U. City High School 7401 Balson Ave University City, MO 63130
U-Times February 2016 Volume 26, Issue 3 NEWS MAGAZINE
In the dance studio, male lead Joshua Mayfield, senior, learns the waltz for the song “She’s in Love” from Raven Bullard, junior and female lead. PHOTO BY LUCY WURST
Mia Hicks-Thomas, senior, paints the musical set in the auditorium. Hicks-Thomas participated in every step of the set design. “I was given a concept for the background and I made an image to fit that concept,” she said. “We projected it onto the set and then I outlined it and now I’m painting it in.” PHOTO BY LUCY WURST
Practicing for the dance “She’s In Love”, Nicole Holahan, Della Cox, Kenya Curtis and Johanna Hill play the roles of Ariel’s sisters. “She’s in Love’ is my favorite dance because it’s really high energy,” said Cox. PHOTO BY LUCY WURST
Cast, set crew prep for spring musical By Lucy Wurst Staff Writer The lights, the rush of excitement, the electric feeling running through your body, the chatter coming from the audience. Exactly the feelings performers live to experience. With the spring musical on the horizon, the performers are practicing almost daily and setting the stage for a weekend of “The Little Mermaid” Feb. 26 -27. For sophomore Della Cox, her desire to perform started in preschool when she took circus classes at the City Museum. Later she took classes at C.O.C.A. and now gets booked for circus acts through a company called Circus Kaput. “I like performing because you can take pride in people’s smiles,” said Cox. “During a circus performance at C.O.C.A., the director’s friend told me that my smile made her day. It’s magical that you can share your
experience with other people and influence them in a positive way.” Cox plays Ariel’s mer-sister, Arista, in the upcoming production. Cox decided to audition in December to follow her passion for the arts. “I think music is something that you can listen to and like, but with musical theatre you can feel with the song and relate to it and feel the emotions the person in the song is feeling,” said Cox. “I’m a performer and I like to experience other people’s lives. In this case, you can actually live under the sea as royalty.” “High School Musical,” a contemporary classic, sparked senior Joshua Mayfield’s passion in performing. Mayfield now plays the lead in “The Little Mermaid” as Prince Eric. “I never auditioned for any of the school musicals at my old school, Ritenour,” said Mayfield. “When I came to U. City, I was put into theater and Mrs. Ibnabdeljalil
convinced me to audition for ‘Catch Me If You Can,’ and I did.” While Mayfield was moved by “High School Musical,” Daniel Williamson, senior, takes his inspiration from “The Little Mermaid” movie. “I have a strong relationship with Ariel,” said Williamson, who plays a chorus member. “She’s not happy in her situation; she’s adventurous and explores without thinking of the consequences. She just dives in head first.” Wherever their passion comes from, the musical will be full of strong, motivated and dedicated performers. “With ‘The Little Mermaid,’ you’ll see a positive, fun energy in the form of the ‘Under the Sea’ number,” said Cox. “You’ll see a lot of rebellion and passion. It’s a comical show, and you won’t see the actors, you’ll see the characters.”
IN THIS ISSUE
News • School swap • Military ball
3 • News in brief
4-5
Valentine’s
Features
• Relationships • Dream dates
• Senioritis • Black history
• Make a match
6
Sports • St. Louis Rams • More sports
7-8 • Wrestling • Signing day
February 2016
2
opinion STAFF EDITORIAL
1:1 iniative presents challenges when Wi-Fi goes down When a school undergoes a technology transition as big as the 1:1 iniative this year, there are bound to be some hiccups. Chromebooks get dropped. Smart Boards stop working. And, occasionally, the Wi-Fi goes down. These technologies are here to help teachers teach and students learn. But when such incidents occur, more often than not learning stops. A student has to leave the room to get a replacement Chromebook. The teacher can’t display the lesson on the Smart Board. And, because teachers have been encouraged to save their materials on Google Drive, they might be unable to reach any of it when
the internet is unavailable. All of a sudden, technology is no longer helping; it’s hindering. When the Wi-Fi shuts down, so does the school. But it shouldn’t have to be that way. It’s important for students and teachers to be prepared for technological issues, because there will be more in the future. The IT department practically works miracles to keep everything running smoothly, but they’re not perfect, and sometimes problems arise that are out of their control. In January, the entire district’s Wi-Fi went down for over a day due to a change made by Charter. In such a case, all the IT
department can do is wait. “When it comes to technology, there always needs to be a backup plan,” Scott Gowan, director of technology, said. It’s understandable to be frustrated when technology is not as reliable as we’d like. But students and teachers must resist the temptation to abandon it in favor of tried-and-true methods -- like paper assignments -- that don’t rely on Wi-Fi or computers. The technology department encourages teachers to use a combination of online and offline assignments to help with this problem. “We’ve always communicated to do both,” said Gowan. “We still want
to continue with that form of teaching [with offline assignments], but we also want it available on LMS so the students can access it at home. We don’t want [teachers] to not use technology because that serves as a backup plan for the students who can’t attend school or don’t get it [the material] the first time.” It’s more important than ever for students and teachers to understand how to use technology effectively. A part of this is learning to be flexible and keep backups of their work. It’s not always easy compared to the old methods, but in the end, the payoff is well worth the cost.
Black students need more black teachers, role models
By Payton Bass Web Editor There’s a black student out there who’s to some degree resentful that white students have an abundance of white teachers. In other words, there’s a black student out there who’s to some degree irritated that their white peers are understood better — frustratingly still even in schools where black kids are in majority. In predominantly black schools, students need to have people in authority who look like them and can provide a positive role model.
There wasn’t always a shortage of black educators in America. Pre-Brown v. Board of Education, the amount of black educators for black students was plentiful. According to USA Today, in 1954, the year when Brown v. Board of Education passed, about 82,000 black teachers were responsible for teaching 2 million black children. In the 11 years immediately following Brown, more than 38,000 black teachers and administrators in 17 Southern and border states lost their jobs. School districts usually closed down all-black schools during desegregation, for the ease of whites, thus making black educators easier to fire. Though rarely acknowledged, the culture of black teaching died with Brown. Today, teachers of color make up 17 percent of the teacher workforce, according to a current study conducted by the Center For American Progress (CAP). Because of this deficiency, black students all over this country are being commonly exposed to conscious and unconscious racism by their white educators. Seemingly, if there were more black educators in place of the white educators teaching black students, then
the incidents of racism, intentional or not, wouldn’t be in the classroom. Most teachers these days, white teachers, likely work hard at treating their students evenhandedly, and yet even amid the well-intentioned, there are looming societal cultural stereotypes about black people that make perceptions of black students less favorable. Being black while your teachers are white more often than not means having your teachers inadvertently value whiteness, while nonetheless inadvertently devaluing your blackness. According to recent research conducted by CAP, America’s teachers still don’t think that black students measure up in their abilities to white students. Based on a study of teacher attitudes, educators believe black students were 42 percent less likely to earn a college diploma than their white classmates. Although the examination on how students are perceived based upon their race is troubling, CAP researchers warn against labeling teachers as racist simply because they view outcomes differently. Educators’ assumptions reflect the widespread problems of the
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nation’s education system. Consequently, America’s teachers are predisposed to institutional racism. All this research to ensure equity for a black students in schools wouldn’t even need to be conducted if white teachers weren’t disproportionately in majority. If black teachers were predominant in our predominantly black schools, educating the black students, there would be understanding between teacher and student that black pupils seek. There wouldn’t be any upheld attitude of white superiority, because the people positioned in authority would reflect the student body. The school as a whole would expect black excellence, as schools already should. More supply needs to be out there to meet the demand. More blacks need to pursue teaching careers; black students need them. To my fellow black students: become the black educators you unfortunately don’t have the privilege of experiencing. Give back to your community so the next generation of blacks has a better sense of self.
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3
news
February 2016
Fox, Ritenour students spend day at U. City By Kathryn Fuller Assistant Editor For one day on Jan. 14, students from Fox and Ritenour High Schools walked in the shoes of U. City students. The students from other schools are a part of the Student Summit on Race and partnered with U. City to do a school swap and shadow another student for a day. In December, five students from U. City visited Fox for a day. Fox High School student Tori Hemingway, sophomore, liked many aspects of the academics at U. City. “I love the smaller classes,” Hemingway said. “We have about 30 to 35 students in each class at our school.” Hemingway explained that at Fox, they don’t have a pool, dance class or dance studio and she was interested in the art and dance programs. Jalynn Manning, junior, attends Ritenour High School. She liked shadowing a student from U. City and admired the atmosphere of the school. “Everybody seems friendly and everyone seems to know each other,” Manning said. “Our school is so big, people don’t know everybody.” Manning was quick to notice the racial differences between her school and U. City. “It’s a lot less diverse than my school,” Manning said.
Most of the nine U. City students had one student from Ritenour and one from Fox paired up with them. Whitney Huling, sophomore, said one of the girls that was shadowing her admitted that she felt out of place because of the amount of black people at U. City. “She eventually told me that she wasn’t used to being around a bunch of black people,” Huling said. In addition, the school swap made people realize that not all stereotypes apply to all black people. Having been involved in Race Summit for two years, Rontrell Gentry, senior, said he has a purpose for being a part of the program. “I just want to change the mindset of others about the community and society,” Gentry said. Gentry knew that Fox and Ritenour students would enjoy their visit to U. City. “I feel like our school is great so I knew they would like it,” Gentry said. “I think it was a positive experience.” Gentry felt that it was important for the Fox and Ritenour students to realize that the stereotypes portrayed in the media don’t relate to every black person. “It got them to break the stereotypes between black and white communities,” Gentry said. “Now they won’t judge a race.”
At the Race Summit at UMSL on Jan. 27, Pablo Lopez-Reyna, senior, along with students from Ritenour and Fox, presents the change agent project they are working on, which is to clean up the historically black Greenwood Cemetery in Normandy listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Cadets take lead in executing military ball By Christine Politte Editor-in-Chief JROTC put on its annual Military Ball on Feb. 8 at the Clayton Plaza Hotel. The event, complete with decorations, dancing and an appetizer buffet, was a chance for cadets and their guests to relax and enjoy the evening. “The purpose is to get them in a social environment together and have a great time,” said Col. Thomas Henson, head of the JROTC program. The event was entirely planned by the cadets, with the seniors taking the lead. “The cadets came up with the theme and the decorations,” said Henson. “They got the list together, made posters and wrote the announcements.” Elijah Hall, sophomore, enjoyed the evening, especially the food, which included mozzarella sticks, crab rangoon and fruit. Hall noted that this was the first Military Ball attended by the program’s new Master Sergeant, Darrell Stewart. The cadets toasted Stewart at the event. The ball was also attended by active duty military members from Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. “They were really impressed by our cadets,” said Henson. Henson considers the ball to be a success. “I thought it was outstanding,” Henson said. “It took a little bit for everyone to get on the dance floor, but once it got going it was great.”
Escorting Atoria Howard, freshman, down to the ballroom, Elijah Hall, sophomore, chats with Arielle Stevenson, sophomore. “[We escort them] so they don’t fall,” said Hall. PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE POLITTE
As the night wraps up, senior Ramon Douglas and his girlfriend Alexis Collins share a slow dance to Trey Songz’s “Slow Motion.” Collins attends Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School.
Standing with the rest of the cadet corps leadership, senior Jordan Lucious raises her glass to toast the president of the United States. Cadets also toasted the Vice President, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Air Force and Secretary of the Army.
NEWS IN BRIEF National Honor Society toy drive • NHS is collecting new and gently used toys to give to charity from Feb. 22 to March 4. Toys can be dropped off with Nicole Martineau in Room 336. This is the second toy drive the club has sponsored. FAFSA Frenzy • Attention seniors! If you plan on attending college then you need to fill out your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). U. City will be helping seniors and their parents fill out FAFSA Feb. 23 from 5-7 pm in the computer lab.
Utilizing her artistic talent, Cheyenne Hawkins, sophomore, works on a poster at a National Honor Society meeting on Feb. 9 to advertise the club’s upcoming toy drive. Hawkins was one of nine new members inducted into NHS in January. PHOTO BY KATHYRN FULLER
College visit • Thirty sophomore students will be taking a field trip to visit the Washington University campus on Feb. 29 and observe daily college life. Engineering field trip • Linda Pritchard, A+ program and community service coordinator., will take students on Feb. 23 to the Girls In Engineering field trip at St. Louis University. The field trip will showcase engineering careers and include a campus tour, speakers and lunch. Compiled from staff reports.
For more news and photos, go to utimesonline.com
4
Valentine’s Day
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With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, students may be looking to find the perfect match. Do you have anything in common with these students?
Leanne Whitney
Makini Morrison
freshman
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• Most important trait in a partner: Humor • Ideal first date: Movies • Spends her free time: Hanging out with friends • Do you believe in love at first sight? No • Favorite movie genre: Horror
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• Most important trait in a partner: Confidence • Ideal first date: Movies • Spends his free time: Hanging out with friends • Do you believe in love at first sight? No • Favorite movie genre: Horror
Ashley Falls senior • Most important trait in a partner: Confidence • Ideal first date: Dinner • Spends her free time: Sleeping and relaxing • Do you believe in love at first sight? No • Favorite movie genre: Romance
5
Couples celebrate romantic ideals
Valentine’s Day
February 2016
What’s your dream date?
Different traditions define the perfect holiday By Jacelynn Allen Staff Writer
Valentine’s Day is the one day many people take out of the 365 days to show appreciation for the people they love. “Nine months, four days, eight hours and 23 seconds, “ said Darion Spencer-Smith, senior, who is dating Bria Barnes, senior. “I see a beautiful woman who is very loving and caring who has so much to offer.” Being in a relationship isn’t the easiest thing; you’re learning to adapt to a whole new person whose needs may have to come before yours. “We been together for four years,” said Brittany McClendon, senior, about Anthony Devall, senior. “He’s the other side of me.” When finding the love of your life, people usually decide by someone’s personality. “She’s smart, loyal, and not a party girl, “ said Devall. On a different perspective, guys choose their love by the benefits the significant other brings to the table. With love comes the biggest day to celebrate a relationship, Valentine’s Day. “We’ll exchange any gifts we may have for each other, and then go out to eat,” said Barnes. Spending money is also a way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, which is the guy’s worst nightmare. “Every year I usually pay for dinner, “ said Spencer-Smith. Often the focus of the holiday is on spending money to prove how much the relationship means. “Valentine’s Day is materialistic and it’s a holiday to get people to buy things,” said Lucy Wurst, sophomore, who’s been dating Terran Williams, sophomore, for nearly eight months. “It’s pointless because you should show people you love them every day.” The big surprise is what all the female partners are waiting for at the end of the day. “Every year I get her one of those big teddy bears, “ said Devall. “I get her a bigger one each year because she likes them.” Aside from their reality dates, several couples have dream dates they can only imagine. “Relax on an island, just us two, away from everyone,“ said SpencerSmith. “That would be nice.”
Brandon Murdock sophomore • Most important trait in a partner: Confidence • Ideal first date: Dinner • Spends his free time: Hanging out with friends • Do you believe in love at first sight? Yes • Favorite movie genre: Action/ Adventure
“My dream date would be to go on a wing fest and play volleyball afterwards, then watch movies.”
-Jessica-Carol Wilbur, junior
“My dream date would be to go to the beach, lie down and swim.”
“My dream date is to go on a cruise to Hawaii, swim with the dolphins and go out to eat at all the best places.”
-Arlandus Mayo, sophomore
“My dream date would be to go hiking and go out to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings.”
-Thomas Looby, freshman
-Cheyenne Poland, freshman
“My dream date would be going out to eat, having a crazy adventure like rock climbing or skydiving, then the beach or somewhere quiet to chill and talk.”
“My dream date would be to play laser tag, watch a basketball game and eat wings afterwards.”
-Hamza Stewart, senior
Aanya Robinson junior • Most important trait in a partner: Good looking • Ideal first date: The mall • Spends her free time: Hanging out with friends • Do you believe in love at first sight? No • Favorite movie genre: Action/ Adventure
-Jailynn Williams, sophomore
February 2016
6
features
Black history evades curriculum, textbooks By Jaylen Williams Staff Writer
Everything is big in Texas, except for the sections in their textbooks dealing with the African American experience. According to washingtonpost.com, this year state guidelines do not include the Ku Klux Klan or Jim Crow laws. They also downplay the role slavery played in the Civil War and list it as a “secondary cause.” This may be product of educators trying to “sugarcoat” history. This view has motivated many textbook writers and teachers to find ways to teach the lessons presented in history without actually having to go through the horrid and consequently awkward situation created by presenting raw history in all of its gruesomeness. “We want our textbooks to say ‘Yeah! I’m glad I grew up in America,’ but that isn’t really the goal of history, it should be more like ‘That was horrible and we shouldn’t do that anymore,’” Michael Daly, social studies teacher, said. African American history is one of these gruesome
stories, which is one reason why it is often dialed back and sugarcoated when presented to the young and impressionable children of America. “We are a culture of nice people,” Darlene Donegan, social studies teacher, said. “Many people are afraid of the truth.” Because such historical events are often served sunny side up, the quality of history taught, and ultimately, understanding, is diminished. But not only are the more visual details missing, the African American face doesn’t often seem to be put alongside success stories in history books. It is often paired with oppression and struggle. This is a blow to the minds of African American teens who already see negative pictures of themselves in the media. “I feel like history just isn’t on our side, and then the media isn’t on our side either so how am I supposed to have the motivation to be successful if I have always seen success as a rare thing in my heritage,” Kyeoni Rutledge, sophomore, said.
The African American Experience class at U. City delves into further detail about African American history. “African Americans were an essential component of U.S. history,” said Donegan. “So it should be deeply ingrained in the study of U.S. history, but it is not. Giving African American studies a separate course as an elective only decreases the importance of the African American experience in this country.” With major elements of African history eliminated from more and more social studies curriculums, classes like the African American Experience class serve to fill the gaps. “Most kids think African American history starts as slavery and that they magically were slaves one day and I like to let them know the origins of Africa and about the awesome civilizations that were the birthplace of mankind,” Matt Horn, African American Experience teacher, said.
Seniors struggle with varying degrees of senioritis By Jaylen Williams Staff Writer Your hands are sweaty and your heart is on fire. It’s almost your turn. Your name is next, but right before you walk you look at the crowd and see your family waiting with apprehension for the big moment: your name is called and you are handed a piece of paper. Graduation. Rewind a few month back, and you will most likely see the victim of a widespread disease known as senioritis. Although some think it is just myth, senioritis is indeed a disease that in some way or another affects the performance of most seniors. Senioritis symptoms surface in a variety of forms. “It’s hard to stay on top of my homework,” Josh Dean, senior, said. Although Dean struggles predominantly with homework, others have a more holistic variety of senioritis. “I am irritated with absolutely everything having to deal with high school,” Regina Artison, senior, said. According to Urban Dictionary, senioritis is defined as “A crippling disease that strikes high school seniors. Symptoms include: laziness, an over-excessive wearing
of track pants, old athletic shirts, sweatpants, athletic shorts, and sweatshirts. Also features a lack of studying, repeated absences, and a generally dismissive attitude.” Not only can signs of senioritis be observed in the students, it can also be seen in senior attendance. “While it is always a difficult to keep seniors engaged and present second semester when senioritis really kicks in, the guidance team including Ms. Woodward, along with teachers and administrators, all work hard to keep the students motivated,” Katy-Jane Johnson, senior counselor, said. But just like a regular diagnosis, there are ways to prevent and combat the onset of this less-than-life threatening disease. Staying on top of school work appears to work for some. If students get behind they may not have the motivation to keep up, which could lead down a deep dark path of senioritis. Another way to stay disease-free is to avoid people who seem to have the disease. It’s actually contagious and hanging around with these unmotivated people could cause someone to lose their motivation. “I make sure I sit down and do my homework first thing,” said Dean.
While Dean makes his goal to stay academically focused, Artison has a more community-based method to stay in the game. “I always am with my friends at school so I try to forget how much I’m not okay with high school,” said Artison. When experiencing senioritis there is only one cure: graduation. Stay tuned, graduation is scheduled for May 18 at Chaifetz Arena.
While in class, Randle Howlett pays more attention to his electronics than his classwork. “I’m usually on the phone, and I’m always tired,” said Howlett, senior. PHOTO BY JAYLEN WILLIAMS
7
sports
February 2016
Wrestling team progresses toward state qualifiers By Kathryn Fuller Assistant Editor Every weekday after school, 10 boys retreat to the boy’s locker room to dress out for wrestling practice. Practice starts at 2:40 and consists of stretching, running, and then heading to the weight room. After lifting in the weight room, the wrestlers go to the wrestling room to practice their newly learned moves. The guys on the team know that success does not come easily and hard work must be done in order to win. With a winning record of 13-3-4, the team shows they are a dedicated group. David White, sophomore, who has been on the team since freshman year, said that the team follows a specific schedule. “We go over moves, drill with a partner, practice moves, then wrestle against each other,” White said. Although they have to work hard during practice, there are no dietary restrictions. “There is no enforced diet,” White said. “I eat the same year round.” Although practice is mandatory every day in order to succeed in matches, head coach Eric Morgan said dedication drives the boys to work hard. “They must want to win,” Morgan said.
Tramel Harrell, junior, who has been on the wrestling team since freshman year, said that sometimes people stay after practice, which ends between 5:30 and 5:45, to work out more or run. The extra work they put into practice is one of the reasons why they have a winning record. “We are very successful because we work hard and are dedicated to win,” Harrell said. In his second year on the team, Jonathan York, sophomore, feels like he has seen a vast improvement in the team since the beginning of the season which means the team will have more opportunities later on. “I feel like the team has improved this year and we’ll do pretty well in districts and have more state qualifiers,” York said. Although York said the amount of work they put into practice and matches is hard, there is a good outcome when they wrestle in matches and tournaments. Along with practicing together, they have a strong support system with each other. “During tournaments, I think we support each other really well when we’re wrestling, which boosts our confidence,” York said.
Peter Zhang, freshman, ended his wrestling season early after breaking his arm. His injury happened during a tournament at Normandy. Even after cutting his season short, Zhang still loves to wrestle. “I wrestle to get to state and get my name on the wall,” said Zhang. “In team sports, you don’t get that much individual recognition, but in wrestling you get to be your own person.” PHOTO BY JERMARCUS PERKINS
Legacy, losses remain as Rams More sports equals more motivation depart St. Louis for LA By Pablo Lopez-Reyna Staff Writer By leaving St. Louis and returning to Los Angeles, the Rams football team leaves behind a legacy of two Super Bowls and numerous donations to the community. Along with the absence of an NFL team here, many jobs in St. Louis will be eliminated. Consequently, this will create a loss of a lot of money to our local economy, not to mention the new stadium being built. This move will leave behind many disappointed fans who have come out to support the team throughout their 142-193-1 record while in St. Louis. “St. Louis only has two sports team now and I think it’ll make St. Louis lose money,” Dezmond Strain, senior, said. “St. Louis will be
bored, because fans loved the Rams, which also will make them sad not to have a football team anymore.” Now that St. Louis will not have a football team, perhaps the Cardinals and Blues will benefit and provide sports entertainment to more people. “I personally want to have a football team in St. Louis,” Jordan Perry senior, said. “It is still convenient that we have our baseball and hockey teams here.” There is still hope that St. Louis will, in the future, get a new football team, but for now St. Louis will just have to wait for something else. “I think this move could impact the city in a positive way if we can somehow get a NBA team to come to St. Louis,” Michael Lenard, senior, said. “I can see basketball being more successful at least in terms of making money.”
fumble: (verb) The act of losing possession...
ILLUSTRATION BY PABLO LOPEZ-REYNA
By Pablo Lopez-Reyna Staff Writer
First it was boys’ volleyball, then rugby. What will be the next sport to disappear from U. City? Multiple studies show the positive benefits of extracurricular activities on students, including improved motivation, behavior, grades and social life. Instead of eliminating sports, U. City could actually add a few to offer students more opportunities to build self-esteem, GPAs and life skills. “We should add lacrosse,” said freshman Noah Greenberg. “There is a good amount of guys that would join the team; it’s hard to play lacrosse if you don’t play for your school.” Sports at U. City — and any school — bring entertainment and motivation to students. “More sports will give U. City more clout and keep some students out of trouble,” Elijah Trice, senior, said. “Volleyball would be the sport I would play if we had it.” Schools such as Parkway Central offer club and intramural programlike flag football and ultimate Frisbee. At U. City, there are no intramural sports. “Archery is not a sport most schools have,” Darrian Fields, senior, said. “I believe adding it to the list would bring interest from a lot of students and it just might be something good to invest in.” Adding more sports could potentially increase community interest in the school and also gain more fans. “More sports will potentially increase the amount of attention and positive media portrayal of the school,” Christion Simmons, senior, said. “Students may find school more enjoyable due to their participation in extracurricular activities.” Students not involved in sports could discover that getting involved brings benefits needed throughout their lives. “Teamwork, trust, and positioning are all essential to playing volleyball,” Kevin Stapleton-Cloud, math teacher and girls volleyball coach, said. “Given our current school population and spring sports going on at the same time, I am not sure we can effectively fill a volleyball team for multiple years.”
SPORTS IN BRIEF Boys Basketball • With a record of 10-9, the boys basketball team has just a handful of games left before post-season play. Currently, Tarontate Crockett, junior, is leading the team in points per game with 21.7; Zach Bush, senior, at 11.3; KeAndre Bledsoe, senior, at 8.2; and Arlandus Mayo, senior, at 9.1. Crockett is shooting 50% from the 3-point line, having dropped 50 of 100 treys. Bledsoe leads the team in rebounds with 8.3 per game.
Girls Basketball • The girls basketball team has just one regular season game left, on Feb. 12 at Parkway West. Their record is 12-8 and they have won three games in a row, including a tight contest against Ladue on Feb. 5, which they won 58-57 at home. Wrestling • The wrestling team is closing out the regular season with a meet at John Burroughs on Feb. 12-13. Their record is 13-3-4.
Field Hockey • Mia Hicks-Thomas and Korinna Brandt, seniors, made the 2015 Field Hockey Coaches’ Association/Keith Waldman - Optimal Performance Associates High School National Academic Squad. To qualify, students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.5. In addition, Hicks-Thomas was also named a Scholar of Distinction for having a 3.9 GPA. Compiled from staff reports.
February 2016
8
sports
Football players celebrate signing
U. City High School 7401 Balson Ave University City, MO 63130
U-Times February 2016 Volume 26, Issue 3 NEWS MAGAZINE
After attending the signing event at Norwood Hills Country Club, senior football players KeAndre Bledsoe, Ter’shawn Wharton, Caleb Herndon, Jabriee Mason, Thompson Brown and Cortez Simmons head back to the bus. PHOTO BY CATHERINE HOFF
Have a ball! KeAndre Bledsoe, Thompson Brown and Jabriee Mason celebrate with a fist bump. “It was exciting,” said Mason. “It helped me realize what I’ve been working toward since freshman year.”
Among the first people to get on the dance floor at the Military Ball on Feb. 6, Malaya Hemphill, junior, Jordan McNeal, sophomore, Kura Love, freshman, do the Wobble. “The highlight of the night was the dancing,” said McNeal. Story on page 3.
Back at school after the Norwood event, Thompson Brown signs his paperwork to attend Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo. PHOTO BY LUCY WURST
PHOTO BY LUCY WURST
PHOTO BY CHRISTINE POLITTE
Country club hosts area players Area seniors signing for college football had a chance to celebrate at a breakfast thrown by the National Football Foundation at the Norwood Hills Country Club on Feb. 3. The breakfast started with a speech from Howard Richards, former Dallas Cowboys player. All of the players lined up at the podium and announced their college of choice. After breakfast the players headed back to the high school to sign their letters of intent. Parents and relatives huddled around their players to show their support. “The scholarship [Garden City Community College] gave me was for a full ride for books and tuition,” said KeAndre Bledsoe. “I also received a $1000 scholarship for being named MVP of the senior All Star game to help with housing.” Bledsoe hopes to ultimately be recruited by a larger school. -By Lucy Wurst
Like many seniors, Caleb Herndon wrestled with the making a decision about which college to attend. He finally settled on McKendree. “I verbally commited to Missouri Western and it turned out that McKendree offered me more money and the academics are better,” said Herndon. PHOTO BY CATHERINE HOFF