May 2023 U-Times

U-TIMES

Art & Knitting club designs mannequins for local businesses

by Lucinda Cotello-Kumfer | Staff Writer

What’s a fun and interesting way to promote sustainability? For the Art and Knitting Club, it’s participating in The Mannequins Project.

The Mannequins Project consists of artists, designers, and students in the STL area designing mannequins for different businesses in the Loopbut they can only use recycled or repurposed materials. The Art and Knitting Club are designing two mannequins, one for Blueberry Hill and one for RedLion Customs. This is the 14th year the project has existed, and the designs will be displayed outside the Ronald E. McNair Administration building.

“It’s an opportunity for artists to be super creative and to celebrate U. City,” Marine Claunch, art teacher and Art and Knitting Club sponsor, said. “The main goal or purpose is to show that you can use all kinds of materials that are recycled or repurposed to create beautiful and interesting art pieces and clothing.”

“Vintage Vinyl, which is one of the shops in the loop, has actually donated a lot of their records to us, and we’re using them right now to create a skirt,” Smith said.

The completed mannequins will be on display from May 20th to June 11th, 2023.

“It kind of feels overwhelming, knowing that whatever you make a ton of people will see,” Makayla Jamison, freshman, said.

The first place winner wins $1,500, with other prizes for second place and audience favorite, as well as a chance to win a $2,500 scholarship for high school seniors if they write an essay.

“Public art in general does a lot for community so people being able to experience all these different creative pieces helps build community and support for artists and the visual arts in general,” Claunch said.

All the participants put the finishing touches on the record skirt. Each of the nine members has their own motivations for working on the project. Jordan Hughes, freshman, felt the work has given her inspiration for her future years at U. City. “In the future, I would love to work with different materials,” Hughes said.

PHOTOS BY SANDRA KARIUKI

Environmental activism and sustainability are a large aspect of the Mannequins Project.

“This project is important because we only have one earth, as they say,” Anniya Smith, senior, said. “The environment- it seems like no one is hearing it and no one is seeing it, so hopefully seeing like straight trash being used to make art will make people wake up.”

No new materials are allowed to be bought to design the mannequins, so the club is turning to reused materials such as bottle caps, records and things purchased from thrift stores.

On top of the benefit to the community, the Mannequins Project has been a long-standing tradition in U. City, dating back 10 years ago when local women’s fashion designer Audrey Jones and her mother, Dorothy Davis, created the competition.

“I felt really inspired by the story the creator was telling us,” Smith said. “And how she chose University City specifically to be a part of it, even though we’re not the only school district who does it.”

All funds raised from the project will go towards a University City art organization, project or school. Scan the QR code for more info!

AND ANSON COLLINS

Ronald Warren, Jordan Hughes and Makayla Jamison, freshmen, go over material and color options for the mannequin’s top. “You have to put a lot of thought into it and make sure other people can see it, not just you,” Jamison said.

Christian Cox, freshman, tests some fabric on the mannequin. “My favorite part is probably designing her clothes, because we spent a lot of time designing and doing historical research about it,” Cox said.

Marnie Claunch, art teacher and sponsor, and Nyrea Jones, sophomore, tie a thrifted shirt onto the mannequin for RedLion Customs. The designs were a group effort. “There wasn’t a direct inspiration,” Jones said. “We all came together and used our own ideas.”

We need positive muslim representation in film

by Nasra Artan Staff Writer

Diverse representation in film is imperative when aiming to connect to audiences, but the lack of accuracy in their representation has caused more harm than good, especially in the Muslim community.

For years, Muslims have been portrayed as untrustworthy terrorists and have made Muslim women seem oppressed by their religion. It has to stop.

Nearly a quarter of the world’s population is Muslim and yet their representation in Hollywood remains at 1.6%, according to the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative study that examined 200 movies from 2017-2019. The study discovered that about 50% of the Muslims in those films were connected to violence, referred to as “foreigners” or simply cast as Middle Eastern disregarding the fact that Islam is one of the most diverse religions. The lack of effort put into their representation is unacceptable.

Raising my Muslim nieces in a world that represents us in harmful ways has made it difficult due to the influence of films and social media. Children begin to form their identities based on the influence of peers and film, but the lack of correct Muslim representation has made it challenging for the younger generation of Muslims to feel prideful of their religion. Although the film industry has slowly progressed with the release of Ms. Marvel and its better representation of Muslims, children still deserve more. From Muslim princesses to superheros, children should be able to see their religion and culture highlighted in more ways than just one.

After the tragic events of 9/11, the rate of Islamophobic hate crimes increased due to the rise of the stereotype that Muslims are terrorists, and since then they have been painted as the main suspects when

it comes to the crime. That one tragic event has followed Muslims in America for years even on screen when it comes to being represented. The terrorist trope in films has contributed to the harmful ways Muslims are seen and in the process contributed to the increase of hate crimes towards Muslims in America. With the influence TV has on people, many have been blinded by stereotypes to understand that the Quran doesn’t condone these acts of terrorism done in the name of Islam. Surah Al-MaiIdah Ayat 32 states, “Whoever takes a life—unless as a punishment for murder or mischief in the land—it will be as if they killed all of humanity; and whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity.”

American Sniper was a film released in 2014 that resulted in many hate crimes against Muslims due to how they were portrayed. The movie is based on a US soldier’s service journey while in Iraq where Chris Kyle (played by Bradly Cooper) set history with his 160 kills, with was the highest in U.S. history. The portrayal of the Muslim extremist resulted in many Islamophobic threats towards the community on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. The threats gradually intensified until they reached the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), which resulted in the committee sending a letter to the directors of American Sniper, Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper to draw attention to the “violent threats” towards their members and asking them to speak out to help reduce the hate. But in addition to their letter, the ADC encouraged the Muslim community to send in any threats received due to the release of the movie, and they were able to gather more than 100 threats. Jack Horner, a spokesman for Warner Bros. told the Reuters news

Trends don’t dictate style

by Kamarra Williams Staff Writer

agency that their company “denounces any violent, anti-Muslim rhetoric, including that which has been attributed to viewers.”

But they weren’t the only film to portray Muslims in harmful ways. Netflix has had a horrible reputation when it comes to Muslim representation. Since the release of their Netflix original Elite, many Muslims have voiced their opinions when it comes to Nadia (played by Mina El Hammani) and the character’s poor job of representing young Muslim women. In the show, Nadia is a lower-class teenager attending a very prestigious school made for the elite on scholarship. With her low status plus the representation of her hijab she endures acts of islamophobia and is written to be seen as oppressed by her culture.

The school threatened expulsion, claiming a hijab did not meet uniform standards. Everything from the request to the threats was unacceptable and degrading. A woman’s hijab represents more than just her modesty but her commitment to her faith and having not only watched her classmates but her principal contribute to the islamophobic acts created by society was disappointing. Muslim women aren’t oppressed by their Islamic beliefs and depicting them as such is not only harmful but wrong.

Muslims have voiced their concerns when it comes to representation for years, and there needs to be a change. They deserve more than just being seen as terrorists and oppressed by their religion; they deserve to see Jumma prayers and Eid celebrations. Muslims have dealt with the backlash of the tragic events of 9/11 for too long. Times have changed and so should their narrative of Muslims.

TikTok jumpstarts popularity whether people like it or not

by Xavier Thomas Web Editor

As TikTok grows bigger and bigger, it influences a new generation of music artists to blow up from its app and jumpstart their careers. Artists like Yeat and Ice Spice have become a main source of music for some people.

Both of them are great at making and crafting their music, but one of the main reasons why they became mainstream was because of the popularity they gained from TikTok.

Ice Spice became an overnight sensation with her song “Munch.” But as the attraction slowed down people wondered if she would become a one hit wonder. She proved everyone wrong because after her song “Munch” almost any music she put out became a trending sound on TikTok, solidifying her a loyal fanbase.

Yeat, who is a 23 year old rapper from Irvine, California, was an underground artist before his music started to gain a lot of attention on TikTok. But that all changed when almost every month of 2022 a new song of his was

trending. With the addiction that often comes with having TikTok downloaded, people were bound to hear Yeat everyday. He began to get more mainstream attention the more popular he started to get on TikTok and even started collaborating with huge artists like Lil Uzi Vert, NBA Youngboy and Young Thug (to name a few). He even got one of his songs in the movie “Minions: Rise of Gru.’’

But as music artists like them grow more and more of a fanbase people start to see them as “TikTok artists.”

You probably wouldn’t hear their music on the radio, and the majority of their fans are from TikTok. Yet they are the ones who are getting the most mainstream plays on music apps, and it’s changing their lives. Artists like D4vd blew up on TikTok because of the songs he released called “Romantic Homicide” and “Here with Me.” D4vd is an 18 year old music artist who, before signing to Interscope Records, had to record songs in his sister’s closet. But the one thing that makes D4vd differ-

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ent from Yeat and Ice Spice is that he regularly makes TikToks. Because of this he gets less credibility of being a music artist and more of a TikToker who makes music.

It seems unfair that some music artists are seen as less credible because they make TikToks to promote their music, but I see it as a good marketing strategy to get their music out to the public. If the music is good it shouldn’t be an issue if someone makes TikToks while also putting out music. And with the way things are looking for the music industry, people are going to have to choose between these types of artist or AI generated music. Also, people make it seem like new musicians are the only ones promoting their business and music through TikTok, but every other business is doing it now. Some don’t even feel like making TikToks to get their business out to the world but with the app expanding everyday it feels like a crucial option for them. TikTok is the quickest and smartest way for people to get to

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The artist and their team know this which is why they are encouraged to post music on TikTok, which would most likely get them a loyal fanbase. And with a large fansbase from TikTok it can be easier to build a larger fanbase in the mainstream media as well.

Soon people are going to have to realize that the new wave of musicians that get popular off of TikTok are going to pave the way music is listened to for our generation. They found an easy way to get to the top of the music charts and became successful by doing it. And of course there are some musicians who make corny music and put it on TikTok simply for views. Some even use the phrase “Did I just make the song of the summer?” Normally when I hear someone say that it most likely means the song is going to be a generic pop song. That trend should stop, but creative and unique artists expressing their music to the world through whatever popular medium there is should not.

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In today’s age the word “fashion” can mean several different things depending on the person. Fashion usually consists of a popular trend, especially in styles of dress. But is trendy really fashionable? The word trendy in my mind usually refers to expensive and sometimes outrageous looking clothes. The norm in fashion can change almost everyday but the thing that remains the same is the designer or a name brand. It feels as if a new piece of weird clothing breaks out everyday and the only reason people wear that item is because of the price.

Take Yeezy foams for example. They’re an over $200 shoe that has a bunch of holes in them. I don’t think paying for 25 percent of a shoe is a smart investment, but then again some people do. Is it because of the price or because it’s “trendy?”

Or some people may really enjoy the way the shoe looks, which is fine. But what don’t understand is when someone tries to dress outside of the current trend of clothing or norm, it’s a reason to make fun of them or respond negatively to them dressing differently.

The type of “dressing differently” I’m referring to is alternative styles like grunge, gothic, emo, scene, edgy, etc. I’ve noticed, even in my own experience, when you try to dress in these certain styles you get

way more judgement than you’d probably would wearing name brand like Nike or Balenciaga. In most of these “alt styles” there isn’t a lot of name brand associated with it- usually thrift or just regular, used clothes- but still has the aesthetic attached. You would think dressing in the way you want to express yourself shouldn’t be anything to make fun of someone about, but it still happens often. Getting laughed at by people walking past is the main issue or people recording without permission to crack jokes (at least just speaking from my experience). think it says a whole lot about people who wear the same things everyday; you aren’t original or special since the person right next to you is wearing practically the same thing.

“I consider my style to be different from usual trends, because I don’t just wear the same thing everyone else wears,” Danae Carey, junior, said. “I dress the way I do because like to be different. get my clothes from thrift stores, because I don’t want to be the same as everyone else.”

When it comes to trendy clothing and its expense others perceive it as neither here nor there. For Carey, you can put on a really nice outfit without it being expensive and vice versa: you can put on a nice fit while it also being expensive, so it really depends on the person.

Some pros to dressing alternative are just looking really cool and different compared to the current trends. But the downside- the cons- is that people are very judgemental.

“Some people say I dress like a boy or say that I’m emo for jokes, but that’s not how I would describe myself or my style,” Carey said. Not all judgement affects us though. It can be annoying, but we don’t always need to take other people’s judgement into consideration. Why should I care about how you feel about the way I like to dress?

“To me there aren’t really any cons because even if people do comment on the way I dress, it’s not like I care,” Mondis Doyle, junior, said. “Most people like the way dress so the judgement get could care less about.” (His inspiration for his style is Luka Sabbat, a African American actor that has a very distinct way of dressing.)

Regardless of the stigmas people might have about the alt dressing community, we have no shame in the way we dress, and we shouldn’t have to change for the amusement of others. I feel everyone should be able to dress in the way they feel is best for them- not just what’s “trendy” at the moment. The unnecessary judgement and comments don’t make you look any cooler than anyone else.

Put earth over profit: the dangers of the Willow Project

by Erin Standish Staff Writer

All around the world, people have been debating what should be done regarding the climate crisis our planet is facing: an increasing rate of natural disasters, rising sea levels and habitats destroyed. This topic is so important that United States President Joe Biden used his stance on it during his campaign. He promised concerned voters there would be “no more drilling on federal lands, period. Period, period, period” (CNN). But now that he is in a situation that tests his dependability, he is coming up short, making it clear his promises were empty.

ConocoPhillips, an American multinational company, proposed the “Willow Project.” If passed, a long, expansive and colossal project drilling for oil on Alaska’s northern slope would launch. The land considered is part of the National Petroleum Reserve, which is federally owned land. This put the decision in the hands of the Biden Administration. A decision to cancel this project would benefit the common good, especially in the long run. Lives would be saved, habitats preserved, and we would be one step closer to repairing our damaged climate.

On Monday, March 13, 2023, the Biden administration approved the Willow Project, giving the green light to a project that will irreversibly harm the earth in regards to the climate crisis. The public’s opinion on this matter is complicated; many having mixed feelings about the endeavor. Lots of citizens that voted for Biden are outraged at the hypocrisy this decision implies. During his presidential campaign, Biden said that he would oppose things like the Willow Project that will negatively impact the already urgent climate crisis. On the other hand, there are some positive things that could come from this project. Taking a deep dive into all the factors and implications of this decision reveals a striking dilemma.

Multiple Alaska native groups are strongly in favor of the implementation of the Willow Project. The three Alaskan state lawmakers unanimously support it, citing that it would create more job opportunities for the local residents. Along with supporting the local community, state lawmakers say the Willow Project “will raise domestic energy production and lessen the country’s reliance on foreign oil” (CNN). In a meeting with Biden and his advisors, the lawmakers endorsed the project, which heavily influenced the Biden Administration’s decision. It’s also important to note that ConocoPhillips, the Biden Administration and the lawmakers are doing what is best for them- not for the common good.

Alaska. Ruskin replied, in addition to Senator Lisa Murkowski, that “pretty much the whole Alaska political and business establishment, the entire legislature, the whole congressional delegation, including Alaska’s new congresswoman, Mary Peltola, (a Democrat), organized labor, Alaska Native leaders- supports it” (PBS). The issue with this is that greed is motivating their decisions. They are putting profit, power and financial gain before anything else.

Though supporters are loud, there are still people in opposition. The opinion of those living closest to the drilling sites differ greatly from those who won’t be around when the project is actually put into motion. Nuiqsut Mayor Rosemary Ahtuangaruak, along with two other Nuiqsut officials, are concerned about the environmental and public health impacts the Willow Project will have on the community closest to the drill site. In a letter they wrote to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, they pointed out the problem: “villages get some financial benefits from oil and gas activity but experience far fewer impacts than Nuiqsut. We are at ground zero for the industrialization of the Arctic” (CNN). This sheds light on the reason why some Alaska natives are in favor, while others are hesitant. These are real people’s lives and homes that are being debated over, and their voices aren’t being considered enough in the conversation.

One organization called The Native Movement is strongly opposed to the Willow Project. On their website, The City of Nuiqsut and The Native Village of Nuiqsut point out multiple concerns, including “lack of adequate consultation, the significant impact on the health of Nuiqsut residents and the imminent detrimental loss of access to food/subsistence resources” (nativemovement.org). Specifically regarding the environmental impacts, they write, “This is the birthing grounds of the 60,000 caribou — the Teshekpuk Lake caribou herd. Nuiqsut residents have spoken out about sick fish, signs of starvation in caribou and toxic air quality directly caused by oil and gas extraction within their homelands” (nativemovement.org).

These very real concerns are going unaddressed. The least that ConocoPhillips or the Biden Administration could do is answer the questions and concerns posed by many. Their homes are being invaded and tampered with no warning. Not to mention the future problems subsequent generations will be forced to fix.

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In an interview by PBS NewsHour with Liz Ruskin, Washington correspondent for Alaska Public Media, was asked about those supporting the project in

The short term financial benefits are not worth the irreparable damage. There is no compromise in a situation like this; we either protect our planet or further damage it to an inhumane extent. But The Willow Project is just one example. It’s our responsibility to fight for the disregraded voices and fight for the earth.

Cast and crew unite to present The Wiz

by Jasmin Lewis Staff Writer

Changing through orange, yellow, green and blue lights, the stage in the auditorium lit up for the spring musical Friday April 14 and Saturday April 15 at 7:00pm.

The original “The Wiz” is an African American musical film created by William F. Brown in 1978. The main character Dorthy is a Kansas girl who gets swept up in a tornado and transported to the land of Oz, where she’s led to the wizard by Addaperele, the good witch of the North (Ra’Mya Golden, junior). She meets Tinman (Chyace McCree, sophomore), Scarecrow (Kaydn Bardwell, sophomore) and Lion (Victor Seay, junior).

They all are on an adventure to see The Wizard (played by Casey Beard, freshman) so they can all get what they most desire in life. Dorthy intends to return to Kansas; Tinman wants a heart; Scarecrow wants brains, and Lion wants courage. In the end, after going through a long journey, they are disappointed to find out The Wizard is a sham the whole time. Glenda (Rosemary Shawver, junior) tells them the only way to get what you want is to believe.

While the crew and cast felt prepared for the performance, there was extra stress added to the last show.

“Closing night we had the tornado warning and the storm; we had a leak on stage, especially on my side, so that was a major set back,” Kiara Fall, senior and assistant stage manager, said. “We were able to work around it and move the props in time. If we did not it probably would have made things worse.”

Moreover, there were other small setbacks that the crew had to overcome.

“Crew doesn’t typically get a lot of recognition but they were on it,” Kendrick Hooks, theater teacher, said. “For one example, our lead mics went out one night, and the left stage crew jumped right on it and got them back on the stage like nothing happened; no one noticed. I appreciate my cast being flexible and my crew being ready to spring into action.”

Even with the obstacles, the cast and crew expressed their joy for the play and their performances, especially with Hooks as the new teacher. This was his first big show since the pandemic, and there were 90

students involved.

“I would say my favorite part was just seeing them all feel that sense of both relief and accomplishment of being able to get through the production,” Hooks said. “The Wiz is a very big show, so just seeing all their accomplishments really touched my heart.”

Preparation for the set took over a month, and students started rehearsing back in January. Jalah Brown, senior, played Dorothy but didn’t join the cast till February.

“The most difficult part was learning the lines,” Brown said. “Some days I would do well, and some days I wouldn’t. Sometimes I just wanted to give up, because it’s like ‘dang, we just going to have to keep going over and over again,’ but eventually I got it. A lot people helped me like my mother, Mr. Hooks and my friends.”

The production took involvement from everyone; no one could slack off.

“When we worked as a team, it really took the pressure off of everybody,” Kenya Calvert, crew member, said.

New developments on olive in u. city

by Alara Stewart Editor

After the long awaited construction of Costco on Olive Blvd. many people in U. City and nearby municipalities find it extremely convenient to shop there. But what most people don’t know is that there are new developments in the works right across the street from the new Costco.

The city has been planning these developments since 2018 and U. City is now seeing its progress. The new establishments that are being constructed will be called the Markets @ Olive. The businesses are as follows: Raising Canes, Chase Bank, Chipotle, Aspen Dental, AT&T, Five Guys, Jersey Mike’s, Starbucks, Maple Street Biscuit, ChickFil-A, First Watch and Panera Bread

The QuikTrip, which many have been waiting for, also recently opened April 13th.

Bwayen Smotherson, 3rd Ward Councilman, says that everything should be completed either the end of this year or beginning of 2024. He expresses his enthusiasm for the new businesses as they will hopefully increase the city’s tax revenue.

decades. Despite the positive outcomes, there are certainly some downsides to this project.

The term “clean up” could be used to describe what the developments are doing to the area; however, what this also describes is gentrification of the area. This is seen as a good or bad thing in some people’s eyes as it does eliminate some of the businesses that weren’t thriving but it also means tearing down heritage- and community.

There’s also the additional environmental issue that this project disregards. University City seems to be becoming more and more industrialized. With this new construction the city could have easily used one of the huge lots as a space to implement plant matter to the area. Despite its location being near a highway, a park or even a large garden would have brightened up the area, providing the children in the neighborhood another green space while also working to keep U. City an environmentally sound city.

In the beginning of the play, Ra’Mya Golden, junior, performs her role Addaperle, The Good Witch of the North. “I was talking to Dorothy about having to go see The Wiz,” Golden said. “In the play, she didn’t know who he was so had to explain and sing the song.”

District all-strings concert encourages collaboration

by Addie Lander Guest Writer Orchestra classes from every school in the district gathered to perform Wednesday, April 19 in a collaborative show in the U. City gymnasium showcasing students in grades 4-12. Grace Fitter, orchestra teacher, worked hard in combination with teachers across the district to put the whole show together.

“Collaborating with the middle school and the elementary schools is special and important,” Fitter said. “It allows all students to see the big picture of their orchestra journeys and reminds students that the whole team of string students extends beyond their class period and even their school.”

This performance doesn’t happen overnight; students spend the whole year building on their skills. This year added participation from the JROTC.

“The high school JROTC cadets joined the high school orchestra for a collaborative opening number, which was a new initiative,” Fitter said. “It was both powerful and exciting.”

The orchestra is regarded as a great class experience by all who take it. Elena Kellog, senior and violinist, rejoined this year and did not regret it.

loved seeing the middle school and elementary school orchestras play.

“It’s always really cool to watch and listen to how much the younger kids have learned,” Stewart said. “I also enjoy watching the eighth graders play, because it’s like a graduation for them.”

Despite minor issues from the sound in the gym, the concert went on without a hitch.

“The concert went very well,” Clementine Huck, freshman and upright bass player, said. “I believe that my peers and stayed together throughout the duration of each song and sounded very fluent together. It was difficult to perform in the gym because of the echo it creates, but that was the only downside of our performance.”

Nevertheless, there will always be the factor of nerves when performing. Edgar Zamacona, sophomore and bassist, experienced this feeling.

“I had many thoughts during the concert,” Zamacona said. “I was nervous, but as it kept going I felt more confident and less scared of messing up. struggle a lot trying to keep my focus on not messing up.”

“My hope is that those revenues will help give more services to the residents of this city and help relieve the burden that residents had to bear for so long,” Smotherson said. “I’m also hoping to allow our residents the opportunity to get good jobs closer to their homes and access to great commercial services and products.”

U. City has been missing this level of revenue especially compared to cities like Clayton; however, with this new construction hopefully U. City will reap tax-paying benefits.

For example the school district will receive more funding, which is something that has been needed for

U. City has completed a large portion of these developments already so it is too late to go back and make major adjustments; however it’s still important to recognize the city’s hard work. We don’t always get our way exactly as we want and there are always opportunity costs in life. The city will tremendously increase its revenue, jobs and overall quality due to the revenue, so you can look forward to the completion of the project next year and go out and support the city!

Environmental club expands garden and goals

by Garner Province Staff Writer

With new leadership, the U. City environmental club is in action creating gardens, recycling and educating the community on sustainability. Led by sponsor Matthew Tuths, Latin teacher, and club president Bella Wright, junior, the club is advancing its mission to help our school become greener. The School District of University City is already one of only two green ribbon status districts in the state.

“University City is a Green Ribbon School District and so we’re actually one of only two school districts in the whole state that has federal green ribbon status,” Tuths said. “The other one is Parkway. There are 20 individual schools in the state that have green ribbon status, but we are only one of only two districts.”

This work doesn’t come lightly though. All of the schools in our district have worked hard for this ribbon status.

and exciting ideas in the works.

“I think in the future we’re going to try to work with the kitchen (cafeteria) either by giving them fresh food or making the trash and recycling in the cafeteria more environmentally friendly,” Oliver Watt Hoven, junior, said. “And we’re also just going to continue the recycling initiative during the B rotation periods.”

Next year, they are expanding the garden to the field on the east side of Jackson Avenue, which is just under an acre. The space will be used for food production and an outdoor classroom/event space.

“This year we’re working on building the first stage of our garden, which is going to be next to the library,” Watt Hoven said. “Next year we’re going to try to expand the garden across the library, which is just a big open field that would be perfect for it.”

are things that are good for everyone,” Tuths said. “No matter what kind of space you live in there is always room to bring some form of gardening into your life, whether it is having a plant in your window sill or something else like that. It feels good to have some kind of connection to nature, no matter how big or small the connection is.”

As club president, Wright, serves as the face of the program.

“My responsibilities as president include helping to run meetings, leading school-wide recycling, working with Mr. Tuths to facilitate overall projects and maintaining action plans,” Wright said. “A lot of my job is acting as the face of the club; if a teacher needs something from the club, they know to talk to me, and it’s atypical for me to miss club events.”

These songs were a highlight for the audience. “Me and my mom loved hearing us play them,” Minton said.

Charissa Ferguson-Hitchens, junior, David Ruland, sophomore, AJ Holahan, junior, and Gabriella Carvajal, junior, play during the first set of the night. Ruland plays violin. “When perform, I can’t take my eyes off the music for a second,” Ruland said. “I have to keep focused no matter what is happening around me.”

“I joined orchestra my freshman year, but due to covid I dropped it until now, so this is my second year being in the orchestra program,” Kellog said. “I’m really glad decided to rejoin because it’s a really fun experience.”

There are many aspects of this concert tradition to love, but MaKayla Stewart, junior and violinist, specifically

It can be unanimously agreed that the orchestra excelled this year, but none of that could be possible without the hard work of our teachers.

“Ms. Fitter has done a great job of making sure each individual is comfortable with each piece we play, which makes our performance better both individually and as a whole,” Kellogg said.

“Very generally what that means is that as a whole district we have taken steps to be environmentally friendly, whether it is having student-run recycling programs, school gardens that are incorporated into classes and clubs or using some solar energy,” Tuths said. “There are a lot of different specific things that are involved in earning green ribbon status, but they are all about having all of your schools in the whole district taking intentional steps to be more environmentally friendly.”

Even though they were mainly focused on recycling and composting last year, they have many new

Tuths also has plans for a school-wide composting system.

“Next year, a goal for the Growing Together event (the district’s environment and public art event), is to start all or almost all of the plants given away from seed,” Tuths said. “In our greenhouse right now we buy a lot of seedlings that we bring to the event, but we’d like to start them all from seed ourselves. These tangible goals align with the more valuable based goals that students identified this year.”

However, being in the club doesn’t entirely mean you have to love planting or be big about recycling.

“The stuff that we do in the Environmental Club

Joining the Environmental Club and just helping out once or twice a week could not only help the environment but could be a cool way to hang out with friends.

“People should just try to think more about the environment in general and consider joining some kind of environmental organization that’s available to them, even if all they do is something small once a week because it still helps,” Watt Hoven said. “When other people randomly join us in our environmental club activities, it always helps since we have more people and it’s a good time, so I would encourage people to help out wherever they can.”

Grace Fitter, high school orchestra teacher, claps along to the beat of the “Danza Espanola.” Fitter felt the orchestra was prepared for the performance. “Actually in this moment there was nothing stressful,” Fitter said. “In this exact moment there was something I had to do with my hands, and I was keeping my eyes on the score which was down on the podium, so I was just watching everybody’s parts as it was happening in real time.”

Timothy Watts, senior, plays violin along with Joshua Minton, sophomore, during one of the high school’s solo performances of a few Michael Jackson songs.

Scarecow (Kaydn Bardwell, sophomore) and Dorothy (Jalah Brown, senior) give the Tin Man (Chyace McCree, sophomore) oil after he was revived. Bardwell felt all went smoothly. “Everyone was polished and had their lines and stuff together,” Bardwell said. “It was not stressful.”

The brand new Costco that opened in Oct. 2022 offers grocery, home goods, clothing and other needs. It additionaly has a gas station and a car repair service that can be accessed inside.

On the corner of Woodson and Olive construction has begun right next to the brand new Costco.

A Raising Cane’s is being built in the lot accross from Costco, in addition to a First Watch, Chick-FilA and more!

PROM 2023: MET GALA

Seniors attend first and last prom

by Xavier Thomas Web Editor

A night to remember was the Met Gala-themed prom at the Mahler Ballroom. The ballroom was decorated with a red carpet and big chandelier for students to wear their flashiest and unique suits and dresses. The DJ greeted students with songs from artists like Glorilla, Lil Durk, Nardick Wick and more. This all wouldn’t have been possible without the planning of student council class of 2023 and their sponsors April Lawrence, counselor, and Stephenie Davenport, admin secretary, to make a memo-

rable night.

“Planning prom was a lot but wasn’t as stressful as I thought it would be because we have an amazing team of stucco members,” Candace Weeden, senior, said. “Our sponsors definitely helped us out ,because they did a lot of the reaching out to the different venues and food places.”

With there being two sponsors for the class of 2023, they were able to help each other out with planning while also staying organized.

“It’s two of us so it kind of takes off the workload because you have two people doing it, so one person can

take on a certain task and another can take on a different task,” Lawrence said. “So it’s kind of like a tag team.”

Prom is one of the last big events all seniors can attend together to spend time as an entire class. Many found that the event was bittersweet for this reason Seniors were able to celebrate and dance with each other regardless.

“It was my first prom, and it was a really great experience,” Shelisha Davis, senior, said.

Per tradition, juniors attended alongside the seniors. for the first time. They were able to come together and dance with no issues.

“Prom was all right,”

Gabriella Carvajal, junior, said. “I had fun. Less people came than I expected, but the music was good and it was nice.”

Prom was a night to remember for U. City juniors and seniors as friends could come together and share one last special event with each other.

“Getting to hang out with friends, socializing and taking pictures in the photo booth were my favorite parts,” Weeden said.”

Check out more prom coverage at utimesonline.com

Captions KING AND QUEEN

1. Mekhai Gover, senior and Prom King, dances while his friends cheer him on. Kehari Evans, senior, was one of those friends. “My favorite part about prom was the long dresses, because it had me playing twister,” Evans said. “My other favorite part of prom was watching my best friend win Prom King.”

PHOTO BY KIYA KING

2. Gayle Stevenson, senior, smiles for the camera after walking into the ballroom. This is Stevenson’s first prom at U. City and felt the experience was better than expected. “I was worried because it’s such a big moment, but being with my friends the entire night and feeling pretty made all the stress feel distant,” Stevenson said.

PHOTO BY INDIA FOOTE

3. Taysha Griffin, senior, surprises the crowd by rapping one of her songs. “My supporters, who are my friends, inspired me to perform,” Griffin said. “I wasn’t planning on performing, but I’m glad I did because I had a fun time and the crowd was amazing.” She released a snippet of the song on February 23rd but plans on releasing it soon with a music video.

PHOTO BY INDIA FOOTE

4. Ariah Sneed (on the left), senior, took her phone out and started recording her friend Taysha’s performance. “My favorite moment at prom was when Taysha performed and everybody hyped her up being supportive,” Sneed said.

PHOTO BY INDIA FOOTE

5. Joseph West, senior, dances with his friends Dondujuan Washington, Da’Sarius Mack, Elijah Mayweather, Christian Carter, Rylan Hudson and Dominic Riggins, seniors. “Prom was a good time; I got to see a lot of people dressed up, and was with my homeboys the whole time so we had a lot of fun,” West said.

PHOTO BY INDIA FOOTE

Community donates prom attire for upperclassman

by Nikia Clark | Staff Writer

Lines of colorful dresses and suits filled the Student Art Center March 14 from 1:30-3:30. Named the Prom Pop-Up shop, this new experience allowed students an opportunity to try on prom attire and accessories with the chance to borrow the items if wanted.

“The goal was to provide prom dresses, jewelry, shoes and mens clothing to our students who were interested in going to prom and would like a free outfit for their big night,” Christine Woodward, social worker, said.

This was the first time U. City has offered this event. The day was sponsored by the U. City Boutique, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the counseling office. Girls on the Run donated most of the dresses, but members of the community also contributed dresses and suits.

“The result of this event was 14 dresses given away, one man’s attire given away and a lot of jewelry as well,” Woodward said.

Even though not everyone ended up choosing prom attire, the experience still influenced some students’ decisions.

“While some students chose dresses, not everyone did,” Kiaira Fall, senior, said. “I did not end up picking one of the dresses. I did end up getting a dress very similar to one they were offering, though.”

Kenya Calvert, senior, also attended the event and did choose a dress, a long red ballgown.

“I decided to attend this event because I wanted to check it out and see what it was all about,” Calvert said. “My experience with this event was good. saw some pretty things that I liked. felt like a princess.”

Kenya Calvert, senior, tries on a pink Cinderella dress. “We were all able to look together,” Calvert said. “We were looking at different jewelry and dresses to see if it fits or to see if someone that we knew was going so we could get it for

Kamille Buck, senior Elijah Mayweather, senior

Kalen Robin son,

Mouhamed Ly, senior

Aliyah Goodman, senior

them.”

Aaron

Craig,

senior, glances at a dress before looking at the suits. “It helped me figure out what

I

wanted, especially what colors

I

like,” Craig said.

1.

2.

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Mekhai Gover and Erielle Porter

YOU season four offers the best plot twist yet

by Madelaine Province Staff Writer

It is the innate nature of people to be interested by things that are dark and seen as immoral. We are often able to satiate this intrigue by watching true crime documentaries or shows like Criminal Minds or SVU. However, it is not as common to see shows that are narrated and seen through the perspective of the killer. “YOU”, a psychological thriller/crime drama series based on the novel by Caroline Kepnes, takes on this unique approach to the genre. Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) is a charismatic but manipulative man who continuously finds different women to obsess over and stalk, and more often than not, eventually ends up killing- or attempts to kill- them.

While this is the outline the first three seasons followed, the fourth season has a new and refreshing turn of events. From Beck to Love to Marienne, Joe has always been enraptured by his love interests from the very first episode. In season four, however, the romance takes a while to form, and it might just be his healthiest one yet. Kate Galvin, an art gallery director, is Joe’s cool and calm neighbor and the

girlfriend of one of his colleagues at the University. To Joe’s dismay, he and Kate often clash and don’t develop anything resembling a friendship until the fourth episode, and their romantic relationship doesn’t begin until the sixth. This is a huge contrast to the other seasons. The continuous and at times tumultuous relationship between these two is more honest and unconditional than any of Joe’s previous affairs, and it seems that he has finally found someone who will accept him completely- murderous flaws and all. However, one must wonder if it will really last with Joe’s tendencies. Regardless, this new and unconditional love that Joe has found was a surprising and captivating addition to the season.

In past seasons, Joe is not close with many people except for the women he’s infatuated with. He’s often reclusive and focuses all of his time on his future victims. In season four, however, he accidentally falls in with a group of London’s richest (and most out of touch) young entrepreneurs, forcing him to socialize with more people. He befriends and becomes somewhat of a father figure for Lady Phoebe Borehall-Blaxworth, an aris-

tocratic socialite and influencer. This protectiveness he feels for a woman that he is not romantically attracted to serves as a sort of redemption for him, as we get to see him caring for someone with no ulterior motive.

While YOU has had many plot twists, season four has one of the best yet. From the very first episode, Joe is convinced that he is being stalked and blackmailed by someone trying to frame him for the “Eat the Rich” murders. He continuously receives ominous and threatening texts from his stalker and one of the main turmoils of each episode is Joe trying to outsmart his assailant. In the fourth episode he discovers that his stalker is none other than Ryhs Montrose, author and candidate for Mayor of London. This was a shock to audience members, as Montrose was a man with a calm exterior and good intentions, and truly didn’t seem like he would hurt a fly. This unbelievable twist turned out to actually be unbelievable, as it is revealed that Ryhs and the stalking was a figment of Joe’s imagination that he had been using to forget about his heinous actions. This revelation not only shocked Joe but viewers as well. Just as we’d

New mario movie appeals to fans

by

Laila Tolbert Guest Writer

Mario is a character that needs no introduction. From Mario Kart to Donkey Kong everyone is least familiar with the plumber with a mustache that wears a red hat and overalls. He’s often called the king of gaming for this reason. A new video game is no struggle for Mario, but the Italian plumber faces a new obstacle once more: the big screen.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (dir. Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic) isn’t Mario’s first time in theaters. But many were nervous for this new take on Mario. Rightfully so with the movie being made by Illumination Studios, the same film studio that produced movies such as Despicable Me, The Lorax and The Minions. Then the news just seemed to get worse with the voice casting revealing Chris Pratt as Mario, Ana Taylor Joy as Princess Peach, Jack Black as Bowser and Seth Rogan as Donkey Kong. Many weren’t pleased

College decisions can be stressful- but don’t give up

believed our favorite serial killer had finally redeemed himself, it turns out that he’s the same flawed man he’s been since. This twist, while shocking, is the most accurate depiction of Joe.

Time and time again, he recognizes his faults but fails to make a determined conscious effort to correct them. The writers did an excellent job at portraying Joe in a way that might make viewers give up on the idea that he’s simply just misguided once and for all.

As he always does, Joe once again was able to get out of everything unscathed. With the help of Kate and her newly inherited fortune (a result of Joe murdering her father), he successfully frames Nadia, one of his students, for the murders. This ending, while frustrating, was expected, as the show can’t continue on if Joe gets caught. We can only hope that with his newfound fame and wealth, Joe has finally attained redemption and will be retiring from his murderous tendencies, but we won’t know for sure until the fifth season, which is expected to be released in 2024.

Rating: 4/5

with this lineup as they felt that actual voice actors should’ve been casted instead.

Once the movie was released, the critics hated it; Rotten Tomatoes gave the lowest score for any Illumination movie ever coming in with a score of 58 percent. Despite all this negativity, the audience loved it.

The plot of the movie is quite simple: the Mario brothers Luigi and Mario get sucked into the Mushroom Kingdom after a plumbing job gone wrong, but Luigi gets kidnapped by Bowser so now it’s up to Mario, Princess Peach and Toad to save him.

Personally I’m with the audience with this one. When I went to see the

Mario movie didn’t have incredibly high expectations. When I left the theater was pleasantly surprised with just how much I enjoyed it. I thought listening to Chris Pratt as Mario would be a cringe-inducing experience but surprisingly it wasn’t due to Mario being from New York. In this movie Chris Pratt does a New York accent instead of the typical Mario voice many have come to know. The movie to me at least felt like a love letter to fans with many Easter eggs that people like myself who are really into the Mario franchise would get. For example, Charles Martinet, the most known voice of Mario, makes a cameo in this movie to voice two characters. Another example is the King Bob-omb from Mario 64 that also

appeared in the movie.

Mario hasn’t always been known for his story, but the action scenes in this movie make this a fun watch. The scenes never really drag on, and the steeler animation make the action in this movie a treat to watch. The understanding that the main audience for the movie are dedicated fans helped it succeed.

I frankly can’t wait to see if there will be a sequel or if Nintendo will make movies for their other franchises. The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a financial success too making over 300 million dollars its opening week and making over 700 million in the first two weeks. In that short time, it became one of the biggest movies of 2023.

Definitely give this new Mario movie a chance. It’s a lot of fun, doesn’t take itself too seriously and caters to fans- that’s five stars in my book.

Rating: 5/5

Lil yachty steps out of his comfort zone with new album

by Xavier Thomas Web Editor

Lil Yachty may have released the most diverse, beautiful and surprising album of 2023 so far. Yachty’s album, “Let’s Start Here,” caught fans by surprise. Many expected either another rap album or a pop rap album. But no. Yachty stepped out of his comfort zone with psychedelic rock and funk vibes and his collabs with music artists spanning all different genres.

The album is less than a story and more of an experience where you have to listen from start to finish. It starts off with the song “the BLACK seminole,” which gives off the most psychedelic rock vibes from any song on the album. It feels like you’re in a different world while listening to this song, especially when Diana Gordon comes in and shows off her vocal skills without even singing one lyric.

The second song off the album, one of my favorite songs, is “the ride” with Teezo Touchdown. It combines Yachty’s old style with his new style throughout. It makes you feel like you’re ascending into space or running in slow motion with nowhere to go. It’s a song where you can just sit down and zone out with no worries.

“Drive ME crazy” is the perfect song to get in your car and drive while the

sun is setting in the summer. This song is also with Diana Gordan, where she is featured more, and sings back and forth with Yachty. From start to finish the song is filled with good comforting vibes. It tells the story of a relationship between two people who are overly obsessed with each other with lyrics like, “Well aware you are always mine And still you seem so surprised.” “Always gon’ be mine” provides a perspective of what the relationship is like and how they feel about each other.

The last song off the album, “REACH THE SUNSHINE,” is the perfect conclusion. The song features Daniel Caesar, and he provides great vocals for his verses throughout the song.

The album definitely takes inspiration from the band Pink Floyd, specifically their album, “The Dark Side of the Moon,” but it still doesn’t take away how unique this album is. The production for the album was amazing and nothing like we’ve ever seen from Yachty before. I hope he sticks to this style of music for a while as it’s the best work he has ever put out.

Rating: 5/5

by Ariyanna Wilkes Staff Writer

The anxiety of what to do after high school has been a ticking time bomb on our brains ever since we entered. We chose our schedules, extracurricular activities and hobbies based on how we want our futures to turn out.

Once senior year hit, we had to double down and work ten times harder than we’ve had our entire high school career. If your old ACT or SAT scores were too low for your dream college, you had to study and retake them. If your financial aid won’t cover college expenses, you have to search for loans, apply for scholarships and write essays until your fingers burn. It feels like a never-ending roller coaster and, on top of it all, you still have to pass the 12th grade to graduate.

Then the hardest part comes: picking a college to attend. This is one of the most stressful experiences in high school—and possibly in life, given how much it can impact your future. There are plenty of factors to take into account: cost, location, student body, etc, which is why the decision is usually put off for so long. And even after considering every aspect and selecting a college, you might still be unsure if you made the right call.

“I selected San Francisco over a school in Mildred and that was really difficult, because I feel like I could’ve got a really good experience out of the country so sometimes think ‘what if I chose Mildred instead?’”

Xeta O’Hara, senior, said. “But I think I made the right choice.”

O’Hara isn’t alone. Knowing that there are so many things you can look at to find the perfect college can make the decision strenuous, but here are some tips to make the process easier.

First, find out if the college you’re considering has an excellent program for your major and if it comes with many hands-on opportunities.

Second, schedule a campus tour to determine if it’s a good fit; sometimes only looking at a college’s website won’t do it any justice. Third, avoid comparing your decision to others; not everyone’s dream college will be the same.

And last, picture your future there and how the transition will be. Remember that it isn’t final. You can always transfer if you end up unhappy. But most importantly, trust yourself to make the right decision. Don’t doubt yourself. You know what will make you happy.

What would you tell your future self?

SENIOR CROSSWORD

“Stay

“Appreciate

Track team uses dedication to fuel success

by Kai Gover Staff Writer

With the start of spring sports our track and field athletes have been working to improve their personal records (PR) and even their overall endurance to give their best day in and day out. The field event players have recently been showing their best talents from high jump to shot put to discus.

“I wanted to be in shape for football, and it gave me something else to do to keep me busy and active,” Tyler Lemen, junior, said. “I’m also pretty good at throwing.”

Lemen recently achieved one of the greatest defense seasons with 132 tackles, so he continues to work and strengthen his body to have another outstanding performance.

“When I’m about to throw I feel excited and ready to go and do my best, and my goal is to make it to state,” Lemen said.

But the sport isn’t always about stats and accomplishments.

Girls Soccer

“Coach Byrd was my reason as to why I give so much potential,” Laila Dixon, junior, said. “I just need to apply myself. Track became my interest because it’s something to clear my mind.”

Dixon runs 100 and 300 meter hurdles and received a PR of 50.7 seconds for the 100 meter hurdles April 28 at Clayton.

Fellow thrower Eli Blackwell, senior, is a multi-sport athlete, as he plays football and already plans on attending college to play football.

LaTandy Simon, sophomore, is a also sprinter and has become a very passionate track runner. Even though it has only been two years, she has emerged as a very dependent sprinter. She even received a PR of 13.38 seconds for the 100 meter dash April 28.

“I wanted to test my physical limits and improve myself and learn to run,’’ Simon said. “My goals are to stay dedicated and get better and better as the competition improves.”

Spring sports wrap up

and has the second most points on the team with 32.

Track

Laila Dixon, junior, with a PR at 50.7 for 100-meter hurdles, was 1st place at the Friday Night Lights meet at Clayton April 28. Also at that meet, Elijah Mayweather, senior, had a discus PR of 36.98 meters. Bryan Cooley, junior, ran a 100 meter run finishing at 11.45 seconds and also ran a 200 meter run in 23.69 seconds. Jaidyn Conners, freshman, came in 4th place, once for a 100 meter run and a 300 meter run. For the 300 meter run, she finished in 53.27 seconds.

Baseball

In their first season in 17 years, U. City combined with Webster Groves and finished with a 6-6 record. The team beat John Burroughs in the first round of the State Championships 11-6. They also had a win at the last minute against rival Clayton ending 10-9. They finished the season 4th in the state in “goals against average” with 8.5 per game. Big contributions came from goalie Jayden Creighton, sophomore, David Ruland, sophomore, and Morgan Wibben, freshman.

Boys Tennis

Heading into districts boys tennis had a very solid record of 15-5. In their first team match of districts, they defeated McKinley Classical Leadership with Collegiate School of Med-Bio Science with a score of 5-0.

season isn’t over until May 10th, but their record stands at 5-12 as of Mon. May 8. Nakylon Cozart, senior, has a strong batting average

PHOTO

PHOTO BY ALARA STEWART

PHOTO BY SAMUEL LLANOS

Water Polo

PHOTO COURTESY OF NWANNEDIYA IBE

by Garner Province Staff Writer

PHOTO BY MADELAINE PROVINCE

U-TIMES

12 May 2023

Erin Standish Staff Writer I like newspaper because it gives students the creative freedom to write about topics they care about, voice their opinions and connect the student body.

meet the staff

FOLLOW THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD

During the dress rehearsal of “The Wiz” performed to elementary school students April 13, junior Victor Seay (Lion) sings “Mean Ole Lion” while he attempts to scare Tin-Man, Scarecrow and Dorothy. The Yellow Brick Road dance between them to protect the group from Lion. Seay felt prepared for the moment. “When I’m on stage it’s pretty much just having fun and not worrying about a lot of other things,” Seay. “I think the play was successful.”

PHOTO BY XAVIER THOMAS

Nikia Clark | Staff Writer I like newspaper because of the people in the class and the environment of the class.

Jasmin Lewis Staff Writer My favorite part of newspaper is meeting new people around the school and learning about them and their interests.

Mehkai Gover | Staff Writer I will miss covering the diversity of the school. My favorite part of newspaper was getting to interact with everyone.

Kamarra Williams Staff Writer My favorite part of newspaper is writing commentaries or retrospective articles/stories about events.

Madelaine Province Staff Writer Writing is one of my biggest passions, and newspaper helped me to utilize that passion.

Nasra Artan | Staff Writer I will miss the small family we created and the laughs. Newspaper taught me to be more vocal, and it is a lesson I will carry with me.

Shayonna Burgess | Staff Writer Newspaper gives me freedom & I feel at peace in this class. It gives me information on the school & even events outside the school.

Ms. Steely Teacher I’m so proud of everyone. Seven staff members are seniors, and their absence will be felt. But the new staff will carry the torch!

Alara Stewart | Editor I’ve loved producing the U-Times and am going to miss this class so much! I can’t wait to see what you guys do in the future!

Xavier Thomas Web Editor Passing out newspapers in the Loop was always something I enjoyed doing.

Ariyanna Wilkes | Staff Writer

With this being my first year in newspaper, it made me realize my calling. What a fun year! Can’t wait till the next. Waitnever mind.