Issue 3 - 2020-2021

POST GRAD PLANS

PANDEMIC RESPONSES

COVID has brought on various responses, from trying to find joy, to dealing with extreme senioritis .

Senior Peter Tran discusses his frustration over lack of future plans

SPOTLIGHT Pages 4-5

OPINION Page 3

FALL ALTERNATE SEASON

Fall athletes complete season that was postponed by seven months

SPORTS Page 8

THE PEPPER BOX RITENOUR HIGH SCHOOL

ISSUE 3, VOLUME 98

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

APRIL 2021

Biden’s reversal of Trump’s policies hits home for students Students react to policies such as the “Muslim Ban” being overturned early in Biden’s presidency TYRA SMITH Pepper Box Staff Once President Joe Biden became inaugurated on January 20, 2021, he took little time to exercise his new executive authority by reversing many policies enacted by President Trump’s administration.

Of the 17 executive decisions made on Biden’s first day in office, 6 were directly related to Trumpera immigration policies, including the reversal of controversial Executive Order 13769. The order barred seven predominantly Muslim countries’ citizens from entering the United States during President Trump’s first 90 days in office, sparking tens of thousands of protesters to rally in airports and cities across the country.

The public quickly criticized the order for being a “Muslim ban.”

Biden’s presidential campaign has condemned the policy calling it “morally wrong,” in addition to saying that the Trump administration designed it “to target primarily black and brown immigrants.”

According to polls conducted by the Democracy Fund Voter Study Group and UCLA, the majority of the American public seems to support Biden’s decision as 56% of the national average disagreed with the ban while only 20%

agreed in November 2020.

When Trump’s administration first proposed the order on January 27, 2017, however, polls indicated that the majority of American voters initially supported the ban with 48% in favor of “suspending immigration from terror-prone regions, even if it means turning away refugees.”

Research conducted by the Washington Post suggests that this number began declining only days after the order was enacted due to critical news coverage. The Washington Post believes that after viewing protests and media coverage against the ban, individuals that considered their American nationality an important part of their identity were persuaded that the executive order was “unAmerican,” thus revoking their support.

“News media plays a huge role in shaping our political beliefs, possibly more now than ever,” world history teacher Zachary Buxman said. “In the past, things like the FCC Fairness Doctrine ensured that both sides of controversial topics were covered, however in the 80s that practice went away. In today’s world it can be hard to discern between ‘News Entertainment’ and actual news, and with the advent of social media, ‘news’ has almost completely changed into helping to support

peoples’ already held biases.

According to the Washington Post, support for the ban began swiftly declining directly after protesters made headlines for chanting “No hate, no fear, refugees are welcomed here.”

“I would say that this has almost certainly shaped the political landscape in our country by pushing more people to the far ends of the political spectrum and leaving very little room for middle ground. In the case of the Muslim ban, the media told the story of how this ban changed legal immigration and essentially led to the separation of families. The media told personal stories and made Americans relate to the suffering felt by individuals who suffered under the ban. Ultimately this led to the condemnation of the Muslim Ban,” Buxman said.

Junior Shirine Awad, whose family immigrated from Lebanon, a predominantly Muslim country, shares a similar mentality with the protesters.

While Lebanon was not specifically banned in the executive order, Awad feels that legislation such as this denies the American dream to people seeking asylum and unnecessarily targets a religious group.

“People that live around the world come to America to study and find the freedom

Photo courtesy: Fibonacci Blue under Creative Commons license Around 7000 protesters gathered in downtown Minneapolis in January 2017 to denounce Republican President Trump and express solidarity with immigrants. In his first days in office, President Biden reversed executive order 13769, dubbed the “Muslim Ban” by its opponents.

that they could not receive in their home country, so the blockage of refugees being able to travel in and out of the US just because the country is a ‘terror-prone region’ is unjustified,” Awad said.

Data from the Department of Homeland Security indicated that the ban significantly decreased the number of refugees admitted into the United States from the targeted countries, as exemplified by the number of Iraqi refugees: in 2017, 6,886 refugees were admitted in the United States while in 2019, there were only 427 accepted

entries.

“Biden sees that it’s wrong to ban certain countries from entering into and out of the United States and he is completely right,” Awad said. “Everyone should have the right to come to the US, no matter your background, skin color, ethnicity, religion, etc. In my case, I would like for my family in Lebanon to come to visit the US without a ban on them saying they cannot enter. Biden reversing the Muslim Ban is one of the

See MUSLIM BAN on p. 6

Dr. Jana Haywood announced as new principal Haywood will be joining Ritenour after leading Clyde C. Miller Academy in St. Louis City CHANEL FOSTER Pepper Box Staff

As the end of the 20202021 school year slowly comes to a close, so will Ritenour’s time with Principal Jeff Marker, as Dr. Jana Haywood will be taking over as principal next year.

Superintendent Chris Kilbride announced the decision in February, and is excited to bring Dr. Haywood into the Ritenour community.

“She is a servant leader who cultivates strong relationships both inside her building and with the surrounding community,” Kilbride said.

With the on-going changes to the district due to the Photo courtesy: Jana Haywood COVID pandemic, Haywood

IN THIS ISSUE

says her number one objective of the 2021-2022 school year is to start building relationships and learning the school culture.

“I want to get familiar with the Ritenour community so I can make informed and confident decisions on how to safely move forward,” Dr. Haywood said.

Dr. Haywood began her administration career as the principal at Patrick Henry Downtown Academy. She shared that the reason she got into administration started with her numerous experiences in leadership roles both in and outside of education.

Before her current career, Haywood was a professional basketball player. She

played collegiately at Saint Louis University, and then continued her career overseas. Dr. Haywood said that if she had not decided to go into education, she would probably have continued playing professionally, and would be a coach today.

Science teacher Karen Hamilton worked with Dr. Haywood last year at Clyde C. Miller Career Academy, where Dr. Haywood had been the principal since 2018.

Hamilton is looking forward to working alongside Dr. Haywood again and says that she will continue to value her strong work ethic.

“I hope what Dr. Haywood brings with her are the same structures and policies that she used to hold our

staff together like a family at Clyde C. Miller Career Academy. We all knew we were in it for our dedication to our students “together” and she made us feel that she was right there with us.

She has never forgotten she was a teacher first, and often reminded her staff of the importance of a teacher,” Hamilton said.

One of Haywood’s key reasons for wanting to join the district was the admiration for the diversity Ritenour provides. She went on about the different municipalities, backgrounds, and walks of life Ritenour contains and her excitement to be a part of it. The district’s stability for over 150 years

See HAYWOOD on p. 6

GRADES VERSUS KNOWLEDGE

RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE

FINDING JOY AMIDST A PANDEMIC

POTENTIAL COLLEGE DEBT FORGIVENESS

REVIEW - “RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON”

DUAL SPORT ATHLETES

PAGE 2

PAGE 3

PAGE 4-5

PAGE 6

PAGE 7

PAGE 8

Opinion

April 2021

Page 2

PEPPER BOX STAFF Visual EIC: Jordan Fritzsche Content EIC: Faith Boyd Production EIC: Samia Fouche Spotlight Editor: Kayley Norman

Opinion Editor: Kayla Baker Sports Editor: Darleen Garcia News Editor: Maxine Bee Online Editor: Miranda Martin Business Manager: Sammy Lewis A&E Editor: Chris Campos Special Editions Editor: Lizbeth Hernandez Social Media Manager: Jessica Murillo Art Editor: Veronica Susovica Video Game Editor: Toni Taylor Adviser: Ron Steinschriber Staff Members: Tamera Baker, Tyran Cooper, Michelle Everett, Chanel Foster, Kamari Higgins, Kaitlyn Hurst, Maricela Nunez, Asia Poe, Kaylyn Riggs, Taylor Rowald, Chloe Sapp, Tyra Smith, Jaylen Strong, Nykiya Taylor, Gabriel Thompson, Peter Tran, Deaunzze Trotter, Jordyn Williams

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.

Staff Editorial - Grades don’t reflect knowledge

Editorial Every year begins the same way; new notebooks, words of affirmation, and a new promise to stay organized and make a genuine effort to engage in your classes.

On the first day, each blurb of writing is framed with a new line of highlight in an attempt to make notetaking a bit more pleasing to the eye. For a moment, you are engaged, you are interested, and you might even be excited to learn about

a subject you previously hated. Then, the homework starts flowing in, you begin to drown in assignments, and you have to make a crucial decision; to actually take the time to learn the material and sacrifice your grade, or secure the GPA you have worked for for the last four years.

It is a damaging cycle that no one actually benefits from.

In a study of 24,000 students from 70 high schools, 95% of high school students admitted to cheating in some form according to the International Center for Academic Integrity.

Most of the editors on our staff have excellent grades. Many of them have been accepted to prestigious universities or have been offered selective scholarships.

Many people assume that just because we get good grades, that we are inherently intelligent — until they realize that our intelligence has little to do with our grades, and everything to do with us just knowing how to play the “grades” game. It does not matter if you understand the material. Track the due dates, Google the answers, submit the work on time, repeat. The

Virtual word on the Anabel Rico Freshman

semester ends, and we can finally take a breath.

Even if students are comfortable with this system, the temporary nature of this lifestyle is inherently damaging.

Student A: Google’s their way to the top ten percent of their class. They apply to a top university, get into said top university, but is overwhelmed by the course load — because for the first time in their life, they are graded based on their comprehension, as opposed to fifty ten point quizzes that can be found on Brainly.com.

“I am looking forward to the new school year and to see how it will begin. Will we start virtual again, or will everyone go back?”

Isaac Smith Junior

What is something you are looking forward to doing?

“I am looking forward to the new beginnings, being able to do things on my own, and a new school year. I am ready for a new start and I feel like next school year will be a good time for Allie Hansenthat.”

Sophomore

Kimberly Barrera Senior

Student B: a STEM student who is a wiz in Biology, who focuses more on enjoying the labs than filling out the lab reports. With a C average, but an awesome ACT score, this student loses access to many of the opportunities that Student A had because they both were forced to choose between their future or their passion for learning.

It is a lose-lose scenario for all individuals involved. We need to find a way to change the grading system and allow students to actually find their passion, rather than just finding a Quizlet.

“I am looking forward to my summer this year, to surf and spend some time with my aunt who lives in California.”

“I am looking forward to taking the next big step in my life.

After working hard for all these years and preparing myself for college, I can now say I am ready. I am ready to give it my all and achieve my goals.”

Comics Space Neighbors - Kaitlyn Hurst

Sinister Seals - Kayla Baker

The Imposter Within - Skyler Gayden

Page 3

Opinion

April 2021

The argument for minimum wage Gotta have Faith

Faith Boyd Many American citizens are advocating for the United States’ federal minimum wage to increase to $15 an hour.

I am completely in favor of this change, although not everyone agrees that it would be positive.

To fully understand the absurdity of the current minimum wage in 2021,

let us compare it to the inflate, workers are expected minimum wage in 1991. Back to get by on 2009’s minimum then, it was $4.25 an hour. As wage. And one could argue of 2009, it is $7.25 an hour. that this could be enough for The last minimum wage somebody to survive, but it adjustment was 12 years ago, is absolutely not enough for and in 30 years, the minimum somebody to live comfortably. wage has only gone up by However, a lot of people $3. And I will take this even against a $15 minimum further by comparing it to wage believe that workers America’s very first federal at minimum wage jobs do minimum wage. In 1938, not deserve that, because to the minimum wage was $.25 them, their work is not that an hour, which means that valuable. in nearly a century, it has This is a very classist and increased by $7. close-minded way to view The cost of goods in the United States, on the other hand, has gone up at a much faster rate. So while prices Illustration by Kayla Baker

people. Those often referred to as “burger-flippers”, for example, are doing a job that feeds a large majority of Americans, as well as the economy. As a matter of fact, fast food employees were considered essential workers during a pandemic.

And that is just one of the many minimum wage jobs that are looked down upon.

So even though their work is extremely profitable, it is still not valuable enough to earn a comfortable living, or even respect.

Something I also hear often from those who are against a $15 minimum wage, and this is usually said by an older person and seems to come from a place of bitterness

more than anything, is that back in their day, they barely used to make a thing. And I suppose their point is that because they had to suffer financially, other people should have to as well.

But since they understand the frustration of wanting better for themselves and not receiving that, you would think they would be against an unfair minimum wage.

So why, instead, would they wish the same onto future generations, who are not to blame for their struggles?

It is not like anybody is demanding the salary of a brain surgeon. People are just asking for $15 an hour. That is a fair request considering the amount of wealth that the United States possesses.

Figuring out what to do after high school

Peter Tran As a kid, I remembered breaking down my time in school into chapters. Fifth grade was the end of the first chapter, eighth was the end of the second, and twelfth was the end of the third.

I was glad I did this because it forced me to make behavioral and mental adjustments going into that next chapter. But one thing I never anticipated was life post high school, which is bizarre considering it should have been my main priority.

My mindset was to pass as many classes as I could, accumulate as much credit

as I possibly could, graduate, and hopefully find my niche along the way.

The problem is that I never found my niche.

Now I am one and a half months away from graduating and I have yet to decide what I want to do afterwards.

Should I go to college? Should I enlist? Should I pursue entrepreneurship?

All these thoughts spiral in my head continuously and I feel like it is eating me alive.

I see my upper class friends who decided to go to college and they are all miserable or confused. Some have switched majors, switched schools, or even dropped out entirely. Some decided to take a gap year to figure out their niche or to pursue money.

Others who avoided college entirely have gone straight into working and have no clear plan either.

What all this tells me is

that they are just as lost as me; they just decided to follow through with one of their choices. I do not want to make the same mistake and get myself into somewhere I do not belong.

The solution seems easy, just find something else right?

Wrong. In my household and culture, school is seen as a road to success and getting our family out of poverty.

That is all I have been told and fed as a kid and this probably led me to resent it.

I know the right thing to do is just bite my tongue and go to school and see where it leads me, but I cannot get past the idea of drowning in student debt. Maybe I will get the career I wanted, maybe it will pay well, and maybe it will satisfy me internally.

That’s just a little bit too much of a gamble for me to make a finalized decision. Do not get me wrong I see the benefits

as well; you get a degree that will improve occupational acceptance, opportunities provided by attending school, and the education to improve your craft in the career you are pursuing. I look at the cards dealt and I can only feel conflicted.

I realized my only option to fight this conflict is to act. I took it upon myself to do my own research and expand my mind to options, and though I have not decided what I want to do, I did provide myself some choices. I narrowed down what I enjoyed and would not mind doing for a period of time, and I narrowed it down to a couple subjects. I have always been interested in business and owning my own. Ever since I worked in retail, I realized I did not want to be on the other side of the person giving orders, so pursuing entrepreneurship would

probably fit me well. Another idea I have been looking into is sports medicine since I have a passion for martial arts and wouldn’t mind dedicating my time towards the field.

I feel this point in my life is extremely crucial to how the rest of my life will play out and I know many of my peers can relate. Some have been more well equipped than me at their approach while some are just as lost as I am. If you’re like me, all you can do is put your back against the wall so the road ahead of you is clear.

Do what you can, find your passion, constantly put effort towards it, and build your foundation before it collapses when you least expect it. You don’t need to know what you want right now but making the right steps to put yourself in the position to be ready for the road ahead will benefit you in the long haul.

but not too thin. It comes as no surprise that social media looms as an influence over modern day fitness/diet culture, and what it means to be fit. Social media praises a skinnier body, with the bar being raised so high by influencers that people are being pushed to obtain the unobtainable in terms of looks and level of fitness.

The fitness industry markets insecurities, promoting diet pills, skinny teas, and waist trainers.

Healthy habits are flushed out, and in their place comes misinformation about how

eating less to get that “ideal body.” Thinness is glorified over health, and calorie deficits are renamed as “clean eating” and “detoxes”. As fewer calories are consumed the body begins to break down it’s own tissue and use it for fuel to replace those missing calories, muscles being some of the first organs to get broken down.

The diet industry has proven its carelessness towards consumers, as the ultimate goal of promoting wellness has shifted into making money, and in doing so, marketing eating disorders

to the public. As of 2018 The National Eating Disorders Association reported that 35% of “normal dieters” progressed onto pathological dieting, and from there, 20-25% develop an eating disorder.

The industry remains to be both toxic and non inclusive, with the fitness industry often excluding people of color, those with disabilities, and women in general. Those who are looking to better themselves are left with the burden of feeling as they are not doing enough, or not doing it correctly. In

a system that perpetuates fatphobia and stigmatizes normal bodies, it is never the consumers fault for falling into the “skinny is healthy” craze. As more people speak up against the culture, it could change.

The facilitation of better tips and genuine information could reverse the stigmatization within the community and create one that is more inclusive and kind. Unattainable body types could be taken off of their pedestals and be just that; unattainable.

The fitness industry promotes bad habits

Puttin’ on the Fritz

Jordan Fritzsche As a female athlete, I have been told what I should and should not be.

I should be strong, but not bulky. I should be thin,

Editorial Cartoons

Illustration by Veronica Susovica

Illustration by Kayla Baker

Illustration by Kaitlyn Hurst

Spotlight

April 2021

Page 4

Finding Joy during a pandemic Staff and students have tried to find ways to stay positive amongst many negative situations MARICELA NUNEZ Pepper Box Staff As Americans pass the year mark of dealing with the COVID pandemic, they have had to redefine how they experience joy.

During this past year, people have been quarantined, dealt with sickness, and struggled with economic issues, often making it impossible to see what joy they have in their lives.

Even before the pandemic, the 2019 World Happiness report found that happiness levels were going down amongst citizens worldwide, and were especially falling in the United States. Part of this is the fact that there are addiction problems in the United States. Researcher Steve Sussman believes that half of Americans suffer from at least one addiction, with areas such as technology, food, work, drugs, and gambling amongst those areas where people are addicted.

Ritenour students and teachers have made their way through the last year, and have tried to figure out where they can find their joy.

In an American high school when asked how students typically feel at school, the top answers that are usually recited are “tired,” closely followed by “stressed” and “bored.” What are ways we can change that?

According to the first National survey taken by Yale; students were supposed to think about the range of positive and negative feelings they had in school and how often they felt 10 different emotions. 79.83% students reported to be feeling stressed and 69.51% were said to be bored.

Junior Rene Nelson said that she finds it very difficult to find joy throughout the course of a school day.

“I cannot really find joy because my thoughts cloud

my mind and I get worried about little things,” Nelson said.

American students have also reported higher levels of anxiety over tests, bullying or a feeling of not belonging at schools, compared with many of their peers.

“I can say that sometimes I don’t feel as much joy when I am at school because of the stress it causes me,” senior Makari Buress says.

Teacher and parental support, spending time with friends and being physically active make it more likely that a student will be satisfied with life. But feeling anxiety over grades and spending too much time online are signs a student may feel dissatisfied.

Nelson finds that her extracurricular activities help bring joy to her during the school day.

“When I play volleyball all my stress seems to go away in that moment, and I am able to feel the joy,” Nelson said.

The role of a teacher is to inspire, motivate, encourage and educate learners.

However, teachers also need to be able to find joy during days which might be more difficult. This past year has totally changed teachers’ jobs, and they have been searching for ways to find joy amongst all the change.

“Joy can be found in just about anything. You can find it hanging out with friends, visiting family,playing with kids, figuring something out for the first time, and even in a job well done,“ math teacher Ellen Kim says.

Joy in teaching serves as a beacon of light to teachers and administrators who seek to build resiliency and invest in students retention in schools. Students, on the other hand also need that joy in learning. Comfortability is key in some cases.

“I think it has to do with the people I am around and also the subject that I am in, especially when it comes to

Created by Kaitlyn Hurst on Canva

teachers. There are some I can talk to all day while others I just want to avoid,” Nelson said.

Building a long lasting relationship when it comes to teacher and student connection is something that may improve a students joy according to Burress.

“I think in middle school I was the most joyful, I had friends who I could talk to and great relationships with some of my teachers,” Burress said.

For people to find their joy, they need to know what works for them and what does not, and remove the barriers

that are preventing their happiness. They need to be content with their life choices because theirhealth and wellbeing are dependent on it.

“I would say finding joy is sometimes a choice and a mindset,” Kim said.

Using nostalgia to deal with trauma Students have started to rewatch old television shows, as well as get excited about shows that they watched as kids starting to get rebooted DEAUNZZE TROTTER Pepper Box Staff It has officially been a little bit over one year since Ritenour called out school for the coronavirus, and for some Ritenour students, a little bit over a year since they went back to rewatch old childhood shows for comfort.

At first, quarantine was not something that some students took seriously, but as time went on, so came the boredom. During the last year, shows like “Digimon Adventures” and “Animaniacs” were getting reboots, along with other childhood cartoons. With these announcements, a lot of people started to feel nostalgic.

As many people took to watching old shows, or getting excited about reboots, there can be a psychological connection between

nostalgia and happiness.

According to a study by Constantine Sedikides, a psychologist at the University of Southampton in England, nostalgia creates a feeling of social connection.

Sometimes nostalgia does not just connect with a show, but also a feeling that people had while watching that show, or the people who were around when they were watching.

Senior Josh Scruggs has rewatched shows that made him happy during the pandemic as a way to escape from the boredom and stress of the current world.

“I rewatched “Danny Phantom” and “Teen Titans.”

They take me back to a time with less stress and trauma, and a time with happiness,” Scruggs said.

While he enjoyed watching the originals, Scruggs does not particularly enjoy the remakes.

“We do not talk about

those. “Teen Titans Go” was response. of happiness and familiarity a money grab, just like all the For some people, just to the viewers. other remakes of Cartoon watching childhood shows “I sometimes watch Network shows,” Scruggs said. is enough to be happy. As PBS shows like “Wordgirl,” Cartoons aren’t the only reboots are happening with “Arthur,” and “Rugrats.” They things being rewatched, shows from the younger make me feel happy and however. With iCarly being generation, as well as the comforted,” senior Tamara put on Netflix, a lot of people older ones, they offer a sense Gibson said. started rewatching shows from their past. Senior Zoey Langhorst has started to binge shows she used to watch when she was younger, and she feels herself looking back at those times with fondness.

“I have watched lots of childhood shows like “Spongebob,” “Victorious,” “Sonny With a Chance.” They made me feel very nostalgic and a little upset, because shows now aren’t good,” Langhorst said.

According to Sedikides’ study, people experience small bits of nostalgia on a weekly basis, and that they often seek it out in Photo by Ron Steinschriber times of distress to create Students have taken to watching shows from when they were a psychological immune younger to help calm themselves during the pandemic.

Page 5

Spotlight

April 2021

Ritenour implements its final schedule After many changes to the schedule during the year, the final changes have taken place SAMMY LEWIS Business Manager In a year that has featured constant change, the schedule has been manipulated over and over to best serve the needs of students, and it has come to what should be its

final form.

After being fully virtual first semester, in-person students came back in A and B cohorts to start second semester in mid-January.

What was once only a two day in person schedule with one virtual day for all students has now become a four day in

person schedule with Fridays still being the all virtual day.

The district made the decision that all A day inperson students go to class with all B day in-person students at the high school starting on March 8. Only 40% of students elected to go back to school in person

Photo courtesy: Ron Steinschriber Students walk through the hallways at the end of the school day on April 7. In-person students have been back in the building since mid January, but they were initially separated into A and B day groups. Since March 8, all in-person students have come into the building and the current schedule will remain in place until the end of the school year. This is the fourth schedule that students have had to try to keep up with during the course of this school year.

out of the schools over 1700 students, which meant that social distancing could still happen with all the students in the building, and asynchronous days were discarded.

The school gave a voice to students, as they sent a survey sent out to see if they wanted odd classes (first, third, fifth, and seventh) on mondays and wednesdays with even classes (second, advisory, fourth, and sixth) on tuesdays and thursdays or if they wanted odd classes monday and tuesdays with even classes taking place on wednesdays and thursdays. Ultimately, it was decided to go with odds on Monday and Wednesday, and evens on Tuesday and Thursday.

There are many opinions on the new schedule and the idea of in-person school versus virtual school. Senior Crystal Rendon has elected to remain virtual. She believes that the inherent dangers of getting COVID and potential quarantines could force everyone back to virtual again anyway.

“I understand that some people learn better in person than virtually but we need to think about how this is gonna affect people in the school.

These people are gonna come back to school in person for a little bit before being shoved back to doing only online classes because somebody inevitability is going to

come into school sick with either covid or a similar sickness that is going to send everybody into a panic,” Rendon said.

There have been some cases of students and teachers quarantining since this began on March 8, but not enough to move entirely back to virtual. It has caused some issues when teachers are out, as there are not enough subs to cover all the classes.

English teacher Molly Dahlquist acknowledges that while the new schedule does help those students who chose the in-person route, it might be tougher for virtual students now that classes are taught in a hybrid manner.

“I think that the new hybrid schedule is better for some students as it is harder for some students than others to engage with the teacher and classmates due to the virtual aspect,” Dahlquist said.

Senior Partico Mendez is one of those students who sees the benefits of being in the building four days a week, as distractions at home hurt his education last semester.

“For me personally it was really hard to actually do my work at home because I had so many different distractions, but now since I have to actually be here four days of the week it is much easier to keep up with my work,” Mendez said.

Senioritis plus COVID leads to problems COVID fatigue has added to the normal senioritis that occurs, leading to motivation issues LIZBETH HERNANDEZ Special Edition Manager While it may have felt like just yesterday for some Ritenour students, it has been a full year since the school shut down for two weeks, which eventually turned into months of online learning and social distancing.

Covid-19 struck many people in the education system where many would not know if success was at the end. Educators struggled to teach online and students struggled to learn online.

With sore eyes and throbbing brains, eight hours of screen time became difficult for many students to manage.

While students struggled with going to class and learning online, 2021 seniors became overthrown by senioritis and struggled to keep up with grades. Lack of motivation has become more common as well as excessive absences. This has affected top students as well, creating a sickness that has paired with a pandemic.

Being a full time student at St. Louis Community College, senior Monserrat Delgado Rico has gained the perspective of an online college/ high school student.

She has seen first hand how once motivated students have struggled to keep up with grades and have that incentive to move forward.

“I believe my senoritis has been impacted by the pandemic. With sports being limited and no events happening, it makes it hard

to stay motivated.

Having little to no motivation left makes it hard for me to finish off the year,” senior Monserrat Delgado Rico said.

Many mental health challenges as well as health problems have risen since March 2020 and have continued to rise as the end seems farther away every day.

After spring break, seniors will only have six more weeks left of their high school career.

As the end for the class of 2021 comes closer, counselors have been going into senior English classes to talk to students about grades and important dates.

They have been told to become aware of the end and give our all with this last big stretch.

“Senoritis has had me feeling stressed out and unmotivated.

There is so much to get done and not enough time. I feel very pressured in knowing my next steps for college yet.

I have no idea what I want to do.” Kenya Gomez said.

Illustration by Veronica Susovica

News

April 2021

Page 6

HAYWOOD Continued from page 1

Photo courtesy: Jana Haywood

also definitely played a role n choosing Ritenour.

As a new addition to the team, Dr. Haywood year plans to work on relationship building not with just students and staff, but parents as well. She also believes availability and visibility are important to create a good relationship with people who are not familiar with her.

“Great relationships are not microwaved, so they take time,” Dr. Haywood said.

Haywood’s vision for

Ritenour consists of a lot of innovation. She plans on incorporating technology in a way to be more than just a resource but also as a way to create, since the landscape of education has changed so much over the last year.

Another former coworker of Dr. Haywood’s at Miller Academy was first year Ritenour teacher and wrestling coach John Howard. He is looking forward to seeing the passion that Dr. Haywood

brought to Miller in her new environment next year.

“She was very passionate about her job. She deeply cared about her staff and each student. She wanted everyone to perform at the highest level. I know that she will do her best to make Ritenour her home. She will expect her staff to want more for its students and committee.

I believe that Ritenour is a great place to work and she will make it better,” Howard said.

reminder of their feelings from 9/11 and the years that follow.”

Castillo Vega also holds the terrorist attack responsible.

“It’s like when you see something terrible happen and you don’t really know who to blame it on so you just blame it on the first thing you see. I guess that’s how people felt after 9/11 and that just stuck with how they felt towards the community,” Castillo Vega said.

Another factor that both Buxman and Awad believe contributes to Islamophobia is simply misinformation.

“Many Americans do not understand Islam and because they view it as different, they view it as something to fear,” Buxman said. “Studies show that people that hold Islamophobic views are less likely to actually know a Muslim, and that when politicians use less divisive language towards minorities in general Islamophobia goes down.”

Awad specifically holds media platforms accountable for the spread of misinformation.

“Most common Americans find Muslims a threat because of what they see on social media or the news, but in real life, Muslims are very kind.

The meaning of Islam means peace, and if you do not

want peace then you are not practicing Muslim beliefs,” Awad said.

According to a Pew Research Center survey, Americans feel less favorably to Muslims than any other religious group. It was also reported that 60% of Muslim Americans have experienced religious discrimination despite 80% of Muslim Americans feeling a ‘strong American identity.’

This is in addition to the FBI’s 2018 statistics which reported that 15% of religious-based crimes were committed against Muslim Americans despite the community composing only 1% of the population.

Awad shared her own personal encounters with discrimination, one of which happened in class last school year.

“Growing up from an Arab and Muslim background, there is always discrimination just on the fact that you are different from everyone else.

I had an incident last year during my sophomore year of high school and I was being called out about my beliefs and them saying how my beliefs were wrong and disgusting,” Awad said. “I tried to defend myself but I was too weak and began to cry in front of my whole class. I was not sad, I was just

disappointed that people can just nitpick what they hear on the Internet and make it seem like it is true when it is not.

I try my best to stay positive even though it can be really hard sometimes.”

Though a prominent issue to tackle, Biden’s administration remains committed to fighting Islamophobia in America.

As stated within America’s constitutional Bill of Rights, every United States resident is guaranteed the freedom to practice any religion without penalty, if they choose to practice any religion at all.

“The idea of religious freedom in America is as old as America itself,” Buxman said. “Rhode Island was founded on the idea of religious freedom, Thomas Jefferson wrote it into Virginia law, and it is listed into the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Religious freedom is a core value to the United States because it ensures that we as citizens do not have to compromise our personal values in order to be obedient to the state. It allows us to achieve a full life, full of liberty, in the pursuit of happiness, and there can be nothing more American than that.”

MUSLIM BAN- Continued from page 1 best things he could have done for refugees who want to seek a life outside their home country.”

In addition to reversing the ban, Biden has also halted the construction of the border wall near Mexico, he plans to reverse action that excludes illegal immigrants from the 2020 census, and he also plans on preserving the DACA organization which shields undocumented child immigrants from being deported. Biden’s administration also intends on proposing new legislation that will provide naturalization for the current 11 million undocumented immigrants living in America.

Senior Maria Castillo Vega supports the direction in which the Biden administration is taking America’s immigration policies.

“Ever since Trump came into office, he didn’t completely cancel DACA, but he stopped it, which prevented a lot of young immigrants from getting those privileges like driving, holding a job legally, and stuff like that. For sure that’s going to improve America in general,” Castillo Vega said.

“Not having those things is very tormenting mentally, and I do not know how to explain it, but it feels like you

are not human to me without those simple privileges. It is really dehumanizing, to the point where you yourself do not feel like you are a human, so providing immigrants in general with just those simple privileges is leading America’s immigration policies in the right direction.”

Despite the ban’s reversal, Islamophobia is still a recurring issue in America.

Opinion polls report that since the September 11 terrorist attack in 2001, disfavorable attitudes towards Muslims and Islam are a common mentality, especially amongst conservatives and Republicans.

Buxman explains how he thinks the terrorist attack has significantly contributed to Islamophobia in America.

“There are many factors that have led to the continued Islamophobia in the US, but the most damaging had to be the 9/11 attacks and the resulting “War on Terror.”

9/11 changed the way many things in this country operate, and a generation of soldiers went off to the Middle East to wage the ‘War on Terror’.

Much of the uneducated public equated terrorism with the entire region and eventually an entire religion,” Buxman said. “When conflicts in that region arise now, for many it is just a

College loan forgiveness discussion stirs President Biden has discussed loan forgiveness, and it has led to discussion on campus colleges more so they can make tuition more affordable.

I do not want to see someone just going to school, taking out a bunch of loans, and then that person assuming they will not have to pay any of it back. There needs to be a balance, like all things,” Bishline said.

While Bishline and Bell have already graduated from

college and have perspectives based on that situation, students who are about to attend college and potentially take out loans have varying perspectives as well.

Senior Maria Castillo Vega is a prime example of one of these students and sees both sides of the argument.

“I think it’s a good idea to help people out with their

loans. Unfortunately, that will mean taxes will rise which can be harmful to people already struggling financially.

Other than that loans are always stressful even more for students so I think forgiving student’s loans is so helpful and liberating for many people,” Castillo Vega said.

$30,000

AVERAGE COLLEGE DEBT OVER TIME

$17,250 According to

$20,000

$10,000

educationdata.org, this is tthe amount that college debt has risen for the average college

1 20 2

6 20 1

1 20 1

6 20 0

1

$0 20 0

student over the last 25 years.

6

When President Joe Biden was elected, there was a push by many Democrats for the government to make a plan to forgive people’s student loan debts that they had taken out for college.

While Democrats are calling on Biden to forgive $50,000 worth of loans; Biden has rejected this and has said he would consider allowing up to $10,000 worth of loans to be forgiven in 2021.

There are vocal opponents and proponents for this potential decision. The people in favor believe that it will make college more accessible and help people financially by taking away accumulated debt that takes years to pay down.

Opponents believe that this plan is a bad idea because it will raise taxes for ordinary people and think that paying off the debt should be left to the people who took out the loans in the first place since they are the ones who chose to go to college.

Choir teacher Dr. Richard Bell believes that college should not be as highly valued in our society as it is right now, and that people

should not be pushed so hard to go if it is not right for that individual person.

“I think it is very irresponsible of anyone who supports it. Having said that, I think it was very irresponsible of those who believed every student needed to go to college, also. It was that push that started the rise in the cost of a college education,” Bell said.

Government teacher David Bishline sees the merit in a plan that would help alleviate debt for some, but thinks that there needs to be clear guidance in how the program would work.

“I am for it but not completely. I think there need to be specific guidelines in place,” Bishline said. “I also don’t think it is okay to forgive all of it. If you took a loan out for housing, that to me that should not be forgiven, or at least not all of it. However, for academic reasons, I do agree with government forgiveness on some levels.“ Bishline believes that while debt forgiveness would help, that there needs to be an overhaul of the finances connected with college.

“I do think that people should not be drowning in college debt. We need to fund

19 9

TONI TAYLOR Video Game Editor

Created by Ron Steinschriber on Canva

Page 7

A&E

April 2021

Fashion takes center stage at inauguration The stories behind the clothes and meme-worthy accessories at President Biden’s inauguration CHRIS CAMPOS A&E Editor Many of the politicians and celebrities who had a role in Joe Biden’s inauguration had meaning behind the outfits they wore to the event.

Jennifer Lopez Laced head-to-toe in white Chanel designer, Jennifer Lopez took on the role of performing at the inauguration. Lopez had a white coat, white blouse, and white dress pants. White on white on white. A simple, yet perfect, set of wardrobe had a deeper meaning, Dating back to the beginning of the century, women often wore white as they fought for their equal rights. Lopez paid an homage to the movement through her white garments.

Lady Gaga An over the top look is exactly what America expected from the nine time grammy winner Lady Gaga.

Gaga had an eccentric red gown that caught the eye

of everyone as soon as she stepped foot out into the open. The all black zip up top flowed straight into her black glossy matching gloves that perfectly complimented her gold microphone. The highlight of the outfit had to be the big brooch of the golden dove taking flight on her chest. Many speculated that the dove had some sort of allusion to the Hunger Games. Gaga finally took to social media to explain that the Dove signifies everyone making peace with each other, a reference to the biblical era.

Michelle Obama The former First Lady of the United States of America made an appearance at the 2021 inauguration ceremony with a twist to the customary wardrobe of dresses and gowns to the inauguration ceremony from previous attendees. Michelle Obama’s jaw dropping monochromatic outfit riled up all of America on various social media platforms. The deep purple

sweater was paired well with the slightly lighter purple pair of trousers. The outfit came all together with her dark magenta jacket that flowed much like a dress would as she took a seat. Accessorizing the whole outfit with a gold belt and black glossy leather gloves, Michelle Obama chose a wonderful black designer to dress her at the monumental inauguration ceremony.

Kamala Harris The first female Vice President of the United States was mantled in full on purple as she took an oath to the country. Kamala Harris had a prominent purple coat on with a matching dress laid below it. Simple earrings, paired with a set of cultivating pearls were hanging from her neck, suggesting the time she spent at Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. The prominent purple color was very evident that it signified unity, the unity between both the blue and red colors of the parties. Harris, wearing two different black designers to

incorporate America, brought the diversity of choice in her clothing attire.

Bernie Sanders

coat alluded to her gratitude towards Jill Biden, who gave her the opportunity to perform.

Bernie Sanders, a former candidate for the 2020 presidential election made an appearance at Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ inauguration ceremony. The meme world went insane with the photographs of Bernie Sanders in his iconic mittens.

Amanda Gorman A Youtube video landed Amanda Gorman with the chance to perform at the 2021 inauguration ceremony. The 22 year old poet left an impact with her powerful performance at the inauguration, much like her choice of attire. A bold eyecatching yellow coat draped over a simple, yet sleek black boots, pants, and white button up blouse. They were brought all together with a Burning Red Satin headband to bring the attention back up to her face as she recited the poem. The bold yellow

Photo courtesy Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos M. Vazquez II) - DOD via Wikimedia Amanda Gorman recites her inaugural poem, “The Hill We Climb,” during the 59th Presidential Inauguration ceremony in Washington, Jan. 20, 2021. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took the oath of office on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol.

“Raya and the Last Dragon” thrills, for a price The movie on Disney Plus did a good job at representation, but was too expensive to enjoy PETER TRAN Pepper Box Staff

world known as Kumandra, a re-imagined Earth inhabited by an ancient civilization.

“Raya and the Last A young warrior named Dragon” is Disney’s latest Raya is determined to find production in their extensive the last dragon. There are animated collection. more underlying themes and The movie stars subplots happening but I will recognizable talents such as leave that up to the viewers to Kelly Marie Tran, Daniel Dae explore themselves.

Kim, Awkwafina, Alan Tudyk When I first heard about and is directed by Carlos this film I was somewhat Lopez Estrada and Don Hall. excited about it due to the The film takes place in a film taking inspiration from Southeast Asian culture. Being of Southeast Asian descent myself, I was excited that our culture was finally getting time to shine in mainstream media.

Regarding the fact I was excited for a southeast Asian lead in a Disney film, I initially did not have many hopes or expectations going in because I almost forgot about it until it came out. I’m glad I forgot, though, because it definitely Photo courtesy IMDB

enhanced the experience of not knowing anything going in. This movie pleasantly surprised me. I think this is one of the best original Disney animations I’ve seen in a long time, maybe since “How to Train Your Dragon 2.”

The animation is some of the best I have seen from this studio. The visuals were fluid and were accented by a vibrant color pallet. The different environments enhanced the visual variety, from the easterninspired architecture to the southeastern jungle landscapes.

The movie also includes some breathtaking action scenes. Usually, Disney action scenes are clunky and generic but here it is cohesive and easy to follow, especially the fight scenes.

I must give praise to James Newton Howard, the film’s soundtrack composer. He did a great job displaying feelings of excitement, power, and inspiration in the theme.

Listen to the ‘Return’ theme online, it is some serious work.

The voice acting in this

movie was solid, particularly Kelly Marie Tran’s portrayal of Raya. The film gets you intrigued by Raya’s journey and efficiently holds your attention throughout. She was interesting to me with her character being a somewhat closed-off person, but did not lack confidence. Large credit for this goes to Kelly for her performance.

I appreciated the more serious tones and themes depicted here, such as grief and trust. Grief has been a recurring theme explored in Disney films such as Tangled and Frozen, and I think it worked well again here. It seems like Disney is going to keep rehashing it until we notice.

Though I believe the film is enjoyable, it does share its faults. Dealing with a fictionalized world with its own lore and history, the film takes a good amount of time spouting exposition so the viewer can understand.

I would be fine with this if it didn’t occur throughout the movie so much. Often characters would stop and just start telling us information and it kind of slowed down

the pace of the story. I feel it could have been better if the character would learn this information alongside us through visuals and action, rather than halting the film as a whole with exposition.

Another small problem I had was early in the film something happens and you kind of predict where the film might go with it, and you are more than likely to be right. It takes me out of the experience a little when I know where things are going.

“Raya and The Last Dragon” was a refreshing and truly outstanding film that I believe all ages can watch and not hate themselves doing so.

I loved the action scenes and character story arcs explored in this film. I think it’s up there with the best of modern Disney animated films but that could just be cultural and recency bias on my end.

Do I think it was worth $29.99 on Disney Plus to stream it early? No, wait until June and it will still be great then, or just go to the theatre and watch it for a third of the price. Any option is better than getting ripped off as I did.

Rumors leak about a Nintendo Switch Pro New information suggests that a new version of the Switch will be coming out soon TONI TAYLOR Video Game Editor With a new year comes fun new games and gadgets to play with, especially when it comes to video games.

There are rumurs of a Nintendo Switch Pro being released in 2021. Since Nintendo had so much success in the release of the Switch Lite, which acts as a cheaper lighter alternative to the Switch, they have decided that it is time for an upgrade.

A Nintendo Switch 2 has been rumored to be in the works since 2019. In fact, the Wall Street Journal

interviewed with the software developers on the team and they said that the new Switch is aimed at the more advanced and hardcore gamer. However, Nintendo’s president Shuntaro Furukawa stated that there were no plans to release a new switch in 2020. Though this news was disappointing at the time there has been some news indicating that the new Switch Pro is going to be released this year The Switch has not been updated in almost four years, but there has been information released about what will be new with the Switch Pro. It is rumored that

the new Switch will have a 4k be released, but most of Switch to be released in 2022. output to TVs with a full HD them have come together to With this news, Nintendodisplay, and a better battery believe that it will probably be loving friends can celebrate life. Of course, this is not released by the end of 2021. that they will be seeing the everything that will be added However, Nintendo is known Pro as soon as possible. into the Nintendo Switch to switch up their dates a lot, Pro, but this is what we know so potential buyers might from what has been leaked or have to wait for this new motioned towards.

Another concern that Switch players may have is the game compatibility from the normal Switch to the Pro. Every game that is playable on the existing Switch will be able to be used in the Pro and vice versa, so players will still be able to play Zelda on the Photo courtesy Lucas Defelippe via Wikimedia Pro if they decide to get it.

There are many theories The current Nintendo Switch has been on the market since 2017 about when the Switch might without any major changes.

Sports

April 2021

Page 8

Pushing fall sports means double duty for some athletes Student athletes have had to navigate overlapping seasons with the fall alternate schedule JORDYN WILLIAMS Pepper Box Staff This year’s sports season has seen obstacles for the coaches and the athletes in trying to have sports seasons back to back, as the fall alternate season and spring season are competing during the same time.

With two separate seasons of sports having their season right now, it sees 12 sports being playing at the same time: boys and girls volleyball, track, football, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls golf, baseball, softball, cross country, and track. For some student athletes, it has created a difficult scenario as they have to try to juggle both of those or pick between one.

Junior Nakai Steele Myers is a two sport athlete, who normally has the winter season as a break between sports.

“Managing two sports for me is usually easy during a

regular school year. Due to covid and our football season getting moved back it has been a challenge to get to both practices,” Steele Myers said.

Ciboney Damian is a sophomore at RHS, and she is trying to compete in both volleyball and track.

She has taken on volleyball first since the fall alternate season started in the weeks leading up to spring sports, but will have to start making decisions about which practices to attend while the fall season reaches its conclusion.

Steele Myers said that he is also focused more on his fall sport, since that is the one that started first and has the shorter season.

“It has been more challenging this year to keep track of both sports and I am mainly focused on football because that was the season that started first,” Steele Myers said.

Damien said that it is a

Photo courtesy RHS Athletics Junior Nakai Steele-Myers (#50) has had to manage playing football while volleyball season began. He said that it has been manageable, but it has come with unexpected surprises, like getting used to playing football when it was cold instead of in the warmth of August and September in normal seasons.

middle ground between easy and difficult, but it has gotten more difficult as both seasons started to overlap.

“I would not say it is hard nor easy, I would say it is in between because one day could be hard and the other day could be easy and I am mainly focusing on volleyball,” Damien said.

Managing two sports can be challenging without the right support system and schedule. When it comes down to being a high school athlete, students already have a lot that they have to move around in order to fit the sports season in under normal circumstances. Now that this has happened, there

are even more concerns, such as weather conditions that are not always present when seasons happen in the fall.

“I feel like the schedule is more challenging now because we have to adapt to the cold weather and different seasons,” Steele Myers said.

Fall Alternate Season Sports Capsules MICHELLE EVERETT Pepper Box Staff It has been a year since the COVID-19 closures to Ritenour High School, and the athletes have finally been able to return to the field. With virtual learning only and many positive tests in the area, our fall athletes were unable to compete until now.

While the athletes may not have gotten the full fall season they were looking forward to, the alternate fall season allowed seniors to get their final season and gave continuity to the programs.

Girls Golf Coach Sean Snedeker • Seniors - Jordan Fritzsche • Record - No matches played

Boys Soccer

Boys Swim Coach Jennifer Wakefield • Seniors - Javier Brown, Clark Capps, and Gavin Shaw • Record - 2-1

Girls Tennis

Cross Country

Photo courtesy: RHS Athletics Seniors Tyra Smith, Kenya Gomez, Veronica Booker, and Gianna Elston-Gove pose with their senior signs at the team’s senior night.

Photo courtesy: RHS Athletics Seniors Carlos Salanic and Mino Garcia celebrate Photo courtesy: RHS Athletics senior night with their families.

Seniors Hudson Delacruz, Jayden Williams, and Reiaa Richmond celebrate senior night.

Coach Michael Aitken • Seniors - Hudson Delacruz, Reiana Richmond, Jayden Williams • Record - Junior Benjamin Weissler finished the season undefeated. At our home race at Tiemeyer, Reiana finished 3rd, Adriana Gutierrez finished 5th and Cheyenne Simmons finished 7th - all medaled. Tim Crumly finished 4th to medal.

Football

Coach Mike Mayberry • Seniors - Carlos Salanic and Mino Garcia • Record - 3-2 • From Coach Mayberry - “My expectations for the season are focused on how my players respond to what we teach them and ask them to do. We don’t have any postseason ambitions because there won’t be one due to our season being postponed until the spring because of COVID-19.

Coach Beth Seibold • Seniors - Veronica Booker, Gianna ElstonGove, Kenya Gomez, and Tyra Smith • Record - 5-2

Girls Volleyball

Softball Photo courtesy: RHS Athletics Seniors Evynn Scherretz, Guadalupe Rico, and Jessica Murillo celebrate senior night with their families.

Photo by: RHS Athletics The football senior class gathers together on senior night.

Coach Kyle Wagner • Seniors - Micah Burns, Kameron Cole, Corey Cooper, Andre Davis, Tyler Duerbeck, Marcellus Griffin, Keshaun Guyton, Koreyon Harris, Maleeq Houston, and Tre’von Moore • Record - 1-3 • From Coach Wagner - “The guys are willing to do the work in the classroom and on the field.

We have changed the culture of the program and it has shown through our 33 guys on honor roll as well as the improvements on the field.

We also have a really talented freshman class which has sped up the process a bit.”

Photo courtesy: RHS Athletics Seniors Jayden Frost, Mackenzie Beaird, and Mallory Waller celebrate senior night with their families.

Coach Tom Anderson • Seniors - Mackenzie Beaird, Jayden Frost, and Mallory Waller • Record - 5-0

Coach Ellen Kim • Seniors - Jessica Murillo, Guadalupe Rico, Evynn Scherretz • Records - 9-2 • From Coach Kim: “During this short season I expect us to grow and learn a lot. We will have more opportunities for competition since we get to play 3 out of 5 and we need to take advantage of that, especially since so many players will be back in the fall. I expect us to be competitive against every team we play and always have a chance to win no matter who the competition is. I expect our varsity roster to maintain their excellent grades. We typically have a team GPA of at least 3.30, and this group should perform just as well, if not better. I think our JV group will develop quickly and show they are ready for a full season next fall.”