The Rock — September 2016

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Scheduling conflicts cause cramped dilemma for the chamber orchestra, A2

The Bruins face rival Jefferson City after major win over Hickman, C5

Learning from the floor of the bathroom about the future, A8

The Student Voice of Rock Bridge High School Since 1973 • 4303 S. Providence Rd. Columbia MO, 65203 • Vol. 44 Issue 1 • September 22, 2016

CPS ousts server drives

Google Drive takes place in document storage Rochita Ghosh

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one are the days of memes in the RBHS Student Share Drive. At the beginning of this school year, the Columbia Public Schools (CPS) district did away with not only the share drive, but also the personal drives, giving students infinite storage on Google Drive instead.

“The decision was based more on the many benefits of storing documents on Google Drive,” said Chris Diggs, CPS Director of Technology Services. “Some of those benefits, which we shared with your teachers and administrators, include unlimited storage space, easier access in and out of school for real-time collaboration and document sharing in the cloud, no documents deleted each summer and the ability to easily download their documents.”

Junior Elisabeth Glass uses her school Google Drive account to access files for her classes like AP US History and Latin 2, and appreciates the move onto the Drive.

“I think the Google Drive is nice because it’s easy to access anywhere. I like it because of the convenience,” Glass said. “However, when saving documents to the Google Drive for school and such, it only wants to open it on Google products such as Google Docs or Google Slides. That’s annoying to me because there are things on Microsoft Word or Excel that I can’t do on Google products.”

See SHARE, A2

kristine cho / the rock

all changes saved in drive: Juniors Anna Slade and Maddi James rifle through their Google Drive inventories during their AUT as they search through pages of documents and PDFs for AP United States History, Personal Finance, and various other courses.

North lot to connect to Nifong Rochita Ghosh

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fter a tiring day sitting in school and listening to teachers lecture on, the last thing anyone wants to do is sit in their sweltering automobile behind a long line of cars. No matter how important their destination or how loudly they complain, the students could do noth-

ing except wait and edge forward every time a vehicle escapes the line. Junior Conner Stormer experiences this daily.

“It’s really hard to get anywhere after school with the traffic because of how many people go to RBHS,” Stormer said.

Driven to fix the problem, Patrick Zenner, the development services manager for the City of

Columbia, says there are plans to alleviate the traffic by building a connection between the north parking lot and Nifong Blvd.

“There will be a roadway that connects Peachtree Drive back to a new intersection that’s further to the west of where Peachtree comes out onto Nifong today,” Zenner said. “That particular roadway connection is intended

abby blitz / the rock

Stand to attention: Seniors Drew Webber, Camille McManus and Paul Kindling rise for the Pledge of Allegiance in AP Economics.

Law requires daily Pledge Ji-Ho Lee

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olin Kaepernick went from a mediocre professional football player to a household name after controversially sitting down during the playing of the national anthem in protest of unfair treatment of racial minorities in the United States. Joined by other athletes such as women’s soccer player Megan Rapinoe, Kaepernick’s protest gained the attention of the public. In the halls of RBHS, high school students now have more chances to join Kaepernick and sit down.

Sponsored by Rep. Shane Roden, House Bill 1750 passed into law on Aug. 28. An amendment to Senate Bill 638, the original law instructed students to recite the Pledge only once a week, while HB 1750 states that every Missouri school supported in whole or in part by public money should recite the Pledge of Allegiance every day.

Senior Patrick Burnam wholeheartedly agrees with the new law, saying it serves as a reminder for the privileges offered in the United States.

See PLEDGE, A2

Cassidy viox / the rock

DRIVING TO SUCCESS: Sophomore Malik Yanis and his friend drive home after a long day at school.

Slowly inching forward, they finally reached the front of the line at 4:15 p.m. in the north lot.

District severs ties with Kelly Sports Properties Kat Sarafianos

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his past June, CPS chose to not continue their five year relationship with Kelly Sports Properties (KSP). KSP handled school athletics publications, venue, scoreboard signage, radio spots during games, advertising and marketing promotions and managing licensing rights.

“I believe [what caused the relationship with KSP to end] was our leadership wanting to have more kids be hands-on. We have a great [Columbia Area] Career Center (CACC), we want to get broadcasting and graphic design involved more in [the market-

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to potentially provide secondary access onto [RBHS]’s property.”

CPS Community Relations Director Michelle Baumstark said the idea first originated years ago.

“It’s an idea the district has been talking about for several years because of the need to ease the traffic flow in and out of the RBHS parking lots,” Baumstark said. “An engineering company is currently developing plans.

The project would be paid for out of the school district’s capital project funds.”

These funds would pay for the approximately $500,000 project, although the number is subject to change as the engineering design plans have not yet been finalized.

The district plans for construction to begin in the spring of 2017. Stormer looks forward to the addition.

“It would make it a lot easier to get out because of quicker access to Nifong,” Stormer said. “It would get rid of a lot of traffic because there will be more ways to get out of the parking lot.”

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Editorials • • • • • • A5

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Commentary • • • • • • A8

ing and broadcasting],” CPS district athletic director Bruce Whitesides said. “We started last week with some broadcasting and film.

Mr. [Joe] Wittman has facilitated that with the CACC, and it [started] at the Hickman game.

Mr. Whitman does production, but we facilitate kids involvement in the broadcasting.”

According to the KSP contract with CPS, certain restrictions decreased student involvement, such as the band only being permitted to play at certain times during football home games and being prohibited to play at major athletic fundraisers like “For the Love of the Game.”

See KSP, A2

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ÉLÉa-marie GILLeS

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news

The Rock | www.bearingnews.org | September 22, 2016

Arts department takes a hit

Scheduling conflicts affect orchestra environment Katie Whaley

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he lack of a dedicated orchestra room is evident now more than ever as schedules in the arts department conflict, and students have to practice in the theatre classroom, the only available room for the orchestra to use during fourth hour B days.

“I have to walk through three different doors carrying a 20-pound instrument taller than me,” said sophomore Brenna Cornelison, a bass player in chamber orchestra. “It’s hard to open doors or walk through doorways without almost hitting my instrument on things. It’s uncomfortable.”

Unlike the musical trio, theatre, choir and band, orchestra has no room to call its own. The class bounces from room to room every day, depending on which other music programs call dibs first. Usually they choose the more musically requisite rooms, leaving orchestra to fend for itself wherever it ends up.

“Big rehearsal rooms like the choir room and the band room are being used by jazz bands, and they need the use of a piano, which is a beast to move,” orchestra teacher Alison Schmidt said. “And then the Advanced Acting class obviously needs the stage for their props and sets and those types of things when they start getting them set up. It’s understandable why everybody’s in the space that they’re in.”

This year, because of difficulties in scheduling, the orchestra drew the short straw and was put into a classroom too small for the group, Schmidt said. Though this problem seems like an easy fix of just changing the time orchestra is offered, it’s not as simple as one would think.

“In that department’s chair, it is very challenging [to make the master

tyson jamieson / the rock

in tune, In key, in harmony: Chamber Orchestra rejoices as the Advanced Acting class gives up the Performing Arts Center for a day and allows the string instrumentalists to practice in a space big enough for the entire group to fit in, finally out of the theatre room which was too small for the group. schedule] because the teachers teach in multiple buildings,” Director of Counseling Betsy Jones said.

One of those teachers is Schmidt, who teaches at Jefferson Middle School in the mornings.

“There’s also almost one hundred percent of singletons, so one offering of every course with the exception of beginning piano and theatre technology,” Jones said, “and so that makes it very challenging to put together the schedule.”

In other words, most classes in the arts are only offered once because of the need for everyone to be there at each class time to prepare for con-

certs as a group. For the orchestra, preparing is tough because of the absence of a consistent place of practice.

“There’s a negativity that comes with having a space that isn’t conducive to the environment of having a decent rehearsal and space,” Schmidt said. “I feel like orchestra, a lot of the time, [or] at least members of the orchestra get the bottom of the list, bottom of the barrel type stuff, and there’s a lot of feelings of being left out from that.”

Despite all of this, the arts department tried to solve this issue. The Advanced Acting class teacher, Hol-

ly Kerns, made an agreement with Schmidt in which the orchestra could use the stage when the theatre class didn’t need it. Schmidt says, it’s not perfect, but it’s a start.

“We’ve communicated among some of the other teachers,” Schmidt said. “And I understand it’s hard on everybody to deal with these situations. It isn’t going to be an us against them thing, this isn’t about that. This is really a good example of working together within the fine arts faculty and students and understanding the shared spaces and the issues that can come along with that and the ways that we can solve problems.”

At the end of the day, schedules and rooming can only be so flexible.

Schmidt thus believes prioritizing orchestra last is different.

“I wish that orchestra didn’t feel as though it was kind of at the bottom of the fine arts hierarchy sometimes,” Schmidt said. “It would be really nice to have a dedicated orchestra room.

We have a band room, we have a choir room and we have wherever orchestra can fit. We’re often forgotten, often put into the same realm as band... there needs to be a more equitable solution to the fine arts department so we can actually be part of the fine arts department.”

CPS, KSP end CPS supersedes student share relationship SHARE, A1

KSP, A1

“It’s definitely an advantage [that CPS handles its own marketing and broadcasting],” RBHS principal Dr. Jennifer Rukstad said. “It’s also a burden. It’s a burden on the system itself because part of the reason that access was restricted when [KSP] was involved was that even though they wanted to promote student involvement, and they did try, their focus was very clear.

Their number one job was obtaining and maintaining partnerships. And that’s okay. We understood that.”

CPS, however, is fixated on a different, achievable goal. The district’s attention is set on promoting more student involvement in all aspects of the athletics marketing.

“When we were partnered with KSP, we worked with them and understood their goal,” Rukstad said.

“It worked to our advantage financially, professionally and in other ways, so now that we have taken over we still have some of the same aims as KSP, but we also want to integrate the students into that process more.”

Now that KSP is not here to do the marketing and business partnerships, the responsibility has fallen to the new CPS media director, Sheila Kausler. Previously a Mediacom Videographer, she was hired in June to handle the switch.

“It’s been a smooth [transition] so far. It’s a lot of work,” Kausler said. “I do design for all the programs, get all the commercials loaded onto the scoreboard and make sure all the P/As and scripts have been sent. [I’m also in charge of] communicating and handling partners. While I do have an assistant , the bulk of it is me.”

Kausler also helps the broadcast students at the CACC with production at the football games. Because of her service and inspiration, she is one great example of how CPS has strived for student integration in the absence of KSP. However, the specifics and transition into a more student-centered involvement are many and intricate.

“There are a lot of details to [student inclusion in broadcast], but I definitely believe those details are worth it. But it’s be a very big deal. Students don’t necessarily know how to do all the specifics and they may not have an adult to train and manage the situation so we have to make sure it’s done right,” Principal Dr. Rukstad said. “We need to have the people and programs in place to allow student experiences to be quality and to have their products be quality and that’s where the work comes in for CPS. And that’s okay, but it’s a lot harder than saying, ‘Oh, students can do this, this and this.’ We need to make sure that student and our parteners time and product are quality. It takes a lot of planning and preparation to make sure it is truly a win-win.”

Kelly Sports declined to comment for this story.

Senior Alex Webber feels the same way.

He had a project in his C++ Programming class, a course based on the computer coding language of C++, which he had saved to the local drive on the computer, not knowing that his personal drive was gone. His computer later crashed, making him have to rewrite the project completely.

“Personally, I feel that the student drive was just as, if not more, useful than Google Drive, because it was intuitive and could save any file type,” Webber said. “I used my own student drive for essentially everything that wasn’t a word document, which I used Google Drive for.”

While Webber acknowledges the benefits and how this new system will benefit the students, he believes that the district could have handled the move differently.

“There was basically no communication with the students that the school would forgo the student drive in favor of Google Drive, and there has been no explanation as to how the new drive works,” Webber said. “I found it much easier, personally, to save any programming projects or other atypical file types to my student drive, and use my own

Cochran believes the movement to the personal Google Drive for any other files.

The student drive gave us flexibility to how Cloud has potential, but, as Webber said, we store files, but now we are forced into us- could have been managed differently.

“I really like the direction. Maybe the ing Google Drive.”

Aside from his C++ project, Webber procedure could have been better — maybe says Google Drive has only caused a minor more of a heads-up and time [for] transition, inconvenience thus far, but problems still preparing staff so teachers could help stuarise. When using Google Drive, file types dents with troubleshooting problems with the drive,” Cochran said. “...I that are not know some other teachof Google ers who use specialized cannot be file types, who will need loaded from There was basically no com- training to help their stuthe application directly. munication with the students dents with Google Drive.”​ Diggs assured that the Digital Methat the school would forgo the move to Google Drive was dia teacher student drive in favor of Google a smart decision, and that Jeff Cochran Drive suggests that CPS will continue to give — Alex Webber, senior enriching education. one can work around this.

“CPS already had their “When you own Google Domain, aldownload Google Drive, it downloads an lowing us to integrate it with CPS login cre[application on] your computer that looks dentials so students would not have to have like a folder on your desktop that syncs with another username and password to rememthe Cloud and Google Drive,” Cochran said. ber,” Diggs said. “Google Drive is used suc“Then, when you save [an atypical file for- cessfully by many Missouri school districts. mat], it would save to that folder locally on It has become the standard way to save files for many schools.” the desktop but also sync it to the Cloud.”

Hand over heart? Pledge law causes conflict Pledge, A1

“I think that the society that we live in downplays the importance of our country and the respect it should be given,” Burnam said. “As American citizens who enjoy the

Do you support the pledge being said every day?

46.7% NO 53.3% YES The Rock interviewed 197 students, 10 percent of the student body.

ÉlÉa-marie gilles

most free system and protected rights of any nation, we should give our nation the respect it deserves.”

Other students, such as sophomore Brie Tucker, feel that the Pledge is more of a disruption than a helpful reminder.

“In class sometimes you have to say the Pledge of Allegiance while you’re working so you have to stop,” Tucker said. “It interrupts work time and is kind of distracting.”

Students such as senior Elliot Bones also disagree with a daily recitation of the Pledge. While Bones recognizes the purpose of instilling patriotism or partaking in a unifying activity, these motivations are no longer applicable.

“I think if you have to remind yourself of your patriotism by saying some words to a flag, you have a bigger problem that cannot be fixed by saying a problem in front of a flag,” Bones said. “Having a mandatory discussion about what people believe America is or what it stands for would do a lot more for the unity of a group than just standing in front of a flag and saying some words.”

Roden, however, believes unifying the

country is particularly valuable, especially in today’s tumultuous setting. “[We are] at a time in our history where so many have divided themselves,” Roden said. “We could use something to unite us as one nation again. That is the only way this great country will succeed, we cannot go on divided.”

Roden also mentions that the Pledge is completely optional and not required for students, a point Bones considers to be moot.

“If we sat down for the Pledge of Allegiance when the people around you or the entire class is saying it, you might be judged, and I don’t think any law can take that out of society,” Bones explained.

For Burnam, however, sitting down and not participating as athletes like Kaepernick choose to do is unacceptable.

“Men fought so that our flags could fly high and sitting down during these activities does not honor their memory,” Burnam said.

“I believe that our heritage and the memory of those who fight to protect us is more important than 30 seconds of silence at the beginning of a day.”

News

The Rock | www.bearingnews.org | September 22, 2016

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District starts serving dinner I Ji-Sung Lee

n addition to the already available breakfast and lunch, Columbia Public Schools (CPS) has been offering dinners for RBHS, Hickman High School and Battle High School students since Aug. 22 of this school year.

With clubs and sports occurring after school hours, some students find themselves not leaving school grounds until a time that is usually spent around the dinner table.

“The [high school’s] schedule requires some students to eat lunch early in the day, but these students do not get out of school until 4:05 [p.m.],” Nutrition Services Supervisor Katie Frink said. “If a student stays after school, then it increases the amount of time between lunch and then getting home and eating dinner. We are providing supper to try and bridge that gap.”

Frink said the new change provides an additional source of nutrients after school and before activities. Besides the fact that students can leave the school without an empty stomach, students who qualify for reduced lunches can still access the food regardless of their financial situations.

“The menu will consist of items students have voted as favorites. The hot meal will cost $2.90 and individual snack and a la carte options will be available, as well,” Community Relations Director Michelle Baumstark said. “The meal can be paid for with cash or charged to student meal accounts. Meals also qualify for free or reduced-pricing. Service is available from 4:30-7:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday and may vary on Fridays.”

While students who are leaving

kristine cho / The Rock

After hours: Freshman Dylan Van Hise reaches for a chicken sandwich, provided by the CPS dinner program, as he waits for his ride. The program supplies students who stay after school with food to carry them through the later hours of the day. The service is open to anyone in the community. right after they are released from class have never stayed long enough to get hungry, senior Bana Daghlas, who recently ate dinner after school finds it helpful, especially when she has work to catch up on.

“Not everyone can drive or afford to leave school in order to get food,” Daghlas said. “This especially goes

for underclassmen.”

Not only does the newly provided supper help high school students without a hot meal at home, but Frink also says the change is accessible for anyone. It allows more people within the community to be fed if finding a third meal is hard.

“Anyone can purchase a meal

although the program was predominantly designed for students,” Frink said. “[Families] are welcome to eat if they are in the building as well.”

Offering dinner shows benefits when trying to get food from another source may be too hard. By allowing more opportunities for service within the school system, CPS is hoping

CPS battles technology

to gain more of a profit from meals while still helping its students and their families get a meal.

“It gives students an opportunity to have a meal after school before heading home or before they participate in activities,” Frink said. “It helps to meet their needs and fuel them.”

District creates new electronics policies CPS unblocks Twitter for students on school Wi-Fi

Grace Vance

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ophomore Chloe Peterson sits in her fourth hour World History class, her eyes drooping as she settles down at the end of a long day. She quietly sneaks out her phone, turns on her cellular data and taps on to Snapchat. Her teacher continues the lecture as she updates her story and scrolls through the filters.

“I check my phone about two times every class. I text people [and] go on Instagram and Snapchat,” Peterson said. “All the time I’m curious about what’s [happening on social media during class].”

Getting on social media during school may seem like an everyday occurrence in teenagers’ lives, but the simple act of doing so is quite contrary to the purpose of CPS’ private wifi. In fact, using a phone without connecting to wifi is the very thing that enables a student to surpass the firewall that blocks social media sites and apps from use.

CPS Director of Technology Services Chris Diggs explained that there are different social media apps blocked for elementary, middle and high school students. Twitter is the only app accessible for high schoolers on school-issued and personal devices connected to CPS wifi.

Applications such as Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and Tumblr were banned during the 2015-16 school year and are still blocked. But as students bypass the school wifi, they also circumnavigate The Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) that filters Internet access to sites deemed obscene or harmful to minors. “[Social media] has always been blocked, even back when Facebook was pretty much the only social media site being used. It has only been within the last few years we unblocked it,” Diggs said. “The CPS District Technology Committee and our school district leaders all provide input regarding their assessment of the educational value provided by the [social media site under assessment.]”

While there are legal ramifications for a district under federal funding to decline the use of a internet firewall, media specialist Dennis Murphy said blocking social media is also a part of avoiding security breaches.

“One of the reasons sometimes for social media [blocks] is it opens a hole for security,” Murphy said. “Some social media can make a hole for possible people getting into it.”

Murphy encounters students using social media at school every day. Because of this, sidestepping the CPS wifi doesn’t shock him.

“There is no doubt in my mind that most people get around anything they want to get around,” Murphy said. “That doesn’t surprise me at all.”

Although Peterson found a way to access her social media, she still sets limits for her social

moy zhong / Source: THE ROCK SURVEYED 200 people, 10 PERcent of the student body

media usage while in class and finds the filters helpful for fending off distraction.

“I try to stay focused though I do give myself breaks when the teacher isn’t talking,” Peterson said. “High school students should have boundaries, though they’ll most likely break them anyways.”

New Apple products help students in AP classes Grace Vance

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ince Columbia Public Schools (CPS) introduced iPads three years ago, the district has tried different tactics, such as filtering social media, to tighten their control over them. After last year’s talks of initiating the CPS Personalized Learning Program, CPS administrators began talks to decide what device would be given to students. The new discussion for the program, also known as the 1:1 plan, is now in full swing.

The 1:1 ratio is similar to RBHS’ iPad accessibility for Advanced Placement (AP) students except that all students would have the opportunity to use a device.

The policy currently in place is not equal throughout all of CPS. According to the RBHS website, CPS issued iPad Minis to all of Battle High School (BHS) students during the 201617 school year. Likewise, CPS offered all full time sixth through eighth graders iPad Minis under the 1:1 plan. Meanwhile, AP students at Hickman High School (HHS) received an iPad Mini, similar to RBHS. These circumstances beg the question: Why do different schools have different policies for iPad accessibility? Diggs said these inconsistencies in CPS are because of the still fluid and evolving conversation surrounding the 1:1 plan.

“We do expect the program to expand to other schools. It is our hope [that] all students can participate in our Personalized Learning Program,” Diggs said. “All students in all schools have access to laptops, desktops and tablets. We believe students need access to multiple types of tools and devices so the technology can align to the learning needs of our students and the instructional goals.”

As far as principal Dr. Jennifer Rukstad has heard, CPS has not determined the device for the 1:1 plan. Last year’s discussion among administrators debated whether the device used would be a laptop or an iPad. Although talks regarding the timeline of the plan have not been decided, Dr. Rukstad has hope for the 2017-18

joy park

school year.

“As far as I know, it is still in motion,” Dr. Rukstad said. “We haven’t heard much about it from the district level since the spring. I am not sure [of] the reason.”

While iPads seem to be CPS’s preference for enacting the 1:1 ratio for select schools and AP students, junior Hannah Potter uses her personal laptop for academic purposes more than she uses the school issued iPad. “I think typing and functionality is a little bit better. [It has] a bigger screen [and] some of the functions run better than on iPads,” Potter said. “Usually all of my debate stuff and my evidence is on my laptop.”

Potter said she has seen other students with personal laptops function in a similar way to her; the more they use the laptop, the less need they see for the iPad. “I haven’t seen a lot of kids really use their iPads in AP classes,” Potter said. “Some kids don’t even want to pick them up [from the media center] because if they have a laptop, they know they won’t use the iPad. I haven’t heard specific complaints, I just see them being used less and less.”

Despite the drawbacks associated with the iPads, Diggs said the step to integrate them into school was an attempt on CPS’s part to help teachers engage students in “challenging” lessons through the use of devices.

“The focus and conversation needs to change to be about what effective, engaging instruction should look like to best meet the needs of today’s students. The devices are simply tools.

They do not cause good teaching; only good teachers can do that,” Diggs said. “Digital tools allow better accessibility to information and the up-to-date digital resources selected by our Curriculum Coordinators and teacher leaders.”

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EDITORIALS

The Rock | www.bearingnews.org | September 22, 2016

Like the good and scroll past the bad

Unneeded change

joanna yu

New amendment disrupts daily routines New law creates more problems than it solves

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olors of red, white and blue fly across the nation in schools, stadiums and most other public places. Representing strength, purity and justice, the flag of the United states embodies the ideals of this nation. Since kindergarten, we have pledged allegiance to it.

Francis Bellamy, the creator of the Pledge of Allegiance, had a goal to spark nationalism in the minds of U.S. citizens, according to USHistory.org. Having faith in one’s country and reminding one’s self of the ideals of the nation is a noble goal, but it is not a reminder that is required every day.

At face value, it seems the recently passed HB 1750 requires Missouri students attending a federally funded school to say the Pledge of Allegiance every day. In reality, according to Rep. Shane Roden, the sponsor of the bill, the law “requires the school to allow time [for the

Pledge] each day,” but not necessarily a daily recitation.

This loophole allows for RBHS not to announce the Pledge of Allegiance every morning — a decision, or accident, made wisely.

While Roden and other legislators passed the law in good faith, saying the Pledge in school every day is unnecessary and keeping it to the original routine of once per week was sufficient to fulfill the Pledge’s purpose.

Many people, however, completely oppose saying the Pledge.

Most famously, Colin Kaepernick, quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, sits or kneels during the National Anthem in protest of a flag of a country that he says oppresses minorities.

People have this right, as decided in the 1943 court case West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, according to Oyez, an archive of Supreme Court cases run by the Chicago-Kent College of Law; however, this court decision cannot protect from ridicule and judgment cast onto the person who chooses to sit during the Pledge.

Thus, the daily recitation of the Pledge presents people with a

choice: Stand for something they doesn’t need to be recited every day.

When faced with the Pledge of don’t believe in or be judged for Allegiance every day, most people what they do.

That’s not to say reciting the don’t realize its importance. Instead, Pledge is negative. Standing for the it becomes routine, something to say Pledge often means taking pride in without bothering to comprehend the United States, regardless of the the weight of the words one speaks. problems that exist. It means pay- Thus, reciting the Pledge once a ing respect week, the to those way it was who have before the How often should students served and passage of say the Pledge of Allegiance currently HB 1750, in school? serve in the was the perm i l i t a r y, fect balance The Rock staff voted defending between the United protecting oNCE A WEEK - 17 States and the beliefs NEVER - 14 its values. of all stuThe words dents and citizens as of the Pledge belong to all U.S. citizens, well as respecting the traditions and uniting us in moments of chaos, re- history of the nation.

While RBHS utilizes the loopminding us of the freedoms that we hole, other Missouri schools may receive.

The Pledge is a reminder of the not see that one exists; however, freedoms given by the nation. It returning to this happy medium serves as a remembrance of the may be easier than one thinks. The many wars fought and progress that state representatives are only a call has been made throughout the histo- or an email away, and with their asry, to improve the United States — a sistance, the schools of Missouri can reminder of how the nation lives on. once again become a place of learnStill, it’s also a reminder that ing, not of political debate.

dzung nguyen dzung nguyen

Editorial Policy Print publications pursue relevance online of The Rock

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t seems the only people who read print newspapers are parents older than 45, the journalists who write in them and hipsters who like the idea that people can tell what they’re reading.

Everyone else may pick them up once in awhile, but given the rapid decline in print advertising, print journalism has been brought to its knees.

But it’s important to remember that the decline of print journalism does not mean the decline of journalism itself. Newspapers are not the sole fountain of information. In fact, the idea of publishing news 48 hours or more after it has happened is pathetic in the face of a 24-hour news cycle.

The New York Times (NYT) has been on top of the journalism world for the last several decades only to be challenged by websites such as the Huffington Post and Buzzfeed. While to some it may seem horrifying that an established paper like the NYT is facing serious competition from personality quizzes, let’s remember that competition is the central feature of capitalism.

And journalism is very much a money making industry.

In fact, if there’s anyone to blame for the rocky transition from print to online journalism, it’s newspapers themselves.

While most millennials could have told print publications it was only a matter of time before they The Rock Rock Bridge High School 4303 S. Providence Rd., Columbia, Mo. 65203 Vol. 44, Issue 1 September 22, 2016 Population: 1,962 Students, 148 Faculty Circulation: 1,500 Contact Information: Phone: 573-214-3141 Website: bearingnews. org

Advertising: $50 – 1/4 Page $100 – 1/2 Page $150 – Full Page $200 – Backpage The Journalism Newspaper and Honors Seminar classes produce The Rock, Bearing News and Southpaw.

The paper’s purpose is to accurately inform, educate and enlighten readers in an open forum.

been able to attract.

When your featured readership is stagnant and set to die off in 30 to 40 years, it’s time to think of other ways to spread your message. Publications need to realize that the internet is not the enemy.

It’s possible to develop revenue through ads while maintaining and increasing readership. But that means journalism publications

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Advisor: Robin Stover Editors-In-Chief: Ji-Ho Lee, Katherine Sarafianos, Grace Vance Production Manager: Ji-Ho Lee Art Editor: Joy Park Design Editor: Joy Park Business Manager:

have to start cultivating an online presence that draws people away from the clickbait infested channels of Buzzfeed and Reddit.

Just like every other capitalist industry, it will take consumers time to weed out the unreliable sources and find and pay attention to the websites they value.

Newspapers need to learn that if they want to be one of those websites, they have to cultivate the strong presence that made them popular in the first place.

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he paper’s editorial board, made up of the Editors-In-Chief of The Rock and Bearing News and the Advisor of the Journalism Department will review all opinion pieces for use in the opinion pages only. Opinions expressed in signed works are those of the author and not necessarily of the entire staff.

Letters to the Editor: The paper encourages letters but reserves the right to edit or reject material based on the standards set by members of the journalism staff. Letters with grammatical errors will be printed as received. Anyone wishing to submit a letter must sign with a valid signature. The author of the letter will be named. If a group writes a letter, all members must present a signature.

Content: The Rock staff will write all stories for publication except for letters to the editor, pieces submitted by students of the Journalistic Writing class or guest writers. Every story is reviewed by the editorial board and the editor of the section of the story.

Bylines and Credits: The Rock assigns bylines to each published story. Staff editorials are the only articles in The Rock without a byline.

Staff editorials reflect the opinions of the staff on particular issues. For each Staff Editorial, The Rock staff votes on the issue and the result of the vote is published. The Rock will assign photo and art credits to every photo or piece of artwork that is published. Credits are the responsibility of the editor of the section in which the photo or artwork appears. Photographers are responsible for the photo and its caption. Artists are responsible for the artwork.

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had to adapt to the internet age, it still didn’t stop most from starting websites in the late 2000s.

Furthermore, they had the great idea of putting content that was paid for in print but free when online.

When print publications realized their mistakes, newspapers started charging for online subscriptions, but by then people expected to receive this information for free.

People don’t want to pay for information, especially when they can follow NYT on Twitter and get the highlight reels for free. In a cyberspace where illegally dowloaded movies and music is a click away, the idea of paying for anything as aerial and nonphysical as information is laughable.

While that may be discouraging to those trying to imagine the future of reliable, quality news that informs its readers and sparks intellectual conversion past “What Gossip Girl Character is your Spirit Animal,” fear not.

If quality publications such as the NYT can learn something from their internet counterparts like Buzzfeed, it’s how to take advantage of their online presence. What newspapers need to focus on is cultivating the large and loyal online audiences websites like Politico and the Huffington Post have

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Kat Sarafianos

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Katherine Sarafianos Photo Editors: Tyson Jamieson, Cassidy Viox News Editor: Rochita Ghosh Features Editor: Nikol Slatinska Editorials Editor: Ji-Ho Lee Commentary Editor: Grace Vance In-Depths Editor: Skyler Froese A&E Editor: Elad Gov-Ari Sports Editor: Faaris

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Khan Staff Writers: Grace Dorsey, Ann Fitzmaurice, Alyssa Gibler , Ethan Howard, Siena Juhlin, Ji-Sung Lee, Emily Oba, Katie Whaley Artists: Dzung Nguyen, Joanna Yu, Moy Zhong Photographers: Abby Blitz, Kristine Cho, Yousuf El-Jayyousi, Éléa Gilles Videographers: Cameron Fuller, Madison Wright

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editorials

The Rock | www.bearingnews.org | September 22, 2016

Athletes deserve sanctions R

yan Lochte loves praise. He holds 12 Olympic medals and has owned six different world records. Fans all over the world adore him, the subject of their awe and desire. Why should anything go wrong for this golden boy? It was only perjury. It’s not like it’s a felony in both the United States and Brazil. Some would say his crime was foolishness or a lapse in judgment, perhaps a rushed decision in a situation of pressure. The Olympic superstar, however, would never commit a crime.

But, sadly, Ryan Lochte is in fact a criminal. A famous, talented criminal, but he has broken the laws nonetheless. Like any legal infraction, his crime deserves punishment.

For some, though, these just deserts never seem to trickle down to

elite athletes. Sometimes the acts seem fairly harmless, like Michael Phelps speeding and getting a DUI. Sadly, more often than not, there are more violent acts.

Johnny Manziel, a first-round draft pick in the National Football League (NFL), was accused and tried for domestic violence after hitting and dragging his then girlfriend into a car against her will. More recently, Manziel was punished for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

Ray Rice, a three-time Pro Bowl running back, was also accused of domestic assault after a disturbing incident in which he assaulted and punched his wife, as seen on video.

Rice only received a two-game suspension for his actions.

While both athletes were punished by suspension from games, neither received any correctional punishment. These men seemed to get off

Parking system requires change Skyler Froese

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s in most growing cities, forceful modernization has put a chokehold on Columbia. The beast has devoured its expected targets, lower income housing in the downtown area, and replaced it with sky-high student housing structures. This time, however, the beast has pursued a new victim, parking meters.

Pay by app parking meters have been cropping up throughout Columbia, and they alienate the more disadvantaged parts of our town’s population; those who do not have phones face a sharp disadvantage in the already chaotic process of finding a parking space downtown.

Those without the means to buy a smartphone are further ostracized from society because they are limited in taking part in celebrations like First Fridays and Living Windows because they can not pay for parking.

These are vibrant, cultural markers of the community and they are meant to remain free to all, not just free to all with a debit card and smartphone.

The elderly also lose opportunities. Many senior citizens simply don’t see the point in phones. According to a report by the Pew Research Center, only 27 percent own a smartphone, let alone an app that accomplishes what loose change can. The elderly will not adapt to this new technological trend, nor should they have to. The consequence of their not coming downtown is more or less disastrous. Because millennials prefer online purchases, it truly is the older crowd that support local businesses. If the elderly withdraw their business from the downtown economy, mom and pop shops will suffer until they become obsolete.

There are myriad reasons that people should oppose paying by app. Not having enough storage on their phone, not seeing the benefit when it’s only a short outing or even just forgetting one’s phone deters drivers from using the pay by app parking. This results in a loss of revenue. People will either stop coming downtown if they believe it is too hard to get parking, or they will park in the spaces illegally. As expired meters would be impossible to monitor with the naked eye for pay by app parking, there is nothing to stop drivers from taking these spots. This results in lost money to the downtown economy and lost revenue to the city of Columbia, revenue that could improve necessities like schools and infrastructure.

A pocketful of dimes and a good old fashioned meter solve all of these problems. The current system of parking isn’t broken, so it doesn’t need to be fixed.

People easily find quarters, smartphones not so much.

Columbia drivers going downtown must support the traditional parking meters, even if it means an extra loop around the block. By opting for traditional parking meters, any drive can save downtown.

the hook while most others in their situation get jail time for a repeated offense or at least parole for a first time sentence.

Sometimes athlete misconduct cases turn out like Stanford swimmer Brock Turner’s. He only spent three months in jail for rape, a violent felony. The reasoning behind his sentence was that anything more than three months would be too traumatic for him though he forced an unthinkable trauma and crisis upon a vulnerable victim. The courts denied his victim the justice she deserved because they worried about a felon’s delicate nature. His victim and countless others have been left suffering in the shadow of their abuser’s fame and talent.

A disgusting trend has taken hold of the American judicial system.

Lady Justice is no longer blind folded; instead, she wears shades straight

from the spirit stores of her favorite team. When athletes have enough talent, when they throw a baseball 105 miles per hour, win a Heisman trophy or compete for the Stanford swimming team, they are given a pass to behave as they wish. They entertain the masses and hold special places in an American heart, so how could any judge have the heart to send them to spend the rest of their golden years in the slammer?

Elite athletes are never expected to deal with real world consequences because no one ever wants them to be punished. An accountable athlete would mean a lost game and disappointed fans, a true disaster.

The truth of the matter is that these aren’t a protected class of people.

Athletes need to accept punishment like everybody else, and they also need to learn that their actions have consequences that hurt other people.

Learning consequences means that missing practice doesn’t just merit a scolding, it means showing that it hurts an entire team. These problems start at every coach seeing that their star player doesn’t shine when they are caught smoking pot. It starts with every competitor keeping an upright behavior and encouraging that to their compatriots. It is every fan simply loving the game, not idolizing its players.

These are the changes that keep assault and lying out of athlete’s stats. Consequences are a part of actions, regardless of one’s ability.

While those like Ryan Lochte are still learning the facts that those half their age have mastered, there is still hope for other athletes. A lifetime of success in following their passion is only made possible by the entire sport enjoying world having the guts to call a foul when it’s due.

moy zhong

Unfair pink tax upsets students Nikol Slatinska

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enstruation is an almost taboo topic in the United States, even among us girls. When shopping for tampons or pads, simply handing the items to the cashier can be uncomfortable. We’ve even come up with a slew of names for the natural biological process we experience every month: “monthlies,” “that time,” “the curse.” When grabbing a pad for the bathroom at school, we tuck it away in a pocket or up a sleeve; it doesn’t matter, as long as it’s out of sight.

While the overdramatic stigma surrounding periods is long past its expiration date, a much more critical problem exists about the topic, and luckily it’s gaining attention.

As of Jan. 2017, Illinois will become the third state to abolish sales taxes on feminine hygiene products, following New York and Connecticut. Five states do not charge a sales tax, and Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey and Pennsylvania also do not tax feminine hygiene products, as reported by fusion.net. This is commonly known as the “pink tax,” which makes women’s hygiene products more expensive than men’s.

While it’s great that Illinois’s new law dreaded experience for those who can’t.

As for the equal rights side of this movewill generate more equality for women, it’s also a crucial step toward promoting the ment, it would be nice if sales taxes were exhealth and well-being of all citizens. This empt from both women and men’s hygiene isn’t just a feminist campaign. It’s a national products, but there is no masculine hygiene health concern, which is why Missouri and product as important as the tampon or pad. the other 39 states that charge a sales tax on Shaving cream and hair gel might make men more physically menstrual prodappealing, but they ucts need to get don’t prevent the on board with the spread of diseasmovement.

This isn’t just a feminist cames and are by no When using paign. It’s a national health means necessary. a public restconcern, which is why Missouri It is now Misroom, you are not . . . need[s] to get on board with souri’s turn to imcharged for usthe movement. plement the same ing toilet paper or law that the state soap. That’s because washing your hands and wiping your next to it will be putting into effect. Citizens bottom are seen as necessary sanitary prac- can help speed up the process by demandtices. Why don’t public restrooms provide ing state legislators to say no to the tampon tax. Momsrising.org has created a petition, free tampons, then?

Diseases that can be spread through currently at 186 of 200 signatures, which blood contamination include hepatitis B and anyone can sign to bring this issue to the atC, HIV and CMV infections, which most tention of Gov. Nixon.

By bringing up this topic and not acting commonly resemble mononucleosis, according to the Centers for Disease Control like people who are on their periods have and Prevention. While this may not seem the plague, citizens can help abolish this dislike a huge crisis to women who can afford criminatory tax and make an already chalmenstrual products, it makes menstruating a lenging circumstance a bit less troublesome.

Should some hygiene products be taxed?

Students Speak

Skyler Froese

These hygiene products are obviously a necessity. We’ve already established that they help women. Why tax a hygiene product if they’re deemed as a necessity?

— Sid Kuttikad, junior

The tax is unfair because women really need tampons, and other necessities aren’t being taxed by the government, so the tampon tax should be abolished.

— Afnan Hussain, freshman cassidy viox / the rock

Cassidy viox / the rock

Tampons should be untaxed because it’s a necessity for women and they should be comfortable no matter what. There are already tax exemptions for less necessary things.

— Jae Powell, junior cassidy viox / the rock

The abolition of the tax should spread to more states because all women need them. Without tampons, there are health issues so they shouldn’t be taxed.

— Maggie Harrison, sophomore

cassidy viox / the rock

EDITORIALS

The Rock | www.bearingnews.org | September 22, 2016

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Text me after the bell rings Emily Oba

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ing. Buzz. Beep Beep. Whoop.

We are only in school for seven hours a day and those precious minutes are disrupted with the constant noise of the latest social gossip or a reminder to grab milk on the way home.

Phones poison our learning and must be turned off and put away during classes. They are just too much of a disruption, and students have shown time and again they are not mature enough to handle such responsibility.

Not only do they distract the user but also other students. If a person is listening to music with headphones, and the volume is turned up enough to hear across the classroom, then teachers should confiscate the device until the students can learn self-control.

Those poor teachers. Teaching is hard enough in the first place, but it

becomes even more difficult when they have to do their job, all while spending time telling kids to put away their phones.

A fiction perpetrated by youth is that phones are a good learning tool. Kids say they use their phones to look up information for the class; instead, they feign productivity and waste time on CNN’s Snapchat discovering the latest piece of breaking news or new world event, or texting their mom to find out about their grandmother’s surgery.

Even if they were looking up things for the class, phones make students less resourceful and more dependent on phones and other technology for answers. Similar to students in the idyllic, one-room schoolhouse of our past, teens today should learn to use their brain to think instead of letting the phone do it for them. They should manually look up words in the dictionary rather than using the app. They should solve math prob-

lems using pencil and paper, not the calculator on their phones.

Surely, students can see the harm these detrimental devices cause.

Even though phones are students’ private property, they should step into each classroom and willingly hand their mobile device to the teacher in the beginning of class. Though many have part time jobs, drive cars and display responsbility outside of the classroom, they cannot be trusted to put their phones away themselves; it’s better that they hand them to their adult teacher who doubles as the babysitter of the classroom.

In fact, a student’s first block teacher should just keep the device for the whole day. During passing time students should utilize their valuable time by thinking about the information they learned in class.

Phones shouldn’t be allowed in the hallways. Students should be using every second of their school day learning. Of course, some might

need to be told important information during the school day from family, friends or co-workers, but no information could ever be more important than the information learned in classrooms.

Even at lunch students should be off of their phones. They could use their time much more wisely and be more productive. Teachers should stand in the hallways making sure no one is ever on his or her phone. Some students leave the school ground for lunch, but they should not be allowed to take their phone with them. The school is responsible for the safety of its students and texting and driving is a serious risk.

Maybe students should put their phones in boxes as soon as they enter the building. That is the only way to make sure students are not distracted during school hours and to ensure that they are spending each second of the day learning. They can get their phones back at the end of the day.

Of course, some students are so addicted to their phones that they will not part from their phone and will not put their phone in the boxes. So before stepping inside of the school building, students backpacks should be searched to make sure they are not bringing any electronics into the school. Police could use trained dogs that sniff for electronic devices and greet students as they leave their cars and busses.

Come to think of it, that policy doesn’t go far enough. Cellular devices are so harmful to students’ learning and to their personal safety that we shouldn’t even allow students to own them during the whole school year. Any student discovered with a phone on school grounds or even within the city limits should be immediately suspended.

These strategies must be implemented this very year before it’s too late. Write our school board. Better yet, text them.

Road, driver safety can be improved with Driver’s Ed Missouri, CPS must change to improve roads, driver safety Katie Whaley

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e all know the anger and frustration comes from experiencing bad driving. Unfortunately, the state of Missouri doesn’t do enough to protect its citizens.

This summer, WalletHub ranked Missouri as the fifth worst state for teen driving. The research behind the ranking was based off of teen fatalities from crashes, the average cost of car repairs for teens and offenses involving impaired driving. In other words, teens in Missouri are not good drivers.

To fix the problem, Missouri needs to change the root of the issue, which is a lack of quality information about safety on the roads.

The state currently requires a teen to have 40 hours of unspecified driving practice before getting their license. The information that teens receive through driving practice can be wrong, but as long as they pass the driving test in the end, it’s acceptable.

Most teens learn how to drive from their parents, self-proclaimed driving experts. The problem, however, is that most adults acquire bad driving habits over the years, according to NIHSeniorHealth. Many more adults don’t recall all the rules of the road either. So learning how to drive from parents or other adults isn’t the best idea.

Another way to improve teen driving is to imitate success. States like New York, Illinois and Oregon are ranked as the top states in teen driving. The single commonality between the three states is that they all require every person under the age of 18 to take a Driver’s Education course before getting their license. The class is led by a well-informed professional, not a parent or unsafe adult.

These studies show that taking a Driver’s Ed class leads to better driving and fewer accidents. In order to prevent teen crashes and keep roads safe, RBHS should offer it during the

joanna yu / source: Arizona motor vehicle crash facts, idaho traffic crashes, new york state motor vehicle summary, annual collision summary

school year.

Not only would teens become smarter drivers, there would be more confidence and fewer crashes for RBHS students behind the wheel.

Parents would also feel more comfortable with their kids catching a ride from a well-taught student driver than an ill-prepared teen. Plus, Driver’s Ed is practical, as safe driving skills are applied throughout life. Offering Driver’s Education to students during the school year is nothing but beneficial, for students and parents alike.

Ten years ago, Driver’s Education became a required class in the state of Oregon. Since then, the Governors Highway Safety Association reports that Oregon has had a 55 percent decrease in the number of 16 year olds being killed or injured while driving and a drop of

almost 40 percent for 17 year olds. If RBHS offered the same class, there would be better drivers and a reduction of crashes, an obviously positive result.

Yes, there is a Driver’s Ed course at RBHS already, but it’s only offered during the summer.

With summer jobs or babysitting younger siblings, many students simply can’t attend summer school. If they can, there might be pressures to take other “more important” classes to obtain the credit they need to graduate. This opportunity is wasted because the class isn’t offered at the right time. More students would enroll during the school year and fill Columbia’s streets with safer, more informed student drivers.

There are other things to consider, like costs for paying teachers and gas or maintaining cars,

as well as consequences for potential crashes and injuries. But, because thousands of other schools around the country who already offer the class have addressed these issues, it won’t be difficult to adopt their policies and implement them.

The statistics and evidence proves that change is needed on Missouri’s streets. The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety reported over 98 deaths in car crashes involving teen drivers in 2015. With a solid source of professional driving instruction and a time that is accessible to all students, the number of crashes and deaths would be significantly decreased.

Driver’s Ed will teach teens relevant skills and create a safer place for everyone on the roads.

It’s time for CPS and the state of Missouri to make strides to benefit the community.

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COMMENTARIES

The Rock | www.bearingnews.org | September 22, 2016

Cassi Viox / the rock

Clubs enrich each year

RBRO

Activities encourage involvement Elad Gov-Ari

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Do you like volunteering?

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s we rush through our years of high school, the looming words of our parents to “get involved” fall into the list of chores we claim we’ll do.

It’s so easy to come and go from school keeping nothing but homework and friends on our minds. Doing so, however, we glide past one of the most special aspects of RBHS and miss out on the vast opportunities to investing time in one of the school’s many clubs or extracurriculars.

As commonly known, clubs are one of the strongest resumé builders. To apply to a pre-medical college program and be an active member at the local Future Doctors of America (FDA) seems like a great way for colleges to notice you. With such a large variety of clubs offered at RBHS, no field is excluded when considering, exploring and learning about future careers due to the sheer number of student led activities held at RBHS. Despite the validity and usefulness of joining a school organization for the sake of bulking up a resumé, getting involved in extracurriculars can offer a whole lot more than just an impressive Cas si V transcript. Being involved not only heightens iox / th e a sense of school spirit (or so administrators Bru rock Crew say), but more importantly, it can help students realize their interests and point them in the right direction in achieving our goals.

By going out and finding what you may enjoy, different career fields and opportunities may make themselves apparent and new interests can develop.

Aside from future aspirations, many clubs such as Rock Bridge Reaches Out (RBRO) and Global Issues offer a chance to impact not only our community, but those around the world. By volunteering time into these extracurriculars, students can change their home towns for the better. A variety of these volunteering clubs are available to students that try and make the community more ck clean, safe and enjoyable. ro he tics t i/ o Throughout the past two years I’ve spent at us Rob yo ay RBHS, I’ve avoided doing anything other than j el uf going to class and the occasional football game. us yo I watched my friends come and go from RBRO, Speech and Debate, robotics and just about every other meeting. My thought was always, “I don’t belong to this or that,” or “I don’t need the extra work.”

Putting aside the feeling of not belonging, joining was one of the most daunting things I could think of. Having to put myself out there with strangers for the first time seemed nearly impossible. On top of that I was clueless as to where to begin looking for things I might like.

I soon realized that a lack of will and motivation were my only real setbacks in getting involved. The quickest of searches on the school web page brought me an entire list of clubs with presidents and sponsors listed for me to go talk to.

With so many options, it’s easy to get intimidated or feel like you don’t belong, but it’s important to keep in mind that they’re there for people to join. Clubs are created and maintained to entice us students to join and learn about things outside of the basic curriculums.

Whether that be joining the ultimate frisbee team or learning to design and program your own robot in the robotics club, every student can find something that fuels their passions and skills.

With more than 50 clubs offered at RBHS, it’s important for even the most shy students to get out there and find what they love. Don’t let a lack of confidence or motivation ruin a chance to find an undiscovered passion or skill.

As RBHS students we are fortunate to have access to such an impressive repertoire of activities, and should try and utilize them for both personal and communal reasons.

Do you enjoy performing in front of a crowd?

Do you like going to sporting events?

Do you like working with code and technology?

What clubs best fit you?

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Do you enjoy public speaking?

Life lessons from the bathroom floor

Grace Vance

I wish for no stress, But college apps have started, I hope to survive.

Sarah Bai senior

Senior year is hard, I miss Harambe so much, Please God save me now.

Bana Daghlas senior

The work never ends, My future is arriving, I hope it’s worth it

Ron-Tayza Hill senior

the unwashed floor of a library bathroom because I wanted to. It angered me that they would he first time I started the Common Apexpect “don’t worry” to suffice as advice. plication I vomited. Truly. I got up from But as my early decision application date my chair on the second floor of the Cocomes closer and closer, I’m starting to underlumbia Public Library, walked calmly stand what they meant. to the bathroom near the stairs and, clenching At the end of that day, after all your research my teeth, I opened the swing door and walked and editing, the only way to keep moving forswiftly into the tiled, baby powder scented reward is to not worry. The stress put on these apstroom where I quickly kneeled before a toilet plications will cripple you with fear if you focus and released. on them too much. Don’t let the fear of “what I’m not exaggerating when I say it was then, ifs,” ruin the now. Your senior year can still be alone on the floor of a public bathroom, with the the epic, picturesque high school experience evsour taste of anxiousness in my mouth, that the ery Howard Deutch movie makes it out to be. monolith of college applications that had been I know this because at the end of the day colhanging above my head all junior year, slowly lege doesn’t decide everything. The reality of getting thinner and thinner, finally hit me. the workplace is that you don’t have to graduate Every time I tried to think through and orfrom a great school to get a good job. ganize my thoughts, I got caught up in my lack College, much like RBHS, is what you make of future plans. I didn’t know what I wanted to of it. You can go to Mizzou, start a club, secure study; how was I supposed to pick a school? a fantastic internship, study abroad, get a decent What factors was I supposed to consider when GPA and look just as good to employers as the choosing a school? What if I finally figured out kid who barely made it through Northwestern. what I wanted to do my sophomore year, but The truth is, you might go through all this I had chosen a school that didn’t excel in that work and still not get into your choice school. area?

And that’s okay.

My questions were numerous and difficult.

Your entire life is not defined by high school It was only when I felt my and it certainly isn’t dephone notifications buzz did I fined by what college you get up and realize I had been get into. Work as hard as crying for an hour. you can, make the most The worst part of that expeof every opportunity and Get started early and know your deadline. rience, and the process of colwe will all find ourselves lege applications in general, in much better places Be honest; don’t exaggerate accomplishments or qualifications. was that I couldn’t pinpoint than we were to begin Have a person you trust (like a teacher) proofread your work. my frustrations on just one with. thing.

I say this from a place Keep copies of applications, recommendation letters and essays.

It wasn’t just that I didn’t of concern and friendknow what I wanted to do afship: don’t worry.

Grace Vance / source: EDUCATIONPLANNER.ORG

Kat Sarafianos

T

ter high school, it was financial aid and scholarships; it was getting accepted and writing resumés and knowing where to apply.

My stress wasn’t just a singular problem I could research and fix, it was like a thousand roots in the ground all stemming to make up one massive tree of uncertainty.

It wasn’t until I met with my friends who had graduated that everything came into perspective. When I spoke to these now glowing, stress-free freshmen about to travel all across the country into new lives, I was in awe.

Gone were the lifeless teens I had known, completely disconnected from anything not related to their applications.

When I asked about how to deal with the stress of senior year, the one overwhelming answer was one that took me a few weeks to understand.

“Don’t worry. Research.”

“Try on each application.”

“Look for scholarships.”

“Be open to change and don’t worry.”

I spent hours pondering their words and trying to think of excuses for how a Vanderbilt freshman could give such stupid advice.

Don’t worry? I didn’t have panic attacks on

How to survive college applications:

FEATURES

Road The Rock | 9.22.16

Show

It’s a long way home Cassidy Viox

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alking from home to RBHS would take 14,000 steps and two and a half hours for junior Alex Sovanski. If Sovanski attended Hickman High School, the walk would be only 4,000 steps and less than an hour.

Though Sovanski has no intention of walking either route, in order to get to RBHS she goes by Hickman High School and continues for another five miles until she gets to RBHS. The high school boundaries that were implemented with the opening of Battle High School in 2013 separated neighborhoods from the schools that lay closest to them in an effort to accommodate middle schools boundaries and balance attendance at the high schools. This is the case for Sovanski, who lives farther from RBHS than most students and has a longer bus ride.

“The drive is usually about 30 minutes depending on traffic,” Sovanski said. “I live about five minutes north of Hickman and less than 15 minutes west of Battle.”

The way the school boundaries are laid out means

that students who live closer to other high schools could be forced into the RBHS districts. In Sovanski’s view, the geographically inconvenient school boundaries take away opportunities for students to get involved in activities and extracurriculars.

“I probably would be a part of a lot more clubs if I lived close [to RBHS.] I would participate in a lot more [sporting] events during the year,” Sovanski said. “There haven’t been too many clubs that I have wanted to participate in, but I want to participate in more sports games because I have so much fun at them.”

School boundary lines designed to distribute diversity but disturb transit

A bumpy ride Assistant Principal Dr. Lisa Nieuwenhuizen believes lack of transportation is a factor in students not having access to tutoring, clubs or athletics.

“I don’t think we can change where people live, but I do think the schools should take steps to be much more inclusive of these populations so that those students have equal access to the opportunities that clubs and athletics provide for pro-social activities,” Dr. Nieuwenhuizen said. “By removing structural barriers like transportation, we would provide a more equitable approach for clubs, sports, and activities.”

Not only do the boundaries make it hard for students to be involved in multiple activities, but the longer bus rides take time away from students’ time outside of school as well. Sovanski wakes up earlier on the days that she rides the bus and if she lived closer to school, she would be able to sleep in another 45 minutes.

“I don’t get home until 5 p.m. It really affects how much sleep I get because I have to go to bed a lot earlier than others and wake up 45 minutes early on days that I ride the bus,” Sovanski said. “Getting home at 5 p.m. definitely does not help with the amount of time I have to do homework.”

The distance also separates students from participating in activities or playing sports by making it harder to get rides to and from school when the bus service isn’t available. According to Columbia Public Schools (CPS) Transportation Coordinator Blake Tekotte, there are 196 RBHS students that live in the north or central part of town. Middle schools provide activity buses which take students home later in

the afternoon so students are able to stay for activities without transportation problems. RBHS does not offer activity buses, but Dr. Nieuwenhuizen continues to advocate for them, having first brought up the question 10 years ago.

“There is an idea that high school students drive, thus no need for an activity bus or that the bus wouldn’t really be used,” Dr. Nieuwenhuizen said. “The other issue is that there is currently no funding for an activity bus. So even if we could arrange one, we would have to find a way to pay for it.”

Sovanski agrees that RBHS should provide an activity bus. She believes the bus would allow her to be more involved in extracurriculars.

“I live in a single parent home and sometimes there isn’t enough time to come and get me and take me to things all the time,” Sovanski said.

dzung nguyen

Pushing the boundaries The inconvenient school boundaries are not unwarranted, though.

When redrawing district boundaries in 2012, the committee considered numerous factors for the disproportionate lines.

“Several years ago there was a study done by an outside agency to draw the boundary lines and make recommendations to balance the diversity across the district,” Dr. Nieuwenhuizen said.

“While the intent was a good idea, consideration to the actual impact on those families was not given.”

Coordinating 21 elementary schools, six middle schools, four high schools and trying to make everyone happy while doing so is not an easy task. CPS Board of Education member Christine King participated in the decisions regarding high school boundaries. King said redrawing the boundaries involved parents, community members and administration considering different options and carefully trying to choose the best choice for CPS. “At the end of the process, after the committee looked

at hundreds of scenarios and the true data of students who live in our district, they decided it was best that once students were in middle school, they follow their middle school to high school,” King said. “The decision was to have two middle schools feed into each high school.”

According to CPS’ district data, more than 18,000 students attend CPS this school year. King said no solution can make every student or parent in the district content. After analyzing all the options, CPS chose what they thought was best for students from kindergarten to graduation.

“Inconvenience is [subjective] to every family. What is an inconvenience to one family may not be to someone else,” King said. “We do try, at the school level, to work with the needs of all our students.”

The committee made the choices and the district lines were finalized. Dr. Nieuwenhuizen said students always have the power to make a change in CPS. Perhaps in the future if students get involved in the issue, RBHS will have an activity bus that will provide students like Sovanski the opportunities to be more involved within the school.

“If there is an active group of students and parents who voice their concerns about this structural barrier ... to the central office and the school board, perhaps the district might consider changing it,” Dr. Nieuwenhuizen said. “We know that research shows that student involvement in extracurricular activities increases academic success and graduation rates.

It seems like a no-brainer and money well spent.”

A committee of parents, community members and school administrators met in 2012 to draw new boundary lines with the intent of spreading out demographics to achieve equal diversity among the three high schools.

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INDEPTHS THE ROCK 9.22.15

More than a piece of the past Native americans battle against internal, external obstacles Nikol Slatinska

F

rom a young age, children hear lies about the details of Native American history. The tragic truth of history often is covered up and replaced with stories of Christopher Columbus, who was a little forceful with the indigenous people of the New World.

Other well-known teachings include the first Thanksgiving, a food filled festival. For the 5.2 million Native Americans in the United States today, the lack of knowledge on more heinous historical events proves frustrating.

What’s even more upsetting to many is that the Native American assimilation efforts by white settlers from centuries ago continue to affect tribes today, and Native Americans feel that not enough people know about it. Edith Leoso, a Tribal Historic Preservation Officer with the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa in Wisconsin, believes widespread acknowledgement of those events is the best way to help tribespeople cope.

“There are acculturation and assimilation methods that were used against us in the past and have reverberated into the future to today. Why is it that those things from the past have affected us today? I think that’s something that isn’t taught at school and isn’t really talked about a lot, and one of the reasons why, is because it evokes white guilt,” Leoso said. “For us, in order to heal from this, we need some kind of affirmation that this did happen.

Something happened not too long ago the other night on MSNBC, and within four minutes an individual summed up 500 years of things that have happened to Native American people.”

Leoso is referring to Lawrence O’Donnell’s Aug. 24, 2016 episode of his

nightly news show, “The Last Word.” In nearly three times more likely to commit his four minutes of summarizing white suicide than the overall national populaAmericans’ mistreatment of Native Amer- tion. Other problems have proven to be icans, O’Donnell ended by connecting destructive among Native Americans, those actions to yet another overlooked with alcohol dependency rates three times problem currently transpiring: the objec- greater than the national average. It is also tions over the North Dakota Access oil approximated that 70 percent of Native pipeline.

Americans will suffer from a mental disLast April, hundreds of members from order during their lifetimes. Leoso is clear the Standing Rock Sioux tribe gathered on what the key to reversing these issues in protest over a pipeline under construc- is. tion from North Dakota to Illinois. The “Educate people. It should be a stantribespeople want construction of the oil dard part of our history in our education pipeline to stop because their reservation system. You don’t know how many times is near the planned path. An oil leak could I’ve heard from adults, people who are be disastrous and the pipeline would cross professors, ‘I’ve never heard about this,’” ancestral lands. So far, police have arrest- Leoso said. “It’s something that nobody ed 20 protesters, and the pipeline company really wants to talk about. Indian people has sued many others for fighting for the have been involved in nearly everything environthat has gone on in mental safethis country, but noty of their body really talks land.

Reabout it.”

Indian people have been cently, howThis past July, juinvolved in nearly everyever, the nior Alexis Garrison thing that has gone on in government second-handedly exthis country, but nobody stopped perienced the issues really talks about it. construcfrequently faced by — Edith Leoso tion on a Native Americans on pipeline section that would have crossed a a church-organized trip to the Pine Ridge river near their reservation.

Indian Reservation in South Dakota. DurToday, media companies are around ing the trip, she and others from St. Anto cover occurrences such as this one, but drew’s Lutheran Church helped fix a Nadecades ago, most went unnoticed and un- tive American woman’s house. The group mentioned. Leoso concludes the suppres- also learned about the local tribe. sion of the hardships undergone by Native Although the local people had a strong Americans is what has caused such ram- sense of identity and heritage, many were pant self-destruction among many com- emotionally broken from the abiding crimunities. ses plaguing their community.

“There were, like, 80,000 people on the Trigger Warning: If you experience dis- reservation. Some of them had given up on cussion of suicide as potentially trauma- their native religions because of what has tizing, it may be best to read no further. happened to them in the past and what the government has done to them. The governAccording to a 2006 report from pbs. ment tried to get people to forget their old org, Native American adolescents are religions and convert them to Christianity

and Catholicism,” Garrison said. “They’re also not allowed to sell alcohol on the reservation anymore because a high percentage of the population has a drinking problem, so they have to go out of town to buy alcohol.”

Crystal Lee, the Director of Youth and Family Ministry at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, organized this year’s trip as well as the church’s first trip to the reservation.

Lee first heard about the Pine Ridge Reservation while attending Augustana College (now Augustana University) in South Dakota, and when St. Andrew’s decided to go on a service trip, Lee remembered the reservation. She thought going there would be a good opportunity to provide service, as well as a cultural experience.

“I took away a better understanding of the history of the Native American people — both specifically for the Lakota and in a more general sense. Knowing the history opens up a better understanding of their current status and how they have come to live in these conditions,” Lee said. “I am looking at the possibility of going again next year.”

The woman whose house Garrison and Lee helped fix talked to Garrison’s mother about the high suicide rate on the reservation. The woman knew all too well of the seriousness of the problem because her own daughter ended her life. She said the average suicide rate on the reservation for kids over the age of 12 is 30 percent.

In May 2015, the New York Times published a story about the Pine Ridge Reservation’s high suicide rate, reporting that nine people between the ages of 12 and 24 killed themselves since Dec. 2014. These statistics have plagued the culture of adolescents there, with a somewhat commonplace “game” among young people that includes drawing numbers from a bowl to determine in which order they will commit suicide.

See NATIVE AMERICAN, B6

One Nation AlreadY divisible

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IN-DEPTHS

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students reap benefits of social innovation=

Equality sways education_+ Skyler Froese

W

ith help from events like the Ferguson protests and the genesis of the Black Lives Matter movement, African American rights have returned to public conscience. These discussions focus on polarizing topics like police brutality, not as contested are more mundane parts of the black experience. 7.8 million black students go to school. As they go to class, the events of the outside world still impact them.

“Ferguson had a major impact on not only African American students, but all students,” assistant principal Deborah Greene said. “Normally I think we walk around with blinders on, accepting what we hear and see, but Ferguson brought to light what we often don’t want or have the energy to address.”

As Greene said; social and political factors are intertwined. The 1954 court case Brown v. Board of Education marked a turning point when it renounced segregated schools. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act followed in 1965, which started programs to support disadvantaged students while challenging the federal tradition of not intruding on education. These actions were hotly contested in the American public and the latter still causes debate.

“The attitude toward African Americans in schools is almost unrecognizable today as compared to a hundred years ago,” Pulitzer prize for biography winner Dr. John Matteson said. “.... In 1916, the majority of whites would have been utterly shocked to

see black students attending the same class- that not every pupil has his opportunities. es as their own children. While prejudices “High school is the time in which young still obviously exist, they persist on a much students begin to develop their own opinmore subtle level, and the situation really ions, so it's unlikely that issues such as these has improved tremendously.” won't be discussed in classes or in social By the 1980s, there had been change in groups,” Davis said. “My goal is to encourthe attitude toward desegregated schools. age people to understand that we all have Matteson describes an embracing, integrat- a limited perspective of the world and to ed experience through his collegiate career show them how issues such as these cannot at several Ivy League institutions. be fully understood unless [we are] willing Greene remembers having opportuni- to look at them from different perspectives.” ties to succeed in Columbia but not without Even in the 21st century, however, black hurdles. While she was an athletic student, students overcome obstacles. In 2014, only the cheer team denied Greene a chance to 73 percent of black high school students compete, as the unspoken rule was there graduated, according to the National Cencould only be ter for Education one black girl Statistics. The defion the team. cit increases after “A chalhigh school. A black Things tend to look imposlenge I faced child has a 30 persible until they happen and in both junior cent chance of havthen everyone looks back and high and high ing a parent with a wonders why it took so long. school was bachelor's degree, — Bryn Orton, U.S. History never feeling but a white child has Teacher recognized for a 40 percent chance, my talents and according to U.S. strengths,” Greene said. “I will never for- News and World Report. This is not the reget, during my senior year in [the 1980s], I sult of any individual fault, but rather of the was told by my counselor that I should do system. domestic work.”

“Those challenges have to do with Decades after Greene’s graduation, more overly large classes, underpaid teachers, change has occurred. Senior Trentynne Da- watered-down standards, an unhealthy vis is African American and looks to the obsession with standardized testing and a past to appreciate the struggle of black stu- failure of government, both state and feddents. He now can pursue his interests and eral, to adequately fund and support educatake challenging courses freely. He sees this tion...” Matteson said. “It's also a problem privilege as a chance to educate his peers when the more privileged population goes

out of its way to preserve a de facto segregated atmosphere, either by moving out of mixed neighborhoods or opting for private schools as a means of avoiding contact with children of other backgrounds.”

As an educator, Greene saw through her eyes, and the eyes of her students, the extent prejudice hurts a pupil.

“Poor students and students of color continue to face the most obstacles in their education...” Greene said. “Students of color continue to battle discrimination and racism. Our culture — with the help of the media — is saturated with stereotypical images of what African Americans are and how they act. No matter how wrong it is, some whites have a strong misconception of them.”

Even with obstacles the black population faces, progress is still being made. Columbia Public Schools endorses the slogan “We Are One” to promote equality. Greene believes this program, as well as more publicized advancements of African Americans, such as having a black president inspire African American students. Davis agrees that part of the key to success is showing all students that they can be prosperous.

“Educational institutions need to show African American students that they are extraordinary.” Davis said. “The truth is that African American students don't always have a fair chance at a quality education due to their situations, be they personal, economic or social. Understanding that is crucial to helping them overcome these situations.”

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Demographic Shift Leads to Division Joy Park

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hut up. It’s none of your business,” sophomore Valeria Velasquez politely articulates in response to the occasional “Are you illegal?” comment summoned by her peers during a heated discussion of immigration.

She gives this reply not because she’s shy or fearful of revealing herself but because, either way, she knows their responses would aggravate her.

Velasquez was born and raised in Nicaragua, a country in Central America. At six years old, her family moved to the United States followed by her aunts and uncles who now reside in California and New Jersey as U.S. citizens. Although Velasquez herself has not obtained this coveted status, she and her family retain the legal rights to live in the United States.

Like 74 percent of Latino voters in America, according to a national voter survey performed by Latino Decision, a Latino political publication, Velasquez does not favor Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Calling Mexican immigrants “criminals, drug dealers and rapists,” sexualizing and belittling notable women and mocking a disabled New York Times reporter at a rally, Trump has notoriously climbed his way to the top of the political sphere.

Although not of Mexican descent, Velasquez knew that Trump’s argument was not directed solely toward Mexicans, but to the Hispanic community as a whole.

An offensive flaw she found in Trump’s remarks toward Mexicans was his daring act in painting the Latino community as unruly in one bold stroke.

“I wasn’t particularly shocked — the things [Trump] said weren’t revolutionary or particularly innovative insults. In a society that doesn’t bother to get to know our community and has their own messed up perception of us, the things he was saying were only startling because they were so clearly spoken,” Velasquez said. “Gener-

alizing a group of people and stating that xenophobia will always prevail.

‘Some of them, by assumption, are good “We should never lose sight of the people’ is something that is so unapolo- fact that in the last 100 years our circle of getically offensive. In the grand scheme of moral sentiments has increased drastically. things, don’t all [groups of people] have Kids at RBHS sit in their studies classes a couple black sheep that commit crimes during Socratics and say things like ‘Racand ruin their overall image?” ism will always exist’ just like their grandSenior Patrick Burnam, president of parent used to think ‘Different races will Young Republicans and a Trump sup- never be able to live together peacefully’ porter, acknowledges that people can in- and their parents used to say ‘Women will terpret Trump’s remarks against Latinos as never be able to hold public office’ and so extreme; however, he perceives Trump as on and so forth. Things tend to look ima man who will put America first. Burnam possible until they happen and then everybelieves in Trump and his competency to one looks back and wonders why it took so serve American international interests. long,”Orton said.

“I think that the whole Latino Hispanic Orton juxtaposes the Nativist moverhetoric sepament of the 1900s rates us as — a political posiAmericans,” tion of favoring inBurnam said. habitants over imThings tend to look impos“Rather than migrants — with sible until they happen and focusing on today’s changthen everyone looks back and how Trump is ing demographwonders why it took so long. actually runics and economy. ning a camAccording to the — Bryn Orton, paign to betEconomic Policy U.S. History Teacher ter America, Institute (EPI), in we focus on 2012, more than how petty words tear each other down. 40 million immigrants lived in the United Although Trump will be a force for real States. In 2014, 11.3 million unauthorized change in Washington, he still needs to immigrants lived in the U.S, 5.1 percent of win first.” whom made up the U.S. workforce.

Burnam believes Trump expresses his “Nativism isn’t purely a response to viewpoints aggressively with the right in- social change; it’s also a response to ecotent to address a problem that politicians nomic uncertainty,” Orton said. “Throughhave ignored for decades. out our history, it is clear that the waves “The illegal immigration nightmare of immigration that the U.S. has experion our southern border needs to be con- enced has brought tremendous economic tained,” Burnam said. “Illegal immigrants improvement. [However,] each wave of not only drain our country of funds dedi- immigration is considered, at the time, to cated to American citizens, but allows be bad for the economy.” for the elections in our democracy to be Immigration is central to the idea of skewed.” the“land of opportunity.” Yet throughout U.S. History teacher Bryn Orton says the nation’s history, tension between imthere is no real beginning to anti-senti- migrants and so-called natives has existed. ments regarding certain ethnicities or de- One persistent assumption is that immimographics. Categorizing and classifying gration brings crime, according to research people has always been a part of human from the Kellogg School of Management nature, but does not mean that racism and at Northwestern University.

“The broad generalizations of illegal immigrants are rampant. That all immigrants are ‘rapists’ does not describe the real problems that illegal immigrants pose to our society,” Burnam said. “It is easy to get caught in the sensationalism of this issue, but the fact of the matter is that one American citizen killed or harmed by an illegal immigrant is too many.”

Velasquez doesn’t recall any specific, explicit acts of racism, and compared to the average person, she regards her life as “pretty normal.” Other than people miscalling her “Mexican,” she faces the pressure to shatter the stereotype that she and her ethnicity are often branded with. With this effort due on her part, when other Latinos succumb to the stereotype surrounding them, she feels deep disappointment.

“Whenever I hear about a Latino that has committed rape or murder or any other crime on the news or through word of mouth, I feel humiliated because I know that their bad crime eternally feeds our image,” Velasquez said. “I think to myself, ‘This is why Americans and other people think we’re this way. Because of you people, the majority that isn’t like you at all has to try to erase the image that you keep creating. [The majority] has to live with your consequences.’”

Despite the behaviors of others, Velasquez said she is still proud of her heritage.

She considers herself an American, but her Nicaraguan roots tie back to the country she was born in, her pride and dignity.

“It’s hard to measure a culture's influence. Latinos, like other minorities, have always been on the front lines pushing Americans to live up to our bold ideals enshrined in the Declaration of Independence,” Orton said. “[In terms of racism and injustice], people need to learn how to think critically. A [critically] thinking mind is also a compassionate mind. When I critically and intensely study the world around me, I find myself feeling increasingly attached to not only the plight of others, but also the achievements of others.”

Additional reporting by Grace Vance

2016

Native Americans join the Standing Rock Sioux tribe’s protest against a $3.8 million oil pipeline. It is slated to run through four states, causing disturbance in sacred sites.

Path to Progress

2001

what made race relations today

Promptly after Sept. 11, islamophobic attacks increased 1,700% from 28 hate crimes to 481. Islamophobia still remains an issue today.

1965

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson, offering federal grants to low income students.

1954

1943

Brown v. Board of Education supreme court case declared state laws establishing separate schools for black and white students unconstitutional.

Macario Garcia becomes the first Mexican national to receive a U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor, yet is refused service at a restaurant in his hometown.

1921 Limits on the number of immigrants allowed in the United States are imposed for the first time in history.

JOY PARK / SOURCE: AMERICAN INDIAN RELIEF COUNCIL, PBS, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

1830 The Indian Removal Act forces several southern Native American tribes to relocate. 4,000 Cherokee people died of cold, hunger, and disease on the Trail of Tears.

THE ROCK | WWW.BEARINGNEWS.ORG | SEPTEMBER 22, 2016

IN-DEPTHS

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Polarizing perceptions Violence, bias, fear taint Muslim-American experience between Afghanistan or Iraq or whatever — just that the Muslim countries BHS parent Aziza Rashid and should be bombarded, like, ‘We should her husband just wanted to look wipe them out’ talk on the radio,” Bledfor furniture. The only custom- soe said. “My mom told me that was one ers in the store, they entered a of the scariest things she had heard since shop in Kingdom City, Mo. on moving to America. The such intense a quiet afternoon. hatred, that they were like ‘We’re not The Rashids browsed the selection, going to distinguish between Muslims, expecting one of the workers to come all of them do not deserve to live.’” offer assistance, but as minutes turned In contrast, only positivity met into hours, they instead tracked down an Rashid immediately following the associate to offer help. events of 9/11.

Rashid wears the hijab, one of the “After everyone in our neighbormost visible signs of a Muslim. She hood heard about 9/11, one of my neighchalks the inattention up to a microag- bors — a Caucasian, the person I least gression, an expected to unintentional say anything insult or snub — told me based upon The such intense hatred, that if I needed a person’s they were like ‘We’re not going anything [I marginalized to distinguish between Musshould] call group. lims, all of them do not deserve them,” Rashid For Rashid, to live. said.

“That the incident night, all of — Maryam Bledsoe, senior was one of my neighbors islamophobia, first defined in 1991 as came to our house asking if we were "unfounded hostility towards Muslims, okay, if we needed someone to get groand therefore fear or dislike of all or ceries for us if we were scared to.” most Muslims," according to the UniFifteen years have passed since 9/11, versity of California — Berkeley. Kris- and research indicates that Muslims face ten Sekerci, a member of Georgetown more violence because of their faith than University’s Bridge Initiative to reduce previously. According to Georgetown islamophobia, says that the phenomenon University’s Bridge Initiative, Amerihas been occurring for generations. can Muslims are likely to encounter at“Islamophobia has been around long tacks six to nine more times now than before 9/11,” Sekerci said. “Since the after 9/11. Despite this, Rashid believes Crusades, when European Christians relations between Muslims and the sursought control of Muslim lands in what rounding community have improved. is currently the Middle East. The growth “Before 9/11, a lot of times [Musof it today stems from 9/11.” lims] were seen as outsiders, as ‘the On Sept. 11, 2001, The terrorist group other people’,” Rashid said. “Not a lot Al-Qaeda hijacked four planes and used of people were educated on Islam, but them to kill and terrify the people of the now, I think people are more aware of United States, causing more than 3,000 us and our faith, and are more willing to deaths. Because the hijackers were Mus- listen to us.” lim, many began to resent the Muslims She doesn’t mean everyone, though. in their community, sparking fear in the Rashid blames the rise of extreme views Islamic communities all over the nation. concerning Islam on Western media’s Two at the time, senior Maryam Bled- influence. soe recounts one of the many stories her “It’s not news. It’s not journalistic mom told her following 9/11. media anymore,” Rashid said. “It’s en“There were these people on the ra- tertainment media, and with the current dio, and they were talking about how the presidential election where a lot of the Muslim countries — they didn’t specify rhetoric is about Latino Americans and

Rochita Ghosh

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Muslims, [the media] latches onto these comments and makes a big deal out of them to get viewer attention.”

Such statements include proposals offered by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump concerning Islam, like banning any Muslim travellers to the country.

This correlates with the rise of islamophobic incidents. For instance, there have been at least three separate occurrences of violence against Muslims by Trump supporters, according to Georgetown University’s Bridge Initiative.

Bledsoe argues that while these islamophobic instances are tragic, they are not what Muslims every day typically experience in terms of discrimination and being labelled as outsiders.

“I think the most prevalent part of islamophobia we see now, and probably the most important to address, is how Islam and Muslims are seen as counterWestern,” Bledsoe said. “They can’t really be Western or American or European or whatever it is...I didn’t really understand it until I started wearing the hijab, but my mom would get stared at a lot because she wears hijab, when she goes into public spaces. That’s not really islamophobia, though, that’s just being confronted with something different.”

Bledsoe said she has never experienced intense islamophobia, the kind that cause vandalism or murder. The kind that motivated someone to shoot at the house of a family friend in Florida, following the San Bernardino attacks in December of 2015. For that, she is grateful.

“As far as personally being attacked...I mean, people say stupid stuff to me a lot, but I’m very lucky I live in Columbia because it’s never been outwardly, ‘I hate you because you’re Muslim,’ ‘I think what you’re apart of is evil and it doesn’t belong here,”” Bledsoe said. “I’ve never heard that explicitly said to me. Everything I’ve ever felt was a bit islamophobic was like somebody saying, ‘Oh, are you related to Osama bin Laden because you’re wearing the hijab?’ Just stupid stuff that kids say; it’s stuff that doesn’t affect me on a personal level.”

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et another frequent issue among Pine Ridge adolescents is teenage pregnancy. Garrison learned that this is a result of the widespread sterilization of Native American women conducted by the Indian Health Service (IHS) in the 1970s.

The Government Accounting Office conducted an investigation on the matter in four of 12 affected areas and released the results on Nov. 6, 1976, which showed that the IHS, a government-created agency, performed 3,406 sterilizations from 1973 to 1976. Per capita, this would have been like sterilizing 452,000 non-Native American women at the time.

Further research calculated that 25 to 50 percent of Native American women were sterilized in six years. This continues to affect Native Americans today, like the people on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, many of whom don’t believe in using contraceptives and no longer trust the federal government after having almost an entire generation of women sterilized without their consent.

The fact that these events are not publicized bothers Garrison. She said even her parents, who grew up in South Dakota, were unaware of the tragedies occurring in their own home state. Other problems, such as the fact that Native Americans are the ethnic group most commonly shot by the police despite only making up 0.8 percent of the population, according to the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, also aren’t as highly publicized as they should be.

“Nobody wants to be reminded that there are Indians still living,” Leoso said. “Other than the ‘Twilight’ movies, where the Indians are just there on the Northwest Coast, a lot of people are under the impression that there aren’t that many Native Americans left, when there are actually millions of us.”

Lee certainly got the impression of federal indifference during her time at the Pine Ridge Reservation. The government did not keep its promises regarding land to the Native Americans and created reservations much smaller than what was promised.

Other instances, such as the Wounded Knee Massacre that occurred on the Pine Ridge Reservation, have broken the Native people’s trust in their government.

The land the Sioux were on kept shrinking as the U.S. government kept changing the lines through different treaties.

Today there is still a large debate about whether the Black Hills should be returned to the Sioux tribe because it is considered sacred land In 1890, the people of the reservation took part in the Ghost Dance movement, during which they were told that they had been defeated and enclosed in reservations by American soldiers because they had angered their gods by abandoning traditional beliefs. Many Sioux believed if they rejected the white men’s rules, the gods would destroy all non-believers, including the white men.

This worried the government, and on Dec. 15, 1890, police arrested and killed the Sioux chief, Sitting Bull, which resulted in a conflict that claimed 150 Native lives. The incident was originally

not labeled as a massacre; the soldiers involved even received medals of honor.

“The events still have a large impact on the people and how they perceive the government. It is hard to trust a government when they have proven to be untrustworthy in the past,” Lee said. “They want to keep their identity as a people, but there are few job opportunities on the reservation and if they do leave the reservation, they deal with racism in the cities and towns nearby. It also costs money to move; if they did not have a job on the reservation they would not have the money for a deposit and first month’s rent. The Native Americans are not in a position where they can move forward or try to diminish the problems on their own.”

Despite the many injustices Native Americans continue to face, a large portion of them still support their neglectful government by joining the military. As reported by an article from theguardian. com, Native Americans make up 1.7 percent of active duty forces even though they make up only 0.8 percent of the national population. A member of the Pine Ridge Reservation told Garrison that this is because Native Americans see it more as fighting for their land instead of for the government. Leoso believes it’s just in their blood.

“We’re natural-born people who are accustomed to fighting for a lot of things. It goes all the way back to the Civil War. I don’t think people know that Native Americans were fighting in the Civil War, as well,” Leoso said. “We fought wars for 150 years before we stopped fighting them, and then after we

stopped fighting wars, people were like, ‘Okay, all we know how to do is fight,’ so we started going into the military.”

Native Americans may be naturalborn fighters, but that doesn’t take away the emotional trauma of warfare. Leoso mentioned that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was a huge effect of past tribal wars and led to alcohol abuse among Native Americans. Many people don’t know that entire families were killed in those wars, and many of the family members who survived tried to self-medicate with alcohol.

The remaining people have adapted to their circumstances and modernized themselves to fit into society, which Leoso says is not difficult for them because they’ve been doing it for centuries. What is difficult is for others, including the government, to accept that the Native Americans are able to do so. Although there is much that can be done to repay the Native Americans for what they’ve gone through, Leoso simply wishes for some acknowledgment.

“The government needs to come to terms with the faults that they made to Indian people and come to some resolution to that and provide reconciliation for that.” Leoso said. “Today in Canada, there’s the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, [so] at least they formed a committee over there to say that they did wrong to Indian people. Whether that’s going to go anywhere or have any impact, at least they got that far. Over here, it’s like ‘We’ll meet with you but there’s really nothing we can do,’ when there really is something they can do, but they just don’t want to do it.”

The Rock | www.bearingnews.org | September 22, 2016

FEATURES

B7

Nit-pickers struggle for perfection Ethan Howard

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TYSON JAMIESON / THE ROCK

Comparing talents stirs confidence Ann Fitzmaurice

B

eethoven’s Moonlight Sonata drowns the corridor as musicians practice for their auditions. Members gather outside the wooden doors, leaning toward the direction of the music to size up their competition.

Just before the auditioners call the next name, a quick glance towards a competing musician wracks nerves and rockets motivation to become the best. Groups of people gather in pods to discuss who they think is the better performer and who really deserves the first chair spot.

Runners sprint past each other, gaining confidence as they outrun their opponents — including their own teammates. In order to make varsity, it is essential to have no mercy and do what needs to be done in order to be the best.

Karen Coffin, a retired coach of National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) said competition is healthy in sports and other skill demanding activities. It can promote motivation to better and evolve the group as everyone pushes each other to get better.

Competition can also cause teammates to lose motivation and confidence. Of course playing and performing against other teams or groups leads to strict competition with opponents, but what happens when there’s competition among teammates?

“I definitely get jealous sometimes when people do better at blocking someone on a football play than I do or when someone gets a solo and I don’t,” senior varsity player Ben Lopez said.

“I take that and use it to do better and be better next time.”

Jealousy is a normal human emotion, said clinical psychologist Lisa Firestone. How people react to the emotion, however, is what deems it positive or negative. For example, giving up on the task at hand because someone is better at it is a negative reaction, whereas using it to improve is a positive reaction.

Competing and practicing is what drives individuals and even groups to reach their full potential.

“I’m competitive in a lot of the things I do,” senior Davis Erickson, a band member, said.

“With the most recent band placement auditions, petitiveadvantage.com. Their father, Neal BlackI tied scores with one of my good friends. We burn, coaches them in both sports and is also a both just kind of pushed each other to do better teacher at RBHS. and [are] therefore making the band itself better.”

“I’m very blessed and honored to coach them Just as a star player on a football team can’t and see them do their best,” Blackburn said. “I win the game alone, a soloist can’t win a choir or couldn’t ask for anything else.” band competition without the whole ensemble.

Family psychologist Dr. Sylvia Rimm said The students in performing arts have many ways sibling participation in the same sport like the to surpass others and become “the best.” Junior Blackburns is not uncommon. Because of being Connor Squellati has been playing percussion in raised in the same household, parents can push a band since sixth grade and is now in the top con- certain sport onto their children. They can also cert band at RBHS. look up to one another and try to mimic hobbies, “The only time I practice is if I either want to such as the sport the other is involved in. kill it in an audition or if I feel threatened by an“I do look up to my sister as a leader or a other band member,” Squellati said. “But when captain, as does everyone on our team,” Mariah I didn’t get into Blackburn said. “I know I State and others might not ever reach beatdid, I beat myself ing or merely running the up about it because same times she does, but The only time I practice is if I eieveryone expected she does inspire me.” ther want to kill it in an audition me to, so I got The Blackburn sisters or if I feel threatened by anothdown to practicing have been competing in er band member.” again.” cross country and track — Connor Squellati, junior Whether auditogether since last year’s tions, being first season. Although they are chair, having a solo or just fulfilling a show bet- competitive as individuals, they are supportive ter than a peer, there are always ways to show off as a team. talents and get ahead.

“We have our skill levels in different areas, so Throughout the entire year, band students there isn’t much rivalry,” Aliyah Blackburn said. have opportunities to advance, such as challengAlthough the Blackburns themselves may not ing other players. For example, someone who is have a rivalry, some of their teammates likely do. third chair could challenge the person of their According to an article from Psych Central, risame instrument in second chair in a playing valry among teammates is not unusual. competition. If they beat their competitor, they Furthermore, the same research concludes would take the title of second chair. that jealously rooting from competition is simply “I was in a challenge for a chair last year, and human nature.

I can definitely say it was one of the worst flops For some, comparing talents and skills to othI’ve ever done. I didn’t practice enough and my ers can be degrading, but for the Blackburn famnerves got the [best] of me,” sophomore Khalid ily it can also be inspiring — depending on how Ibdah said. “It was still an incredibly positive the comparison is taken. experience because everyone was still so lightHis freshman year Squellati compared himhearted about it.” self to another band member, and that pushed At RBHS siblings often compete in the same him to practice harder and push forward while sport whether it’s at the same time or years lat- staying down to earth. er, after one of them has graduated. Sophomore “In order to prove you are the best you have to Mariah Blackburn and senior Aliyah Blackburn be able to respect other’s talents as much as your have competed with the cross country and track own instead of putting people down,” Squellati and field teams as sisters. Support is a key feature said. “You compare and you take that and turn it in building a stronger team, according to com- into something great.”

izzandra Vazquez stands in the kitchen of her home. An undecorated cake sits on the counter. In her hands, Vazquez holds a funnel of blue frosting. She begins squeezing frosting onto the face of the dessert.

Her hands move diligently but carefully. The funnel slides around in her hand and falls. Blue goes everywhere, splattering all over the floor. She stares at the mess on the ground, and then at the unfinished cake. There’s no way she’d be able to get the same color blue again.

She makes new frosting and finishes decorating. She steps back and looks at the barely noticeable line where one frosting stops and the other starts. The cake is ruined. “[My mom is] a perfectionist, especially with cooking, because she’s a chef,” senior Chay Vazquez said. “She has to get it absolutely perfect.”

Pavel G. Somov, Ph.D., published a blog on PsychCentral.com stating that there are four different types of perfectionists. One of them is neurotic perfectionism, which is motivated by the need of approval. Narcissistic perfectionists are motivated by social feedback.

Contrary to popular misconceptions, they are not all arrogant even if they act like they are. Principled perfectionists are said to be so passionate about their work that they run the risk of pushing their beliefs onto others. The final type, hyper-attentive perfectionists, are motivated by intense concentration. They are described as being able to focus so well on whatever they’re doing that they can’t stop concentrating.

All four of these types are different, but in one instance, they are all the same. They all have medical issues associated with them.

“Stress and anxiety both kind of pillow into [being a perfectionist],” senior Ian Koopman said. “Honestly, when I get super nervous, I tend to do this thing called somatization, which is where my mental emotions tend to affect me physically, so I’ll get bad stomachaches when I’m super nervous.”

Beyond stomach aches, perfectionism can cause a lack of self confidence, depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts, according to PsychologyToday.com. Perfectionists think what they’re doing isn’t the best it could be, which is unacceptable to them.

“Perfectionism is probably a reaction to pressure,” art teacher Carrie Stephenson said. “The pressure could come from themselves, parents, outside sources or from whatever really. They just have goals, and they want to be the best. They want to do their best, and they hold themselves to a higher standard.”

The idea that perfectionism is developed as people age is a common thought among many, according to PsychologyToday.com, but others say it is caused by early life events, such as bullying.

Those thoughts are believed to be what pushes a person to achieve superiority.

Perfectionism can have serious health issues connected with it.

“Everything has to be on point,” Chay Vazquez said. “You gotta keep doing it until you think its perfect, and then you think it isn’t good enough.”

B8

FEATURES

The Rock | www.bearingnews.org | September 22, 2016

Down to earth

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Home remedies offer viable replacement for modern meds Cassidy Viox

Today marks the beginning of autumn. The falling of leaves will accompany the sound of cash registers, as drug stores will soon be filled with sick men and women stocking up on cold medicine. A trending alternative, however, provides an organic way to stay healthy when seasons change.

Nelly Boyt, an employee at Clover’s Natural Market on Chapel Hill, believes remedies offer more than mainstream pills that people use to soothe their symptoms. She said almost all hospitals used plant-based remedies in the 1930s. Homeopathy, the practice of using plant-based remedies, is still popular in Europe. Homeopathic medicines usually come in the form of pills, rubs and liquids.

“If you pick up an allergy formula for homeopathy, it will usually have tiny amounts of onion in it,” Boyt said. “The idea is that if you can trigger eye watering, which is a symptom of allergies to the tiniest level, your body will want to fight that, which will stop eye watering when you get allergies.”

After struggling with anxiety, stress and depression, junior Kaite Ritchie introduced these remedies into her medical routine.

Learning about different organic options led Ritchie to wean herself off of chemical-based medications. Ritchie started using the holistic approach last year and now uses aromatherapy, homeopathy and essential oils.

Doctors write six million antidepressant prescriptions

for children every year, according to Clinical-Depression.co.uk. These drugs usually come with side effects, and in Ritchie’s case the symptoms often get worse while on prescriptions. The only remaining prescription drug Ritchie takes is an antidepressant, which she hopes to get off of soon. Antidepressants are one of the many medicines that can often elicit more harm than good in the body, according to an article from dailymail.co.uk.

“I think natural remedies are safer and have a lot less side effects than chemicals because most drugstore medicines are man-made substances,” Ritchie said. “The first antidepressant I took made me pass out for four hours straight, and nobody could wake me up. Now just using herbs or scents allows me to become more energized and uplifted.”

Boyt said homeopathy doesn’t work on everyone, though. She hears testimonies of customers who use homeopathy every day and said experimenting is part of the process to find what works best for them.

“You don’t hear about side effects very often or at all with homeopathy. [When] working in the store and talking to customers, occasionally somebody will say it didn’t work for them, but it’s always worth a try,” Boyt said. “If you try homeopathy before you try more potent drugs, you are sparing yourself side effects. For seven bucks, you can try it. If it works, then great, but if not, you haven’t lost anything.”

Homeopathy and herbal medicines can help with more than just emotional therapy. An article from naturalsociety.com reported that remedies can heal physical injuries, as well. Two common remedies for injuries are Arnica and Symphytum.

Arnica can be used externally as a cream or ointment, but is also available in the homeopathic pellets. Symphytum i s a shrub that can be used in cream

or ointment form.

There are also remedies for more common ailments that people experience every day.

“Natural remedies can be used for mosquito bites.

Epsom salt baths are great when you have really sore muscles. Using creams and rubs for the more physical side of natural remedies is great,” Ritchie said.

“For open cuts, some remedies can be antibacterial as well.”

Not everybody agrees with the benefits of homeopathy, according to an article from The Guardian.

Researchers and doctors often call it nonsense. Dr. Ellen Thomas occasionally recommends patients plant-based remedies such as melatonin for a safe sleeping aide, but more often than not she sticks with mainstream medicines.

One reason why Thomas stays away from plantbased medicines is because of their levels of dilution.

Metro News reports that homeopathic solutions are so diluted that finding a trace of the original substance is unlikely. Also, organic medicines, unlike other medicines, don’t go through the same Federal Drug Administration tests.

“Doctors in general like to do what’s called evidence-based medicine,” Thomas said. “We like to use therapies that have been tested and have been shown to be safe and effective. A lot of the natural remedies have not been tested.”

Depending on each body, natural remedies could be successful or might not work at all. In Boyt’s opinion, trying out natural remedies could never hurt.

“A lot of the drugs that are available were originally plant material and what they’ve done with prescription medicines is taking something that was in nature originally, isolated it from its plant, and then produced it synthetically,” Boyt said. “It may work better and faster but carries more risks. For high schoolers, homeopathic remedies are safer than all of the other medications that high schoolers JOA take.”

N N A YU

sports the rock 9.22.16

Tennis targets historic championship Faaris Khan

F

or some, the third time’s a charm. But for the girls’ tennis team, the third time is, hopefully, just like the other two.

After winning back-to-back state titles, the Lady Bruins are looking to begin their third consecutive run for the state championship on Monday, Sept. 26.

Beginning the 2016 campaign with an explosive start, RBHS has established their dominance in the sport yet again this year against their competition, which includes rivals such as the Jefferson City Jays and the Hickman Kewpies.

“I’m liking our chances if we play in the upper range of what we are capable of doing,” veteran head coach Ben Loeb said.

Going into the postseason, however, there remains the important question of whether the team will still have the ability to perform at the same level as previous years with the losses of key graduates Ronni Farid and Hannah Pohl, as well as Tess Lovig.

There is, however, little need to worry in the eyes of junior Katherine Dudley. She thinks that the departure of senior talent will not have a substantial effect on the team’s ability to perform

against their opposition. She believes because of the addition of other key players on the team this season, they will be able to continue their success.

“The seniors we lost are definitely missed this year,” Dudley said. “However, it does not seem to be a setback since we are lucky to have strong players taking their place.”

These “strong players” include freshmen Corinne Farid and Mary Hose. Both players have contributed heavily to the team this season through their play.

As a freshman, however, the thought of playing against elite high school competition in the postseason is somewhat nerve-wracking for Farid. Despite this, she still thinks that her previous tennis experience with Hose will help them and the team throughout the entirety of the postseason.

“Mary and I are confident because we’ve played together through [the United States Tennis Association] tournaments and also throughout a lot of our practices,” Farid said.

Junior Faith Wright, who now stands as the team’s top player since Lovig’s departure, believes that although RBHS will need to remain focused throughout the postseason, they should still enjoy the game and let success follow.

“I think our main focus is embracing the journey as a team and making sure we are keeping our eye on the process and not the end result,” Wright said. “I think if we all want it bad enough, we can make it happen again this year.”

Before heading to Springfield to defend their titles, however, the team will need to accomplish the first step to the championship: the district title. Beginning Sept. 26, RBHS will face a multitude of familiar competitors from the beginning to the end of the tournament, including crosstown rivals Kewpies and Battle Spartans.

“Coach Loeb understands how to maximize our strengths and minimize our weaknesses in doubles by pairing us with the best partner possible,” Dudley said. “Our strategy is to be aggressive and work together.”

Despite the success the team has enjoyed in previous districts, sectionals and state competitions, Loeb said they should never forget their main goal throughout the entirety of the postseason, especially in a competition like districts in which victory is well within reach. “[We need to] realize that we do not have a free pass,” Loeb said. “We have won the district tournament each year since 1999. We have to do more than just show up; we have to show up ready to play.”

kristine cho / the rock

serving success: Junior Katherine Dudley serves the ball at the Mid-Missouri Duals on Aug. 26. The Lady Bruins are looking to clinch a third consecutive championship this season, the first since 1984.

Volleyball plays Helias in tough match tonight

Softball hopes for success in Kewpie Classic

Faaris Khan

Cassidy Viox

U

nder the direction of newly-appointed head coach Aaron Kincaid, the volleyball team (911) hopes to end their longtime losing streak against the Helias Crusaders tonight at home.

Recognized as one of RBHS’s most resilient competitors, Helias (16-2) is ranked as the third best team in Missouri. For years, RBHS has been dealing with tough losses when facing the Crusaders’ athletic, fast-paced and intensely aggressive style of play. In last season’s matchup RBHS was kept to 12 points in the first set and 14 in the second by the Crusaders, who won the game 2-0.

“Helias is traditionally one of our tougher competitors, so it will be a lot of preparation on our part,” Kincaid said.

Because of the Crusaders’ robust nature, Kincaid believes the best strategy to use against them will be a very quick and deceptive style of play.

“We will need to run a very fast and unpredictable offense against their good passing core,” Kincaid said. “And then our defense will need to keep the ball in play and work for long rallies to win.”

Outside hitter Madison Cleeton said that maintaining efficient team chemistry throughout the game will serve as another effective way in keeping up with their opposition.

“I think the most important strategy is just to play strong mentally,” Cleeton, a junior, said.

“Staying up and being positive with one another can definitely turn a game around.”

Despite the tough match ahead for RBHS, defensive specialist junior Macy Knorr remains confident in the team’s ability.

“I do believe we have what it takes to win,” Knorr said. “We are a scrappy team and can come back from anything.”

The game will kickoff at 6 p.m. in the RBHS Main Gym tonight, Sept. 22. Tickets will be for sale at the door or students can use their activity pass.

W

abby blitz / the rock

hit it up: Sophomore Abby Green prepares to serve the ball against the Jefferson City Jays. The Bruins went on to win the game 2-0. RBHS looks to hold their own in tonight’s match against the Helias Catholic Crusaders.

ith 19 wins and a discouraging 32 losses in the past two years, the softball team is looking for a more promising season.

Currently standing 12-3, the Lady Bruins look to build on their impressive record in the Kewpie Classic Softball Tournament.

The tournament will host local rivals Hickman High School and Battle High School, as well as teams from around the state. The Bruins face Francis Howell High School at 3 p.m. Friday in Cosmo Park’s Antimi Fields in their first game.

The Bruins’ starting lineup showed success in previous games this year. The team graduated one senior and returned every other varsity starter, while adding scrappy freshmen twins, Madison and Mackenzie White. A pitcher and shortstop, respectively, the two worked their way to starting positions and impressed the team by stepping into new roles.

“Mackenzie and Madison have strong leadership skills and a lot of heart for the game,” junior Bailey Devlin said. “Mackenzie’s pitching amazed lots of people and made the team a lot stronger. Madison also has a lot of power and is strong at bat.”

With the added talent of the twins, the Lady Bruins plan to carry their momentum into this weekend’s Kewpie Classic.

“We are in a good pool for pool play,” head coach Janel Twehous said. “We will face different opponents than we see during season such as Blair Oaks and Francis Howell.”

After winning only one game over the past two years in the tournament, the team is confident that they will see more success with additions to the team’s roster.

“The team has a very strong work ethic and a bunch of scrappers,” Twehous said. “This weekend, we want to have fun while playing and play as a team.”

Striving for excellence, girls’ golf aims for title Katie Whaley

T

joy park / source: mshsaa

he girls’ golf team is on par this season with a 10-2 winning streak, outlasting their competition in every match and earning a spot in next week’s district tournament.

From the beginning of the season, the team emerged as a force to be reckoned with.

In their opening tournament, the Bruins took first place in dominating fashion, winning by 43 strokes.

Seniors Julia Bower and Haley Diel received the first and second place medal, respectively, with the rest of the squad, junior Mattie Monsees, sophomore Madison Duff and freshman Maddie Orr, placing in the top 10.

The next week, Lady Bruins kept grinding as the team won yet another all-day tournament against

a group of other schools. Since then, the team has strived for the same goal going into every match: success.

“Right now it’s still one match at a time,” head coach Melissa Coil said. “We are still gelling as a varsity squad. We won’t see a lot of competition across the state until our last tourney before districts, so we’ve just gotta take it one match at a time.”

Taking it one match at a time is the key to success. Last Monday, the 12th, the team lost to Hickman by 9 strokes in an all-day tournament, breaking a ten-year winning streak against the Kewpies for the second time.

The defeat was taken to heart, but the girls take it as a chance to improve on their performance, especially at districts.

“I try to play golf every day to

keep my golf game up to par and keep improving my game,” Monsees said. “I think that I’m ready for districts and the team is ready [too].”

As two year reigning district champions, RBHS is gearing up for another exciting competition.

Bower, who has played for RBHS since her freshman year and holds the No.1 spot on the team, believes that preparation for the tournament follows the same focuses. “[I’m] working on my short game and getting my swing iced,” Bower said. “I think I’ll be ready by the time districts start.”

Each day, the girls will play 18 holes and challenge other district competitors such as Hickman, Battle, Jefferson City, and Helias.

If they win, the team will move on to sectionals, the last qualifying match for state, which will happen

on October 3.

Even though it’s a while away, the team is already working toward getting to the state competition, which Coil aims to conquer this year. She said she feels extremely excited for the outcome of the tournament and looks forward to the performance the team will execute in the tournament.

“Obviously we’d like to end up at [the Columbia Country Club],” Coil said, referring to where state is being held this year. “State hasn’t been held there since my senior year in high school, so it’s a got a place in my heart. And to take the team there, it would be special. Our two seniors have grown up playing there, they’d obviously like to finish their careers there. Mostly though, I just want us to walk away knowing we played our all. If that happens, wherever we end up I’ll be happy.”

sports the rock 9.22.16

Tennis targets historic championship Faaris Khan

F

or some, the third time’s a charm. But for the girls’ tennis team, the third time is, hopefully, just like the other two.

After winning back-to-back state titles, the Lady Bruins are looking to begin their third consecutive run for the state championship on Monday, Sept. 26.

Beginning the 2016 campaign with an explosive start, RBHS has established their dominance in the sport yet again this year against their competition, which includes rivals such as the Jefferson City Jays and the Hickman Kewpies.

“I’m liking our chances if we play in the upper range of what we are capable of doing,” veteran head coach Ben Loeb said.

Going into the postseason, however, there remains the important question of whether the team will still have the ability to perform at the same level as previous years with the losses of key graduates Ronni Farid and Hannah Pohl, as well as Tess Lovig.

There is, however, little need to worry in the eyes of junior Katherine Dudley. She thinks that the departure of senior talent will not have a substantial effect on the team’s ability to perform

against their opposition. She believes because of the addition of other key players on the team this season, they will be able to continue their success.

“The seniors we lost are definitely missed this year,” Dudley said. “However, it does not seem to be a setback since we are lucky to have strong players taking their place.”

These “strong players” include freshmen Corinne Farid and Mary Hose. Both players have contributed heavily to the team this season through their play.

As a freshman, however, the thought of playing against elite high school competition in the postseason is somewhat nerve-wracking for Farid. Despite this, she still thinks that her previous tennis experience with Hose will help them and the team throughout the entirety of the postseason.

“Mary and I are confident because we’ve played together through [the United States Tennis Association] tournaments and also throughout a lot of our practices,” Farid said.

Junior Faith Wright, who now stands as the team’s top player since Lovig’s departure, believes that although RBHS will need to remain focused throughout the postseason, they should still enjoy the game and let success follow.

“I think our main focus is embracing the journey as a team and making sure we are keeping our eye on the process and not the end result,” Wright said. “I think if we all want it bad enough, we can make it happen again this year.”

Before heading to Springfield to defend their titles, however, the team will need to accomplish the first step to the championship: the district title. Beginning Sept. 26, RBHS will face a multitude of familiar competitors from the beginning to the end of the tournament, including crosstown rivals Kewpies and Battle Spartans.

“Coach Loeb understands how to maximize our strengths and minimize our weaknesses in doubles by pairing us with the best partner possible,” Dudley said. “Our strategy is to be aggressive and work together.”

Despite the success the team has enjoyed in previous districts, sectionals and state competitions, Loeb said they should never forget their main goal throughout the entirety of the postseason, especially in a competition like districts in which victory is well within reach. “[We need to] realize that we do not have a free pass,” Loeb said. “We have won the district tournament each year since 1999. We have to do more than just show up; we have to show up ready to play.”

kristine cho / the rock

serving success: Junior Katherine Dudley serves the ball at the Mid-Missouri Duals on Aug. 26. The Lady Bruins are looking to clinch a third consecutive championship this season, the first since 1984.

Volleyball plays Helias in tough match tonight

Softball hopes for success in Kewpie Classic

Faaris Khan

Cassidy Viox

U

nder the direction of newly-appointed head coach Aaron Kincaid, the volleyball team (911) hopes to end their longtime losing streak against the Helias Crusaders tonight at home.

Recognized as one of RBHS’s most resilient competitors, Helias (16-2) is ranked as the third best team in Missouri. For years, RBHS has been dealing with tough losses when facing the Crusaders’ athletic, fast-paced and intensely aggressive style of play. In last season’s matchup RBHS was kept to 12 points in the first set and 14 in the second by the Crusaders, who won the game 2-0.

“Helias is traditionally one of our tougher competitors, so it will be a lot of preparation on our part,” Kincaid said.

Because of the Crusaders’ robust nature, Kincaid believes the best strategy to use against them will be a very quick and deceptive style of play.

“We will need to run a very fast and unpredictable offense against their good passing core,” Kincaid said. “And then our defense will need to keep the ball in play and work for long rallies to win.”

Outside hitter Madison Cleeton said that maintaining efficient team chemistry throughout the game will serve as another effective way in keeping up with their opposition.

“I think the most important strategy is just to play strong mentally,” Cleeton, a junior, said.

“Staying up and being positive with one another can definitely turn a game around.”

Despite the tough match ahead for RBHS, defensive specialist junior Macy Knorr remains confident in the team’s ability.

“I do believe we have what it takes to win,” Knorr said. “We are a scrappy team and can come back from anything.”

The game will kickoff at 6 p.m. in the RBHS Main Gym tonight, Sept. 22. Tickets will be for sale at the door or students can use their activity pass.

W

abby blitz / the rock

hit it up: Sophomore Abby Green prepares to serve the ball against the Jefferson City Jays. The Bruins went on to win the game 2-0. RBHS looks to hold their own in tonight’s match against the Helias Catholic Crusaders.

ith 19 wins and a discouraging 32 losses in the past two years, the softball team is looking for a more promising season.

Currently standing 12-3, the Lady Bruins look to build on their impressive record in the Kewpie Classic Softball Tournament.

The tournament will host local rivals Hickman High School and Battle High School, as well as teams from around the state. The Bruins face Francis Howell High School at 3 p.m. Friday in Cosmo Park’s Antimi Fields in their first game.

The Bruins’ starting lineup showed success in previous games this year. The team graduated one senior and returned every other varsity starter, while adding scrappy freshmen twins, Madison and Mackenzie White. A pitcher and shortstop, respectively, the two worked their way to starting positions and impressed the team by stepping into new roles.

“Mackenzie and Madison have strong leadership skills and a lot of heart for the game,” junior Bailey Devlin said. “Mackenzie’s pitching amazed lots of people and made the team a lot stronger. Madison also has a lot of power and is strong at bat.”

With the added talent of the twins, the Lady Bruins plan to carry their momentum into this weekend’s Kewpie Classic.

“We are in a good pool for pool play,” head coach Janel Twehous said. “We will face different opponents than we see during season such as Blair Oaks and Francis Howell.”

After winning only one game over the past two years in the tournament, the team is confident that they will see more success with additions to the team’s roster.

“The team has a very strong work ethic and a bunch of scrappers,” Twehous said. “This weekend, we want to have fun while playing and play as a team.”

Striving for excellence, girls’ golf aims for title Katie Whaley

T

joy park / source: mshsaa

he girls’ golf team is on par this season with a 10-1 winning streak, outlasting their competition in every match and earning a spot in next week’s district tournament.

From the beginning of the season, the team emerged as a force to be reckoned with.

In their opening tournament, the Bruins took first place in dominating fashion, winning by 43 strokes.

Seniors Julia Bower and Haley Diel received the first and second place medal, respectively, with the rest of the squad, junior Mattie Monsees, sophomore Madison Duff and freshman Maddie Orr, placing in the top 10.

The next week, Lady Bruins kept grinding as the team won yet another all-day tournament against

a group of other schools. Since then, the team has strived for the same goal going into every match: success.

“Right now it’s still one match at a time,” head coach Melissa Coil said. “We are still gelling as a varsity squad. We won’t see a lot of competition across the state until our last tourney before districts, so we’ve just gotta take it one match at a time.”

Taking it one match at a time is the key to success. Last Monday, the 12th, the team lost to Hickman by 9 strokes in an all-day tournament, breaking a ten-year winning streak against the Kewpies for the second time.

The defeat was taken to heart, but the girls take it as a chance to improve on their performance, especially at districts.

“I try to play golf every day to

keep my golf game up to par and keep improving my game,” Monsees said. “I think that I’m ready for districts and the team is ready [too].”

As two year reigning district champions, RBHS is gearing up for another exciting competition.

Bower, who has played for RBHS since her freshman year and holds the No.1 spot on the team, believes that preparation for the tournament follows the same focuses. “[I’m] working on my short game and getting my swing iced,” Bower said. “I think I’ll be ready by the time districts start.”

Each day, the girls will play 18 holes and challenge other district competitors such as Hickman, Battle, Jefferson City, and Helias.

If they win, the team will move on to sectionals, the last qualifying match for state, which will happen

on October 3.

Even though it’s a while away, the team is already working toward getting to the state competition, which Coil aims to conquer this year. She said she feels extremely excited for the outcome of the tournament and looks forward to the performance the team will execute in the tournament.

“Obviously we’d like to end up at [the Columbia Country Club],” Coil said, referring to where state is being held this year. “State hasn’t been held there since my senior year in high school, so it’s a got a place in my heart. And to take the team there, it would be special. Our two seniors have grown up playing there, they’d obviously like to finish their careers there. Mostly though, I just want us to walk away knowing we played our all. If that happens, wherever we end up I’ll be happy.”

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battle for the ball: Senior Carson Raetz (7) fights for possession of the ball at RBHS on Aug. 23 in a rivalry game against Hickman High School (HHS). Trailing behind Raetz are his teammates senior Parker Fancher (14) and senior captain Drew Stanowski (11). RBHS went on to defeat HHS 4-0 and defeated them later on in the season 2-0 on Sept. 13.

Soccer hopes to defeat DeSmet Cassi Viox / the rock

Ji-Ho Lee

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s it is every year, El Classicomo, the soccer match between RBHS and rival Hickman High School, was a highly anticipated game. In the first meeting of the season between the two teams, the final score, however, was not as easily anticipated, as the Bruins dominated the Kewpies, 4-0.

Three weeks later, the two rivals clashed again, this time on the north side of town. The change in setting had no impact on the result as the Bruins triumphed yet again with a 2-0 victory.

Despite the success against their crosstown rivals, RBHS has not experienced the same achievement when facing out-of-state teams.

The Bruins fell 2-1 and 3-1 against two of the top teams in Kansas, Olathe East and Olathe Northwest respectively.

“We basically took those games as a reality check,” senior center-back Cole Abram said.

“We just kept our heads up and came into practices ready to work and knew that we had to focus.”

In response, the Bruins, led by head coach Scott Wittenborn, used a new formation with

four defensive backs rather than three; a for- practice so in games, when teams are right on mation that debuted in a 5-0 drubbing against our backs when we have the ball and every single touch, they’re right there, we aren’t used to Battle High School.

“The change in formation made a huge dif- playing under those circumstances.”

Aside from ference in our style of play the two losses and defensive shape,” sein Kansas, the nior captain and goalkeeper We’ve been in really close Bruins have Wilson Fitzgerald said. “It games and now it’s time to start had a suchelped us become more getting results.... We’ve been in cessful seadefensive minded and imson, boasting proves our possession.” those positions and we can get a 5-4-2 record The Bruins looked to imbetter and close the game out against stout prove on other weaknesses and start getting wins. competition. following the Olathe tourna— Johnny Klein, junior RBHS’s other ment, most prevalently imlosses came to proving performace around third ranked team in Missouri, Marquette, in the field.

“At times our weaknesses this season have penalty kicks, and a 4-0 loss to Edwardsville been maintaining possession of the ball,” Wit- (Ill). The Bruins also tied Quincy, which was tenborn said. “But this is something that we ranked 16th in the nation at the time.

“We’ve been in really close games with have worked hard to improve and have gotten top-tier teams and now it’s time to start getting much better at as the season has progressed.”

Senior midfielder Parker Fancher cited the results,” junior midfielder Johnny Klein said. team’s mentality during practices and commu- “Marquette and Quincy are two great teams.

We’ve been in those positions and we can get nication as other struggles.

“Communication is an aspect of the game better and close the game out and start getting that we work on in practice,” Fancher said. wins.”

Senior midfielder and team captain Drew “Also, we don’t play with lots of intensity at

Boys’ Swimming adjusts to new coach Skyler Froese

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ast year, under head coach Laura Wacker, the RBHS boys’ swim team won the state title by over 100 points.

This year, the Bruins look to achieve similar success under a different head coach.

Former assistant coach Zach Mertens assumed the role as head coach after Wacker was fired for making controversial remarks during a practice in January. Mertens is the new head coach of both the boys’ and girls’ swim teams for all three Columbia high schools. Mertens and his swimmers say his transition has been smooth.

“The team is business as usual,” Mertens said. “For those

who choose to continue swimming at another level, they will have to train under many different coaches. As a swim community, we try and impress on swimmers that every coach has a unique perspective on the sport and something to offer those student athletes that train under him or her.”

While sophomore Conor Jokerst witnessed changes in his practices, he has seen some things remain the same. He describes practices as more fun and more focused on yardage, as opposed to last year which was more technical. Even as training has changed, the team still shares the same goal. “[The goal is] to do our best at meets,” Jokerst said. “and try

to show that we’re still going to be a competitor at state this year.”

Senior Paul Cover agrees with his teammate. He knows teams such as Cape Girardeau High School or Park Hill High School, who finished third and fourth at state last year, respectively, will be looking to take down the Bruins, the defending state champions.

Luckily, the team is gliding through the season with impressive outcomes. Early in their season, they already have a 5-0 dual meet record. Speaking of records, RBHS shattered two of the meet records at the Marquette Relays in the 300-yard individual medley relay and in the 200-medley relay.

This surplus of talent, however, causes certain issues.

“The program is feeling the squeeze on space,” Mertens said. “Our team has grown by 18 boys in total even after losing a slew of seniors last year.”

The team includes the entirety of the runner-up 200-yard medley relay at state last year as well three quarters of the first

place 400-yard freestyle relay.

Currently, eleven RBHS swimmers rank in the top 10 of the state qualifiers. This includes junior and Olympic trials qualifier Dane Florea who is ranked first in the 500-yard individual medley. While Jokerst laments the graduation of Alex Tschopp, who earned 32 points for the team at state, there is plenty of talent to sustain RBHS. While Cover attests that change can be difficult, he believes it has helped the team. As RBHS trains hard in the pool, Mertens also credits the volunteering of parents throughout the swimming community to help the program blossom under new leadership.

Even as coaches and swimmers come and go, there is consistency in their desire to achieve in competition.

“For the first couple of days we still sort of treated him like an assistant coach, but that changed pretty quickly,” Cover said. “Now it’s business as usual. We like Zach, we’re training hard, and we’re fired up and ready to go.”

Stanowski points to an impressive work rate that keeps the Bruins competitive in games.

“We hardly ever get outworked in a game by our opponents,” Stanowski said. “We can build on this by keeping this mindset up all year and not letting it slip away.”

The Bruins have also excelled defensively, as Fitzgerald has kept six clean sheets throughout the season. Combined with their success in controlling balls in the air and set pieces, the Bruins look to carry their strengths into the home game against a talented DeSmet team tonight.

“Last year we lost 1-0 in overtime to DeSmet,” Stanowski said. “We will prepare for this game just as hard as the rest of them. Hopefully the home field advantage will get us a different result against them this year.”

Following the game against DeSmet, the Bruins compete in two tournaments and four games, including district rivals Jefferson City and Smith-Cotton, before entering the district tournament and postseason play.

“We just need to play like every game is our last,” Klein said. “One fluke game and your season is done. I think we are capable of going really far in the postseason. We just need to buckle down and focus on every game.”

How have you been adjusting to the new head coach this season?

abby blitz / the rock

Zach’s a cool guy, I like him. It’s definitely been challenging because he kind of had to take over on a short notice. He’s been swimming for a pretty long time, so he has a log of wisdom, knowledge and mojo to add to swimming.

— Jack Allen, senior I think he’s actually doing a really good job. He was kind of thrown into it at the end of last season for sure, so I was impressed with how he finished out the season.

abby blitz / the rock

— Nicole Williams, junior

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Recovering Stamina Cross country injuries halt runners

Ann Fitzmaurice

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urning the corner 200 meters into his race, junior Connor Squellati heard something pop, followed by an intense pain in his leg. He was determined to finish what he started, however, and continued on in the 2 mile race.

When he crossed the finish line, he made eye contact with the medic and nearly fell, unable to walk. “[When I heard the pop] I thought ‘well shoot, there goes my race,’” Squellati said.

Squellati fractured his fibula, which is more common than displacing it. It is still a more severe injury, than common cross country injuries like shin splints or an ankle roll, according to UK Health Care.

Most cross country runners are used to suffering from pain or injury. Whether it be a stress fracture or an ankle injury, cross country is the hardest sport according to the Tops 10’s of Sports. Cross country has an intense demand on a runner’s body, without any breaks, time outs or substitutions. Along with this comes the team aspect of the sport. If the individual times are fast, then the team as a whole will place higher.

“When I got injured, I was honestly thinking more about the team than myself,” Squellati said. “When you wear a Rock Bridge ‘XC’ shirt you have expectations to be good and keep the RBHS title up.”

With a first overall ranking for boys and a third place finish for the girls in the Sept. 3rd Liberty Invitational meet, RBHS has set a stan-

dard for themselves in running, with of that. To prevent this, Blackburn RBHS winning fifth place at state last is very systematic and specific with year. This was the Bruins’ fifth top- the team’s training, asking athletes four in the past six years. This team to follow a workout plan closely and atmosphere also pushed runners to carefully.

“With 90 athletes competing in keep going under any circumstance.

“You want to keep running even cross country, it’s difficult to make it if you think something is wrong,” through a season with everyone befreshman Shanley Silvey said. “You ing completely injury free,” Blackburn said. want to finSmall ish what injuries are you started I didn’t want to let anyone very comin order down.

I wanted to show other mon in the to feel teams that RBHS is strong,” sport and achieve— Connor Squellati, junior almost evment after.” ery runner Runners will face like Silvey push themselves for the better of one in their career, according to a rethe team in order to achieve a better port by The Running Institute. These score. The placements are comprised small injuries take time to recover from parts of individual times, mean- from as they’re difficult to treat right ing RBHS runners don’t compete at away unlike larger and more demandthe same time. In order for RBHS ing injuries like in Squellati’s case.

“It’s important to know your body to place high, everyone has to reach their full potential and perform their and if you’re feeling something to stop and treat it as soon as possible,” best.

Even during practices, the team- Silvey said. “Otherwise it’s necessary mates are cheering each other on to rest as much as possible and try not from the sidelines, and supporting to make it worse.”

According to the Sports Medieach other when injuries do occur.

“People came to see me while I cine and Athletic Related Trauma was in the medic tent,” Squellati said, (SMART) Institute, at least 50 per“And when I came home I got cards cent of running injuries are revitaland even people stopping by to see izations of past injuries. Treatment for these injuries include small fixes how I was doing.”

Team members are typically em- such as the correction of training erpathetic towards their teammates as rors and checking shoewear. For long they know how hard it is to not be term and repetitive treatments, proper able to run, according to head coach warm-up and cool-down and icing Neal Blackburn. Cross country is and rest days are a necessary habit for meant to be a positive experience for runners. It is important, however, to all members, and injury robs them not overdue the amount of rest time,

moy zhong / source: SMART Institute, Webmd, triathlete.com

but just enough to recover, as the body could recede and lose progress made. Rest time varies with the injury, making some healing processes longer than others.

Along with resting the body, it is also necessary to rest the mind.

Blackburn uses training as a way to regain confidence to prepare for racing when the competitors are ready to train with the team again. Along with this, they work closely with Greg Nagel, a teacher of health and sports medicine at RBHS. Together, they use preventive techniques and recovery methods to yield the best results like icing, stretching and aerobics.

This training is group specific in order to make sure skill levels align with ability and potential. Each group has its own workout as each athlete is expected to follow his or her training regimen. The workouts stay within the limits of the runners, while also pushing them to see improvement.

These training groups are specifically called “running groups,” which bring camaraderie and intimacy to a team of 90 athletes. The team remains close, regardless of injury.

The support system which injured runners have are what keeps athletes bouncing back, according to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Without this support, individuals would lose confidence, begin to feel isolated and a lack of motivation.

Squellati knew his support system was counting on him, so he finished the race with a fractured fibula. He ran 3000 more meters after his injury in order to still finish with a 7:47 mile and keep the RBHS XC title. ”I didn’t want to let anyone down.

I wanted to show other teams that RBHS is strong,” Squellati said.

“No matter what happens, you have to keep fighting for the team and for yourself.”

yousuf el-jayyousi / the rock

Ready, set, go: Senior wide receiver Malik Gleason (3) carries the ball with intentions to dodge upcoming tackles in a game against DeSmet Aug. 26. The Bruins would lose the game in devastating fashion, 32-27. Tomorrow, RBHS hopes to build on a 48-21 victory against Hickman High School as the Bruins travel to face district rival Jefferson City at 7 p.m.

Football takes on Jefferson City Ji-Ho Lee

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onths before the first snap, carry or route, the football team was already facing an unexpected challenge. AJ Ofodile, head coach of the RBHS team, became the director of recruiting for the University of Missouri’s football team. Defensive Coordinator Joe Collier assumed Ofodile’s position.

“Coach Ofodile is like an older brother to me, so I was happy for him, but kind of sad to see him go because we wouldn’t be able to coach together,” Collier said. “But I was happy about the opportunity to be a head coach.”

Before the season started, Collier realized the difficulty of inserting a new head coach the summer before the beginning of the season and hoped to make the most of his opportunity by providing a smooth transition for the team.

“My first goal was for the kids to have a good experience,” Collier said. “Just making sure [the players] get the most out of the season, especially the seniors, making sure it was a good season for them.”

RBHS would lose the first four games of the season, including a 41-6 defeat in the season opener against Rockhurst.

The following game, the team’s home opener, was a devastating loss against DeSmet in which a 27-13 Bruin lead evaporated within the final three minutes of the game, and the Spartans defeated RBHS 32-27.

“It was obviously a tough loss,” junior wide receiver Reece Jarvis said. “But it built team chemistry and inspired us to work harder dur-

ing practices and games.”

Collier’s Bruins, however, lost more than just a game against the Spartans, as starting quarterback junior Trevor Twehous suffered a broken collarbone. As a result, sophomore Marcus Manuel was thrust into the spotlight as the new starting quarterback.

“I was really surprised, but I was ready for the opportunity,” Manuel said. “I have learned that varsity is very difficult and your mind has to be right.”

Sharing the backfield with Manuel is sophomore running back and University of Missouri commit Nate Peat.

A consistent source of productivity throughout the season, Peat has often provided a spark for the Bruin offense.

“I just do what I have to do for the team,” Peat said. “The whole reason why I’ve been successful is because of my teammates. They have my back no matter what.”

While the Bruin offense relies on two sophomores in the backfield, the defense, also

plagued by injuries to starters, has been forced to turn to younger players. Junior Bryson Clayton suffered a torn ACL and is out for the season, while senior Isaiah Patrick missed two games with a concussion. While the injuries are devastating, they can also provide greater motivation.

“We all have to work harder and be more focused to make up for what we have lost,” Jarvis said. “That gets us prepared better and gives experience and preparation to some of the younger guys.”

Clayton and Patrick were missed, howdzung nguyen ever, as the two games following the DeSmet defeat were 32-6 and 36-0 losses against Battle High School and Lee’s Summit, respectively. For senior safety Luke Bley, the slow start to the season was rooted in a frustrating yet fixable issue.

“We’ve shot ourselves in the foot way too much this year and when you are dealing with injuries, that’s the last thing you can do,” Bley said. “To fix that, our coaches have been doing a great job of making sure that we do the little

things right all the time.”

Moving forward Bley expects the talent and athleticism of the team to lead to success.

Meanwhile, senior linebacker Randy James says that progress will result from a combination of physical and mental improvement.

“We’re getting strong, fast and physical,” James said. “I believe that there are some incredible guys on this team with distinctive talent. They just have to have confidence.”

Despite the slow start to the season, the Bruins found some confidence last week in a blowout win against crosstown rival Hickman, 48-21. Senior running back Kian Pilot, who exploded for over 200 yards and four touchdowns, accompanied Peat and Manuel in a blowout victory against the Kewpies.

“Our guys did a pretty good job of completing their assignments,” Collier said about the game. “That’s been our achilles heel [this season] so we wanted to make sure we could get that done, especially on our offensive line.”

The Bruins look to build off of their victory against Hickman as they face Jefferson City High School tomorrow. A talented team, the Jays will pose a difficult challenge to the Bruins, but one that Collier is ready for.

“Hopefully we can come with a little more enthusiasm after the win,” Collier said. “As coaches, we want to thoroughly watch and prepare the guys so we can have a good chance to win. We are starting to get some guys healthy and back on the field so . . . we’ll see if we can get better if not get the win.”

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The Rock | www.bearingnews.org | September 22, 2016

kristine cho / the rock

Working the day away: Junior Connor Squellati and freshman Greta Scheidt celebrate a bandmate’s birthday despite waking early and bearing the pressure of practices paired with school work.

Band stress flares for students T Kat Sarafianos

his early in the school year, most kids are still enjoying the luxuries of an easy workload, but for those who are in the Emerald Regiment, RBHS’s competitive marching band, the stress is all too real. This is especially true with their first competition on Sept. 24th.

“It can be hard to balance [marching band] with AP courses, sports and clubs, but most people manage by pushing through and finding odd times to do work. We can have very early mornings, which shortens sleep, but people utilize lunch and after school for other work,” senior Becca Wells said. “[I spend] probably about 20-30 hours a week [focused on band], depending on what’s happening. It’s two classes in my schedule, I attend biweekly percussion sectionals, and then we usually have a game or rehearsal on the weekend.

This is all in addition to personal practice to better my playing outside of school.”

As a program at RBHS, marching band manages to unite kids over their stress and love of music. The lengthy practices, high

expectations and personal commitment along with other classes to worry about gives band students something to bond over.

“Band takes up a lot of time for both individual work and the time spent rehearsing as a group,” junior Hannah Evans said. “As of right now, most of our time is together and working on our field show, which has really brought us together. Because we spend a lot of time on our show, we have developed a great sense of community. We’re like a big family.”

It’s that sense of family that keeps band kids committed. If a club loses a significant number of students every year, it’s damaging to a program like marching band, where practice and experience are key. The band community, though, has been able to create an environment where kids feel comfortable enough to stay for all four years.

“If you have a band that comes in, does the bare minimum, shows up on time and leaves as soon as rehearsal ends, and there’s no real connection to the people in band, you start to lose a reason why,” Patrick Sullivan, marching band director, said. “I think that for a lot of band kids, if you go and ask them, ‘Why

photos by yousuf el-jayyousi / the rock

Band is a second family to me, but it’s incredibily hard to wake up early. However, seeing all we acomplished makes it worth it.

— Austin Ashbaugh, sophomore

I think the key to productivity is in the way you study and the effectiveness of that method, reguardless of extracurriculars such as band.

— Siyuan Guo, sophomore

But beyond all the commitment and stress are you here?’ they’ll say, ‘Well, I get to do a lot of fun stuff, but I get to hang out with my a program as intense as band can create, the friends, too.’ A lot of these kids are in band be- community it fosters does more than give kids cause they like the other kids who are in band, something to bond over. For some, that community is so impactful, it can be life changing. they like the people they’re around.”

“I wasn’t planning on band and music The community that the band program has managed to create and keep up throughout the in general taking up this much of my time, years goes beyond just bonding. Band direc- but it’s honestly one of the best things that tors keep students accountable and make sure has ever happened to me. I’ve gone through some rough times, they are able to keep and I’ve found that up, both musically music and these and academically. people are the best “One of the stress“Band takes up a lot of time things for me,” Eves on us is that to be for both individual work and ans said. “Because in band, you have to of these people be academically elithe time spent rehearsing as a and the way music gible for MSSHA,” group. — Hannah Evans, junior helps me, I’ve deSullivan said. “We’re cided that I want to constantly following up on students who could be struggling, and go into music. Not because I feel as if I owe we’re checking up on what their habits are it to band, but because I want to spread this when they’re not in rehearsal. Are they man- community that I’ve gained and help other aging their time correctly? Are they studying people. I wouldn’t say it’s a commitment for and practicing when needed? We ask a lot out me anymore, it’s just a major part of my life. I of them [for band], but we also ask a lot out of don’t know where I’d be without these people them academically as well.” and without music.”

Band is a pretty big time commitment. Because us wind players don’t have practice after school I have time for homework.

— Valeria Valasquez, sophomore

With playing alto saxaphone in marching band, drums in jazz enemble and flute in wind symphony, I make sure to work hard in all of my classes.

— Venice Villescas, sophomore

Welcoming new members

Color guard team gladly takes in new male students

Kat Sarafianos

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f there’s any reason why junior Joshua Cutler joined the RBHS Emerald Regiment color guard team as the only male, it’s probably his passion for dance.

“I actually moved here this year. I was on the [color guard] team at my old school and I [had] danced before and for me it was just a new opportunity,” Cutler, who attended Waukee High School, said. “I’ve done tap, jazz, ballet and a lot of these experiences are from individual learning or basics classes. Guard requires a lot of dance, and I’ve been on a competitive dance team in the past, as well.”

Being the only male in a traditionally female-only activity didn’t seem to register with Cutler as an abnormality.

“Really, I’ve just always been interested in dance,”

Cutler said. “It doesn’t really bother me at all [that I’m the only guy.] In my mind, if there’s something a person really wants to do, if you want to dance or if you want to do guard, then they should just do it. And if people are going to look down on you for that then they are not really important.”

His teammates don’t see his gender as an issue, either; if anything, some say it’s a brave move on his part.

“I think that Joshua being on the team breaks societal gender boundaries, which could help other guys realize they don’t have to feel they need to be so hyper masculine all of the time,” sophomore Harper Dailey said. “There are a lot of advantages to having Josh on the team, especially how it makes us more diverse and inclusive of everyone.”

Another color guard teammate, freshman Reece Furkin,

found that some people’s shock or surprise at a male color guard dancer was unwarranted.

“I don’t really think that color guard is immensely impacted by having a ‘male dancer’ because the international color guards have males and some are all male,” Furkin said. “I wasn’t really surprised that there was going to be a guy on the team at all. [Joshua] is just another member of the color guard like the rest of us.”

With open-minded teammates such as Dailey and Furkin, Cutler said he was unable to think of a time he had ever experienced any awkward looks or instances of people making assumptions about him because of his participation in color guard, but that if he had, he simply wouldn’t care.

“People need to focus a lot less on what other people think of them when it’s about something they like. When it comes

down to it, it’s your life,” Cutler said. “For example, if I wanted to go into professional dance but I was worried about what people said like, “Oh, he’s gay,” or “Oh, he’s feminine,” I wouldn’t let it stop me. If there’s something you want to do just do it. If you care now of what people think, you’re going to miss out on a lot of opportunities.”

It’s this focused, all-in mentality that Cutler applies to dance and how people perceive him that makes him so valuable to his teammates.

“Josh can dance better than me, honestly, so that’s a definite strength. He’s always so positive, no matter the situation,” Dailey said. “Josh brings a certain happiness to the team, he’s always smiling and joking and treating everyone with respect and equality. He’s definitely been a positive aspect of the team.”

Cassi Viox / the rock

glammed up: Junior Joshua Cutler accompanies the band during the national anthem and the school’s “Fight Song” at RBHS Sept. 9 at the home football game vs. Lee Summit.

arts & entertainment

The Rock | www.bearingnews.org | September 22, 2016

ng n dzu

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ongs like “Cheerleader,” “Fancy” and “Blurred Lines” all have one thing in common. They are all previous “songs of the summer,” according to Billboard.com. This year is no different, with tracks by Drake, Justin Timberlake and Calvin Harris all contesting for the title.

In order to win, a song must have the right combination of tempo, energy, danceability, acoustics and “happiness,” a formula calculated by Spotify. Although there have been outliers in the past such as, “We Belong Together”

by Mariah Carey (2005) — summer songs do have a tendency to lean toward a happy and upbeat tone.

Often, these songs are representative of the summer and the memories made during that time.

DJ Paul Morrison of 102.3 BXR thinks that since students are out of school, they have more time to find music and make memories.

“Vacations, friends or other recreations have a soundtrack. These songs become benchmarks in people’s memories, and decades later hearing them can bring back a flood of memories.” Morrison said. “Such is the power of music.”

Sophomore Savannah Johnson has made such connections between what she believes to be the song of the summer and fond recollections. In fact, anytime she hears “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” she reflects back to the good times at her church.

“I went to a church camp and [“Can’t Stop the Feeling!”] was played so much,” Johnson said. “We’d have dances where a bunch of people from my church would get together and have a good time. We’d just dance and hang out with friends and have fun.”

DJ Dennis Larimer of Q106.1, agrees with Johnson’s philosophy of equating the song of the summer with the happiest moments from the warm weather months.

“When thinking about songs of the sum-

mer, think about being in the car, with the windows down, on a beautiful day in Columbia. Or perhaps in the backyard with friends, firing up the BBQ grill,” Larimer said. “Now try imaging the type of music that goes along with that perfect day. Those are your songs of the summer.”

Larimer also agrees with Johnson’s assessment of the song of the summer, and suspects that the quicker beat helps “Can’t Stop the Feeling” stand out from the generally slower tempo of other pop songs that lack the upbeat rhythm and pulse.

“The return of an amazing artist [Justin Timberlake], combined with an upbeat and positive vibe makes [Can’t Stop the Feeling!] the song of the summer,” Larimer said. “[Timberlake’s] triumphant return made this song a true event record.”

Freshman Audrey Guess has a different opinion. She believes Twenty One Pilots have taken the cake with both “Ride” and “Stressed Out” because of their popularity and their

gu y e n

The Rock surveyed 200 students, 10 percent of the school’s population Sept. 12-15

Grace Dorsey

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prevalence on the radio.

Guess, however, regards naming one pop song the song of the summer as more of a juvenile tendency.

“I think the song of the summer applies more to younger kids like middle schoolers and elementary students,” Guess said. “I think there’s more of an interest in the song of the summer [there], and when you get into high school, you listen to a wider variety of music and [high schoolers] don’t really get involved with the song of the summer.”

Still, Johnson concludes there isn’t necessarily one song that everyone can point to as the song of the summer. Not everyone has the same summertime experience and taste of music that they find appealing.

“There can be multiple songs [of the summer]. Everyone has their own stories from the summer and everyone has a song that they heard the most or has a special meaning to them,” Johnson said. “But personally, I don’t care if there is a specific song of the summer.”

Summer tunes set tone for music Cam Fuller

S

o far 2016 has been a year marred by the tragic passing of some of music’s greatest entertainers, such as David Bowie and Prince. Though their impact on music will never be forgotten, a new generation of hit makers and trendsetters stepped up this past summer.

From new takes on classic rock to magical pop-synth, these rising stars are keeping rock and roll alive and well. These are the new sonic pioneers that will stand the test of time and keep inspiring musicians for decades to come.

Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial Classic rock is considered classic simply because it set the tone for everything the rock genre would offer. It’s the standard for a reason, but when that standard is taken and molded into something completely new, that is something truly worth noting. Will Toledo’s Project Car Seat Headrest first gained the admiration of many on YouTube, where his original demos blew up, gaining about a hundred thousand views in a few months. His inventive take on rock somehow manages the combination of punk

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tone with somber lyrics, allowing the listener to reminisce over classic sounds without forgetting the emotional side to the songs. Toledo exemplifies eminence in his field with tracks like ‘Vincent,’ that build into increasingly harder hooks until nothing’s left but pure rock and roll genius.

Blood Orange - Freetown Sound Much of what helped Michael Jackson and Prince connect with such a wide audience was just how smart their pop was. Smart pop music can connect an entire generation, and that’s exactly what Blood Orange has begun to do with his politically charged songwriting.

By using a similar recipe as the aforementioned greats, Hynes builds upon

their successes to create music that not only gets you dancing, but in the right context, can also get you thinking about the state of our nation. On ‘Freetown Sound,’ a new standard for pop is set with tracks like ‘Augustine,’ tackling the issues of police brutality within a jumpy synth masterpiece that will not be soon forgotten.

BADBADNOTGOOD - IV There was once a time during the early 90’s where if you made hip-hop, then you sampled jazz. Now that recipe has seemingly flipped as up-and-coming greats, BADBADNOTGOOD, have put together some of the best jazz songs in years by ‘sampling’ hip-hop tracks. On their fourth album, the New York City based trio find themselves attempting more than just moody jazz. They add Scan the following elements of Soul on tracks like “Time Moves QR code to check Slow” which features out Cam’s sumthe exceptionally talmer playlist which ented Sam Herring. It’s includes bands slow, groovy songs like like: this that not only show Car Seat HeadBBNG’s growth sonirest, Blood Orange cally, but truly exemand BADBADNOTplifies just how good of GOOD songwriters they’ve always been.

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The Rock | www.bearingnews.org | September 22, 2016