February 2014 Utimes by Utimes

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

January

Low -8 High 2

Low 17 High 32

Low 31 High 55

Low 28 High 41

Low 12 High 40

Low 23 High 30

Low 13 High 29

February

Low 8 High 27

Low 4 High 18

Low 10 High 29

Low 23 High 31

Low 19 High 34

Low 27 High 46

Low 2 High 16

Bryanna Jones, junior “I did the snow challenge, which is when you take off your shirt and jump in the snow. It was freezing!”

Carlos Lopez, senior “I ended up making a snowman. I was the modern day Pablo Picasso with the snow.”

riday

Low -13 High 21

Low 32 High 50

hursday

ednesday

uesday

onday

MT W T F

29 Low 5 High 34

5 Low 13 High 23

Low 33 High 44

Low 15 High 28

Low 3 High 34

Trevion Henderson, freshman “Sleep! It is hard to get some sleep messing with this school.”

30 Low 22 High 45

31 Low 29 High 38

Low -3 High 12

Low -6 High 18

Snowflakes indicate U. City snow days.

SOCIAL MEDIA STAFF EDITORIAL 2

WHAT IS LOVE?

VALENTINE’S SPECIAL 4-5

MILITARY BALL

JROTC WINTER EXTRAVAGANZA 8

U-Times February 2014 Volume 24, Issue 3 NEWS MAGAZINE

SNOW SMARTS By Brooklyn Bass Staff Writer Once school resumes after winter break, it takes a considerable amount of days to break from the acquired laziness of latter December and early January. Schoolwork is gradually piled on and after awhile, however, life goes back to normal. On the other hand, second semester began very differently. In January alone, U. City students only attended school 13 of the 18 scheduled school days. All of this occurred as a result of inclement weather and does not include the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday or the day students were released at 9:15 a.m. due to heating system failure. Clearly, these missing days out of the schedule are inconvenient. Still, many are quick to point out that for A.P. students, the occurrence is an obstacle keeping them away from potential fours or fives on the A.P. exam--something they think to be a bit more serious. “The difficulty comes in that even though final exams get rescheduled at the end of the year, A.P. exams are not,” said A.P. Language teacher Ms. Hackmeyer. For Hackmeyer, this proves to be lost time taken away from valuable instruction and planning for her rigorous language course. Hackmeyer said that she often is forced to ask more from her students. “There is a really finite amount of time to prepare students for the A.P. exam,” said Hackmeyer. “It causes us to do more in a shorter amount of time and it puts more pressure on teachers and students to learn more material in less time. A junior in Hackmeyer’s A.P. Language class anonymously sheds light on some of the anxiety brought on him because of the snow days. The increased workload has him metaphorically on his knees. “I’m struggling in A.P.,” the student said. Junior Sloan Marion, a student who currently takes A.P. Language and A.P. Government, plans to study a bit more than usual so the scores he gets on the exams in May are not a disappointment. However, he does note that the snow days have ironically increased his determination regarding academics. “The snow days provide time to really focus on my studies and catch up while providing ‘extra’ time,” Marion said.

OPINION

U-Times February 2014

2013-2014 U-Times Staff

Editors: Lily Lewis-Stump & Alice Mutrux Assistant Editor: Emily Looby Web Editor: Christine Politte Staff Writers/Photographers: Brooklyn Bass Francene Bethune Joseph Chunn Kayla Holmes Sherrell Jefferson Alex Joliff Sophia Kenyon Jihira Patton Anna Russell Clara Schock Ar’Reon Watson Daniel Williamson Reneise White

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.

STAFF EDITORIAL

Social media can affect student’s futures negatively Today, adults complain that kids are looking at their phone screens too much or that they are inside on their computer and not paying attention to more important aspects of life. In fact, the administration at U. City decided to ban cell phone use at the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year in an attempt to keep students engaged. Most of the time when teens are peering at their device screens they are either texting or posting/reading social media (specifically Facebook, Instagram and Twitter). In this day and age it is rare to come across a young adult that is not involved in social media. In a study conducted by Statisticbrain.com, 98% of 18-24 year olds are involved with social media on a regular basis. And according to that same study, only 59% of teens think of social media websites as unsafe. The amount of stories one hears about tragedies due to unsafe use of the internet is innumerable. However, teens rarely consider that they need to be careful on social media sites. Anyone could pick up a teenager’s cell

phone, open Twitter, scroll through their live feed and see not only funny quotes and hilarious stories, but also posts about getting wasted, smoking weed and scandalous, revealing photos of students. “Posting pictures of yourself partaking in illegal activities is distasteful and ridiculous,” said junior Malik Johnson. “Not only does it make you look immature and ignorant, it can take a huge toll on your present and future life. Something posted on the Internet will stay there forever, there is no taking it back and there can be major consequences.” Students become prime targets for predators and police alike. In addition, employers and colleges screen social media. By participating in social media in this way, there can be consequences not only through legal action, but also the possibility of not getting accepted into certain colleges and not getting certain jobs. Believe it or not, many college admissions boards do look at social media accounts. And posting such things seriously affects not only your future but also the present. Some high schools

even watch their students’ social media sites. “We advise students that tend to get in trouble not to post stuff on social media that could get them in trouble,” said assistant principal Mr. Hill. “Students can be suspended for what they put on social media, especially if a school conflict were to spill over to the social media.” The temptation to use social media to post even an empty threat to fellow students, teachers or administrators could land an individual in a heap of trouble. “I don’t do that because even if you were to delete it, it could have been screenshotted and colleges and jobs look through that stuff,” said junior Kerstin Morley. “Even your sports coach could check your page and it could have drastic effects on your life.” Next time you go to post something on a social media site, pause for a moment. Tapping a few buttons and posting a picture may get some laughs and only take a second, but in the long run it could greatly impact your future.

A dangerous intersection

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.

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. Cartoon by Anna Russell

NEWS

U-Times February 2014

Media representation promotes false images of minorities By Christine Politte Web Editor Even as U. City students celebrated Martin Luther King Jr.’s work against discrimination Jan. 20, many felt there was still much to be done to reach true equality. One major obstacle to this equality is the media, said students, because it has a strong influence on the way people view minority groups. At U. City, 90.4% percent of students are comprised of a racial minority, according to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. This does not count students who are part of a minority due to their gender or sexuality. That makes this issue especially relevant to students, many of whom feel alienated by the media that surrounds them. “I have seen none or very little media that incorporates my heritage,” said Robert Kneller, junior. “None of my characteristics as a bi-racial teenager in America are captured.” Most minorities are indeed underrepresented in films, according to a study by the Media Diversity and Social Change Initiative at the University of Southern California. The study found that white people get 76.3 percent of speaking roles, even though, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, they only make up 63 percent of the population. In contrast, black characters make up only 10.8 percent of the total despite 13.1 percent of Americans being black, and while almost 17 percent of Americans are Hispanic, they only receive 4.2 percent of movie roles. Asians have the percentage of roles closest to population, receiving 5 percent of speaking parts while making up 5.1 percent of Americans. Pablo Lopez, sophomore, who is Hispanic, thinks representation should be equal for all minority groups. However, he is also concerned with how his race is

portrayed on-screen. “They are represented as something less than normal, like not successful or not equal,” which makes him feel, he said, “as if I’m not allowed or not comfortable here.” Junior Lilian Getachew, who is black, also found this issue concerning. While some of her characteristics are portrayed accurately, it isn’t enough, she said. “Representation portrays black women as unattractive and unintelligent,” she said. “This makes me feel like I have to prove that I’m neither of those things.” Misrepresentation is not limited to race alone. Marquise Williams, junior, felt misrepresented on two fronts because he is both black and gay. On one hand, some people expect him to be violent because of his race, he said, but when they learn that he’s gay, he’s faced with an additional set of stereotypes. “There’s a gap,” he said, between the characters he sees in the media and who he really is. “When most people think of gay people, they think of flamboyant, girly, wearing purses and stuff. That’s not me.” Williams attributed most of the discrimination he has faced to misrepresentation in the media, he said. Besides perpetuating stereotypes, misrepresentation also has other negative effects, such as lowering the self-esteem of minority groups, according to a 2012 article on cnn. com. “It affects them when they don’t see themselves represented on TV, and it affects them when the young people who look like them are seen doing something wrong,” said Michael Brody, a psychiatrist quoted in the article. Not all members of minority groups feel like they’re being mistreated by the media, however. Linda Zhang, sophomore, who is Asian, has felt accurately represented in TV shows such as “Elementary,”

she said. Sophomore Jaylen Williams, who is black, was mostly unconcerned by media treatment. “Sometimes we’re portrayed as being extremely violent and that’s not necessarily true,” he said. “Does it bother me much? No. Looking from the outside in, we could look violent. It’s understandable … It’s not just African Americans that are portrayed badly. All races have some flaws that media illuminates.” Mr. Beezley, guidance counsellor, thought that while minorities are usually unfairly discriminated against, it should reflect more on the media than on the groups themselves. “It depends on what media you listen to,” he said. “Students will resent their race being underrepresented and probably not trust that media outlet.” To fix the problems created by poor representation, several students recommended giving all minorities equal screen time. Additionally, stereotypes created by the media should be fought with accurate information, said Lopez, “[by] getting people more experienced to Hispanic life, [getting] them to know more background information.” Williams concurs. “[People should] stop dwelling on the past, how black people used to be,” Williams said. “Look forward to say, we have a black president, we have black engineers. It’s the same with gay people,” he said. In the meantime, though, the damage has been done, according to Williams. “I feel like I’ve been stereotyped. I’ve been set into a picture. When people see me, they see a picture like on TV and that’s not what I am. Instead of getting to know me first, they base me off of stereotypes.” Joseph Chunn and Alex Jolliff contributed to this article.

The forgotten faces of black history By Brooklyn Bass Staff Writer By the time February comes around, the new year is in full swing and hearts begin to throttle at the inkling that a Valentine may be received. However, an air of seriousness is often mixed with these sweet and invigorating feelings. In other words, February is Black History Month, a time in which people all over the world relive the struggle and achievements of African Americans, past and present. “It’s a time for students to reflect on the communities in which they live and to find a voice in their communities,” said Ms. Pezzola, social studies teacher. “That’s for everyone, not just African Americans.” On January 18, U. City hosted the 28th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration. The event began on Jackson Park Elementary School’s front lawn as members of the community paraded to U. City’s auditorium. Featured during the program were many performances from district students. Since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is recognized as the face of the civil rights movement, much emphasis is often put on his life and legacy. As a result, King gets his own national holiday and many Americans

enjoy a day off from typical daily duties. However, many are quick to note that he didn’t do it alone. “Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells, Medgar Evans, Mamie Till,” reflected Mr. Horn, teacher of African American Experience, on notable black leaders other than Dr. King. “There are so many.” For a lot of people, Black History Month is a period of time to learn about the littleknown contributors to the momentous time in American history.

Malcolm X

“We should be educated because we said. really don’t know about our history,” said No matter how liked or disliked the senior Te’Aira Hudson when considering level of notability of certain figures may be why Black History Month is an important during Black History Month, many agree part of her education. that the month’s primary purpose is to Among the little-known, Hudson celebrate our freedom and to unite America expressed concern over those she describes as one. In the end, Horn ultimately comes to as misunderstood. She still wished to discover and gain understanding of one resolve. activists who are often neglected for their “Black history is American history,” he controversial views. She named Malcom X, said. Al Sharpton, and Spike Lee as very popular and yet slightly defamed figures. “Well, to a degree Writer/ Anonymous they brought a lot of it on Support Photographer Assistant Editor themselves by really pushing the ($20 or less) ($25-$40) the envelope,” said Pezzolla. U-Times Kendra “They tended to present Editor-in-chief We thank our Bertlestein ($45-$75) truths in very dramatic, supporters for Joseph Chunn controversial ways that donating to our Cindy Publisher student publication! people found offensive.” Finkenkeler ($80 or more) If you are interested James and Pezzolla dwelled on in donating, Melinda Looby Reverend Jeremiah Wright, please e-mail Martha Mahon President Barack Obama’s Mary Williams at Meg former pastor who delivered marywilliams@ Jill Sander-Chali ucityschools.org. disputable sermons to his JMV & DGP congregation. “Part of it is that people do take things out of context for political reasons,” Pezzolla

What is LOVE?

Gay people seek acceptance and equality By Daniel Williamson Staff Writer A boy and a girl hold hands as they walk down the hall. The girl smiles at the boy as she admires the heart-shaped box of chocolates that he gave to her. This is the classic cliché of a perfect Valentine’s Day that has been seen in the American media since the dawn of time. We live in a hetero-normative society in which the American dream has always been a heterosexual family living in a house with a white-picket fence. Will it always stay this way?

One adult who supports the right to love whomever one chooses is English teacher Ms. Halter. “I don’t think that there is that homophobia at U. City; just that people use words that can hurt others, but without the intent to put down homosexuality,” said Halter. “There needs to be more awareness of the way people use certain language. It’s been a couple of months since I’ve heard someone in class use such language with the intent to demean someone. I think it happens more often in the hallway and I hear that almost on a daily basis.”

A Changing World It isn’t the 1950s anymore and the world is changing. Seventeen states and the nation’s capital have already legalized same-sex marriage. However, there are 33 states, including Missouri, that ban samesex marriage. While our current president might be in favor of marriage equality, it is obvious that 33 is a greater number than 17. One might consider whether the homophobic opinion of the majority of the country reflects U. City. Students and teachers alike agree that LGBTQA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, asexual) people don’t deserve the slander and harassment they receive. There is no denying anti-gay comments occur at school. They’re all over-- in the hallways, classrooms and cafeteria. “We do have a problem with homophobia at U. City,” said sophomore and Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) member Korinna Brandt. “You can see homophobia in the hallways when people call each other ‘gay’ as if it is a bad thing. On a daily basis I hear gay slurs. I’m so used to it that I just tune it out; that is sad and almost scary.” Junior El Shaddi Ackles also believes that U. City has a presence of hostility towards same-sex couples. “I definitely think that it is due to ignorance of some students. I hear homophobic comments every few minutes-it’s so often that I barely even notice it,” Ackles said. “Everyone should be accepted by everyone, that’s the bottom line.”

Slow Progress Psychologists and health professionals believe that homophobia comes from the sexist idea that femininity is inferior to masculinity. This idea, along with the stereotype that society paints that all homosexual men are effeminate, is why homophobia is more common in males who think femininity is a bad thing. “I feel like it’s more so the guys that make gay jokes and they get really offended when people say that they do ‘gay’ things,” said senior Marina Claunch. “I feel like I hear comments like that every day.” While homophobia is recognizable at U. City, it is certainly not the most anti-gay place on earth. It isn’t like there are antigay graffiti or physical attacks done out of hatred. Out and proud student Kara Richardson, a sophomore, said U. City students are accepting. “As far as the attitude towards LGBTQA students goes, U. City is a bit progressive. When I lived in a small country town I was afraid to come out of the closet, but I feel safe here,” said Richardson. “It’s been two weeks since I’ve heard a homophobic put-down made, even though it wasn’t in a malicious way. However, I feel like that is worse because it means that people are okay with using gay with a negative

connotation. Personally, I don’t care if you agree or disagree, but don’t limit someone’s rights because their [sexual] orientation doesn’t matter; we’re all the same.” While the GSA club made a comeback last December, it hasn’t had a presence since the end of the 2013 school year. Claunch feels the club isn’t enough to stop the educate other students. “The administration could give punishment to those who are bullying gay students,” Claunch said. “Serious punishments, not just in-school suspension or detention. We should also have faculty be more on the lookout for bullying classrooms, hallways, and the cafeteria. Gay people should be accepted because they’re just like everyone else; everybody’s ‘normal.’” However, teachers and staff like Ms. Halter feel like they do all they are able to stop the harassment of gay students. “I think everyone is doing all they can with teachers correcting students on inappropriate language and educating them on how words can be hurtful,” said Halter. “We are doing the best we can. However,

“I was afraid to come out of the closet, but I feel safe here.“ -Kara Richardson it’s 2014, and by now people should know that they can’t use language like that so carelessly. I believe that everyone should be accepted regardless of beliefs or lifestyle and it’s saddening that people are afraid to come out to family and friends. Everyone should be accepted; we’re all different.” Some might even say that the gay

Gay Rights vs Civil Rights rights movement can be seen as a parallel to the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Ms. Halter’s syllabi contain a large

number of books that focus on the civil rights movement. “I think that both movements are all about people striving for equal rights,” said Halter. “A person’s skin color, religion, or sexual orientation doesn’t matter. An equal right is a human right,” Halter said. “As far as basic human rights, there should be marriage equality. I think that people protesting gay marriage will look like the people protesting African American rights back in the civil rights era. Forty years from now, we will look at those people and say, ‘How could someone think that way?’” One of Halter’s students who shares her opinion is Richardson. “It will definitely be remembered as being similar to the Civil Rights movement,” Richardson said. “Even though homophobia isn’t talked about much, it is a problem that will be realized in the future.” While the civil rights movement is over, there is no way of hiding the racism that exists towards African Americans today; just look at the controversy of the Cheerios commercial with a biracial family. Similar discrimination could continue for LGBTQA people after same-sex marriage and rights are legal nationwide. “The gay rights movement will be remembered, but not as intensely as the civil rights movement, because African Americans are still fighting against racism, and decades from now there will probably still be homophobia, but not as bad as it is in this day and age,” said Brandt. If President Obama, who we the people elected for two terms, says loudly and proudly that he supports same-sex marriage, then why are we still in a country where it isn’t accepted by everyone? At the end of the day, a gay person is still a human being who simply wants his or her lifestyle accepted by all.

What do singles do on Valentine’s Day? Brandon Harris, junior “I find another single associate of the opposite gender and buy them candy, a card, and a teddy bear, then we go on a date.”

Kayla Dinkins, senior “I plan on going out to eat with my best friend then the movies. We’re just going to kick it if we don’t have valentines.”

Deja Miller, senior

Jacelynn Allen, sophomore

“First I’m going to basketball practice. Then I’m going to be at home by myself doing nothing but being sad while everyone else has a valentine.”

“I don’t usually do much of anything. I just go out to eat with my family.”

Deandria Walker, junior

Caleb Herdon, sophomore

“I usually just stay in and watch TV like any other day of the year.”

“I’m going to be in the weight room, lifting away my pain.”

The language of love: what is the true meaning of the word? By Ar’Reon Watson Staff Writer “I love you”, “I luv you”, “I <3 you”. No matter how people spell it, say it, or use it, these words are becoming commonly misused, which creates an obscurity of the word itself. According to the MerriamWebster dictionary, the word love “is a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person…attraction that includes sexual desire in a romantic way.” The word “love,” however, can be mistaken for the strength that the emotion is supposed to have, which creates a misnomer within itself. What was supposed to be the most meaningful, heartfelt word in the English language, a word supposed to arouse our emotions, has become widely misused and increasingly inconsequential. People tend apply the word “love” to everyday things. The average teen can be quoted as saying that they love their phone, but loving a lifeless object deviates greatly from the original meaning and is

not nearly the same as appreciating it for its convenience and aesthetics. “We apply [love] to physical objects and materialistic things because love is a very subjective word,” said Mrs. Ruether, ceramics teacher. Considering its dictionary meaning, it is surprising to see how popular the word has become. The more readily available something is, it is expected it to be less desirable; in this case, the word has become less special. People still commonly overuse it, but a word which evokes such strong emotions appears to have lost its true meaning. “Unless you’re in a legitimate relationship or really love someone you shouldn’t use the term loosely unless you really feel it,” said senior Marlynna Blumer. The reason for this misuse, however, is widespread and not limited to people in relationships. “There are times when we say it out of habit and times when people don’t really

mean it,” said Ruether. But just like most words in the English language, it doesn’t require much thought. When asked what the word means to them, several ardently replied, “Love is when someone loves another person for who they are,” unable to reply without using the word “love” in their definition. “It’s that simple four letter word that everyone mindlessly refers to,” said junior Bryanna Jones. Even when focusing on everyday teen relationships, “love” seems like a word that is used to fill a space within a relationship. Junior Jaime Fields and his girlfriend have been dating for a year and a half and the word is thrown around just because they’ve been together for “a long time,” according to Fields. Not only did he say it because he felt that it was “just the right time,” but also because “she told [him] first.” “I knew I loved him when I got the feeling that he cared about me,” said Field’s girlfriend, Regina Artison, sophomore. “It’s

basically spending time with each other and talking. You grow a mutual feeling for one another.” The bigger question then becomes, does sex predicate the use of the word “love?” When teens throw the word around to their partner, it adds a new “fire” to the relationship. “Sex does not come with love,” said Fields. “There’s another word for that, which is ‘lust’.” Valentine’s Day might be another excuse for people to overuse and misuse the word “love”, but it’s also the perfect time designated for people to show love and not just say it. Though people might have their own connotations of certain words, they should think before they speak, because they may not actually mean what they say.

What do couples do on Valentine’s Day? Kaelin Clabon-Barnes, senior

Christopher Andry, junior

Imani Cooley, sophomore

“Me and the bae are going to spend the whole day together. Later at night we’re going out to eat and the movies.”

“I’m taking my girlfriend to Red Lobster and we’ll let the wind take us from there.”

Dejah Malveaux, freshman

Davidra Belk, senior

Katrina Allen, senior

“We’re going out to eat for sure and either the movies or bowling; I’m not sure yet.”

“We’re going to the movies and out to eat and that’s probably it, unless it’s cold.’

“We’re going to the movies and out to eat afterwards.”

“For Valentine’s Day we’re going to the mall and movies and he’s going to buy something expensive for me.”

FEATURES

U-Times February 2014

Recent leak causes social media security concerns By Alice Mutrux and Sophia Kenyon Co-Editor, Staff Writer Upon the start of the New Year, millions of users of the popular photo-sharing mobile application Snapchat were surprised to learn that they were on a list from an online hacker. This leak was comprised of 4.6 million Snapchat users and included both their names and phone numbers. Consequently, many people were outraged by this breach of privacy. “I’m very upset,” said Tanyra Blackmon, sophomore. “I don’t want to have random numbers calling my phone that I don’t know because of that leak.” However, this major hack did not come as a surprise to Snapchat’s developers, Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy. In August of 2013, they were warned that their app was vulnerable to hackers. In response, users were told that changes were made in the system and a post on the company’s blog down played the situation and suggested that the threat was “theoretical.” As well as the release of general information from users, the underlying purpose of the app is being violated. Snapchat’s primary appeal to users is that photos sent through their system are automatically deleted and unable to be accessed again after ten seconds or less. If these pictures are screen-shotted by another user, the sender will be notified. This feature allows anyone sending pictures a sense of security that they will know exactly who is

viewing their picture. However, new technology may eradicate this security feature entirely. Applications like Snap-Hack and SnapCrack allow users to save photos sent through Snapchat for an indefinite amount of time without notifying the sender. “I use SnapCrack so I can save photos [of my friends] without them begging me to delete them,” said Adekunle Adeyinka, junior. “If you send me a picture on Snapchat, I’m at liberty to use those photos however I want. By sending them to me, you’re giving me permission to use your pictures.” The developer of Snap-Hack, Darren Jones, claims that he created the app to warn people of the dangers of sharing pictures online. “I wanted to prove that nothing was 100 percent secure once uploaded to the Internet,” he told Mashable.com. Privacy breaches like these may concern users but will also give them more insight into just how private their photos are. Snapchat isn’t the first form of social media to raise public concerns regarding privacy. While surfing the web, sidebars will often display advertisements that seem tailored to the user’s browser history. Both Google and Facebook have faced charges for scanning private messages and emails in order to target custom advertisements towards consumers. “All of my online profiles are private, and they’re

private for a reason,” said Jahmal Jennings, senior. “If there’s a leak and my info is shared, I’ll no longer trust that website.” While advertisers stress the harmlessness of personalized advertising, the public fears that their “private” messages are being read by third party sources. In fact, records of a user’s webpage history can easily be collected using clickstream data by third party advertising companies. This data can then be teamed with popular social media sites to customize advertisements. This is why users can often spot a pair of shoes they recently thought about purchasing running down the side of their Facebook page. “Once I was looking up brakes for my car and now whenever I’m on Facebook I see ads for car parts,” said Jennings. “I think that this is an invasion of privacy if they [advertising companies] are looking at my history.” So what can the average person do to prevent their embarrassing pictures from going viral? The only surefire way to keep private information truly private is not to post it online. Other than this, setting social media accounts to the highest privacy setting, using small, private browsers to search rather than Google or Bing, and creating a unique mail server can provide extra security for photos, messages, and data history.

RETURNING ARTIST

Sandy Weltman, class of 1974, visits U. City schools By Christine Politte Web Editor It was the first time Sandy Weltman had been inside U. City for 40 years. Some areas, like the library, were new and foreign, but others, such as the gym, were exactly the same. The stadium remained largely unchanged, the same stadium he had sat in 40 years ago, playing the banjo on his breaks. “It brought back a flood of memories,” he said. Weltman, who graduated in 1974, returned to the district last week as the Municipal Commission on Arts and Letters’ 20th Returning Artist. Like the returning artists before him, he spent a week touring the district’s schools to inspire and enrich students. Today, Weltman is a well-known musician who plays a variety of instruments but is most noted for his harmonica skills. He plays a wide variety of genres, including jazz, blues, and ethnic music. Additionally, he creates downloadable harmonica lessons and plays occasional gigs. Weltman credits U. City with helping him enter the music world. “I never studied music in University City, but I played music here,” he said. “I don’t know how much I appreciated it at the time — I do now — [but] we had a great environment to explore.” When Weltman first picked up a banjo, it wasn’t for the sake of learning a new art form, though — he was trying to impress a girl. Soon, however, he fell in love with the instrument

itself. “As I got into it, I was really bad,” he said, but he had a lot of fun doing it. Eventually, he took a few lessons, gained skills and began to branch out to other instruments. Some time after he graduated, Weltman was impressed by a harmonica on the radio, and he set out to find the player. He learned the man’s name was Howard Levy, and on a whim, he signed up for a music camp with him. “I was basically just following my heart and my passion,” Weltman said. That passion led him into a whole new world of music and brought him great success. That success is secondary to Weltman’s love of the instrument, however. “This is one of the things that attracted me to the harmonica: that is was a tiny little instrument with worlds of music inside it,” he said. Returning to U. City, Weltman tried to bring that enthusiasm to the students. He gave each elementary schooler he met a harmonica, and he brought in “quirky” instruments to show them, like cow bones and Egyptian tambourines. “I was trying to get them fired up and excited about harmonicas,” he said, so they would explore on their own. Weltman hoped students would find a similar passion inside themselves. “That’s exactly what I love to do: I love to explore my interests and passions, he said.”Really explore your passions because those are the things you’re going to excel at, and they’re going to make you happy, too.”

Students recognized for art and writing After winning second place in the Walgreen’s Expression Challenge and a $1250 prize, senior Marina Claunch and Art Dept. Instructional Team Leader Mr. Yancy attended the award ceremony for a formal presentation. In addition, Claunch, Alice Mutrux, and Andrea DiCarlo, have been honored by the Missouri Writing Region of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Claunch won a Gold Key and an honorary mention while Mutrux won a Silver Key for her Personal Memoir and DiCarlo’s Writing Portfolio won a Gold Key. -Joseph Chunn

For more coverage on this story, visist www.utimesonline.com

U-Times February 2014

SPORTS

Girls swim team makes annual trip to Cape Girardeau By Sophia Kenyon Staff Writer Amongst large groups of girls from all across Missouri stand U. City’s mere five swimmers, waiting to swim their first relay. Being in the first heat of the first event of the day, four of the swimmers wait impatiently for the meet to begin. They stand tall despite their small numbers, heads high and hearts pulsing. “I was worried about the event,” said sophomore Korinna Brandt, who swam 50m of butterfly stroke in the 200 medley relay. “I thought I wasn’t going to dive right and hit my head or arms in the shallow end.” On Jan. 24, five of the eight swimmers on the girls swim team set out for their annual trip to the City of Roses Invitational in Cape Girardeau. Twenty-three other teams made the trip to appear at the meet on Jan. 25, hosted at Cape Central’s “Bubble,” a pool that in the colder months becomes what its name suggests, covered by plastic sheeting that creates a barrier from the weather outside. Going into the meet, U. City’s swimmers included juniors Emily Looby and Kayla Holmes, sophomores Alex Jolliff and Korinna Brandt, and freshman Ericah Brown, who were expecting their best performances of the season. Coach Mary Lhotak expected the best from her swimmers as well. “I always have high hopes for great times at Cape,” said Lhotak. “It’s at an intense part of the season and the competition is top notch, against some of the fastest teams in the state.” As opposed to many of the larger teams, sometimes comprised of over

forty girls with four events each — that’s a potential 160 events — U. City was only able to participate in twelve events in total. However, they made the best of their few chances. “Our team met my expectations and we had time drops from four athletes,” said Coach Lhotak. “They displayed great technique under tough conditions.” To Korinna Brandt, sophomore, coming to the City of Roses meet for the second time wasn’t as nerve-wracking as when she swam last year. “I was nervous about the size of the meet,” Brandt said. “But I was less intimidated than last time because I had done it before. I improved on most of the events and I’m proud of myself for doing different events than last year, which is challenging.” Sophomore Linda Zhang, who couldn’t make the trip with the team, lamented her lost opportunity to swim over the weekend. “I wanted to go but I was caught up with homework and had other things to do,” said Zhang. “I want to go next year, but I feel bad for not being in the meet.” Though the team left with a score of zero, the players showed great spirit and were able to reach personal goals. To freshman Ericah Brown, reaching her own ambitions mean more than racking up points against the competition. “I’m so happy that I beat my personal goal, even though I didn’t beat any teams. I didn’t think I could do that,” she said. “It’s more important to shoot for your personal ambitions because it’s your own best and you shouldn’t care what anybody else thinks.”

Sophomore Korrina Brandt glides down the pool swimming breast stroke while at a home meet against Parkway North. PHOTO BY ERIC STRAND

Senior Te’Aira Hudson starts a home game against Burroughs ready to take possession of the jump ball. PHOTO BY EMILY LOOBY

Struggling basketball team perseveres By Emily Looby Staff Writer Currently 0-14, the varsity girls basketball team has struggled through the first half of their season. Many of their games have ended in close ones; others, not so much. According to senior captain Deja Miller, the team is suffering from a low spectator turnout that has contributed to bad energy, which translates to their record. Fans have seemingly lost hope on the team even though they are steadily improving. “Although we are not winning on the varsity level, the freshmen and junior varsity teams have secured wins,” said varsity girls basketball coach Essex-Griffin (Coach E). “I am impressed with the dedication that these young ladies continue to show and their willingness to get better.” “I really hate the fact that nobody comes to our games,” said freshman Justice Corn. “Our record certainly does not reflect the way that we play and it is not fair to the team when people stop coming. We need the support.” The girls credit their struggling season to their inability to work together effectively and powerfully as a team. “We have a great deal of talent on the team this year,” said Miller. “However, we struggled to put all of our talents together

in order to work as a team.” Dejah Malvealux, freshman, is currently leading the team both offensively and defensively. She has tallied a total of 30 rebounds and averages 11.8 points a game. Although Malvealux is scoring, not everyone else is. “I don’t think we are shooting the ball enough,” said senior Te’Aira Hudson. “We’re focusing more on defense and if we would shoot more, we would score some morale points.” The team this year has strived toward keeping an open line of communication and developing relationships with their teammates off the court. The entire girls’ basketball program all went bowling together midway through their season. “I chose to coach at U. City because of the rich heritage, the strong alumni support and the great leadership of the administrative team,” said Coach E. “I also am able to look past the here and now and see the bright future ahead for Lady Lions.” By the end of the season, the team would like to prove people wrong, set the record straight. Even though the team is struggling, they are practicing to win. “Our practices are grueling,” said junior Arin Johnson. “Even though we do not win games, we definitely work just as hard.”

JROTC MILITARY BALL

U-Times February 2014

Senior Trista Thorton and sophomores Destiny Jackson, Imani Cooley, and Jordan Lushious moved to the beat as the DJ played the track. “The ball was fun and I was live,” says Cooley. “I was killing everybody on the dance floor.”

Cadets and guests enjoy evening of dance and celebration

While waiting for the ball to begin, the guests take in their surrondings and get excited for the evening to unfold.

Seniors Trista Thorton, Justice Carter, Keonna Burns and Deshunai Barlowe arrive on the scene. “I felt like I was untouchable and I felt good,” says Thorton. PHOTOS BY RENEISE WHITE

By Reneise White Staff Member Instead of performing rigid drills, JROTC students took to the dance floor on Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Clayton where they attended the annual military ball, which drew about 115 students. The evening began with a patriotic tone by playing the national anthem, followed by a toast to the U.S. chain of command. Soon afterward, dinner was served buffet style and the official dancing began. Students packed the dance floor, especially when “Nae Nae” was played.

“Even Sarge was doing it,” said senior Trista Thornton. Seniors Simone Clerk, Uriah Davis, and Deja Miller spent quite a bit of time planning the event. However, all their planning could not undo the falling snow and ice, which ended the event an hour early. Clerk was disappointed that the night had to end early, explaining that parents weren’t calling and worried. “Plus, I got there late and didn’t want to leave early,” said Clerk. “We still went out and at and everything afterwards.”

Juniors Hakeem Simms, Darion Washington, Darion Fields, Thomas Dixon, and Kenneth Wilson enjoy themselves. “I was in the zone and I was feeling myself,” says Wilson. “The ball was fun and it went down.”