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Tinker returns to roots By Grace Klein Staff Writer
The term “activist” is defined as someone who campaigns to bring social or political change. With gun violence, racism and a president who doesn’t believe in climate change, the number of activists in this day and age is steadily growing. Free speech activist Mary Beth Tinker, class of 1970, re-entered the halls of U. City on Jan. 17 for the first time since graduation to speak to journalism and government classes and serve as the keynote speaker for the Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration that evening. Tinker served as one of the plaintiffs in the 1969 landmark Tinker v. Des Moines Supreme Court case that expanded students’ First Amendment rights. After a career in nursing, Tinker decided to take to the road and speak to students about how to stand up for what they believe in. Tinker traveled across the nation for the Tinker Tour in 2013-14, where she spoke everywhere from classrooms to conferences, and now spends most of her time advocating for student rights. While speaking at U. City, she inspired students to muster up their courage to speak out about things they would like to change. “You don’t choose when you’re born but you do choose what you do with the times you’re born into,” Tinker said. Tinker’s humbleness and downto-earth persona left students feeling positive about activism and ignited an inspiration in them. “I really liked her explanation of why she did what she did because it showed how motivated and inspired she was and how she really cared about what she was doing,” Isabel Blumenhorst, junior, said. “She showed me that even at a young age it’s possible to make change.” Blumenhorst wasn’t the only student who was impacted by Tinker’s motivational words. Sierra Tyler, senior, was also moved by her words of encouragement. “For her to have done something like that at such a young age is really inspirational,” Tyler said. “She made me realize I can do something and affect change, even if I’m afraid.”
One might think she grew up sure of her path in activism, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Growing up shy and introverted with little interest in social activism, Tinker never expected to impart this type of social impact. Tinker’s activism began in 1965, when she and a few other students, including her brother, decided to wear black armbands to school in support of a truce in the Vietnam War. “We were getting sadder and sadder [about the war], but we didn’t know what to do about it, so some of the high school students had an idea: ‘what if we wear black armbands to school to mourn for the dead in Vietnam and say we should have a truce in the war,’” Tinker said. “I was really shy and I didn’t know if I should do it and the principal had made a rule against armbands.” Despite Tinker’s hesitance, she followed through with what would be one of the most significant decisions of her life. Represented by the ACLU, the students and their families battled for four years in the courts, with the Supreme Court ultimately ruling that students “do not shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” Tinker didn’t have much involvement in social activism after the decision, but realized far into her nursing career that teens needed a voice that could guide and educate them on their rights and responsibilities. “I feel like it’s almost a responsibility to speak up about these things,” Tinker said. “Children all through our history -- and teenagers, have spoken up and paid a high price to take our democracy forward.” Tinker believes in students empowering themselves by going beyond the limits. “If you don’t know your rights, you can’t stand up for your rights,” Tinker said. Tinker’s visit to U. City made one thing clear to the students, and that is we have the power and influence to make change in this world if we are willing to pay the consequences. “You can still take action even with fear,” Tinker said. “Don’t wait till the fear goes away, because that could take a lifetime.”
U-Times February 2019 Volume 29, Issue 3
Newspaper, Yearbook and Introduction to Journalism students gather for a group picture with Mary Beth Tinker. Tinker shared her experience in activism and motivated students to get involved in social issues. “I’m really happy we had the chance to meet her, especially since she accomplished so much at such a young age,” Sierra Tyler, senior, said.
U. City resident and activist Diane Davenport speaks to government students about being advocates for the future and talks about her participation in the March on Washington in 1963. “It was really exciting having two activists speak to the class,” Andrea Berin, government teacher, said. “I think the students were engaged and eager to hear what they had to say.”
While in Government class, Jashaun Sneed, junior, laughs with Mary Beth Tinker. “She was telling me how violence won’t get you anywhere,” said Sneed.
After speaking to journalism students, Mary Beth Tinker takes a look at U-Times with editor Julian Albright, senior. Tinker also signed replica black armbands for students. “It was really cool receiving the arm bands with her signature on it,” said Julian Albright, senior. “It was like getting a little piece of history.”
IN THIS ISSUE
4-5
2-3 Opinion/News • Staff editorial • Art mural
Music
• Musician profiles
Features/Sports • Music
sharing
8
6-7 • Juul drama in U. City
• Winter sports highlights
Features • Loop Ice Carnival
February 2019
2
opinion STAFF EDITORIAL
Impossible to separate art from artist R. Kelly, Xxxtentacion, Kanye West. These celebrities, who once could do no wrong in the eyes of most, now have some type of controversy attached to their names. Xxxtentacion was charged with aggravated battery of a pregnant woman, domestic battery by strangulation, false imprisonment and witness-tampering in October of 2017, West has recently expressed his support for President Donald Trump, and Kelly was accused of sexual assault and sexual abuse by multiple women. Oftentimes, we find ourselves forming a one-sided bond with celebrities who we like and believe it’s our job to defend and speak for them at times. After knowing their dirty little secrets, it is difficult to forget what has been said or even proven about them. For some, this could be challenging simply because of that ‘bond’ that is formed. Especially if you have been a supporter of an artist or actor for a long time, it could present a challenge to separate the artist from their art. Many supporters of R&B singer R. Kelly find it hard to separate his recent sexual assault allegations from his music
saying that it is “just music” and his music is different from his “personal life.” Famous singer-songwriter, Erykah Badu, was recently under fire for defending Kelly at her Chicago concert in January. In a video from the show, Badu said, “I don’t know how everybody else feels about it, but I’m putting out a prayer right now for R. I hope he sees the light of day if he’s done all those things that we’ve seen on TV.” She continues, “What if one of the people that was assaulted by R. Kelly grows up to be an offender, we gonna crucify them? Just something to think about.” Not long after Kelly had been exposed, the docu-series, “Surviving R. Kelly,” aired on Jan. 3. Kelly refused to watch the show, and stated that “it is merely a ‘vendetta’ against him,” according to entertainment website The Grapevine. People should not be able to just brush off what R. Kelly did so easily. Badu is just trying to see the good in Kelly, like what he did was a common mistake that everybody makes. This is no common mistake, sexually abusing and assaulting women for so many years is nothing short of a disgusting crime
and needs to be taken more seriously by his supporters. We get that some people may have grown up listening to his music, but after knowing what he did and that he kept his crimes a secret for over 10 years, how good his music was and how his music made you feel simply doesn’t matter anymore. Why would anyone want to buy or stream his music and continue to give him money? It’s not always an extremely serious case like R. Kelly, though. Rapper/ producer Kanye West has recently voiced that he supports Trump. West had a meeting with the president back in October of 2018 and this did not sit well with a lot of people. It’s no secret that Trump is not the most favorable president and many things that he stands for and says target many groups of people, one being the black community. Many African Americans looked up to Kanye and listened to his music for years. How should African Americans see his music now that he stands behind someone so ignorant and selfish? People argue that it doesn’t matter who West supports, as long as the music he makes or clothes that
he designs are good. I think we as a community should think twice before giving him money and support just because what he creates is popular or trendy. People excuse their actions saying, “They’ve apologized” or “That was a long time ago, they’ve changed,” but no amount of time or apologies can change what they’ve done to innocent people or the decisions that the people they stand behind have made. We should never push things aside and not acknowledge how our own ignorance can affect things. Ignoring or just simply not caring what a celebrity or even a regular person does, gives them the impression that what they’ve been doing is OK and there won’t be any consequences for their actions. Individuals always have a choice of whether or not to support these celebrities that have these controversial acts attached to them, but know that if you choose to give them support, you are supporting people who have the ability to severely impact the lives of others in a negative way, and their lives will never be the same.
The ugliness of impulse politics
Newly elected House Democrats need to watch their words By Ian Feld Staff Writer
“We’re going to impeach that m***********.” Newly elected congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, the first PalestinianAmerican to be voted into office, made this comment at a reception after being sworn in, and it perfectly represents the shifting dynamic of American politics. Where once there were experienced politicians in the Oval Office and seats in Congress, there are now impulsive, combative citizens assuming important positions in government. It’s comments like the ones offered by Tlaib that should make people wonder about the state of politics in the U.S. and whether or not the road we’re taking, where outsiders are favored for bringing new perspectives and tactics, is one that’s best for the nation as a whole. We saw it in 2016 during the presidential election: businessman and political virgin Donald Trump makes a miraculous run to the White House because he’s unafraid to take on and stand up to politics as the people know it. This whole claim to fame, being an outsider, is what caused people to vote for Trump in the first place and look past any and every flaw he had, even including that quality of inexperience. And look where that has landed us. With a president who throws temper tantrums when he doesn’t get his way,
2018-2019 U-Times Staff Co-Editor: Julian Albright Co-Editor: Linsey Sparks Sports Editor: Eliot Fuller Web Editor: Eliot Fuller Staff Writers/Photographers: Jaden Brooks Ian Feld Grace Klein Emma McMahon Rebecca Rico Charya Young Adviser: Mrs. Mary Williams
who doesn’t understand how to run foreign policy, and who is almost single handedly running an entire country into the ground by splitting its people apart, among numerous other things. But yet many people still don’t care about these “side effects,” as they might be sarcastically called by some guy in a MAGA hat. What his supporters desired then and now more than anything was change, and they were motivated enough to make it happen. Now our latest influx of congressional electees includes more newbies, and it has set the stage for what will prove to be a decisive and divisive two years until the next presidential election. The most important result of the midterms of 2018 for the Democrats was securing the House of Representatives. Without this, bold statements like the one made by Tlaib might not even have been uttered publicly in the first place. Regardless, aggressive threats like this do not paint the Democrats in a charming light, especially to those who may be undecided, potential swing votes in the upcoming election. As soon as the norm for Democrats is to retaliate to the poking by the president by firing back with childish rebuttals, they become just as politically incorrect and immature as him, and that sentiment, has not appealed to the more sensible faction of American voters.
Philosophy
The newspaper’s primary obligation is to inform its readers about events in the school and community and of the issues of national or international importance which directly or indirectly affect the school population. The newspaper, while serving as a training ground for future journalists as part of the school curriculum, recognizes all rights and responsibilities under the First Amendment. While establishing U-Times as a public forum, student editors will apply
It’s like trying to contain a fire by smothering it in gas soaked rags. What’s even the point? Democrats need to take the moral high ground in these situations if they want to have a good shot at regaining the Oval Office, even if that method has seemed to fail in the past. Although they may have the power to pursue impeachment, dangling it over the heads of Republicans and their supporters makes it appear as though the reasons for impeaching are more personal than practical. As hard as it is to admit, nobody has technically proven that Trump has done anything that would warrant removal from office, other than his complete political incompetence (think shutting down the government over a wall), though there are very strong, solid
professional standards and ethics for decision-making as they take on the responsibility for content and production of the newspaper. Inasmuch as the student staff encourages constructive criticism of any part of the newspaper, authority for content rests in the hands of the student members of the newspaper staff. Students will not publish material considered to be legally unprotected speech, or libel, obscenity, material disruption of the educational process, copyright infringement, or unwarranted invasion of privacy.
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reasons to believe there’s been shady business going on behind closed doors. Unfortunately, until it’s proven, if it ever is, that Trump has run his presidency in the same shifty ways he runs his businesses, Dems cannot fuel the fire with threats of impeachment without risking their success in the future. Trusting the process of government and holding out until it has a chance to turn over again is the best move at this time for anyone against the ugliness of impulse politics. It doesn’t mean don’t advocate for your party’s interests, but it does mean do it in the right ways. Don’t stoop to the level of the whining child; don’t tarnish your image over something as silly as riling up your supporters. After all, from what we’ve seen, change is inevitable when people are unhappy with their leaders.
Opinions expressed on the editorial page do not reflect the viewpoints of the school administration. All editorials (unsigned) represent a majority opinion of the Editorial Board. Signed editorials, columns, editorial cartoons, and reviews reflect the views of the author and not necessarily those of the U-Times Editorial Board. The U-Times reserves the right to reject, edit, or shorten letters. Submit letters to Mrs. Mary Williams in Room L306, or to any U-Times staff
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3
news
February 2019
Local artist leads mural art project By Eliot Fuller Staff Writer
“We were awarded a grant to make the mural,” Claunch said. From there, she set out to find the U. City has always been a melting pot right artist to bring in for assistance. of artistic talent, and local artist Cbabi “I wanted to find an artist that Bayoc is helping students put that to the could represent University City as a test. The 46-year-old spent portions of community and a family,” Claunch January helping students create a new said. “[Bayoc’s] artwork translates that mural to display in the main hallway of perfectly.” the school. Claunch felt it was important to bring Along with Bayoc, students began in someone who could serve as a role working on Jan. 18, and hoped to have model for the students. it done within a few weeks. The students “The art department has been designed the mural to represent the fine trying to familiarize our kids with arts of the school. They shared their African American artists,” Claunch ideas with Bayoc, and sketched them said. “Especially artists who show out with the Pre AP studio and Drawing positive images of African-American classes. community.” “[Ms. As a successful Claunch] and independent reached out to African American me and asked who is a proud me to work with husband and father, her higher level Bayoc battles art students,” ignorance and Bayoc said. racism through art. The O’Fallon He is exactly what native began Claunch wanted. his artistic “For the kids, career drawing seeing him and how caricatures he works has really Cbabi Bayoc works on the mural in Marnie at Six Flags, helped,” Claunch Claunch’s art classroom. “He has taught us to not but now creates worry about technicality or what others say about said. more influential your work and to just get everything down on As one can art pieces there and finish it,” I’Aiyana Redden, senior, said. expect, planning the involving race, mural wasn’t easy. It and specifically required focus and creativity, while also growing up African American in the demanding the students time. U.S. Bayoc attended Grambling State “We had lots of work to do for the University, an HBCU in Louisiana, and mural, like planning and laying out the after graduating, moved back to the design,” Claunch said. “I wanted the kids Show-Me State. to work with a real artist and learn the “I’ve been in South St. Louis since process, from beginning to end. It’s good 1996, ever since I came back from for them to have to collaborate with Grambling,” Bayoc said. other people.” He enjoys working with the students Bayoc is excited for the final product and understands their potential as and wants to help students all the way artists. through the construction of the mural. “I’ve seen their stuff and I know they “I’ll be back a couple more times to can do it,” Bayoc said. “They have to see how the progress is going,” Bayoc keep the brushes moving and trust their said. current ability.” The mural will be hung above the Marnie Claunch, veteran art teacher main office, with the shape representing of 23 years, is overseeing the mural the main auditorium stage. project, and invited Bayoc to join them.
In Drawing class, Andrew Immer and Quincy Phillips, seniors, work on the mural. “This project took a lot of focus and the right colors,” Phillips said. “It wasn’t something simple and it took a lot of help from everyone involved.”
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THE SOUNDTRACKS OF O Rules for sharing music evolve with easy production access By Ian Feld Staff Writer
A decade or two ago, publishing music was a practice reserved for artists signed to labels and those with enough money to buy expensive equipment and enough knowledge to create what they intended to. Today, the scene looks quite different, and it has a lot to do with the wealth of options available to creators, allowing more people, especially in the younger generation, to get their foot in the door. “Now more than ever, it’s crazy accessible,” Kevin Craig, sophomore, said on music making. “I can just pull out my phone and laptop and record a song and post it.” Craig began writing music when he was 7 years old, but didn’t think of the impact he could make with it until recently. “Music is great because of the message it can send,” Craig said. “I just want to get a message across.” U. City alumni Jacob Giles is another artist who has used the advances in production and distribution to help pave the way for his future. A longtime guitarist, Giles began releasing his own original songs
in his final year at U. City in 2018. Currently a freshman at the University of Louisville, he plans on majoring in classical guitar performance. “You can just do it in your room on your phone without going to a recording studio,” Giles said of today’s methods of recording. “It may not be ideal, but it’s extremely accessible.” All that accessibility has led to artists, especially young ones, gaining popularity among many people in many places. “Making music used to be something where you either had to be popular enough to have the connections to get booked or have studio access, but with the internet today it’s easy to share stuff and gain an audience,” Marley Gardner, freshman, said. Gardner is another example of someone who has begun to create music because of what’s available to the public. “Having software like GarageBand has made a huge change for people looking to start their musical careers,” Gardner said. “It allows you to work on music solo without a producer or anything like that.” Singer and songwriter Aliyah Mitchell, junior, started writing at age 10, but only
started releasing music within the past year. Like many, she believes the advances in technology have made recording a simpler process. “I find it really easy,” Mitchell said. “Usually my producers send me my tracks and I may have a song to go with it, or I’ll start a song from scratch. With the internet, it makes it much easier to finish songs without working directly with other people.” Producers, like the ones Mitchell mentions, used to play an integral role in the production process, but because of the convenience of equipment and software, more and more people are learning how to make their music sound good on their own. Zion Smith, sophomore, began writing and producing in the summer of 2017, and his efforts have landed him a cult following across multiple music sharing platforms. Smith doesn’t think success like his is attainable only for an elite few. “Anybody can make music today,” Smith said. “Anybody can learn how to produce. There’s nothing special about what I’m doing.” Smith believes that although it may take some skill and practice, creating a product
you can be proud of is something that’s attainable for anyone with an interest i music. “Music isn’t something that just com to you,” Smith said. “It’s something yo have to seek out.” Beyond simply recording and produ the meteoric rise of free platforms like SoundCloud and YouTube have made possible for artists to distribute their w to a wide audience. “Putting music online is helpful bec now you can share it over the internet, Giles said. “It’s a lot easier than handin your CD mixtapes on the street and ho you find an audience.” With everything about creating and sharing music so easily accessible toda only question is whether or not to start it takes is a willingness to put yourself there. “If you’re happy with what you can make, and it’s something you’re proud Smith said. “Share it.”
Blount sees music as universal language By Linsey Sparks Co-Editor
The inspiration for Blount’s cover art came from a dream. In her dream she had flowers growing blossoming out of her eyes. “It hurt, but it was so beautiful that she just embraced it,” said Shu’Rya Butler, senior, who painted the image. “In beauty there is pain.”
Ever since she was a child, her parents told her she was required to play one sport and one musical instrument. When Kaya Blount, senior, picked up the flute, she fell in love. Blount has been playing the flute for a little over eight years and now also plays the clarinet, guitar and piano and plans on teaching herself the saxophone and the bass. Blount sees music as a universal language, which is the main reason it is so important to her. “It doesn’t matter where you’re from, what you look like, or how old you are, everyone can understand music,” said Blount. “Even those who can’t hear can feel beats within their chests. That’s what makes music so special to me.” The powerful love for music that Blount possesses does not limit her listening to one genre. Because of that, she sees it as unfair to pick one musical inspiration over another. A musical connection can be traced all the way
back to Blount’s name. Bob Marley had a successful album titled “Kaya,” which was also the name of the title track. Blount’s dad was a huge Marley fan and named her after the album. Inspiration for her music doesn’t come mainly from other musicians, but from the colors Blount sees while playing. She experiences synesthesia, when her sense of sight and sound get confused. “When I’m writing, I’ll see a color as plain as day,” said Blount. “When writing the chords to ‘Homesick,’ I thought of deep purples and rich blues, like the bottom of an ocean.” Blount has received almost 100 listens on her songs “Homesick,” “Forgetful,” and “Runnin.’” She describes them as very mellow and all about the colors. Those colors are reflected in the cover art painted by Shu’Rya Butler, senior. “I’m very proud,” said Butler. “That’s my best friend and of course it make me feel proud. She’s a music genius.”
Shostak plays calm, relaxed music By Linsey Sparks Co-Editor
When Ben Shostak, senior, recalls his childhood memories with his dad, he thinks back to listening to their favorite music in the car. Specifically, more vintage-type music, such as the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. Shostak has always harbored a l ove for music and that only escalated when he received his first guitar in the third grade. After taking guitar lessons for two years, Shostak ended his lessons and started writing his own music and discovering his sound. “I guess it’s [kind of] folk-y,” said Shostak when asked to describe his style. “It’s just calm and relaxed music.” Along with playing guitar, Shostak has taught himself to play the drums and has just recently begun to attempt to play bass guitar. Shostak began writing his own lyrics for original songs the summer before his junior year. He didn’t publish his songs for anyone to hear until Jan. 5 when he released his two songs “Bring the Sun Back” and “Fly Along With Me.” Shostak draws his lyrical inspiration from not
only his personal experiences, but also different songs he comes across. “I wrote ‘Bring the Sun Back’ last summer when I saw the song ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’ pop up in my recommendations on YouTube,” said Shostak. “That’s where I got the idea for the duet and the story behind it.” His inspirations in the music industry include big names such as Dave Grohl (lead singer of the Foo Fighters and previous drummer of Nirvana), Chris Cornell (the late lead singer of Soundgarden and Audioslave), John Frusciante (former guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers) and the legendary Jimi Hendrix. Shostak currently has a little over 60 listens between his two songs on the SoundCloud account where he uploads his songs. His music has been received well by his listeners, such as Jade Morrow, senior. She finds his songs unique and catchy. “I feel like Ben was made to create music,” said Morrow. “It’s like you’re the bait and he’s the hook.”
Playing rhythm guitar in his basement where he recorded both “Bring the Sun Back” and “Fly Along With Me,” Ben Shostak, senior, covers “Everlong” by one of his musical influences, the Foo Fighters.
Although Amoray Cunningha to work on his music. “Norm of confusion with my schedul
Cunningham By Elijah Ballard Guest Writer
At a very young age, Cunningham, junior, re the music industry was he was interested in. H listened to music and a like his role model, Kan Cunningham realized W his role model because he produces and the clo designs. So, in eighth grade h to begin creating his ow Cunningham understoo order to compose like W to work like West. He d a software called FL Stu began tinkering with bu see what melody flowed Cunningham has used t software ever since. As Cunningham has he has learned that mak is more than just a mon and instead a passion. “I love making musi Cunningham said. “It is don’t care about the mo Peaking at 15,000 li SoundCloud, it is evide music has extended pas bubble. It could be that approach differs from o
OUR LIVES U. City SoundCloud Users
s in
Aliyah Mitchell - @Trew Music Amoray Cunningham - @RayRayandAR Ben Shostak - @Ben Brandon Hall - @Nator7k Daniel Pomerantz - @dp0mmy Ian Feld - @H&A Group Jake Giles - @JG, @Washington Ave. Beats Kaya Blount - @Oleandr Kevin Craig - @Kevtonic Lamont Harvey @lil_guwap314 Marley Gardner - @marleyeg Zion Smith - @ZinfiniT
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Zion Smith, sophomore, works to record piano into his computer. Smith has been making music since the end of 2017. “There’s nothing else I’m this genuinely interested in,” Smith said.
Music students work to perfect sound By Julian Albright Co-Editor
am, junior, isn’t in the Audio Production class, he still finds time mally I play on my own time, at home,” he said. “There was a lot le, so I couldn’t be in the class.”
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students at U. City. The beats Cunningham develops take an extensive amount of time to modify and develop. Darby Dachroeden, Audio Production teacher, supported this claim. “You start with drums, usually electronic and layer it differently,” Dachroeden said. “Then, you create a bass line and put a melody on top of that. It’s a long process of combining multiple steps into one.” Cunningham has followed this process precisely. Many students at U. City have been impressed with his work. Thomas Looby, senior, follows Cunningham on SoundCloud. “His beats are very good,” Looby said. “He seems to have a good work ethic and is able to collaborate well with others. I hope he becomes something big.” Biyedji Frango, senior, is also an avid listener of Cunningham. “Out of everyone at our school, Cunningham is the one who works the hardest on his beats,” Frango said. “You can tell he wants to succeed.” A childhood dream has turned into a reality for Cunningham. He plans to take his talent into the real world by going to college and studying the business of music.
As the music industry continues to evolve with new technology and new types of music released every day, U. City also prides itself with sticking with the traditional art forms. Music always has played an integral role in the school’s curriculum. The students in the choir, band and orchestra classes work all year to perfect their abilities. Alumni band students return year after year to perform at the Homecoming football game, and choir, orchestra and band students finish out the year by providing the music for the graduation ceremony. All of the performances take practice and dedication, and students prepare for end-of-year performances beginning the first week of school. Caroline Ibnabdeljalil, choir teacher, gets her singers ready as soon as they walk in the door in August. “From day one we start working on our state piece for March,” said Ibnabdeljalil. “It takes a long time to successfully pull off a performance.” Ibnabdeljalil’s choir classes perform in nine concerts a year,
which include the suburban choir competition in the fall, district solo and ensemble, the winter and spring concerts, state large choir, as well as the Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration, Music In Our Schools and graduation. For students in band, Robert Giles, teacher, likewise pushes his students so they can perform at events and concerts throughout the year. “We have at least two band concerts a year, plus the Homecoming football game and at least one basketball game a week,” said Giles. “We also perform in the Homecoming parade, May Day parade and graduation. Last year, we started going to Jennings’ Battle of the Bands.” Adding to the list of performances and competitions, select students from band, choir and orchestra had the chance to perform and compete at the Des Lee Fine Arts Education Collaborative. In early February, select students participated in all day rehearsals and studio time with UMSL faculty, which culminated with an evening concert at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. About 25 schools from the metro area
Despite having to wake up early, Jaheim Stampley, junior, was excited to play for students on the first day of school. “Playing in the band is a passion of mine, so I would do anything to get the opportunity to play, regardless of the time,” Stampley said. “It feels good for our hard work to pay off.”
participated and students competed in music, drama, art or dance. It is a selective competition that accepts only the best of the best. “It’s the top kids from the schools who go,” said Ibnabdeljalil, who has been U. City’s Des Lee representative since 2008. Choir students, for example, looked at the music they were going to perform during the week prior to the competition which required special, out of class rehearsals. Whether or not students competed at Des Lee, everyone in the music department agrees on one thing: music is important for a student’s high school career. “It leads to a better quality of life, and it can put you on a road to success,” said Ibnabdeljalil. Giles agrees, and believes that music programs help boost school morale. “I think it’s important that you are involved in what your school does,” said Giles. “It’s important to have school spirit and it’s important that you are part of something while you’re here.”
At the winter concert in December, the choir performs a song with the theme of hope. “You never know how many people will be out there when you come out from behind the curtain, but when we see our friends and our teachers we just feel like one happy family,” Jaleah Hatcher, sophomore, said. “I’m blessed to be able to perform.”
February 2019
6
features
Juul drama reaches halls of U. City By Julian Albright Co-Editor
Theater kids, robotics kids and a handful of other students have recently been named as Juul-ers on a list circulating amongst students and parents. The validity of the list is highly questionable, as several people identified are not actual users. Although the statistics prove that high schoolers play a large part in the vaping epidemic, some might not assume that U. City has a vaping problem. “I usually see [Juul-ing] more in the upper echelon schools like Clayton and Ladue,” says Azyah Brown, senior. “Because white kids can financially get it, and black kids don’t really know what it is.” Jayla Fitch, junior, agrees. “Black people don’t Juul,” said Fitch. “I definitely think it’s more rare.” Based on these opinions and U. City’s demographics, Juul-ing has not been a problem here over the past few years like it has in other places. But there may be more Juul-ing going on than people know. John Smith, the pseudonym of a U. City student and Juul-er who declined to be identified, shares his side of the story. “There are definitely people at U. City who Juul,” said Smith. “I started off slow but now I go through about a pod a day. I don’t even get buzzed anymore.” Since Juul hit shelves in 2015, they have almost completely taken over the
e-cigarette market. Sales increased 800 percent in 2018, making Juul sales 71 percent of the e-cigarette market, according to CNBC. The Juul was so successful for the manufacturer, PAX Labs, that they actually changed their names officially to Juul Labs. The FDA reports that 3 million (or one-fifth of) high school students in the U.S. use tobacco products. From 2017 to 2018, e-cigarette sales increased 78 percent among high school students. Why so notable? Because instead of being the “healthy alternative” that it was meant to be, Juul is encouraging nicotine addictions in people that never smoked in the first place. According to the statistics, one can see that high school youth account for a large portion of people participating in vaping. T-Herbert Jeffrey, assistant principal, was not aware of the Juul list. “I didn’t realize we had an instance [of Juul-ing] here at school,” said Jeffery. “But it does not surprise me.” Jeffrey says that vaping in school is always on the administration’s radar because it is common and vapes can be easily concealed. Jeffrey believes that an increase in social media usage heavily contributes to the widespread use of Juul. “[With the] advent of the internet and the time spent on it, today’s students are more prone to things like Juul-ing,” said Jeffrey. “It’s very important that we pay attention to things like this.”
University City Public Library has everything you need to help you make your own movies, from our easy-to-use One Button Studio to Sony HandyCam and GoPro video cameras, to tripods and video-editing software. You can even learn how to make and edit videos with online tutorials on lynda.com.
It’s all free with a UCPL library card!
@UCPL_Librarians www.facebook.com/UCityLibrary 6701 Delmar Blvd., University City, MO 63130
www.ucitylibrary.org • 314-727-3150
@UCityLibrary
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7 NBA All-Star game roster leaves out notable players By Eliot Fuller Web Editor
When we think of the NBA, we think of the big names: LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Steph Curry and more. But after the fan online voting results for the 2019 NBA All-Star game were released, many prominent league players such as James Harden, Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis, were left out of the starting lineup. Using the online voting system, the league is giving people the power to send athletes to the big game. By simply googling “NBA All-Star Voting,” fans are able to vote for up to 10 players a day. The fan vote accounts for 50 percent of how the All-Star starters are determined, while players and media make up the other 50 percent. The fan vote results--although full of the usual stars--featured lots of surprises and notable snubs, making this one of the most anticipated All-Star games ever. Houston Rockets star James Harden is a current MVP candidate. He’s averaging over 36 points per game, and on Feb. 2, had his 26th consecutive game of dropping 30 or more points-something that has only been done once before in NBA history. Harden finished seventh in Western Conference fan voting, which has many people scratching their heads. New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis finished eighth, despite being a defensive player of the year candidate averaging 29 points per game, 13 rebounds and almost 3 blocks. Not to mention doing this all on 51 percent shooting. To the shock of virtually nobody, Lakers star LeBron James topped voting in the Western Conference. Closely trailing James was Slovenian superstar Luka Dončić. The 19 yearold Dallas Maverick has averaged an impressive 21 points per game in the
first half of his rookie season. Warriors guard Stephen Curry finished third in Western Conference voting, followed by Timberwolves star Derrick Rose, who at age 30, is trying to revive his career. The once-prominent player has fallen victim to various injuries over the past few seasons, and is considered to have lost his relevance in the league. Despite the major setbacks, Rose has been putting up unexpected numbers off the bench this season--not to mention a dazzling 50-point game in late October. Rose, who was once the youngestever league MVP, is showing signs of his former self. The Chicago native is averaging 18 points per game on 48 percent shooting, sporting a comeback that is nothing but deserving of an AllStar spot. On the other side of the league, Greek sensation and MVP-frontrunner Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks lead the Eastern Conference. Celtics guard Kyrie Irving followed, and after him was Kawhi Leonard of the Toronto Raptors. 76ers big man Joel Embiid finished fourth place in voting, and taking the final starting spot was Dwayne Wade, the 37-yearold veteran of the Miami Heat. Wade is currently playing the final season of his NBA career, and is putting up nearly 14 points per game on 43 percent shooting. Although the stat line isn’t as impressive as other players, Wade has been coming off the bench this season, and his All Star appearance is somewhat of a last hurrah to an immensely successful career. Keep in mind that the fan vote does not guarantee the starting lineups, because the media and players still have to give their input. The NBA All-Star game will be played on Feb. 17 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.
sports
February 2019
Grilc swims her way to potential state qualification By Emma McMahon Staff Writer
It takes a lot of courage to pack up and travel 4,977 miles to a foreign country for your junior year of high school. Neza Grilc, junior, came to U. City this year as a foreign exchange student from Slovenia and is close to earning a spot at the state swim meet in St. Charles at the St. Peters Rec-Plex. Because of her times, Grilc has been considered for state in the 100-meter breaststroke, and her race time for the 500-meter freestyle is also very close to a state qualifying time. These recognitions have not gone unnoticed Neza Grilc by her peers, teammates or swim coach. In her first year as head swim coach, Laryn Brown has focused on instilling unity within the team and technique in her swimmers. Brown said Grilc embodies their team’s goals perfectly and is a silent leader to all of her teammates.
“Even though Neza may not like the attention, she does bring a level of competitiveness to the team and encourages everybody without even saying anything,” said Brown. Neza’s teammates could not agree more with their coach. Marley Gardner, freshman, enjoys having a role model to look up to in the sport. “It’s important to have upperclassmen on any team to teach us the ropes and what we can do to do better,” said Gardner. “It’s super nice to have Neza on the team this year because she is such a great swimmer and she also does a really good job of helping everyone do their best and is always making us laugh.” Grilc is both proud and humble about her accomplishments. Grilc said she now doesn’t try very hard in her 500 race because she is scared to go to state. “I just swim for fun, I like being able to be with my friends after school and I do enjoy the swim meets, but I get very nervous before races so state would be very scary.” Along with her teammates, Neza Grilc, junior, cheers on Nicole Kellogg, junior, at the Hazelwood Central meet. “She was swimming the most difficult event, 100 fly, and we all know you can hear people cheering you on in the water so we just wanted to show her our support because she had to stay strong to finish,” Grilc said.
WINTER SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS
Peter Zhang
The wrestling team settled in after a tough stretch of matches that saw them lose five straight competitions. Since their losing streak, they’ve built their record back up to 9-11. PHOTO BY NACIM HASSOUN
Brandon Ming
After a very strong start to the season at 7-2, the boys basketball team cooled off a bit and dropped to a respectable 11-9 on the season. PHOTO BY GRACE KLEIN
Nicole Kellogg
The swim team had minimal success as a team in their meets, but that hasn’t stopped the individuals from placing high in their events. Neza Grilc and Nicole Kellogg, juniors, are two swimmers who have topped the times in their respective strokes. PHOTO BY NATHAN HILL
Roberta Booth
After suffering the loss of multiple seniors, the girls basketball team hasn’t found their footing. Though their record sits at 4-14, senior Dominique Dunn has been a bright spot, averaging just over 12 points per game. PHOTO BY TERRICO GARRETT
February 2019
features
HAVE AN ICE DAY!
8
Visitors braved freezing temperatures on Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend to experience the 14th annual Delmar Loop Ice Carnival. Ice sculptures were showcased at most shops and restaurants along with activities, such as scavenger hunts and frozen turkey bowling. The carnival attracts thousands of people to the Loop each year.
An Ice Carnival goer celebrates his win in the free Frozen Turkey Bowling. His win came after a perfect strike.
A lone penguin stands outside Baked T’s pointing to the store’s logo. The penguin is a representation of the carnival itself.
Four ice sculptures remain up on a stage after a public carving display. The carving took place on the first day of the carnival next to Fitz’s. PHOTOS BY LINSEY SPARKS
To match the painting on the outside of Sunshine Daydream, an ice bear stands outside of the store welcoming in chilly customers.
Banking on the success of the newest Marvel release, “Avengers: Infinity War,” the Wizard’s Wagon boasts a sculpture of Thanos’ glove featuring the infinity stones.
U-TIMES U. City High School 7401 Balson Ave University City, MO 63130
NEWSMAGAZINE
MUSICALLY INCLINED
Kaya Blount, senior, strums her guitar during Audio Production. See page 4. PHOTO BY JULIAN ALBRIGHT
U-Times February 2019 Volume 29, Issue 3