SAYING CULTURAL THANKSGIVING THANKS
RHS staff and students share the reasons for being thankful
Turon Philippines
SPOTLIGHT Pg. 4-5
ATHLETE PROFILES
Students combie their culture with American tradition during the holiday
Winter sports have begun and some returning athletes have set high goals
SPORTS Page 8
A&E Page 7
THE PEPPER BOX RITENOUR HIGH SCHOOL
ISSUE 3, VOLUME 97
9100 ST. CHARLES ROCK ROAD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63114
NOVEMBER 2019
ACT offers online testing and section retakes for next year Students have been given new opportunities to improve test scores on the standardized test KAITLYN BROOMFIELD Pepper Box Staff On October 8, ACT announced that there will be new changes coming to the ACT test in September of 2020. The ACT test is a standardized test used in the college admissions process throughout the United States which is given out by the nonprofit organization, ACT. It is made up of four sections; English, math, reading, and science. ACT will be implementing three changes to the ACT test. These changes include online testing, choosing one section of the test to retake, and superscoring. “The changes coming down the pike are related to students being able to retake certain portions of the exam that they are trying to improve on, hence allowing students to focus their studying efforts on one subject at a time,” College and Career Counselor Cabrina Noonan said. “I do not know a whole lot about it yet, but I do know that it is a huge change, even from the current “superscoring” practices that some universities use today.” Not much at the moment is known about how the ACT plans to implement all of these changes, which leaves unknown territories
and questions, but in late November, Ritenour counselors will have a meeting discussing in further detail these upcoming changes. In the past, the ACT has always been administered on paper, with each student having to look through a paper booklet and fill in their answers on an answer sheet using a number two pencil, but in 2020 the ACT plans to switch to online testing. The ACT has been asking test takers if they would be interested in online ACT test-taking in an end survey, even asking if they would be interested if certain criteria were met. “I do not really like taking tests on computers, but I am not totally against it. Staring at a screen for a long period of time starts to hurt my eyes and I am just used to testing on paper,” sophomore Lanz Robert Dungo said. In the past, students have had to retake the whole test if they wished to improve their score, but the way students improve their scores in the future will be different due to these changes. ACT will allow students in the Fall of 2020 to be able to retake one section of the test if they wish to improve a specific section score. “I think that the ACT changing to allow you to
retake only one section that you want to is a fantastic idea,” senior Harry Zossoungbo said. “It allows students to only focus on one specific portion that they want to improve upon, and it helps save time for those who only want to take one portion of the ACT.” One route students have used in order to take the ACT is fee waivers. Ritenour students have been allowed two fee waivers in the past, but with the upcoming changes, it comes into question on how this might affect that route to be able to test. “Until the counselor ACT meeting later in November, we will not know how fee waivers will work in this process,” College and Career Counselor Julie Kampschroeder said. “It could end up being a financial barrier for students who attend Title I schools like ours, where everyone is allowed free lunch and breakfast based on average family income. If this ends up helping higher-income families and hurting our families, I will be highly upset, but I do not want to speculate on that until they give us information.” Superscoring is another change the ACT is using to innovate the way their test functions. Superscoring is
Photo by: Abby Richardson Senior Zakija Goree works in the College and Career office in preparation of taking the ACT. The test is adding some new features, including a new way to retake a single section.
when ACT takes the best section test scores from every time a student has taken the test and combines them to get a better score. This has been an option to take with some colleges in the past such as Bucknell University, but this is now becoming an official part of the ACT. Superscored ACT scores in the past have helped students get into colleges that are looking for a score higher than the composite score that they received on their test. “Superscoring is a really good method used for scoring the ACT I believe that every student should keep their highest scores for each
section no matter how many times they take it,” junior Camille Fuller said. In this time of the new changes students will have to look at the ACT in a new perspective, but this does not mean that they can slack off. “I can see students being more strategic in their study habits on the second and third test. But my advice would be, unless they are earning scores in the 30’s, they should be retaking all subtests again. Every point counts,” Kampschroeder said. “Especially because now every college and university will probably be superscoring.”
Local universities offer aid to low income students Washington University, UMSL, and Eureka College have created full aid opportunities LIZBETH HERNANDEZ Pepper Box Staff Recently, many colleges in the St. Louis area have been focusing on helping low-income communities to help students further their education. In their search for college scholarships, prospective freshmen hope that they will be able to cover their college tuition. With certain criteria a student must pass in order to receive a full ride to any university, more students have a chance of graduating school debt-free. Washington University has recently stated in their pledge that they are able to provide 100% coverage of room and board for any low-income student in the Missouri and Southern Illinois region, but only after they have met
IN THIS ISSUE
all requirements. This has attracted more high school graduates in their search for a brighter, higher education. Although Washington University announced this as a new initiative, College and Career Counselor Julie Kampschroeder said that the school had already met full financial need for recent Ritenour graduates. “I do not believe Washington University will change anything for our students. We have had numerous students attend Wash. U since I have been here and I do not recall any of them paying more than $3,000 a year out of pocket, including room and board,” Kampschroeder said. There are other nearby programs who have also made public their plans to benefit students from
low-income communities, including The Ronald W. Reagan Leadership at Eureka College and the Opportunity Scholars Scholarship with UMSL. The Ronald W. Reagan Leadership program was created by Eureka College to cover tuition for their students who meet full financial need and meet all the requirements of the program. It is used to help low-income students in the regions surrounding Illinois. The Opportunity Scholars Scholarship Program with the University of Missouri St. Louis is supported through local donors in the surrounding St. Louis Metropolitan area. This program is focused on helping first-generation lowincome students who need extra financial support. A
student must meet two of the three following criteria: rank in the top ten percent of their high school class, earned an accumulative of 3.5 GPA or higher, or have a composite score of twenty-six or higher on the ACT. An alumnae from Ritenour earned the Opportunity Scholars Scholarship in Spring of 2017. This student, Emma Norman, began the fall of 2017 with a full ride at UMSL. This scholarship covers tuition, room, books, meals, and more. With this opportunity, Norman has recently begun her sophomore year during the Fall of 2019. “(Without the scholarship) I would probably be in community college or stressing about affording school. I would have been having to work a job and
WORD ON THE “R”
TOXIC MASCULINITY
THANKFULNESS AT RITENOUR
SCHOOL SAFETY
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go to school, which can be a lot. It has given me so much freedom to focus on school and invest so much in my college years. Also, living on campus is such a great experience, and had I not gotten the scholarship I would still most likely be living at home,” Norman said.
Photo by: Mackenzie Davis Eureka College is one of the schools offering programs, like the Ronald Reagan Leadership Program, to help low income students.
THANKSGIVING WINTER SPORTS FROM OTHER ATHLETE CULTURES PROFILES PAGE 7
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Opinion
November 2019
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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, Samia Fouche, Tyrell Gilwater, Brianna Graham, Lizbeth Hernandez, Samantha Lewis, Miranda Martin, Elena Martin, Jessica Murillo, Kayley Norman, Kaylyn Riggs, Madison Secrease, Veronica Susovica, Toni Taylor, Kimberly Teoli, Peter Tran, Samantha Wagner 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.
The importance of showing thanks every day
Editorial Thankfulness is different for everyone and everyone is thankful for different things. Some may be thankful for finances, relatives, and peace, however, a simple thank you can come a long way to show appreciation during this time of thankfulness. It is important to show people that you appreciate them and express what you are thankful for. This idea of the importance of thankfulness
was scientifically proven by a Harvard Medical School study, where a group of people were tested and wrote about what irritated them on a daily basis. After a period of ten weeks, they wrote about what they were grateful for. After showing gratitude, they turned to healthier habits and ended up with less physician visits on average. It was also proven that couples who show gratitude, are much more positive and appreciative towards each other. Showing gratitude positively affects relationships and not just your romantic
relationships. Showing gratitude towards people can be done in many different ways. Thanking people mentally can positively impact you and the ones you love because it is proven, you will act more positive and loving towards them. Remember to always count your blessings. Counting your blessings is something that people often forget to do. Many times, we suffer in life and forget about the blessings that we have right in front of us. It is natural for people to feel entitled instead of grateful because we forget that some
The word on the How are you celebrating Thanksgiving this year?
Benji Delgado~ Freshman
“Meet with family from out of town, have dinner or lunch, and play with my little cousins. Usually we have a little house party afterwards but I am Hasset Asfawknocked out by then.” Junior
of the things we have in our lives are not things that everyone has. Children with two parents forget that having two parents is something to be thankful for. People forget that they are lucky to have jobs, even if they do not like their jobs that much; they are lucky to be employed and have income. Not everyone has natural gratitude and it may be hard to feel thankful, but ways that people can improve their gratitude is by keeping a gratitude journal where they can remind themselves that they are thankful and where
“Meet with family, have dinner, and go to church.”
they can reflect. Though Thanksgiving is the perfect time to become thankful, thankfulness should be something that is expressed all year. Counting blessings and remembering why you should feel thankful for certain things has the power to improve personal and professional relationships, along with improving mental health and self care. One act of gratitude can be the first step to a long life of thankfulness and blessings.
“Get together with my family and go Black Friday shopping Henry DeJesus~ with all of my cousins.” Sophomore
“I look forward to seeing all my family who I don’t see often, having good food, and getting time and a half at work.” Marissa Driver ~ Senior
Comics Sinister Seals
Illustration by Kayla Baker
Tales of a High School Something
Illustration by Abby Richardson
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Opinion
November 2019
Women’s double standards linked to toxic masculinity CLOpinions
Chloe Pagan The double standard of men to women has stuck around for ages, and although recently it has been extremely dimmed, we are still noticing it in our society. To begin, we will observe the gender pay gap. According to Kathleen Elkins for CNBC news, “Women earn just 79 cents for every dollar men make in 2019.” Ridiculous, right? How is it even remotely acceptable for a woman to do a job the exact same way as a man and still be paid less? It would seem that although The Equal Pay Act was signed into law in 1963, the US still has an issue understanding what the “equal pay” part actually means. This could be because, in the past, it was written in stone that the man
was destined to be the make you less susceptible Then there’s always the breadwinner while the to emotion, nor does it famous “she’s asking for woman stayed home to cook, make you worthy of higher it!” Let me just say, if a clean, and watch the kids. pay, respect, education, or woman does not directly As disgusting as that is, it is anything else. communicate her intentions undeniably true. As another result of toward you, then she has This double standard toxic masculinity, women none for you. Women are is a direct effect of toxic are blatantly and constantly allowed to wear what they masculinity. This is the idea disrespected. For example, want and not have to worry that men are not supposed girls being stared up about judgment. If men can to be vulnerable with their and down, hollered at, wear muscle T-shirts that actions and emotions because and touched, all in non expose their full torso and it is seen as feminine (Being consensual situations. fear no judgment, then why seen as feminine meaning Some cry, “just say no!” is it that women are “asking being seen as weak). I wish it were that easy. for it” by wearing shirts that I am not so sure as Speaking in the first person expose their midriff? to where this stereotype point of view, “no” will rarely The last point I will manifested from, possibly get you anywhere. Of course, observe as a result of toxic the difference in testosterone there are a select few men that masculinity is emotion. in men and women? Yet, are mature and have enough Men are seen as “sensitive” if that is the case, is it not common sense to actually for showing any sort of soft absolutely baffling that just back down and apologize, yet emotion, while it is totally because men gain muscle the vast majority are not as acceptable for a woman to quicker than women they are sensible. cry because apparently that not supposed to cry? is just how women Society: Men cannot show emotion Could it possibly be are. This lack of or be vulnerable because men do not emotion is constantly bear children? Once represented in how again, it is absolutely Most men: men communicate baffling if that is the issues. How am I reason. The boy is always supposed It seems to me right; right? Girls to act? This as though there is rarely have reason is a no-win no reason for this to be upset because situation stereotype to have it’s just them being been made apparent. overdramatic, right? Muscle does not Illustration by Abby RichardsonI am bewildered as to
why is so out of the question for men to be at fault. “Boys will be boys” I guess? Well, to that I say, absolutely not. Boys should be held accountable to their actions, just as women are. It would be unfair of me if I were to subject every male to the stereotype of toxic masculinity, because there are most definitely good men living on this earth. Chivalry is not dead, and love is not dead, nor is respect or maturity. Yet, boys who genuinely carry a heart of gold are usually dimmed down by America’s undeniable fetish of the mysterious bad boy character. While in a movie the bad boy might be a sweetie at the core, this is not a movie. If a man blatantly disrespects you for his own amusement he is no man, he is a pitiful joke. It is important that women do not fall victim to toxic masculinity. It is important that women stand up for themselves, and if men don’t like that so be it. Women have just as much right to speak for themselves as men and should not ever feel the opposite.
Censorship reaches new levels online Always Right
Torin Blevans On any given day in the world, 1.72 billion people experience censorship on the Internet. Censorship is a way that political organizations, private companies, and governments stop people from accessing information, news, and political ideas that disagree with or are threats towards the entities. Censorship in the US is generally covered by the First Amendment, but recently a lot of social platforms have been censoring people that disagree with the company’s morals or do not follow our politically correct society. This has sparked a big debate because some people say that social media platforms are private companies and can censor if they choose. I believe that social media platforms, such as Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram do not have a right to censor
people because they have opened their platforms up to the public. Once you have made an account you have to agree to the platform’s “Terms of Service” (hereon TOS), Conservatives who are on these platforms have been censored and demonetized even though in most cases they have not broken the platform’s TOS. Censorship brings up another issue; morals, and ethics. What is moral to say and what is not? What is considered hate speech and what is not? Hate speech is described as abusive or threatening language directed towards a group of people based on race, gender, sexuality, or other like categories, but who is making the standard for whether a statement is “hate speech” or if it is just a differing opinion? Hate speech is not illegal in the US because it is covered by the First Amendment, but that brings us up to our first problem, can media platforms censor “hate speech”? I think if we censor any type of hate speech from anyone person we have to censor all hate speech. Recently, political commentator Steven Crowder got censored from YouTube for a comment about the LGBTQ community, while
reporter Carlos Maza used a word in common with him and was welcomed on the platform. I think that in America nothing should be censored except speech that incites violence. If you are not inciting violence you should not be censored. There are always exceptions. Recently Presidential Candidate Robert Francis O’Rourke said “We are going to take your AR-15, your AK-47,” during a debate and in response, Texas state representative, Briscoe Cain, tweeted “My AR is ready for you Robert Francis.” Cain’s tweet was removed by Twitter and most people took Cain’s tweet to be a death threat towards O’Rourke. This is where censorship gets tricky, depending on how you interpret Cain’s tweet. It could be inciting violence against O’Rourke, but is it justified because technically O’Rourke is threatening to violate Cain’s Second Amendment right? Should it be removed or should it stay because Cain is making a political statement and a conditional threat? Another issue is whether social media and governments should censor news, ads, and posts that have fake news or false information
in them. Recently, Presidential Candidate, Elizabeth Warren put out an ad on Facebook saying that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg had endorsed President Donald Trump. Facebook said that they were not going to take it down because it was her right to have it up even though it violated Facebook’s TOS. She posted this after President Donald Trump bought ad space that involved information about President Candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden. Censorship is a hard topic to cover. What should be censored and who determines what is censored? Some YouTubers have started their own social media platforms geared towards freedom of speech and non-censorship. I believe if social media platforms are going to open their platforms up to all people then they have to accept everyone’s views and not censor. If YouTube is going to let anybody who has an account create YouTube videos then they can not discriminate against a conservative who talks out against anybody. Just like a conservative company who is public to everyone should have to let liberals post
Political Cartoons
Illustration by Kayla Baker
Illustration by Abby Richardson
and create content on their platform. I think that there is no perfect solution, but there is a better solution than what we have now. We need to start to diversify social media staff. 72% of Americans think that social media is biased and censors certain political viewpoints. We need more political and socio-economic diversity and social to give more ideas from different sides of the aisle. Second, we need to start to get humans to censor and not robots who look for keywords and then censor. That would create more jobs, which America always needs, and will help everyone around. Third, we need to not censor anything from political figures or from independent people who post political stuff unless it incites violence against any group of people, or it is fake news, but there are always exceptions to the rules and that’s why we need humans to make decisions to censor or not. This is not the perfect solution, but it is a better solution to the problem.
Spotlight
November 2019
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Ritenour staff and students have a lot Diversity of the school brings it alive every day Ritenour has one of the most diverse populations in the state of Missouri and it is prevalent in every day life SAMIA FOUCHé Pepper Box Staff Across the state of Missouri, most of the state’s school district demographics show that there is a dominant race enrolled in certain schools, but for the Ritenour School District, this is something that sets it apart from other districts in Missouri. Ritenour is known for being a melting pot of students that come from all kinds of different backgrounds and walks of life. These many different walks of life give students the opportunity to learn about different cultures and customs. “Personally, I think it is one of the best things for the school, I feel like we have a lot of diversity. It brings uniqueness to this school,” sophomore Jade Witte said. “Diversity in this school means to me that we are breaking stereotypes.” Freshman Carlos RuizHernandez agrees with Witte, and has been impressed with the relationships that are formed at the high school. “It is a good thing since everyone can get along,” RuizHernandez said. Throughout the 10 schools in the district, there are 6,477 students enrolled. Ritenour’s demographics show that currently students are 39% Black, 34% White, 16% Hispanic, 8% mixed race, 2% Asian, and <1% American Indian and Pacific Islander. This makes Ritenour the most diverse school district in the state of Missouri. “It shows that it is a really good place to grow up in,”
freshman Canaan Asfaw said. French teacher Laura Garay believes that being a part of a school with so much diversity allows everyone to get to engage in other cultures. “It means that we all have a chance to get to know people with experiences that are different from ours and disprove stereotypes that label different groups. You cannot make assumptions about anyone you meet here. Everyone has their own story,” Garay said. The diversity of the school has even led teachers to want to teach here. “When I applied to work here, I knew that it was a diverse student body and it was definitely one of the reasons that I wanted to work here,” Garay said. English teacher Christina Melly was a Ritenour graduate herself, and came back in part because of the diversity within the district. “I teach here because this is where I want to be. Getting to know my coworkers, students, and families, and being able to expand the way I see the world is one of the things I enjoy most about teaching at Ritenour,” Melly said. “I love it. I would not change it!” In 1867, Ritenour became the first school district in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area to serve African American students, and in 1913, the district opened an all-Black school, called Elmwood Park School. By 1968, Ritenour integrated Black and White students into the same high schools. In 1981, Ritenour accepted a court-ordered desegregation plan, becoming one of the
Photo by: Mackenzie Davis Latinx students performed a traditional dance at the Homecoming assembly in October. This event was referenced as the type of thing that the school should show off more to represent the many different cultures of Ritenour students.
first five St. Louis County school districts to do so. By 1988, Ritenour had reached their goal of having 25% minority students. Throughout the years, Ritenour has had a growing number of families that come to the district with limited knowledge of English. This prompted Ritenour to expand their English Language Learners program. The district now has Adult ESL classes, helping create an inclusive environment for all foreign students and their families. “I think the school does a good job showing off and representing its diversity through clubs activities and understanding that everyone is different,” senior Louise Guiterrez-Chavez said. Melly has been excited to see more representation of her own Latinx background as that population has grown
within the district. “Seeing more Latinx representation has been fantastic. The student population at Ritenour has been growing for the last few decades, and I have been proud to see the district’s services for English Language Learners and our Mexican & Latin American students grow too,” Melly said. Even with the representation of diversity, many students and teachers alike feel as though the district could do more to show off the amount of diversity. “I would love to see students celebrate and share their home culture with others in the school and in the community and also allow students to experience other cultures than their own. For example, when Latinx students demonstrated traditional dances from
their countries to the school (like at the pep rally, which I loved), it would be great if they could take it a step further to allow students from other backgrounds to learn and participate. Another idea would be to allow students to teach others how to make traditional foods from their culture,” Garay said. Witte also enjoyed the dance at the Homecoming assembly, but agrees with Garay that there could be more culturally immersive events. “I feel like we can go a bit farther. When we were at the pep rally, there was the Latinx dance, which I really enjoyed, but there could be more. We could have different language classes, or more diverse after school clubs that involve things like international cooking,” Witte said.
Ritenour gives to its students From free meals to the newest of technology, the district provides for its students KRISTYN BILLS Pepper Box Staff ‘Tis the season to be thankful! Students and staff are more than familiar with the perks that Ritenour High School has provided for them, and they have expressed thanks for those items. The school district started the 1:1 technology initiative three years ago, and it has changed the way school looks inside the building. Each student receives a school issued Chromebook to complete all schoolwork, and they are allowed to take it home and use it as well. In addition, the district also procured wifi hotspots to any students who don’t have consistent wifi accessibility at home. “I feel like it is more resourceful for us to be able to have technology at all times,” freshman Trinitee Henderson said. “Like when you lose a paper or assignment, you’re able to replace it.”
School Chromebooks give students more room to be more productive and responsible because it’s easy to do schoolwork outside of school. They have also changed the traditional view of what a school should be. “It makes me feel weird because the teacher will be like, ‘Class get your Chromebooks out!’ and it is strange because I think about how the textbooks are not necessary to learn anymore.” Henderson remarks. “I do appreciate being able to have my own device for school work without having to pay for it.” Besides the technology, the school district provides free breakfast and lunch to students, and has also expanded to provided meals over holiday breaks and snacks for athletes before practice. “I am grateful [that they are able to eat free lunches], but I wish they would take advantage of it and more students would come receive breakfast and lunch,” child nutrition specialist Tina
Ridenhour adds. “It would encourage us.” Ridenhour and her staff are doing all that they can to encourage more students to take advantage of the program. “I feel they do not realize how much the lunch here provides nutritional value to their lives. I wish there was more education in that,” Ridenhour said. “I am grateful that Ritenour has given the students a chance to eat. It breaks my heart to know if someone is hungry and I am glad the district has given the students a chance to eat.” Another child nutrition specialist, G Warren Knox, is just thankful that she gets to make an impact on students’ lives every day and be a positive role model for them. “To be honest, I love doing my job,” Knox said. “I get smiles and the love from [students] and I am glad I am able to give that love back to them.”
Photo by: Mackenzie Davis Above: Students wait in line after school for a free snack provided by the district. Below: Senior Armani Catlin works on a Chromebook at the Help Desk. Computers and help desk service are provided by the district.
Photo by: Ron Steinschriber
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Spotlight
November 2019
to be thankful for, these are there stories Helping get to the next level College and Career Counselor Julie Kampschroeder has transformed the office since she came back to Ritenour VERONICA SUSOVICA Pepper Box Staff
Photo by: Abby Richardson College and Career Counselor Julie Kampschroeder has been helping students realize their college dreams. She has high hopes for all students at Ritenour, and wants to make sure that she gets the chance to meet with every student at the high school for a one-on-one meeting about their future. Both current students and alumni talk about how much of an impact Kampschroeder has made on their lives since they have known her.
Julie Kampschroeder is a College and Career Counselor who helps countless students at RHS find their plan after high school, whether that is enrolling into a college, enlisting into the military, or finding a job straight after graduation. “I have a variety of roles but the majority of my time is spent in one on one meetings with seniors who request appointments with me first semester. Second semester appointments are open to juniors. Each meeting is different based on the goals of the student who enters my office,” Kampschroeder said. There are meetings organized by Kampschroeder every Thursday of the month, once a month for each graduating class. These meetings are designed specifically to help students attain additional information about applying to colleges which may not have been available to others before, especially first generation students.
“Some may want to start college at community college. Some students are looking for a program that will last a few weeks and commence with a certificate to work in a career and other students want to start at a four year college. Other students have no idea what they want to do, and so we start from square one,” Kampschroeder said. One student in particular who Kampschroeder helped out this year, is senior Jada Freeman. “She (Kampschroeder) has helped me with absolutely everything, from actually understanding how to research into colleges I am interested in, to basic applications like my essay and filling out that information. It is literally everything; I did not have any information before,” Freeman said. Junior year is when students start to figure out what their plan after graduation will be. Every junior will meet with Kampschroeder for an appointment. These appointments are meant to discuss ideas after graduating high school and finding
the ideal path for students. Juniors can start making appointments with her at the start of the second semester. “We start meeting the first day after exams of junior year, and we start on those applications and we meet again two weeks before school starts in August,” Kampschroeder said. Ritenour alumnae Julissa Gaona is currently a freshman at Saint Louis University. She said that much of her current position in school is due to all the work that Kampschroeder does to provide information about college to students and parents. “Since my parents did not know anything with the college, coming to the school (meetings) on Saturday mornings or when we had a day off, or even Thursdays after school; those really helped because I was really lost and confused. Like, ‘I do not know what to do’ and my parents did not know what to do. So having someone who knew how to do it, explain it to me, was really helpful,” Gaona said.
Photo by: Abby Richardson
Photo by: Abby Richardson
Flags of different nations are held up in French teacher Laura Garay’s classroom. Garay has embraced the diversity that exists amongst her students and says that she is thankful that she can experience it on a daily basis. The diversity is a major draw for many of the teachers.
Staff and students participated in a canned food drive from November 7-21. The cans were collected for the annual Joint Charities Christmas Basket Program and were also be donated to the Ritenour Co-care food pantry.
Staff and students are thankful for each other Staff and students share the positive relationships that they have built with each other over the years KAYLEY NORMAN Pepper Box Staff For many people, November is considered a time of reflection. This is the month where people choose to think about the things that they are most thankful for. As Ritenour High School crawls into the chilly clutches of November, students and staff are beginning that period of reflection. Whenever people consider things they are thankful for, most have a list of options that they wish to express their appreciation for. Some are thankful for family. Others are thankful for friends. Many people might list that they are grateful for the education they receive here at Ritenour. It is often forgotten that education is a two-way street. Without teachers, there would be no one to educate our students. Without students, teachers
would have no one to teach. When people consider their long lists of things they are thankful for, teachers and students typically have lots of appreciative and kind comments to say about each other. “Teachers affect us with every small thing they do. Teachers are major influences in our lives both in and out of school,” junior Ryan Klohr said. “There are teachers who are my everyday role models, and influence what kind of person I am. Some have changed my life so much, and I cannot thank them enough for it.” Some students express that the thing they appreciate about their teachers the most is that they feel that teachers at Ritenour High School care about them. “They are caring. There are many teachers here who care about students and their education. They put time into what they do and many
of them love their jobs. They always put that extra time in,” senior Destiny Chandler said. On the flip side, teachers also have a strong sense of appreciation for their pupils. Whether they are a teacher who works closely with their students or a teacher who joined the Ritenour family recently, most teachers can find things to really appreciate their students for. “I think I have grown as a person as well as a teacher just from meeting all of these different students and perspectives. I see 160 kids in my classroom everyday, all from different backgrounds from me, and I believe it has definitely helped open my eyes to different world views.” English teacher Molly Dahlquist said. Dahlquist has only been teaching at Ritenour for three years, but has found that her eyes have been opened by the many students she has met. It is common for teachers
Photo by: Abby Richardson Sophomore Salaya Chowdhury shares a message with English teacher Colette Love-Hilliard. The two work together in Creative Writing Club and with the Drama club.
to appreciate the different point of views that they get to see every day working with the diverse crowd of Ritenour students. “My students remind me that everybody has a different story and to be conscious
of that through all of my interactions through life. Empathy goes a long way,” Leadership teacher Tavonda Palmer said.
Spotlight
November 2019
Page 6
District focuses on school safety in many different ways Between cameras, focusing on locked doors, the welcome desk and more, the school intends to keep students safe JERSIE COX Pepper Box Staff “Do not open the doors for anyone that is outside of the school.” “Be kind and be nice to each other” These, and phrases like them, have been drilled into the minds of students. Do not open the doors, do not order outside food to school, do not bully. In reality, even with these rules and regulations set, people are continuing to push boundaries, but the school is pushing back in the name of safety. At Ritenour there is no tolerance for bullying. Teachers try their hardest to limit as much bullying as possible. “I have never personally experienced any bullying nor discrimination. However, I do believe that there are groups of people who are being bullied that are overlooked by the school,” sophomore Racheal Robertson said. Sophomore Gillian Gordon believes that the high school does a good job of dealing with bullying, but said that online issues have seemed to take more precedent recently.
“In high school there really is not that much bullying as it seems, however there is more cyberbullying. The high school is way better dealing with bullying than middle school. In middle school most bullying is pushed to the side, but in high school it is taken way more seriously,” Gordon said. There was an incident with a student who brought a gun onto Ritenour’s campus on Oct. 23. However, due to Ritenour’s SRO officers and information that had been brought to their attention before the event, the school was able to prevent anything bad happening. Without the SRO officers and Ritenour’s dedication to create a safe school environment, the incident could have escalated into something worse. “I hate the fact that students have to worry about being harmed at school. The officers here handled the situation well. I am glad they handled it in a timely manner before anything bad happened,” Gordon added. Officer Elliott Miller is one of the SROs at the high school, and he said that while his work here does have some
overlap, his role at the high school is different than when he is outside of the building. “Here at Ritenour, safety is completely different than how it is on the road. I would not say we are friendlier than on the street, but we are way less strict. Our main goal is to make students feel more comfortable here at school,” Officer Miller said. The fellow SRO officers are not only officers but also want to be seen as counselors for students who want to report things or need someone to talk to. “We are counselors on top of our law enforcement background, we are here to break down the mistrust between students and police since there is a slight bad reputation between people and the police,” Officer Miller said. A bonus to keeping the school safe are the security cameras that are placed all around the school to be sure that nothing suspicious is going on. “We check the security cameras fairly often,” office professional Debbie Brennan said. Consequences of students who break the rules covering
Photo courtesy: Mackenzie Davis Signs are posted throughout the school reminding to keep the doors locked and not to allow anybody into the building. This is a safety focus this year in an attempt to help the overall safety of the people inside the building.
safety are lectures, phone calls to parents, detentions, in school suspension and in worse case scenario, out of school suspension or expulsion. Students who try to order food have their food sit in the office until either lunch or dismissal, and students who bring weapons to school get the harsh punishment of either suspension and/or expulsion. The main safety issue at Ritenour is students leaving
campus and opening doors to let other students in. “I personally see kids letting their friends in. I think that it could be prevented by giving stricter consequences such as detention or a stern talking to, to make sure that they do not do it again.If we put in more consequences then I think that less students would try and do things like that,” Gordon said.
Ritenour thanks its veteran staff members Five staff members served in the military before coming to Ritenour and they explain what they got out of the military
CHRIS ISAACS ASST. PRINCIPAL
CABRINA NOONAN COUNSELOR
RICK RODGERS SCIENCE
GARTH SCOTT SOCIAL STUDIES
CHARLES WALKER SSD
I went into the U.S. Army in the summer of 1990 and I finished in the summer of 1998. I was stationed in places like Wisconsin, Virgina, Kansas and here at Scott Air Force Base. I think one of the things I got most out of it was that it taught me a lot of discipline. What that did is pull me, knowing there was something there for me. It gave me the idea that if you put your mind to it and you really want it, you can probably achieve it. Nothing comes easy and you sometimes have to work for it and problem solve.
I was in the Army from March 2000-March 2003 and I actually met my husband while I was in the Army. When I joined the Army, I was the youngest of three kids still living with my parents. I ended up moving to El Paso, Texas from my home in Michigan. My husband and I both used our educational benefits to attain our master’s degrees, and we have purchased three houses using our VA loan benefits, as well. The skills we learned are often utilized in our personal and professional lives.
I served from 1976 to 2008 in the Army Reserve. It affected my life because it put my life on hold for a while. I did not think it was fair to be married and have children, so that was an interesting progression I think that it is a growth experience because of the life time friends you make and you learn to rely on those people with your life.
I served for six years in the military, from 1986 to 1992. I served in the army national guard located in Pennsylvania. The biggest impact my service had on me was the recognition that I could exceed my own mental and physical expectations. Leaders constantly push you farther than you think you can go. I ended up teaching as my career, but law enforcement was something I was interested in at that time, so military police made sense.
I served from 2006-2018 in the United States Air Force. A way the Air Force shaped my life was it allowed me to travel the world, I have seen very scary things and things that have almost brought a tear to my eye because they were so beautiful. I thought I was so fortunate to be on this Earth and see this. It really opened up my eyes to have a very big lens. It kind of taught me to love people more when you see all corners of the Earth. It also taught me that life is short so as an educator, it makes me realize what I do is important.
November Club of the Month - Science Club DANIELA SAENZ News Editor On November 15, the Science Club conducted an experiment that had been planned in advance. Senior Mehak Dayal, the president of the Science Club, senior Kaitlyn Broomfield, and the other members of the club decided that they would be trying to create deodorant as their experiment. Dayal says that the idea was thought of by a member of the club, Andrea Gonzolez. “To pick an idea, we spin the wheel and whatever it lands on, I will make a presentation of it and write up
directions,” Dayal said. This was not the first time that some of the members had done this activity, but it was the first time that they had brought it to the club to be attempted by a larger group of students. Advisors Rachael Tripp and Robert Weissler oversee the club and help guide them on their decisions and activities during their after school meetings. . “They decided we would try to find experiments from multiple fields of science,” Tripp said.
Photo by: Daniela Saenz Juniors Maria Castilla-Vega and Andrea Gonzolez work on creating deodorant during the Science Club meeting on November 15. Science teacher Rachael Tripp works in the back of the room, and oversees the club during their meetings.
Page 7
A&E
November 2019
Bringing culture to the table
Students share what cultural foods they add to the Thanksgiving table every year Pancit - Philippines
Illustration by Chloe Pagan
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t ren “de e ff di lled ake e r a s ca e m ico ere one ch w ex i M Th e le. e th n wh ez o r i p z p o e a oa L o Tamales de rajas ti h vorit rbac mil e w a a les my f es b ore Y Mexico a k a m am ut e t es b so m pho v so ha al al to tam om a. e f m co k of ee I li pes o My arba , ead Desir e t l . s y b ” b n t jas e ti or eta veg roll bu - seni ra os d h t e) g wi tac les on (eg t insid d o i tur (no fru cit ), and jack n a d p ken a an eat c We p, chi banan nes ’s im pi shr t there Philip a me agot as B se it h u a c e eet e it b - I lik but it is sw o m i yu) eet, mok i and t really sw nya (Agiku r e h t i o n tg Ke We ea it and it is pa Njeri s i n i corn icious - R el and d
We eat doro wat and in jera. It is a spicy chick stew with s en our dough flat bread junior Hass et Asfaw Ethiopia
Doro wat Ethiopia
Githeri Kenya
All photos courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
“Joker” is a poignant movie that needs to be watched The next installment of the Batman series has deep meaning and makes you think. CAROLINE RAMOS-HERRERA Content Editor-in-Chief “Joker,” starring Joaquin Phoenix, invites us to watch a tale about a man who spirals into insanity after dealing with a cruel world. In the very first scene, you see Arthur Fleck, the main character, painted as a clown, making himself smile. You then see him making himself frown as a tear falls from his cheek. Almost instantly, I assumed that the message portrayed in that scene is how the saddest people in the world always put up a happy front so that people do not see the sadness through them. Fleck is shown dressed up as a clown, holding a sign. Later he is shown jumped by a group of teenagers. Immediately, my heart broke for Arthur. It broke because of the fact that people are cruel towards people because they may be different, or do not fit today’s society’s normalities. I knew the turn that the
movie would take, just based on already knowing stories of The Joker’s origin. The movie started off at a very slow pace. I would not recommend this type of movie to people who expect a full on two hour movie, full of action. I would recommend this to people who are interested in the psychological development of characters. At first, I was extremely bored, and a bit disappointed by the movie. When you keep watching and you look deeper into the movie, you find multiple meanings and messages that “Joker” is trying to send. It is meaningful and beautiful. Arthur is ambitious about becoming a comedian, even though he is not funny at all. He spends his time taking care of his mentally ill mother, and also spends his time writing bad, somewhat scary jokes in his “Joke Journal.” Arthur Fleck is one of the kids in school that you always
thought were a bit weird, so you would just look away. Fleck was a victim of the misfortunes of life. One day Arthur just could not take it anymore and that is the day that he spiraled out of control and became The Joker. Everything Arthur thought he knew about his life started unraveling and the truth was coming out right in his face. Joaquin Phoenix’s performance itself was completely true and raw. He displayed exactly what we believed to be going on in his head. Phoenix’s performance is what gives the movie the suspense over what may happen next. Phoenix really shaped himself into Arthur Fleck, even by losing a lot of weight to get into character. The emotions and laughter Phoenix expressed left everyone in sad sympathy. The film itself does not really follow the typical superhero storyline like it did in films like “Batman” (1989) and “The Dark Knight”
(2008). It is more of the origins of The Joker and how he became The Joker. It is not until the very end to where you see Arthur Fleck become the full blown Joker. What appealed to me the most about this movie is the message that it is trying to send out. You almost feel sympathetic towards Arthur because of how cruel the world is towards him just because he dealt with mental illness. Thomas Wayne is a symbol for wealth and an easy going life. In Gotham City, where the movie takes place, the whole city is going down due to the economy and Wayne almost sees them as less because of their misfortunes. The Joker is a symbol of hope for the citizens of Gotham City. Due to the Joker’s actions, the entire city was inspired to stand up and show that they do matter and deserve to be heard. This film shows the lack of sympathy and attention
you get if you are not powerful and rich. It shows how society actually is but in more extreme measures of course. It also shows how the mentally ill are not given the help that they should be receiving sometimes. Of course, Fleck’s mental illness does not excuse his actions, but it shows how society takes a huge toll on a person. One downside to this film is how it depicts that his actions were acceptable because of the fact that the world treated him horribly. It did make my heart break but it also made me concerned because some may think that they can do whatever they want because they are in suffering. Violence is still violence and wrongs are still wrongs. Todd Phillips “Joker” is a masterpiece full of symbolism and hope. “Joker” is a brutal story of self destruction in a brutal society. It has to be understood to be appreciated.
The Pepper Box presents: RHS Fall Lookbook
A cohesive layered look with a simple chestnut knee high boot. The oversized jacket emphasizes the fall fashion for the teddy bear jackets.
A simple and casual everyday fall look. A long sleeve sweater paired with some dark ripped jeans and ankle boots make a bold fall statement.
A light beige sweater with a white bubble jacket and a simple pair of ripped light jeans. The layered socks over the jeans with brown boots bring in a cozy look.
A returning popular season trend is a pair of black Uggs. They go great with a simple black shirt and jeans. The olive green jacket makes the outfit pop.
A chic, yet modest olive green dress layered over a long sleeve shirt and leggings bring out the layered trend. The combat boots give the outfit the extra flare.
Sports
November 2019
Page 8
Coming from a fighting family Senior Anthony Chrun continues his family tradition in the wrestling circle as he aims for a trip to State PETER TRAN Pepper Box Staff Senior Anthony Chrun comes from a fighting family with his grandfather being a former professional boxer and his older brother, Brian, being a former Ritenour High School varsity wrestler, and for the last ten years Chrun has dedicated his time to the sport of wrestling. Wrestling has a rich history within Ritenour dating all the way back to when Coach John Moore coached and brought Ritenour to win 14 consecutive state titles from 1948-1961. This makes Ritenour the fourth nationwide as having the longest wrestling win streak. Many students since then have made and even won state, most recently being Eric Bowman who was a 3x state qualifier and champ. Chrun is looking to take Photo courtesy: RHS Athletics state championships this Senior Anthony Chrun celebrates a victory in the District matchup year. He is not unfamiliar last season. He is determined to make it back to the State with such accomplishments championship event this year.
considering he was a state qualifier prior to this year. Chrun has competed at the 106 pound weight class since freshman year for Ritenour High School. He has known the sport almost his entire life having over hundreds of matches since starting the sport in first grade. “Nothing (in particular) really motivates me. It’s just in the blood,” Chrun said. He credits his coaches Tevin Bell, Paul Cochran, and Guyton to help making him the athlete he is today. Chrun’s wrestling style is fairly different from other 106 pound wrestlers. “My style’s a lot different from most people, I’m small, but I wrestle like I’m 180 (pounds) and it throws people off. And my different ways of using the opponent’s momentum against them,” Chrun said. Smaller wrestlers usually use their swiftness and agility to maneuver around their opponents, but Chrun
chooses a style based more on strength and precision Coach Dean Cochran, who has been coaching Chrun for two years, stated that he possesses many strengths such as his never quit attitude, affable learning approach, and high confidence in his skills. “He took his lumps as a freshman against seniors. It made him hungry and want to be on top of that podium. He pushes everyone in the room,” Cochran said. Chrun’s confidence and strong inclination towards the sport has been recognized by his peers and provides a basis to follow for other RHS wrestlers. Chrun holds high promise in the sport and has even stated that he would like to continue doing the sport in college if given a scholarship. He has plans of doing mixed martial arts after graduating as well, which is the ideal profession to utilize his wrestling skill set.
Inside the Huddle - Family on the field Question: How is your team like family to you?
Senior Roberto Garcia
Senior Pierre Brown
Senior Roxann Rivera
Freshman Roi Mundin
“My team is like my family because they’re always there to support me. When we are in the locker room we laugh with each other. We keep each other up.”
“My team is like my family because we get closer every day. We become friends and even hang out outside of practice, we go eat and enjoy being with each other. “
“My team is like my family because we connected over the course of three months. We’re there for each other when we’re in our feelings, our bonds only get stronger.”
“My team is like my family because we trust each other, we depend on each other to do what is necessary to win on the field.”
Determination pushes Alyssa Lane to swimming greatness KAYLYN RIGGS Pepper Box Staff Who is Alyssa Lane? Determined, that is who she is. Cutting through the chlorinated water in Ritenour High School’s dazzling pool, clearly ambitious, she has her eyes strongly fixed on a scholarship and nothing can get in the way of the unstoppable force that is Alyssa Lane. Lane has created deep rooted relationships with people she comes into contact with; her headstrong and ambitious personality sells itself, and the many people in her life are eager to talk about
her. The head coach of the swim team, Andrea Rivera, boasts about Lane. “She is a leader, a great listener and very driven, she is a great asset to the team and I relish in the opportunity to watch her grow and get the college experience she deserves,” Rivera said The strong willed and bold Lane is known to be down to Earth, or, in a way, reserved, focusing on her hobbies and school. “She is strong and persistent, but she pressures herself, she is always wanting to get better and achieve more,” junior teammate Miranda Martin said.
Beyond the persistence stands an awfully stressed teenager who continues to make everyone proud of the accomplishments she has made, working hard in an attempt to prove herself to the world as an astonishing teammate and friend. Though an exceptional swimmer, Lane continues to be nervous and anxious because of the pressure to earn those college swimming scholarships she believes she deserves and continues to practice as much as she can. Lane swims the 500 M. Coaches and teammates say she is extremely strong and resilient, which makes her
very entertaining during a meet. Her team is glad she graces their ranks because of her impeccable talent and shining personality. “She really is a great teammate. She is always cheering us on and proving her strong talent,” Martin said. Lane appreciates the comments, but sees herself in another way. “I’m stressed; juggling school, swimming and college applications. I am always busy,” Lane said. Lane speaks out about her fears as a swimmer as she takes on the middle of the year blues.
“I am scared too. I’m scared I am going to fall behind or hurt myself,” Lane said, “It is my last swim season, and I need to enjoy it.” So who is Alyssa Lane? A role model, teammate, and strong ambitious swimmer, Lane faces her last year at Ritenour, swimming and studying, happy yet stressed, ready for the difficult college experience lying ahead of her. One of the many determined student athletes here at Ritenour, she is definitely someone to look up to.
Photo courtesy: RHS Athletics
Senior Alyssa Lane competes in the District swimming event last season. Lane is one of the leaders of the swim team and someone that the rest of the team looks up to. She is hoping to continue her progress this year and find a spot on a college swimming team after she graduates.