CHICKEN SANDWICH WARS
FRESHMAN TRANSITION 440 new Huskies joined the school this year as freshmen.
Which chicken sandwich truly reigns?
SPREAD pg. 4-5
OPINION Page 3
FALL SPORTS CAPSULES SPORTS Page 8
Eight teams have started their new seasons
THE PEPPER BOX RITENOUR HIGH SCHOOL
ISSUE 1, VOLUME 97
9100 ST. CHARLES ROCK ROAD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63114
SEPTEMBER 2019
Coordinator of Activities and Athletics forges new path Lee Laskowski replaced longtime Activities Director Jerry Nolen and has redefined the job KIMBERLY TEOLI Pepper Box Staff There were some pretty big shoes to fill with Activities Director Jerry Nolen leaving Ritenour High School after 30 years in the district, but Athletics Director Drew Lohnes has high hopes for the new recruit, Lee Laskowski, who left Clayton High School to fill a newly created role of Coordinator of Activities and Athletics. “Sometimes it is good to get a new person in that can look at what we are doing from a different perspective. That is exactly what Mr. Laskowski is doing. I count on him to look at how we do things and give input on what we can improve on,” Lohnes said. Laskowski originally taught 7th grade math at Langston Middle School and coached for three years at CHS and Fontbonne University. He then moved on to Clayton High School where he was an athletic administrator for 12 years. Prior to becoming a teacher, Laskowski played college baseball at the University of Missouri where he earned first team all conference
honors. Laskowski has known Lohnes for around ten years, which is how he first became connected with the district. After meeting RHS Principal Jeff Marker and other administrators, he decided the job was an opportunity he could not pass up. “The athletes, energy, connection to the students and community, along with the opportunity to work with great like-minded people was what sparked my interest,” Laskowski said. “It was hard to leave Clayton, but I have a brighter future here at the ‘R.’ The amount of support from Lohnes and the district has allowed me an opportunity for growth not easily found. Ritenour has felt like home since day one and that speaks volumes to the people I am surrounded by on a daily basis.” With the change from Nolen to Laskowski also came a change in positions and roles for the Activities and Athletics Directors. Now, instead of having Lohnes as Athletics Director and Laskowski as Activities Director, they are working together and splitting the responsibilities.
Photo by: Ron Steinschriber Lee Laskowski (Left) speaks with Principal Jeff Maker during lunch duty. Laskowski came to Ritenour from Clayton and has started to put his own spin on what needs to get done in the position.
“I have been able to bring over a lot of experience that has helped streamline some processes, and each day things are getting better as I learn from (office professional Rebecca) Rodenberg and Lohnes,” Laskowski said. One thing that Laskowski has been pushing out to the community is the new website, ritenourathletics.org. The format is the same one he used at his old school, so he is very proficient with it.
“Our new website is incredible. It is something that I wanted to improve for years but never could find the time to make those improvements. Mr Laskowski used this format at his previous school and became very proficient in it. This will allow us to communicate to the community about what is going on at the school,” Lohnes said. Laskowski said that the goal is that it will allow the directors to better
communicate with the community about what is going on at the school, and to show St. Louis what Ritenour is all about. “By promoting athletes, coaches, and the community, I hope to show St. Louis what Ritenour has to offer and who we are. This district is on the forefront of so many things and I believe that if we can effectively ‘tell our story’ people will start to notice our accomplishments,” Laskowski said.
Foreign exchange students come and go from RHS Two students have joined Ritenour this year from other countries after one spent the summer abroad DARLEEN GARCIA Pepper Box Staff This year Ritenour is welcoming two foreign exchange students, while another student had the opportunity to study abroad during the summer. The exchange students that have come to Ritenour for the 2019-2020 school year are seniors Luca Beccacece and Carlota Gili. Beccacece comes to Ritenour
from Italy while Gili is from Spain. Both students are getting used to various things throughout the school and their new environment. “I am getting used to the language, the classes, and the schedule,” Gili said. Beccacece also noticed some differences in the type of equipment that is available to students here, which he was not used to at home. “I am getting used to the
Photo courtesy: Catalina Mundin Senior Catalina Mundin (third from left) spent the summer in Argentina doing a study abroad program.
IN THIS ISSUE
people, how we have enough time to get to our classes, and also how Ritenour has a variety of instruments and computers,” Beccacece said. Both students have things that they miss from back home, especially their family, friends, and even food. Learning about the exchange program was the first step that they had to take, although Gili had some help from a family member. “I learned about the exchange program because my sister did the same program three years ago,” Gili said. Beccacece had been considering studying abroad for the last six years. “My parents have always talked about me about doing a program like this ever since I was around 12 years old, so I started looking into it and now I am here,” Beccacece said. Senior Catalina Mundin went in the opposite direction, as she got the opportunity to study abroad in Argentina for eight weeks during the summer. “My mom actually met one of the volunteers in St. Louis through an art festival, and from there they began talking about me; about how I am an
WORD ON THE “R”
WHAT’S TRENDING?
PAGE 2
PAGE 3
A+ student on the Honor Roll and a good student overall. They looked into my credentials and saw that I qualified for the program,” Mundin said. While in Argentina, Mundin got a new sense of how other places are around the world. “The environment was really different, I liked it to where it really humbled me. It showed me that not everything is ten story buildings, tiled, and finished floors,” Mundin said. “I was looking forward to immersing myself into a whole different culture, and I was looking forward to the food. I missed St. Louis food so much. I just missed America in general because everything there was just potatoes and meat.” While Mundin can look back on the experience now and reflect, Beccacece and Gili are still making those comparisons and learning to navigate their new environment. Although they might not be able to go home soon, they are looking forward to many things during and after the study abroad program. Beccacece is looking forward to making new friends, and learning more about the musical culture, and Gili is
already thinking about the future. “Once I am home I am looking forward to keeping in touch with the friends I will be making here,” Gili said.
Photo by: Chloe Pagan Senior Carlota Gili works on her Chromebook in class. Gili came to Ritenour from Spain to spend her senior year in the United States.
FRESHMEN 17 NEW STAFF ECO-ACT CLASS TRANSITION TO MEMBERS COME IS NEW SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL TO RHS ELECTIVE PAGE 4-5
PAGE 6
PAGE 7
NEW GOLF COACH PAGE 8