Pepper Box April Fools' Issue - 2020

DAY

APRIL FOOLS’

HAPPY

THE PEPPER BOX RITENOUR HIGH SCHOOL

ISSUE 7, VOLUME 97

9100 ST. CHARLES ROCK ROAD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63114

APRIL 2020

Ritenour changes its mascot to resemble amazing alumnus In honor of the recently retired Jerry Nolen, Ritenour will be changing its mascot name and costume JORDAN FRITZSCHE & SAMANTHA WAGNER Pepper Box Staff Big changes are hitting the Ritenour School District as a familiar face makes his debut appearance starting the 20202021 school year.

Fitted with a black and orange tank top and khaki pants, a sudden switch in mascots has caused Ritenour to hang up the husky suit and embrace the ‘Fightin’ Nolens’ in honor of former activities director Jerry Nolen.

“It was time for a change, and with Mr. Nolen gone we needed a way to keep his name relevant with the students and the community.

It was his lifelong dream to have something at Ritenour named after him,” Athletic Director Drew Lohnes said.

The new mascot does not come without its setbacks; a series of fundraisers will take place to raise the appropriate amount of money needed to pay for the costume. Current Activities Director Lee Laskowski plans on selling Jerry Nolen bobbleheads and renting out the new Jerry Nolen costume to local birthday parties while Lohnes collects a cover charge to get into the cafeteria for both breakfast and lunch.

“Nobody wears black and orange like Jerry Nolen

does, #workhardandbenice,” Laskowski said.

In other efforts to raise money, students may be allowed to bid on different coaching positions for one game of the season, meaning a student may be allowed to coach the Fightin’ Nolens football team for one game.

“Will the husky statue be replaced with a Nolen statue?

No, that would be silly, but we are currently raising money to have a statue of Jerry Nolen riding the husky that will be an addition after the 2021 school year,” Lohnes said.

Ritenour students can look forward to the start of these changes being implemented towards the end of second semester, however the cafeteria charge of $5 per student is set to be in effect at the start of the 2020-2021 school year.

“When we do get the costume, and we do raise the money; I personally plan on wearing the costume every day during lunches as I am collecting the cover charge to come in and get your ‘free’ lunch,” Lohnes said.

In addition to the costume adding spirit to the school, the old husky suit will be used as a deterrent for some rule offenders in the school.

If they are disruptive during class, their teacher can write them up to wear the suit. Students will also wear

Illustration by: Kayla Baker An artist’s rendering of the new Ritenour mascot, the Fightin’ Nolens. The mascot will replace the husky mascot, and that costume will be used for other purposes at the high school.

the suit if they are caught skipping class or to make up for missing detention.

“I probably could wear the husky suit all day, can not guarantee that it will not end up with problems though,” senior Olivia White said.

Students wearing the costume must stop, no matter what, to take photos with students and staff, but still continue to go to class or they will have another day added wearing the suit.

Some students might see

this as a pass to mess around for the day and not really learn the lesson from it. If they are caught doing so, they will have to wear it for another full week.

This new form of punishment might even be replacing ISS (in school suspension) and detentions.

Many students do not like the two because they do not want to miss class or have very important things to do after school.

“My first reaction is that it

would be really funny,” senior Ashanti Denwiddie said. “It would be embarrassing.”

Other husky memorabilia and spirit wear around the school will be replaced or altered to accompany the Fightin’ Nolens.

Though the beloved husky’s career may be shifting, the athletics office hopes that the student body welcomes the spirit of Mr. Ritenour.

“Go Fightin’ Nolens.”

Decibal deputy patrols the hallway in search of elusive silence Robert Weissler is putting his physics skills to the test in order to quiet down the hallways TYRELL GILWATER Pepper Box Staff After years of Ritenour High School dealing with excessively deafening students and staff at the school, they have finally decided to do something about it.

The school has decided to add a new rule starting in the 2020-21 school year that students and staff are not permitted to reach above the sound level of 75 decibels or they wil be punished according by the school administrators. When put in perspective, a whisper is about 30 decibels, normal conversation is about 60 decibels, and a running motorcycle engine is about 95 decibels, so the 75 mark is in between a normal conversation and an engine running.

IN THIS ISSUE

Physics teacher Robert Weissler has been put in charge of this new rule due to his experience and vast skill set needed in this sort of matter.

“I am honored to be selected as Decibel Deputy.

I know my knowledge of wave motion and the fact that I studied under Dr. Peter Handel, who is credited with discovering the quantum 1/f noise, really helped me in the selection process. I can also walk very quietly,” Weissler said. “This change will result in nearly infinite improvement of everything here at RHS: less noise pollution, more teachers being able to hear the phone ring in their classrooms, more overall meditation, and deep thought thanks to the peace and quiet.”

Further commenting, he

looked back at his time at CBC and how the loudest students there got very annoying to say the least.

“CBC was very loud.

Think about it, close to 1000 boys; there was constant arguing over sports. All the marble floors and stone did nothing but reflect the sound,” Weissler said. ”I am working to get carpet installed in all the classrooms and hallways at this school.

Some of the improvements I recommend might seem unnecessary, such as only closed captions, no sound on videos, but think of how much more reading students will be doing!”

To actually measure sounds in school, Weissler and his people will be putting up decibel meters all

See DECIBAL on page 2

Photo by: Tyrell Gilwater Decibal Deputy Robert Weissler patrols the hallway and quiets down senior Ethan Hahn.

LUXURY BUSES

NEW R-POP DANCE TEAM

STAFF MEMBER RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT

BEST WATER FOUNTAINS IN THE SCHOOL

NEW STREAMING COMPANY STARTED AT RHS

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COCHRAN RETIRING TO BECOME A LUCHADOR PAGE 8

News

April 2020

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DECIBAL continued from page 1 throughout the halls, but they need the students’ help to know where to put them.

Senior Rico Swiney loves the new idea, even though he will not be in school to experience it.

“It is the greatest idea since canned bread,” Swiney said.

“They should put these new decibel meters everywhere,

including the bathrooms. At Ritenour, we have some loud kids in these halls. Lock it down, brother.”

English teacher Colette Love-Hilliard expressed her nervousness with this whole thing while also offering some interesting ideas.

“I am super nervous about the new decibel meters

because I know that I scream every time I am excited about something, which is about every 3 seconds!!!”

Love-Hilliard said. “Let’s go full Black Mirror and embed them [the decibel meters] in everyone’s arm.”

Weissler put forward some final wise words about why this is the best decision

moving forward with this school.

“This is going to go much better than the efforts of being the most ‘lit’ high school in America. Sure Ameren loved how much we were spending on electricity with all the extra lights on everywhere, but walking around with the leftover solar

eclipse glasses on all the time was dangerous,” Weissler said.

“Plus, Apple is launching a new contest for the quietest high school in America. All of the teachers and students at the winning school get their own AirPod Pros. I believe with my guidance and decibel monitoring we have a real shot at winning.”

School district to replace old buses with new luxury Buses After testing, the district has decided to use Mercedes-Benz Tourismo buses after this school year VERONICA SUSOVICA Pepper Box Staff Forget the old, yellow hunks of block used to transport students, it is time to welcome the “Gucci” and “Chanel” of all buses: the Mercedes-Benz Tourismo 2018 luxury bus.

The Ritenour District recently bought new buses which will be used by the high school exclusively starting with the 2020-2021 school year. The buses have also been specifically custom altered for the high school.

A couple of RHS students were chosen to experience these buses over winter and spring break before they are delivered to the high school this fall. These chosen students were Adam Rowald, Skyler Gayden, Ella Clover, and Edwin Lopez.

“The new buses look really good, they are super well put together and as an athlete that competes against another school, arriving in such a really nice looking bus such as the ones we’ve been using will be such a nice feeling,” sophomore Adam Rowald said. “The district really did need this upgrade because the other buses were just getting old and outdated.

On every bus, the seats were always worn and had rips and tears in the leather and they were very uncomfortable,

especially on days with games that were an hour away.”

The custom alterations include multiple flatscreen TV’s on the overhead throughout the bus, USB ports in every seat’s armrest, top speed WiFi throughout the buses (WiFi 6 provided

by Netgear on a sponsorship deal), as well as concession carts stocked with fresh snacks. Additionally, the seats are heated in the winter and there are air conditioning vents lining both sides of the bus’s ceiling. Another feature is that the flat screen TV’s have Netflix running when the busses are in use.

“I love the new buses, they make me feel like I’m riding in first class seats. I love all the luxury because now I can catch up on all of my TV shows and have a snack before I have to do homework. My favorite part is being able to watch Netflix,” Clover said.

The concession carts include warm options as well as cool, bottled beverages.

Some of the warm options include pretzels, popcorn, french fries, and chicken nuggets. The cold beverages include Coca-Cola, Sprite, Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, Root Beer, and water. Other snacks such as chips, pretzels, and candy will also be available.

“I think it’s a great idea!

I would not get to use it

Photo courtesy: Wikimedia; photo illustration by: Ron Steinschriber Ritenour has procured a new fleet of luxury Mercedes buses which will be put into use next year.

though because I have a car, but I would stop driving my car to school and I would most definitely take the bus instead since it has all of these amenities. I think the snacks and the other options would make the bus 100 times better than what it is now and everyone would like to ride the bus,” Lopez said.

A few of the students wonder how the district managed to afford these buses, seeing as they are especially expensive. Some even theorized dark ways the district could have attained the money for the purchase of

the Mercedes buses.

“I think the buses are great, but it is very suspicious how our school got the money for that. Is there something going on that the teachers are keeping from the rest of us?

You know? In my opinion, some of the teachers have been very sneaky recently and it really makes you think,” Gayden said. “Mr. Jones for one has been out of his room for a LONG time.

Who knows what he’s doing?

How long has he had a sub for now? Maybe Mr. Jones is having secret meetings with Dr. Marker or maybe even Dr.

Kilbride.”

The new buses will not be available for use by the elementary and middle schools in the district, including field trips. The elementary and middle schools will continue to use the same buses as before.

“The little children are the ones that ruined the old buses and giving them pretty things to mess up will not go good for the district,” Rowald said.

“This upgrade was definitely necessary and I am very glad the district decided to chip in to purchase some new buses.”

Comics Sinister Seals

Illustration by: Kayla Baker

PEPPER BOX STAFF Visual EIC: Abigail Richardson Content EIC: Caroline Ramos-Herrera Production EIC: Catalina Mundin Spotlight Editor: Amelia Norman

Opinion Editor: Chloe Pagan Sports Editor: Alberto Linares-Cervantes News Editor: Daniela Saenz Online Editor: Caroline Wong Business Manager: Quynh Trinh Photography Editor: Mackenzie Davis Special Editions Editor: Andrea Rojo Social Media Manager: Faith Boyd A&E EIT: Jordan Fritzsche A&E EIT: Darleen Garcia Adviser: Ron Steinschriber Staff Members: Kayla Baker, Maxine Bee, Kristyn Bills, Torin Blevans, Kaitlyn Broomfield, Chris Campos, Jersie Cox, Isabella Crawford-Greer, Edward Dueker, Austyn Elliott, Michelle Everett, Samia Fouche, Tyrell Gilwater,, Lizbeth Hernandez, Nikya Hourd, Samantha Lewis, Miranda Martin, Elena Martin, Jessica Murillo, Kayley Norman, Kaylyn Riggs, Cam’ron Spratt, Veronica Susovica, Toni Taylor, Kennedi Terri, Peter Tran, Samantha Wagner, Heaven Watson Editorial Policy: The Pepper Box is designed and created by members of the newspaper staff of Ritenour High School. The purpose of the newspaper is to provide a forum for the students to focus on issues, give opinions, and share information with the Ritenour High School community. The opinions expressed in this paper do not reflect opinions of our faculty or administration.

Letters to the editor are welcome and accepted, but they may not contain profanity, obscenity, or anything inappropriate to school. They may be e-mailed to Ron Steinschriber at steinschriberr@ritenourschools.org, or dropped off in room 240. The staff reserves the right to edit these letters.

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Spotlight

April 2020

Ritenour is finally starting to takes its tolls In an attempt to raise more money, certain areas of the school will be accessed with money DARLEEN GARCIA A&E Co-Editor Ritenour’s new athletics director has come up with a new policy that will help fund money for additional spacing for staff in our building. It is said that during the summer there will be construction going on around campus to create paying tolls in all parking entrances.

Lee Laskowski states that the money from these tolls will be used to fund staff members.

“Money from the tolls will be for funding the new coaches lounge and our security guards,” Laskowski said.

Some students have a say in what the money from the paying tolls should be used for.

“I believe they should use half of that money towards students as well; they could help us with getting new equipment for gyms, for

sports, or creating an end of the year event for us,” sophomore Angeles Perez said.

Laskowski believes that staff need to also have a space where they can hang out and relieve their stress from being on duty.

Laskowski also added the toll pricing would range based on students attendance.

“Ticket pricing would be based on attendance 90% is $3, below 90% is $5, below 80% is $7, and below 70% is $10,” Laskowski said.

Although this is the only new policy that Laskowski has announced will be taking place next year, there are rumors that he is planning on adding other policies during the year or for the following year.

“We are planning on creating a paid membership ($250/year) for the ‘lunch bunch,’ which would be a special group that has access to use the upper and lower lobby during lunch with

special events and at the end of the year have their own banquet. This would also include free smoothies on Tuesdays and Thursdays all year,” Laskowski said.

Students have also put their input into these new policies.

“I would be interested in it since we would get the free smoothies and the banquet at the end of the year. I believe that it’s not as important to have access to the upper and lower lobbies during lunch,” Perez said.

Not only does he have a ‘lunch bunch’ in mind, but he also wants to add fees for sporting events and eligibility cards.

“We are also planning on charging $5 admission for all sporting events and creating a $5 service fee for eligibility Photo courtesy Wikimedia, Photo illustration by Ron Steinschriber cards,” Laskowski said.

The school district has started collecting old toll booths and adding New changes are coming Ritenour messaging to them in preparation of the summer. The to RHS and Laskowski is very excited to see what other toll booths will be fully in effect during the 2020-2021 school year. policies can be added to benefit the school as a whole.

R-Pop makes its way onto dance scene The new dance team, led by K-pop fan Christopher Isaacs, will begin next year JESSICA MURILLO Pepper Box Staff Ritenour is excited to announce that there will be a combination of the dance and cheer team to form a new and exciting R-Pop team!

R-Pop is a twist on the popular genre of music from South Korea, K-Pop (Korean pop).

The idea came from the K-Pop obsessed principal, Christopher Isaacs. His K-Pop obsession first started in 2012.

“I first got interested in K-Pop with PSY’s “Gangnam Style”. It was the song I did most when I was doing

karaoke, I even did the dance moves! As I listened to more K-Pop groups and YouTubed their videos, it became my secret obsession,” Isaacs said.

Isaacs was very interested in learning about other cultures besides the ones that are relevant to the school. He brought the issue to the cheer and dance team coaches, and together, they coincided with combining the teams.

“Since the cheer and dance teams end after the winter sports season, I thought it could be done during the spring season. I’ve already talked with Coach Lohnes and we’ve spoken with MSHSAA about making

it an officially recognized sport in the state of Missouri.

Ritenour’s team would be the first to participate in this new sport,” Isaacs said.

Along with Isaacs, the members of the new R-Pop team are excited to bring this new branch of culture to school.

Senior Emma Bange agrees with Isaacs in engaging her peers in a new taste of music.

“I think it is time to switch things up at the school, first being the music, second being the cool clothes and hair,” Bange said.

Ritenour will be hiring ten K-Pop specialized hairstylists to help style the girls’ hair

with fun colors and styles.

Not only will they do their hair, but their clothes as well. They will be coming from South Korea where they have had plenty of experience dealing with real K-Pop bands. Along with the hairstylists, there will be six choreographers from Los Angeles and South Korea, who just like the stylists, had many chances to cooperate and work with widely known bands such as, MONSTA X, BTS, and Seventeen.

Not only will there be a new R-Pop team, Ritenour students can find merchandise for the team on the new R-Pop website! The

website will consist of team photos and videos, links to social media like Instagram and Facebook, schedule for the performances, and the merchandise. The website is www.R-Pop!.com, and fans can find it through the Ritenour Athletics page. Not only can students purchase merchandise from the website, but students in the AMPED program will make customizable clothes and accessories.

Tryouts will be held in July in the North gym. Sign-up sheets and tryout forms will be outside the athletics office or in Isaacs’ office.

RHS Ghostbusters is newest school club After reports of ghosts in the auditorium, a group of students has started to hunt them SAMIA FOUCHE Pepper Box Staff

for the upcoming spring musical, “The Phantom of the Opera,” many members from the cast have experienced different interactions with the ghosts.

Junior Miranda Martin, who plays Christine Daaé in the show, had a very frightening experience with one of the older ghosts.

“I remember I was singing one of the songs from “Phantom of the Opera” when I saw a shadow go across one of the doors outside of

the Choir room. I was really curious about what it actually was and when I went outside, it was not there. Then, I saw Spooky things are another dark shadow go happening at Ritenour past the doors leading to the High School starting next auditorium. I ran into the semester. RHS will be adding auditorium, on to the stage, a new Ghostbusters club for and to my amazement, I saw students who believe in the the spirit of a tall man from supernatural and would like the 1700s standing over the to do some ghost hunting. balcony, staring into my soul.

The new announcement I blinked and it was gone. comes as reports start to This is something I will never surface of ghosts in the forget,” Martin said. auditorium. While rehearsing Junior Marcalo Townsend, who plays Monsieur Andre, a manager of the opera, also had a very unforgettable experience, although this ghost decided to follow him home.

“Halloween just happened and I said let us have a party! We all dressed up, had decorations, but we saw a floating sheet! I wondered who it was, so I yanked the sheet, and there was no one there! He was like, “Hey, how are you doing?” and I think I had a pretty good reaction to it,” Townsend said.

Drama teacher Gregory Photo by Jordan Fritzsche Jones also had an experience A red balloon floats outside of the auditorium, in the same place that there have been multiple ghost sightings. In order to respond himself.

“My first week of work. I to the sightings, the school is starting the Ghostbuster Club, led by sponsor Greg Jones and the students from the production of was walking across the stage “Phantom of the Opera.” in the dark and I heard crazy

laughter coming from the audience. I ran out of there as fast as I could and checked all the doors to the theatre. They were all locked. No one had been in there except for me,” Jones said.

Reminiscing on his high school days, Jones decided to become the club sponsor.

“We had a club at my high school. And it was the coolest club there was, so that meant I was not in it,” Jones said.

“Being the sponsor here gave me the opportunity to finally be a part of the club after so many years.”

Junior Howard Slaven, who plays The Phantom, will be the club president. Though playing a monstrous and aggressive character, Slaven’s leadership qualities landed him with the spot.

“Howard is just such a role model and he tries to prove to us how much of a leader he is and he was just perfect for the job,” said junior Eva Gleckler, who plays Ubaldo Piangi.

Slaven’s physical attributes have also been credited for being elected president of the club.

“Because he is big and strong! Have you seen his thighs? How could you not pick him as a leader? It’s like

God crafted them himself,” Townsend said.

Slaven believes it is very simple as to why he was elected president.

“Because I am the best at everything,” Slaven said.

With the spring musical coming up in April, the club does not have much time to catch the ghosts and get serious about their production. There are many mixed feelings about whether the ghost will be caught before the musical goes into production.

“Nope. No way. This ghost is crafty. It is way too smart for them. Please do not tell them I said that,” Jones.

However, some members believe that the ghosts will be too much of a distraction and would need to be caught immediately, or else interesting things will happen. Slaven’s game plan to catch them is excellent.

“We are going to buy some cheese pizza first, you cannot fight on an empty stomach. Then we are going to buy tomato cans to track the ghost. Then we are going to eat the tomatoes and the ghosts,” Slaven said.

Staff Spotlight

April 2020

Page 4

History teacher throws his hat into the ring Jason Spurgeon has decided to run for president to add a new voice into the election SKYLER GAYDEN Pepper Box Staff

Photo by Mackenzie Davis, illustration on Obamapostermaker.com Social Studies teacher Jason Spurgeon has decided that he is better than any of the presidential candidates in the 2020 election, so he is running under his own party, the Spurgeons.

He believes with enough support, he can win the presidency.

History teacher Jason Spurgeon has made the choice to run for the President of the United States, and was officially added into the 2020 election as of March 13, right after the primary.

After working for Ritenour for 17 years, Spurgeon has decided that he wants to move on to bigger projects.

Although he has not previously had involvement in politics, the most recent 2020 election has opened this teacher’s eyes to a bright world of opportunities.

“I’ve taught Government classes at RHS for a significant number of years, so I think that I have a pretty good grasp of how to run the government,” Spurgeon said.

He claims that he is very confident he will win, not only because of his propaganda tactics, threats, and empty promises, but also because of a secret weapon.

“I have gotten some help from the Russians,” Spurgeon said.

To stand out from his opponents, he has created his very own party, the Spurgeons. They are described as a very “back and forth group”, with their

symbol being a fish. The fish represents the party’s inability to pick a side on different subjects. Some days this party is leaning left, and other days they are leaning right. This is meant to simulate the way fish swims back and forth down a stream.

Spurgeon plans on using this tactic to be a “people pleaser” and to satisfy all voters.

Though it may seem confusing at first, this technique is used quite often by many politicians. Most politicians will come off as in between on multiple topics to satisfy as many people as possible in their party, but Spurgeon has gone even further.

“I aim for the better of the individual person, not the people as a whole,” Spurgeon said. “I am whatever (political party) I feel like that day.”

Spurgeon believes he is a better choice than his opponents simply because he is “better than them.”

“I love America and want to see it be the great nation that I know it is and what it can be for the future. I think I could be the kind of leader to continue down that path,” Spurgeon said.

He presents himself very

clearly as someone who is very patriotic, as he is constantly expressing his love for his country and those who live there. This is concluded as a very promising trait for this election.

His plan for the country, if elected, is to create a “Grand Army of the Republic” made up of clone troopers to defend against Separatist systems.

Pop culture fans may recall that this plan resembles plans in the popular movie franchise, Star Wars.

Fortunately for Spurgeon, there are no known Jedi masters lurking around the halls of Ritenour High School to try and challenge his ideals.

Additionally, Spurgeon does not plan on working alone. Spurgeon plans to appoint his coworker, Dave Bishline, as his Vice President. Bishline is currently a fellow history teacher at Ritenour High School and similarly to Spurgeon himself, does not have any background in politics.

Only a handful of Ritenour students will be voting in this coming 2020 election, but it is certain that they will find a very familiar name on their ballot.

Science teacher creates hybrids in her off time Sara Roznos has experimented on some of her farm animals with interesting results CAM’RON SPRATT Pepper Box Staff Sara Roznos is a science teacher who is generally well known and loved by students for her laid back and relatable personality.

Roznos teaches classes such as earth science and physics, but she makes her love for animals clear from the moment students walk into her classroom. Whether it is watching live feeds of baby eagles or bear cubs with her class and watching them grow and develop along with her students, or telling random animal facts it is

clear she has a deep love for animals and the planet.

Roznos also has a farm, and she often talks about the food that she grows along with all the different animals she has. She has many different animals on it including chickens, cats, turkeys, and more.

What some people may not know is that she loves to experiment with genetic engineering and enhancement in order to increase her farm animal population. Roznos splices together the genes of different animals on her farm in order to create new and interesting species.

This has been a long time hobby for her.

“I have crossed a chicken and a cat before. Since chickens are raptors I wanted to cross raptors with the agility of a cat,” Roznos said.

While not all of her crossbreeding has been a success, she does have a personal favorite; a cross between a goat and a turkey.

“It is my favorite because it is the greatest mistake I have ever seen,” Roznos said.

This hobby of genetic splicing is less known to most of her students. She rarely speaks about it in class, and when she does most students do not believe her because it

sounds like something out of a science fiction movie.

Sophomore Bria Brown is a student in Roznos’ earth science class and was happy to hear about her previously unknown hobby.

“I think it is cool. I wonder if I can get her to show me some pictures,” Brown said.

Roznos has finally decided to open up about this now that she has had some success. Not many scientists have been able to genetically splice animals, so her work is being celebrated in the scientific community.

Many of her students have said that they were excited to learn more about these

experiments.

“Yeah, I would like to learn about it,” sophomore Oswald Lopez said.

Photos courtesy wikimedia, Photo illustration by Ron Steinschriber Science teacher Sara Roznos is proud of her goatturkey. She creates cross breeds of different species at her home farm.

Computer science teacher is actually a luddite Christina Demuri works with computers all day, but is secretly reviled by them she is not as joyful about technology as others are.

“I was fixing a Chromebook in the help Christina DeMuri is desk during first hour encased in a robotic monster when I heard a scream. As of her own making.

I turned, I saw DeMuri had Computer science teacher jumped up on the counter Christina DeMuri is upset screaming at a perfectly with how technology has new clean Chromebook changed the world. She makes like it was a mouse,” senior sure to make it known that Harry Zossoungbo said. the way society has advanced “The scream has now been in technology will be the inscribed into my mind.

Anytime I think of DeMuri near a piece of technology I cannot help but hear her endless screaming.”

With technology, like chromebooks, haunting DeMuri’s sleep, she started making and selling antichromebook spray to help combat this fear.

“I started selling antiChromebook spray in order to keep them away. I started this because I did not want any more nightmares. I need Photo by Kaitlyn Broomfield a chromebook-free sleep.”

DeMuri said. “The spray Chritina Demuri jumps on the table as she is presented a will eradicate any pesky chromebook by one of her help desk students. chromebooks, especially the KAITLYN BROOMFIELD Pepper Box Staff

end of the human race as we know it.

“I started hating technology when my phone started talking to me. I have even had nightmares about fixing chromebooks, I feel like I am operating on them,” DeMuri said. “I have even woken up with the TV remote control in my hand thinking it was a screwdriver.”

While DeMuri is known to be a tech-savvy person,

ones with bugs and viruses.

I am selling this product on Amazon for the price of fifteen dollars a can. All profits will be donated to the flat earth society.”

DeMuri’s students have known for a while about her hatred of technology.

“I have experienced DeMuri’s hatred of technology during class.

Instead of posting our bellringers on Schoology or classroom, she will send one of her students to retrieve a paper copy from her room,” senior Jada Freeman said. “It was like a wild goose chase for a piece of paper!”

In order to spread the word, DeMuri set up a MySpace page where she posts about the dangers of technology.

“Anyone can follow me at rhsIhatetechology. I thought about making an Instagram account, but thought differently since they desperately wanted to get access to my phone,” Demuri said.

Her MySpace page is not the only way she has protested technology, she has also marched through the halls of Ritenour, reaching out to any student she saw in the halls. “‌I was trying to warn others of how bad technology is. I made signs and marched the halls. I think I really had an impact on this generation!” DeMuri said.

To get away from the stress of technology, DeMuri goes off the grid, seeking refuge in nature.

“DeMuri’s family owns a farm where she can get away from all the new technology.

She finds peace in taking care of all the baby animals,” Freeman said.

DeMuri still urges all students that technology is no joke, it is there and it is ever watching.

“Do not say I did not warn you if your chromebook, phone, or other device starts shouting at you in some unknown language,” DeMuri said.

Staff Spotlight

Page 5 April 2020

“Little Jenny” thrives after a harrowing childhood Jennifer Wakefield coaches swim at RHS, but as a child she spent years living with dolphins search for her, they assumed that she drowned at sea.

Before her parents had to give up searching, Ritenour Swimming they wanted to try to find Coach Jennifer Wakefield their daughter one more has revealed to students and time before quitting. They staff that she was raised by went down to Florida, and dolphins when she was a kid. scavenged the beach again It all started when looking for any sign of “Little Wakefield’s parents received Jenny.” a letter in the mail in 1992 Little did they know, their when Nose-Dive Cruise daughter after eating crabs, Line was giving away three would take the legs and form cruise ship tickets to go from her initials in the sand. When Florida to the Caribbean. the mother and father saw Wakefield‘s parents took the initials “J.W” in the sand, advantage of this, grabbed they were yelping their child’s the tickets, packed their name into the sea. “Little belongings and took sevenJenny” heard this outside year-old Wakefield along with of communicating with them. When they arrived dolphins and swam up to the on the cruise, everything surface. Jenny saw her parents was going great as expected, waving at her and responded until something unbelievable by sprint swimming at the happened. beach. After a long embrace Little Wakefield was between Jenny and her looking over the edge of the parents, she went home. boat at one of the stops and Wakefield’s parents were saw a family of dolphins in able to get their daughter the water. When she saw Photos courtesy: RHS Yearbook and Wikimedia, back and help her adapt to this family of dolphins her illustration by Ron Steinschriber being a normal girl again. imagination went wild with Now, Wakefield does what Photos of “Little Jenny” were put on milk cartons as the search images of her riding the she loves most, helping others for young Jennifer Wakefield began to intensify. Wakefield was swim. She is the swim coach eventually found and grew up to become the swim coach at RHS. for varsity boys swimming making the noise. I put my it was coming from until I team, the assistant coach for glasses on because it was hard realized it was our coach,” varsity girls swimming team to believe. Her and I talked Lane stated, “The entire pool and teaches Aquatics. She has about it later and it all made went silent and was shocked been teaching at Ritenour sense. She is probably the best to hear this noise. We stopped High School for eight years. swimmer I have known but the event and restarted again Junior Lizbeth Hernandez now I know why.¨ when Wakefield left the is swimmer on the Varsity After Hernandez found room.¨ Girls Swim Team. She was out about this, the first person Eventually, the swim team the first person to discover she told about this incident to and her students accepted Wakefield fanatical past. was Alyssa Lane, a senior on her past and do not find it ¨I stayed late after a swim varsity girls swim team. After unusual to hear noises and practice one night and I being a Student as Mentor see her act dolphin-like. walked outside the locker 7th hour for Aquatics, Lane Wakefield was originally room because I heard a noise. came out ready for a home worried about people I was so scared I did not swim meet. When Lane was connecting her to the “Little even want to look, this weird swimming her 200 IM event, Jenny” phenomenon of the squeaking noise was making Wakefield started yelling and early 1990s, but she is not my eardrums hurt. I quickly talking like a dolphin. afraid of her past and is Photo courtesy: Jennifer Wakefield saw what was happening,” ¨I couldn’t help myself allowed to be her true self The last known picture of Jennifer Wakefield before she was lost Hernandez said. ¨I could not but to stop swimming along again. Her inner dolphin is at sea and traveled with a pack of dolphins. This photo was believe it. Coach Wakefield with the others when I heard allowed to swim freely. plastered all over the news in the search for “Little Jenny.” was in the water in the form that noise. I had no clue who

of a dolphin. She was the one MIRANDA MARTIN Pepper Box Staff

dolphins into the sunset and living with them. To make sure that she would be able to do this, with her determined personality she dove into the water and joined the dolphin family. A few minutes later, her parents boarded the boat thinking that their kid was already aboard the cruise ship and sailed off.

For the next 2-3 years, she would be included in the dolphin family and adapted to their ways of survival. She would eat raw seafood, be able to communicate with other dolphins and swim gracefully in and out of the water. Meanwhile, her parents were trying to find their missing child and throughout their searches, could not find any sort of evidence or clues to find their daughter.

A national search was created by her parents sharing a picture of little Wakefield with the headline, “Have you seen this child?¨After this, her face was all over milk cartons, shopping carts, and the newspaper. Sadly, after spending years of trying to

The ice queen of Ritenour High School English teacher Angela Huber is a descendant of a magical family who contol the weather EDWARD DUEKER Pepper Box Staff English teacher Angela Huber is a direct descendant of Denmark’s oldest royal family.

That heritage brings more than just a royal title. A select few individuals in the family are known to possess a certain magical power. It seems that Huber has brought this power to the school with her.

A few staff members have become suspicious of her, even claiming that she has abilities conjuring up snowy weather. Louise HaarChapman claims that she noticed something different about Huber a long time ago.

“Ms. Huber was my student teacher, so I’ve known her for a very long time,” Haar-Chapman said.

“I started to notice a little bit of magic about her, especially when she wanted to get things done.”

Haar-Chapman refers to Huber as the Snow Witch, and has always doubted why Huber could always seem to predict when the school was going to have snow days.

“She can make snow happen. She has snow socks,

snow PJs for her dog, she even got her dog to help with snow days. She even managed to get me helping with snow days,” Haar-Chapman said.

Huber’s ancestors are from the longest-reigning Danish royal family. This family is known for having a certain magical influence on snow and ice.

“I travel there every winter break to learn our secret, snowy ways,” Huber said.

No one in the school would know Huber’s abilities better than the two teachers closest to her classroom, Chris Pearson and HaarChapman.

Haar-Chapman does not fully understand Huber’s abilities, however, she believes that they have gone too far.

“I do not think that we have seen everything that Angela Huber can do. I think that she practices entirely too much, and I think her skill is getting a little too good.

Especially since we have had all the snow days. We had one in November,” HaarChapman said.

Pearson was more specific when describing the range of her abilities.

“I have seen her be able to just call blizzards just out of nowhere. If you look at radar,

the clouds aren’t anywhere by us and then, suddenly, boom,” Pearson said.

Even Huber herself openly talks about her abilities, and Pearson said that she brags about them all the time.

“I can only make it snow; I have zero power over how much accumulation we get,”

Huber said.

It was made apparent by Haar-Chapman and Pearson that Huber has an accomplice.

The accomplice will not be named due to the Salem witch trials of 2020, however, just know this unsuspecting person lurks the halls.

Do not fear, for Huber has

only used her magical ability to conjure snow. Actually, she was responsible for Ritenour’s most recent snow day.

Possibly all of them. No one knows for sure.

However, Huber said that she should be feared.

“Only if you fear snow days,” Huber said.

Photos by Mackenzie Davis and Wikimedia; photo illustration by Ron Steinschriber English teacher Angela Huber poses in front of her family’s ancestral castle in Denmark. She returns often to learn new ways of harnessing her power over the weather. Huber’s coworkers have caught on to her icy past, and have seen her seemingly create blizzards when no bad weather was on the forecast.

Spotlight

April 2020

Page 6

Finding the best water fountain in the school The Pepper Box staff ranks the best water fountains in the halls of Ritenour High School CATALINA MUNDIN Production EIC The water provided in the St. Louis County area has always raised some suspicions. There have been multiple water-boil orders in the past decade, and being that Ritenour High School lies in the county, the quality of water provided can sometimes be questionable.

Throughout campus, there are a number of water fountains that produce better tasting water than others.

Some of the Pepper Box staff have compiled a list of the top three best water fountains at Ritenour High School. We based our criteria on three major factors; temperature, height output, and location.

The fountain in last place is located in the hallway of the dressing rooms and backstage of the auditorium in the performing arts wing. This fountain is only convenient to two classrooms and more than often produces

lukewarm water. The height output barely reaches one inch which makes it extremely inconvenient for consumption and/or filling up water bottles.

“When I am coming off stage from a performance, the one thing I need is water to hydrate from all the singing and dancing. It [the fountain] never produces quality water and I am often not satisfied,” senior musical performer Christina Doherty said.

Coming in third place are the two fountains located in the back of the actual lunch room. Being that they are an older model, they are not as effective as the ones throughout the school. The height output reaches only one inch, much like the fountain in the performing arts wing. The temperature varies from a comfortable chill to luke warm. The location is the strongest part of this fountain’s criteria. The fountain is easily accessible to everyone due to the fact that much of the school’s

population goes to the cafeteria for lunch and can drink from it whenever.

“Whenever I finish my lunch and drink juice, I still end up thirsty. I always go to that water fountain to get a quick drink and sometimes the water is good, but sometimes it is not,” freshman Roi Mundin said.

In second place comes the water fountain located at the entrance of the library. This fountain produces refreshing cold water and is conveniently located where it is easily accessible to the students who spend their time in the library (the majority of the school).

The negative aspect to this fountain is that its height output reaches nearly two inches, which does not make it easy for consumption.

The best water fountain in all of Ritenour High School is the one right next to Ron Steinschriber’s classroom, 240. This fountain consistently displays high quality factors; the temperature is always cold

Photo by Catalina Mundin Senior Lizandro Verde-Resendiz drinks from the water fountain outside of room 240, which has been deemed the best water fountain in the school. Criteria for the best fountain were location, output, and temperature.

and never produces luke warm water, it is located in a hallway where most Advanced English students can conveniently hydrate, and the height output reaches a high four to five inches, making it perfect for sanitary drinking/filling up water bottles.

“Every morning I go out of my way to stop by this fountain and fill up my water bottle because it never disappoints. After thirty seconds, my whole bottle is filled and I am on my way to class,” senior Harry Zossoungbo said.

New pickleball team takes place of basketball The low impact sport takes the place of a sport thatproduces many injuries PETER TRAN Pepper Box Staff Due to the potential harmful effects of basketball, the sport is being cancelled by the Ritenour School District and being replaced by a noncontact sport, pickleball.

Basketball is a beloved sport all around the world and especially at Ritenour High School. Teens and families enjoy going to their games to support fellow friends/players compete against other schools in hopes of coming out victorious.

Players enjoy proving their ability and efficiency in the sport against others to prove they are the best and even hopes of getting scholarships.

However, like most sports there are dangers that come along with competition.

Basketball players suffer from sprained/fractured ankles, wrists, fingers, knees, shoulders, and sometimes even concussions according to a study by NATA . The Board of Education has taken the responsibility to remove basketball as a winter sport starting next school year, deeming it too dangerous.

With the exclusion of basketball from winter sports the school board decided that there was a need for a winter sport that can take place within the Ritenour gymnasium and captivate students attention just as much as basketball; enter pickleball.

Pickleball is a two or four player paddle ball sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. Two or four players use paddles made of wood or composite materials (like plastic) to hit a perforated polymer ball, similar to a Wiffle Ball but heavier, over a net. The sport is generally played by middle aged men, but with the right guidance, Ritenour students can be just as efficient. Pickleball competitions are held all over America with prizes up to $75,000 (USAPA).

The current basketball team is not happy with this decision.

“They are [School Board] tripping, but it [Pickleball] would be less injuries for

sure,” varsity player Coby Nathaniel stated.

Devon Prator, another senior Varsity player on the team, thinks differently.

“Really? I’m going to stay another year to play,” Prator said.

Both players have stated that they are grateful and honored to be a part of the last ever season of Ritenour basketball.

In order to play as well as middle age men, you need a middle aged man leading the team; this is where Coach Matt Elder comes in. Elder has much experience in coaching, with him being a leading coach for the football team. Elder has also been teaching pickleball to students in his leisure sports class for

a while now and has enough knowledge to help build a foundation for a competitive sports team. Elder will not be coaching the sport alone, Elder has been recruiting all middle age men who already work at the high school to be his assistant coaches.

Since Ritenour will be the only pickleball team in St. Louis, the plan seems to be that Ritenour will hold exhibition games with students competing against each other. This will provide more home games throughout the year. Along with exhibition games, Ritenour will be the first school to compete against local pickleball teams from Missouri and possibly teams from outside the state.

Dunkin Donuts to open in second cafeteria The closure of the library will lead to a new cafeteria space and extra business JERSIE COX & SAMANTHA LEWIS Pepper Box Staff Last year, while trying to fund a Starbucks in the foyer/ cafeteria, the school ran into a problem with insufficient funding and improper planning.

Ritenour decided to call off the Starbucks plan. Though, as of now, Ritenour High School will plan to have a

second cafeteria and Dunkin’ Donuts in the library.

Tardies are common at Ritenour, however, it is not common knowledge that almost all of them come after lunch. While most students have not noticed, teachers, as well as the school board, have noticed and they have decided that enough is enough.

In order to solve the tardy problem in this school the

Photo and illustration by Jersie Cox, additional photos courtesy Wikimedia The library will be disappearing and a new branch of Dunkin’ Donuts will be added to the new space, which will also serve as a second cafeteria. Former librarian Christina Thompson will be transitioning to a role in the new Dunkin’ Donuts.

district has decided to turn the library into a second cafeteria.

The school board hopes that with this second cafeteria that the lines will be less busy as students are split up more evenly between the two cafeterias.

School librarian Christina Thompson has also heard the rumors and is worried about what students will do when they find out about the library being turned into a second cafeteria.

Thompson is sad that she will no longer be the librarian, but is excited at the new career prospects being offered to her.

“I think that people are going to be angry about the library closing, but I am looking forward to working at the Dunkin Donuts stand instead,” Thompson said. “I can’t wait to be the old crabby lunch lady.”

Starting next school year, the new cafeteria will have a section dedicated to Dunkin Donuts. Students will be able to go and get their coffee and/ or food before school, lunch hour, as well as seventh hour.

In order to fund and support Dunkin Donuts along with buying a beverage, customers can donate $5 and will get unlimited five bar WiFi in the school for cellular devices.

Ritenour’s Dunkin Donuts (RDD) will have nearly all the menu options as the real Dunkin Donuts, from iced coffees to delicious warm donuts (that are totally not straight out of the Schnucks clearance section).

“Dunkin’ Donuts at our school is great because I do not eat breakfast a lot due to my having little time in the mornings. This is a great restaurant starting at Ritenour,” junior Miranda Martin said Junior Crystal Rendon did not know about the rumors circulating about the Dunkin’ Donuts in the second cafeteria or even the rumor that a second cafeteria was going to be built. She expressed concern for all the books in the library and where exactly would they go.

The school board planned to donate the books to English teachers and other libraries, but Rendon has a better idea.

“I think that we should have a giant book fair to raise funds for the Dunkin’ Donuts, that way we do not have to take more money out of the school fund for both projects,” Rendon said. “I feel sad about the library closing but also not too sad, I will have warm fresh donuts to comfort me. Who doesn’t like donuts anyways?” Rendon said.

To prevent students from skipping and being late to class there will be a time limit on how long they are able to stay in the RDD cafe. If it is during class hours, students must come in with a yellow pass signed by their teacher, but before school and during lunch that is not needed.

“In the mornings, I always struggle with the motivation to go to class and do my school work. The Dunkin’ Donuts coming to our school is awesome for me because coffee is something that I cannot live without,” Martin said

Page 7

A&E

April 2020

Fanfiction leads to a writing credit History teacher David Bishline turns his “My Little Pony” fanfic into an actual show TONI TAYLOR Pepper Box Staff It may come as a surprise, but some Ritenour teachers who do not teach English are expert writers. One writer is so good, in fact, that his writing has been picked up to be on a tv series.

History teacher David Bishline has been given the opportunity to write an episode of the popular television show “My Little Pony; Friendship is magic.”

Bishline’s story consists of three of the ponies who go to France and get into some trouble.

Here’s a rough draft of

what got Bishline accepted into the “My Little Pony” cast.

“In the land of ‘My Little Pony,’ three of them had just graduated from charm school and they decided to take a trip to France. So Spike, Applejack (who loves applejacks), & Rainbow Dash (not to be confused with her brother Sad Walk) started flying across the ocean to France. They were tired and decided to stop in Iceland.

They enjoyed the hot springs and the people. After a night in Iceland they flew all the way to Paris where they dined on cheese and grapes.

However, at one of the parks Rainbow Dash was

dashing and broke her ankle.

They went to the local vet (which is not covered under universal healthcare since they are animals). With bills racking up, serious decisions had to be made…”

The episode is called “Learning about Bills” and the ponies are faced with having to deal with paying for hospital bills without healthcare after getting injured in a foreign country.

The rough draft is not all though, there is a surprise ending, so make sure to watch avidly!

Bishline is not only writing one episode though, he has been asked to stay with the

writers for three more seasons, so viewers can expect more episodes on real life drama. Now, instead of teaching kids about friendship, love, and all the other more than likely useless things in life, they will learn about real Illustration by Veronica Susovica life problems. In the An artist’s rendering of the episode of future episodes the “My Little Pony” that was written by ponies will learn how social studies teacher David Bishline. to pay bills, pay their The ponies will be in for a life-altering mortgages, and learn adventure through Europe. what to do when but potty humor, it is nice you are 30 and in a dead-end to know that one of us, one relationship with no kids. of the Ritenour teachers, is With all of the kid shows making a difference. that teach practically nothing

Two teachers lead a wilderness survival show David Appelbaum and Robert Weissler were selected by the Discovery Channel to host NIKYA HOURD Pepper Box Staff The Discovery Channel selected art teacher David Appelbaum and science teacher Robert Weissler to host their upcoming wilderness survival show.

After working at Ritenour High School for quite some time, Applebaum and Weissler are preparing to say goodbye to both their coworkers and students.

The Discovery Channel’s search for hosts was done across the country with about 1500 teachers being considered.

“I feel honored. It will be Photos courtesy RCO a great challenge and a lot of RCO sponsors David fun,” Appelbaum said.

Appelbaum (above) and Due to them being the Robert Weissler (below) will upcoming hosts, their be hosting a reality show on destination is completely in the Discovery Channel that their own hands. Appelbaum will be focused on wilderness survival. They are unsure how does not really care where they go, while Weissler has it will affect their time at RHS.

other ideas.

Weissler wants to be located in “the most desolate places; where no one will be able to find us for days.”

With their departure, many students, particularly their students of RCO, would miss them dearly. However, the students are excited about the opportunity for their teachers.

“I think that it is a genius idea because Appelbaum is very experienced with nature, which is why we call him the mountain man,” junior Emma Gaither said. “Appelbaum used to throw clay at us like baseballs so he is really strong. I think he is fit, you know, to do what he needs to survive.”

Junior Hudson Delacruz believed that the Discovery Channel made the correct choice with these two teachers, especially since they already know each other from

activities at the high school.

“They would be a good duo, you know what I mean?

Because they both like being outside, they’re both kinda old, you know? They know how to operate in the woods,” Delacruz said.

Junior Bella Rohlfing agrees that the two make a good pair, but thinks that Appelbaum has an extra advantage in his survival skills.

“I’m pretty sure Appelbaum was raised by the wolves, so I think that is probably a good choice,” Rohlfing said.

Although most seemed to believe that the choice was perfect, they also believed that the wilderness duo could not survive alone.

“I think Appelbuam and Weissler are a great choice of teachers for the reality show.

I think it would be better with more than just them,

but I feel like they would be good for that,” junior Evynn Scherretz said. “I feel like (Molly) Dahlquist would do good. I feel like (Tabitha) Milam would be really good too.”

The idea of extra partners was run by Applebaum.

“Well, the RCO team. They all do a great job,” Appelbaum said.

Both teachers refused to leave for the show in May, unless each RCO team member agreed to help host.

Milam, Dahlquist, Angela Huber, Weissler and Applebaum are officially booked as guest hosts of RCO Survival, which will show all their strengths and weaknesses as both educators and wilderness experts.

The show is set to premiere August 19, 2020, with many staff members and students excited to see if they can really survive.

New streaming service to focus on Ritenour “Rated R” will allow staff and students to host their own shows and have a built in audience KAYLEY NORMAN Pepper Box Staff For the first time in its history, Ritenour School District has officially made plans to provide students with an official way to slack off in class.

As of April 2020, Ritenour School District has confirmed that they are arranging plans to launch their very own streaming service: “Rated R.” In order to combat the strong list of competitors such as Netflix and Disney+, Ritenour is choosing to create their very own streaming service available for free to all Ritenour students. Dr. Jeffrey Marker, principal of Ritenour High School, additionally confirmed that all original Ritenour shows will be produced at the high school by students for the students.

Originally proposed by the video and media classes, Dr. Marker took on as head of the project almost immediately.

After deciding that each show would be created and produced by Ritenour students, Dr. Marker reached out to multiple classes and groups of students to contribute to the project. Gregory Jones’ drama students were cast as actors, students belonging to Jane Bannester’s video production classes are

in charge of filming and editing, and Hadley Haux and Julianna Campbell’s band and orchestra students are in charge of music composition for each show.

John Schimmel’s animation class is additionally in charge of the animation of one of the original shows being introduced with the launch.

The new service will be launching with a line-up of original shows, each of which attempt to cater to a different demographic of Ritenour students. This content will be exclusive to Rated R and will launch officially with the service.

Currently, only four shows have been confirmed for the line-up: “Husky Heroes,” “The Respectful and The Responsible,” “Hunting for Turkana with Christopher Perkowski,” and “The Real Lives Of Ritenour Teachers.”

Husky Heroes Described as an “animated cartoon targeted towards ages 5-11,” Husky Heroes centers around the adventures of Halle Husky and her trusty gang of fellow puppy heroes. The show hopes to teach important life lessons and Ritenour values such as responsibility and cooperation to younger students.

“It has been a real fun experience being able to create a character. Voicing Halle The Husky gives me the challenge of getting to act differently from my at-home personality versus my atschool personality. I cannot wait to make more episodes and show the world what I think being a husky is. It’s a wild ride, man,” senior Louise Gutierrez-Chavez said.

The Respectful and The Responsible This show has been coined as “Ritenour’s first soapopera”. The show follows a new student named Petunia who has just transferred to Ritenour High School after her father marries the greatgreat granddaughter of J.S. Ritenour, the man whom Ritenour was named after.

Aimed towards an older audience, the show focuses on more intense themes such as bullying, stress, and learning to deal with a new environment.

“I think it is really cool that I get to be a part of this,” junior Evynn Scherretz said. “Getting to play Regina [Petunia’s new step-sister and the second lead of the show] has been very transformative.

But...having to dye my hair orange for the role was a little strange. It is a little

concerning that Ritenour is so focused on this project, but I applaud their enthusiasm.”

Hunting for Turkana with Christopher Perkowski This is a show aimed for the more history oriented Ritenour students. This show is an unscripted documentary type of show. Filmed over the summer, the show follows AP History teacher Christopher Perkowski and his search for another skeleton to match with the existing Turkana boy.

“I want everything you’re going to see in this show be a secret,” Perkowski said. “The Turkana is a shy subject. If we talk about it too much, we may just chase it off.”

This documentary show is also the longest of the confirmed shows, spanning over eight 50-minute episodes.

The Real Lives Of Ritenour Teachers The last of the confirmed

and official line-up is the most boasted of the three: The Real Lives of Ritenour Teachers. Following the outside lives of three Ritenour English teachers, this show accounts what really goes on behind closed orange doors. All known for being notoriously nice to their students, teachers Colette Love-Hilliard, Molly Dahlquist, and Angela Huber are the chosen representatives. But how nice are they really when they think nobody is looking?

“I’m super excited for this show. I’m honored that I was chosen.” says Love-Hillard.

“The only downfall is that I’ll have to spend actual time with Mrs. Huber. Oops, was I supposed to say that?”

Rated R will be dropping in December 2020, just in time for the holidays.

Ritenour students are offered free access to the service.

Student volunteers have also offered to create the service into an app for portable devices and the website will be available for access from student chromebooks.

Sports

April 2020

Page 8

Cochran becoming a luchador

The spanish teacher and wrestling coach will start a new life

MICHELLE EVERETT Pepper Box Staff Everyone knows Dean Cochran as both a Spanish I teacher and wrestling coach, however, after 28 years his journey at Ritenour High School is about to come to an end.

As of this year, Cochran is leaving and retiring as a Spanish teacher and wrestling coach to live out his childhood dream of becoming a professional luchador.

A luchador is a form of Mexican wrestling where most wrestlers wear masks to keep their personal lives from their professional ones.

If a wrestler is unmasked and loses, they must have their head shaved in the humility of the loss, and if the unmasked wrestler wins, they are given the power to unmask the masked wrestler.

Ever since Cochran was a little boy he was fascinated with wrestling, Mexican wrestling to be specific.

Around his neighborhood, all the kids would gather together at Cochran’s house and wrestle in “the ring” also known as his trampoline.

This is where he earned his name and Luchador persona, La Ardilla Guapa “The handsome squirrel”.

He would defeat his opponents with a special move he titled, “The Flying Power Squirrel Bomb” an ancient technique he claims was passed down from the squirrel gods themselves.

The move consists of the wrestler spreading his wings and pounding down on his opponent like one of those scary monster blocks on Mario Brothers.

After many years of amateur wrestling, his career finally took off as he would soon fly into the ring professionally. His mask is what really brought attention to him. This squirrel themed mask made him a fan favorite. The mask features a squirrel skull with wings protruding from the sides that represent a rebirth of a dead career he dreamed of as a child.

“I chose a squirrel because nine times out of 10 they make it across the highwaym

and I like those odds” Cochran explains.

The PE and language teachers at Ritenour have created their own miniature amateur Luchador league, and some teachers have created nicknames. The teachers call it, “La ardilla mortal, gira mundial,” or the deadly squirrel world tour, and it features wrestlers such as “El oso de peluche” (Coach Deric Edwards), “La cabra de la suerte” (Coach Suzy Fortune), and “La hada bailarina” (Spanish teacher Dina DeLuca).

Cochran currently holds the champion title after his match with the undefeated Coach Rick Shelton. He used his signature move, the flying power squirrel bomb, to demolish Shelton.

Rumors are he even made Coach David Bishline retire his career forever after he humiliated him in the ring with his nutshell pin down and notorious victory dance “squirrels in my pants.”

Many students were shocked, and some even supported this bizarre change in careers. Sophomore Taylor Engelmeyer was both a student of Cochran for Spanish and a wrestler for his team. She is happy for her former mentor.

“I really think he should go for it, he is a great wrestling coach and I know he will be a groundbreaking wrestler,” Engelmeyer said.

With the support and dedication, Cochran believes this career will take him long into his retirement days and the rest of his life. However, one of his current Spanish I students is not so sure that Cochran will be a success on the professional scene.

“I see it as more of a midlife crisis, I don’t think it will last too long,” freshman Amber Glen said.

Photo by RHS Athletics, manipulation by Ron Steinschriber

Spanish teacher Paul Cochran in one of his only known photos as La Ardilla Guapa.

Photo by RHS Athletics The volleyball team played all of last season with some handicaps because they were so much better than everyone else. As seen in the photo, all players wore ankle weights to keep them from displaying their jumping skills. In addition to the ankle weights, all setters had to set without using their thumbs, and all servers had to serve underhand. Although the team had to have these handicaps all season, they still had one of the most successful seasons in program history.

Volleyball team played all season with handicaps The team was so good they were forced to compete last season at a disadvantage ELENA MARTIN Pepper Box Staff The varsity volleyball team improved so greatly from last season that they were forced to wear handicaps to give other teams a fair chance during last season.

The volleyball team had never used handicaps before, but they were told privately to use them during the season and they complied. Even with the handicaps, they had their most successful season ever.

Due to their success, the passers had to have weights around their ankles, the setter was not able to set with her thumbs and the whole team had to serve underhand. At first the girls struggled with the new rules of the game they grew up knowing.

The reason these handicaps were in place is because without them other teams in their district would not play against the girls.

The teams refused to play against the girls without there being some kind of handicap making it more of a fair match.

“At first it was a weird concept because for as long as I have been playing we have never had them before, but it was easy to adjust to once we got the hang of it,” senior Aleksandra Van Hoy said.

Even with the handicaps, the girls had fun with it and they were interesting games to watch. The girls also became closer because of the handicaps and finally started working better as a team to win.

“Before the handicaps we could barely stand each other, but now since we have all learned how to play volleyball in a different way we have grown closer and have become a family,” Van Hoy said.

Even the other teams were shocked about the disadvantage the girls had and how they overcame them and were still a hard team to play.

“When I saw the weights, I really thought we were going to win 25-0, but I was shocked that you all had super high verticals even with those on. It was unreal and

I’m still shook to this day.” said Isabella Del Cid, a senior from Ladue High’s Varsity team.

Coach Kim worked with the girls on how to play despite the handicaps and they worked very hard to be able to still be a competitive team and not look like amateurs on the court.

“I am sure the basketball team will be mad because of all the dead spots we have made from the weights on our ankles and I can not even count how many volleyballs we have gotten stuck in the ceiling of the gym because of our powerful underhand serves,” Kim said.

The handicaps did not stop the Ritenour varsity team from beating their opponents, in fact the other teams thought they were going to win because of it, but they were wrong. The way the girls played even with their obstacles was jaw dropping.

“My team could not believe it was happening to be honest. Our jaws legit dropped to the floor,” Del Cid said.

Ritenour joins with rival to form sports alliance Ritenour and Pattonville will join forces next year to compete in athletic competitions KAYLYN RIGGS Pepper Box Staff In a shocking turn of events, Ritenour High School principa, Jeffrey Marker, and Pattonville High School’s principal met in a desperate attempt to solve the intense competition between the two districts’ high school athletics teams.

The two districts made the executive decision to combine the two districts’ sports teams, including all fall, winter and spring sports; affecting softball, baseball, basketball, golf, tennis, wrestling, volleyball, soccer and even football, under the new moniker PRHS. Marker is thrilled about the new rules coming into fruition during the 2021 school year, he walks around

the halls as he boosts morale around the school among coaches and teachers alike who are not as excited about the new plans.

“The strong and talented coaches here at Ritenour combined with the passionate and driven coaches over at Pattonville will increase the amazing acts and successes of each sports team affected, it is easy to say I am very excited,” Marker states.

Coach Mandi Little of the JV softball team disagrees with Marker.

“Competition is goodmany of the girls between teams get along, are friends outside of school and play the sport with Pattonville team members during spring and summer seasons,” Little said.

Many coaches of Ritenour

teams agree with Little, including ex basketball coach, Garth Scott.

“Some teams may benefit from the changes, but other teams may lose out on great Ritenour athletes

because of the Pattonville students who may take their well deserved spots,” Scott said In contrast, Ritenour’s wrestling coach, Dean Cochran, agrees with the plan.

“A merger between Ritenour and Pattonville schools can add a great amount of players to our slimming rosters, I know many other teams are far from lacking, but wrestling could use the extra bodies,” Cochran said.

Ritenour’s team of counselors are also very thrilled about the new plans, with Shauna Cunningham A preliminary sketch of what the combined PRHS jersey would look like.

and Carolyn Ehman saying the merger could increase positive attitudes among the athletic students; most of whom are already under immense pressure in both athletic and classroom situations. Keaton Strong also agreed with the assessment.

“Increasing sportsmanship in all Ritenour and Pattonville teams could have great ramifications to our students mental health,” Strong said.

Surprisingly, many student athletes are excited about the merge.

“I am very excited,” softball and soccer player Nicole Bryson said. “One of my best friends plays with Pattonville during the fall season, playing with her would give me a huge dose of happiness and I am thrilled Marker wants to make the change.”