February 2015 U-Times by Utimes

U. City High School 7401 Balson Ave. University City, MO 63130

NEWS MAGAZINE

U-Times February 2015 Volume 25, Issue 3

Robotics season Computer-aided design (CAD) helps Christine Politte, Walter Deitzler, Matthew McMahon and Daniel Gibson determine proper dimensions for the electronics board of their robot. Story on page 3.

In this issue

News

• Race summit • Robotics

3 College4-5 Features 6 • Alternatives to college • Campus visits • What is success?

• Girls soccer field • History of auditorium

Sports

• Boys basketball • Girls basketball • Athlete profile

2 2014-2015 U-Times Staff

Co-Editors: Lily Lewis-Stump & Alice Mutrux Associate Editor/Web Editor: Christine Politte Staff Writers/Photographers: Brooklyn Bass Francene Bethune Hannah Fuller Johanna Hill Barbara Mulser Daniel Williamson Adviser Mrs. Mary Williams

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 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.

Contact Us We are located in Room 346 at University City High School, 7401 Balson Ave., University City, MO 63130. Our email address is marywilliams@ucityschools.org. Tweet us or follow us on Instagram @utimesonline.

OPINION

STAFF EDITORIAL: By Lily Lewis-Stump Co-Editor As you walk in the doors of the high school, just to the left is a large display featuring the attendance levels of the students of each class. The percentages of students who are at or above 90 percent attendance are: freshmen at 86 percent, sophomores at 80 percent, juniors at 75 percent, and seniors at a measly 63 percent. It is safe to say that senioritis has definitely kicked in; however, what must be remembered by seniors is that not showing up to school not only affects final grades, possible college decisions, and ability to graduate, but also the more memorable things such as going to prom. With second semester starting and graduation closer than ever, conversation about prom has begun, not so much about the perfect dress or shoes but more about whether or not students will even be able to attend the Arabian Nights-themed gala. With this potentially terrifying prospect, rumors have begun to swirl about prom being altogether cancelled as well as senior activities. Despite the rumors, prom will most definitely not be cancelled; however, those with less than 90 percent attendance are still in danger. “Prom is still going to be as great as any other year,” said prom planner and ISS teacher Ms. Coby. “It is all based on attendance. A student must have 90 percent to attend prom and more than half the juniors and seniors meet the

Senioritis negatively affects attendance

requirements.” Ms. Coby continued to point out that since prom is already paid for and has been since this time last year, they would by no means cancel it, unless unforeseen circumstances were to occur. Senior activities are also not in as much danger as rumors would have one believe. Just as in the case of prom, some students may not be eligible to participate. But the administrators do not want those who maintain their grades and attendance to be penalized because of other students’ poor decisions. “The seniors have a bad case of senioritis,” said senior class president Lillian Getachew. “We can’t get the cure for it unless we come to school. Knowing that our prom attendance will be affected by our daily attendance definitely gives me motivation to come to school.” A lot of seniors feel that they don’t really need to show up for school on time or at all because they’re mostly taking classes that they do not need to graduate. “Having most of my credits taken care of and my own car is a recipe for disaster,” said senior D’Mario Rogers-Miller. “I only need my gym credit, which is my 6th hour class. It’s almost impossible to fail gym so that allows me to not really care all that much.” Although all the credits a student takes aren’t necessary to graduate, they do still factor into the cumulative grade point average. A student’s GPA factors into getting into college, but so does

Should eligibility for senior activities depend on attendance?

Policies 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 346, or to any U-Times staff member, or to marywilliams@ucityschools.org.

U-Times February 2015

maintaining admittance as the second semester comes to a close. Some seniors feel that since certain teachers are really understanding, missing class doesn’t have too much of an impact on their grade. One senior stated that last semester a teacher allowed him to make up all of his coursework in the last days of the semester, with it still worth full points. As a result, his lack of attendance in the class was not reflected in his grade, leaving nothing for him to worry about. Although some teachers let students, especially seniors, slide with late work and not participating in class, that is not necessarily the case with all teachers, and definitely not with college professors. A lot of students take advantage of the generosity and understanding of teachers but should realize that they aren’t preparing themselves for post-secondary education. And, those students that are seeking alternatives to college should realize that, at first, high school will be all they have to show to potential employers and their transcript could be an important factor in their post-high school success. Seniors, and all students for that matter, with less than 90 percent attendance need to realize the impact that poor attendance could have on them. With graduation just around the corner it’s time for students to take school more seriously, and they can start by showing up for it.

Our sponsors We thank our supporters for donating to our student publication! If you are interested in donating, please e-mail Mary Williams at marywilliams@ ucityschools.org.

Writer/Photographer ($20 or less) Anonymous Anonymous Anonymous Becki Null Judith Fuller Assistant Editor ($25-$40) Lisa Brenner and Mike

“I think everyone should be allowed to have fun. It’s their senior year, after all. Although senior attendance is extremely low, even unprecedented, everyone should be allowed to go to prom.” -Adeyinka Adekunle, senior

“I don’t think attendance should be a factor because I don’t think it matters if you come to school. It matters how well you do in school. So, if you’re failing then you shouldn’t be allowed to participate in senior activities.” -Joe Martin, senior

“[Attendance] should be a factor because if you’re not here long enough then what’s the point of rewarding you? Unless you have a good reason and there are things not in your control preventing you from going to school.” -Rebekah Lyons, senior

Hill Matthew Tuths Jan Vieth and Dave Politte Editor-in-chief ($45-$75) John and Patricia Thomas Publisher ($80 or more) Anonymous

Want More News? Check out utimesonline.com for more stories, photos, polls, and sports updates!

@utimesonline

U-Times February 2015

NEWS

Students advocate for change at Race Summit By Christine Politte Web Editor/Associate Editor As they filed into the large conference room, none of the eight students representing U. City knew what to expect. They were one of the first schools to arrive at the Brentwood Conference Center, and there was a buzz of activity around them as the other schools began to arrive: Pattonville, Seckman, Francis Howell North, all three Hazelwoods, McCluer, and six others, from as close as Maplewood and as far as Fox. That day, Jan. 15, more than 100 students from 14 schools and a variety of racial, economic and social backgrounds had come together to talk about race. The First Annual St. Louis Student Summit on Race was organized by EducationPlus in response to the issues recently raised in Ferguson. The goal was to empower students by giving them a chance to be heard and to turn their feelings into solutions. The summit was observed by journalists from area media outlets and the Ritenour High School media team. Students had varying expectations for the event. “[I’m hoping for] good conversation on race and how we can better integrate people in our school,” said Brandon McCarty, a white junior at Francis Howell North, where he said the student body is 98% white. Not everyone thought the outcome would be positive. “I’m expecting a lot of arguments,” said Jaz Dorging, a black student from Soldan, which is majority-black. “There’s a lot of black people but there’s a lot of white people too. I’m expecting a lot of controversy.” As the event began, it was clear that the question was not whether St. Louis has a

race problem but how it could be solved. “If race was easy, we wouldn’t be having this conversation in 2015,” said Charles Pearson, a leadership consultant and one of the speakers at the summit. After establishing definitions of key words like “racism” and “anti-racist,” students broke into groups with other schools to talk about their personal experiences with race. “[The goal was] basically just learning other schools’ perspectives, and knowing how others feel,” said Rontrell Gentry, junior, one of eight U. City students to attend the summit. “Some schools hadn’t really faced racism before. But they wanted to see how it was and wanted to help.” During a 15-minute break, students had the opportunity to mingle and were encouraged to tweet their feelings using #Gateway2Change. Some students, like Maplewood-Richmond heights students Jazmen Bell and Autumn Martin, continued the conversation, wondering how students could have an impact. “It takes one person at a time to be anti-racist, to actually make a difference,” said Martin. “We can’t do anything until we get people of authority to care.” Midmorning, students reconvened with their school groups to brainstorm action plans. Some schools paired up; others worked alone. The U. City students took the time to discuss many of the racial issues in the district, with input from Ms. Williams, English teacher, and Ms. Pezzolla, social studies teacher, who accompanied them to the summit. They finally had a breakthrough when Gentry came up with the idea of a mentoring program for elementary-aged students to give them a support system to achieve their goals. Everyone leaned

excitedly over a table, spouting ideas as Raven Bullard, sophomore, took notes. “This was a time for us as young people to come up with solutions because our generation will be the one to change these issues,” said Bullard. Working through lunch, the U. City students prepared a presentation. At 1:30, the school groups climbed onto the stage one by one to pitch their ideas. “These ideas are going to change the world,” said Koran Bolding, one of the emcees. “If we keep acting like race doesn’t exist…we will never move forward as a city.” Several groups had the idea to pair with a “sister school” with a different racial and economic makeup. Maplewood Richmond-Heights came up with a diversity class, “Activism 101.” Hazelwood West presented “Pause for a Cause,” a campaign to stop and ask the hard questions. Parkway North and McCluer wanted to create social justice action teams, increase education, and stop using labels. The goal of the summit was to come up

with one unified theme for all the schools to work on, so an adult panel picked out the most common ideas, which were put to a vote. Fully half of the schools voted for the sister schools idea, and several schools paired up on the spot. U. City students were initially upset that they would be unable to go through with the mentoring program, but they finally decided to combine the ideas by starting the mentoring program and later helping a sister school develop a similar program. After six and a half hours in the conference room, students finally began the journey back to school, tired by the long day but invigorated by the developments, already making plans for the Feb. 25, when the groups will reconvene to share their progress. “I feel like we talked about a lot of things to be addressed and we came up with a lot of good solutions,” said Cameron Keys, senior. “I think [the mentoring plan] is good. I think we’re actually going to make a difference. It’s actually going to work.”

The U. City representatives try on their T-shirts during the Race Summit. Front: Raven Bullard, Cameron Keys and Joshua Thomas. Back: Hannah Fuller, Payton Bass, Rontrell Gentry, Alonzo Jenkins and Christine Politte.

Robotics team balances school and build season By Hannah Fuller Staff Writer Most students have a hard time juggling school by itself. Add an extracurricular spanning 10 to 50 hours a week after school and it seems almost impossible. The robotics team has proven that while it is ambitious, it isn’t unthinkable. The beginning of January marks the kickoff of the FIRST Robotics Competition which is a 6-week program with an ongoing goal to get kids involved in science and technology by creating a robot that will win an activity against other teams. In order for students to participate in building the robot, practices are offered after school Monday through Friday from 2:30 until 4 pm and Monday through Thursday from 6:30 until 10:30 pm. There

is also practice on Saturdays from 9-3 pm and on days off school during whatever times are available. Starting his third year as a programmer, Josh Stueck, junior, believes that while grades are difficult to keep up, it’s more daily life that changes. “It’s definitely a struggle,” said Stueck. “You are a lot busier for the 6 weeks [during build season] than any other time of the year.” Coach Deitzler has been coaching the team at U. City since last year and believes it is the students’ job to manage their time. “Students are responsible for keeping up with their homework and maintaining good grades,” said Deitzler. “I know it’s a challenge but team members are able to do it.”

Because robotics is a varsity level activity, students are required to attend 80% of practices and maintain a high “C” GPA throughout robotics season until the competition in March. Gordon Stuvland, freshman, was introduced to robotics in middle school with FIRST Lego League, a robotics team for fourth through eighth grade. While Stuvland agrees that robotics is definitely intense, he thinks that the team is pretty laid back and flexible. “It’s not like a sport,” said Stuvland. “You don’t have to be there for every practice, even though it’s important.” According to Coach Dietzler, it will always take a lot of work to prepare for the competition and wouldn’t be possible without local sponsors like

Boeing and Ranken Technical College. The upperclassmen on the team believe the combined years of participation has made it easier this year. Walter Deitzler, senior, began his robotics career in seventh grade. Now team captain, Deitzler feels like the team is more ready for the competition than last year. “We have a lot more experience this year,” said Deitzler. “I feel like we are more prepared.” Stueck agrees. “Last year we lost all of our seniors so we were trying to figure stuff out,” said Stueck. “This year is more organized.” go to utimesonline.com for robotics photos and more

WHAT’S NEXT? Students explore college alternatives By Christine Politte Web Editor/Associate Editor As the end of their high school years approach, it’s not uncommon to hear students, especially upperclassmen, talking about their college plans: where they want to apply (or have already applied), which college is their first choice, and what they plan to major in for the next four years. But some students, including Tarik Holmes, have a different path in mind. Holmes, a senior, plans to work for a while before attending culinary school. “I’ve got a passion for cooking,” he said. “I’d rather do that than study for four years with traditional classes, [then] work for a business with a suit and tie.” In a typical U. City graduating class, approximately 25 to 30 percent of students don’t go to a traditional 4-year college or university, according to Mrs. Johnson, senior counselor. “A lot of the students go on to technical schools,” she said. “They just aren’t that interested in academics.” Asante Robinson, senior, is one of those students. Robinson has dual enrollment at North Technical High School, where she is pursuing law enforcement. She hopes to become a certified 911

dispatcher and then pursue a career as a police officer and eventually a forensic pathologist. “Going into the program at North Tech, it opened up my eyes to something different,” she said. Other students aren’t planning on a typical 4-year college degree because it is not necessary for their intended career field. For example, Myah Robinson, junior, is planning on attending art school. “As a specialized school, I feel like it would help me a lot, rather than going to university,” she said. Senior Mecca Garmon is also interested in art, specifically animation. He is currently taking online courses in that area because it gives him more options than a traditional college. “Most of the time [schools] don’t really offer the types of [programs] I want,” he said. “No one in Missouri really offers animation.” The military is another alternative to the traditional path. “Four years of college might seem boring to me,” said Portia Rhodes, senior. “I’m more of an adventure person. I’ve been wanting to go into the military since I was ten.” Rhodes is considering college later in life, but not until she gets out of the army.

Jerron Carrico, junior, plans to go into the Marines. If he is accepted to the U. S. Naval Academy, he will go there, he said, but otherwise he will enlist right away. “I believe it’s one of the most honorary things you could possibly do,” said Carrico. Christopher McFadden, senior, is considering working and going to community college for two years before transferring to a four-year school. “It’s cheaper, and you’re getting the same thing at a community college [as] a four-year university,” he said. Working and going to community college, McFadden said, will help him pay for more expensive school later along with gaining maturity and experience. “It’s to get on my own feet, start my own life,” he said. Johnson is supportive of students who choose college alternatives. “Everyone has a path to individual success as a student,” she said. “The next step after high school should really be a personal decision. I think there’s a perception out there that a four-year college is the best option, but it’s not always.”

JROTC cadets stand at attention in seventh hour class. Several students intend to go into the military instead of attending a traditional four-year college or university. PHOTO BY FRANCENE BETHUNE

Pablo Lopez, junior, works on a project in wood shop. “I think although there’s more of a physical side to it, it’s good experience,” he said. “When you do it,, it’s more artistic, more precise. When you see the work that you did that looks so good, you feel proud of it.” Lopez is considering a career in architecture. PHOTO BY ALEXANDRA JOLLIFF

Seniors Danae Deese, Jihira Patton, Tarik Holmes and Simone Foxx celebrate after winning their competition at the Culinary Institute of St. Louis earlier this month. Tarik plans to go to culinary school rather than a regular four-year college. PHOTO COURTESY OF MS. STROHM

After a long day of touring var Rhodes, they engaged in a coll

College

By Alice Mutrux Co-Editor It has long been a po hopeful seniors to visit th choice. After all, most pe buy a car without taking nor would they purchase considering every aspect For students preparing to decisions at the end of th high school, touring scho aspect of their college se “At the beginning, wh to figure out where to ap visit a variety of campuse counselor Ms. Johnson. “ campuses, and small libe all options that students visiting to see what style It’s common for high to begin visiting schools freshman year. Sophomo visited Clark Atlanta Uni Georgia, while on a band made quite an impressio showing her some of the “I’d go to Clark Atlan fact that the band was re and very friendly,” said M very serious on the field but in the band room, th

MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED Students realize that success is not one-size-fits-all

rious campuses juniors and seniors pose for a group picture at Rhobes College in Tennessee during the Tennessee college trip in October. At lege admission seminar to learn about the requirements for freshman scholarships and the cost of attending a private university.

e visits impact student decisions

opular activity for heir colleges of eople wouldn’t g it for a test drive, e a house without t of the property. o make life-changing heir four years of ools is an important earch. hen you’re trying pply, you need to es,” said senior “State schools, urban eral arts colleges are should consider e appeals to them.” h school students as early as their ore Aliyah Merrill iversity in Atlanta, d trip. The students on on her after eir cheers. nta considering the eally accepting to us Merrill. “They seem while performing, hey showed us how

goofy and how much fun they were allowed to have.” Joseph Chunn, junior, has also visited a few colleges and has traveled to Georgia, Florida, and Illinois to visit schools that he’s considering for admission. His main concern while on a campus has been evaluating the environment of the schools. “It’s one thing to hear how small or large the populus of a school is, but it’s another to actually see,” said Chunn. “Not to mention the general composition of the classes. Pictures and photos can’t really express what the true nature of the university is.” Even so, Chunn says that he wouldn’t hesitate to make his final decision on a school without actually visiting the campus. “If I was applying to several highly selective schools, at that point it’s about taking the best opportunity,” said Chunn. “I don’t have to experience the atmosphere to make that decision.” Contrarily, senior Andrew White disagrees. White and his family traveled to 11 schools over the span of ten days during the summer and he is now considering attending an Ivy League school. He would prefer not to make his final decision without visiting the campus, no matter how prestigious the school. “In most cases you want to know the

waters before you jump in,” said White. “Even if I got into Harvard, I would like to visit just to make sure [that it was the right fit for me].” Understandably, seniors fast approaching graduation are feeling the most pressure to travel to the colleges they’ve been accepted to. Senior Alyina Singer plans on visiting Indiana Institute of Technology as well as Culver-Stockton College over spring break before making her final decision on a school. “It’s important to know where you will be living and to not trust what you see on the internet,” said Singer. “You never know what you might see when you go visit a campus.” Singer has already informally visited her dream school, Columbia College Chicago, when on her way to visit her aunt and took the initiative to talk to students currently enrolled in the college. “I drove through the campus and walked around,” said Singer. “I also Skyped with my cousin who’s a freshman at Columbia College so I could see how the dorms actually look when the students are living there,” she said. Singer encourages students to be inquisitive about dorms, campuses and class sizes when touring schools.

By Brooklyn Bass Staff Writer Senior Benjamin Pomerantz is ranked number one in his class, has won numerous awards for academic merit, and is on track to applying to some of the nation’s most competitive schools, including Washington University and Yale. Pomerantz was even voted as “Most Likely to Succeed” by his classmates. Although his classmates selected him as a representation of success, those who voted for him are careful to note that Pomerantz’s shot at an Ivy League education does not fit into their own ideas of success. In the grand scheme of things, senior Deja Carter gives success a poetic definition. “Success is doing what you love and inspiring others in the process,” Carter said. According to junior Christion Simmons, one does not necessarily have to make a lot of money or attain a desirable status to be considered successful. He notes that traditional versions of success do not really apply to younger generations. “Fame, money and status aren’t really accurate markers of success, because nowadays it is easier to get these things just by starting a YouTube channel or being pretty on Instagram,” Simmons said. Seniors like Diamond Jones also acknowledge that their lives after college are not necessarily directed by materialism and the social media driving new business markets. “Success is not knowing but not telling everything you know,” said Jones. “It’s the point in your life when you feel as if you’ve reached your highest potential and you’re satisfied. Most importantly success is the happiness of a reached goal.” Jones’s distaste for the unhumble inspires her to pursue a humbler life in comparison to Kim Kardashian. After graduating from U. City she plans to pursue journalism as means to promote awareness and peace among the common people. “In ten years I hope to be successfully finished with college, and doing something stable with journalism,” Jones said. “Overall I want to be happy with where I am in life.”

What is success to you? “Making money and being my own boss and taking care of my family.” -Jakelle Brown, senior

“I would be financially set in my career.” Lakeitra Wilson, senior

FEATURES

U-Times February 2015

Auditorium boasts unique style, history Art Deco design lights up one of the largest stages in the St. Louis By Johnanna Hill Staff Writer The signs are everywhere. Scorch marks on the back wall from the fire of 2001. Discarded spotlights from the 1930’s in the attic. Thousands of signatures from countless musicals painted backstage and in the catacombs. Less obvious, though, is the impact that the Charles Banks auditorium has had on U. City students over the years. Helen Tellez, a U. City graduate of 1967, remembers the auditorium fondly. “All the world may be a stage, but to me the U. City stage was the whole world,” Tellez said. “It was home.” Tellez performed in musicals such as “Camelot” and “The Music Man” while she was in high school and would sit in the auditorium after school and sing while waiting for her ride home. These experiences, she says, inspired her to major in music education when she attended Indiana University for college. “It has been my honor over the years to help other kids on other stages experience the joys and challenges I did in the U. City auditorium,” Tellez said. The auditorium was much the same in Tellez’s time as it was when it was built in 1936, with its Art Deco lights, red velvet curtain, and expensive oak stage. In 2001, however, a massive fire changed all of this. Mr. Blumenhorst, principal at the

Lieberman Learning Center, was assistant principal of the high school at the time. After evacuating the building, he and an FA ran to the auditorium. “I came to the side entrance, and I looked through the window, and there were flames from the floor to the ceiling,” Blumenhorst said. “I said, ‘oh no, I’m not going in there’, and I ran out.” The fire was set by two students hoping to get school cancelled. “Obviously they got in a lot of trouble,” Blumenhorst said. “I don’t know if they were expelled, but I know one went to prison.” The ceiling, equipment, stage, seats, and curtains were destroyed, but the structure of the auditorium, including the tunnels and rooms underneath the stage known as ‘the catacombs’ are the same. The stage remains one of the largest in the St. Louis area. There is also a story of a suicide in the rafters of the auditorium attic, but according to Sue Rehkopf, archivist for the Historical Society of University City, this is just a myth. “The story about a suicide in the auditorium is just that — a story that surfaces every once in a while,” Rekhopf said. “A student did take her own life many years ago, but at home, not at school. It was very sad.” But despite the notable events and the unique structure of the auditorium, theater students agree that the most important thing

is the experiences that students have gained from it. “It’s not the auditorium itself that is all that special, although it is one of the biggest auditoriums in the city,” said Henry Braeske, senior. “It’s what has happened in it. Generations upon generations have performed shows and written their names on the walls.” Raven Bullard, sophomore, agrees. “Everything feels more important,” said Bullard. “Whether I’m dancing or singing or acting, it’s like there’s this extra energy that makes me perform better.”

Names of countless musicals and performers cover the walls of the catacombs. Students who perform in the plays traditionally leave their mark on the walls.

Helen Tellz, class of 1967, remembers sitting in the balcony of the auditorium as an elementary school student, watching the St. Louis symphony play.“ Today, the auditorium has been re-furbished after a fire in 2001 and the bond issue improvements in 2013. PHOTOS BY JOHANNA HILL

Girls’ soccer field suffers from use by track and football By Daniel Williamson Staff Writer With the girls’ soccer season starting in March and the team currently in pre-season practice, the questions surrounding the quality of the soccer field arise again. The soccer field, which is across the street and adjacent to the Jackson Park Elementary School playground and faculty parking lot, barely passes size requirements set by MSHSAA, has uneven grass and is used by other school sports teams. However, the girls’ soccer team didn’t always practice and play on the current field. “Before I started coaching, the soccer teams used to play on the football field,” said girls’ soccer coach Mr. Brooks. “However, it was too narrow. When I first started coaching, the girls were at Jackson Park and the boys were at Heman Park. Then the soccer team played at the stadium, but due to concerns from other schools as well as our own concerns, the soccer team moved off of that field.” Mr. Hill, athletic director, explained that the changing of the fields throughout previous years was because of an issue with

MSHSAA, the Missouri State High School Activities Association. “They were originally on the football field, but with MSHSAA the field has to be a certain size, and I don’t think the current one meets requirements,” said Hill. While the current field is within the requirements, its length borders on qualification. “A soccer field has a minimum dimension of being 100x55 yards and a maximum of 120x80 yards,” said Brooks. “Our field is small due to the track team’s pits and the widest they have our field at is around 56 yards, which is around the bare minimum. If those pits were moved then it would be a wider field.” Another issue concerning the current state of the field is the amount of people using it. “Jackson Field is fine, but some people bring their dogs or play golf on it,” said Brooks. “The track team uses it for their field events with the pit; kids from Jackson Park use it and the football teams use it to practice.” Hill recognized the fact the field isn’t used exclusively by the soccer team.

“The soccer and football teams share that field,” said Hill. “The football team doesn’t practice on the football field because they play about 12 home games between the freshman, junior varsity, and varsity teams, which does enough damage to the field. They practice there once a week or so. If they practiced there daily the field wouldn’t make it through the duration of the season.” However, soccer player Kara Richardson, junior, doesn’t feel that the teams truly share the field. “To be honest, the football team probably uses the field more than we do,” said Richardson. “They never use it for games, but they practice on it all the time. They can’t stand to just have one field, so they use both.” The heavy use of the field perhaps contributes to the quality of the field, which soccer players have complained about. “The grass is extremely uneven,” said sophomore soccer player Yasmeen Coby. “I remember there being patches of dirt, which is hard to kick on. They need to cut the grass.”

According to Hill, the field is well-kept. “The field is groomed. I’ve sent schedules to the people at operation and maintenance, who are responsible for our fields for whenever we have a soccer game to make sure the field is cut and ready,” said Hill. However, Hill acknowledges there are unconfirmed plans to renovate the current field. “Our hope is that we get new field turf with the proper measurements to be used by the field hockey, football, and soccer teams,” said Hill. “The weather wouldn’t be an issue and it would bring in more money with revenue to the school because people could rent it. However, it isn’t official and no one has confirmed it.” While that renovation plan isn’t official, Richardson isn’t in favor of getting a turf field. “I’d take our field over turf any day,” said Richardson. Regardless of how the field is renovated, the soccer team agrees that the field needs to be changed. “The field is not that bad, but I do think that it could be better,” said Coby.

SPORTS

U-Times February 2015

Players step up to fill void

By Alice Mutrux Co-Editor Strong. Goofy. Hard working. These are just a few words used by the girls’ basketball players to describe their team dynamic this year. Despite several fallbacks, including losing their coach and three players being injured, the team has had a better season than last year in terms of their record and have set their sights on coming back even stronger in 2016. “Last year we were all over the place,” said Dejah Malveaux, sophomore. “This year we have more discipline and and people have gotten better [as players].” The team has won five games thus far, but their winning streak came to a halt with the suspension of their leader, Coach Griffin-Essex, who was in her second year of being the head coach of the Lady Lions. Coach Walker,assistant coach, has taken a stand-in position during Griffin-Essex’s absence. Players have found the adjustment of operating without their head coach a difficult obstacle to overcome. Freshman Daisia Howard, who is unable to participate in games for the rest of the season due to a torn ACL, noticed that the team “started off rough” following Griffin-Essex’s suspension, but found positivity in that it will ultimately make them a stronger team. “We’ve had to get used to how Coach Walker coaches,” said Nakia Yates, senior. “She’s more of a laid back coach, whereas Coach E. was more involved.” Even so, the loss of their head coach has left the players with the opportunity to step up as leaders and act as the “glue” of the team. Players have found that captains LaShe TomlinWilks and Alaundra Reed, juniors, as well as Dejah Malveaux, sophomore, have risen to re-unify the team and keep spirits high for the remainder of the season. Tomlin-Wilks feels especially pressured to set a good example, and her teammates have noticed that she plays a large part in holding the team together.

“LaShe pushes everybody to do better,” said fellow captain Malveaux. “She makes everybody happy.” Senior Nakita Yates agrees. “LaShe has stepped up,” said Yates. “She’s outgoing, outspoken, and takes charge.” Even from afar, Griffin-Essex has seen “tremendous growth” on the court in comparison to last year. “Dejah Malveaux continues to lead the team in scoring but Sharee Herrod and Alaundra Reed have stepped up their game towards the second half of the season,” said Griffin-Essex. “LaShe continues to be a dominant force in the paint with defense and rebounding.” In spite of their many obstacles, Griffin-Essex sees the harmony of the team’s dynamic. “They’re united as a team this year,” said Griffin-Essex. “They’re learning to play with and for each other.”

During the home contest against Hazelwood East, sophomore Justice Corn chases a loose ball. U. City lost 57-51. PHOTO BY TANEYA PARKER

Boys basketball season fluctuates By Lily Lewis-Stump Co-Editor With the basketball season more than halfway over and a current record of 9-8, the boys’ varsity team is trying to stay positive as the season winds down. Although the record is currently a little over .500, it is an improvement from last season’s overall record which was 9-15. “Maintaining a lead is hard,” says senior forward Marvin Bullard. “It’s been tough as the season’s progressed and we’ve lost a lot of players.” Due to issues with grades and a loss of team members in early January, the team has become drastically smaller. Four of five suspended players, two of which are starters, will not be returning this season. However, even with this loss of the majority of the senior players, the remaining team members persist in being strong. “The loss of players is going to impact how the team does, but I think we will still be able to rack up more wins,” said junior small forward Rontrell Gentry. “Our confidence is the key to our success.” With five of the 12 players not allowed to play, the varsity team took on some of the JV

players to make up for the loss. Even though the new addition of players has proved helpful for the team, senior point guard Daryl Black feels as though something is missing. “I feel we can do better,” said Black. “Underclassmen have taken up spots to make up for our loss of players. These are the most hard working, dedicated, and determined players I have ever played with, but we need more experienced players. The youth on our team aren’t mentally there yet. They’re not bad players, they just don’t have the chemistry with us yet.” Black went on to explain how the majority of varsity players have been playing together for years and have a bond that simply isn’t there with the newer players. Even though a lot of disappointment has consumed this season, the team won two straight after one of the five suspended players, senior Matavias Mayo, returned to the team Jan. 28. “With Martavius returning we got one of the pieces to our puzzle back,” said Black. Even with the return of Mayo, the team lost their next three to Ladue, Whitfield and McCluer in the span of five days.

During warm-ups before the Clayton game, senior Zaccheus Griffin takes a perimeter shot. The Lions won the game 68-64. PHOTO BY JOSHUA THOMAS

Athlete Profile Dejah Malveaux

Sophomore takes it to the hoop with 13.2 ppg By Francene Bethune Staff Writer As the youngest captain of the girls varsity basketball team, there is a lot of pressure—on and off the court. Sophomore Dejah Malveaux, along with juniors Lashe Tomlin-Wilkes and Alaundra Reed, has pulled the team together with the loss of players and even their head coach Essex-Griffin. “Malveaux as a leader mainly leads the underclassmen,” said Reed. “She is more a behind-the- scenes kind of leader.” Malveaux focuses on the dynamics of the team more than anything. “From my first season of playing with the girls, the dynamic is the biggest thing to focus on,” said Malveaux. “We are improving as we go along.” Malveaux is like any other player when focusing on winning, but unlike others on the team, she is more focused on the discipline and the chemistry of the players. “Although our record is not good, we are coming together as a team,” said Malveaux. “We are well on the court, but off the court we act as strangers.” With only a few weeks left of the season, Malveaux is primarily focused on her team and the rest of the season. “We have our up and downs, but we are a team and that’s what people need to focus on,” said Malveaux. Although boys’ basketball is one of the top sports and seems to get more attention than other sports, Malveaux’s 13.2 points per game is impressive, not only to her teammates, but also to her fans who come out to support the girls’ team. “We don’t get a lot fans like the boys, but I appreciate the cheering,” said Malveaux. “By the end of the season, I want to be a better leader and the one who has the confidence to go on even with our losses,” said Malveaux. “We have our up and downs, but we are a team and that’s what people need to focus on.”

SPORTS

U-Times February 2015

Kenith Wilson commits to Lincoln University where he is excited to continue his football career. “You can’t explain how it feels to sign. It’s been the day you’ve been waiting for for a long time. All my hard work paid off and now I get to go to the next level.” PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE POLITTE

Seniors commit to colleges on National Signing Day By Christine Politte Web Editor/Associate Editor Four U. City seniors formally committed to college football at a ceremony for National Signing Day. Seniors Kenneth Wilson, D’Mario Rogers, Martez Mayo and Ronnell Perkins signed with their colleges Wednesday, the first day college teams were allowed to officially sign freshmen for the 2015-2016 school year. Mr. Hill, athletic director and sophomore principal, opened the ceremony and turned it over to Mr. Maclin, building principal. “[The signers] have definitely made me proud and continue to excel at academics while they’ve been

Ronnell Perkins holds his nephew before committing to Mizzou, where he was offered a full ride scholarship. “The actual paper didn’t mean much because I already knew where I was going but it was good to finally sign.”

here,” said Maclin. “It’s not easy to balance athletics and academics.” “Yes, you are going on to college, but you are leaving the U,” he said. “You will be representing University City High School wherever you go.” Coach Allen, head football coach, also made some remarks. “They’re not only excellent football players, but they’re great young men,” he said. “It’s an honor that I’ve had a small part in their lives. My life is forever changed for meeting these young men and their families.” Wilson signed for Lincoln University, Rogers for

Central Methodist University, Mayo for Northland Community and Technical College in Minnesota, and Perkins for Mizzou. Two television stations filmed the ceremony and aired stories about Perkins. Maclin was proud of all the signers. “I’m excited to see the next stage in their careers and their lives,” he said. Mayo took a moment to reflect on his high school career after the ceremony. “It was a nice journey,” he said. “I couldn’t have done it without the push from my coaches and my father.” After posing for pictures, the attendees adjourned to another room for cake and punch to celebrate.

D’Mario Rogers-Miller, Martez Mayo, Kenith Wilson, and Ronnell Perkins show off their letters of intent after signing. “It felt like all my work from freshman year is finally represented,” said Rogers-Miller. “It felt good to not only make my next step towards my future but to also make my family and friends proud.”

As Ronnell Perkins announces his committment to Mizzou, he sports the schools cap. “Mizzou is where I wanted to go since I was little. It’s going to be good but it’ll take a while to adjust to college football.”