The Rock - December 2018

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The Student Voice of Rock Bridge High School Since 1973 • 4303 S. Providence Rd. Columbia MO, 65203 • Vol. 46 Issue 3 • December 13, 2018

Board approves budget increase CPS to hire new assistant superintendents Anna Xu, Jared Geyer

T

he population of students in Columbia Public Schools (CPS) almost surpassed 19,000 students for the first time this school year, superintendent Dr. Peter Stiepleman said.

Because of the growing student body, the Columbia Board of Education, seven elected officials in the Columbia community, approved an increase in district budget. With the money added, Dr. Stiepleman plans to reinstate two assistant superintendent positions the next school year who would specialize in the middle school and high school levels. As of now, there is only one elementary assistant superintendent, Dr. Jill Brown.

“This has been the story for about five years,” head of counseling Betsy Jones said. “We have one [assistant superintendent], then they leave, then we have a big chunk of time where we don’t have one.”

As the current and only assistant superintendent in the CPS district, Dr. Brown supervises 21 elementary schools, which includes teachers, staff and administration. She also oversees broad programs in CPS such as early childhood education, gifted programs, federal assessments, data services, intervention and summer school.

“I am also a part of any committee that is elementary based or part of K-12 alignment. I have many meetings, committee work, and discussions with principals, teachers and community [members],” Dr. Brown said. “My days are very busy.”

Affirming the district budget is a formal process where Dr. Stiepleman plays a large role as the main superintendent.

“Each year, I am responsible for bringing a budget to the Board of Education,” Dr. Stiepleman said. “The budget must include any positions I plan to add or delete. If the position is not part of the Board’s approved budget, it must be submitted as a budget amendment.”

Dr. Stiepleman sees the addition

Dr. Peter Stiepleman became superintendent of Columbia Public Schools (CPS) in 2014. He describes his responsibilities in three parts: chief executive officer, educational leader and chief storyteller or politician. The superintendent is in charge of a variety of functions, from managing the budget, supervising other administration to acting as the face of the district. Curently he also takes over the positions of secondary assistant superintendent.

Citizens Board of Education

Superintendent Carla London serves as the Chief Equity Officer, who deals with educational equality and inclusion. She oversees Student Services, which handles everything from student discipline hearings to homeless youth.

Dr. Jill Dunlap Brown oversees 21 elementary schools as part of CPS. Day to day is never the same, Dr. Brown said. Usually, however, she goes to meetings, community work, discussions and construction planning.

Chief Equity Officer

Heather McAuthor fulfills the role of treasurer of the board of education as well as chief financial officer. McAuthor said she sits at the Board table at the monthly board meeting to present financial data as well as communicate spending plans.

CAMRYN DEVORE / THE ROCK

Assistant Superintendent Assistant Superintendent Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education for Middle School Education for High School Education

Chief Financial Officer

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• elementary

Career/ Technical Ed. • ELL • migrant Services • Home school

communicators

• MAC • health services • outreach • CORE • early childhood

• special edu- cation

• ACE

principals,

principals,

principals, assistant

assistant

school coun- selors and

EEE

• middle school

• high school principals, assistant

principals and

principals and

• business

•

services

• employee

school coun-

school coun- selors

selors

benefits

Randy Gooch's goal as chief operations officer is to foster high organizational efficiency in facilities, t ra n sp o r t a tio n , food services, customer service and more.

• athletics • communic- ations

• community relations

• safety and security

• educational

Nicki Smith said she has no average days in human resources because of the large population of the district. Responsibilities include performance and policy managing and legal compliance.

Smith's goal is to upkeep and improve staff culture and climate.

Chief Opertations

Chief Human Resources Officer

• custodial

• employee

• facilities and

• hiring • recruiting • training

services

construction

experiences

services

• nutrition

support

• assesment • intervention • data • preschool • federal pro-

• curriculum

• professional

District school board administration hierarchy

grams

development

• parents as teachers

• summer school

and instruc- tion

• TBD

and instruc- curriculum

tion

services

• student

transportation

• TBD

services

• technology services

[SOURCE: CPS ORGANIZATIONAL CHART]

GEORGE FREY, PHOTOS, ANNA XU, INFOGRAPHIC / THE ROCK

of new assistant superintendents as a necessity for the ever-increasing enrollment of schools across Columbia, especially after former assistant superintendent Kevin Brown left to another state earlier this year.

Currently, Dr. Stiepleman adopts the responsibilities of the blank positions. RBHS principal Dr. Jennifer Rukstad said Dr. Stiepleman leads principal meetings, is in charge of her evaluation and monitors the school improvement plans. Dr. Stiepleman

will pass these jobs onto the high school assistant superintendent when he or she arrives. To ensure the best administrative aid, Dr. Stiepleman hopes to hire someone to serve as a reliable type of “support person.”

“The needs of our school district have become so complex and our schools are asking for responsive services,” Dr. Stiepleman said. “[Therefore] an additional person is appropriate.”

Dr. Stiepleman said the purpose

of the new positions are to foster better student attendance, discipline and achievement. Those categories are significant to the district for having successful students and greater state funding.

He also said these additional positions will help guide students who need assistance of any caliber through open communication and oversight.

After all, as a school district, students are always the main priority of the school board, Dr. Stiepleman

said.

“A good way to describe this is to use the metaphor of a theater and a dance floor,” Dr. Stiepleman said.

“An assistant superintendent sits at the balcony of the theater; they have a balcony view. They get to see everything happening. They see who knows the dance steps and who doesn’t. They will coordinate support for those who don’t know the choreography and will often come to the dance floor to guide and teach.”

District funding derives from attendance, other factors Katie Whaley

T

he Columbia Public Schools’ (CPS) district final budget document, published and approved by the Columbia Board of Education June 11, 2018, outlines the budget for CPS for this school year.

The report summarizes how CPS receives funding, where certain funding goes into, salary information and other CPS spending descriptions.

This money comes from three tiers of taxes: local, state and federal. CPS currently receives 65 percent from local taxes, 29 percent from state taxes and six percent from federal taxes.

Local tax money comes from many different sources throughout the community, including sales tax, delinquent taxes and taxation of real and personal property within the district.

Despite state taxes not filling a largest percentage of funding, calculating the amount of funding coming from the state is the most difficult, Community Relations Director Michelle Baumstark said.

“The formula we use to calculate the basic state

aid is very complex and the factors that influence the funding vary widely between districts,” Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MDESE) coordinator David Tramel said. “I can tell you that last year Columbia received $56,535,235 in basic state aid.”

One component of the record describes how Missouri public schools receive state funding based on a biannually recalculated state foundation formula.

There are four parts to this equation: Weighted Average Daily Attendance (WADA), State Adequacy Target (SAT), Dollar Value Modifier (DVM) and Local Effort. While CPS has little influence on DVM and Local Effort, WADA and SAT are two components of the formula that CPS has more control over.

The state weighs a district’s average daily attendance. For students who attend all hours of school possible, the state will fund them as one student. The district receives $6,300 for each student, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MDESE) coordinator David Tramel said.

BUDGET, P3 [SOURCE: NICHE.COM]

EDITORIALS. . . . . . . . . 6

IN-DEPTHS. . . . . . . . . . 9

SPORTS. . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Fire away: Staff member and guest writers take on different view points to debate on how controlled guns should be in the U.S.

Piece of mind: Students combat fear and anxiety, sacrifice to achieve their dreams and cope with the world through escapism.

Girls in wrestling: Junior Paige Hensley and freshman Anna Stephens demonstrate strength and virtue on the mat.

SARAH KUHLMANN, ISAAC PARRISH / THE ROCK

BEARINGNEWS For fast, fresh, daily coverage of RBHS news, sports, and more,

visit www.bearingnews.org .

INDEX. . . . . 1 NEWS. . . . . 5 EDITORIALS. . . . . 7 COMMENTARIES. . . . 9 IN-DEPTHS. . . . 13 FEATURES. . . 17 SPORTS. . . . 20 COMIC

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NEWS | 3

CPS expenditures for 2018-19 school year

[SOURCE: CPS ANNUAL BUDGET] ANNA XU, MOY ZHONG / THE ROCK

$300 million funds district annually

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The state applies an additional multiplier, which began in the 2016-17 school year, to students who qualify for free or reduced lunch, Individualized Education Plans or are under the category of English Language Proficient.

“Note that this year’s attendance won’t count with regard to formula calculations until next school year,” CPS Communications Director Michelle Baumstark said.

“The district’s annual performance report also includes an attendance component and a goal set by the state of Missouri.”

MDESE has strict attendance hour reportings that they require schools to follow and document.

The guidelines prohibit schools from counting hours for students if they are not in school, do not allow attendance recovery and outlines how to count attendance for non-traditional courses, such as online classes and special cases. This is why RBHS asks students to check in and out of the front office whenever they enter or exit the school during official class hours.

Still, MDESE does not accept zero hour courses as reporting hours for state aid. This is because zero hour is not a part of the district’s calendar hours in session.

“Zero hour is an option made available to CPS students who want to get an early start to their day, need schedule flexibility, or need to be able to take additional credit hours,” Baumstark said. “It’s a benefit to our student population to make it an available option. It’s not something we added because of [Average Daily Attendance], the foundation formula, or more money. In fact, the district does not receive any reimbursement for zero hour.”

The district does not pay teachers differently for teaching zero hour courses. Teachers fall into categories of compensation based off their status such as their degree of education and the number of years they’ve worked for the district.

“Teachers are paid on a salary schedule that is based on a set number of days. This is a negotiated contract,” Baumstark said. “They aren’t paid differently based on a teacher teaching a zero hour or not. They are paid based on employment status, position, number of contracted days, years of experience and degree.”

While student attendance matters, Baumstark said the district doesn't receive more state funding for higher grading teachers or teaching attendance.

Another part of the CPS budget criteria that students specifically can influence is through the State Adequacy Target (SAT), which is a state standard. CPS must follow guidelines deriving from the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP 5) and earn at least 70 percent of points possible to receive accreditation from the state. Areas graded include academic achievement, subgroup achievement, college and career readiness, attendance and graduation rate.

Standardized tests are one way to earn points for funding. Examples of these exams include Missouri Assessment Program (MAP), End of Course assessment (EOC), American College Testing (ACT), Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), STAR Reading and STAR Math. The state also looks at teacher success indicators, such as participation in Equity Training, Executive Functioning, poverty training and Restorative practices, which measure interpersonal skills and positive mindsets.

Senior Polina Kopeikin sees both the positives and negatives of grading students on their performances on tests. She worries schools may not receive important funding if scores suddenly drop, but also believes giving teachers a goal standard helps with classroom instruction.

“It motivates teachers to teach their students better with actual applied topics,” Kopeikin said. “There is a downside to this, however, that being that these standardized tests only test specific knowledge of students, not overall broad knowledge."

Attendance and performance determine parts of the state budget.

MDESE, however, determines the rest of a district’s state funding by calculating the Dollar Value Modifier (DVM) and Local Effort as well as other factors of student attendance and performance.

Children’s Education Alliance of Missouri (CEAM) describes DVM as “a factor adjusts funding based on the value of a dollar in a specific area. It will increase funding in areas where the cost of living is especially high, but will not take money away from districts with lower costs of living.” The state calculates this value by comparing the average salary in the area with the state median, under the assumption that higher incomes will have proportionally higher costs of living.

Additionally, Local Effort, CEAM reports, is a measure of how much money a district receives from local taxes and other sources, and from that amount, the state will fill a portion of the Local Effort based on other formulas.

MDESE tries to cover all financial aid that a district desires, but in the end, cannot cover every cost the district would like, Baumstark said.

“There are always needs and things the district can’t do because of lack of funding,” Baumstark said. “For example, the district expends approximately $12 million on transportation and only receives approximately $2 million in reimbursement of the state.”

Sophomore Allie Bell, who is a member of show choir, a group that constantly raises money through events and fundraisers, knows what it feels like to wish for more secure funding.

“If we had more funding it would help to push us to the next level competitively,” Bell said. “We would have more funding for costumes to make the show even more visually appealing and accurate. We would also have the ability to travel more for competition.”

Luckily for CPS, the district does not have to fundraise, however, there are still monetary concerns, Baumstark said.

“The foundation formula is also underfunded,” Baumstark said.

“Our teachers would likely say that if there is additional funds that are made available that funds should be used to enhance teacher salaries.

Without those funds, we can’t have much of a conversation about it.”

To keep track and report progress on goals, CPS uses a scorecard posted for the public to look at on its website, Baumstark said. Categories on the website include academic progress, third grade reading levels, graduation goals and perceptual data.

“The scorecard on our website includes both state and local measures of success. Not every category relates directly to school funding,” Baumstark said. “It does equate to MSIP, APR and accreditation though.”

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EDITORIALS | 5

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Should school funding be subject to the current criteria?

THE ROCK STAFF VOTED

YES — 4 NO — 24

MOY ZHONG / THE ROCK

State fund formula requires restructuring Test scores, attendance should not factor into funds

A

strong public education system is the backbone of equal opportunity for Americans, but when that system grants lower funding to poor schools despite their students’ increased need, it fails to uphold their promise of equity.

Missouri is the 37th lowest spender on education in the country, according to teaching-certification.com, and part of how Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MDESE) determines the distribution of taxpayer money to school districts revolves around their students’ test scores, attendance and adjustments based on local cost of living factors.

MDESE, however, should not factor scores and attendance into the distribution of the budgets, as it takes away valuable resources from schools who are already unable to effectively teach, making the situation worse.

Essentially, this aspect of the current system hurts high poverty school districts when they are already struggling to give their students the same opportunities as low poverty districts.

If the goal is to level the playing field between affluent and poor communities in Missouri, MDESE should change the system from the near poverty trap it currently is to one that gives funding to districts based more on student need.

A federally defined assumption says students in poverty cost school districts 40 percent more to teach. Despite this, the highest-poverty districts receive 16 percent less funding per student than low poverty districts, according to The US News & World Report. This disparity between need and given funds is disastrous not only in concept, but in actual application.

The 2015 Education Trust, a national nonprofit that studies equity gaps that affect disenfranchised students, report this spending deficit fails to meet the needs of students in poverty, stating, “the funding gaps between high and low poverty districts look even worse considering students in poverty are likely to need additional

supports in order to succeed academically. In other words, simply offering equal funding isn’t enough.”

Furthermore, low-income districts are systematically worse off, with their students performing poorer than those in wealthier districts in part because of consistently lower teacher salaries at their schools, according to the New York Times.

Because of the low salaries, these high poverty schools must employ new and underprepared teachers who lack crucial teaching experience, according to National School Board Association. An international study titled, “Teachers’ Pay and Pupil Performance” links low teacher pay too low teacher performance and consequently, poor student academic results.

Allocating lower funds to these districts because of poor student performance is therefore counterproductive, and ought to be removed from any district budget criteria.

Attendance should stay separate from budgets as it further puts high poverty districts at an economic disadvantage, as students in high

poverty communities are four times more likely to be chronically absent than their low poverty counterparts. Counting absences hurts these districts further, with a false hope of incentive.

The argument that rewarding the districts with high attendance and test scores encourages them to do better is fundamentally flawed, using a business model that, in practice, is not the correct approach. “Rewards undermine interest. If our goal is excellence, no artificial incentive can ever match the power of intrinsic motivation,” the “Harvard Business Review” said.

Policy makers and MDESE should change the current system of distributing funds to American public schools to one that works for all students regardless of their economic circumstances.

Taking away test scores and attendance from budget distribution can help the working class school districts begin to provide the academic opportunity that their students deserve. Improved teacher salaries present a pathway to fix the broken status of American public schools, the root of equal opportunity.

‘Weather’ or not you agree, climate change is a hoax to swim in the opposite direction of the currents. With the whales spinll scientists are shams. Be- ning against the hurricane, the storm tween their lengthy words and will halt in its path and turn around outlandish hypotheses, they back to where it came. have crafted deceitful fantasies to Furthermore, the birds and the oppress and blind us from the truth. bees reveal the organic place greenThey contend the earth is round when house gases have in the ecosystem. it is not. They assert the ridiculous Bee fur absorbs methane and carbon notion that the weather app can tell dioxide. These gases help polus more about the length of winlen stick to the fur and, when ter than the groundhog and its the insect arrives at the hive, shadow. They even argue the two gases melt the pollen the sun does not reoff the body at 104 degrees volve around the earth and that creates honey. when anyone with two Also, birds, in order eyes can see it clearto fly, must intake a cerly does. tain amount of nitrous Now they claim oxide annually. The climate change gas builds up close is real and a to the equator during peril. Do not the winter, which become a is why birds fly fool to ansouth. Along other one their route, of their there are pockabsurd ets filled with fairy tales nitrous oxMOY ZHONG / THE ROCK and learn the ide and when truth: climate birds fly through change is a them, they reMO myth. ceive a speed boost.

K Y ZH ONG / THE ROC News of glaciers It’s like the Mario Kart melting is fake. Ice item boxes. caps are not disappearing; people are We must overthrow the scientists simply misplacing them. They for- who spread lies. In fact, we should go get glaciers migrate from the North to the root of the issue: science itself.

Pole to Antarctica. If they would keep The government should abolish all track of the icebergs on their voyage, science, as the discipline only hypthere would be no issues. As a sug- notizes sympathizers into believing gestion, there should be trackers on in and acting upon conspiracies, such all polar bears, who always stay in as climate change and gravity. These their igloos on the icebergs, so that are theoretical boundaries, not reality. professionals can record where the Science serves no purpose to sociice caps are at all times. ety. Animals, however, do. The govAnimals, of course, are the solu- ernment must immediately prohibit tion to uncovering all the lies sci- science and instead, fund more zoos entists conceive. If scientists really to ensure the safety of those animals wanted to counteract the “increase” in that keep us and the environment hurricanes, they would teach whales alive every single day.

Katie Whaley

A

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Rock Bridge High School 4303 S. Providence Rd. Columbia, Mo. 65203 Vol. 46, Issue 2 December 13, 2018 Population: 2,021 Students, 190 Faculty Circulation: 1,600 Contact information: Phone: (573) 214-3141

Website: bearingnews.org Advertising: $50 — 1/4 Page $100 — 1/2 Page $150 — Full Page $200 — Back Page The Journalism Newspaper and Honors Seminar classes produce The Rock, Bearing News and Southpaw. The paper’s purpose is to accurately inform, educate and

MOY ZHONG / THE ROCK

Monopolies limit opportunity George Frey

C

apitalism runs the U.S. and arguably since WWII it has managed to at least somewhat provide for Americans; however, capitalism isn’t necessarily just an economic system.

It is also a system that dictates social behavior in the corporate landscape that is the American economy.

In this environment, larger companies manage to stand out among the rest and essentially dominate in their various fields, leaving many small businesses with no power against these large corporate giants.

In America, the airline industry is massive, with three main airlines standing above the rest, American, Delta and United. Over the years the so-called ‘big three’ have managed to merge and acquire other airlines, often with disastrous consequences.

In April of 2001, American Airlines (AA) ‘merged’ with St. Louis based airline Trans World Airlines (TWA), promising to take in their 18,000 employees. Of that 18,000, only 3,000 stayed and even then, were furloughed by AA in 2003. This reduced STL from a massive hub, to a medium sized international airport.

While AA is a monopoly in the airline industry, which itself hasn’t existed for that long of a time in history, monopolies and corporate

enlighten readers in an open forum. The Rock is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association and Quill & Scroll.The Rock accepts letters to the editors from its readers regarding any possible issues of concern in the publication. If you have a letter to send, email it to contact@bearingnews.org.

Limit entries to 400 words.

The Rock reserves the right

takeovers are not at all a new phe- since the early ‘70s lost 30 pernomenon. In the late 19th and early cent in profits due to the new local 20th Centuries, sometimes called Walmart. the ‘Progressive Era,’ the corporate The kicker, however, is that as environment was massively distort- quick as the Walmart came, it was ed because of trust, or the practice gone, leaving Oriental behind and of merging two larger companies costing millions for the town. This, into one so they can take over other however, isn’t the first time Walmart has used this practice, as it is reportcompetition.

Despite reforms, however, cor- ed to have closed over 200 stores in porations have consistently lobbied 2016 and shut down its short-lived lawmakers to support them, thus ‘Walmart Express’ convenience increasing their store chain. influence over The solution small business- In 2017, a new record has to the reign of big es. The practice been broken in terms of a business, would, of of some large number of deals with 15’100 course, be to vote scale monopofor policies which lies, however, which is a 12.2% increase regulate the influover 2016.” wasn’t to trust ence of big busibust but to set nesses. Recently, up shop, and - The Institute for Mergers, Missourians have Acquisitions, and Alliances managed to take then skip town.

The low pricthat step. Amendment One or the es of Walmart are able to attract small-town lo- “Clean MO Amendment” was cals, who often are living in pover- passed, which restricts corporate ty-stricken areas of America, such gift giving to political campaigns, as the Deep South and Appalachia. according to Ozarks First. While This makes Walmart the ultimate this outcome is considered a victory location to buy groceries, electron- for small business owners, there is ics or whatever a family may need, still a long way to go until America all for a low price. becomes a fair marketplace.

This in turn, causes small local What would make an even bigbusinesses to become obsolete. In a ger difference, however, would be 2016 Bloomberg Article, the Town to step back and examine one’s own n’ Country general store in Oriental, consumerism, and understand what N.C., which had been in operation exactly our money is funding.

to reject material based on standards set by the staff.

Editors-In-Chief: Ann Fitzmaurice Ji-Sung Lee Emily Oba Katie Whaley Business Manager: Ethan Hayes A&E Editor: Ben Kimchi Commentaries Editor: Saly Seye Editorials Editor: Ethan Hayes

Features Editor: Maddie Murphy In-Depth Editor: Bailey Stover News Editor: Anna Xu Sports Editors: Ann Fitzmaurice Ji-Sung Lee Emily Oba Katie Whaley Art & Design Editor: Moy Zhong Multimedia Editor: Kai Ford

Staff Writers: George Frey, Jared Geyer, Atiyah Lane, Isaac Parrish, Will Napier, Jordyn Thompson Artists: Isabel Thoroughman, Valeria Velasquez Photographers: Camryn DeVore, Sophie Eaton, George Frey, Allie Pigg Multimedia: Matthew Burns, Sarah Kuhlmann, Isaac Parrish, Jack Speake, Alyvia Swearingen Adviser: Robin Stover

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6 | EDITORIALS

National Controversy

Debating the Second Amendment Moy Zhong, art

Our guns, our rights Maddie Murphy

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egardless of whether you love it or hate it, the Second Amendment provides the constitutional framework for our current American gun laws. There’s a national debate raging over the Second Amendment and its relevance. Both sides of the argument are polarized and often ill-informed, creating immense tension.

Stricter gun control laws do not, in fact, decrease crime rates; however, gun ownership does. Between 1980 and 2009 “banning assault weapons did not significantly affect murder rates at the state level” and “states with restrictions on the carrying of concealed weapons had higher gun-related murders,” according to a 2013 applied economics letter by Mark Gius. At the same time, gun ownership in these states nearly doubled, yet the murder rate decreased.

American economist and author John R. Lott, Jr., PhD stated in his book, “More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws” released in 2010, that: “States with the largest increases in gun ownership also have the largest drops in violent crimes.”

When states passed conceal and carry laws, the number of multi-victim shootings declined by 84 percent. Fatalities from the remaining shootings decreased by 90 percent, and injuries were down 82 percent.

The media tends to portray gun control as incredibly popular and often shames those not falling into that category as ignorant. Saying “most Americans agree we need some form of gun control” is not enough. This could mean a variety of things, and yes, “most Americans” would not like to see guns in the hands of criminals but would still like to keep guns themselves.

A small government is crucial to a nation in order for optimal functioning to occur. Gun control laws would inherently give too much power to the government and have the power to result in a tyrannical government taking all guns away from citizens; 57 percent of people surveyed in a 2013 study by Pew Research said gun control laws limit the power of the people and increase the power of the government. Looking back at the reason why the Founding Fathers created the Second Amendment, America was living under the tyranny of King George. The Second Amendment was necessary to ensuring that free people in this new country would never again live under these conditions. The right to bear arms is not just there for deer-hunting and recreational use; it is there to protect our civil rights and liberties.

In lieu of the recent tragic school shootings it’s really important to point this out: it isn’t the gun that is shooting these innocent children. There is a person behind the weapon responsible for pulling the trigger. The city of Chicago, Ill., for instance, has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country, yet also has the greatest amount of gun violence of any U.S. city.

This has to reveal that gun is not at fault. Just because someone supports the Second Amendment does not mean they are heartless nor does it mean they are ignoring what’s going on. What it likely means is that he or she would prefer to keep the right to protect him or herself in the instance that anything would occur.

The gun control debate is regularly seen as one that is clear-cut, black and white and leaves little wiggle room on either side. Not all who oppose gun control measures wear overalls, MAGA hats and carry a gun at all times, just like not all gun control advocates believe Americans don’t need guns at all. This topic is more than wanting guns or not; it’s about safety.

Guns are not the problem.

People are the problem. Our safest hands are still our own. Let’s keep it that way.

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Reform firearm legislation now Rachael Erickson, Kiren Macleod

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ur country today faces a public safety crisis- In the United States, between 1999 and 2013, there have been 464,033 deaths caused by guns, 270,237 suicides, 174,773 homicides and 9,983 accidental deaths, averaging at roughly 91 gun-related deaths a day. 66.6 percent of all homicides and 52.2 percent of all suicides are done with guns. In this regard, the US is unique. A study conducted

by JAMA noted that the U.S.’ rate of 10.6 gun deaths per 100,000 people is much higher than that of other countries. Canada’s rate is only 2.1, Germany 0.9, the UK 0.3, and in Japan, there are only .2 gun deaths per 100,000 people. This seemingly ceaseless carnage is brought on not by any specific group or individual, but rather, by the means through which any group or individual may act — that being the ease through which the wrong kind of person can purchase an unreasonably powerful firearm.

Studies conducted indicate that sensible gun control measures would go a long way towards lowering these horrifying gun death rates. A study conducted by ‘The Lancet’ indicates that universal background checks for all firearm purchases would bring the mortality rate down to 4.46 deaths per 100,000 people, a 58 percent decrease, while universal background checks for ammunition purchase could bring this down even further to 1.99 death per 100,000 people, an 81 percent decrease. Similarly, “red flag” laws that allow law enforcement officials to confiscate weapons from people perceived to be a threat to themselves or others may decrease suicide. Indiana passed such a law and saw a 7.5% reduction in suicides. Common-sense gun safety policies have worked in other nations and individual states and would work if implemented nationally. To do nothing about the issue of gun violence, an issue not faced by any other developed nation, while there are

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There were a total of almost 33,600 deaths from guns in 2016 - of which more than 22,900 were suicides.

43% of households in the U.S. own one or more firearms.

potent solutions at hand, is simply wrong. Some opposed to gun safety measures argue that these policies are an overreach of the federal government, that they infringe on our liberties as Americans.

However, even under the most conservative views of government, any governing body has a duty to protect the safety of its citizens. Moreover, these measures don’t actually infringe on any rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment. Firstly, the Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms for the purpose of maintaining a well-regulated militia, not for any citizen to own any firearm for any reason. The widely remembered interpretation of the Second Amendment, therefore, has very little to do with the actual text of the Constitution, as it ignores the reasons why a citizen ought to have this right.

Secondly, even if we take the commonly-understood meaning of the Second Amendment, all rights protected by the Constitution have limits if their protection could harm other citizens.

For example, the right to liberty is limited in the case of criminals, who have violated the rights of others by breaking certain laws, while the right to free speech is limited in cases of slander, libel, and incitory speech, which could all serve to cause violence or harm others. In this specific case, gun safety laws would reasonably limit the Second Amendment in order to protect the fundamental right to safety that our government must uphold. Enacting common-sense gun safety measures would act as a reasonable limit on even the most commonly-held interpretation of the Second Amendment.

By standing idly by, watching tens of thousands of Americans die each year, while ignoring solutions that are both effective and in line with the central duty and general philosophical foundations of our government, our leaders are signalling compliance towards an ongoing national crisis. It’s time we, as a nation, act to protect ourselves and future generations from this needless violence.

— Guest Writers from Students Demand Action, which is an RBHS advocacy group for gun control

The U.S. manufactured about 11.5 million firearms in 2016.

THE ROCK | WWW.BEARINGNEWS.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2018

COMMENTARIES | 7

Teach my history, too

Atiyah Lane

I

get it. Black people were slaves, Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream and Rosa Parks wouldn’t give up her seat for the white man.

Every year in every studies class I’ve been in, when it comes to black history, I’m told the same thing over and over. At this point, with the school’s standard, even I could teach about black history.

The curriculum barely takes the time to actually account for the entirety of black history. Teachers will replay the story of how black people marched during the Civil Rights Movement, and we learn about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or Harriet Tubman over and over.

Teachers spend a day talking about what they

consider the importance of black history and they think they’ve accomplished applying the history of African Americans.

Sitting in a studies class, being one out of the four black students in a 50 student room, I sometimes find myself feeling as if I’m in a whole different world when it comes to knowing about black history.

In sixth grade, I was in my social studies class, and we heard that Maya Angelou had died. My teacher asked the class if anyone knew who she was, and I was the only person who knew of her. Despite there being more than 20 people in the class, no one knew the American poet, civil rights activists, singer and actress. Not saying that everyone should know her, but only one student knowing about her

[SOURCE: WWW.BRITTANICA.COM]

was mind blowing.

African American history should be normalized into teaching. I shouldn’t have to learn about black people’s achievements only outside of school. Black people are always placed under this category of being oppressed, subjected to racism and surviving slavery. We’re never seen as more than that. People always talk about black excellence but I never see the news talking about it. The media seems to only display black people as perpetrators to crimes.

No matter what black people achieve it always seems to be overlooked. A news anchor was upset because black teenager Michael Brown was accepted into 20 colleges and four of them were Ivy Leagues. The news anchor’s words were, “It was ridiculous to apply to 20

different schools and it was taking away opportunities from other students applying.” If Brown was a white student, his achievements would’ve been praised.

White people getting all the praise, however, is nothing new.

We’re always taught about what the white man has done for America. We look at his pros and cons in history. The cons could outweigh the pros yet we still try to see him as “helping make America.” We talk about American history and look at the white people as if they’re the only people that made things happen. If anything, white people have brought a lot of pain, ignorance and selfishness to this country.

I could start all the way in the beginning when Europeans traveled to America and stole land from Native Americans to now, where people are being deported and separated from their families. No matter how many times a black person is innocently killed by a white policeman, there is still no justice.

White people’s history is always being covered. Meanwhile, other races like African American aren’t recognized enough when we talk about American history.

I shouldn’t have to take another class to learn about African American history or wait until Black History month to be told the same old things I’ve been told my whole life. How are black people supposed to feel motivated when all we hear about is the struggle of our ancestors?

My sophomore year, I learned that before slavery, black people actually had a great quality of life. There were even kings and queens like Queen Amina of Zaria who ruled in the 15th century. White people, however, came to their countries, exploited their resources, and ruined their prosperity.

History class needs to include great inventors, activists and leaders who are black along with the white people. Black icons such as the Little Rock Nine, W.E.B. Du Bois, Harry T. Moore, and many others have marked historical moments in America.

As I’ve gotten older I’ve realized how much black people, or even just race issues, are overlooked in school, in the media and in America.

Let’s talk about the recurring issues that have been happening since the 18-1900s.

I’m always hearing older people saying our generation is the future, so if we’re going to be taught history we need to be taught all sides of history.

How is America supposed to be great when people don’t even know its true story?

VALERIA VELASQUEZ / THE ROCK

Tried, tested, not true

Moving on provides insight into self-worth Ann Fitzmaurice

E

very single time I took the ACT, save one, I cried when I received my score. My location when I received the score didn’t matter. I cried at school; I cried at home, and I cried at work.

The first time I took the ACT, however, I did not foresee myself constantly in tears; I was confident in my score. I did no studying whatsoever and, in the end, paid the price. I was ignorant to the rigor of the test and dumbfounded when my first score did not line up with my in-school academics. My work ethic and subsequent high grade point average made me believe hard work could carry me in life, and that self-assurance came with me into the testing room.

The ACT showed me that there was a sharp contrast in working hard in school and performing on a test within a time crunch.

The false confidence I carried to my first test made me vulnerable when I failed. I could not fathom how I could get, in my mind, such a poor score when I did so well in all my classes. I could jump through the hoops of school but not show what I learned at my core. After my confidence broke with a simple number, I decided to try harder for the next test.

After my first failure, I convinced my parents to pay $500 for an ACT class that I hoped would bring my score up. My parents are not wealthy: my mother is a teacher, and my dad works two jobs to help support our family. Somehow, they scraped together the money, thinking it would be beneficial when it came time to pay for college. Thus, every Sunday I attended a four-hour class, and after a month, I took my second ACT test.

My score increased by one point.

When I discovered my score, I felt worse than I did after my first test.

Not only did I fail once again, but I also wasted $500 of my parents’ money that they didn’t have to spare in the first place. For the months following my second score, I began to compare myself to others more and more. All of my friends had better scores than I did, and though my score was above average, I felt like an idiot compared to them.

I dreaded when ACT scores came out, because I knew everyone would be talking about their scores and I’d inevitably hate myself for mine. In my Advanced Placement (AP) United States History class (APUSH), all my friends discussed their scores and congratulated each other. One of my friends scored a 33. One scored a 34 and another, a 35. The most trying task of the ACT was not taking the test itself. For me, the stress of the ACT came from the aftermath: trying to be happy for my friends all the while hating myself for not being as good as them. I scolded myself for letting my selfishness make me so jealous of my friends. I was motivated to score higher the next time so I could stop feeling so poorly.

Even through my motivation, I felt guilty that my parents kept paying $40 for each ACT I took because I was too stupid to score high the first time.

In April, after at least a month of studying, I took the ACT again and

scored one point higher.

Though I did not break down as much as I did the past two times, this score still made me feel worthless. Again, I compared myself to others and defined myself by a number. My confidence was the lowest it’d ever been, and it began to show in my other classes. In APUSH, I refused to raise my hand because I believed everything I said was dumb. After a group presentation, I cried because I felt like every word that came out of my mouth sounded like unintelligent garbage. I was terrified my peers would see me as I saw myself: idiotic. My APUSH teacher tried to convince me that my score did not define me, but his words went in one ear and out the other.

In June, after weeks of studying and countless practice tests, I finally scored a number I was comfortable with as I gained two more points to my composite score. The score was not my goal, but it made me feel less horrible about myself. Still, I needed one more point to gain $2,000 in scholarships to take some burden off my hard-working parents.

In September I tried the test again in an attempt to receive the merit scholarship and scored the same. I cried in the bathroom at school, frustrated that I wasn’t smart enough to help my parents.

In October, one day after my anniversary of taking the ACT for the first time, I took my sixth test. I scored one point lower than I had in June and September.

At midnight Nov. 13, when I received my October test scores, I cried for two hours straight. I felt so unbelievably broken, not only because I couldn’t accomplish the seemingly simple task of gaining just one singular point more, but also because no matter how hard I tried, how often I studied or how many times I took the test, I was incapable of reaching my goal.

Finally, I gave up: I would no longer allow the ACT to control my future or my emotions.

As soon as I decided I was finished taking the test, I felt like I could finally move on with my life. I put in a full year’s worth of hard work, and I did not get where I wanted to be, but I simply would not hurt myself any longer. Contrary to what books from my childhood taught me, like “The Little Engine that Could” and “A Chair for my Mother,” giving up was okay. Giving up helped preserve my self-confidence like shielding a weak flower from heavy rain and wind. When I gave up on the ACT, I finally felt ready to move on and bloom.

Instead of relying on a obligatory number to define my intelligence and allowing guilt from that same number to consume me as I did not receive my scholarship goal, I will work to earn money and apply for other scholarships to help my parents. I now block out the parts of my brain that try to convince me I am “less than” because my ACT score falls short of my friends. I move forward, leaving the score behind as I work to build up the confidence the ACT tore down. What seemed to be the most defining factor in my life turned out to be the most toxic. I gave up, and leaving the ACT behind was the best decision I’ve ever made.

VALERIA VELASQUEZ / THE ROCK

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THE ROCK | WWW.BEARINGNEWS.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2018

THE ROCK | WWW.BEARINGNEWS.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2018

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ear, a powerful and primitive human emotion, essentially shapes all that humans do. Whether to skydive off an airplane or pick up a tarantula with bare hands, fear motivates action, giving a new sense of concentration, avoidance or preparation.

Robert Chavez, a psychology professor at the University of Oregon, said the environment affects fears in a number of different ways, depending on the individual and the source of fear.

“Many people living in places where there [are] high crime rates, war, violence or other fear inducing states, will often ‘desensitize,’ or what psychologists call habituate to these environments, in order to continuing functioning in their daily lives,” Chavez said. “Others may do the opposite and become even more sensitive to these cues in their environment; psychologists call this sensitization.”

There are many ways a person’s own experience can lead him or her to associate different things in the environment with feelings of fear, Chavez said. One common misunderstanding of emotions is that humans view them as independent from other psychological processes when, in fact, emotions are often a part of the processes.

“Fear and learning is a nice example of this.

Many researchers believe fear itself is indeed a learning mechanism that has been used to help people survive,” Chavez said. “For example, if you see a long, tan colored object on a dirt trail in front of you, it is safer to automatically associate this with ‘snake’ even if it turns out to just be just a stick because snakes are more likely to harm you than sticks.”

An individual’s biggest fear can very well affect daily life, even if it is not an animate object like a snake. Junior Audrey Snyder fears making a mistake, regardless of how small, in her social, educational or familial spheres. Snyder credits this fear to the idea that every decision she makes can magnify and expand to affect the future.

“Every choice has the potential to make or break, whether or not to study an extra hour, commit to an activity or who you associate yourself with, and reverberates into your future career, relationships, success and happiness,” Snyder said. “Having the wrong mentality, in the wrong place, at the wrong time could determine so much of your life after that moment that it hangs over my head and has impacted almost my entire high school experience.”

This fear of failure, however, is more common than one might perceive. In the United States alone, the fear of failure rate for 18 to 64 years old is 33.36 percent, according to The World Bank, an international financial institution.

For senior Lucy Beattie, the fear of failure, whether it is at school or in her personal life, requires her to occasionally put on an ‘I don’t care’ mask to try and save herself from any pain.

“Fear definitely used to keep me from doing

things, but in the past two years, I’ve come to really accept myself for who I am,” Beattie said. “[This] allows me to open up and be more authentic with people.”

Beattie noted it can be easier to hide rather than to face a fear head on, even if it is not healthy. She said fears are always in the back of her mind, causing her to think about them often, especially when under stress.

With worry and fear can come the constant thinking Beattie described. In some cases, a tendency to over analyze can be both advantageous and disadvantageous. For Snyder, her consciousness has been beneficial to her whenever a person or an experience in her life is more intricate than it appears on the surface. Snyder’s freshman year, one of her best friends went through a breakup. All alone in a new environment, the individual isolated himself or herself and became precautiously distant, Snyder said.

“I didn’t see them as much as before, but when I did I would occasionally notice small but scary, sabotaging choices they had made, dark comments or morbid jokes,” Snyder said. “At first I over thought about whether or not our distance and the change in them was my fault, or maybe just because of the new school. After scrutinizing both of those options out of possibility, I realized they were just in a bad place because of circumstance, and that they exhibited some of the same signs for depression.”

After Snyder told the situation to someone she believed could help, she realized just how severely depression and suicidal thoughts had been present in her friend. The individual is in a better place now, and Snyder’s attentiveness, in this case, played an important role in making a positive difference.

Snyder, however, in other scenarios, points this tendency to overthink as a flaw whenever she finds meaning behind words or actions where there actually is none. Each detail entering her head eventually has the power to drive a wedge between friendships, making Snyder wonder if an outcome could be different if thoughts had not crept in through the cracks of her confidence. Snyder’s fear is not just an object in the road she can avoid. She still notices her tendency to approach situations precautiously.

“To avoid preventing any prospects that might come my way, I hesitate and overthink situations way more than I would have otherwise,” Snyder said. “I’m much more careful in all aspects of my life, and while I could have ruined my life by now if I wanted to, it’s hard not to wonder what you’ve missed out on, or what would be different if your priorities were, too.”

Not only is it normal for individuals to avoid things they fear, but Chavez said it is also very adaptive. He mentioned there are good reasons to be somewhat fearful of situations where an individual will have to encounter fears. It is a different issue, however, when a fear goes from being adaptive and healthy to maladaptive and debilitating.

“Many clinical psychologists will tell you that having a fear of something is not a bad thing in and of itself,” Chavez said. “However, when it starts to get in the way of your ability to function in the real world or get along with others, then you may have a problem that is worth seeking help.”

10 | IN-DEPTH

THE ROCK | WWW.BEARINGNEWS.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2018

THE PRICE OF DREAMS Parents sacrifice personal aspirations for filial fulfillment

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ey on ourselves,” Smith said. “She works ‘to spoil me,’ but honestly since my dad moved away and it’s just been us two, we had to move to a house on this side of town, which made it more expensive, and she has to support both of us on her own now, so we do need the money.”

Though Smith feels guilty about being spoiled, she knows her mother is a giver and buys her gifts all the time. Whenever the pair gets tight on money, however, Smith’s mother radiates stress, and they both cut back on some purchases for a while to save. Some days Smith’s mother has to borrow from her, Smith said, and she gets stressed out not for herself but for her parent.

In order to lift some of her mother’s exhaustion, Smith makes her dinner and, if her mother is extra lucky, Smith will rub her feet.

Similarly, Hussain tries as best she can to make her hardworking father happy.

“I wish I could offer him a better job because he used to be a big engineer, a big boss of his company, but now his job is nowhere near as good. I wish I could do that for him so he can be more happy,” Hussain said. “Leaving everything behind is really hard, and [he did it] all for the betterment of his kids. I wish I could do something to help him fix that. Other than that, I’m just working hard, so I can provide a better future for him and be able to take care of him the way he’s taking care of us.”

On the parental side, Matteson said she runs herself ragged trying to keep up with all her kids’ activities to make them happy. For example, Matteson said she and her husband save money for trips and camps to enrich her children’s lives. She also tries to show her kids as much of the world as she and her husband can so they can discover what makes them happy.

Despite her hard work to enhance her kids’ lives, Matteson said she wishes she could give them more “every damn day.”

“I would send them to every camp. . . every EF Tour. I also try not to dwell [on what I can not give them], but I think every parent has regrets. . . ‘I wish I had dones,’” Matteson said. “I regret not finding a sport my son enjoyed and could be successful at. I regret my lack of patience when they were very small. I wish I could have had a house with a playroom. . . I fear how my bouts of depression negatively impact them. But in the end, if they feel they had a happy childhood and know how to find happiness as adults. . . then maybe I did a good job.”

HUMOR THE ABILITY TO LAUGH AND TO FIND LIFE FUNNY

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though she became increasingly afraid as she found she brought in most of the income for her family for the first 10 years of her rowing up, Shawnna Matteson, an Advanced Placement marriage.

(AP) World History and AP Psychology teacher, lived “My mom always said, ‘You know honey, teachers don’t in a household that revolved around family. Matteson’s make that much money.’ My response was, ‘I’m not worried father, an officer in the U.S. Army as an Air Medical about being rich, Mom,’ though I did not count on barely making Evacuation pilot, often worked long hours, overnight shifts and ends meet for so long,” Matteson said. “My first year teaching trained for weeks at a time. with a masters was $24,XXX per year; $1,600 per month. . .

Still, Matteson’s family made time for each other. Her moth- and I was the breadwinner. There was a time when we hoped to er, though she had a full time job, stressed involvement in the someday own a home but were unsure how we were going to lives of her children. They enjoyed dinner together every night, do it.” attended church as a group and emphasized holidays to be about When Matteson turned 29, she was finally able to put a down spending time as a unit. When it became time for Matteson to payment on a house to raise her kids in. While Matteson was just start her own life, she kept these values of kinship in her back beginning her journey to building up a household, junior Afnan pocket.

Hussain’s father had his turned upside down, all for the benefit “I have many of the same expectations for my family, though of his children.

I am not as consistent as my mom in some ways,” Matteson said.

“My dad is Arabic, so in his old country he was this big en“Sometimes the television is our focus during dinner. . . but it is gineer and the boss of his company. But when the war hit Iraq, a show we all love and watch together [like “The Simpsons”] or he had to move, so he moved to the United States knowing that over a movie we all want to share.” his certificate wouldn’t transfer and that he wouldn’t be able to Matteson lives with her husband and two children, a daugh- get a job anywhere as close as what he used to be,” Hussain said. ter in eighth grade and a son in twelfth. While her own mother “So when he came here they told him he’d have to go through rarely baked, Matteson uses the kitchen college and engineering school all over again, but he couldn’t do to connect with her daughter. it again. So the only job he could get is a custodian job, and he Matteson and her husband did it all for us.” both participated in their Hussian’s father is not alone in his quest to provide a betkids’ Boy Scout and ter life for his children. The “Smithsonian Second OpinGirl Scout troops, ion” found immigrants come to the United States for I wish I could offer him a better job and Matteson spends the same reason they did hundreds of years ago: better because he used to be a big enevenings with her opportunities. Hussian’s father gave up everything to gineer, a big boss of his company, but now his job is nowhere near as kids lying in bed provide a better life for his kids, even if it meant leavgood. I wish I could do that for him sharing their anxing what he had built for himself. Hussian recognizes so he can be more happy. Leaving ieties. She calls it the sacrifice her father made, and she said she and her everything behind is really hard, and “worry time.” For brothers try hard in school to make a better life for [he did it] all for the betterment of Matteson, spendtheir father. his kids. I wish I could do something ing time with her Likewise, sophomore Adrienne Smith accepts chalto help him fix that.” children is essential lenges from her mother to better her own life. Smith - Afnan Hussain, to her lifestyle and takes AP and honors classes and makes sure she is living junior made her teaching caup to her full potential, so she is able to get into a good reer all the more appealcollege and not have to work as much as her mother. During ing. the week, Smith’s mother is a nurse in Jefferson City, and on “I mostly focused on the the weekends she works at a nursing home in town. If her mothfact that I could be an ‘at-home-mom’ for er takes hours on the weekends, she clocks about 70 hours per [a quarter] of the year, have the same long vacations for holidays week. as my kids and be home for inclement weather days,” Matteson “When she works on the weekends, she often gets home said. “That was quite helpful when they were too little to be around seven, and one time she came home around eight even home alone. It was helpful to be inside the school system when though her shift technically [ended] at six,” Smith said. “That navigating evaluations.” day she came home and immediately went to sleep [because] of While Matteson counts herself lucky for all the perks of being how exhausted she was. One time we went to Mississippi, and a teacher, she admits in the beginning of her career she was naive she worked 31 days straight without a weekend.” about a teacher’s salary. Luckily for Matteson, her income has Originally, Smith’s mother wanted to be a Registered Nurse, not been an issue. but in the middle of her schooling she discovered she was pregConversely, “The Conversation,” a news site run by profes- nant with Smith, and her priorities changed. From then on, sors and journalists, found applications for teacher preparation Smith’s mother focused on providing for her family. She courses dropped by 44 percent this year. The reason for this de- gave up spending as much time with her kids, though her cline, the article stated, is because of poor teaching salaries. oldest daughter moved out with Smith’s father a year ago.

In Columbia Public Schools (CPS), teachers have an average “Since my dad moved out of Columbia, my mom salary of $54,000 a year, according to a study by Salary.com. has had to support both of us on our own, and That is about $15,000 more than the national average teaching. every chance she gets she will take up more Matteson said a low teaching income did not scare her initially, hours at work so we can spend some mon-

Ann Fitzmaurice

THE ROCK | WWW.BEARINGNEWS.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2018

ANXIETY AMPLIFIES AWARENESS Bailey Stover

N REBELLIOUSNESS GOING AGAINST SOCIAL NORMS

o matter how well adjusted someone is, the world can seem overwhelming at times.

In the age of social media likes, retweets and streaks, it is easy for teens to compare themselves to one another, even if they do not realize they are doing it.

“Anxiety disorders affect 25.1 percent of children between 13 and 18 years old,” according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Left untreated, these adolescents are more prone to poor school performance, substance abuse and absence from “important social experiences.”

While anxiety disorders affect more than a quarter of teens, they often feel both isolated and exposed with what they are going through.

In her professional experience owning her own private practice, Tiffany S. Borst, MA, LPC has encountered situations in which her clients rely on social media rather than in-person connections with other people because of their fears and social anxiety. Borst noticed people easily become “wrapped up in and anxious about missing a streak,” which causes even more anxiety than they were experiencing without social media.

“I believe absolutely that social media creates a situation where we compare ourselves a lot and often feel down in comparison, or not as good as someone else, and then that can create depression and anxiety,” Borst said. “I think often we think we’re connecting with people through social media, but it’s very surface, and so if we’re spending a lot of time on social media and

not actually connecting with people in real life, that can create a lot of anxiety and feeling very alone.”

Gretchen Cleppe, a guidance counselor at RBHS, helps students dealing with anxiety, depression and high school in general. Through her work with students, Cleppe found they are sometimes unable to return to class because they feel frozen. She said they often come to her after they leave their classrooms during a break, to go to the nurse or for a number of other reasons.

Following a dialogue with an individual student, Cleppe sometimes realizes he or she is dealing with an anxiety issue.

“Most kids who are truly anxious don’t really want others to know. They really want to present more confidence; they really want to have more confidence. They really want to go in and look as if they are fine, and I think so many of them would be surprised that they look fine. They don’t know,” Cleppe said. “They really feel very exposed when they’re in the classroom, and they’re having a high level of anxiety. And the reality is, people most likely are not picking up on it.”

The fight, flight or freeze response humans experience in stressful or survival situations is related to anxiety.

Cleppe said some students become so anxious they are frozen and unable to accomplish even simple tasks such as cleaning their room, doing a homework assignment or making their bed. These three reactions help to protect humans from danger by causing them to fight back either verbally or physically, to leave an unsafe situation or to virtually shut down when overwhelmed, according to an article anxietybc.com.

As a baritone saxophone player in the Emerald Regiment, sophomore Hannah Carlson performs in front of hundreds of people during competitions throughout the band’s marching season. Since middle school, Carlson loved the thought of marching and playing across the field, even though she becomes extremely anxious before halftime shows and judged competitions.

“I have the feeling of wanting to throw up, but I don’t. It’s just because I’m so nervous,” Carlson said. “And I’m, like, always super shaky and stuff.

And sometimes before the games, or like when we go on, I forget everything, so it’s very hard. But once I start playing the first few notes it gets easier.”

While Carlson may be able to perform in front of large crowds, that does not mean she is not anxious before and during class, especially if she has a presentation. Carlson said the thought of being called out in class to answer a question makes her extremely nervous.

Even mundane tasks such as walking through the halls might cause her pulse to rise.

“I don’t like being stared [at] or feeling [like] I’m going to get stared at.

I get really anxious, honestly, on like everything,” Carlson said. “Like even if I’m going to buy lunch I make sure I’m perfect with everything I do. Like, I’m holding my stuff right, and I type [my student identification number] in fast enough so the other person can [pay for his or her food].”

To an outsider, Carlson’s actions may not seem out of the ordinary, but she said for her they are deliberate.

Carlson is hyperaware of everything

going on around her. She said she notices how people move and behave more than her friends do.

“It’s like being trapped in your own mind and thinking about everything you do,” Carlson said. “It’s a lot of effort, and it shouldn’t be. You should just be able to walk outside and not give a care about what people do.”

Cleppe said the counseling department has had many conversations as a team about how anxiety is a normal part of life. The right level of stress frequently helps push students to study harder for tests or avoid negative or dangerous situations. Too much anxiety, however, can cause people to shut down, interfering with their everyday lives.

“I think one of the biggest misconceptions [about anxiety] is because a kid is functioning and appears confident, it’s not there,” Cleppe said. “[Some students] have high levels of anxiety, and a lot of students who [have anxiety still] do extremely well.”

During an anxiety inducing situation, Borst said the body’s natural response is to protect itself from danger.

An anxiety disorder, however, is when this system of self-protection overreacts to minor, non-threatening situations. This sends the body into a fight, flight or freeze response without a present or immediate threat. If a person is being chased by a bear, such survival instincts could save his or her life. But if it kicks in while a student is presenting a speech in front of the class, they do more harm than good.

“It’s like [the brain’s anxiety control center is] stuck on like a smoke alarm that’s broken,

and it’s just giving a [danger] signal all the time,” Borst said. “So you feel on hyper alert.”

Explaining anxiety to friends and family members who have not experienced it themselves has been a difficult task for Carlson, especially when people say that her anxiety is not a real issue or that she is just doing it for attention. Carlson is hurt the most, however, when her friends laugh off what she tells them, simply say everything will be okay or, worst of all, just do not care.

“They don’t have to put themselves in our shoes and go through it,” Carlson said, “but if they can just look at it just from what we say [that would be nice].”

Living in a world where they are constantly waiting to make a mistake or for something to go wrong, B o r s t said, can

make people fear failure and appear agitated and keyed up. People with anxiety disorders spend time in their own heads analyzing and reanalyzing situations. In Carlson’s case, she believes her anxiety allows her to perceive and understand the specific mannerisms that make each person unique.

Carlson’s anxiety makes her more in tune with relationships, she said, “because if there are some things going on with them I can understand more because I have the same issues. And telling [my friends] about it, if they understand, makes us closer.”

ANXIETY AFFECTS

40 MILLION adults

IN THE UNITED STATES ANNUALLY

[SOURCE: ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA]

THE ROCK | WWW.BEARINGNEWS.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2018

12 | IN-DEPTH

SPAGHETTI, SAWS

AND THE WIZARD OF OZ ESCAPISM AFFECTS LIFE, LIVELIHOOD Katie Whaley

T

hroughout a day, emotions boil in a pot of stress, frustration and anxiety. They soak in the mixture, absorbing the negative feelings. If left untouched in the streaming batch, the feelings shrivel and overheat; prolonged periods of exposure to intense and stressful environments causes emotions to depress.

But, if every so often a person removes his or her feelings from the onerous setting to cool off, then one could find a balance between the severity of the pot and the calmness of the drying rack.

It is crucial for a person to find an equilibrium between his or her tense, stressful life and having time to take a break and release negative feelings.

Too much time spent engaged in challenging work in an arduous environment can lead to overexertion and burnout, “The Atlantic” reports.

A way to achieve emotional harmony is through escapism. The concept of escapism revolves around the idea of “escaping one’s reality” or finding a distraction or relief from an unpleasant existence through entertainment or engrossing fantasy, according to anxietypanichealth.com.

By that definition, many activities would qualify as escapist habits, such as watching movies, playing sports, daydreaming and eating.

For example, one who healthily engages in escapism could watch a TV show or play video games after a strenuous day at school or work. Unhealthy escapist habits, however, include overindulgent tasks or abusing alcohol or drugs.

Students showcase such attitudes through engaging in clubs, sports, social media and other outlets. For senior Priya Barua, she experiences a healthy balance between stress and escaping.

Taking many Advanced Placement (AP) classes and being a member of Rock Bridge Reaches Out (RBRO) and HOSA-Future Health Professionals (HOSA), Barua said she has a lot of mental pressure in her everyday life.

“I don’t really have time to step away from my homework without it being detrimental, so what I do is just try to make homework a little more enjoyable,” Barua said. “I watch a lot of Netflix while doing my homework. I’ve gone through a few series by just letting the show play while I work and listening a little or looking up sometimes.”

When Barua does get too overwhelmed, she takes a short break to raise her mood and keep her motivation high. She isn’t the only person who thinks taking breaks improves stimulation.

A study published by ScienceDirect Journals outlines the importance of rest to the progress of learning and studying.

The researchers investigated fourth and fifth grade children, having one classroom take breaks between lessons while the other took no breaks. The research found students were more likely to be on task after having 10 minutes of classroom exercise breaks compared to the classroom that took no breaks.

“It’s beneficial just to clear your mind and come back to work because otherwise it can feel like too much and I just give up if it is,” Barua said. “But if I take a break and come back, I’m usually in a better mood and ready to finish up whatever I’m doing.”

Both the research and Barua’s thoughts fall under author Stephen Covey’s seventh point in his book, “Habits of Highly Effective People.” The idea is a habit coined “Sharpen the Saw.” Covey used a woodcutter as an analogy to best represent his point. He said a woodchopper sawing for several days straight becomes less productive as the days advance. The process of cutting dulls the blade, thus cutting less wood. The solution is to periodically quit sawing and sharpen the saw.

The concept relates to escapism; one can experience burnout if he or she does not pause grueling work or activities to regain sharpness.The perception of having intervals of work and recharge is not new. Throughout American history, Advanced Placement (AP) United States History teacher Chris Fischer said, Americans have shown a tendency to escape from reality into movies, entertainment and art.

One of the most infamous escapism films, Fischer said, was the “Wizard of Oz” in the 1930s. The movie was so progressive and innovative for the time, it caught Americans’ love and attention. Fischer said all throughout the Great Depression, Cold War and Vietnam War, Americans showed inclinations to escape through forums of creative expression.

“I taught a history class several years ago, and my partner and I tried to get the kids to look at this contention, this idea that in turbulent, volatile times our art and entertainment re-

flects an escapist attitude,” Fischer said.

“When times are so bad, do we embrace art and culture and stuff that just takes us so far away from reality? When you look at American history, there is something to that. When you live in a free society that embraces creativity and expression, it’s a foundation of our society.”

Going to a movie every once in a while is a healthy, simple way for distraction, which releases stress, according to an article by anxietypanichealth.com.

Escaping from reality to enjoy activities like movie-watching is important to offset negative emotions; removing spaghetti noodles from the pot before overcooking results in a better, more refined texture.

Too much time spent in fantasy, however, has the opposite effect. If one neglects daily responsibilities or withdraws from reality for too long, stress accumulates and becomes an even greater psychological burden.

AP Psychology and AP World Studies teacher Shawnna Matteson struggles with escapism.

When she is not doing well in her mind, she said she turns to playing games on her phone or computer to avoid daily annoyances and tasks that feel impossible to do. The games, she added, never refresh her, but serve as avoidant behavior.

To keep from neglecting her problems, Matteson deleted many games from her phone and computer. She does, however, see how workers in high stress jobs, such as emergency medicine, might need an escape and feel relief afterwards. She wonders where the line between relaxation and escapism is.

“I’m not sure which came first for me, anxiety or depression, but too much time spent escaping exacerbates my anxiety and stress. Instead of feeling better, my to-do list gets longer. But I haven’t accomplished anything, so it feels even more impossible than before, causing me to want to avoid more,” Matteson said. “It is a vicious cycle for me. If one spends too much time in escapist activities, it will harm relationships, work, self-care, hygiene, eating [and] sleeping.”

When escapism becomes overpowering, advice site lifehacker. com reports one should find a stratIt’s beneficial just to clear your mind and come egy to wean off whatever activity back to work because otherwise it can feel he or she is escaping into. like too much, and I just give up if it is, but if I This method could be anything take a break and come back, I’m usually in a from hanging out with friends inbetter mood and ready to finish up whatever stead of binge watching Netflix or I’m doing.” setting a limit for how long one can - Priya Barua play video games a day. Lifehacksenior er.com said referring to escapism as “refueling” may help negate negative thoughts on the topic and replace them with the idea that one has a goal whenever he or she is taking a break.

“Everyone has different stress tolerances and different ways of managing it,” Matteson said, “but I would think everyone would need some activity that provided a break.”

It doesn’t matter if it’s for emotions, spaghetti or saws, breaks and escaping have proven to be important for productivity and health. Many forums provide an avenue to escape on and everyone has a different path. Entertainment, Fischer said, is the easiest example to see.

“It’s a fascinating proposition in terms of, as a society, how do we use our entertainment? How does our entertainment reflect our own historiographies?

You can make so many connections,” Fischer said. “[And] what makes us connect to something is such an individual experience.”

THE ROCK | WWW.BEARINGNEWS.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2018

FEATURES | 13

Technological codependency

GEORGE FREY / THE ROCK

HOLD THE PHONE: Seniors Catherine Polo and Jocelyn Heimsoth and freshman Brandon Kim stand out amongst their dark surroundings as they use their devices instead of communicating.

Students struggle with overattachment to smartphones Katie Whaley

I

nstead of studying for her chemistry test, junior Sam Pokharel was watching “Grey’s Anatomy.” On the surface, the sight of seeing the junior engrossed in the screen of her laptop may bring about judgments of the situation: Pokharel was apathetic about the upcoming exam.

The truth, however, couldn’t be more of the opposite.

Pokharel was acutely aware of all the work she was ignoring as she watched the show and felt the physical weight of stress build as she continued watching. Sometimes, she panics so much that she has to stop and take a couple of deep breaths. She also had the same feelings while on her phone when she should be finishing work. She’ll sit on her phone and endlessly scroll through the explore page, and she’ll send countless Snapchats to her friends. “[I feel attached to my phone] all the time.

I just need to catch up with everyone. I feel the need to be constantly updated about everything,” Pokharel said. “And I think it also has to do a big part with the fact that I recently got a Snap[chat] so it’s something fairly new to me and I’ve been liking it a lot because I can catch up with my friends easily.”

Part of the reason Pokharel uses her phone so much now is that she got social media accounts around four months ago. She said she described her time before having social media as “being in the dark” and now feels it is a norm to her everyday life. It’s so normalized now that she struggles with turning the device off, even when she is aware and anxious about her schoolwork. “[I got social media] because all my friends

told me to, but I’m regretting that so much ‘cause it’s affecting my school work,” Pokharel said. “[Because] I’m constantly on my phone instead of doing homework and my grades are slipping, and when it’s before a test, I start panicking because I don’t know the content.”

Pokharel is not the only teen who experiences this attachment. 50 percent of teenagers feel addicted to their mobile devices, a study by Common Sense Media reported.

Further studies link excessive phone usage to low self-esteem, anxiety and depression, yet others say there is little evidence that the former causes any of the latter. The National Center for Biotechnology Information said there was no clear distinction whether problematic phone use coexists with or is a consequence of psychological comorbidities.

Advanced Placement (AP) United States History teacher Deborah McDonough has seen during the past five years in her classroom that students have misused technology, and it impacts their abilities. In writing especially, she said students struggle with convention errors, such as run-on sentences, misused pronouns, incorrect punctuation, and keeping a singular idea throughout essays. She worries overuse of technology will continue to hinder students.

“I’m not sure anyone can ‘control’ technology in the classroom. There are students who can unplug and stay engaged in what is taking place in the classroom while there are students who are completely addicted to their phones,” McDonough said. “My teaching partner and I give students warnings about misuse of electronic devices, and if it continues, we contact parents for support. We are not opposed to writing office referrals if necessary.”

For the future, McDonough hopes students

can display freedom with responsibility when felt little enjoyment while doing it.

Around her, Mishra says others have a stronusing their devices, as she believes they are not being responsible at the moment. Though ger connection with their phones. She said most she knows it’s impractical to take cell phones people at school keep their phones on their desk away from students while they’re in school, or in their hands all the time, and that even at she hopes students can learn to take initiative social gatherings, others will sometimes go on their phones instead of talking. In those situathemselves.

One student who excels with these respon- tions, when interaction is lacking, Mishra will sibilities is senior Anusha Mishra. Mishra feels go on her phone, too, just to have something confident in her ability to use her phone respon- to do.

“Other people seem to be more attached to sibly. Other than in the summer when she has relatively little work to do, Mishra typically uti- their phones. Like at parties I feel kind of relizes her phone as a tool to complete her school- pelled by my phone; I have no interest in bework and other productive activities, while also ing on my phone because it would be more fun to talk to entertaining my friends. At herself with it It seems like most people use their phones as a parties, though, while taking everyone inevbreaks between way of saying, ‘don’t worry, I have friends.’ On a itably goes on assignments. more surface level, people want to be engaged in their phone.

Her phone ussomething all the time and a phone is the easiest I’m not realage feels easy way to do that.” ly sure why,” to control for — Anusha Mishra, Mishra said. her, as she feels “It seems like comfortable senior most people stepping away from her phone when it’s affecting her produc- use their phones as a way of saying, ‘don’t worry, I have friends.’ On a more surface level, tivity.

“I naturally don’t have a problem going off people want to be engaged in something all the my phone, so usually I can just put it down time and a phone is the easiest way to do that.”

In her own life, Pokharel hopes to use her without much thought. I have more motivation to work than I do to keep myself entertained,” phone less in general. Though she finds enMishra said. “I’ve also deleted apps before if it joyment on social media, she also feels guilty consistently causes me to get distracted. After when she neglects her work. For others, she has they’ve been gone for a while then I can usually some advice, and she hopes to use it herself.

“I would honestly say use [your phone] but download them again and be better controlled just a healthy amount,” Pokharel said. “Like with that specific app.”

Instagram is the only app she’s had to delete. maybe to reward yourself, but know your limits She realized she spent a lot of time scrolling ‘cause no one can tell you to stop except yourthrough her feed to procrastinate her work and self.”

14 | FEATURES

THE ROCK | WWW.BEARINGNEWS.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2018

Hurt, horticulture, home

Estrada remains optimistic despite family, physical challenges

MAYA BELL / THE ROCK

SPARKS FLY: Senior Eric Estrada sharpens a lawnmower blade in his Small Engine Technology class at the CACC Dec. 7. He likes working with his hands and just landed a job at Jiffy Lube.

S

mit. As they passed through a neighborhood, they saw a car stopped in the road with many tanding in front of the entrance to men surrounding it. The men stopped Estrada’s the house, senior Eric Estrada kept family’s car and explained that they were Los a watchful eye on his old grandpa. Zetas.

Glancing at his cousin Toño, they BBC News reports the Zetas as a drug cartel both questioned him on how he known for torturing and decapitating their vicgot the cigarettes in his hands. tims, founded from corrupt members of MexiWhen Estrada’s grandpa was still alive, he, co’s special forces. In the past they were a crimalong with his cousin would act as the house inal group focused on the drug trade; currently guards to ensure the safety of his grandpa. After they have expanded to cigarette smuggling and Estrada’s grandpa got hit by a motorcycle, he human trafficking. They also work with corrupt went home and fell asleep. When he woke, he police and use the letter Z to correspond with could no longer remember simple things. Es- police radio codes. trada had to remind him who he was and make Aware of this notorious group, the Estrada sure he wouldn’t leave the house by himself family purposefully went in a “crappy” white or else he could get lost. Throughout Estrada’s truck with “paint missing” to make it appear as life, whether it’s helping his grandpa or helping though they were not affluent, he said. the family businesses, he has been surrounded “They wanted $300 per person, and there and connected by his family. were five people in the car,” Estrada said. “My As part of a large family, Estrada visits Mex- dad said, ‘Hey, you are scaring my family,’ and ico about every other year. He said their get to- the guy was reading the license plate number, gethers always happen around Christmas time but we were let go. We ran a red light and imand he describes them as crazy because of the mediately got pulled over. This was suspicious number of family members on his mom’s side. because the cops are corrupt.”

He said the trips always start at his aunt’s house Estrada said it was a relief to get his aunt where there is a really big feast and then they back, however, it was also a reality check bego to another uncle’s house and stay there for cause the kidnappers could take any of his famabout a day; when it’s over, he would see over ily members again at any time.

100 of his family members. Their Christmas Not only did the paranoia grow, but Estracelebration is always without gifts, and instead da also started to suffer from Post-Traumatic focuses on celebrating the birth of baby Jesus.

Stress Disorder (PTSD). This resulted in things Estrada considers Mexico home because the such as a loud noise at a stoplight leading Esmajority of his family resides there. One day, trada to plan escape routes, finding the nearest after coming home from fifth grade, Estrada hospitals and police stations, as well as chooswas told his aunt had been kidnapped in Mex- ing to sit where windows and doors are visible ico, but he was in the U.S. Estrada’s aunt was in restaurants. going about her normal day, opening her com“So my emotions get really riled up when munity pool when she was held at gunpoint af- something triggers it, and I get very overprotecter a lady asked for details on the rent fee. tive of people in general,” Estrada said. “It disBecause of tracts me in a Estrada’s conbad way. Like nection to his in a classroom It was a relief [to get my aunt back], but at the family, he felt I could just be a toll because doing math same time a reality check that [the kidnappers] the ransom and [be] getcould do that to us at any time.” demanded for ting really ner- Eric Estrada his aunt’s revous. It’s like senior turn was too daydreaming, large to pay. but I can’t The rest of his control it or family was in shock and had to play a slow and snap out of it.” painful waiting game.

While Estrada’s doctor prescribed medicine “I didn’t know how to express my emotions, to help him cope, the doctor also recommended and I felt angry that I couldn’t do anything he see a psychiatrist since there is a concern the about it because I was here in Columbia, and it PTSD effects will continue and worsen, and the was happening in Mexico,” Estrada said. “We doctor believes talking to someone would be didn’t have communication with her for a while more beneficial than medicine. Although not a and didn’t know what to do about that because cure-all, he said he does acknowledge the benwe were scared we were going to lose her.” efits of the medicine he’s taking; when he acciThe possible reason the kidnappers took Es- dentally misses a couple of doses, Estrada feels trada’s aunt was because Estrada’s uncle and more alert and anxious versus at ease when he family are wealthy and successful florticulture does take it. farmers. Although his aunt was eventually let On top of his struggle with PTSD is the go, the world was a changed place for Estra- strain of three concussions. The first occurred da. From then on, he couldn’t go to Mexico and during eighth grade while playing football; the feel the same way he did before. second came a year later and a third playing Although he considers Mexico home, Es- rugby sophomore year. Estrada said his eyetrada is aware that it is a corrupt place. One sight and memory are deteriorating. He fears incident a year after his aunt was kidnapped, struggling in college and losing control of his particularly proved this. A regular trip turned emotions, leading him to do something erratic awry after his family crossed into the Mexican or out of character. border, and were on their way to get a car per“I’ve had night terrors and woken up sweat-

Emily Oba

MASTERPIECE (top): Estrada works on a winter arrangement in his floral design class at the CACC Dec 7. “I was adding some more parts to the centerpiece so the foam wouldn’t be visible,” Estrada said. PHOTO BY SOPHIE EATON HANDYMAN (left): He worked for a landscape company this summer. “We laid out a lot of sod around the main part of the house.,” Estrada said, “then hydroseed around the rest.” PHOTO BY ERIC ESTRADA ing. One time I screamed, and it’s just not fun.

It really sucks,” Estrada said. “I have hope that it is fixable, but if I’m 100 percent positive, I’m not sure if it’s fixable, but I hope it is.”

Despite the hardships Estrada has been dealing with, his closest friends say he is a fun loving, caring and dependable friend. Senior Abby Still has been friends with Estrada for about six years and considers him one of the most thoughtful people she knows. Estrada said she is part of his family, and says he enjoys their conversations because they are able to talk about everything and it’s really nice to have someone to talk to who will always give an honest opinion.

“He’s always checking in to make sure I’m doing okay and makes me laugh when I’m having a bad day,” Still said. “He’s always down to go get some ice cream or just talk about life in the Rock Bridge parking lot. I would definitely say the thing I like most about Eric is how down to Earth he is, and what I admire the most would have to be his work ethic and determination.”

A couple years after Estrada formed a friendship with Still, he met senior Noah Horton during a football practice. The first time Estrada saw Horton was in the mornings in the Jefferson Middle School auditorium. Every day the middle school students would sit and talk with friends while waiting for the first bell. Since Horton was a new student, Estrada noticed he didn’t have any male friends because girls were the ones eager to talk to him.

“I would describe Eric as a very chill, down for anything sort of person, who you can really just be with and do anything and have a good time,” Horton said. “[This] is also what I like most about him, just his ability to make any situation a fun one.”

Estrada’s ease with people and the ability to make lasting connections goes hand-in-hand with his future as a floral distributor and possible business owner. Currently in the floral and plant design class at the Columbia Area Career Center and working with his uncle to deliver flowers, Estrada knows exactly what he is getting into.

In order to be a floral distributor, Estrada says flowers are bought from a wholesaler and sold at a higher price to make a profit. Depending on the market price some days can be very profitable while others barely break even.

“Nowadays people are really picky with their flowers; there’s like certain seasons, and trends change a lot,” Estrada said. “One day they want a crap ton of orchids and the next they want white roses and then they want tulips and then they want this, so it’s really hard to keep up with what people want so you just kind of have to guess on what people want and it’s make or break.”

Throughout his life, Estrada’s world has revolved around those he cares about. By keeping the people he endears close, Estrada is able to have a positive outlook on life. Growing up in this environment plus his experience taking a marketing class, working for Columbia Landcare and helping his mom’s house cleaning business, Estrada knew talking to people and being able to set his own time schedule would bring him joy in life. To make this dream a reality, Estrada plans to attend the University of Missouri-Columbia and study agribusiness.

“I can see my craft and product and how it turned out,” Estrada said. “Flowers have been in my life forever and that’s all we know so I kinda want to follow that and continue the generation.”

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16 | FEATURES

ACT IT OUT: RBHS

Advance Acting practices in the Performing Arts Center Dec. 11 for their showcases, which runs tonight through Saturday.

From left, seniors Ashley Livingston, Jocelyn Heimsoth, Bailey Long, Polina Kopeikin, sophomore Jacinta Chacon, junior Michael D. Bledsoe and senior Lucy Beattie perform a seance during the play “The Game’s Afoot.”

Musicians overcome challenges GEORGE FREY / THE ROCK

Students share personal struggle in higher-level auditions Jared Geyer

“District band is taken more seriously than band at Rock Bridge, while we are disciplined at school, we aren’t sitting near our friends during districts, and the conductor isn’t someone who knows us [or] who messes around. Rehearsals are taken very seriously in order to prepare our concert pieces thoroughly.“ -Katy Miller, junior MAYA BELL / THE ROCK

“For people who are interested in orchestra, Chamber Orchestra has a very welcoming and fun environment. It’s a relatively easy, fun class. If you are interested in signing up for orchestra, listen to the teacher and respect other kids. Practice your part and show up to concerts.“ -Ryan Choe, junior MAYA BELL / THE ROCK

I

n the surplus of RBHS activities and classes that students can join, musical groups such as orchestra and band are some of the largest and most notable programs at school.

While any student can try out for RBHS musical programs, it takes skill and focus for each group to go into their respective competitions sounding fully fleshed out.

Students must overcome the notes, chords and stanzas that come with any new sheet of music in order to better their band as a whole.

Josh Myers, assistant director of bands, acknowledges the high work ethic that students need to have in order to become a part of more advanced bands.

“District band has difficult and challenging audition music, which can really stimulate the growth of each student as musicians. That can lead to a better musician for our program as well,” Myers said. “Students need to have dedication and are very detail-oriented. The difference between making all-state band or not is minute details and making sure they get everything as precise as possible.”

Sophomore Roy Ford and junior Katy Miller, both members in the more exclusive bands at school, try to recognize the challenges that come with harder band programs. Ford, a drummer in jazz band, sees the new rhythms and music as the most time consuming obstacles.

“The greatest challenge, especially on drumset, is getting the feel of a song right,” Ford said. “In most modern music, which is usually controlled by a guy behind a panel, things are usually linear in terms of rhythm. In Jazz, there’s a flow you have to get used to, otherwise you sound like a wannabe.”

Despite the challenges of the free flow in jazz band percussion, Ford sees the individual spirit of the instrumentation as one of the highlights in performing. Songs such as “Sing, Sing, Sing” allow him to be front and center as the song revolves around a drum solo.

“All the parts that are written have a different role, so it forces you to be accountable for knowing your stuff,” Ford said. “You have to know how your music feels, and that, obviously coupled with practice time, will usually give you a top spot [in the band].”

Miller also confronts challenges in her district band.

The district band is not only more serious she says, but also has a more elaborate and intensive registration process. A five-minute performance of a packet given to participants determines whether or not students get the spot, Miller said. Her instrument, the trumpet, has about 60 competitors, but only 11 spots in the band.

“The hardest part of being in the district band is the three-hour rehearsal immediately following audition results where you have to work with the people who you were previously competing with for your spot,” Miller said. “Most of the time, the people around you are pretty nice and accept your chair placement. If you’re unlucky, you get seated by some people who are very upset about their placement, who can be very indignant.”

Band students experience trials and tribulations of many kinds. The string-filled orchestral classes of RBHS provide a more laid back experience, unless a student decides to try out for the All-State orchestra. Junior Ryan Choe is a part of the Missouri All-State orchestra, an ensemble that has some of the best high school talent in the state.

“I’ll never forget how impressed and astonished I was during my very first rehearsal,” Choe said. “The All-State orchestra is very exclusive. In order to get into the orchestra, you must go through a blind audition. The entire blind audition involves going to the Memorial Union building at the University of Missouri in the early morning. You audition for three judges and are separated by a screen.”

Choe enjoys the All-State orchestra for the incredible and ambitious players surrounding him. He is impressed by the focus of the front stands, who rush to take pages of notes during class. The intensity from rehearsing in the quiet rooms resonated with Ryan for the sheer intensity of the environment.

“I dream of Rock Bridge orchestra being like the AllState orchestra,” Choe said. “I just loved being a part of the All-State orchestras because of the immense talent, hard work, overall setting and new people I got to meet.”

To the students, an important aspect of orchestra and band is the music itself.

“Not all jazz is the stereotypical ‘old people music’ that people think it is,” Ford said. “Lots of it grooves harder than most of the music coming out today.”

Personal value worth more than financial circumstances Emily Oba

E

scaping what senior Jade Brady describes as a bad home life can prove difficult for a teenager because of the lack of finances; therefore, she worked to create an opportunity for herself to leave.

Currently, Brady lives in her own apartment with one other roommate and has been living on her own since late July. While her family members originally objected, their disapproval stopped after they saw she was supporting herself successfully.

For many years, Brady observed her family dealing with money, creating a budget and then used the knowledge gained and searched for the best housing option in her price range.

She used to work 25 hours a week, but now has a new job and works about 60 hours a week. Although this hard work can be difficult, Brady says the struggle is worth it.

“The only thing that still labels me as a kid is being in school,” Brady said. “And, yes, I hate that I had to grow up so fast, but I’m a better person because of it.”

While Brady feels sufficient enough with handling and earning enough money on her own, Senior Vice President and Wealth Management Advisor of the Central Trust Company, John Bailey, said there are multiple ways, other than working, to be financially

stable.

Bailey says the earlier someone can start investing, the better. He further explained long-term investment success comes from the time in the market and not timing the market.

“It is a great idea for students in high school to begin investing for their financial future,” Bailey said. “However, individuals under age 18 may not establish a brokerage account or mutual fund account on their own.”

If an individual is under 18 years old, a child needs a parent to make a custodial account, Bailey said. The Uniform Gifts to Minors Act places the parent as the owner or custodian, and the young adult can not be in full control of the account until age 21; the funds can then be transferred to an account in the young adult’s name.

Usually, teenage students do not have to concern themselves with rent, phone bills, utilities and food like Brady does daily.

Living a more secure lifestyle, on the other hand, is senior Zach Bartman. He considers himself financially comfortable because of his dad who created and sold an ethanol company and land in Illinois that they rent out.

“I’m grateful for my financial security because I can really do whatever I want in life and not worry about the cost,” Bartman said.

“I can have any job and not worry about the salary. If I was to really screw up, I have a net to catch me.”

Bartman recognizes how fortunate he is to be able to travel to many states and visit entertainment parks such as Disney World.

Most of all, he understands that paying for college will not be as big a concern.

Brady, however, worries about her future after high school because the extra stress of earning money makes juggling school work too burdensome. At RBHS, she had a full schedule of eight classes, and at Douglass High School Brady took two.

“I actually just left RBHS to go to Douglass,” Brady said. “At Douglass I am a part of the MO options program. It helps students who wouldn’t usually graduate on time graduate early.”

In January, Brady will start four classes at the Moberly Area Community College.

Brady’s biggest stressor is money, but plans to save so she can attend college. This worry is not without cause as Forbes.com states in the United States, there are more than 44 million borrowers who together, owe $1.5 trillion in student loan debt.

To combat this, teenagers like Brady can use money management tips to reach their goals; one example is establishing a checking account to allow easy access to their money.

“[Teenagers can] create and maintain a budget to accurately track income and expenses. [Also] separate needs from wants [which] seems easy enough, but many people struggle with this,” Bailey said. “[Make sure to] protect yourself from identity theft by being careful with your money, protecting your smartphone and not oversharing on social media. When you begin using credit, do so wisely to build a good credit history.”

MOY ZHONG / THE ROCK

THE ROCK | WWW.BEARINGNEWS.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2018

SPORTS | 17

GOT YOUR BACK: Junior Paige Hensley (left) and freshman Anna Stephens pose before the Troy/Francis Howell North match Dec. 6. They are the only girls who wrestle for the Bruins.

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Own O the matt PIG

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Hensley, Stephens fortify confidence, sportsmanship through team dynamic Ji-Sung Lee

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ince 1994, the number of high school female wrestlers has grown from 804 to 16,562, according to the National Wrestling Coaches Association. Though this number may not compare to the 245,564 males that participate, Team USA found high school wrestling on the girls’ side showed participation growth for the 29th straight year.

Two female RBHS students in particular might be noteworthy for the sport’s continual development, at least in the state of Missouri.

Freshman Anna Stephens’ father was a Bruin wrestler and introduced her to the sport. After watching old wrestling videos of her father and becoming more familiar with the game, Stephens said she was happy to hear both boys and girls could wrestle at RBHS. Stephens said all schools should open up wrestling to both boys and girls because it is a sport that adds character and can be helpful for self-building.

“If you can push through the physical and mental demands of wrestling, it will help build you for the future to allow you to push through to achieve the goals in life,” Stephens said. “It may be rough and seem gross, but once you try it, then you would see it’s really fun and interesting, like don’t judge a book by its cover. You have to open the book and read the first page. You [have] to at least try the sport out before you judge it.”

Head coach Robin Watkins said he cannot speak for any other sport, but as far as wrestling goes, it is all about the technique, even when there

is concern about the physical aspect of male and female.

“When they are in there running and sweating and throwing up, it is all about the training, all about execution,” Watkins said. “It is all about getting better, and nobody is thinking about anything else.”

Having had a relative compete at the high school level, Stephens said her family is proud of her decision in joining the team. Additionally, Stephens said her teammates and coach are wonderful friends and role models.

“We all push each other to strive for the best wrestlers and people we can be inside and out of the wrestling room,” Stephens said. “My friends all support me and cheer for me when I put my heart out on the mat, and [they are] there for me no matter if I win [or] lose.”

Every day in practice, alongside Stephens is junior Paige Hensley.

Having another girl on the team has been helpful because Hensley said she more easily opens up and meets new friends through the teammates Stephens already knows.

“I got interested in the sport because a lot of my old friends said I couldn’t do it, so I wanted to prove them wrong,” Hensley, who wrestles at the 126 lb. level, said. “One of my close friends at Father Tolton wrestles and kind of inspired me. I always went to his matches and saw how dedicated he was, which definitely made me [want to] try it.”

In terms of having girls on the team, Watkins emphasized they are just wrestlers, like anyone else. With Hensley being an upperclassmen, Watkins said she helps with leader-

ship, academics and tutoring. Stephens, who has more wrestling experience than Hensley, helps her get acclimated with what to expect in the sport, Watkins said.

“Really they are a contrast to each other, but they compliment each other very well,” Watkins said.

Hensley said she enjoys participating in the co-ed sport because it helps decrease people looking down on girls.

“Being able to do as much as the guys is such a great feeling because my gender isn’t influencing what I can and can not do,” Hensley said. “I love feeling equal to the guys as if I can do just as much as them in a sport I just began in.”

Throughout the entire journey, Hensley said her family is extremely supportive, and all attended the first match. When it comes to trying different things in high school, Hensley said her family is encouraging with everything. This encouragement translates well into the practice rooms, where the head coach is just as attentive with his support, making sure Hensley is wrestling someone close to her weight, which is beneficial, she said.

“This is [his] first year coaching at RBHS, so he’s transitioning, too, but he takes things slow if I don’t understand it, but he pushes me to do better,” Hensley said. “He’s really good about making sure the team grasps what we are doing.”

Watkins coached with the Columbia Wrestling Club (CWC) before transitioning to RBHS, so he worked with many of the athletes on the team when they were younger. The CWC focuses on fundamentals, sportsman-

ship, fun and the teamwork of wres- only five girls, including myself, tling, according to the CWC website. in my weight class, so I had to go Watkins’ coaching style certainly has against the other four girls, which an impact on the way Stephens sees made it difficult [because] by the final round I was exhausted, where other her teammates.

When Stephens steps into the people only had two or three matchpractice room, she said the people es due to more people being in their are always happy, and describes the classes.”

Watkins said what makes wresatmosphere as welcoming.

“Now it’s not just a brotherhood tling challenging is that it is an effort in the wrestling room[;] it is also a sport; however, it can also solidify a brother and sisterhood . . . a family,” strong work ethic and mental toughness.

Stephens “It’s on said. your shoulWhile ders, what there are Now it’s not just a brotherhood in the you put into some people wrestling room[;] it is also a brother it is what who treat and sisterhood . . . a family.” you get out Hensley of it,” Watdifferently because she - Anna Stephens, kins said. is a girl or freshman “I mean, I don’t care not as big as how minusthe others, cule of imHensley said these comments only give her a rea- provement. Improvement is improvement. It is going to show one way or son to do better.

“It just builds me up a lot more another, match after match, season when they don’t [want to] hurt me,” after season, if you are really putting Hensley said. “It’s definitely an un- forth that effort.”

To be in the wrestling room as a fair advantage, and I wish it wasn’t there, but it makes me work harder girl, Stephens said an athlete has to because I’m a super competitive per- earn respect and have mental toughness. But, she also said she hopes son.”

In addition to the gender differ- more girls will join in the near future.

“I love wrestling for the Bruences, weight is a critical component to wrestling, as it determines compe- ins. The atmosphere [is] like we all tition. Hensley said the weight class- push each other, and we are getting es are a difficult thing, because the work done but having fun with it,” athletes have to make sure they stay Stephens said. “We all love messing with each other, like teasing, but in a in the weight class. “[Who you] wrestle and how good way and just the people that are many matches you [wrestle] depends in the room, like just the feeling stepon your weight class,” Hensley said. ping in the room, makes me feel hap“This past tournament, there were py because wrestling is my passion.”

Wrestling plans for Lee’s Summit Christmas Invite Isaac Parrish

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[SOURCE: NFHS]

ISABEL THOROUGHMAN / THE ROCK

oday and tomorrow members of the wrestling team will participate in the Christmas Invitational at Lee’s Summit High School. The team stands at a [4-2] season record.

Head coach Robin Watkins said wrestling has a different feel in practice than it does in competition. He said players can challenge themselves, but when they encounter a new opponent with a different skill set, a different style, a different feel or a different atmosphere, the way the competitor plays can come as a surprise.

Watkins said his players need to take these new experiences and get comfortable with them, so next time, the athletes can perform better.

“You go to a wrestling room, you’ll see trash cans on both sides of the room because it’s intense,” Watkins said. “It’s constant. It’s not you run a play, you stop, drink, talk; you run a play, you stop, drink, talk; this is constant. It’s constantly going.”

Sophomore Garrett Roach, a 132 lb. level wrestler, is approaching his second

year on the team although this is his first year as a varsity athlete.

The invite is open to varsity athletes only, and Roach said he’s excited to be able to compare himself to the best players from his weight class from each participating school.

“I really wanna work on my endurance and really just [work] on my wrestling because I have technique, but I’m working on trying to apply it,” Roach said. “It’s only my second year of wrestling and so I have little knowledge on actually the application of those techniques, so I’m really just trying to build up the endurance and [build] up the experience.”

A veteran varsity member who finished third at the Ft. Zumwalt North Tournament Dec. 1, junior Evan Diehls, also plans to improve before traveling to Lee’s Summit.

Although Diehls said it’s been a good year so far, he said he took a loss after a tight match at Ft. Zumwalt North to an opponent from Lindbergh High School.

To prepare himself for the Christmas Invite, he plans to work on his bottom wrestling and getting out to score points

early.

“I think we’ve gotta improve a lot this week,” Diehls said, who wrestles at the 113 lb. level. “It’s gonna be a really tough tournament, a lot of good kids, but I think we’ll have some guys do well.”

Watkins said the athletes are a lot more adept than he expected them to be as he came in, which makes his first year coaching the RBHS wrestling team easier. A part of wrestling, however, is learning new techniques.

“It’s tough for a lot of kids that had previous success, but at the same time, last year’s success is last year,” Watkins said. “You have to build new going forward, and that’s kind of uncomfortable for experienced wrestlers.”

Though this is Watkins’ first season with RBHS, he plans to prepare the athletes the same way he’s been preparing them for every game.

“Technique is first and foremost, conditioning second,” Watkins said.

“You gotta simulate as much as possible tough matches in practice, so when we act literally how it’s gonna feel here, they’re gonna be golden when they get there.”

18 | SPORTS

Boys’ basketball to take on MCA

George Frey

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onight, the varsity boys’ basketball team will face off against Miller Career Academy (MCA) in St. Louis. The players and coaches have been preparing for weeks to play against MCA and will take part in the Troy Invitational Tournament. Currently, the team stands at a record of [3-1].

Assistant varsity coach Jordan Showalter has been an instrumental part of the effort to prepare for the game against MCA. Showalter believes the game will certainly be a challenge, but one the team is ready to take on.

“We’re playing with a little bit of [a] target on our backs this year, so we need to play well in order to win,” Showalter said. “It’ll be a nice challenge for our team. We think those [Troy Invitational] contests will be good challenges for us and hopefully help us improve as a team.”

The players are eager to win once again against MCA. Last year, the Bruins beat the Phoenixes (72-56). Two years ago, when the Bruins faced MCA on the road, the buzzer went off; RBHS fell just short of a win.

Junior forward Grant Hajicek worries the same may happen this year, but believes every player is determined to beat MCA and that will make all the difference.

“They’re good,” Hajicek said. “What I admire most about our team is we are all competitive and want to do what’s best for the team.

Everyone is eager to make a difference. Our goal is to take it one game at a time, not look ahead and try to get better.”

The Bruins hope that looking to the future, as opposed to looking at the past, will help increase their chances of having another successful season.

The players, however, are not only able to unite under the guidance of their coaches, but also with the help and encouragement of their fellow teammates.

Team members consider senior shooter Spencer Miles, a veteran player on the team, a leader among his teammates. He respects the nature of his team to keep moving forward.

“As a senior, you have to lead and help people through everything,” Miles said. “I admire our competitive nature and how hard we play in a game, [win] or [lose]. Miller Academy might not be the best competition we play this year, but we will prepare for them so we can beat them and keep moving forward.”

Showalter hopes the game against MCA, regardless of the outcome, will be a uniting and motivational factor in future games and seasons. With practice, he believes the team can win once again.

“Our guys have been working hard in practice,” Showalter said. “The Miller Career Academy game is extremely important for us, as is every other game on our schedule. We want to take everything one game at a time and do our best to prepare and play up to our potential.

Our goal for the rest of the season is to take one game at a time and to maximize our potential through perfect practice, day in and day out.”

THE ROCK | WWW.BEARINGNEWS.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2018

Girls’ swimming and diving looks to Smith-Cotton, Marshall meet Ji-Sung Lee

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he girls’ swimming and diving team has had a successful string of past seasons, to say the least.

In the 2017-18 season, as the Class 2 state champions, the team won its third state title in the past four years. Entering a new competition period, the athletes will travel to Smith-Cotton High School (SCHS) today for the second meet.

“The first meet was great to see the new girls get up and race,” head coach Taylor Birsa said. “It gave me an idea of what strokes are their strongest [and] weakest, along with strokes we need to fine tune, and that we need to bump up our yardage now.”

The meet is open to varsity competitors and will see competition from SCHS and Marshall High School.

“I let the girls pick their rac-

es each meet,” Birsa said. “A lot of girls choose to swim different events meet to meet to challenge themselves and also try and get more state cuts.”

Senior Kelli Jackson, who swam in the 200 Freestyle Relay and the 300 Butterfly Relay at the Marquette Relays, the first meet of the season, has been swimming for RBHS since her junior year. Her freshman and sophomore year, she dove for the team. Already, Jackson sees the pre-season work showing positive results.

“We lift twice a week which has made us all stronger,” Jackson said. “I’ve already seen improvement in my fly because my legs are getting stronger, and I can lift my arms out of the water easier.”

Reflecting on the first meet, Jackson said she hopes to improve endurance. Though she enjoys the butterfly, the event wore her out quickly, she said. While Jackson

looks to focus on stamina, soph- in races since swimmers are fastomore Emily Stephens has sights er underwater in a streamline than they are on top for working of the water. on acceleration.

“Nailing The first meet was great to see “After those and the new girls get up and race. [the Marworking that It gave me an idea of what quette Respeed off the strokes are their strongest [and] lays] I realwall will help ized I really them in their weakest, along with strokes we could work races,” Birsa need to fine tune, and that we on sprinting said, “especialneed to bump up our yardage.” and getly when they ting up to are tired to- Taylor Birsa, [the] fastest ward the end of head coach speed postheir race.” sible,” SteThough it is phens said. difficult to pre“Something I hope will stay the dict the outcome of a season from same for the next meet and meets solely the first meet, the history of to come is the positive and excit- the team points to another successing environment my teammates ful season.

“The first meet is over so we place that make swim fun.”

As a team, Birsa said underwa- know what our times were,” Birsa ters and turns are valuable drills to said. “Now we will work on imfocus on. Underwaters are crucial proving and getting faster.”

SOPHIE EATON / THE ROCK

MAKE A SPLASH: During a practice Dec. 7, sophomore Olivia Henderson practices her breast stroke. At 4 p.m. today, the team will travel to Sedalia to compete with Smith-Cotton High School and Marshall High School. The Bruins also compete Dec. 14 and 15 in Independence.

Girls’ basketball prepares for Nettleton game Emily Oba

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ith two wins starting off the season, one against St. Joseph’s Academy (55-32) and another over Hazelwood Central (45-40), the girls’ basketball team [3-1] will strive to continue its success when it faces off against Nettleton High School (NHS) [5-0] in Waynesville, Mo., Saturday.

The Bruins have a relatively young varsity roster, and with its new members, the Bruins needed to develop a strong camaraderie to be effective in working together on the court.

Head coach Jill Nagel sees a natural advantage to her team because of its senior leadership in captains and forwards Maddie Collier and Mary Capron. The connection the athletes share allows them to work well with each oth-

GEORGE FREY/ THE ROCK

AIMING Deneke Dec. 6. take on

HIGH: Junior forward Cooper shoots a layup during practice At 5:30 p.m. today, the Bruins will Miller Career Academy in St. Louis.

er. Nagel attributes this in part to the team’s leadership.

“Team chemistry is very strong this year,” Nagel said. “Our captains are great leaders on and off the court and set a great example.”

Junior guard Eryn Puett notes the Bruins are good with always staying positive and working well together. For the game against Nettleton, Puett says to get ready the team will practice every day. “[We will] try and simulate what [Nettleton’s] offense and defense will look like so we will be more prepared for the game,” Puett said. “We all work really hard, and I think we will have a fun season just because how well the team gets along.”

Other than the team’s positive mindset, Collier says the Bruins have great speed and can

What is the most difficult shot to make?

CAMRYN DEVORE / THE ROCK

use that to their advantage. The team must be careful, though, to stay controlled, Collier said.

“I think our team goals this year [are] to play fast but controlled, share the ball more and no empty possessions,” Collier said. “[We need to work on] looking inside to the post.”

In early November, Nagel said the Bruins set a number of goals at their retreat, designed to help them win in future games.

As the team gears up to play NHS, the Bruins will correct team plays during practice and make progress toward individual weak spots in offense as well as watch films of their opponents to enhance defense.

“We will gather as much film as we can and put together a detailed scouting report [on the other team],” Nagel said. “[One thing we need to work on are] box outs and rebounding.”

I would say down underneath because of all the traffic. It has always been my hardest because as a post player that’s where most of my time is spent, under the basket.”

I can’t choose a shot that is the most [difficult] for me, but I think the most important is outside shots because it is a role I can fulfill for this team potentially.”

- Caitlin Hayes, junior

- Samantha Mackley, junior

CAMRYN DEVORE / THE ROCK

THE ROCK | WWW.BEARINGNEWS.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2018

ADS | 19

THE ROCK | WWW.BEARINGNEWS.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2018

20 | COMIC

Hear me out Isabel Thoroughman, art

During his experience at RBHS, students judge sophomore Luqman Muhammad based on a narrow lens. There’s more behind the speaker.

Every time people in the hallway hear music they’re like “Oh, that’s Luqman coming.”

That became my signature.

I can’t take it away so might as well try my best to bring more people into new pieces of music

People think “You just blast all this music to be cool.”

Well, not really.

I play music just to play music.

I always dreamt to have the school in varied colors of music

I can’t have my speaker out as easily as I used to. .

When I came to this school, I felt like I was easily stepped on.

I’m constantly turning it up and down.

They got under my skin.

I’m not that one annoying guy or just that one speaker man.

I hope someday I can...

...show people I’m just like them.

I’m human.