a.m. and wake up at 7 a.m. (This was before school time changed to 7:30. Don’t even get me started on that.) I wasn’t prepared to have to choose between going out with friends and staying in to get a head start on a project. I wasn’t prepared to spend my free time mindlessly surfing the internet. I wasn’t prepared at all to become the stereotypical teenager: cooped in my room and completely self-absorbed. No amount of book research and movie binges could help me cope with the stress of high school, and every night I questioned why anyone would ever say that high school is the greatest time of your life. As a senior, I’m still dealing with the extreme stress except now it has taken the form of deciding what I want to do in college, how I will pay for college, and what I could ever do to create meaning of my lifea soon-to-be mid-life crisis. It’s often that a lot of teenagers my age feel this way, and it’s easy to fall into the trap of generalizing to cope and manage through the struggle which is high school, but I highly suggest that you don’t just generalize. Through all of this, I can still offer one piece of advice for those of you who are still reading: you can’t prepare for everything. There are some things in life that will hit you like a bag of bricks, and you have to continue on. There will be friends and inside jokes that will last for years, but again, you can’t prepare for it. Spontaneous moments create the best memories. Some things fall into place while others don’t. Any preparation you try to make is going to fail you, as true preparation comes through experience.

There Once Was A Rock Who

Zack Becker Online Editor There once was a rock. This wasn’t any regular rock; it was a special rock that sat outside Parkway North High School. The rock would sit there and watch the school all day and night because it was a rock. It watched anything and everything it could watch. One

day, a student walked by the rock and threw the rock. That little rock went flying and broke a car windshield. That little rock was one happy guy as he went flying and broke a car windshield. I would like to say that I am like that little rock and did exactly what I was supposed to do freshman year. Under the influence of motivation and inspiration, I did a great job; I was impressed with myself. I did what I was supposed to do just like the rock sat there and did what it was supposed to do. Consistency is where I messed up my sophomore year; I got really lazy and decided to work hard for some classes, and not so much with others. Just like the rock, I was ready but unmotivated for something different. I watched as other people did things and was ready but procrastinated. Kicking off my junior, I did my best to fix my mistakes from my previous year, but in the end, I still messed up. Sophomore year and junior year are the hardest in my opinion. Outside of school, though, I was doing a great job. I was very active in my extra curriculars, and I managed to become an Eagle Scout my senior year. Finally, I was able to break through and find my niche just like the rock was able to be free and break through the window. Under Pressure would have been the perfect theme song for my high school career, no matter what time of the year, I was busy. I also found my niche and enjoyed being

May 5, 2014 Parkway North High School

Senior Issue For Cords’ Sake: I Want ThAT Chaney Cooper Sports Editor At the end of my freshman year, I watched my older sister graduate from Parkway North. Sitting at her graduation, listening to name after name being called I noticed something. Around the necks of many graduating seniors there were cords. A quick reference to the graduation program told me that they were honors cords, given for involvement in different activities at North. They were honors cords, and I decided then that I wanted them all. Ask anyone who knows me, and they’ll agree: the last three years I’ve been crazy about getting those cords. In order to obtain them, I threw myself into many different activities like newspaper, National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, and many other programs and clubs. Success in those areas led me to aim higher and expect more of myself. From there, I applied myself more in school, ran two blood drives, and was captain of North’s lacrosse team. I really feel that I wouldn’t have enjoyed or have gotten as much out of high school if it weren’t for that goal of cords. My hunt for them has pushed me out of my shell and has helped me to discover who I am and what I want out of life, and I’ve found that in my pursuit it’s become less about the cords and more about who I’ve become obtaining them. High school, at least for me, is where one begins to find oneself. Now, I’m not saying people totally find themselves---because based off of my sister, cousins, favorite TV shows and movies, I know that there’s even more growth to be done in college and in a person’s 20’s, but high school is really a catalyst for the process. It’s important that you take advantage of the time that you spend there. People I’ve met and experiences I’ve had have shaped me. Throughout high school, I’ve been forced to think about my future. I’ve had to think about who I am, my goals, and my values in order to find what

will make me happy. If I hadn’t aimed high for the cords, I would’ve never found my love of leadership, responsibility, and I wouldn’t know my true potential. So now I’m a senior, preparing to walk at my own graduation. I’ve decided on a college (Truman State University, go bulldogs!), enjoyed the perks that come with being a senior, had a little senioritis kick in, and I’ve begun to get a bit sentimental about leaving. While I didn’t get all the cords, I did get four. In 2010, I came to Parkway North as a freshman---an awkward girl, wearing too much makeup, and acting overall, a bit…silly. Cords are great, but what I’ve gained in the pursuit of them is so much greater. It’s 2014 and I’m graduating, I have a much clearer view of myself and what I’m capable of. I’m still a bit awkward, but now I’m also ambitious and motivated. I’m not sure that I’d be where I am today if I’d never had that initial goal. Find something to work towards, and you will find yourself.

wisdom in an article that only fits a forth of a page? I certainly didn’t want it to sound like a typical goodbye saying “stay focused in school and try hard”, so I’m going to start it off a little differently; as in song lyrics. If I could describe my four years of attending Parkway North High, I would sum it all up with a few Beyoncé songs. I remember walking into freshmen year thinking “I want to leave my footprints on the sands of time”, and to “know there was something that meant something that I left behind”. I didn’t know how I was going to leave these footprints, but I knew I had to start somewhere. So being the scared freshmen that I was, I just hid behind my sister (Julisa Powell) and road on her coat tail until she yanked me off of it and graduated. As she left, I began to create my own footprints and discover my own self and who I wanted to be. I started to think about how “when I leave this world, I’ll leave no regrets; leave something to remember, so they won’t forget, I was here”. That’s when I decided to go out and achieve the goal and dream that I had created. Over the past four years, I’ve been to over 7 states, 30 cities, and met with over 80 important people; I represented St. Louis, MO in Washington D.C. for a confer-

ence, spoke at many events, attended the Stanford law conference in California, received many awards, and put together the schools Black History Month Celebration for two years. Now this senior goodbye isn’t to toot my own horn, but it’s to show that you can do absolutely anything you want to in life, whether you start going after your dreams when you’re five or thirty-five years old, you determine what the end will be, no matter how many times you fail and want to “put your hands up”, just keep saying “I’m a survivor, I’m not gon give up, I’m not gon stop, I’m gon work harder”. Because the harder you work, the more you will succeed and that’s the best award that you can ever get. So as I come to a closing of my four years of high school, there’s only one last thing that I want you to know, is “that I gave my all, did my best, brought someone some happiness”, so when I leave this school “ I wanna leave my mark so everyone will know, I was here”. So what will your mark be? Have you decided on it? Where will you be in the next 5 or 6 years? Whether it’s college or not, always strive for a better life and always go after your dreams, because I mean really, “who needs a degree when you’re schooling life”?

Was Set Free behive way of life, #Bey who you want! the online editor this year. It was like my own domain that I could control. Even though I was relatively new, I was able to run an entire aspect of the newspaper. I have had a lot of fun being on the newspaper staff, especially with my senior friends in the class. Taking all of those selfies each class is something that I will always remember. I will also always remember my very first article about Obama’s new Cabinet Members back in January 2013. It was the best article I wrote. I really enjoyed that article because I enjoy politics and I had to do a lot of political research. I had to interview a broad spectrum of people from hard liberal to hard conservative. I also had some good middle people. I interviewed a teacher who doesn’t like being interviewed. He trusted me so much as a student, he allowed me to interview him. Banishing the bad memories from middle school, I can say that I have enjoyed my Parkway career. Time was not in my favor most of the time, but whenever it was, I was very grateful. Checking infinite campus regularly was something I had to do since I was always pushing my luck with the due dates, worrying about my grade. I always thought I was fine and that I didn’t need to improve myself, but like the little rock, I just needed something to motivate me and set me free. Zackary Becker is my name and I would like to say, “I’m out!”

Jamie Powell Features Editor Thinking about what to say on this senior goodbye was probably the hardest thing to do. How can I possibly fit four years of

Chaney Cooper and Lauren Sparks Sports Editor and Staff Writer

Senior survey 2014

Who was your first crush? “Kim Williams, 3rd grade” -Adam Potts “Lindsay Ward” -Matthew Simpson “Timmy Brinkwirth” -Christina Han “Sabrina Nelson” -Garrett Taylor “Max Mans, I remember confessing my love for him in second grade” -Sabrina Nelson

Who was your favorite musical artist growing up? “Jonas Brothers” -Amber Jansson “Garth Brooks” -Gabe Sander “Green Day” -Garrett Taylor “All American Rejects, Hannah Montana” -Emily Robinson “AQUA” -Tobias Dencker Israelsen

What was your most embarrassing moment from high school? “Dropping my gym clothes in the toilet” -Milo Brucker “Accidentally pantsing myself while trying to prove I was wearing leggings for math class” -Matthew Simpson “Falling down the main stairwell” -Ashley Mayuga “Trap” -Jordan Harter “First presentation my freshman year” -Laura Rojas

What item could you not have survived high school without? “My phone” -Tim Brinckwirth “Glasses-I wouldn’t be able to see” -Garrett Fuchs “Mountain Dew” -Sam Williams “A pencil…” -Abbey Saint Valliere “Calculator” -Kelley Bell

What was your favorite phrase from high school? “OMG!” -Kiana Simmons “It’s a great day to be Viking” -Russell Susuki “What you on” -Diarra Newson “Then, who’s flying the plane?” -Toryn Walton “Ratchet” -Courtney Norris

What was your funniest middle school memory? “In general, everyone dated everyone” -Clare McAuley “Butt grabbing day” -TJ Arellano “The way I looked” -Jacob Rewerts “When Mrs. Craig chased us down the hallway into the bathroom for skipping recess” -Alexa Roux “The movie we made at Austin Asberry’s house - Death of the unwanted” - Jamie Bailey

Which teacher had the most influence on you? What was your most proud high school accomplishment? “Winning state mock trial” -Sage Elfanbaum “The Rising” -Duncan Wheeler “GRADUATION” -Chelsea Thomas “Getting straight A’s all of junior year” -Ben Packman “Four years of varsity soccer” -Tim Brinckwirth

“Nilsen” -Sage Elfanbaum “Coach Bunton” -Nick Dannegger “Clint Johnson” -Emily Scholten “Mrs. Freebersyser” -Dillon Lawrence “Suzanne Greenwalt” -Thomas Smith

What was the worst fashion trend? “Crocs” -Karissa Serra “Misogyny” -Danny Cohen “Belly shirts at school” -Petra Reeves “Sagging” -Xavier Mitchell “Leggings as pants” -Taylor Thomason

#throwback